February 10, 2026, Board of Education Meeting

001am roll call for the record. Um I am chair Carmen Soulton and I am present. When I call your name, please indicate if you are present. Vice chairs >> present. >> Board member Anderson >> present. >> Board member Hearnen >> present. >> Board member Lorraine Irier >> present. >> Uh thank you. The first agenda item is executive session. Do I have a motion to move into executive land legal and safety matters? >> So move. >> For member US makes the motion. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Board member Anderson seconds the motion. Is there any discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor. >> Chair votes I. Any opposed? The motion carries unanimously. All >> right. Do I have a motion to exit executive session for the purpose of discussing land, legal, and safety where

002no votes were taken? >> So move. >> Board member UT makes the motion. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Board member Hearnen seconds the motion. Is there any discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor? >> Chair votes I. Any opposed? >> Motion carries unanimously. We will now call this pre-work session to order at 2:02 p.m. Thank you for joining us today for our board of education pre-work session. Our board meeting cadence allows board members to prepare for upcoming regular meetings through pre-work sessions. These sessions are typically more casual and are primarily for information gathering. No formal vote will be taken. Dr. Whitaker, please introduce the first item. >> Thank you, Sheriff Sultan. I would like to call on Mrs. Amanda Lynch, chief of staff, to gain your feedback on instructional program policies and general

003public. [laughter] >> Good afternoon, board chair Dr. Soulson, vice chair, few members of the board, student representative Botra, and superintendent Dr. Wer. During today's pre-work session, we will invite discussion on various I and K policies. I policies are those related to the instructional program. A policies are general public relations policies. While individual policies address different strategic accelerators, overall policy development contributes to strategic accelerator 4, organizational effectiveness and excellence. We have five policies on the agenda for prework. Two of these policies, IEDA, resets, unstructured break time, and IKDB, devices concepts complaint resolution process, are policies that were identified as part of our 2-year policy review process for our oldest policies. Those that were adopted and last reviewed in the 2022 2023 school year. The next two policies are new policies that are being proposed. These are

004policies ICFA, curriculum guides and course outlines and ISCD, school volunteers. Finally, one policy KM, school visitors, is an existing policy for which revisions are being recommended. So, let's get started. First up is policy, recess unstructured break time. Once again, this is an existing policy that was adopted but last reviewed in September of 2022. It states that each elementary school shall schedule recess for all students in kindergarten through fifth grade every school day and lists the exception. It details the role of the principal as it relates to recess or unstructured breaks, including for scheduling such for grades 6 through 8. Finally, it states that in general, breaks may not be withheld from students for disciplinary or academic reasons. After review by staff and legal only minor edits were made to correct the language of the regulation

005referenced in the policy. So at this time I would invite any discussion regarding policy IDA recess unstructured break time. So, um, a shout out to the English department that had students do 30 minute speeches because my daughter did hers on recess. And so, I'm, um, thinking of what I learned from that, which is I believe a lot of districts are starting to enumerate a number of minutes. Um, [clears throat] so I would like to see that or understand then what happens when we are saying that there is time set aside but we're not describing the amount of time that's set aside. So I think the AJ had an article about recess sometime this year because I believe quite a few school districts are saying let's look at this chunk of time versus just the option

006for some recess. What do other people think about time? I think um I think there's probably some value at a what is it called the regulation the next level down. I think there's probably some value enumerating that at a regulation level and not a a policy level just to ensure that you have the uh flexibility to adapt as as needed. Could we have a minimum amount of time and then regulation does the rest or is there something I'm overlooking if we were to? I I'm I'm open to that. I'd want to hear from the administration as to the perspective that the administration has around that. I think I mean I think a minimum amount of time would be reasonable as long as there's it doesn't it doesn't go against kind of any of the the

007law that >> I think a minimum time would be >> is that sorry board member Anderson but is that something you think would be different for each band probably right okay so is that something that we would look be able to make a recommendation in some changed language >> because I think again I'm going from my daughter's research that beacon here in this draft um some unstructured break time and I think it was called a brain break and I believe it was five minutes so we were kind of you know and I'm saying if you think of how long it takes you to get to the next class the high school level that brain break doesn't seem like as much of a break and I don't know how that would impede instruction but um the

008thing mentioned here for beacon it says unstructured break time again I don't know if that's something to consider I don't know that a minimum is required I'm a big fan of discussion previously where it's like school principal has to consult with you know appropriate instructional personnel in the school take into effect and make sure they're given a break time and don't use it as punishment that kind of checks the box for me if you think If we need to say a minimum of 30 minutes or 45 or whatever, the problem is minimums often become the standard. Whereas if principal Heaton in the house uh decides that an hour is appropriate for a month or semester, I want him to have that flexibility. And I trust our people that hire good principles to do the job

009of of providing the value of unstructured playtime. When we were at the capital a few years ago and met with someone and he asked the kids, "Wouldn't they like more recess?" Uh several Decater third graders at the time were like, "Actually, we have too much recess." you know, it's like you get some snarky kids there. So, um, either way, either way, but I but I I like anytime it's the the let the principles decide. I'm >> Yeah, I kind of read that the spirit of this was we will not allow recess to be used as a disciplinary tool. So, you can't take away child and that I think is appropriate in policy. um good discussion. It sounds like maybe right now there's kind of two things but but we're okay leaving it with the kind

010of principal is worded or just for the next draft. >> If you think if the if we if the principal thinks they would like a minimum then yeah let's put it in policy. >> Perfect. So we will go back and have some internal discussion bring back to the board kind of where it landed from a staff recommendation and any future revisions will reflect that. All right. Second then is policy IKDB divisive concept complaint resolution process. Like IA IKB is an existing policy that was adopted and last reviewed in 2022. This policy includes definitions of and related to divisive concepts and it details the complaint resolution process for allegations of violations of the policy. Only minor revisions are being recommended specifically in part 4G where both subsections E and S needed to be cited. The language

011in the policy is strictly aligned with state law as written in OCGA 20-01-000011. So at this time I invite any discussion regarding policy IDB personally think that it is broad and confusing but I know that we have adopted um it has a safe barber and I'm just wondering if there's any internal guidance that may be needed for teachers so they can feel [clears throat] secure teaching without showing their legit. We provide that internal guidance to staff annually. >> And I guess my balance that question would be how do you feel about number three? Nothing in this policy shall be conr or applied to you like three. So section A does that language >> harder? But yeah, just in terms of the teachers knowing that that's fair and what that looks like for them, you know,

012teaching it that may be divisive to some but not to others. I just wanted to know if you felt like that language was >> I think that's a safe space really, but I'm just wondering how it plays out in the classroom and how teachers feel about it. >> Um, and then feeling comfortable enough to talk about these issues >> in an academic way. >> I I do we actually I believe got a presentation on what that language was. So if we could provide it to board member >> it is >> we can ensure the teachers receive appropriate training and as I said the language in this is very align directly with >> and we provide that training annually. >> Okay. Awesome. >> All right. So next I will invite discussion on policy ICFA curriculum guides

013and course outline. This is a new policy being recommended for consideration. As drafted it indicates that curriculum maps and scope and sequence documents will be made available annually ensuring that they are high quality and align with Georgia adopted state standards. ICFA indicates that pacing guides will be developed in partnership between the district and local schools while acknowledging that specific lesson plans remain the responsibility of the local school. Definitions of curricular map scope and sequence and pacing guides are provided. [clears throat] This policy was brought forth by remains accountable for providing resources that are proven critical in supporting teachers and leaders in standardsbased instruction. This policy also codifies the partnership between the district and schools and co-creating instructional resources. Such resources again are critical in ensuring high achievement for all students. So at this time I

014invite any discussion regarding policy ICFA that might be used to inform future drafts. I think one thing I wondered is um the curriculum development policy that we adopted in April has some of the same language like um the third paragraph for morology 5 is curriculum guides and course outline. So to a degree it felt almost redundant. Um the second thing I think you know I was looking at some other district's website and obviously every district has its own thing. Um so what is the curriculum right so I think we've done a great job with literacy we adopted I believe what wisdom last year but so ultimately this will be made public at the end [clears throat] or are these is this policy ensuring that at the beginning of the school year students and parents get

015to see the curriculum I was trying to figure out like where this what this does it's all and then what it does that's different from curriculum development. I see. >> Good question. Um, so the the spirit of this policy really was to codify that relationship between the district and the school and that collaboration. the previous uh policy held the district accountable for state standards um and ensuring that we're providing resources and this policy stepped back that took it a step further in codifying the relationship. Um we found that to be really important um together. Um, so that's kind of the spirit of this policy. Our focus has been back to the the P policy that um was approved last year was really about providing those resources to teachers. So we've done that the highquality curriculum

016through our internal instructional resources web page. What we know we need to do is now outline really clearly on our new updated web page for families very clearly the curriculum. And so that's the move of this policy. But if you think that they need to be adjusted and we go back to the policy that we adopted last year and just make tweaks there, we certainly could do that. Um I think I you know what started I think my question was remembering um a discussion at the community meeting at Oakhurst last year and I think some um parents were asking about textbooks versus online and so it was ultimately where does this stuff live pretty much once you get out of elementary school right because obviously at the elementary level there isn't as much variation in

017curriculum as you have by the time to middle high school. So yeah, anything that's going to put it front and center I think for um parents and students is a good thing. >> This may be a dumb question, but I'm where would the requirement that syllabuses be or syllabi be published? You know, like where where is that would that be contained under this? Is that a separate policy? Is it under the policy that board member Anderson was just mentioning? >> I think it's in the grading box. It's in the grading policy. Okay. That that that now >> I mean I've been just looking at it recently so I think >> Yeah. All right. >> All right. So it sounds like we're kind of okay as it stands and so we'll bring it back for first

018read next month. All right. So then fourth up we have policy IFC school volunteers. The need for this policy was mentioned during our discussion on personnel policies during pre-work last month. This policy will bring consistency to our current practices around school volunteers. It starts by stating that volunteers are valued members of CSV and contribute to student academic success, school climate, and culture. It also recognizes the importance of identifying and screening volunteers for the safety of our students. Definitions are included. The policy requires an annual background check for volunteers. And then it goes on to outline the cost, parameters, and exceptions. It also includes expectations of volunteers. So at this time I invite any discussion regarding policy IFCD that might be used to inform future. I really struggle with a volunteer having to pay for the

019background check. They're already giving their time. Um and yet I also understand that there may be, you know, factors I'm not considering and what the cost would be. Um, but the first thing I noticed was it seems like it's been comment on the volunteer to sort that out and I just wondered if there was any room for modification there. >> That is current practice and it's also common across the other school districts that we did an environmental scan of. It is common practice otherwise the VA cost has to be absorbed into the budget. Well, it it says on point two under a that the district will re not refund fees to an individual who does not clear their background check. That would imply that we are or at least leaving the opportunity open for us

020to refund people who do clear their background check. >> Not the intention. So, we can look at that language. The intention there is if I'm trying to be a school volunteer and I have to undergo this background check and now I fail the background check, it doesn't mean all of a sudden that I want a refund because I cannot no longer volunteer in the school. Just to clarify this um this is the background check is just for parents who might be doing overnight or unsupervised that so under the parameters it details some of that but it talks about direct interaction with students during which a school employee may not be present at all times right >> so that would include things like you know field trips and things like that >> but it's not like

021if you reader >> if I'm going for mystery reader community circles it's not require And then the background >> 38 >> $38 for most of us, but I'm wondering if there is a consider >> we do have resources available for, you know, through a multitude of ways for families to seek support if of course they could not pay that. they work through their school administration and our local schools know how to contact to access, you know, funds to for those opportunities. >> Just to just to I mean like to state the obvious. We're not talking about tens of thousands of people. We're talking about a couple dozen people at $38, >> right? Like well, let me let's also let me say state it this way. We couldn't do this for our students if we did

022not have these volunteers. And so I would encourage us to maybe take a look at the budget and see if we can't shake some dollars free to I mean >> I I'll I'll be honest. >> Yeah. >> For me, >> I've been an employee of a school system for over 25 years and always pay for my own background check as an employee. >> Yeah. This is but in Decator our employees do not pay for their background. >> Yeah. >> So this we do have employee we do have background check in our budget but it is not background check for all staff that need it for renewal in addition to any volunteer or school volunteer. We do so we do have it in our budget. I think the thing is maybe it's not too many volunteers

023potentially that it's not a thing. >> I don't we can look into the numbers but we have a highly active volunteer population. >> If it's a million dollars to the budget, you know, if it's $10,000 to the budget, >> you know, I think we wouldn't be able to do this for our students without our volunteers. And I think that there's some value in just get let's get that. >> We will get that number and find that out. And then you know with we will also have some discussions with our superintendent councils, SLTs, PTO's things like that as well for some additional on the ground insight there. >> And just for clarity like the other major metro districts do this this way? >> Everyone Yeah. charges for it. Yes. And >> I just have one question

024about the annual since um I guess why uh because I don't I think teachers are certified every five years. So if teachers and staff don't well I can only teach every >> So then why does a volunteer have to get it annually? >> Regular volunteers. Teachers are held to of course the code of ethics. So we have to report anything that would come up as well. And if you think about parents and volunteers and things like that, if anything were to happen in the year, we would not necessarily be aware of that. >> Thank you. >> All right. So, we will do some research, but we will plan to add that to the pre or to the work agenda next month. Our final policy for pre-work discussion is policy KM, visitors to schools. KM is

025an existing policy that was adopted in December 2023, but is being brought forth with proposed revision. In [clears throat] light of the proposed policy we just discussed, school volunteers and improved safety protocols throughout the district, revisions have been identified um by our safety staff. So these include adding the definition of visitor, allowing for instant background screenings against sex vendor registry records at district sites, allowing for weapon screening at facilities where such equipment is deployed, including a section addressing vendors as visitors to campus, and edits to increase the specificity or clarity of language kind of throughout the policy. So again, kind of matching it. So we need to update this policy um as well. discussion of the proposed revisions to this KM policy which may inform future drafts. >> What kind of identification do the shoulders

026have to provide? >> They present like a government issued ID. What if they're from another country? Okay. All right. So, I will plan to add this policy to March's work agenda for first read as well. And that is all I have for pre-work. Thank you. >> Can I ask a question really quick? I was wondering um I was thinking about the curriculum and I saw policy IDBA about sex education. is the idea that we won't get to every policy in this session or >> Yeah. So, what we're doing um right now is all of our oldest policies are that we're adopting the 2223 school year. We've divided them over this year and next year so that all of them will be touched over that 2-year period to review to see if updates are needed. >>

027Thank you. Absolutely. >> Thank you, Mrs. Lynch. To summarize for recess unstructured break time, there will be discussion with principles and the next draft will incorporate their feedback. The concepts will be moved forward to be reaffirmed. Curriculum guides and course outlines will come for first three next month. School volunteers will include an additional scan of volunteer background check processes in the Atlanta metro. KM visitors to schools will be moved to the March agenda for pre-work. Thank you board members for your engagement. At the board retreat, we will participate in whole board governance training facilit facilitated by the Georgia school board association. Additionally, we will continue the conversation on board and superintendent communication norms. We will also complete the board self assessment. There being no further business, this pre-work session is adjourned at 2:25 p.m. We

028will begin our work session at 2:25 p.m. All right, we will now call this work session to order at 2:25 p.m. Thank you for joining us today for our monthly work session. Work sessions are designed for in-depth discussion, study, and planning regarding district policies, issues, and upcoming decisions. Many items presented in a work session inform future board meeting agenda items, including the consent agenda. Board members, we have six presentations and 12 policies to discuss. Please hold questions until the presenter concludes their presentation. Dr. Whitaker, please introduce the first presentation. >> Thank you, Chair Sultan. I would like to call on Mr. Jarvis Adams, chief operations officer, to present the state of operations. [clears throat] Good afternoon, board chair Dr. Sultan, vice chair UTS, esteemed board members, student representative Votra, and Superintendent Dr. Whitaker. I'm Jarvis

029Adams, chief operations officer. Less than a year ago, I stood before you observation of CSE operations. Tonight I will share the state of operations for city schools and how our work in operations is creating the conditions for students to thrive every day. I will walk through athletics, student health services, transportation, nutrition, custodial services, facilities and maintenance and our capital planning work and then close with our next steps over the coming 90 days. Our work is grounded in the all in strategic plan operation touches all four accelerators but the primary focus tonight is accelerator 4 or organizational effectiveness and excellence. Accelerator 4 is about providing a sustainable highquality experience for every student and staff member in every school. As you listen I invite you to notice two things. where you see clear evidence of progress since

030last year and where you see operational risk that we must continue to manage. Our operations vision is to create the conditions for every student to thrive through safe travel, clean and well-maintained schools, nutritious meals and responsive care. Our mission, how we do that, we move, feed, and care for students. We maintain the spaces where they learn and grow with systems that support the success every day. Today's success looks like three outcomes. First, more instructional minutes because buses are on time and repairs are handled quickly. Second, safe and healthy schools regardless of the age of the building. Third, less time on operations for principles and teachers and more time focused on teaching and learning. That is a lens for the update that follow. I'll begin with athletics. Athletics continues to be a major point of pride

031in CSD. This year, our teams and student athletes have had a strong competitive success in increasing college opportunities. Region and county championships in softball, cross country, swimming, and strong postseason play in multiple sports are evident that our students are performing at a very high level. Several seniors have already committed to continue their athletic careers in college and our coaches are being recognized with regional and state awards. Recently, swimmer Isaiah Lewis was crowned as a state champion. Looking ahead, we are expanding opportunities with the cal county. We are building fourth and fifth grade athletic pathways at the middle school level. We are working with an external partner to grow middle grades softball as part of a broader expansion of sports. All of this work is coordinated with facilities and transfers and transportation so that schedules, field

032usage, and travel support instruction interrupted. Athletics should build health, belonging, and school pride. And we are seeing that across the system. Skip one. I'm sorry. Um, student health services is an area where we are balancing safety, staffing realities, and family experience. Our clinic model is built on three ideas. First, coverage. Every clinic will have a dedicated health staff member so each building has consistent support rather than rotating vacancies. Second, relationships. The same person learns to students, families, and staff in the building. That's that matters for students with chronic conditions and for families who rely on the clinic every day. Third, life safety. In a serious event, our protocol is the same regardless of the credentials of the health staffer staff member. Stabilize the student to the best of one's training and it immediately activate 911

033and emergency procedures. This model trades instability and relies on staff and agencies for consistent building based care while maintaining the same life safety standards in every clinic. Transportation continues to be an exemplar to our district. At this time, 100% of our daily routes are on time. That protects instructional minutes for students and allows schools to begin the day as scheduled. We also cover if you could just pump it back. >> Having a hard time. >> You are. I too. Are you good? >> No, we're good. >> I'm not. All right. So, >> I start at at this time, 100% of our daily routes are on time. That protects instructional minutes for students and allows schools to begin the day on schedule. We also cover 100% of requested field trips with CSD drivers and CSD buses,

034which reduces cost and ensure that our own staff who know our students are transporting them to instructional and extracurricular events from home to school to activities and back home again. Transportation is delivering safe, reliable service that supports learning rather than disruptive. Food nutrition is an area where we both is not loving me. >> There we go. >> There it is. All right. The school nutrition is an area where we see both progress and continued finance financial pressure. We saw an early uptick in participation as families gave the program a fresh look. And we have listened closely to student feedback about favorite meals while maintaining balanced and healthy menus. Even with those efforts, the program is still projected to require a general fund subsidy more than $700,000 this year. That level of subsidies is not sustainable

035over time. new director of nutrition and to study external management options with stakeholder input that could that could improve food quality and reduce the need for ongoing subtlety. Custodial services custodial services is another area where we are tightening systems of consistency going forward. The evening clean will be handled by a contracted team that focuses on deep cleaning floors and restrooms so that the buildings are consistently ready each morning. During the day, CSD custodians will focus on restrooms, fields, and overall readiness so that the classrooms and common areas remain clean throughout the school day. We are vested in training and quality with classified staff completing custodial certification training and regular inspections based on what we've learned from the current contract. The new RFP is designed around a clear scope of work and square footage rather than

036replacing positions that gives us a better control over both quality and cost. The outcome we're aiming for is that every student walks into a clean, welcoming building every day, regardless of the school they attend. Facilities and maintenance is where we have seen some seen some of our most dramatic improvement. Last year we were carrying more than 450 open work orders at any given time. Today we average between 20 and 30. Our average close time has moved from more than 20 days to approximately 38 hours with a target of 36 hours. This progress has been driven by our maintenance supervisor, our trades people in the field and our operation support staff who coordinate projects and payments. Together they have moved us from a backlog to a manageable pipeline of work. I want to publicly thank them

037for that effort to sustain and deepen this progress. We are launching a 12week trades course with Georgia Pedmont Technical College. Missing plumbing, HVAC, electrical and carpentry. This will help us grow our in-house talent and reduce dependence on outside contractors for basic work by giving our staff a pathway to industry recognized credentials. I promise I'm not working. The next step is facilities. The next step is for facilities to become data driven in our work orders work orders, parts and tools. All right. We are implementing a new computerized maintenance management system and pair it with a physical storefront in our warehouse. The system will track work orders and the parts and tools used to complete them. The storefront will house the high use items our trade staff depend on every day. As work is completed, staff will

038check out parts and tools through the system that will give us a better information of the true cost of maintaining specific systems, reduce wasted trips to hardware stores, support bulk purchasing where it makes sense, and strengthen asset management so tools are accounted for and available when needed. We plan a soft open to the storefront this spring started with HVAC and plumbing inventory. The goal is faster repairs, better data, and less weight as we maintain our buildings. >> The wrong way the wrong way. I did something wrong. Did a lot wrong. [laughter] Good presentation. There's a lot wrong on the click though. All right. The this slide is a reminder. This slide is a reminder that our school span many generations. Each car represents the era in which one of our business was constructed. The technology

039in that early roster is very different from the technology in the modern Corvette. And if you tried to maintain them the same way, you would either overspend or do real damage. Our buildings are the same. Older schools need thoughtful modernization and renovation. Newer schools often need targeted modifications and preventive maintenance. Capital planning has to match that right work to the right era of building. Right now, our focus is on completing current projects. This spring, we will conduct a facilities condition assessment across the district. Summer. This summer, we will complete the major work at Oakhurst and Deacon Hill Middle School, including flooring, HVAC, and patrols. Looking ahead, we will bring forward a new 2027 2032 capital plan that uses SLA and capital outlay reimbursement to fund modernizations, renovations, and modifications across the system with an eye

040towards equity of learning environments so that the age of a building does not determine the quality of space a student learns in. Final right. All right. To close the operational updates, I want to summarize our next steps. Over the next 30 days, we'll finalize the scope and schedule for and set a clear timeline for a turf assessment at Decator High School. Over the next 60 days, we will launch the soft open of the storefront for HVAC and plumbing and begin to track inventory usage. Over the next 90 days, our goal is to have approximately 50% of the storefront built out with tools and high use parts in the asset system so that we can fully leverage our new CMMS system. In parallel, we will complete the facilities condition assessment and bring forward draft one of

041the 2027 2023 2032 capital improvement plan. These steps are designed to move us from short-term fixes to a long-term sustainable capital and maintenance strategy. Before I close, I want to recognize the people behind this progress. I would like to ask the operations leaders and staff who are here this evening to please stand. These are the individuals who move, feed, and care for students and maintain the spaces where students thrive. They represent athletics, student health services, transportation, custodial services, facilities and maintenance, and capital planning. The improvements you have seen tonight reflect their daily work and leadership. I'm grateful for their commitment to our students, staff, and families. Operations has moved from stabilization to improvement in several key areas, and we have a clear road map for the next phase of work. Our focus remains on student

042experience, risk reduction, and long-term sustainability. Sheriff Sultan, members of the board, thank you for your support of this work and opportunity to share this update. I'm happy to answer any questions or hear where you would like deeper dives in future sessions. >> I've got a few questions. What does the partnership with the C County schools for I think it's the elementary or middle school mean? Is it like competing against or >> Yeah. >> How does it work? So in the cap county schools their fourth and fifth grade have you would say athletics is more like an intram murals between elementary schools and so they they have a league play and what will happen tally and fade will become part of that league very similar to what we do with middle school or JB sports where

043JB may work with a dav county league or vanet league or Atlanta league we're just going to partner with the cal county students to be part of their fourth fifth And then the external partner I think for softball is that like a club thing or something? >> Yes. So it's is actually re-engaging a partnership that was at at being here before I think but it was pro but it's a community based organization that that we're partnering with. I just can't think of the name right. David could yell it out. He's right back. >> And then one, and this may not even need to be answered right now, but I noticed the 2027 to 2032 capital improvement plan. So, is that something that's being built now or is that just [clears throat] something to know? >>

044Yes, it is. It's it's in the preliminary works right now. Before we get into building it, we can see certain things that we know need to be done. Floors, paint, things of that nature, but you really need the facilities condition assessment to determine how long your boilers are going to be around, which hbacks need to be replaced. Some things we can do with our physical eye, but best practices in the industry is to start from your facility condition. and we want to get draft one done prior to the due date so we can work through it um and kind of make sure we have everything in our new CMMS system. And so when we we make repairs, we would know that our conditions what that impact on our facilities condition assessment or that index that

045we talked about months ago. We can see the impact of the index as we go. >> So is the is the plan kind of like the budget? So, if it's dated 2027 and we're in 2026, then this is something that will be pretty much firmed up, hashed out sometime in the next few months or >> Yeah. [clears throat] >> Um, I was curious what the standard was for products in the office. >> So, I'm not an expert in that name, but what we have, we have a company that outsources. You probably notice these white containers. They look like, you wouldn't know about her, but you put diapers in when you have a baby, like a diaper container. Um, and she comes out on a regular basis. She was just out two days ago, Monday, changing

046them out. And we pay that service monthly. So, in some schools, you you would notice almost like a little brown paper bag inside of a tin, a can inside of a sauce. We just don't have that. It just has something a little bit more high standard and we offer the products as well or just the disposable. So all clinics have all of the clinics do have products to share. Okay. >> But it's the disposable side I thought was the question was that was your question about disposal or giving out the products like >> the supply availability. It's in the clinic. in the clinic. We have a grant also to help support. They're in the clinic. >> They're not. >> No, I was talking about the So, uh, board student board member Botra, it sounds like

047the students may not be aware that it's available in the clinics. like there may be some >> accessibility. >> Yeah, I there's actually like a student group that's working to um they have these little stickers they put outside of teachers classrooms who have like individually pledged to give them away, but I don't think students know. >> So there may be some work there wants to say something >> to mounted in bedroom and what she just said. >> Yes. So there is the receipt fee. >> Um there are dispensers going purchased for the girls restrooms of course in the middle school and high school inside of the clinic and also inside of the gym locker room. >> How much are they? >> How much are the dispensers? >> No. or I guess students have to purchase

048that. >> That's why I said we have a grand over there. >> Uh so this isn't probably to be answered right at the moment, but one of the athletic programs that I hear the most about in terms of needing space and updating is around baseball and the challenges we [clears throat] have with some of the facilities. And so, uh, I'd be interesting at some point to hear about how we might be addressing that, whether we're coordinating with the tab [clears throat] or anything along. Um, on nutrition, I get a tiny bit uncomfortable when we talk about it from the perspective that we need to eliminate the subsidy. I think the need is to make sure that we maintain a nutritious and tasty program >> and figure out pricing and then determine whether a subsidy is

049necessary. And I know it sounds like from the presentation there's a lot of work being done on this and a lot of change probably is coming. So we look forward to that. Uh but I just want to make sure that we don't lose focus. I'm happy, well, not happy, but I think that we would be willing to pay a subsidy if it meant that we kept a tasty and nutritious program, right? Uh I I would not want to have a land and awful program in order to eliminate a subsidy in other words, right? I agree with that. >> Um and then the last thing just to mention this, the facilities improvements, I mean, it's that's just incredible. That's an enormous amount of work that have happened within a single year. Uh and I just want

050to really appreciate everyone that has actually done sir, the humble crew. >> Yes, very very well done. >> Sorry, you reminded me of something. Um, if we're making requests, I'd love to know more about um facilities in general. So, you know, my understanding, for example, just at the high school level is we have five different soccer teams when you're looking at varsity, JVZ, and ninth grade for boys and then um JV and varsity for girls. We also have lacrosse. So, it sounds like there's a lot of competing, right, for what appears to be limited space. And so, yeah, I'd love to see how all these pieces kind of move together. And then I don't know if this is relevant, but you know, where my mind goes with that wonderful and thank you um kind of

051growing of the sports program for the upper elementary is there's more bus and more space. It's be kind of neat to see how it I don't enter your job, but like how it works. And I was in the high school today. I used the student bathroom and um kudos to whoever's doing that because it's nothing like the experience I have those days. >> But that's good. >> Um I think with the school nutrition program, I only thought or it might be to maybe figure out a cadence of how often you're surveying parents. I think this this has come up this comes up multiple times. Um you know what the price should be, what the menu should be. Um and some of it is rooted in participation. Some families utilize the school nutrition program because they

052have to. Um are reduced and free lunch program. They you know will use it all the time and then some people pop in and pop out. Um so um maybe you know it might be helpful to know how many families are utilizing the nutrition program. um what meals are they using breakfast and lunch? Um and that might help us figure out like what we should keep the pricing at and what you should keep offerings at. It's always been um interesting. Um you this is a population that you know will bring food from home. Um and then some people will consistently buy at school. So a cadence of um I have mixed feelings about survey data in this community because sometimes you just don't get a good rate. [clears throat] Uh but maybe if we set

053a cadence of surveying people, we may be able to see over time um what we how we can shape the the program to where we're meeting the needs of the people who are using it >> and not the people who aren't. >> So I I can speak to some of that. Um our participation rate for lunch is right around 47%. >> For breakfast, you know, we were doing climbing up to 7%. Now we're down back down into the five for an annual average around 6.8. So that's the participation rate. Our days of heavy participation are nacho days. [laughter] Nacho days are a big hit. I don't think we can serve nach we serve nachos every day. We not have to subsidize anything. Um and chicken and waffles. >> Those are those are high participation days.

054Um, however, you just cannot serve that, you know, as as teenagers would wish. >> Can I just throw an idea out there from school fun the lunch and talk about maybe having more variety and different cultural foods dump? >> Yeah. >> Out there, >> right? and and it's but talk about [clears throat and cough] so we're priced we're the highest price point in the metro area but if you go to a con area city the highest you're going to find in the metro area is 350 and that's where we are the second highest price point for breakfast and so with pricing you got to think about what's reimburseable so reimbursement gets around that $42 from the federal government. Federal government can change at any time. So you leave a little leeway for that change. We've

055worked with some co-ops for fresh fruits and vegetables that's helping. But our purchasing power for about 2,600 kids is is no better than probably what you're buying for your house. You know, like we're not buying at the power Yeah. So, we're not getting that price and that I mean that does that limits us. And then we don't have the freezer space as well where you could buy extra bulk. You got to have a place to store it. And that's when you have schools built in a certain time era. they don't have walk-in freezers and outfitting that school for a walk-in freezer. >> The walk-in freezer doesn't have to be on the school road, right? So, there are some creative options to take a look at in terms of food storage. >> Yeah. Of that nature.

056And I wonder if there are co-op purchasing agreements with other large districts where we could join in. I don't want to get into the weed. I mean I I realize this is everything that you are talking about doing. So I don't want to steal that thunder, but I think that there are a lot of interesting changes that you're exploring that'll help us be more efficient at scale. >> Thank you. >> We I was pleased to see 100% of uh field trips were met with transportation. In your mind, do we have adequate capital for athletics when it comes to transportation? Because you talked about that intersection. Something I've heard in the past is like we just don't have the buses to get the tennis team where they need to go or anything like that. So we

057do do we need more money there? Talk. >> So I think that we do. Um I think the I was meeting with our transportation director on Monday and one of the things you and athletic director was in the room is we just have to work with our coaches driving. So, not only do we have our regular buses that you see, we have our 14 plus one where the tennis team can get on with a with their um the bus with their coach and then be transported. Same thing with golf and some of the other smaller sports, even some cheerleader teams. Um, I think the other challenge is going to be when we look at coaches driving bigger buses in all our neighboring districts in [clears throat] the districts that neighbor when the coach drive they're

058compensated. And so what we're doing is looking at what that compensation is in the metro area doing environmental scan on how much coaches are compensated and what are the parameters around that. Um, so if a coach drives his own team that means he's going to drive them back. What's the risk management to it? After coaching all game, stressed out, then you drive back mad at a kid, you won't stop talking, you know, is that the best thing or do you got to have a separate driver? So, we're we're doing that environmental scan now and p piecing it together and then we'll be able to answer that that question better of what more do we need in in the era of funding. >> Yep. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Adams. And also thank you to the

059operations team. Your commitment to how we move our students, how we feed our students, how we care for our students is to be commended. So, thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Adams, and thank you staff for supporting all students in the city schools of Decar. It is great to see you here today, and we appreciate all of you. Dr. Whitaker, please introduce the next presentation. >> Thank you, Chair Sen. I bring up Mrs. Francis Cole, assistant superintendent of student support services to provide provide the annual update for communities in schools. >> Good afternoon board chair Dr. Selen, vice chair foot, members of the board, student representative Vatra, and superintendent Dr. W. Communities and Schools of Atlanta or CIS is one of three organizations with whom we have partnered to help us operationalize equitable outcomes for

060all students. Since the spring of 2014, CIS has served students at Claremont Valley Beacon Hill and Decator High School by placing caring adults or CIS creates a consistent day-to-day support system that helps students stay on the path to graduation. CIS is the nation's largest and most effective dropout prevention organization. Their partnership and this update is connected to two strategic accelerators. Student success in all areas and building and sustaining an engaging and inclusive culture. CIS support comes in two ways. Schoolwide services which support the school improvement goals in partnership with school principles. GIS ensures that various activities and events connected to those goals become a reality. Case managed service services are provided via a highly structured mentorship approach. Each student on the case load receives an average of 3 hours per week of onetoone support on

061personalized goals. Currently 191 students across three schools are on case loads. Whether schoolwide or case load services fall CIS services fall into one or more of these categories. Academic academic assistance attendance behavior enrichment or motivation family engagement life or social skills and basic needs. Looking more deeply into schoolwide outcomes. By now, hopefully everyone has heard about the excellent CCPI results that our schools and subgroups achieved last year. As a partner focused on increasing CCPI and equitable outcomes, CIS supported schools in their academic and school climate efforts. Here you see some pictures of events held this fall. Highlights include distributing gift cards to Decar High School students who demonstrated academic achievement in science courses, holiday gift distribution at Beacon Hill, promotion of literacy at both Tally and Claremont, and an attendance celebration for the top three

062classes with best attendance at Claremont. BIS has also supported district-wide events such as the back to school bash and our first Special Olympics. Before delving more deeply into progress of the students who received support via the case management last year, I want to explain further how students are selected for case load services. Case manage services are considered tier three support and the student selection process is a datadriven process. For this site coordinators use attendance, behavior and course completion data. They also collaborate with the school administration to identify the students who are most at risk. Support teams can also refer students. The student support teams already include counselors and social workers who are very well-versed in referring students to the appropriate internal and external support partners to expand support services beyond what traditional school programs are

063established to offer. Students who are not already on a case load, such as an IEP case load, may be referred for CIS case manage support. Through this process, we avoid service duplications and ensure that more students have access. Now, on to progress. Of the 178 students on the case load last year, over 84% made met or made progress towards their personalized goals. On the right here, you can see a breakdown of the progress by goal type. Consider these percentages, these high percentages. [clears throat] That's the beginning of the story of how powerful CIS take manage support can be for students who are most at risk. Students with behavior improvement goals also demonstrated progress as evidenced by the reduction of behaviors that led to ISS or OSS. In fact, 94.5 of the students with a behavior

064goal improved by at least one fewer behavior incident. Students in the black and economically disadvantaged subgroups and with a behavior goal saw a combined 78% reduction in total behavior incidents. I must have I must be impacted by Jarvis. I was on the wrong one slide. I apologize. Okay, so that was the behavior. And then here's the next slide. The analysis of student performance on GMAT, a more formal measure is shown on this slide. It is represented. It represents a year-to-year cohort comparison of students served by CIS in grades 3 through 8 during the 2425 school year. These were students who had GMAT scores from May 2024. Across both ELA and math GMAS, the percentage of students receiving CIS services who scored at the developing level declined substantially after one year of case managed services. This

065indicates that those students improved their performance levels. Furthermore, it is exciting to see increased representation in ELA in both the proficient and distinguished levels by 9% and 5% respectively. In math, the percentage of students at the proficient level remained relatively consistent. However, there was a 14% increase in distinguishment. This analysis does not claim causation, but we do see a positive correlation between CIS support and improved academic performance for our CSV students, same students over time. Basic needs are the most essential resources required to thrive. These include safety, food, housing, clothing, financial health, and overall wellness. Emergency assistance exists to supplement, not supplant support from other established programs. In the spring of 2024, we were working through some concerns about unpaid lunch balances and CIS jumped right in to help us overcome. Last year, we saw

066both staff and students being supported with housing related needs. So far this year, the [clears throat] request for emergency assistance has been fewer. While we have no way of knowing for sure, we suspect that this is because requests are now more focused on the needs of the students on the case load as it should be. It is possible that additional requests may come in before the end of this school year. This slide illustrates how CSC's cumulative investment of 405,000 has leveraged additional resources through the CIS partnership for a total economic impact of 770 thou $348,000. This represents a $1.90 return for every $1 invested. While CSD's direct investment funds a portion of CIS programming, CIS has secured additional direct investments to fund the remainder of the programming cost as well as inind partner engagement for

067the direct benefit of CSB schools. Specifically, CIS secured $735,000 separate from CSD's investment that has been allocated for the programming across the 20 32 2425 and 2526 school years. 19 $19,855 in supplemental funds to support students in crisis. 15 $493,000 in contributed support from community partners. So we extend our gratitude to the partners who specifically supported CSC last year. Also last year you heard from principal Lockwood about CIS support at Claremont. This year I would like to call forward principal Heaton to share more about how CIS is supporting his team at Tally. Good afternoon board members and Dr. Whitaker. Thank you so much for this opportunity to speak today. At Cali Street, we have a strong and unwavering belief that a supportive, positive school culture is the foundation for student success. When students feel safe,

068encouraged, and connected, they are better able to focus, grow, and achieve. Over the past year, that commitment to culture and relationships has helped drive meaningful academic pro on the Georgia laws assessment and our CCRPI score. These results are not accidental. They are the product of intentional support, collaboration, and care for the whole child. That is why our partnership with community and schools is so important and so impactful. Their mission to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to thrive, aligns perfectly with Tally Street's goal of meeting the needs of the whole child, not just academically, but socially and emotionally as well. Community and schools have been a visible and active partner in our building. They have supported and helped lead schoolwide efforts such as our trunk retreat literacy literacy event, our [clears throat]

069swag out Wednesday dress for success initiatives, and just last week's breaking bread building bonds event which was held in collaboration with our gent program. These experiences foster a sense of belonging, motivation, and pride among our students. Beyond events, their day-to-day impact is even more powerful. They provide ongoing and individualized support especially for the 65 students on Mr. Begahad's case ensuring that these students receive targeted guidance, mentorship and resources. They also continue to encourage attendance habits through incentives and outreach which directly support both our student achievement and schoolwide progress. I want to sincerely thank the board and Dr. Whitaker for your continued support of community and schools at Tally Street. Our investment in this partnership is an investment in our students, our culture, our results, and our results. Together, we're building a school community where every

070child is supported and empowered. >> Thank you, Mr. Hayen. And now, in closing, I want to highlight a recent research recent research and national headlines regarding CIS. A new study published in December by Harvard and Cornell featured in a recent The Atlantic article confirms that CI that the CIS model improves graduation rates, esports, increases college enrollment. It alomic outcomes for the student years after they leave high school. Impressively, students with three years of CIS exposure in middle school earned approximately $1,140 more by age per year per year by age 27. According to this study, three years of programming are estimated to increase the students lifetime earnings by 75,000 or 36,000 in the present day value. The takeaway is that we are on the right track by having CIS and CSD. Your investment in this proven

071and evidence-based program is changing the trajectory of CSD students who need it the most. Thank you for your attention and time this afternoon. Do you have any questions or feedback? A few sounds great and I'm really happy for the students. the three organizations that CSD is partnering with. Um I believe that's what we heard at the beginning. So is there overlap or is what we've been presented um unique just to CIS >> today? This is just CIS. The others are the UVA and the one. >> Okay. So then the students being served by CIS. That's all we're looking at. >> Correct. Okay. Thank you. Um, if we could go to the finance slide, I think the economic impact I believe. >> Yeah. I'm just confused in terms of Okay, I see what CSD, right, paid

072for the programming in 2425. I see what CSD has paid for the programming in 2526. So beyond staff and I'm sorry if this is you know obvious what else is CIS providing financially like I see the previous slide that talked about I think 15,000 in emergency funding right so first regarding the staff the portion that we pay it's a portion of the salaries it's not the entire portion the entire amount I should say so they do um cover that um in the uh 2324 we did not pay anything um and you know in hindsight it would have been awesome to have started earlier in that year because there was a grant um that was available to us. So but regardless they did pay their uh their portion and we didn't pay anything. Um so beyond

073that um we see the emergency assistance that comes for those requests related to basic needs and then those partner donations that may come that may be used for the uh support of the event and any other of those kind of things that they do with >> Thank you. And then final I love that um the comparison with cohort to cohort. Um do y'all ever look at like student growth percentiles or just raw GMAS scores? This was our first time doing that. Um, but we did look at their GMAT and I think based on how the case loads can fluctuate. Uh, again, if we're parent consent, a student may move or something [clears throat] of that nature, this may be the the best uh way to to look at it. >> Thank you. [clears throat] >>

074I'm also curious about because the data I think from slide five was just grades three to eight. I'm wondering if you looked at high school and saw similar improvement. >> We tried, but the GMAT at high school, you cannot do that. They only take it once and so >> the end of course that's right. So we >> did we had to go into the 38. Okay. So, so on this slide, I know uh I know you were very clear that this is not causal like you that's not been able to be proven causal here. Uh and that's probably because I was asking questions around that. But um there is data [clears throat] that indicates causality. You shared some of those studies at the end standard deviation changes on math scores for example for people that

075have taken it three years. And so we're seeing, you know, 13% shifts here that are indicative of the same kind of results that causal studies have been able to show across the country. And so this is extremely encouraging. And so I think of it for for basically a $400,000 investment, we have moved, according to this data, 112 kids 13 percentage points beyond developing in a host of measurements. in this case ELA and math and the presumption is that at a high school and other studies you're able to see the same kind of uh the same kind of results. So this feels like extremely well spent dollars uh from my perspective. >> Can can I just clarify one thing though because I may be misinformed. I thought at the high school level while you can't have

076a ninth grade detective students would only take American lit EOC one year you do get student growth percentile. >> So like I I feel like I looked at it myself this year. So I could see my students performance and then I could see how they compare to other [clears throat] students. So I think there must be some high school data that could be used maybe >> when you're m this is more so around ELA and math and they take that one class they don't take in the course again in that content >> and is this also like CTRPI is embarked longer than GMs is that an issue or that's not an issue >> no it's just they don't you don't take that content begin to do that statistical analysis and what was done to do

077this >> is they don't take the the actual content again. >> Okay. So board while we have not implemented CIS and CSD for two decades like in the Harvard study we [clears throat] are coming up on two years and we are also seeing substantial gains as did the Harvard Graduate School of Education Studies. So thank you for your continued support of all means all. And yes, it's just a frog in my throat. I'm not. So, we're literally going to pass away up here. [laughter] >> Yeah, I'm fine. >> Thank you, Mrs. Hold. It was great to hear how all students at Tally Street Upper Elementary School are benefiting from CIS. Mr. Heaton, thank you for your leadership. And Dr. Whitaker, please introduce the next presentation. >> Thank you, Chair Sen. I would like to call

078on Mrs. C. It sounds better. Thank you, Chair Sultan. I would like to call on Mrs. Amanda Lynch, chief of staff, to provide an update on non-resident tuition. >> Good afternoon once again, board chair Dr. Sultan and esteemed members of the board, student representative Fatra, and superintendent Dr. Whitaker. I'm excited to share an update on non-resident tuition with you. Our non-resident tuition program is aligned to strategic accelerator 4, organizational effectiveness and excellence. The budget priorities approved by you earlier this year list exploring additional sources of revenue including tuition. While CSC had a prior history of offering tuitionbased enrollment to non-residents, the program had gone dormant except for a small number of grandfather students. Last school year, as part of the board approved budget priorities, non-resident tuition was again explored. A board policy JBC non-resident students

079was adopted and staff executed an application and enrollment process for non-resident students enrolling in grades K through five. The strategy for our non-resident tuition program was to maximize existing staff allocation by opening seats in classrooms that were below the student teacher ratios in our allotment guidelines. For example, if we had four first grade teachers at one school with 17 students projected in each class, we calculated additional seats based on a slightly smaller ratio than our staffing ratio. In this case, using a 1:21 ratio, we could identify four seats per classroom for each of the four classrooms or 16 seats at this example. Using this strategy, we estimated 71 projected seats for the current 2025 2026 school year. In all, we received 55 applications and were able to offer enrollment to 53 of these applicants. 31

080students accepted enrollment, remitted payment, and metriculated to their CSD school. Our current number of tuition students is slightly lower at 29 students because several non-resident families actually moved into the district qualifying for resident enrollment. You can see the breakdown of tuition seats based on grade for the current school year in the box on the right. Clearly, our highest realized demand was at the kindergarten level. I'd like to thank this first new cohort of families who came to CSD through our non-resident offering. We are excited to continue offering non-resident paid tuition for the 2026 2027 school year, which is again aligned with the board approved budget priorities. First, I'd like to be clear that all current non-resident students, those 29 students highlighted in the last slide, will be offered continued enrollment in CSB at their next

081grade subject to continuation criteria. This includes students at transition grades, our second graders moving into third grade, and our fifth graders moving into sixth grade. Continued enrollment for our non-resident students is a the board's value of continuity in a student's educational experience as stated in policy JBC. As last year was our first year re-implementing the program, we naturally have identified several ways to improve the process as we look to the 2627 school year. First, the application and decision windows have been adjusted earlier. We conducted a scan of admission timelines for local private schools and have aligned our dates so CSD can be a real choice for families when enrollment decisions and tuition deposits are due. In fact, applications are open now and will remain open through March 2nd. Families will be notified by Friday, April

0824th of whether they have secured a spot in CSD have until April 15th to accept their seat. This is significantly earlier than last year and addresses a primary concern that we heard from prospective families last year. In addition to leveraging our regular comm our website, social media, school and district newsletters, media releases, we have also launched paid communications and are leveraging community partners. Look for our banners in the Decaterish Parent Magazine, the Champion newspaper and Rustrack Atlanta or click our ad on Facebook. We also know our community is passionate about sharing the availability of tuition fees and encourage word of mouth referrals. Our non-resident paid tuition program is currently designed to maximize enrolling enrollment in existing K5 classrooms. We have projected 200 new non-resident paid tuition feats for the 2026 2027 school year at the

083K5 level. We'll share a full breakdown of these numbers in just a few slides. As a reminder, first tuition only applies to non-resident tuition students. As a public school system, our city of Decada resident students attend CSC schools tuition free. Paid tuition is also students. We will continue to offer our courtesy tuition program to eligible employees. Now, for our non-resident tuition students, tuition is calculated on an annual basis. Tuition rates are based on a state formula that considers actual expenditures, state revenue, and midterm full-time equivalent or FTE from the previous year. The tuition amount reflects an estimated local cost per student. Based on this calculation, the non-resident tuition rate for the 2026 2027 school year will be $9,158. Tuition rates will fluctuate annually based on this state formula. Tuition rates have both increased and decreased

084in previous years when we have offered tuition. Again, we're excited about continuing to offer non-resident paid tuition for next school year. Here you can see the estimated number of seats by school and by grade. These numbers are generated based on projected enrollment, the number of allocated teachers or classrooms, and a slightly more conservative than approved staffing ratio. As I outlined earlier in the example, [clears throat] more information, including step-by-step directions, can be found on the CSV registration website. Note that the application for non-resident paid tuition once again is open now and will remain open through March 2nd. In addition to these resources for non-resident students, there's information for resident enrollment. All of my families with rising kindergarten students, please go online and register your students for kindergarten. There's also information for employee courtesy tuition enrollment

085and prek registration. So visit our website to learn more and enroll today. At this time I would be happy to answer any questions. One quick clarifying question. This does not include out of district prek students. if we should have prek slots. >> PreK is handled separately through their own lottery and registration process. So if you go to the website, all the information for prek is available there, >> but they are excluded. >> We are using K through five traditional schools for non-resident tuition. >> I had a question about the continuation criteria for theing students. What does that look like? >> It's outlined in policy JBC. It talks about how students um should have appropriate academic behavior and attendance. So um through our MTSS process and things like that, students would receive the same supports as

086other students. But say attendance is really getting to be an issue, we put supports into place and things like that. There are ways that we can put a student on probation and dismiss them if they don't meet those criteria. It's a it can it can be attendance. It can be um behavior. So if I had an egregious behavior, for example, that you could be subject to either probation or dismantle through that. Um, given that we haven't filmed all of our slots yet, uh, this may not be relevant, but I would like us to maybe consider, um, prioritizing siblings of kids that are already in, right? So, parents that have been with us for a longer time in the tuition program, rather than ending having them end up splitting up their kids into different filters, I'd

087like to make sure that we have Fantastic. Okay, great. Great. As of today, we have 60 applications have been started and started staff will update the board in April on th those who have been notified of acceptance and in May with those who have been submitted their intent to enroll. >> Thank you, Mrs. Lynch. We look forward to the updates along the way with this along the way this spring. Dr. Dr. Whitaker, please introduce the next presentation. >> Okay. >> Uh, I would like to call on um Mrs. Terara Smiley, CEO of the Career Academy and CTA director. Yeah, I don't think she really needs Yeah, we'll just Oh, wow. Who are we board does a really good job of bribing us on this board [laughter] smiling? Very good. >> [clears throat] >> A little

088bit better. Thank you. All right. Good evening, board chair Dr. Sultan, vice chair Mr. U, esteemed board members, student board representative Mia, and superintendent Dr. Gimma Whitaker. I'm Tara Smiley and this evening I will share how career technical and agricultural education is strategically aligned with Georgia's workforce priorities, highlight our impact on academic achievement and workforce development and celebrate some achievements. CTAE continues to support student success in all areas by preparing students with the academic, technical, and employability skills needed to thrive in their post-secary endeavors. The Georgia Department of Education recently reported a 99.43% graduation rate for City Schools educator students who completed at least two courses in a CPA pathway. That number reflects what we see every day. When students are engaged in relevant learning, they stay on track and they graduate. In this graduating

089class, 183 students completed a full pathway on campus or a technical certificate of completion through dual enrollment and earned a credential of value connected to their coursework while earning their high school diploma. Our students are also making an impact before they even graduate. With just over 100 students participating in work-based learning across the metro area, our work-based learning students logged more than 13,000 hours on the job, and contributed nearly $635,000 to the local economy. That data shows that CTA supports high graduation rates, strengthens post-secary outcomes, and directly benefits the Decar community. Georgia's high demand career list really helps us stay grounded in what matters. Preparing students for careers that are needed now and will be needed in the future. It highlights the industries and occupations across the state that are high demand, high skill and

090high wage. And we use it as a guide when shaping our CPA program. All 10 of our career pathways align directly with those high demand industries in Georgia's workforce priorities. Our commitment to career readiness begins as early as third grade with CTA exposure through STEM. And by sixth grade, students are exploring CTAE through connections courses in business and communications, computer science, architecture and construction, and international perspectives. all of which are aligned to our high school pathways. Most of our dual enrollment students are enrolled at Georgia Pedmont Technical College or Georgia State University, but students are taking courses at institutions across the metro area, including Atlanta Technical College, Georgia State, and Georgia Tech. We've grown from 125 to 185 students since last fall, indicating increased student interest in earning college credit while still in high school.

091While the majority of our dual enrollment students are earning academic credit, others have honed in on their immediate career goals and are pursuing technical certificates of completion or in specific industry certifications that will accelerate entry into their chosen profession. Right now, five students are enrolled in early college essentials. 11 are working toward nurse aid certification, and four are pursuing two automotive PCC's in engine performance and engine repair. Dual enrollment is reaching a wide range of learners. Students in the IB diploma and IB career programs as well as students supported by ESOL, IEP, and 504 are accessing dual enrollment options, emphasizing that this opportunity is accessible and supports a range of post-secary goals. When we talk about student achievement in CTA, we're really talking about student engagement. students doing meaningful work and seeing how what they

092learn connects to the world beyond school. That engagement starts early and continues through high school. In our upper elementary school, students are learning computer science concepts and using those skills to code sperots and navigate mazes they they've measured out in a sim activity. It's fun, it's hands-on, and it builds problem solving skills. Beacon Hill students in audio v video technology and film are producing and delivering weekly news. They're collaborating, telling stories, and building technical and communication skills for a real audience. The city of Decada Fire Department works with our JRTC and our nursing students to teach CPR and first aid skills, giving these students training from professionals who use these skills every day. Through our newest partnership with the Fulton Decap Hospital Authority, students interested in public or community health careers will participate in a

093six week summer experience on the campus of Morehouse College at no cost. This removes barriers and open doors for students who want to explore careers focused on serving their community. We also have a strong partnership with Georgia where an apprenticeship opportunity recently emerged for graduating seniors who are serious about becoming line workers. This creates a clear direct bridge from high school into this high demand well-paying career. For many of our students, this hands-on learning doesn't stop in the classroom. It continues through our career and technical student organization. And this is where we really see students step into their confidence. [cough and clears throat] This year we have 54 students active in HOSA. 27 of them are heading to to the HOSA state leadership conference later this month. Last spring we had students place first at

094the state level competition in epidemiology and advanced to nationals. We also had a student placed fifth in medical reading and another ninth in world health and disparities in healthcare. In FCCLA, we currently have 150 members. 40 just participated in the star events last week. I learned today that and will be participating in the state competition next month. Last year, we celebrated 11 state winners and took four of those students to compete at Nashville in Orlando. Last spring, Skills USA students competed in the Georgia State Leadership and Skills Conference in blueprint reading, agricultural drafting and construction, math. All areas directly tied to industry standards and real workforce expectations. Across all of our CTSOs, including First Robotics, with 20 students and CCI [clears throat] with 12 students, we're seeing students demonstrate their skills and experience real professional

095growth, produce work to industry standards, and build their leadership skills. What we're really seeing through our CTSOs is students beginning to picture themselves in these careers. And that's where our grow our own work comes in. This initiative is about supporting internship and job opportunities for students who want to return to Decator as professionals. Last spring, we hosted our first future educator signing day, celebrating five students in both of our education pathways who plan to pursue degrees and careers in education. Each of these students signed a letter guaranteeing an interview with City Schools of Decator upon completing their course requirements and attaining their professional credentials. Some of our other district departments support our pathway completers through workbased learning placement. We have students interning with our CSG technology team, gaining real experience in IT support and systems

096management under the supervision of our school-based technology support specialists. The operations department has committed to providing experiential opportunities for students as well. Interviews are currently underway for health aid vacancies for CNA students who recently graduated in December and nutrition services will begin interviews in March for juniors completing the culinary arts pathway. While the city of Decar fire department isn't formerly part of our grow your own initiative, we are incredibly pr proud that students will soon be earning their fire safety technical certificate of completion through our partnership with Atlanta Technical College, launching in the fall of 2026. These students will be strong candidates and prepared to apply for entry- level firefighter positions anywhere, including City of Decator. That's the full circle impact we aim for in this community. With this level of student commitment, partnership, and

097preparation, it's important to pause and celebrate some major accomplishments. This year, our culinary arts program earned the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation accreditation, a prestigious national rec recognition that validates the quality of instruction and industry [clears throat] standard operations our students experience every day with our top-notch culinary education. We're also excited to share that our architecture and design pathway is on track to earn the energy certification designation later this spring, further strengthening our portfolio of industry aligned programs. Right now, our focus with artificial intelligence is on building understanding and using it thoughtfully in our CTA classroom. Our instructional technology coach is working with CTA teachers to support the development of lesson plans that emphasize ethical and responsible use of industry specific artificial intelligence. Even classes where students are not yet using AI to create. We

098are already seeing meaningful examples of this work in action in our teaching as a profession pathway. This past fall, Kennersaw State University's Bagwell College of Education selected Decar High School to launch the first Avatar Lab. This mixed reality lab enabled our students to participate, excuse me, to practice classroom management, parent conferences, and inated avatars in a safe, controlled environment, building skills and confidence before stepping into real classrooms. As a fairly new administrator, I personally see how this could be beneficial for both new and veteran educators. Looking ahead, we are intentionally planning to add the artificial intelligence pathway beginning fall of 2027 once we have identified teachers and provided the training and endorsements needed to deliver the pathway with quality and fidelity. The state approved three course sequence will guide students from understanding how AI works

099to applying those skills. The addition of this pathway align directly with our KPI of expanding our offerings for students. This approach allows us to be thoughtful and responsible, supporting teachers now, exposing students to real application and ensuring we are ready to offer a strong, sustainable AI pathway when the time is right. Quite simply, our biggest challenge right now is physical space. We want to offer more CTA options to meet the workforce needs in this region of Georgia, especially in healthcare, public safety, and technology. Right now, our current facilities limit how much we can expand. If we had additional space, we could reimagine the current Fraser Center space for programs like surgical technology, fire safety, or EMP training through onampus dual enrollment, strengthening the CCA advantage by providing access for all students to lead the cater

100with a diploma and entry level career credentials. The reality is that CTA offers many clusters and pathways that support student success in different ways and there are opportunities for growth. Our challenge is making sure we have interest while also responding to regional workforce needs. Our priorities moving forward include solidifying our AI plan, which I described a moment ago, strengthening CTA through lower elementary exposure, and launching a major marketing campaign for the Peach Education Tax Credit. Imagine our youngest students being introduced to careers in a fun, hands-on way, learning through projects that spark curiosity, engage community career professionals, and in with the showcase for their families to see what their students have learned and created. We're especially excited about launching our K2 CTA pilot. Last fall, we had the opportunity to visit Britt Davis Elementary where

101CTAE career clusters are integrated into project-based learning experiences. Even at a young age, students were exploring careers in health science, engineering, information technology, business, and agriculture. Academic standards are connected to real world applications, helping students begin to understand how what they're learning today connects to what they might want to do in the future. To support this vision and K2 K12 CTA overall, we're launching a margin campaign for the Peach Education Tax Credit Program. This program allows families and businesses to redirect a portion of their state income tax liability to local public schools to support innovative educational programs, technology, and teacher training at no additional cost to the district. Together, these goals ensure CTA continues to grow intentionally, sustainably, and with focus on student success. Thank you for your time and support of CPA programs. I

102welcome any questions you may have at this time. >> First, thank you and um thank you to the students. The bowl um is on a shelf. The um things that have my initials. I love this. Um it's one of my favorites and um I love CTA. My daughter's doing teaching teaching as a profession and writes about it. I do want to clarify a few things though just so I understand. A student can take a course like um teaching as a profession or culinary arts and that doesn't mean they're in the pathway. Correct. >> That's correct. So a pathway constitutes completion of three courses. >> And so then I'm going to refer to slide I think it is um five because it gets [clears throat] a little confusing for me when I think of beer tech

103and then I see dual enrollment. I just want to make sure my facts are correct. So much of the data here in this infographic is actually the academic dual enrollment. Correct. Um like students I think it says we've got it 65 students taking everything from English to welding to math. So maybe it's not all I could think that students at Georgia Tech. I think what I'm asking is how many of the dual enrollment students in this number are CTAE versus um if it's called academic I don't know if that's the correct term. So, um, students take, yes, a mix of academic and CPA courses, and I would have to get you the exact number, but most students will start with your English and social studies academic, and they'll also add a welding or nursing pathway.

104So, I will I can get you the exact number. Oh, that's fine. I just wanted to make sure I was right about the fact that you know you you have a large concentration of kind of the academic there but then we also see students pursuing the technical certificate of completion in the right >> yes and what I want to point out is that the Decar career Academy you know in partnership with dual enrollment offers additional CTA pathways that we don't have Sure >> on campus but that is the way we expand those offerings to the students >> and it it does seem to be growing because I looked at last year's presentation and I think we had 70 dual enrollment students in 23. We had 123 and 24 and now we're up to 185. Um,

105but I saw that last year there were 268 interested. So, this is a long way to get to my question. Um, there's a point at which a student has to decide whether I'm going to pursue that CTA pathway, I'm going to pursue the IB diploma. Now, we're rolling in AP. And so I just wondered as y'all are planning and growing, what does that look like? Because it it seems like you're pretty much going to have the same set of students who are in this path, right? If you're doing IB diploma, more than likely the CTAE pathway. So then I looked up just Georgia DOE um early childhood education. and it looks like we have a good number, but then when you get to the practicum, the number kind of dropped off. So, I just wondered

106what all this looks like long term. >> Yeah, >> it looks great right now. >> Yeah. >> In a comprehensive high school, you can have AP and IB coexist in addition to the foundation of career technical agricultural education. So for example, if you have a student who is IBDP, they the fine arts pathway is something they could explore depending upon what they're doing depending upon if the child is CP. CP correlates directly to CPA. And so they're really getting is just another option for someone that does not want to do potentially dual enrollment or IBDP. It could be an independent student. There just means how can I access rigor as well as accessing um what what's my [clears throat] >> and then just one clarification here with space because it looks kind of interesting. It

107looks like some students go to the Georgia State campus, some do it online, and then we have this dual CTA where because Decar doesn't offer it, a student is doing that still in the Decatur Career Academy or off campus. >> Off campus. Okay. Well, really both. >> Right. We do. Yes, both. We are um we have >> Georgia Kmart brings in the um English for our younger students um to engage in dual enrollment on campus. We offer the career pathways at the career academy and then of course those students who want to take advantage of the pathways that we don't offer go off to Atlanta area tech but again the area tech we're bringing in the fire PCC. I'm really excited about that. >> Sounds cool. Thank you. >> Yes. I had one comment or

108question about the peach education tax credit. I just looked it up. It sounds amazing that we can redirect our tax money to our local schools. So, I can't wait to hear more about this because I'd much rather my money go here. >> Absolutely. >> Yeah. >> Um I just wanted to say cool with this narrative that um I diploma was the only way and if you didn't do it then that would be qualifying for colleges. Um and because of doing this actually um you know I do internship I do dual enrollment and getting into colleges um and you know have found a lot of flexibility in my schedule. So Mr. Adam Sugar and he thinks I'm tripping in my work but um you know IB diploma doesn't work for everyone and I'm really proud that

109we're not just offering alternative options but really making it >> I think absolutely >> great point >> and if I could just add um CTA is not an alternative option >> it's a parallel option and if Dr. If you don't mind, I just want to share the story. My son, William Smiley, is a freshman at Morehouse College. Um, dual engineering degree major. He was able to carry in dual enrollment credit, save me a lot of money, and he's already been able to um he's already been able to um exempt is not right with the right word. He has received credit for all of his entry level engineering courses because of the dual enrollment courses he took at Georgia Tech. I appreciate that. >> I think it also gives kids the um you know, if they

110want to do RB diploma, go go ahead. If it's a thing that you would like to do, but it gives kids some ability to um craft their own adventure. If they feel like they want to be premed, and you said EMT, I almost jumped out of this chair. like if there's a way that you could get kids on an EMT pathway, but maybe they want to be EMTs, maybe they want to be EMT trained, but then go into med school, they could still do that. So, I think it gives them a level of control that I think high school students both need and also appreciate. So, >> absolutely. And I'll just share a sneak peek. Uh fire safety is the first year. We'll bring on EMT the second year once we figure out what that

111scheduling looks like. So, call 28. Yes. I just I want to put a quick plug in for any adults who are actually interested in any of this. I appreciate being given an opportunity to sign up for the fine furniture program. Any adults that want to sign up at the high school to do this in the evenings, I think that's now currently active. >> Um, >> I cannot attest how fine my piece of furniture is going to turn out. I might have bit off more than I can chew, but I'm very, very excited. >> Thank you so much for signing up. >> Thank you. Thank you, Miss Smiley. We're proud of the continued success of CCAE and the work on the AI pathway. And when I think about the fire safety technical certificate, this program holds

112very deep personal meaning for me because it was code to signed with the late Captain Gary Manard. So on October 7, 2025, right across the street at National Night Out, Captain Manar and I shared a very pivotal conver conversation around what this would look like. And then you think about it, just days later he passed. And so he was very passionate about bringing CTA and the firefighter program here to Decar. And so um when you think about fire safety, CPR instruction, internships, just like uh a board member, uh Botra said, all of those things bring things to life for our students. So we will continue to honor his memory, Dr. seminar for his commitment to our young people through this partnership with the city of Decatur department. >> Thank you Mrs. Smiley for your insightful

113presentation. During my time at the capital for GSBA advocacy day, I had the opportunity to connect with HOSA students um who also as the health occup occup occupation students of America. After interacting with your students and your staff, I am optimistic about the promising future of the healthc care field. Um, Dr. Whitaker, please introduce the next presentation. Thank you, Chair Sultan. I would like to call on Mrs. Adena Walford, chief human resources officer, to present FY27, compensation part three. Good afternoon board chair Dr. Tilson, vice chair, other extreme members of the board, student representative Vatra and and superintendent Dr. W. Today's presentation is part three of the multi-year compensation reform for year three of the five-year compens. This presentation responds directly to the board's request to take a deeper look at the competitiveness of our

114teachers salary structure with a particular focus on mid-career educators and to examine how targeted adjustments to the salary structures can improve rankings across all certificate levels beyond year 12. The compensation process aligns with the strategic accelerator cultivating and retaining high quality professionals. This chart illustrates our current FY27 total compensation by certification level in years of service. As a reminder, the numbers at the top of the of the box reflect the numbers of certificated staff paid on the teacher scale within each subgroup. The center boxes are the number of certified employees at each degree level. Currently, the entry level for bachelor's and master's degree holders rank one out of nine, while masters and doctorate holders rank three out of nine. For mid-career educators who hold bachelor's and master's degrees, they rank three out of nine, placing

115them in the top quartile, while mast's and doctorate holders are just shy of the top cile with ranking four out of nine. At the top of the career scale, bachelors, masters, and specialist levels ranked four out of nine with bachelor holders ranking three out of nine. In today's part three, we examine what it would take to move our salary rankings to second, if not first positions across experience levels where the majority of our certificated staff land on the teacher scales. In doing so, several important guard rails were considered. maintaining a logical and sustainable salary structure, avoiding adjustments that would inflate one experience band at the expense of the others, and honoring longevity and experience. Equally important, any proposed investments needs need to be financially sustainable year over year. Throughout this analysis, we remain anchored in

116the board's goal to maintain top qualile competitiveness. Today, I will walk you through several new options for consideration along with a more nuanced look at the 3% cola proposed option presented in January. To assist you in your decision- making, a campaign guide accompanies this presentation. The guide highlights the compensation options that will be presented. As we review each option, you may indicate your preference by checking the option. The guide also provides a snapshot of salary rankings for and years of service. At the conclusion, the highest estimated salary only costs for each option are included. This will before adding uh benefit cost and steps for the options selected by the board. >> So you do have your decision guide, correct? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Option one represents the most comprehensive and most aggressive investment. It

117fully addresses the board's request to strengthen compensation for mid-career teachers across all certificate levels in years of service. This option raises the entry level to 63,000 at a 6,500 increase between degree levels and applies a percentage step increase across the entire salary schedule to better reward longevity. As a result, the district marks ranks one or number two across all degree categories, including the career midcareer rangers ranges that prompted the board's initial request. The estimated cost of this option is approximately 4.1 million in salary only. For option two, [clears throat] this builds off our current salary structure and takes a phased approach. In phase one, the entry salary level is again at 63,000. The separation between degree levels is 6,500. And from there the step percentages are adjusted by the additional 1.5% with the opportunity to

118increase the step percentages phase over subsequent years. This option increases the midyear uh career teacher to two out of nine for bachelors and masters and for a specialist and doctorate they are still slightly at three out of nine. However, for specialists, it will only take about 1,300 to reach 2 out of nine and for doctorate level just over 2500 to reach 2 out of 9 as well. The estimated cost of this option is approximately 3.4 million salary only. For option three, this also the salary scale under this option. The entry salary level increases to 63,000. The separation between degree levels increases increased by 6,000. The uniform flat rate increases each is are applied to each step. So for bachelor's level is $1,000 for each step and 1,350 for masters specialist and doctorate levels. This approach

119improves competitiveness and raises the bachelor's and masters level to two out of nine. While the specialist and doctorate levels will be addressed in subsequent phases. As with any dollar amount approach, this option will be required will require the district to continue using flat dollar increases rather than percentages going forward. The estimated cost for this option is approximately 3.3 million salary only. For option four, this reflects the proposed 3% cola applied to the current salary scale for all teachers. While this option is the most conservative that we have presented today, it is still competitive and continues to support the district's goal of maintaining top quile positioning among peer districts. This option also smooths the D6 and the T7 scales beyond year 26 beyond year 26 by addressing the current structure that provides depth. The estimated cost

120of this option is approximately 3 1.3 million only. Here you will see all the proposed options with the rankings to provide a comprehensive view of the associated cost and how each compares to our current rankings. As always, it is important to note that these rankings are contingent upon other districts remaining the same. Another request by the board is to review our administrative salary skills and to assess opportunities to compensate schoolbased and district leaders more competitively. In response, we are presenting two options designed to increase the competitiveness of the administrative scale. Here we show the current district and district and school leader rankings in total concentration across mo most categories. C CSD marks second to last among metro area districts which is not aligned with the goal of maintaining competitive remaining competitive in compensation. Here are

121the two options to expand the administrative scale. Option one adds one additional step to the current 15step administrative scale at an cost of 70,000 salary only. And option two adds an additional three steps to further increase competitiveness at an estimated cost of 150,000 salary only expanding the current scale to a 18st step scale for all non-eing staff. We will present the salary only cost for a 2% and a 3% cola applied to the FY26 scale in alignment to the board's commitment to competitive compensation for all CSV staff. So let's review your considerations and priorities. It is to give all staff between a two to three cola increase. Give all eligible staff a step increase in COLA. Look at all positions at at the lowest rank and prioritize these positions. For support positions, focus on bus

122drivers and school K2 school managers all while adjusting salaries to ensure market competitiveness and support internal equity. So here are the estimated salary only cost for both non-eing colette adoptions. The 2% COLA is estimated at 438,000 and the 3% COLA is estimated at 650,000 for both options. This is before the step increases and benefits. And as well, this is reviewing the administrative scale options as well. With all of the uh compensation uh options presented today, the following reflects the highest. Sorry, these are the other uh board accepted compensation increases that will be factored in the overall uh proposed draft budget. With all the compensation options presented today, the following reflects the highest level consideration. Each consideration includes a teacher compensation option, a 3% cola for non-eing staff, the option two for administrative skills salary skills

123and all other approved stacking increases before benefits and step increases for all eligibility that after today. The next steps in our compensation review will be led by the financial finance department with an analysis of the overall budget impact. Dr. Broom will return in March with the first draft budget presentation which includes the total estimated cost for all for the overall budget. Thank you. At this time, I'm happy to answer any questions you may have, but also give you the opportunity to to discuss and select the compensation options you would like to advance to the draft budget. We're doing a lot of math today. And >> [clears throat] >> um so what I'm trying to land on is, you know, we have um degrees and years experience, but we also have our teaching staff. And so

124when I looked at those boxes that counted the number of new [clears throat] teachers or first 10 years with a bachelor's, the number with a masters, etc., I counted 512. And then what I saw is that we have 57 bachelors at the highest and 99 masters at the highest. So 156 of our 512 teachers appear to be top ranked in the metro. But then when I go to the other side of it and I look at who's ranked fourth, it's our teachers with the most experience who conceivably have invested the most in their education because I know firsthand getting a master's, getting a specialist. So that's 165 teachers if I'm right that are now fourth ranked. And so I I don't know if that matters to anyone else. I understand we have to make a

125decision about a budget. understand that we have these options, but I just need to do more [clears throat] for the teachers that have put in that kind of time. And so, am I right in saying that the considerations right now um other than the first one, right, the most aggressive one do not really differentiate among experience or did I misread that? I think the first and second one are the ones that have the highest impact on the ones with experience as you move down that. But I think both option number one and option number two significantly moves that chunk of experienced teachers that you were describing up to the number two position or number three position in most cas. Actually to clarify every single option that you just presented to us is an answer to

126that question from last month's presentation where we said give us some options to increase for the higher level scale of experience and you've given us a scale of those answer that question was going on. >> Wait I'm sorry James because I think I have misunderstood. I thought the conscious thing that the more aggressive options were the ones that were looking more closely at those differences and that options three and four were not doing that differentiation. So >> no no no >> they all they all are correct. Last month we got a presentation said do a flat 3% across the board for all teachers. Sure. We said, "Do you mind doing some math and giving us some options where we can target it where we want more of the teachers?" Even the flat final one at

127the bottom consideration four is an addition is a fixing of the scale that raises top of scale master's degree and specialist teachers up into two a third out of nine or a second out of nine. Because as we have discussed, fixing the percentage of someone making over $100,000 is a lot more expensive and a good use of money because those are the teachers we want to keep than it is someone giving a 3% at $60,000. And what has happened over the last 20 years is we've talked in percentages. And so the scale has gotten out of whack. And so this is a great presentation of four options ranging from $2.2 million to five million. Is that correct? >> And which one we would prefer to fix? They all fixed it. that Texas is the wrong

128word. Let's rephrase. >> They all address it to a degree. Just number one is like congratulations, >> we're not third anymore. We're first and it'll cost us $5 million a year in perpetual. And am I correct in that the rankings that we have in this guide um those are now ranking based on this increase that we'd be giving but it's compared to the salary or compensation that exists right now. And the reason I asked that is because I feel like we did this last year and I'm sorry I didn't look at it. I should have where to what you just said James if we look at option four and you have 12 years of creditable experience um it appears you will still be three out of nine. And so if what happened if we were

129to take option four as an example and move to next year and other school districts are doing something then it is likely that the three out of nine will still be three out of nine or possibly four out of nine. Am I reading that correctly? >> Yeah. We I mean we can't anticipate what other districts are going to do. So we have to do the best with the information that we have. And so we recognize that the comparison of this change to an unchanged set of school districts is uh not a perfect comparison, but it is the best that we have and at least gives us a targeted direction of of how much. >> In my mind, that's why she goes first. She tells you this is where you're going to fall in the rankings

130and then Dr. Broom is going to tell you how much each package is going to cost you. So you have to think about it from both angles, you know, how much it where it's going to bump you and then how much it's going to cost the budget. >> For purposes of estimation, I realize this is imperfect and I realize that Dr. Broom has a whole lot of analysis to do, but roughly 30% is the number that you think of when you think in terms of benefits. And so if we're looking at these numbers, the $5 million is really 6.5, 4.3 is really 5.6, six, the 4.2 is really 5.5 and the 2.2 is really 2.9 or three. And [clears throat] that's that. I mean, that's rough numbers. Obviously, Dr. Brun's going to come back with

131more detailed numbers, but that's a way to be thinking about it. >> Did I see something that basically said the monetary amount would be 21% and the benefit [clears throat] consequence would be 38%. Am I making that up? I feel like I saw that. 38% of the increase of the salary, right? So, not of the total. >> That's basically the benefits increase you get here. >> All of those. >> Um I like >> Hold on. Sorry. No, I think you're talking about the fiveyear history um salary pres the fiveyear history of the budget and over the past five years benefits have gone up 38% and salaries have gone up 21%. That's a presentation for later on in the board meeting. That's what you're talking >> and and a number of that 38% is a lot

132of unfunded insurance mandate requirements put down by the state. Yeah. Uh so fellow board members, I like option number two or >> I think it does move the needle quite a bit. Um can we can we go back to what we say? Sorry because it may be later everything though, right? Like the DRS contribution. >> So if you pay more in a salary, school district's going to pay more. >> Yes. >> Okay. Just want to make sure. >> Yeah. Yeah. It's a percentage of the incre the 30% that I referenced which is not right. It's Valara, but it's 30% of the increase in the salary cost. Things like health don't go up, but TRS does. Yes. >> And that's why it says on your chart, you know, finance still has to do their work. >>

133So, why two versus three? Because I was going back and forth between two versus three. So, why did you pick that one? >> Because I don't like it. Option three is the one with the flap, right? And I don't like I you get yourself into some issues when you start doing flat change. One, we can't ever come back to a percentage change, which starts to eliminate flexibility. And to do that for a $100,000 difference in cost just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. I think if we're if we're talking about the difference of $100,000, spend the $100,000 to do the the spread correctly. >> That once you go flat, you got to stay flat. That makes >> Yeah. Gotcha. >> The flat dollar amount between the different >> correct. >> Yeah. >>

134Exactly. So once you have a flat amount, if you put a percentage on top of that, then it's going to >> Yeah. So I like I like being semi-aggressive without boxing ourselves into a flat step. Um, which leads me to consideration two. >> Make sense? >> Yeah. I think option four is probably not as aggressive as we could be. Um, but I was going back and forth between two and three, but that logic makes sense. >> I hard to give an opinion without knowing what it means for our taxpayers and for >> military etc. Um >> so so to that point >> I want us to remember one of the priorities was to present a balanced budget. >> Agreed. >> So in this we are increasing what would be the expenses to a tune of

135how much we're adding in your 30%. >> 5.6. >> Okay. >> That's if we use consideration too. >> I just wanted to say that. What are you saying [clears throat] >> to add in 5.6? I'm going to have to cut 5.6 >> if you want to present a balanced budget >> or you're just just we know we have a fund balance but the fund balance being used >> one time is yeah that's that's why that's why I was saying it. I just wanted to say that out there. I think that's also the tricky part with looking looking at this in terms of rankings. We don't know what other school districts will do. It could change and I think that's where after this our mind needs to shift to if this is the package that we

136want, what it's what it's going to do for the budget. Um >> because we do we did set a goal for her, it is true, to get up to the top third. And if we've gotten her in the ballpark, then I then I think we need to shift our minds a little bit to if it's something that we can afford and sustain. Um because the rankings may just adjust slightly and we may have to be a little bit okay with that. >> What I like about making a relatively larger shift this year, right? There's there's a couple of things. We make a relatively larger shift this year, which opens us up to the ability to be more flexible in future years about impacting some of those different rankings without having to incur the cost of

137the step spread. We happen to be in a year where we do need to spend some of the dollars that have that have come in in prior years. And this fix on the step spreads is always in front of us if we don't address it now. Like it this is a thing that needs to be fixed. So either we do a small fix on it now or a large fix on it now. But a fix is necessary given where we are in the tables. We we cannot move those large chunk of experienced teachers that board member Anderson was referencing. we cannot move them up unless we fix the spread in the steps. Like there's just that's not possible to be done. And so uh I think that's it's worth us having a a hard conversation.

138I think um in terms of impacting teacher salary, [clears throat] giving us the flexibility to continue to grow our teachers, showing the appreciation for our most experienced teachers, uh I I think that all leads me to consideration too. I do also want to say just for the record that I don't think this is the board saying come hell or high water we're going to spend $5.6 million no matter what happens within the budget. I think it's we're giving you a direction to what we would like to see happen. If you come back and you say look it can't be 5.6 it's going to have to be five max. What are you willing to flex on to get to five? then we have that conversation, right? Okay. But >> going to have to be 400,000. That's

139not going to be sufficient. >> No, it wouldn't be that. But >> just wanted to >> I agree with >> although I do want to point out thanks to the HR department or whatever that where we are now, slide five, we are in the top. >> Absolutely. >> We we I mean we're doing a much better job than we were eight years ago. I mean, uh, it's like where we are now. Well, yeah. I mean, over on the right, I know that >> four out of nine is not good down at the bottom, but you know, we used to see seven out of nines and, uh, and a lot of ones and threes there. So, >> yep. So, the [clears throat] decision is to go forward with option two. >> I'm in agreement with that

140board member. >> Okay. pass it on to the finance department. >> Thank you board for your guidance. Staff will use it to develop the first draft of the budget and present it at the next board meeting. Thank you Mrs. Walker for your thoughtful approach to compensation. This board has committed to ensuring competitive compensation as part of our strategic plan and we have made meaningful progress. Dr. Whitaker, please introduce the next presentation. >> Thank you, Sheriff Salson. I would like to call on Mr. Jarvis Adams, chief operations officer, and Mrs. Jennifer Burton, assistant superintendent of teaching learning to provide an update on the new early childhood learning center and DHS expansion. Also, members of parish construction group, GMC, and ascension program management will join. Yes. See if I do better this time. Where my glasses nervous.

141All right. Good afternoon, board chair Dr. Sen again, vice chair, esteemed board members, student representative voter, and superintendent Dr. Whitaker. Today's update will provide update Today's update will provide an update on the early childhood learning center and the Decatur High School expansion. As you know, the legal process has delayed our ceremonial groundbreaking, but the project work that is within our control has continued to move forward. My goal this evening is to answer three questions. First, why the construction manager at risk model remains the most responsible delivery method for this project. Second, why Parish Construction and our partners were selected through a competitive and compliant process. Third, how the design and budget and work together to protect both student safety and taxpayer dollars. Representatives from Parish Construction, GMC, and Ascension Program Management are here tonight on

142the front row and are available to support with any detailed questions after the presentation. The new early childhood learning center directly advances strategic accelerator for organizational effectiveness and excellence. At the same time, it supports the other accelerators by expanding highquality early learning, supporting staff and families, and reinforcing trust with the community. This project is a systems investment. It creates a safe modern foundation for our youngest learners while aligning with the broader direction that broad that the board has set for for the district. Now I'm going to bring up Miss Mrs. Jennifer Burton to talk about how we got with this design of early childhood learning. >> Thank you, Mr. Adams. And good afternoon again. While Mr. Adams was formerly a high school social studies and history teacher. This afternoon, I have the pleasure of reminding

143us of our history and journey in early learning. It's hard to believe that we have been learning and researching best practices in early learning for almost two years. In January of last year, we had the pleasure of going to the Grand Rapids Community College Early Learning Lab, which provided valuable insights into best practices for early childhood education, wraparound focuses, and community engagement. On our visit, our focus was to learn more about learning environment and facility design, curriculum and instructional practices, family and community engagement and equity and accessibility, looking for innovation and effective strategies that we could replicate or improve upon. This was our first schematic design. Listed here were things that were board identified priorities that we observed in Grand Rapids. For learning environments and facility design, you liked the open spaces for children and

144weather appropriate design. You didn't like the parking and the mudroom and restroom being too close together. In curriculum and instructional practices, you observed the monitory structure and you liked the observation room. The lab aspect was important. You appreciated the focus on literacy and the building was clean and sensory friendly uh a sensory friendly environment. You didn't like that the storage and supply closets were so far from the classroom. In family and community engagement, you liked the after hours play groups for parents and their children and there [clears throat] was flexible enrollment options and intentional engagement with the community in equity and accessibility. You liked the braided funding model relationship between the grant coordinator and weight list and enrollment and vouchers that were provided by nonprofits. You also like sending book bags to the community for

145literacy engagement and the you belong here focus. Remember this is not our current design. Our architects listened to our requests and made many revisions, including that we moved the building as close to the street as possible to maximize green space. When we returned from Grand Rapids, there was a palpable sense of excitement among the board to translate our findings into the unique context of the city schools of indicator. This wasn't just a debrief. It was the start of a rigorous synthesis. We captured critical that align unique needs. As you can see in these images, the momentum carried directly into our February 2025 board retreat at the Esther Center. There we moved from observation to action, engaging in a deep dive collaboration to begin crafting a vision statement that ensures every student indicator benefits from these

146innovative practices. Based on the board's draft statements created in February 2025, we synthesized a single cohesive vision statement shown here, the collective priorities and aligns with the strategic plan. We recognize that the vision will be embedded as the guiding force behind all of our programming decisions, staffing allocations, and culture building. Adam Thank you, Mrs. Burton. For the history lesson, I will now bring us up to the present day and proceed with the construction update. Before we talk about specific partners, I want to briefly revisit why the district selected the construction manager at risk model for this project. In very simple terms, design bill can be fast, but it provides less owner control. Design bid bill, better known as hard bid, can produce a low initial bid, but often leads to more change orders and cause

147fatality once a project is underway. The early childhood learning center is a complex project. It will require sign degree of safety infrastructure and coordination among many among many trades including structural, [clears throat] mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and specialty early childhood spaces. During a period of construction costs that change, Semar gave us three advantages. Early collaboration between the architect and the building, a guaranteed maximum price, and shared responsibility for value engineering. Paris joined the team at roughly 50% completion of the construction document. Since that time, they have worked alongside GMC to refine design, support our goal of lead silver certification and anticipate any permitting and inspection needs with the city and plan procurement with cost and schedule in mind. For a project of this size and complexity, Semar has been the most responsible way to manage risk

148and protect taxpayer dollars. With that context, I would like to speak briefly [clears throat] about why Parish Construction was selected as our Seymour partner. Parish was chosen through a competitive request for proposal uh projects that followed all state procurement requirements evaluation team use a detailed scorecard and considered experience with K12 projects, qualifications of key staff, approach to safety and phasing partnership with architects and proposed fees. Paris rose to the top of that process. They brought in a strong record of K12 and early learning work across Georgia, including recent construction at St. Thomas Moore here in the city of Decator. That project gave them direct experience with our local zoning, planning, and inspection expectations, which reduced risk for the district. Their proposed fee structure was competitive and their interview demonstrated a clear understanding of how to

149manage a complex community visible project on a tight urban site. We have been pleased with the expertise, professionalism and responsiveness of pairs that pairs have demonstrated to date and we appreciate their continued partnership on behalf of our students and families. I now want to ground us in the actual construction costs and the protections that are that are built into the contract. [clears throat] The construction contract for early childhood learning center is approximately $21.5 million with a guaranteed maximum price capped at $22 million. That number includes construction, general conditions, fees, contingencies, and allowances. Some public reports there referenced a higher figure around $23 million. The executed GMP or guaranteed maximum price documents in your packet show that your current is below $22 million cap below the $22 million cap. Any unused contingency or allowances are credited

150back to the city schools of Decator through deductive change orders. Savings do not remain with the contractor. Ascension program management has independently reviewed GM has reviewed the GMP line by line and confirmed that it is a competitive and align with our current market conditions for similar projects. In summary, the district has a clear ceiling of construction costs, a uh a contract structure that returns unused funds to city schools educators and external program management oversight to help us to help us steward every dollar. Well, is this every dollar? Well, I would like now to I would now like to turn from the numbers to design itself. How it supports both early learning and safety. The early learning child center is purpose-built for children from birth through age 4. The lay the layout includes age appropriate classrooms,

151observation spaces for families and staff and direct access for classrooms to secure outdoor play areas. Many of the design principles will feel familiar with Tapestry Upper Elementary on West Trinity. The building presents a storefront facade that fits the landscape, but the entrance is reserved for staff and emergency egress. The primary monitor interest is pulled back from the busiest busy traffic which improves safety and arrival management when side are placed higher so that adults passing on the sidewalk do not have direct sight lines in the classrooms while still providing natural lights for students and staff. The courtyard is fully enclosed creating a safe supervised outdoor environment for our youngest learners. All of this aligns with the Georgia Department of Education school building safety rule which calls for a collaboration with local police fire and emergency management

152during the design and construction of new schools. Safety is not an afterthought in this building. It is embedded in the layout from the first sketch to the final walkthrough. That concludes today's update on construction for the new early childhood learning center and related DHS expansion. I should I appreciate the board's patience and support as we navigate a complex environment balancing community expectations, legal processes, and student safety. I'm happy to answer any questions or hear any guidance that you may have. >> Do we have um elevations yet? We can see like see what the building's going to look like from the signs or renderings of that nature. >> We do. I just got it. Just got it. >> All right. to we don't need to see it now obviously but it would be February. >> Yeah.

153Thank you. >> We can make that available at the February >> the retreat retreat. Great. Great. I'd like because I appreciate that history and you know I remember James you did something once when I asked about responses to emails and I wasn't on the board during CO so I had no idea right how many people could be emailing. Um and so along those lines when I get questions sometimes I'm not confident I'm answering them correctly. So part of this is to um make sure that I am being clear and sharing the correct. So we came back from Grand Rapids on February 4th. I love going um because I just looked it up to make sure dates are right and it looks like the um RFP for the Semar was issued on February 4th and of

154last year, right? I'm talking about February 4, 2025. And so [clears throat] I think the first thing I'm trying to understand is at what point was the seamar decided on? >> So, let me speak to what I can what I know of. >> So, I started March 18th, a couple weeks after I started, maybe in April, if I get that wrong, we we conducted Semar interviews. And so we had a package of about nine people that we looked at. We narrowed it down to three. Um and then we interviewed those three candidates. Then we used our criteria and we made a selection to see. So I started March 18th. So anything prior to March 18th, I wouldn't have I really couldn't speak to I wouldn't know. Your question is what date was parish selected? Well,

155no, no, no, not parish, but so you my understanding is as you've presented seven that there were effectively three ways to budget this, >> right? and CSD landed on the Seymar approach method and according to the slide because I clicked on the link that we have in our presentation and it takes me back to this Semar I think it's called an RFP and that is dated February 4th which is the date we came back from Grand Rapids and so I'm just trying to make sure I can explain to someone how the Seamar was Out of the three processes of construction models, design, build, design, bid, build, or seamar, we knew that Seymar was going to be the best for all the reasons why Mr. Adams said it was always going to be a semar. >>

156I I wouldn't know of anybody that would want to do >> what we're doing. >> Like, you wouldn't want to do a five bill. You know, tariffs are going to be yours. that wouldn't be a smart decision. You can do it. It just wouldn't be a smart >> So then the Grand Rapids visit, which I very much appreciated going to effectively was already moving us into a different arena because the Seamar um >> sorry all of these terms are used had already been decided before we went to Grand Rapids. Is that correct? The Grand Rapids trip was about looking at bestin class for instructional that Grand Rapids didn't determine the um construction model that we were using. We were really there to you know if you go back to those the instructional practices, the community

157engagement um so it wasn't about that visit wasn't about construction model selection. So then, and I'm sorry again, I just want to make sure so I can finally answer people's questions. Um, but I thought we were told that Grand Rapids was also designed and we saw a slide from the board retreat, which was a few weeks later, right, that talked about observation rooms and mud rooms. So if that's not construction, that's interior design. This is the construction, the model. So it's not the actual >> it's not the building or the the schematic design, >> right? This is our delivery model. Um the when we learned about the the design, we came back and worked with the architect on those design things. But this is about this is a delivery model. So, so in short, Grand

158Rapids had nothing to do with Seymar. >> The output from Grand Rapids went more to the architects which creates the design that then the Seymar executes. >> That's right. >> And so nothing to do with Grand Rapids had any I mean nothing about Grand Rapids had anything to do with Seymour. >> Right. >> And that was all executed by the administration on the side of operations. Yeah. So what date it overlaps with really also is not correlative >> okay >> with us. And so then I think that's really the last question I need um to have answered which is through this ECLC design. [clears throat] What's operations and what's governance? because that's where I get confused because the board retreat seemingly and I appreciated your summary because I listened to the board retreat over the

159weekend um to make sure you I can go from memory but that's lost and so on one hand we were being asked that according to this the board wanted observation rooms or the board didn't want a mud room and therefore the mud room's not in there and observation rooms are in there. So, I would love to understand more of what the board's role in this is besides approving the contract for a semar and approving the budget because I'm being told that some of these things that happened were direct results of what the board said, >> but now we're hearing that it's administrative. >> The board can have an opinion, >> right? >> Mr. Adams can say that's a stupid opinion, Mr. heard it and you should take it up the street. But he asked me

160my I did not go to Grand Rapids that conflict, but that can influence what goes into the building process. But for the board to vote on what the building looks like would be highly inappropriate to do. It would be highly inappropriate for love using Hans as an example, Hans to call Mr. Adams and say, "Hey, I got a buddy in construction. and I want to make sure that he is included in the bidding process or I want to make sure that it includes certain rooms or leave or like that that's inappropriate for the board. >> But the board because we work with a superintendent who values our opinion goes through the process of asking hey what what do you want? Now I do think the board has a role to play in the vision and

161mission statement >> for the ECLC because that is a policy based thing and whether we need an ECLC or not. Yes. Yes, it does. But then I do think that the superintendent does a little bit of a disservice having talk by including and asking for opinions on certain issues. And it's gotten us some trouble in the past where we've gotten to the point we're like, wait a minute, I was just asking your opinion. [clears throat] This isn't a vote. This isn't a thing. It's just like you're a value member of the community who represents the children. Let's let's have a vote. I feel that that's pretty clear, but it does get confusing. We've seen it in legal matters. We've seen it in building matters. We've seen it in all sorts of stuff. Uh to me

162it's no different than a principal bringing in a set of students and hearing student advisory council and and valuing their opinion. It may be taken into account. It may not be taken into account, but they're asking because to do their job well, it's important to ask. If a member of the community ever asked me about Semar and and how it was decided, I would be confused. And then I I would explain to me it's the equivalent of when my wife and I decide to buy a house, we'll go on a tour of homes and we'll look at homes to decide what we want in a home. But then in another world, we're starting to talk to a mortgage broker. We're starting to look at our finances to figure out how we're going to pay for

163it, what process we're going through in order to pay for it, what makes the most sense for our budget, while simultaneously we're figuring out whether we want a second story, we want an old home or a new home, and then providing feedback. Semar is more the like how you're going to finance it, how we're going to hire, what our relationship with a construction company is going to be like, which feels very different than the what do we want that project to ultimately be built like. >> And I think some of the board's role is directing community members to the people who have the extreme expertise. Um I think we've learned that [clears throat] rather than giving our own take on the situation, our own hot take, um we don't have to answer these questions directly.

164if they have a question about Semar, if they have a question about construction or they have a question about um what the observation rooms are are doing and are we do our our best work by sending them to the person who can give them the best insight, not trying to answer it by police. And but I do have to kind of just circle back to one thing. Um because I I think the presentation specifically said it was the board who liked the observation rooms from Grand Rapids and therefore those were built in and yet to your point were not experts. We didn't have the number of students who might be using these observation rooms. So I totally appreciate that. And I would say just in the the presentation we just had a moment ago from

165our chief of HR, we could pick an option presented a recommendation of the administration but that's not the way in which I lead and I work with this governance team. I say these are the options. Now, let's get a consensus so that we know how we're moving forward. All right. Thank you. I do have one other question because was published >> and so I'm just not going to ignore it. um which is the cost and maybe parish you could speak to that because I read the decorish article in which a resident is claiming right by citing various early learning centers that supposedly were much cheaper to build. So >> is there a way we could learn a little bit more about >> So we actually read the article as well ran through review. >> This

166job was put out to market. Uh it was put out to subcontractors. It was issued typical as 30 days. We actually gave it an additional 15 days. So it sat on market for 45 days for review. Um there was some review for permitting. That's why we gave some additional time for subcontractors. Um through the bidding process, we received 126 bids on the project and uh it it met all criteria that we needed and it's meeting market square foot numbers. Um we we referenced uh St. Thomas Moore right up the street as well. Um the price per square foot for this DCLC is running right now at $619 per square foot. Just as a reference, St. Thomas Moore, which is different different design, different um different components, but it is running $636 per square foot. um

167referencing your article that was brought up as well. There were several things that were stated there was um one in Alamosa, Colorado to reference that back to a square foot was $613 per square foot. Um doing some further research in that project individually. Uh that project was not a set GMT. the the owner was actually buying it as they went and they actually were purchasing a pre-engineered metal building which is a completely different design familiar >> but it's it's just different components that go with it. >> Um some of the other things that were brought up in the article was a project at UAB um was a 2022 to 2023 pricing just for what research we could do. that would have been a $695 per square foot building um in current current dollars. Um and

168I can go through some more. Uh there was one in Savannah Chattam County uh that was a 2022 23 building and it was a $593 per square foot. Um, so I the reason I'm stating all these is I just do want you to see that this building is priced to market and is matching market conditions. >> Thank you. I appreciate that. >> Thank you. >> The other thing my role >> Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Jeff Prime with Ascension Program Management and I'm your third party program manager working on behalf of staff and the team. My role is to be the independent individual who's looking at the data that is coming forward, comparing it to what I see in the marketplace as well, ensuring that what the the bids that we're getting that we had the

169coverage um and that they're representing the level of expertise that we're looking for. The other thing that I'm want to make sure of is sometimes the lowest bid isn't accurate. It may be missing scope. It may be with a contractor who has a reputation of not being on time or doing quality work. So, it's a balance that we're looking at across the board. Um, histo history has proven on the other projects that we've done indicator that this is an area that has a higher cost point just due to the nature of what it takes to get materials in and out um and the limitations that some subcontractors have. St. Thomas, which is right up the road, was a great example and one of the leading reasons why we liked what Paris had is they had

170real world examples and subcontractors that knew how to do work in this environment in the city of Decar. So, we've done an extensive amount of exercising of looking at each of each dollar that they've come up with, every bid that they've come up with to make sure that the coverage is there and that the pricing is effective. And I stand here before you say that it is. Thank you. So we we started working with the city schools of the cater in 2007 and we've managed primarily most if not all of the major capital projects for you over the years including all the renovations expansions at the high school at the Beacon Hill um many renovations and expansions at the elementary schools bay uh was another example and then of course most recently tap experience working

171in this area not only just for you but also for other clients and other K12 clients as well. >> Thank you. Thank you very much. >> All right. Thank you both for the update and for keeping us informed of this process. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. Dr. Whitaker, please introduce the next presentation. Chair Sen, I would like to call to discuss 12 policies refers to read 12. >> Is that a collective cheer I heard out of excitement? Good afternoon once again. Today there are 12 policies on the work session agenda and each of these policies was discussed in pre-work last month and all are being presented for first read today with the exception of the first policy. We will discuss the remaining 11 policies were identified as part of our 2-year policy review

172process and each had a last review date from the 2022 2023 school year. These policies out to pre-work last month or identified during the pre-work discussion. So let's get started. First is policy ISBG, internet acceptable use, which is an existing policy with revisions. The revisions presented last month were in response to Senate Bill 351, which requires specific language barring students from accessing social media on district owned equipment except under limited circumstances. Based on the discussion last month, additional revisions have now been included. Specifically, it includes language to define social media platforms. Language from the state statute was used to capture this rather lengthy definition. So, that part was added. The rest is is the same from last. So, may I read the recommendation? Yes, please. The recommendation being made is that city schools of Decator

173Board of Education accept policy ISBG internet acceptable use for first read. I have a motion to approve the recommendation of policyg internet acceptable use for first read. >> So moved. >> Member US makes the motion. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Board member H. Hearnen seconds the motion. Is there any discussion? >> Thank you for the definition of social media. >> You're welcome. >> Any further discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor? >> I. >> Chair votes I. Any opposed? The motion carries unanimously. Next is policy DCK, level of budgetary control. Based on the board discussion last month, the word substantial was removed from the policy. May I read the recommendation? >> Yes, please. >> The recommendation being made is that City Schools educator board of education accept policy DCK, level of budgetary control

174for first read. Do I have a motion to approve the recommendation of policy DCK, level of budgetary control for first read? So move for member US makes the motion. Is there a second? Second board member area second the motion. Is there any discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor? Chair votes I. Any opposed? The motion carries unanimously. Next is policy DCL fund balance. The version being presented today includes definitions for each fund type as was requested by the board during last month's pre-work discussion. May I read the recommendation? >> Yes, please. The recommendation being made is that city school educator board of education accept policy DCL fund balance for first read. I have a motion to approve the recommendation of policy DCL fund balance for first read. >> Remember us makes the motion. Is there

175a second? >> Second. >> Or member area second the motion. Is there any discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor. >> Chair votes I. Any opposed? The motion carries unanimously. Next is policy DSK, gifts and requests. This policy includes a minor red line from the version presented last month to ensure the policy does not imply that individual board of education members can accept donations. This was a request from your discussion in Jan in January. May I read the recommendation? >> Yes, please. >> The recommendation being made is that City Schools of Decator Board of Education accept policy DFK gifts and request for first read. Do I have a motion to approve the recommendation of policy DFK gift and request for first read? So move. >> Board member US makes the motion. Is there a second?

176>> Board member Hearnen seconds the motion. Is there any discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor? >> I chair votes I. Any opposed? The motion carries unanimously. Next we will focus on G personnel policies on the agenda for first read. First among the G policies is policy G AE complaints and grievances. Minor revisions were presented last month for discussion. There have been no new revisions from those discussed in January. May I read the recommendation? >> Yes, please. >> The recommendation being made of the city school board of education accept policy GAE complaints and grievances for first read. I have a motion to approve the recommendation of policy GAE complaints and grievances for first read. >> So moved. >> Remember us makes the motion. Is there a second? Remember Anderson seconds the motion. Is there any

177discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor? >> I chair >> votes I. Any opposed? The motion carries unanimously. Next up is policy G Aeb sexual harassment of employees. During your discussion, a question was raised about how long a person has to file a complaint. Legal clarified that the Title 9 2020 final rules do not require a length of time in which a person has to file a complaint. Therefore, at this time, no new revisions have been made to the red line presented last month. But may I read the recommendation? >> Yes, please. >> The recommendation being made is that the city school indicator board of education accept policy G Aeb sexual harassment of employees for first read. Do I have a motion to approve the recommendation of policy GAB, sexual harassment of employees? Makes a

178motion. Is there a second? >> Board member Anderson seconds the motion. Is there any discussion? >> Okay. I still think that we need to include a length of time. Um I know the EEOC I think does because otherwise it's just leaving it open for >> Can you please repeat why that change wasn't made? I just you mentioned it and it it slipped through >> Yeah. >> my attention crack. So >> yeah. Um, one of the discussion points was do we do we want to put that and so we left it last month with legal taking it under advisement and looking it up and so when they clarified with the rule there was nothing in place that said there was any limitation on it. So it's it is certainly something that's at the discretion of the

179board to [clears throat] add to the policy. there is no legal reason or to add it to the policy and I'm gonna peer at legal to make sure that I'm saying everything correctly and and give Jill a chance to chime in. to what you're >> I think EOC does 180 days um or there's also a state law I think that expands it to 300 that correct Jill so I think some kind of time limit otherwise it's like somebody could file a complaint 10 years from now just an enemy certainly employees or um institution contact students would be subject this is an internal profit and you're certainly welcome on it. Certainly in your file 10 years after the date um there would be evidence difficult but that doesn't so we typically just mimic title N policy

180is written as is you add a timeline. Um I would suggest 180 days of 300 but >> is the 300 a state based? >> Yeah, I think I read that there's a state uh sex discrimination law that expanded to 300 but I know at the federal level it's 18 just you know I wouldn't get a complaint 10 years from now. >> I think it's reasonable to put a limit. I like a longer than shorter limit. So I would look at a 300 day if there's a chance that we could get that the specifics of the state law rather than being vague. Can we have the specifics of whatever it is that does that have it referenced in there and put in that 300 day limit? >> Sure. >> Yeah. So um instruction there's extended deadline

181state agency I can look up specifically in teramil statute of limitation um guidelines for the law they're actions that are different that are much much longer especially harassment without >> fellow board members what do you what are your thoughts >> but this is just our internal correct >> correct and you can just um reference >> I mean I would like to be as a general rule as close to whatever title n says that this is our attempt to put title 9 into policy title doesn't require >> doesn't require the the >> just as a point of reference other you know federal agencies are 180 days state makes it out to 300 correct >> yeah is what we can research specifically I'm not familiar with that >> I think on on the one hand I get

182it you don't want people to to present complaints that are, you know, decades old, evidence that can't be substantiated, that would be, you know, burdensome for HR. On the other flip side of things, I think if somebody has been harmed or grieved, you don't want a policy that makes it um burdensome for them to feel like they can report it. Um, so if you don't come to us by X date, then you can't come at all. I don't want that to be the messaging. Um, I asked this initially like some weeks ago because it was legitimately out of wanting to understand. Um, but I feel like 180 days seems kind of >> short. Yeah. You know, um, you want people to feel like if they were hurt or harmed, especially in the workplace, that they

183could in good faith report it. Um, so I don't know. >> Would it say a calendar year? >> I literally I I I I don't know if I >> making it up as we go. Yeah. Yeah, I was going to second that. I feel like if there's a natural guard rail that in the complaint resolution process like a case like that would fall through for having lack of evidence like that seems fine to me. But yeah, I don't know what the president is. >> So, we've just gone around the circle and no direction. >> We can let them do their research. >> All right. We have a motion on the floor here. >> So, so, so if you want additional research, then for the motion on the floor, if you want additional research, we're not

184going to approve it for first. You could choose to not to vote not to approve it for first read again next month with any additional revisions. >> That's it. Let's do that. >> All right. Any further discussion? >> Okay. All those in favor? >> Well, wait, wait. If we vote favor, then we enact it. We need to vote against it to take it off so they can do more work. Okay. So >> the motion, right? >> So I need to do that. >> Thank you. >> That was >> I move. So I uh move to withdraw the motion. >> We need a second. >> A second. >> Okay. >> Now, now we vote. All in favor? >> All right. All those in favor of withdrawing the motion? I >> Okay. Chair votes I. Any opposed

185to withdrawing the motion? No. That motion carries unanimously. >> We're good. All right. >> Next is policy GAK1, criminal background check. One additional minor change to clarify volunteers as personnel since it's a personnel policy was made to the version presented in January in response to the board discussion. May I read the recommendation? >> Yes, please. The recommendation being made is that city school educator board of education accept policy GA1 criminal background check for first read. Have a motion to approve the recommendation of policy GA1 criminal background check for first read. >> So move for member US makes the motion. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Member Anderson second the motion. Is there any discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor? >> I chair votes I. Any opposed? >> Motion carries unanimously. Next up is

186policy GA, infectious diseases. There are no new revisions to the red line that was presented last month. May I read the recommendation? >> Yes, please. >> The recommendation being made is that the city schools indicator board of education accept policy GA infectious diseases for first read. I have a motion to approve the recommendation of policy GA infectious diseases for first read. >> So moved. >> Remember us makes the motion. Board member Anderson seconds the motion. Is there any discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor? >> I chair >> votes I opposed. Motion carries unanimously. >> Policy GBC, professional personnel recruitment, is up next. During last month's discussion, the board asked about the inclusion of additional protected classes. Under the Supreme Court's whole rulings in Bosik versus Clayton County in 2020, discrimination based on sexual orientation

187or transgender status constitutes sex discrimination under title 7. Therefore, from a purely legal perspective, it is unnecessary to list sexual orientation and/or gender identity in the policy. However, the board is not procluded from expressly referencing sexual orientation and/or gender identity in the policy, and the decision to include such terms rest within the burrow's discretion. At this time, no additional res revisions have been made beyond those presented last month. Before reading the recommendation based on what we just learned, I invite guidance from the board on whether additional revisions specifically adding sexual orientation and/or gender identity alongside the list of federally protected classes are desired are desired before voting on the policy for first read. I have a different [clears throat and cough] um looking at the third paragraph I think it's one sentence available certificated position

188shall be announced in writing um there a need to put um a length of time they're announced in writing >> and then submitted to a statewide online job database maintained by the state. So is there any time frame for any of that is that needed in the policy? >> That's something that lives in regulations >> that would typically that would be something that might live in a regulation um and could vary based on the practice of what is it that would be shared. >> Yeah. So I think that's a that's a regulation level thing because there might be flexibility depending on the position or where and I'd want to preserve that flexibility for the administration. But I mean this wouldn't allow would it to like post it for a day and then take it down

189or is that >> Oh, you mean like a minimum time? >> That's what I'm mostly looking at right now. It just says it's announced and that's it. >> I mean I think I think saying that it should be announced for a minimum time without requiring any kind of maximum time makes sense. >> Yeah. I mean I don't think that went up with the practice. I just wonder >> what would the I mean minimum a minimum would be a week. a week. Okay, >> that would be a minimum. >> Um, and then to your first question, yes, I I don't think many people are up to par on constitutional law or have read the particular ruling that you're referencing. And so I think us being explicit to tie it to the values that we feel the

190system has is worthwhile. So I would put sexual orientation or gender identity. >> Yeah. >> Not or. Yeah. And >> yeah, I agree. >> So just to summarize, sorry, Dr. Sultan, I think if you want to summarize, I don't want to. Okay, so just just to summarize, I think we want to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the non-discrimination classes and a oneweek minimum uh posting in writing. >> Perfect. So may I read the recommendation? The recommendation being made is that the city school of Decator Board of Education accept policy GBC, professional personnel recruitment with the additional discussed revisions for first read. I have a motion to approve the recommendation of policy GBC professional personnel recruitment with additional discussed revisions for first read. Board member makes the motion. Is there a second? Second. Board

191>> member Anderson seconds the motion. Is there any discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor? I chair votes I. Any opposed? The motion carries unanimously. >> Next up is policy GBIA, teacher evaluation appeals. There are no new revisions beyond those presented last month. May I read the recommendation? >> Yes, please. >> The recommendation being made is that city school board of education accept policy GBIA, teacher evaluation to approve the recommendation of policy GBIA, teacher evaluation appeal for first read. So move >> or member us makes the motion. Is there a second? [clears throat] >> Or me member H. Hearnen seconds the motion. Is there any discussion? >> Hearing none. All those in favor? >> I chair votes I. Any opposed? The motion carries unanimously. >> Next is policy GB RI, Federal Family and Medical Leave

192Act. There are no new revisions from those presented last month. May I read the recommendation? Yes, please. The recommendation being made is that City Schools of Decator Board of Education accept policy GB RI, Federal Family and Medical Leave Act for first read. Do I have a motion to approve the recommendation of policy GB RI federal family and medical leave act for first read? Board member US makes the motion. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Member seconds the motion. Is there any discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor? >> I chair votes I. Any opposed? The motion carries unanimously. >> And last is policy GCRD, classified personnel overtime pay. There are no new revisions to the policy from those presented last month. May I read the recommendation? Yes, please. >> The recommendation being made is

193that City Schools Decater Board of Education accepts policy GCD classified personal overtime pay for first three. So I have a motion to approve the recommendation of policy GCRD classified personnel overtime pay for first three. So move >> board member us makes the motion. Is there a second? >> Second. [clears throat] >> Board member Anderson seconds the motion. Is there any discussion? >> Hearing none. All those in favor? >> I. >> Chair votes I. Any opposed? The motion carries unanimously. Thank you for your engagement with these 12 policies. Next they will be available for public comment via assembly. We invite the public to submit feedback by accessing these policies on the right hand side of the assembly homepage which is also accessible from the CSC website. Thank you, Mrs. Lynch. We encourage the encourage the public

194to review all these policy policies posted on assembly. This concludes our work session. As a reminder, the work sessions are designed for in-depth discussion, study, and planning regarding district policies, issues, and upcoming discussions. Many items presented in a work session inform board member meeting agenda items, including consent agenda. We will recess and return in 10 minutes to begin our regular board meeting. The purpose of the board meeting in school governance is to conduct the official business of the school district through discussion and formal voting ensuring legal and transparent decision making on policies, budgets, and district priorities. There being no further adjourned at 5:07 p.m. We'll now call this meeting to order at 5:18 p.m. We ask that you silence all cell phones at this time. We'll begin with a moment of silence followed by the

195pledge of allegiance. At this time, I ask that everyone join me in a brief moment of silent reflection. >> Thank you. Now, I ask all who are able to please stand for the pledge of allegiance. [clears throat] I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, [clears throat] indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Our mission is to inspire and enable and engaging learning experiences supported by highly qualified and caring educators in a safe and inviting environment. The first item on the agenda is the approvals of the agenda. Board members is there there is a revision to the agenda this evening. The tax commissioner is unable to join us tonight but will come next month. Do I have a motion

196to approve the revised agenda? Or member US makes the motion. Is there a second? [clears throat] >> Second. >> For member Hearnen seconds the motion. Is there any discussion? >> Yeah, I'd like to I think make a motion um to put item six ascension pro program management um on it in its own thing outside of the consent agenda. Is that possible? >> Okay, it's on the consent agenda. So, the motion would be to remove um the cension program management from the consent agenda for discussion to remove from the consent agenda. >> Okay. >> Other motion voted on? >> Not yet. Do I need to make a second? >> You need to put on the other >> and you need to make a motion. Okay. All right. So, all those in favor >> I chair votes

197I. This motion carries unanimously. Our next agenda item is the approval of the minutes from previous board me. >> Now, now you're muted. >> Okay. Sorry. So, what I would like to do is make a motion to put the ascension program management as its own item to be focused on. Um, my motion. They need to say I make a move. >> I make a motion to move item number six, Ascension Program Management to um off the consent agenda and onto a independent vote. I guess >> discussion. >> Okay. Discussion. Sorry. >> Is there a second? >> Why? Because >> I don't want to approve it and I approve everything else in the consent agenda. the only reason. >> Is there a second? >> All right. So, that motion fail. >> Okay. Our next agenda item

198is the approval of minutes. I'm sorry. I do want to make sure we uh for the previous motion of the revised agenda, did the motion carry unanimously? Yes. No. Thank you. >> So, any opposed? >> Yes. >> Okay. So, you have you have to say >> Well, I don't I don't know if looking back at the record, I didn't hear any opposition. I said >> just a point of confusion. >> Okay. I think I have confused people. So, then is this my time to speak or do I get to talk later? I'm sorry. I thought that I could motion and I forgot that I would need someone to second that. Um, I approve everything else in the consent agenda. A motion to move the ascension program management to its own item. I'm sorry for the

199confusion. >> I think the question is um on the first motion that was made, >> right? >> Was that a vote that was unanimous or were was there any opposition to the first motion? >> I didn't hear any opposition. >> Right. >> So, that motion passed unanimously. >> Okay. The second motion that she made failed because there was no second. >> Correct. >> Is that is that reflected in the record? >> That is correct. >> Yes. >> Are we ready to move on to the minutes? >> Okay. Our next agenda previous board meetings. Do I have a motion to approve the me minutes from January's board meetings? >> Move. Member makes the motion. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Board member Hearnen seconds the motion. Is there any discussion? Hearing none. All those in

200favor? >> I >> chair votes I. Any opposed? The motion carries unanimously. All right. Dr. Whitaker, I see some people have joined us. Do we have recognition? >> Sultan as deputy superintendent comes forth. We are actually going to go down. So to um recognize our um recognition and our guest. >> Thank you board chair Dr. consultant, vice chairs, esteemed members of the board and superintendent Dr. Gimma Whitaker. This evening, I'm honored to share three presentations highlighting the work of Winona Park Elementary, Westchester Elementary, and our districtwide school counseling team. As we recognize each spotlight tonight, I invite our board members to join us down front to help celebrate and acknowledge those being recognized. Principal Wisman, please join us up front. We will begin at Winona Park Elementary where a team of educators, Kelly Stock up,

201Dr. Lindsey Hicks, Rachel Sigman, and Karen Jolly re-imagine the wind time. What I need? They reimagined win time to better maximize staff and instructional minutes for second grade students qualifying for early intervention. Using winter screener data and proficiency data, the team redesigned the schedule so that craft room teachers and intervention teachers could provide small group interventions Monday through Thursday as well as students who do not require intervention as well. Students who do not require intervention remain engaged in targeted enrichment aligned with identified growth areas. This model was developed during the first two days after winter break and launched the following week. Now it's in its fourth week and the approach continues to strengthen instruction through weekly progress monitoring and goal setting to meet each student's needs. Thank you so much to this group of educators

202for your innovation, collaboration, and unwavering commitment to student success. Now we move from academic intervention to artistic expression. We now turn to Westchester Elementary. Principal Knox, please join us up front for this recognition. W principal Knox and Principal Thomas and oh let me principal um was here as well and you'll hear music everywhere students singing keeping a steady beat and learning the foundations of music together. Miss Tiffany Rice served as a unique role in City Schools of Decar, teaching general music at Westchester Elementary while also leading orchestra at Fifth Avenue and Tally Street. Her days span multiple campuses and her orchestra program built within a week with over 83 students currently enrolled. Through ongoing professional learning, Miss Rice creates joyful, rigorous environments where students grow from first notes to confident performances at concerts, celebrations of

203learning, and community circles. Many continue their musical journey into upper elementary, middle, and beyond. Build both strong musicians and a lifelong love of music. Thank you, Miss Rice, for all you do every day. [laughter] And finally, we close with a districtwide recognition. National School Counseling Week, sponsored by the American School Counselor Association, was celebrated February 2nd through 6th and highlights the vital role counselors play in student success. Francis Holt, our assistant superintendent of student services, and Dr. Harris, the executive director of whole child support and school climate will join us for this recognition. We had several school counselors who were here earlier, but they had just because they're kids and do all the other grownup things and so many had to leave. I will call everyone's names for the record. Um, but I will start

204with who is present. Tonight, we recognize the CSD school counseling team for their commitment to helping students identify their strengths, interests, and goals. Our counselors partner with teachers, families, and support staff to foster inclusive school cultures and support students academic, career, and social emotional development. PSD role in our students for all they do every day. First up, we'd like to recognize again Dr. Lindsay Hicks, [applause] Mr. William Holly, Dr. Kimberly Jones, Dr. Sesa living [applause] come back. I think you can stand While she's taking a picture, I'll read the other school counselor's name. Kristen England, Jonathan Blae, Kimberly Evans, Dr. Rasha Harren, Reagan Hudson, Dr. Timothy Irvin, Dr. Ken J, Precious King, Jordan Mute, Dr. Jasmine Parham, Kate Patterson, Rebecca Peacock, Alice Kendrick, Jesse G White Point, Charmaine Pratt, Lasa Taylor, Sean Taylor Bertrram, and

205Kimberly Weaver. This concludes our recognitions. We are grateful for those recognized this evening and for the dedication they represent across our district. Thank you for your leadership, your service, and your unwavering commitment to our students and families. [applause] Not quite. to do the next presentation. [clears throat and cough] >> All right, Dr. Whitaker, can you >> please introduce the next presentation? >> Slen, I would like to call on Miss Andrea Arnold and Mr. Russ Madison. Miss Arnold Hen needs little introduction as we're all familiar with the outstanding work she has done and continues to do for the city of Decar. She has served as a city manager since 1997 and has held numerous leadership roles throughout her tenure with the city bring a high level of experience and institutional knowledge to her work. We are

206also joined by Mr. Russ Madison with whom Dr. Broom works closely. Mr. Madison has served the city of Decar in various capacities for more than 17 years. He possesses extensive knowledge of the city's financial operations and is a trusted resource and partner in financial matters. The city and the school district finance departments work collaboratively and today we will gain valuable insight into the revenue and property tax collection process from Miss Arnold and Mr. Madison. Thank you. And thank you school board members. Thank you for having us here tonight. Um it's really it's my pleasure always to be in front of you all and um you know tonight an opportunity [clears throat] to talk about the role that the city plays in um at the most bas basic level of of collecting the taxes um that

207the the city and school system both rely upon. And um and just clicker here. Um so just as a reminder, the city does bill and collect all of the taxes for the school system. Um, in addition to the um the city, anyone who owns property here in the city is familiar with their tax bill and in addition to the various funds for city operations, uh, the school fund is also included on that bill. um the property tax digest. The digest is the essentially the the value of all of the property uh within the city of Decar and this digest is prepared by the Dicap count DIC county tax assessor's office that's prepared each year. Uh we do receive summary information very high level information in May and then we receive the the final detail is

208a listing every single property um within the city um including the value of those properties. Um, of course the um the timing um as as we know um and the the staff that prepare the budget for our organizations also understand that the timing is challenging um because at least from the city standpoint um quite often um actually in the past few years we have been preparing and submitting a budget to the elected body for consideration without um having the digest in place. Um and so it um while while we still have we normally receive the digest um before the board is actually asked to to make the final decision at least for the for our city um our city schedule. But it does make it very it just makes it hard um to to develop

209our budgets because we are um as bodies very reliant on property tax for operations. a little bit of information about the uh most recent digest digest from 2025. Um you know of the increase that was in that digest uh 24% of that was new value. So just think new homes, new construction and 76% of that was revaluation. And so that would be reassessment um you due to just the the demands in the market. And when I see numbers like that, um, you know, when I see really anything that would be over 60 65% revaluation, um, we can safely assume that they're going to be a lot of appeals, um, by the property owners. And again, those appeals go to the, u county for consideration. In 2025, the total digest is about $3 and a half

210billion dollars. And that's made up of 22% commercial, 78% residential. And that um also um makes it clear that um there's a there is a heavy tax burden um on our residential property owners as opposed to the commercial property owners. Um but that number that 22% number has gone up you know in my tenure you know when I first started here that number was closer to um 14 15% and so you know over the years that the the work of the city um you know policies by the city have have pushed that number up um to potentially shift the tax burden um from residential more towards commercial. and just that increase from uh 2024 to was just under a 7 and a half% increase. And again, I wouldn't expect that to hold because I would

211expect that there would be um healthy amount of of appeals. And then this next slide, uh this is just the the digest compliance. is a taxpayer bill of rights and this is state law and it applies to the city and to the school system that levying authorities recommending authorities uh cities uh school boards do have to comply with certain advertising and public hearing requirements and that's actually for state law and then also county in order to um for them to certify the digest have to ensure that those hearings and advertise meant to take place. You may um you know hear about the the roll back millage rate. Essentially the um the school boards and cities are required to calculate a roll back millage rate and that's just um rolling rolling back the millillage or or

212determining what the millage rate would be equivalent to the amount of reassessment. of essentially saying that um you can't you have to advertise if you are going to keep your millage rate where it is to take advantage of the reassessment um that that would have that increased your tax digest. And so when that happens, um you are required to uh to advertise a tax increase and also hold a certain number of public hearings. And then the property tax billing, as I said, that's all handled by the city edicator. Um the property values are prepared by Decap County. Um those are submitted to the city in the uh in the summer and then um and actually the county they assess at at 40% and we we had we um are able to use an assessment ratio

213of 50%. This is what we've used for decades. Um and the um the bill uh the amount of the bill is just generated by taking the the mill rate and multiplying that by the assessed value of the property and in line of any homestead exemptions and um the city has its own homestead exemptions. Uh the school system has specific and exemptions and the course those are applied um to reduce it reduces the value of of the assessed value of your property to lower the amount that a property owner pays in taxes. Um just administratively, we do um bill in two installments. And so the first installment bill comes out normally in April, it's due in June. And then the second installment bill comes out in October, and then that is due in December. And the

214first installment bill though does use the property values from the previous year. You'll sometimes hear us refer to it, estimated tax bill. And then the second bill um is a true up um for the entire year. And in terms of just a note um for any property that's going to be declared tax exempt, that's a determination that's made by the CAD county. I don't think you can see it on the slide, but I encourage people to go to dictatorgaax.com and that's where you can find um if your property value your tax see if your tax payments have been posted there.com. And on this slide, um really the only number that you need to look at is the uh are the numbers in the the far right hand column. And that's showing our tax collection rate.

215Um that is extremely high, 99.68% >> [clears throat] >> um as a percentage of the tax levy. Just so you know that we are we are we are doing um everything in our power and that that we are legally authorized to do make sure that taxes are paid and then we do distribute the system on a monthly basis. So um Dr. room is very familiar with the trans and the taxes that make up those transfers include real property. So most of what we're talking about here is or real property taxes that's going to be for the residential and commercial properties but then also personal property, public utility taxes, intangible taxes, property transfer, motor vehicle, and then railroad equipment probably like um not much. And then we also send over uh revenue for the school bus

216camera violations. Uh you may recall years ago um that we developed uh anou between uh the the school system and the city. Um and even the the vendor that administers the school bus camera program and um so the revenue from those violations is shared with the school system. And just um you know there a note of caution um is that that fee is $1,000. That fine is is $1,000 and that is set by the state. I know that some people um have been um shocked and alarmed um you know by that by that amount that the the judges don't have discretion um over that amount and it's set by the the state law. I'm pretty sure that once it happens to you once that [clears throat] time >> and then all alcohol related fees, so

217excise taxes, alcohol license fees, 50% of those um both alcohol and excise tax fees to get distributed to the school system. Delinquent tax collections, you saw the excellent tax collection rate earlier. Um that's just part of our routine delinquent tax collection process. Um we have a actually an annual billing or ordinance that's adopted by the city commission that um lays out the the schedule or the timing for delinquent tax collections um including the the various penalties and interest um that that continue to be applied uh for non-payment. We have an annual tax sale that's scheduled every August. We don't always have to have a sale, but I would say in generally I would expect there to be um on average maybe three or four properties that end up in the tax sale for non-payment. Um

218the tax sale is um that is really an active last resort. Have lots and lots and lots of opportunities uh to to get those taxes paid. Um, and like I said, very very few um, properties end up in that tax sale. And the um, the delinquent tax collections that we receive throughout the year are also part of the distribution made to the school system each month. And then finally, just um a few things that I um wanted to to mention before wrapping up. Just a reminder that the school does have a rate cap that's set through um the the city's charter. City's charter also does speak to um you know, a few items related to the school system and education. And one of those is the is the millage rate cap. Um and the in

219terms of setting the military um under state law um the school system is what's referred to as a recommending authority and then ultimately the city is the levying authority but under the charter um whatever the school system recommends the city shall levy. Um so there's there's not just the city doesn't have discretion in that matter. Um and so historically the the millage rate that has been recommended has always been adopted or levied by the city commission. Want to take the opportunity also to to highlight that the track and field at Legacy is just one example of a great partnership. Um but it's this is a financial um partnership in addition to just overseeing the construction and and and designing and constructing that facility together. that was um just at $7 million and the the parties

220um you know split that amount believe that the school system used um the special purpose local option sales tax revenues uh whereas the city um had or American rescue plan act funds for that purpose and now we continue to to manage that property property jointly and um and have a shared use committee [clears throat] that's been working very well together. Um certainly the the funding and the building of a facility is a whole lot easier than the sharing of a very popular facility. [clears throat] Um it's a great problem to have to have so many facility. Um, also, um, want to just speak briefly to the school zone speed enforcement cameras. Um, and those cameras are in use, um, throughout the city in a handful. And I believe it's I think we're in five um,

221of the school zones currently. Um, they are they are um, under threat as we speak. um because the general assembly is in session and there's a a bill um that rolled over from the the last session. It's still active from the last session that would eliminate um these uh the use of the speed enforcement cameras and these cameras work. You don't have to like them. You don't have to like um that if you go 11 miles an hour over the speed limit. If you're going 36 miles an hour or more, you get a ticket. Again, you don't you don't have to like that, but these cameras work. They they dramatically increase speed seating in school zones um which that slower speeds um in school zones saves lives. Um it really is really is that simple.

222Um it's unfortunate that this is politicized. Um, and I think part of that has to do with the the way they are used in certain communities. I believe that the way that um, the city has chosen to implement um, or execute this program is the right way. Um, the cameras operate an hour before school goes in session and then the hour after school um, is out of session so they're not running all day. Um, and we have you actually have used some of the funds um from the the camera revenue to make sure that there are flashing signs um or flashing lights um in those school zones. I think we're still the last one. We're still waiting on G dot zone to uh to approve the installation on South Camp. Otherwise, we do want we

223do want people to know that these cameras are in use. Um, you know, my goal is for the the revenue from these cameras to to be zero. Um, to me, that's the only that that would be the sign of success. Um, then, um, House Bill 581. Uh, so that we we all may have flashbacks right now, uh, to 581. That was the the floating homestead um floating homestead exemption. Essentially, it it um capped the amount that homestead homesteaded properties, the value of those properties could increase was limited or capped to um inflation and but um the cities and counties and school systems were allowed to opt out and the city and the school system both recognize um the House Bill 51 public policy. Um There's not really another way to put it. Um it it

224shifts the burden to um to commercial properties. It shifts the burden to renters. Um there are all all sorts of unintended consequences. Um the and the bond rating agencies really don't like it. Um and they actually are are pleased um or were pleased um you know very recently that that we had opted out. However, um the it appears that legislation um was approved in the Senate last week and so was gone over to the House that would essentially make House Bill 581 uh non opt out optional. Um, and so, um, we we'll be following, you know, following that bill and determining what kind of impact that's going to have on on our ability to, you know, to to raise the the property tax revenue that's needed for our operation. And that really leads into that's

225just another example of the state legislative proposals that are out there. So in addition to um uh limiting the u artificially limiting the um the growth of the tax digest, there's also there's a couple of bills out there that would eliminate property taxes um over the next four to six years that we would be looking at the elimination of property taxes, a shift to sales tax um and again um you shifting um creat creating a progressive tax um and sales tax. But again, just we we're all working with um with staff um you know down at the capital to to follow these bills and determine how they're going to they're going to impact us. And then one more item that I don't don't have up here on the screen um but it goes hand inand

226with the the work that we've been doing to um increase safety in the school zones. Um we um had a huge win with uh with G DOT, the Department of of Transportation to have all of the speed limits on state highways reduced by 5 miles an hour. And so you'll see on South Handler, for example, the speed limit um has been decreased from 35 miles an hour to 30 miles an hour. Um a tre tremendous win. I really never thought that I would I would see see this um in my lifetime. Um we're having we're having a few hiccups with the the roll out of switching out the speed limit signs and such um with with G DOT, but they they mean really well and um and and we're going to be working on some

227public communication campaign and giving people a little bit of time uh to get adjusted to the change before um that that enforcement takes place. But that certainly um can only um you know enhance safety in the in the school districts all throughout the day because we know the school zones are important and the the times that the school zones are that that's valuable. But we also know that there's that we have children, we have teachers, we have crossing guards, parents um that are that are going to and from um the schools at at all hours of the day. So if we can have the speed lowered um that's going to be good for for everyone. In addition to those G dot speed limits, our next step is going to be working um on our local

228speed limits. We're working on a a local speed limit study just getting that started uh where where the goal will be to lower the speed limits throughout the entire city, not just on the state routes on the local roads. That's all that I have for you all this evening. Yes. Thank you so much for allowing me to be here and I'm happy to answer and rest will be happy to any questions that you may have related to the finances. Um this is and if you don't know off the top of your head, it's it's okay. But um when we talk about the the 78% residential, 22% commercial split on the digest, there's also a giant chunk in Decator. Decator is unique in the sense that it's the county seat. Uh we have Agnes Scott College.

229There's a substantial amount of property that is not taxable, right? It's very very disproportionate in our community versus other areas. Do you know like either on a value basis or a percent of land basis how much is actually not able to be taxed? >> That's a great question and I tried to get an answer to that last week. um actually worked with our GIS folks that we were looking at, you know, the citywide looking at downtown and as I started to dig into the data. Um I recognized that the um property values of tax exempt properties are not up to date. Um so it's there there is not accurate data. >> What about and this this I mean we I can come back to this but just in terms of percent of land, right? like

230Agnes Scott is it's acres and acres in the middle of the city. We have a ton of churches, all of the county properties, all of the city properties, all of our properties. Frankly, >> it's a it's a >> that that can be as much as 10%. >> Yeah, I bet. [clears throat] Yeah, >> I know. It may not be a great question, but I looked last year and it was 69% was the re-evaluation and [clears throat] this year it's 76% and I know you were saying that you know effectively you should expect that people are going to challenge that. So percent like does it matter? Is it coming in waves? Because I know you can appeal and then what it's on hold for three years. So is there anything to that 7% increase in the

231re-evaluation for this year compared to last year? >> You say is there anything to the 7% like the overall increase >> like measuring a trend that one in 7% increase does that even matter that 7% more houses are going be re-evaluated this year? >> It's probably more that 7% fewer new buildings were built, right? like the the footprint of existing houses is fairly stable. It depends a little bit on how much new construction there is like apartments going in or homes being rebuilt or what have you. That and that is going to vary year to year, right? >> It does. I mean there's not a there's not a pattern from year to year. Okay. >> Um you know between the um you know the the revaluation and the the new value. Um yeah but again

232it's and and it is you know very much it's driven by the market and so I mean we you see that you know the real estate market is cooling and so I would expect that it would be harder for the for the assessor's office I wouldn't expect the the reassessments to be quite as high um the next year to again just based off of a cooling market. >> What about leading indicators like building permits or things that get pulled? Is that looking typical or are we up down? Do you have a sense of that yet? >> Um the building permits in the current fiscal year are much lower than where where they were last year and it's much much it's off off budget. Um and so much lower than this time last year. So then

233just to follow up with that, so last year 31% was new value. This year 24% it's new value. And so is that kind of logically connected? You have fewer building permits. Therefore, you're going to have fewer new. >> Yes. On basel. Yeah. The the value of the building permit. So yeah, I mean not necessarily the number of permits, but the value of the >> Thank you. Uh this is a broader question, but I know you know with um the school consolidation conversation and everything and like population projections. Um I was just wondering if you could speak to like um what initiatives the city is doing to like make Decator more affordable like what can we expect in the next few years like what what is the direction of the city? >> Um that's another great

234question. So the city commission um met earlier or they met in January for their annual retreat and the um they identified five primary um priorities and you know one of those was affordability primarily housing affordability and u one of the primary um you know strategies that we discuss is around what we call Noah naturally occurring ing affordable housing. Um, but you know, working on ways to preserve housing. It's a whole lot whole lot less expensive to preserve what we have as opposed to building new affordable housing. Now granted, for example, the um the housing over at Legacy at Legacy Park, that was a joint effort between the housing authority and the city and the city um provided close to $3 million of ARPA funds and also secured some federal funding for that. And that's again

235that is that is one way to create more affordable housing, you know, with with new build. Um but really the most cost effective way is with um is preserving the you know that's that I would see that as um you know a primary area for us to to focus our efforts even you know say assisting landlords a lot of these that we know it's going to be could be four unit small apartment complexes and then are there opportunities for certain tax incentives for tax abatements um for the owners of those properties. So that and continuing to to look at affordability, you know, in terms of tax bills, you know, keeping the homestead exemptions current, up to date. Another area that we have some control over, >> follow up on that, but cities and schools, we

236have tax exemptions for seniors and those living in poverty. Does the city track how effective those exemptions are being at at preventing turnover? Do you know? I know that we would have that kind of information in terms of preventing turnover. >> It would be the number of houses that applied for the exemption year to date. >> No, there was um if I remember correctly when we were looking at that there was a they had to they they being the combination of the schools and the city commissioned a report on aging in place and the amount of seniors that stayed versus >> left. that if I if I remember correctly, actually the exemptions had very very little impact on on on that, but I I don't remember if that's been updated or not. >> No. >>

237Well, thank you, Miss Arnold, for your partnership. >> Thank you. Thank you, Miss Arnold and Mr. Madison, for the insightful insightful presentation. Dr. Whitaker, you have a presentation. >> Yes, I have a superintendent report. >> [clears throat] >> So, good evening CSD. Okay, let me get just all this. Give me one second. >> Okay. Good evening, CSD. Um, in February, CSD recognizes Black History Month. 2026 marks the 10th anniversary of Black History Month. Marking a century since [clears throat] I know I got to say this over again because I'm trying to get this off out of my mouth. Give me a second. All right. Okay. Hi everyone. I'll start all over again. In February, CNC recognizes Black History Month. 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of Black History. So that means it's been c since a

238century since [clears throat] Carter Woodson first established the month in 1926. [clears throat and cough] A way of remembering key figures, events, and achievements in African-American history. We are also taking this time to recognize the invaluable support our school counselors provide to our students and their learning environments. Thank you. They were here earlier. Many of them have left. Additionally, we celebrate the accomplishments of our Decar Career Academy as a part of the National Career Technical Agricultural and Education Month. the National Weeks for Business Leaders of America, FBLA, and Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America are also recognized. My sincere thanks to all of our counselors and our CTA staff. Earlier, we received an update on how CSD is integrating college and career um and life preparedness into our CTAE program in a diverse and

239culturally relevant manner. It's exciting to know that we will soon be extending all of these opportunities not only at the high school but the middle school and at the elementary levels. At this time, I'm gonna call up Mrs. Jennifer Burton, our assistant superintendent of teaching and learning to provide an update on the 2025 pathway graduation rate data. >> Good evening, board chair Dr. Soulton, vice chairs, esteemed board members, student representative Batra, and superintendent Dr. Gina Whitaker. Tonight, I want to highlight the City Schools of Decar 2025 pathway graduation results. A personalized highquality high school experience aligns with our student success in all areas strategic accelerator. Many Decar High School students complete a coherent sequence of coursework or pathway that aligns with their college and career interests. This means graduation is no longer a onesizefits-all process.

240It's personalized and purposeful. In 2025, 12th graders completed at least one pathway. That's over 90% of the graduating class. The first is the CTAE career pathway. This involves three sequence courses in a single career cluster like culinary, architecture or early childhood education and often end in an industry credential like our certified nursing aids. The second is the world language pathway which is three progressive courses in the same language. The advanced academic pathway focuses on rigorous IB, AP, or dual enrollment coursework demonstrating postsecary preparation. Finally, we have the fine arts pathway, which requires three courses in a single arts area such as band, chorus, theater, or visual arts. We are incredibly proud of our high completion rates across all areas with 99% completion demonstrating high student engagement and success. These DHS students are graduating with not

241only their high school diploma but a concentration or multiple concentrations in deep learning in a chosen pathway or pathway. 88 students successfully completed the fine arts pathway. 176 students successfully completed the CTAE pathway. 400 students successfully completed the advanced academic pathway and 286 students successfully completed the world language pathway. While there is a slight decline in pathway graduation rate from 2024, this decline is due to a few students extenduating circumstances. This approach is about more than just meeting minimum compliance. It positions our students for success. By focusing on readiness, engagement, and valuable credentials, we ensure graduates are prepared for their next step after high school. That's it. Thank you, Mrs. Burton. I invite you to listen to the latest PSD Words with Dr. Whitaker podcast to learn more about the Career Academy and our CTAE

242program. Last week, we hosted our second annual school safety and security summit. While the first summit primarily addressed physical safety, this year's focus extended into how CSD supports the mental and psychological safety of our students. Leaders from our student support services offered a comprehensive overview of their work within schools. Every CSD school has a trained certified school counselor as well [clears throat] as access to mental health professionals and community service partners who are available to offer additional support. We encourage our students and our families with specific needs and concerns to share these with the teachers, school counselors, administrators, or other trusted adults in our schools. The evening concluded with a panel discussion that I moderated with fire chief Washington, police chief Richards and CSD safety director just walked back director James Brown highlighting how city

243schools of Decar and the city of Decatur work collaboratively to ensure safety and well-being of our students and our staff as well as ways parents can support safety. The panel also featured none other than the DHS principal, Dr. Dwayne Sproul, who enrich the discussion with practical examples of how these collaborations enhance campus safety every day. As the 2026 legislation session begins, we will keep a close eye on state and federal [clears throat] legislation regarding critical safety and mental health issues. Lastly, I want to remind everyone that registration is now open for new courtesy prek and non-resident tuition. Please note that the prek registration will close on February 27th and the deadline for non-resident tuition is March 2nd. Sultan, that completes my report. Thank you. Good evening. On behalf of the City Schools of Decar Board

244of Education, thank you for joining us in person and virtually for our February board meeting. At the end of January, I had the privilege of presenting the state of the district address at the city of Decar's annual state of the city event. During my remarks, I spoke as a board chair, a parent, a citizen, and a physician, and I was pleased to give a clear diagnosis of the city schools of Decatur. The district is strong. Its vitals and achievements are excellent, and the prognosis is very, very good. I ended my remarks the same way I want to open them tonight, thanking families, businesses, and organizations, and the broader community for partnering with us to ensure every child in this city in this city not only succeeds, but thrives. During the pre pre-work session, the board

245received first drafts of instruction specific policies, including those on recess, the complaint resolution process, school volunteers, and visitors to schools. These policies were last reviewed during the 2022 2023 school year. Our work session included six presentations beginning with the state of operations which highlighted how operations supports teaching and learning through student health services, athletics, transportation, school nutrition, facial services, facilities and maintenance, asset inventory management and capital planning. Following presentation provided an update on the benefits of the partnership with communities and schools of Atlanta on student and school outcomes. The third presentation was an update on the progress of non-resident tuition registration since applications opened on February 2nd. The board also discussed compensation options 2027 school year. As February is career, technical and agric agriculture education month, our work session also included a state of CTA

246presentations on the impressive achievements in the workforce offerings for our middle and high school students as well as CTAE pathways pilot for our elementary school students that includes coding, audiovisisual technology and film, life-saving CPR skills in preparation for Skills USA competition. The final work session presentation was an update on the new childhood early learning center and Decatur High School expansion. The work session concluded with 12 policies on internet acceptable use, fiscal management and personnel. These policies were discussed in pre-work last month and were presented this month for first read. The board welcomed two guest officials this evening. We thank Decater city manager Andrea Arnold and the city's finance director Russ Madison for presenting on the city's revenue property tax collection process and pertinent state legislation currently being monitored with shared impact on our respective entities.

247All board meeting presentations are available on the district's website in assembly. Highlight of our monthly board meetings is recognizing our schools and the achievement of our students and staff. We applaud the individual efforts of school counselors at Winona Parks for maximizing instructional minutes for students qualifying for early interventions and the general music teacher at Westchester for the early integration of music into the learning environment. As last week was National School Counselors Week, the final recognition honored the dedicated work of all CSC counselors. I want to join Dr. Whitaker in thanking our school counselors for their service, unique contributions, and commitment to student success. The board congratulates all of our students and staff who excel in all areas contributing to CSD's overall success. Families and communities are and community are encouraged to check the CSD weekly

248for school newsletters to support the variety of upcoming events and activities. Last month, our schools were full of activities including Lunar New Year celebrations and commemorations of the lives of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mrs. Kretta Scott King. This month, schools are honoring school reading and literacy events, including Black History Month and participating in the American school bus school bus council's love the bus month, which celebrates the influence of the yellow school bus in education and the dedication of our school bus drivers, monitors, and transportation professionals. We appreciate the members of the cse transportation team for providing the first and last friendly, caring face a student sees during the school day. I have a few dates that I want to bring to the public's attention. [clears throat] The next board retreat will be held

249on Tuesday, February 24th, 2026 at the Decatur Recreation Center on Sycamore Street from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. The next board meeting will be on Tuesday, March 10th, 2026. Finally, on behalf of the board, we wish everyone a safe and enjoyable winter break. That concludes my remarks from for this evening. Board members, do you have any thoughts you wish to share? Yeah. Dr. Whitaker, please introduce the next presentation. The next presentation is the fiveyear five-year financial history. Today's presentation will provide an overview of the general funds five-year financial history. The general fund is the district's largest and primary operating source. Other funds, SLOs, school nutrition, and grants will be presented in March. Although all budget decisions on and requests are aligned with one or more of the district strategic accelerators, the finance department operates with a

250specific focus on an accelerator for organizational effectiveness and excellence through financial equity and transparency. The two primary sources of revenue received by the district are state and local revenue. State revenue consists primarily of funds received from the state via the Quality Basic Education Act, otherwise known as QBE. QBE was enacted into law by the Georgia Assembly in 1985. The formula for determining QBE funds is based on multiple factors including student enrollment, learning abilities of students, scheduling and grades kindergarten through 12, and training and experience of staff. The state also issues grants for a variety of areas such as safety and security, preschool, [clears throat] disability, and career technical and agricultural education grants. Local revenue. It's the largest source of revenue is property taxes. The district receives the largest portion of general fund revenue from property

251taxes. Other local revenue consists of tuition for the early childhood learning centers, funds received from alcohol taxes in the city of Decatur, earnings from investments, and miscellaneous revenue such as the sale or surplus of property, violators of the bus arm, camera, facility rentals, and other locally generated revenue. This slide shows the history of revenue from 2021 to 2025. Local revenue is presented in blue and state revenue is in yellow. As shown, the district receives its largest source of revenue from local sources. Local services have steadily increased from 2021 to 2025 by approximately 12%. State revenue has increased ly 29% from 2021 to 2025. State revenue is tied directly to student enrollment which decreased by 6% from 2021 to 2025. The increase in state revenue is due is due primarily to the additional state revenue to

252cover the cost of increased salary and health benefits for earned employees. The district cate categorizes expenditures by state function codes. This slide shows a list of the function codes. A detailed description of each function code is included in the appendex of this presentation. As we build FY, it will be presented by function code. Although all functions have an impact on student success, instruction, people's services, improvement of instruction, educational media services, and school administration are all directly related to the schools and traditionally make up an average of 78% of the budget. This slide is a visual of expenditures history from 2020 from FY21 to FY25. For the last 5 years, the district has continued to make instruction the largest investment which consistently represents 60 to 63% of total expenditures and aligns with the strategic accelerator student

253success in all areas. The instruction function consists of activities dealing directly with the interaction between teachers and students, including the salaries and benefits of teachers and instructional materials purchased for learning. This slide compares revenue and expenditures. In 2021, expenditures outpaced revenues. As you may recall, the COVID pandemic began in FY20 and continued to have a negative impact on expenditures through the district began to recover in FY22 and has continued to rebuild the district's reserve or fund balance with revenue outpacing expenditures during times like a pandemic and any emergency unplanned and unbud budgeted. Having a healthy fund balance is critical for continued and uninterrupted operations. The military history varies based on the economy and financial needs of the district to assist with the recovery from the pandemic. The military increased from 2021 to 2022 um from

25420.25 mills to 21. The board of education decreased the millage rate in 2024 from 21 to 2030 mills and currently continues to maintain a millage rate of 20.30. The fund balance is the cumulative difference between assets and liabilities and represents the net financial resource available. The fund balance carries over to the next fiscal year and is the equivalent of the district's savings account. Often referred to as the rainy day fund that helps district manage cash flow fluctuations, cover unexpected expenses, and avoid short-term borrowing. The Government Finance Officers Association, referred to as GFOA, recommends a fund balance equivalent to two months of regular operation revenue. Board policy DCL specifies a fund balance between four and 15% as shown on the red lines on this slide. Currently, the district has a fund balance of 23%. As we

255build the FY27 budget, the fund balance percentage will decrease. The district's auditors encourage the district to spend down the fund balance. The five-year history of tax levy lists the net digest value. Real and personal property in the city has steadily increased for the past five years. The military listed under the section titled rate is a percentage of the net tax digest. If the digest increases and the millage rate remains the same, the district will see an increase in revenue due to the the digest growth. As shown at the bottom of the table, the tax percent increase has ranged from five to 13% in the last five years. This slide shows the story of our system over the last five years. How we have intentionally invested in resources and what those investments have produced for students.

256Revenue has increased at a larger percentage than expenditures, which takes us back to the healthy fund balance as indicated by the surplus highlighted in green below of revenue from FY22 to FY25. We have drastically improved our projections and FY25 surplus would have been under a million dollars if it had not been for the error in Dicap County that resulted in an additional $3.5 million in local tax revenue for FY25. Revenue has increased by approximately 44% with the largest increase in miscellaneous revenue consistent consisting primarily on behalf payments from the state. On behalf payments are non-cash state payments made for fringe benefits such as teachers retirement, health insurance, and workman's compensation on behalf of the earned school employees. The second largest revenue increase in the five past five [clears throat] years has been in state grants.

257expenditures have increased by approximately 27% with the largest increase in safety and security. Do be mindful that some of the numbers include state grants. The second largest increase is in other support services due to an increase in the expenditure budget for translation services. The graphic to the right labeled CSD state ranking shows how our financial decisions over the last five years have translated into student outcomes. This is our return on investment. The takeaway is clear. Increasing expenditures on educational investments have yielded significant improvements in student outcomes. Even amid enrollment shifts, our strategic use of resources have strengthened instruction, supported students, and positioned the city schools of Decar as of the highest performing school districts in Georgia. The impact of those investments is evidenced as shown in the graphic. In 2025, the City Schools of Decar

258achieved top three rankings in the state in 78% of tested areas, reflecting steady improvement over time. In short, the increase in educational expenditures has produced meaningful returns in improving student outcomes, demonstrating strong stewardship and a clear focus on student success. The state rankings have yielded the city schools of Decar to have the highest CCRPI in the state of Georgia this year. This is the outcome of disciplined financial planning paired with an intentional focus on student success. Salaries and benefits make up an average of 88% of the general fund budget. The board of education is committed to competitive salaries as shown by the overall 21% increase in the salaries for all employees from FY21 to FY25. Unfortunately, benefits have increased at an even higher percentage of 38% and we are anticipating increases in TRS and health

259benefits once again in FY27. Enrollment has decreased over the last 5 years by 6% and staff have decreased by 4%. Thank you to the board support for the finance department. We have re really accomplished a lot in the last two and a half years. We have received clean audits with no findings for FY24 and FY25. To increase transparency and provide stakeholders with a detailed resource to learn more about the district's budget, budget books were presented in FY25 and FY26. Both budget books receive national recognitions. Additionally, we have the highest credit rating for a school district of our size with both Moody's Investors and S&P Global. Today, the city manager presented and we will reschedu the tax commissioner for next month. I also am now presenting the five-year general fund uh financial review. Additionally, in March,

260we will present the use of federal, state, and SPLAS funds along with the preliminary FY27 budget draft presentation one. A community meeting for budget questions and answers will be held on March 25th at Oakhurst Elementary. The preliminary FY27 budget draft 2 will be presented in the April board meeting followed by another board of education community meeting on April 22nd at Decar High School. Two public budget hearings will be held in May followed by the tenative approval of the FY27 budget and the tenative approval of the millage rate in May. The final approv 27 budget will take place at the June board meeting followed by three public mill rate hearings and the final adoption of the property tax millage rate in June. And of course, I must say this in my Dr. Lonita Broom voice. Another

261awardwinning budget book will be presented in August. Reminder that the budget feedback link is open and active. All feedback will receive a response and weation end with me. We have enhanced the feedback line by aligning it the feedback link by aligning it to the board approved budget calendar. This will allow the community to give direct feedback on specific topics that have been presented and on upcoming presentations. I'll be happy to respond to any questions. >> Can I just circle back to something we talked about earlier with the four options of salaries and then slide nine with the fund balance percentages >> to make sure one that I understood what you were saying h and two to make sure I understand what I'm reading. So the recommended fund balance or the one that we have in

262policy is up to 15%. Is that correct? >> Yes. >> And right now we're at 23%. >> Yeah. >> So I realize I'm going to ask question is going is that absurd? I look at that and I say, why would we have a problem doing option two if we have this percentage of an increase in the recommended fund balance? And at the same time, I also understand no one wants us to do anything that would compromise the school district and students opportunities a year or two later. But I really am trying to reconcile these two things here. [clears throat] Oh, I think it's a great question and we kind of at the public meeting someone asked like what are you going to do with the one time? >> Yeah. >> So the 5% of the

263budget >> which is in my brain the gap between where we should be and what we are is about $5 million. So to lock in $5 million would be to wipe that out in one year. And when you do salary I mean >> we're never going to roll it back. So >> yeah, >> like to that point it would be very easy to do the $5 million option and not raise taxes on anything for 26 27 but what that means for 2030 is a little scary. That's the only that's the only reason. But if if your question is larger like well we've we've clearly been free in more than we can and I I do think we could probably afford a lot more than we we are. >> Yeah. >> But the current tax >>

264think whatever it is has to be sustainable. Well, one one way to think about it is think in fiveyear terms. And so the $5 million that we're talking about right now is really a $25 million hit over five years, which that is only sitting in one time right there. So, so you your windows uh but James and and Dr. Exactly correct. Uh we have fairly consistently um ended up below expenditures and over in revenue. And when you hear like I I talk a lot about getting the integrated data systems and allowing us to be much tighter about what we estimate versus what we arrive at. That's exactly why I I these budgets should be coming in very very >> tight not a couple million dollars difference. Um and that's what those systems will help us

265will help us do. And at the end of the day, being able to budget that more tightly means that it actually does open up more dollars without there being a tax impact that we can spend on things like salary in a sustainable way. >> Yeah, great question. The chart the bar chart of the I think it's six up here, the history of expenditures. Man, I hate this chart. It's so hard to read um like where the changes are. I love the data in it. I just find it difficult. So, where what are the biggest other than my eyes not being able to [laughter] tell, what are the biggest changes if you look at [clears throat] So, the far left is FY21, right? >> Yes. >> Just from your perspective as the steward of it, where

266where are the big changes? Where's the >> so pupil services is increasing and that's mainly increasing >> over time because we're doing a lot in translation. uh M uh has increased as well and we've talked about you know a lot of things that it's been fairly consistent but at the same time you have increases in um utilities things of that nature. >> Okay. Mhm. But the PE pupil services, we are really trying to make sure we're providing translation services for everything that we are pushing out to families and also when we bring families in and that has been significant. >> And then I guess a related followup, everything has increased as 25 except for educational media services. Should we be spending more on that? What does that keep that included? Why is that? Why is

267that flat? Keep in mind that this is a percentage of the total, not >> No, he's on a different level. >> Okay. So, everything has gone up a percentage and the two smallest increases are the general administration, which which is up, but then like if you look at educational media services, [clears throat] we're we're not spending any more on that. Mr. >> What is that category? Why is it flat? >> I would have to look into exactly what's all in there. >> Okay. But off the top of my head, a lot of the things that are in media services are the books in the media centers. >> Okay. >> And the personnel associated with media centers, which has been kind of consistent. >> The outliers that I was >> Okay. All right. >> [clears throat]

268>> public comment. The following information is included in the board policy manual and members of the public also acknowledge this information when they sign up to speak. This serves as a reminder for all speakers and members of the audience. The opportunity to address the board during public comment is limited to district parents, students, businesses, and organizations. Persons wishing to address the board during public comment must sign up by 5:30 p.m. and in doing so will be asked to state their connection to CS andor the city of Decar. To allow time for the board's other business, public comment will be ordinarily limited to one hour or 20 speakers. At the board's discretion, the public comment period may be extended for a specified amount of time or a specific number of additional speakers. The time limit for

269all speakers will be 3 minutes. Persons speaking during public comment will not be permitted to yield the floor or transfer unused time to other speakers. Comments during public comment should be addressed to the board as a body and not to any individual board members. At the chair chair or chair's discretion, persons violating this policy may be asked to step down. Speaker should be courteous and professional. Speaker specific personnel or individuals connected with the district in a public session. The board strictly prohibits abusive language, threats, comments, jeers, applause, or shouts from the floor. Disruptive persons will be asked to leave the meeting room. Chair may terminate public comments that are profane, vulgar, defamatory, or disruptive. If it if speaker comments begin to verge into the areas of hate speech or defamation, I will have [clears throat]

270to ask the speaker to end their comments. Speakers may not address confidential student or personnel matters, but may submit such concerns to the superintendent in writing. Members of the board will not address persons presenting public comments or speak to the substance of any comments made during public comment. Instead, a member of the administrative team will follow up with persons speaking at the board meeting. Dr. Whitaker, will you please call our first speaker, >> Bener? Good to start. All right. Good evening. um board chair, vice chair, board members, and superintendent. My name is Ben Brewer, and I'm speaking tonight as a member of the community and a parent of two children in the school system. Over the past four months, our community experienced what many believe was a deeply flawed and non-transparent process surrounded the decision

271of a potential school closure. That process caused real harm by eroding trust between the district and the community. Ultimately, a school was not closed, and I do want to credit the board for reflecting on the process, listening to the community and concerns, recognizing [clears throat] that to close a school not just for 2627 school year but to defer any decisions until the completion of a strate strategic plan in 2028. That said, it's important to clearly name how untransparent this process was and to question why the district has spent tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars on consultants who were wolffully unprepared while we have real impressing needs that could have been better served with those resources. I want to highlight some examples. My goal is not to live in the past, but to show

272a culture that needs to change for a successful process to develop a five-year strategic plan. First, the birth rate projections projections presented by Walport and relied upon by the district and education planners were clearly flawed in Loftton's pandemic um era birth rates. The Georgia Department of Public Health maintains monthly counts to provide a clear picture and a group of parents identified this data within a week. Neighborhood level birth data, which is far more relevant when evaluating the potential impact of school um specific neighborhood schools, could also been used by the district if the district had chosen to request this data from the county. Failing to use the most accurate, easily available, and relevant data available for decisions of this magnitude when pushing birth rates as a key metric to support school closures, not transparency. The

273five-year strategic plan needs to thoroughly eval evaluate all available data and not ink around data that serves a specific outcome. Second, throughout the closure discussions, the district and education planners repeatedly cited capital outlay eligibility, noting that three lower elementary schools were were ineligible due to enrollment. What was never disclosed is the district had not previously applied for capital outlay funding, even for schools that were eligible. Capital outlay was never a budgetary necessity for the district until it became a convenient talking point to support school closure. Living out that context and implying financial urgency where none previously existed is not transparency. At best, it's misleading. At worst, it was dishonest. Thorough review of the issues, not talking points should be the focus of the strategic plan. Also to be clear, I do not favor leaving money

274on the table and I'm very glad we are final finally utilizing capital outlay and expect to receive funds this year for work done at Beacon Hill and Oak Elementary. Having education planners prepare a letter announcing oh my quest is simple. The board is responsible for the actions of the district. It needs to work with the community to define issues, define the process and define the baseline data used to evaluate decisions as part of the strategic plan. That's true transparency. >> Thanks for your time. >> Thank you. >> The next speaker is Kenneka Sims. Good evening. I'm Dr. Kenneka Stim. I'm a proud mom of three children in the district and physician trained in pediatrics and internal medicine. I also serve as a professor at More Health School of Medicine. And I want to speak tonight

275in full support of our school board, including Dr. Whitaker, our superintendent, and Dr. Sultan, our board chair. Both women have shown unwavering leadership and vision, and it deserves to be affirmed, especially in times like this. I want to express deep appreciation for the thoughtful implementation of the district strategic plan, particularly the plan to expand access to early childhood education. As a pediatrician, I cannot overstate how critical early learning is to academic achievement, income, long-term health, and even life expectancy. these downstream outcomes where I am today had I not had access to excellent early education espec the ECLC is more than a building project it is an investment equity opportunity in the future of this community I'm encouraged that the board has not lost sight of that I also want to lift up the full scope

276of the facilities proposal which includes new learning spaces at Decator High an auxiliary gym a theater and expanded CTAE opport opportunities. These will provide our high schoolers with meaningful exposure to music, athletics, technical education, all of which are essential parts of well-rounded public education. This board and Dr. Whitaker in particular have also advanced academic achievement in concrete, measurable ways. We've seen expanded AP and honors offerings, including the AP Capstone program. We've also seen increases in student growth and mastery across the board. As a parent, I especially want to thank this district for overhauling the grading system. The current model is more transparent, more equitable, and less prone to bias. It allows for retakes, supports mastery, and gives parents a real-time understanding of how our children are doing. That is not performative. That is meaningful. So,

277tonight, I want to be one voice clearly saying thank you. Thank you all for holding the line. Thank you for staying focused on students. And thank you for doing the work even when it's hard. and especially when it's loud. I want to encourage the public. Don't let a few sensationalist voices online cloud your view of what's happening in our schools. This district is amazing. Our kids are learning, growing, and thriving. And that is enough the dedication and determination of this current board. We see it, and there are many of us that support you. Thank you. The next speaker is Christy Norman. Good evening. My name is Christy Norman. I am the parent of two students currently attending CSD. In 2017, my family relocated to Atlanta due to a career opportunity. While searching for affordable housing

278and quality schools, we ultimately selected City Schools of Decar for its engaged community, small school size, and strong academic reputation. After moving and settling in, I conducted further research on school performance within the district. As someone from a family of educators, I was interested in understanding the experiences and opportunities available to my children. This in-depth examination revealed disparities in student outcomes. Despite Decator being nationally recognized as a top performing district in Georgia, these results were not consistent for students of color, economically disadvantaged students, or those receiving special education services. This was alarming. In recent years, following the challenges brought by COVID to superintendent transitions and the appointment of Dr. Whitaker with the board support I have observed significant progress under clear strategic guidance and [clears throat] ability the district has moved decisively from advocacy to

279meaningful action. Action means results included in the city schools indicator five-year strategic plan. One objective is to close the achievement gap while acknowledging progress. We should not be satisfied until we see maximum and sustained improvements. Also included in the strategic plan is the objective of building an ECLC. While my children won't benefit from this offering, it is my hope that this investment, call it reparations if you like, will yield the desired result of not only closing the achievement gap, but eliminating the achievement gap. If you follow our parent boards or local news source, you could walk away with the impression that nobody wants this. I'm here to say that I want this for our children in the community. But here is my official stance, if it means anything at all, the perspective of one potentially

280many. Instead of saying I support early childhood education, but I'd like to offer I support early childhood education and I encourage the board and administration to provide additional clarity on how we will ensure that the most vulnerable students have access to the new ECLC. I encourage the board to continue engagement with the community on how the ECLC will be funded and sustained in years ahead. I trust that the board is listening and addressing outstanding concerns. So, we are prepared to walk through the doors of this new ECLC with the pride of fulfilling our promise to improve community ac communities access and classroom environments so all scholars can achieve high academic results, equitable representation in advanced classes, and equitable discipline outcomes. Advocacy to action. Action means results. Thank you. >> [clears throat] >> The next speaker

281is Jason Sims. >> Good evening everybody. Um, my name is Jason Sims. I'm a parent of three longtime resident educator over 13 years now and I'm a proud living and I'm proud to live in this community. Return speak earlier and initially I was asked to come up here simply to just echo her support but in truth after doing some research and looking things over very closely come to mind I was very impressed with the results that the district has achieved and I've realized I want to stand here myself speak directly to you as a neighbor as a dad and as a local realtor to deeply invest in the strength of this community because what's happening in city schools educator deserves to be celebrated let me share why over the past year CS has demonstrated exceptional

282academic progress that places our schools among the top in the state. And I want to take a moment to just really break that down and celebrate it. Now ranks number one in Georgia for English language arts in grades three, third, fourth, sixth, and seventh and eighth. In math, in the state for grades 3 through 8, the top 10 in algebra. When we look at subgroup data in both English and math, both student subgroups are exceeding preandemic level levels. That includes our ethnically diverse students and economically disadvantaged students as well. And our students aren't to succeeding on state tests. They're excelling nationally. In 2024, CS ranked number one in the state for SAT scores, outperforming the metro Atlanta area, state of Georgia's national as well as the state of Georgia national average. Graduation outcomes show a

283similar story of growth. The Kada High School's 2025 overall graduation rate included a jump in graduation rates for black students from 86 to 93%. For economically disadvantaged students, the rate grows from 77 to 90%. For students with disabilities, the graduation rate soared from 79 to 92%. These gains are not only statistically significant, they are transformational and they reflect the strategic plan that is working not just on paper but in real classrooms. Now, as someone who helps family move into the cater, I often get asked, "What makes this place special?" And I always have the same answer. It's the people, the neighbors who show up, the teachers who care, the board, and the leadership who works tirelessly behind the scenes to deliver on promises and push for progress. So, I want to leave you with this.

284If you have questions about the strength of the school district and the academic performance of the kids, do your research, look at the numbers, talk to educators, ask real questions. What you'll find is that this district is not just surviving, it's thriving. This is an incredible time to live in Decator. It's an incredible time to raise a family here. The schools are a big part of what makes the Cater greater. And I couldn't be more grateful to call this place home and support the boys doing what doing the work that you do that makes this community such an amazing place to call home. Thank you. >> That's all our speakers. Thank you. We would like to thank all of the speakers for taking the time to be [clears throat] here with us tonight. As board

285members, it's important for us to hear the cons hear concerns from our communities. We will take your comments into consideration. >> All right. board. We will now move to consent agenda items which include monthly items such as financial, nutrition, and personnel report. The first item includes a report. Will there be a there will be a motion to accept the consent agenda in totality? Dr. Whitaker, do we have a monthly financial report? >> Yes, Chair Sultan. Um, good evening. [clears throat] We'll get started. Yes. >> You want to read it? action for you. Exactly. >> It's your favorite agenda item anyway. [laughter] >> Okay. >> It's your number one favorite agenda item. Thank you. >> Okay. Good evening. Uh the December 2025 financial reports and definitions of function codes are located in the assembly agenda. Do

286I have a clicker to move? So, the finance department operates based upon the district's four strategic accelerators with a specific focus on accelerator 4, organizational effectiveness and excellence through financial transparency for the general fund as of December. the district. All right. Sorry y'all. This is moving faster than I am. For the general fund, as of December, the district collected 46% or approximately 7 million of the budgeted revenue, which is the same percentage that was collected this time last year. Expenditures are normal for this time of year. The [clears throat] district had expended 42% of the overall budget or approximately $9 million this time last year. Then the district expended 41% of the overall budget. The [clears throat] majority of December expenditures are for salaries and benefits which make up about 86% of the budget. For

287the month of December, there was a deficit of approximately $2 million, which means the district's expenditures for the month were 2 million more than the monthly revenue. Last year at this time, the deficit was approximately 1.4 million. Approximately two million has been deducted from the fund balance which is normal for this time of year. Overall year to date there is a surplus of approximately 2.5 million. Last year this time there was a surplus of approximately 3.4 million. The surplus of revenue is normal at this time of year. The general fund fund balance as of December 2025 is 26 million which includes the current fund balance of 2.5 million and the beginning fund balance of approximately $23.6 million. December revenue for capital funds consisted of approximately $595,000 from splo 6 proceeds and earnings on investments. Approximately

288$764,000 was expended. $764,000 was expended, which is in line with what was expended last year. At this time, the $169,000 deficit was deducted from the fund balance. The district collected 42% of budgeted revenue and expended 48% of budgeted expenditures. Special revenue funds consists mainly of federal, local, and state grants, not budgeted general funds. The district collected 28% of the budgeted revenue and expended 39% of the budgeted expenditures. Reimburseable grants require the district to spend the funds prior to receiving reimbursement. School nutrition revenue and expenditures are trending within the same range as previous years. For the month of December, 41% of the budgeted revenue was received and 37% of the budgeted expenditures were spent. School nutrition operated at a deficit of approximately $41,000 which has been deducted from the fund balance. As of December, the school

289nutrition fund balance was approximately 1.4 million. This time last year, the fund balance was $1.9 million. I will not be happy to respond any questions or provide clarification if needed. We will refer that to Dr. Lonita. >> [laughter] >> I can take I can take them too. All right. >> Thank you, Vice Chairs. Any comments or questions from the board? >> Comments or questions? All right. Hearing none, this item is on to consent. >> Chair Sultan, may I read the recommendation? >> Yes, please. >> I recommend that the City Schools of Decar Board of Education approve the consent agenda items 1 through 11. Do I have a motion to approve consent agenda items 1 through 11? So move >> for member makes a motion. Is there a second? >> Member Erier seconds the motion. Is

290there any discussion? >> I'd like to say something. I really appreciated hearing I always appreciate hearing from the public which is why I mentioned the number of people who put things in comments. Um, I especially appreciated hearing from um the four people that spoke tonight because if I synthesize it um you know my issue earlier and still begins with construction management. I like the framing of the and I want to support this and I want to honor everyone in our community being able to have a voice so that we can make good on this wonderful opportunity. Um, so thank you. >> Does anybody I'm sorry. >> Oh, I also just want to say on that um I like never knew about like the reason for the let me choose my words. Um I I thought

291that um hearing directly um from operations at presentation about the pricing and just to summarize like that it was priced to market by square foot um that it's a high quality facility um on par with um you know like CSV standards um that you know of course there's a lot of inflation recently and that um parish specifically has a lot of local expertise that was really enlightening for me. Um, I just want to make that clear and I'm really proud of that presentation. >> Any further discussion on consent agenda? >> Okay. All those in favor? >> I chair votes I. Any opposed? >> No. >> One opposed. The motion carries four to one. Dr. Whitaker, please introduce the next item. >> Chair Sultan, I would like to call on Mrs. Amanda Lynch, chief of staff

292to present two policies for second reading action. >> Good evening again, board chair [clears throat] Dr. Sultan, vice chair, estee members of the board, student representative, and superintendent Dr. Jicker. Tonight, we have two policies on the agenda for action. These policies are DJ purchasing and DJA purchasing authorities. Both of these policies were revised to lower the thresholds for purchases requiring board approval from $100,000 to $75,000. One additional revision has been made to policy DJ purchasing since approved for first read in December. Specifically, the term state administrative rules was included to provide additional specificity in section 4. This section addresses purchases over $100,000 being competitively bid and the exceptions. Policy DJ has been available for public comment since the December board meeting and policy DJA has been available for public comment since the January board meeting.

293There have been no public comments received on either policy. May I read the first recommendation? >> Yes, please. >> It is recommended that City Schools of Decator Board of Education approve policy DJ purchasing for action. >> Do I have a motion to approve the recommendation of policy DJ purchasing for second read action? >> So moved. Board member US makes the motion. Is there a second? >> Board member Anderson seconds the motion. Is there any discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor? >> I. >> Chair votes I. Any opposed? >> The next recommendation. >> Yes, please. >> It is recommended the city school educator [clears throat] board of education approve policy DJA purchasing authority for action. Do I have a motion to approve the recommendation of policy DJA purchasing authority for second read action? So move

294>> board member us makes a motion. Is there a second? Second >> or member area second the motion. Is there any discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor >> chair votes I. Any opposed? The motion carries unanimously. Thank you Mrs. Lynch. board members. Okay, find that our next agenda item. Let's see. The next agenda item is on is board discussion on the CSD elementary utilization study. Yeah, [clears throat] he can he can come up and facilitate. I'll call on Mr. Adams. chief operations officer Dr. consultant, vice chairs, esteemed board members, student representative botcher and doc superintendent Dr. Qu. Tonight I'm here to discuss the K2 or elementary utilization study and next steps. This work really touches all four accelerators but is rooted in accelerator number four operational excellence. I mean, excellence in um yeah, I'm

295sorry. >> Organizational. [clears throat] Um, back in December, we had an agreed upon problem safety to ensure fiscal responsibility of elementary school utilization by evaluating total usage and staff resources all while ensuring sustainability and honoring the unique culture decreon of What I've done is met with the community and I've also met with our committee leaders. And what our committee leaders have given me was their true opinion of this process maybe being rushed, not as transparent. What we heard the speaker say earlier today, and it really caused a cause some pain in the community. Um, and your response was at first to the rush. we're going to slow it down, which went over well with the community, which was a [clears throat] wise response. And then your response was that define our problem statement, kind of

296work out some parameters to give some guidance to the committees, which was very wise as well. I think it went over well, which led me to a committee committee facilitative meeting. And during that meeting, we had conversations around the building of trust in the city of the Cape. And I took those committee members, those committee facilitators, and ded them a name, trust ambassadors. And there's a time where there's some healing that needs to take place in the city of Decator inside of the community. And there's a time where we have to build trust. And at the last community meeting, it was very wise um letter I mean very wise comment came out that this is not part of our current strategic plan and our current strategic plan is a full plan. 16 objectives that take

297a lot of resources to do well. And as what we heard today, as what we know, those 16 objectives are really projecting city schools that cater to the wonderful height. So, as we finish those 16 objectives in this current strategic plan, there's talk of moving this utilization study to the next strategic plan. And that is the floor or the foundation of tonight's discussion. We discuss what are the next steps. >> Yes. >> The first [clears throat] thing that is befuddled me is we do a lot of policy um and when you look at our facility expansion program policies, we have three. One was the naming of facilities in 2022 and I believe it was after I started asking because of the building of a new facility where's the five-year facility swing. So from the beginning

298I I've been befuddled by this idea [clears throat] that we would look we're going to build a facility here and we're going to study only these facilities which just a few years ago were facilities housing differently aged students. So I I don't understand why we are looking only at K through two. I have never understood from a long-term facilities planning as we're building a facility and as we have other facilities. So that's my first thought. >> Well, I mean K2 is where the the size of the schools that I think anybody would agree with this. the size of the schools make them most susceptible to fluctuating enrollment. And I I think that what [clears throat] we've heard pretty clearly from the community and I think we were beginning to ask questions along these lines as

299well. How comfortable are we that we are looking at uh the new normal of enrollment versus dealing with a hangover from the pandemic. And I don't think we had clarity on that, right? And I think that the community, we've heard tonight one of the the community members mentioning the data, birth rate information and things of that nature. I think that that it's hard to know with where we are right now. Projections are limited by their very nature. You sort of know projections are going to be wrong when they they come out. But I think I think taking the extra time to to one in ensure that we have a very clear process and and I think it's also important to note that that as a part of the strategic plan it will be a board-led

300process. It is not an administrationled process at that point. it is that we are creating the strategic plan. Um driven kind of by by us. Um I think that time allowing the data to mature a little bit acknowledging the fact that there are other solutions beyond simply closing a school. Right? Right. I mean, if you ask me, I actually think the most likely scenario is redistricting where we shift uh enrollment patterns based upon where where students are located. Uh we're already looking into tuition as as a backfill and and this is going to be the first year that we've had actually an advertised kind of grown plan. We need to see what happens with that. Uh we've already talked about and we'll continue talking about prek in some of the elementary schools. I think allowing

301us the time what some of the efforts are that we're doing now and anything that needs to happen after that should be a part of a a communitydriven strategic five-year plan is absolutely the right way to uh to to move forward. >> I think just two things I want to clarify. The first thing is I think the first step is that we have to agree that we want enrollment as a as a topic to move into the next strategic plan. We want to push that forward because the strategic plan as you move as you create [clears throat] it will have a a multi-layer kind of creation process. Um but kind of to your point it may not just be K to2. it could you know in two or three years it could be you know

302second third and fourth grade may be where the actual numbers variation is. So I think maybe where we first need to start is saying that enrollment variation or declining or booming is something that we want to look at as part of the >> next strategic plan. That might be the first thing. The second thing I want to clarify that we also may want to discuss is that what is going to be boardled versus what's going to be administration. The Strat plan ultimately comes back to us for us to r for us to vote on and agree upon. But >> Jarvis, Mr. Adams has led a lot of the administrative work of looking at >> utilization studies and you know facilities that is administrative work. So, if we're talking about I just want to clarify that

303because that that could have been easily misinterpreted. Are you saying >> Yeah. Let me >> What are you saying is going to be boardled versus what's going to be administrative? I don't want that to be interpreted. >> No, no, no. That that's Thank you for for forcing me to clarify that. >> Um the utilization study that that had started was operationally focused, administrationled. We obviously had to make it was going to come to us to make decisions based upon the recommendations that came out of it. But it wasn't a strategic plan right what we are talking about now is exactly the same way the last strategic plan went forward where where we selected I mean we interviewed actually and selected uh GSBA I believe it was as our as our vendor to drive the process.

304they facilitated the process in the community um and ultimately brought the recommendations to us for our adoption as the next five-year plan right and so when I say led I don't want it to meet like Jarvis is still going to be involved in the community mean right the administration will still be doing the the work but it will be uh at our request with our consultants or I mean JSBA whoever it is that we choose to do it uh for the transaction of the next plan >> because it does kind of I think sometimes it be it becomes confusing for the community where the lines get blurred between the administration and the board and then when those lines get bur blurry I think that's where lack of transparency starts to live >> and that's where

305you know as the newest board member and I'm learning about governance in the different roles you know the shift that has occurred has been you know a drastic spent several months as a board talking about you know the K to2 utilization first it was consolidation and so I think that's really important for us you know in the way I think about it in terms of governance and process and us owning it because from what I understand in my training with GSBA we ultimately the superintendent recommends things as the educational expert but we have to own the decision as the you know board of whether or not we are opening a school or closing a school and so [clears throat] I, you know, have listened to what the community has said also and I think, you

306know, just being new here and trying to figure out what's going on. I think it's really important that we ensure the roles are clear on who is owning what and I I know I it sounds like um on Mr. us is also you know we're trying to be more intentional looking forward that we should be hiring the consultants because to me the committees and the forming of that are going to feed into the board deliberations and so for us to hire you know to set scope and hire them maybe through GSBA I think that's has to be more intentional so I I hope we can talk about that more and we have more time to do that. I also think I want to clarify for the record, it's not within the board's scope to hire

307consultants that work for the administration. So I think we have to be clear about that for folks. The hiring of consultants is not where the governance team lives. So I think that's where we need to just I think first agree do we are we all okay that looking at enrollment whether up or down belongs is something that we want to we want as a a filler in the next strategic plan. That might be the first place to start. >> No, I'm I'm not because I I still feel like we're kind of in chapter three and I I haven't even started reading the book yet. I don't understand what we're doing right now. Um I heard you Jarvis mention trust and I hear that as um areas our decision making >> and our communication or transparency.

308And so I'm already a little confused as to what are we originating right here? I mean, are we actually saying we're starting the new strap plan right now? Because >> that's a little Okay, that's what I'm trying to get clarified because I keep hearing, >> do we want to have enrollment in the next STRA plan? >> Well, so so a couple I just want to address a couple points that Dr. Sultan raised to be clear. When we did the previous strategy, >> the board did select ultimately GSBA as the consultant to drive that process. And I would imagine that the next strategic plan, the board will also select the consultant that drives the plan >> the Strat plan process. Right. Once that process is done, if additional analytic support needs to be done, the administration

309needs additional analytical support, that's not necessarily something that we get involved in, right? But the selecting the vendor that helps the community and us put together the five-year plan, I do pretty strongly feel that >> absolutely. Yeah. I guess acknowledge the elephant in the room to me is that we have shifted here, right? last board meeting we were talking about um the K tot utilization study and right now we're talking you know we it's been already been kind of pre-announced that we are shifting to um you know rolling into the strap plan and so I you know I know we've kind of rolled out at the community meeting but I still think that we need to have deliberations and open discussions even though we all the process is important for the community to be able

310to understand how we go from point A to point B. >> Yeah. So the so when we hire someone to do a strategic plan, you don't tell them and this is one of the pillars that we want like enrollment. I can't even wrap my head. It's a process of finding out what's important to the community and how you know and I' I've shared publicly like I was really surprised at the number of people who put you know um environmentally sustainable number one priority on issues that is very important to me. It would ne it would never turn into a human being I'm green but I would never put it number one. So many many of our neighbors did. Enrollment shouldn't be on there, but like I I the community's input on where does being fiscally

311responsible back up into sort of the services that we're providing and what do you put over because one of the things I couldn't answer and the reason I didn't think we were close to closing a school, we were very close to having a conversation on schools was we needed data on do you know do do we need to what is the sustainability? I've said in a few people's neighborhoods and coffee shops like if we're spending $14,000 a student at one building and $8,000 in another building, that's that sounds okay. That's a what if it's $48,000 at one building and 8,000 another? That I'm not okay with with that. I I think that starts to make my I don't have that number. I'm not prepared to do that number. But like just the community, where are

312we? We've had several people speak. They're like, "We opened tally and walkability." Like, we were almost intentionally keeping these very small buildings. And no one was like, "They're small, so we need to close them." But we do need to as a board ask questions about like, "What is efficiency? What is the best bang for our buck? How do we continue to spend $5 million a year to retain the best and brightest teachers? How do we spend more on educational media services? How do we continue to make sure that our athletics are the best and the most well supported? And it means asking questions about cuts. Dr. Whitaker was not very subtle with it, which is she was like, "You all are saying you want to spend $5 million on teacher salaries. That gota that's got

313to come from somewhere." And so I I don't know. I would love a strategic plan that almost said like the majority of the community thinks these things are worth spending irresponsibly on. These are not, you know, and so when someone complained about there's a big price if you look at it in that I'm no parish expert. I'm not breaking down the stuff. There's a bunch of that is environmental that's built into that. That's a lead certified building, but if you're building it in Bib County where I'm from, none of my neighbors are showing up growing up being like, "Where are the no flush toilets?" It's like not an issue we would spend money on or consider. But I know that as a board member now having gone through the last strategic plan that I need

314to ask those green environmental things. And so, and I've met with people like Mr. Brewer who spoke was just like well part of it is like we just think as a community it's worth focusing. That's what I would love a strategic plan to do. Where does fiscal responsibility lie? What is the the the equity gap there? Um but equity is my I'm referencing my example about $48,000 per student in one building versus eight. That's not sustainable. And then and then just looking communities in the face and saying like we've looked into all the alternatives. We were not there. We we did not have the data to get there to close a school. I I was never going to be comfortable voting to close a school until we got that data. So, let's take a step

315back. >> All right. Strategic plan. What God, I'm rambling. What is important to the community? What do we put above and below the fiscal responsibility line? I personally could talk I mean like mental health that's above the community line. I'm willing to fund that above and beyond what the state provides, you know, but that's me. I would like a strategic plan that says here's what the rest of the community thinks as well that's worth funding and overfunding, but I wouldn't go in and say like we want enrollment to be decided. That I'm not as comfortable. >> Yeah, I'm going to agree with you on that. And I'm going to second that perspective that uh I I know that there was a lot of concern in the community about this, but certainly from my perspective, we

316were never close to closing a school. We never had the data. >> I was personally probably way too flippant with like not watching my language to be like a K we need to have the K2 closure conversation. I probably shouldn't have said that out loud. That's very easy to misinterpret and I apologize for that and we'll we'll continue to do so. >> That's how it started. >> Agreed. Agreed. I think that that's a major misstep and there have been several members like I noticed the >> Yeah. >> for the strap plan though. Again, I want to be clear about our >> strap plan. Yeah. I I also think if I mean I think your I think your approach is is sound. I also want for the sake of a lot of invested community members who

317have been very who have invested their time on ser serving on these committees who have shown up to public comment if we if we kind of strategize it or think about it the way that you're saying how are we ensure that this conversation doesn't get lost because it could be that we start to work on this in a year or two years and maybe you're right something else rises above this and then the conversation kind of is not top of mind which I don't think from what I we have heard is what these folks are looking for. [clears throat] >> I think >> you're right. >> Sorry, I'm sorry. >> You're right. um when talking with the community members in your call with them, one of the things I heard it was very reminiscent of

318a something we had talked about as a board a while ago was around parent university. They didn't call it parent university. What the community members said were, "We want to know information about how the school system runs, which ultimately is. I mean, you took the GSDA course. That's what parent university is. So if the community has an interest in learning how the school system runs, have the committee members put forth the various topics for what would be parent university and that that's >> so their phrase was the co-creation of what's happening. They want to be a part of [clears throat] >> and I think that's what I >> what's happening in this indicator but to be a part of it they would like to look at the same information let's say that I'm looking at

319when I look at building even [clears throat] kind of funny we discussing which air conditioning units can we put on a building right we we got to draw a line somewhere >> but just to let you know the spirit of the facilitators, but there's there's a spirit to say, you know, we really want to know what's happened with city schools or the cater. We can have a hard conversation. They did not shy away from that. If if the conver if the decision has to be made, they can make it, but they want to be a part of it and have all the information that we need. They don't want to have we're looking at one set of data that tells them to trust trust that with with the exception of just a few people, right?

320Most parents that I spoke to on this topic were actually I think quite realistic about you know if the data and all of the information indicates a school needs to be closed we'll abort that we won't love it but we will ultimately support making the right decision if that's where all the information leads us to. They were very clear and I actually agree with them that we didn't have the information to support closing schools and and I think it's safe to say that what what I have at least heard speaking to the community that schools are are just unbelievably precious. The value of the school to that local community is is precious, right? and to make a decision to close one is literally one of the most enormous decisions that we can make as a

321board. And so before we talk about closing a school, ensure that we have run down absolutely every single alternative way to make that school viable before we choose that. And we hadn't we haven't done that. We had not done that. And if that I don't know how to turn that into a strategy, but I think that that is a good index to say what if what is whatever it is. If we're saying it's enrollment, if we're saying it's per pupil cost, if we're saying it's whatever the the factors are that we're looking at that would make us say, hey, look, this this for efficiency sake, we need to be looking at this school before we talk about closing it. We need to be talking about what is absolutely every single possible thing we can do

322to to get the numbers that we're looking at into a better place. >> I think some of the discussion you it may not be that you have to close a school at all. That's what I'm that's what [clears throat] I'm saying. You know, some of it may be that, you know, in a year or two's time, you don't you don't we don't know what these numbers will look at, which I feel like is where we need to kind of >> we don't know what we don't know, right? Looking three years out. And the thing that I was amazed by the community actually was all these creative ideas that they were coming up with like prek or I mean the one I Yeah. tuition paying or um maybe making Westchester a magnet bilingual school. that sounds

323so amazing to me to like attract people like there were so many great ideas I think that we had and so I you know we obviously I think the ethos of the cater we like to be involved parents and our you know our little neighborhood schools like mean everything to us my kids went to walks and so it would hurt me too to close the schools so I think there are ways for us to figure these things out but we have to be cognizant of the involvement and ultimately the costs right like we have to balance the budget That's one of our primary roles. So, I don't know when I'm thinking about how you all formulated the strategic or or the goal statement that was before from December was before my time, but I thought

324it was a good statement. Maybe that's where we can go with the strategic plan. What do you think? >> No, because I think I think I heard James quite clearly say that ultimately we are not defining the strat plan. It is born from the community. Tell me if that is effectively what you said I see that we right now are doing about a future stress plan until we hear from the community that and then I thought the whole idea was how do we make fiscally responsible decisions based on um all of the available >> data. I did want to bring up one other thing if that's okay which is I see this as a symptom of another issue that we need to address and maybe it's at our board retreat which is we have a

325lot of great we that's what we're hearing today the public comments but I think that's why most of us move here and stay here and talk so highly of Decator and so I I think we have a real opportunity right now to make sure that we do not take this as simply an adjustment of K through two and squander the the healing and the um engagement and everything else that we might be able to do with all of these people because you've talked to them. They're heaps and [clears throat] we've talked to them as opposed to in two years we'll knock on your door and ask for your help. I'm no one said that. I'm just trying to get us somewhere right now beyond a future strat plan where it sounds like we will be

326addressing elementary facilities. >> I I just want to clarify that the strategic plan vision is one-third community, one third board, one third administration >> and GSA HBA reached that. So it's not that the board doesn't, it's a the board is more informed than the community. They should be for the board to only act on what they hear from the community would be only go you know >> I I joked with the community members I was like do you know how many emails I deleted that I didn't send I think we indicators send those email you know whatever it's important to listen but it's also important to bring knowledge you know that that we to the table as well but to show up and tell the community to have an agenda that does seem so I

327think this is a long way of saying we probably need think about this more, right? That that I agree with James. Uh I don't know that we're going to be able to provide tactical answers like what level of enrollment threshold in the strategic plan would trigger a closing of a school. Like I don't I don't think we want that level of specificity in a strategic plan. And and that feels like we're starting to get into operational level stuff. how to frame this question and to put it into the the work of the strategic plan. I don't I don't have an immediate answer right now. I don't have a way to frame that that question. That's something to think about. >> I don't think that that's necessary at all. In fact, I think that would be

328the wrong thing to do. Um, I think I I I do I think over the past year of or however many months of tackling this, it I think I personally have gotten frustrated by kind of going like around and around the issue without sticking to one thing. Also probably frustrates community members. I think the issue in and of itself is not going to go away. Um, you are going to have enrollment up or enrollment down. Um, I also think it is true. I don't want to be flippant. I want to be clear with community members, the board has insight into what the next strat plan looks like. Um you we definitely do. It also comes back to you for a final um like a final look. So it's not that you know it is not

329like you have no um no. I think if we just keep saying yes, we'll do this or you know then we'll do that and then we just don't give people anything with any solid clarity. I think then they get really frustrated and I you know I think whatever we decide we need to we don't need to get into the weeds of what data systems we're going to look at and um what the execution looks like. I think we just need to settle on kind of a general pathway forward. Even if it is a year or two years I think that's okay. But I think we need to provide some clear reassurance to people that we're not going to lose sight of this. It's not going to fall off our radar. it's not going to get

330lumped in with something else. Um, and we're going to give it the time and the dedication that it deserves. I think that's what they're >> I think that would provide some reassurance. >> There's some stuff that was on that community list that they are working on that I would love for them to continue to work on though. >> Exactly. >> So, like [clears throat] the ones that jump out in the were like what is the standard for birth rate that we should be using? What are the studies on on that? like the um Miss Norman or is it Dr. Norman? She like she's a chair of that that big working group that sent us an email and like here are all of the things that they're continuing. If they continue to work on that and

331we were armed with that information going into a strategic plan process, I think that would be very cool. I would if that if the energy is there for that. Is there a way maybe to arrive at the next steps that brings together both what board member Hearnen and Dr. Sultan said as well as what board member Anderson said about keeping the community engaged. Is there a way to continue the analysis that we know we're going to need in order to be able to make decisions, right? like the the kind of data that we said we wanted and and never really got out of ed planners. I think the community has the capability of providing that. I think there's also some value in saying we do have some declining enrollment. It may not be long-term, but

332we're still in a dip now. What is the way to optimize and what are the options to optimize enrollment through that? Right? They've brought forward things like tuition. They've brought forward things like prek. Can we continue to drive that and can we do that work? Can that community that you're working with help us with that? Do we need to look at at a redistricting? Like these sorts of things that that that those engaged community members really help continue to advise us on in this process. Right? So that that's answering what what the gauge that is providing additional information and data that we would need to be able to make any kind of decisions. It's helping us optimize or enhance enrollment at the schools that we know we want to see higher enrollment at. I I

333I just feel like that's a way to kind of solve everybody's problem that they're raising. >> May I ask a question about the enrollment though because someone shared something? I don't know if it's accurate, but they wanted to know effectively um have we looked at why our enrollment is declining. So on one hand, yes, you have enrollment declining pretty much anywhere where there are fewer children being born. Um I think they claim Marietta City's enrollment had actually increased. So besides the fact you know so I'm back to kind of wanting to understand a little bit more about the data we are using so that while our enrollment has to comply conceivably because maybe there are fewer you know houses with children have we looked at all at the children who may live indicator but are

334not attending CSV schools like do we have a number on that because that may be another thing that we just really haven't focused on. >> Well I think I think framing it bringing it without an answer like saying why has enrollment declined is actually a really great question to get an answer to right it and I I think that is there has been a uh like we are literally in a co hangover and that's part of what has driven this right and and so the question is are we just seeing a temporary dip now that might recover we don't want to make permanent decisions based on the temporary dip to your point if they do the investigation and find yeah there's a problem with X and Y program maybe we need to rethink adjust I

335mean there could be any number of of answers that come out of that that would drive us to a policy decision so I think asking the question why is enrollment and not just saying hey there's a 1% decline in birth rates across the country and we're experiencing that like what is the very specific local reason that we're experiencing enrollment decline and there might be several I think would help and points to answers or solutions I should say. >> Just I'm confused now on what the STRA plan in the future will do because it sounds like we paused, you know, the decision to pause the K to2 utilization and move it into the STRA plan. But I don't quite get what the question would be in the STRA plan then. I think from my perspective I

336would look at the question would be I think to James's point what is the most coste effective way to which is kind of looks at that vision statement the most cost effective way to to keep schools at maximum capacity also balancing financial responsibility um >> not necessarily keep open um I think all options have to be considered but that would be some of it looking at the balance between fiscal responsibility and student population yeah So, all of those things. >> We're trying to go back to the the mission statement. >> There we go. >> Um, can I attempt to offer a compromise? >> Sure. >> Um, what if we formally ended this process in this current stage? And I know like even at the beginning of the year, we were talking about like what does

337community input actually look like? And I feel like we've done a lot of trial and error and we've really figured out like what voices are helpful to us, what data is helpful to us. So what if it's something that's like not named to be involvement or named to be utilization but like I know operations because I've been to these meetings. I know that you meet with the Decator sustainability board like regularly and we don't make that transparent. It's not in your presentations or anything but it does inform the work the operations is doing. like is there value in maybe sitting down in like a work session and designing like what does community partnership look like and then maybe we set up committees within that like we set up a committee on enrollment and you know

338take it away from consolidation or anything but actually define and take action on not just in board norms but like formally like what does community partnership indicator look like. So what I love about that and we have a really really robust set of examples that we could copy. The city actually does a fantastic job of creating a a number of commit. I mean, there's probably 15 different committees that the city has, you know, aging place. Um, I I'm not going to be able to name them all off the top of my head, but it is a way for the community to based on their their expertise engage with the city on topics that they're interested in where they can move the needle and the city really does listen to that. I think this is an

339opportunity. I think that's a great idea uh for us to follow and we can just replicate that particular model. We have a well I don't know you I mean I I do think the term utilization or consolidation is probably tainted at this point but but a way to engage the community around um uh these questions of efficiency and solutions to those questions in a way that the board can can ask questions and get clear answers from engaged community members. I think that's a really good idea. >> I have an idea too. I'm just thinking out loud. Um I did the 101. I don't know if any of you guys did it. So it sounds like and um Dr. Whitaker mentioned like parent university. Maybe that's a way like you said mirroring what the city does

340in terms of engagement um and harnessing all of this energy that we've seen in educating also parents on what we do, how things work, but also listening to them and maybe forming committees. I think I want to just the community and and well-intended parents is about is 50% of it. The other 50% is is right there. Enrollment figures, building usage, staff, resources. And so I think we have to if we, you know, like we said, if we pause this or end it as it had been over the past couple of months, we have to come up with some way to make sure that we still keep our eye or keep a pulse on whatever this is. We don't want it to be that um like somehow it has to get woven into other things like

341Meredith had said um facilities or staffing um such that it's not you know two or three years from now and then all of a sudden you know you have a problem that >> was yeah we didn't see coming um on on either side of the spectrum enrollment's up or enrollment's down or who knows it's the grade band you weren't expecting so >> any of those things >> I suggest you put it in >> VMOP >> we already do an enrollment update at the beginning of the year, but I would say do one after FTE counts. I I I do like the idea of a school utilization committee that is a standing committee, not a one-time and not to a particular end, but that is meeting on a routine basis that's capable of looking at all

342schools that's capable of engaging with a level of expertise on this particular topic. uh that is able to serve as an adviser to us that isn't that that gives the community an outlet to engage here based on their interest and I know you don't love the word utilization but I think that one at least it does it the charge would be this like that would be the charge of that committee and and maybe we expand it but at a minimum this would be the charge of the of the committee >> all of That sounds good. I I think I'm just stuck and I'm sorry. Like there's already a fiveyear facilities plan. So like [clears throat] where does that live in all this just because I So you have the school districts have strat plans already,

343right? Or we're closer to it. We instituted a five-year facilities plan in November. So sometimes I feel like we're coming up with some really good suggestions, but ultimately what are the processes we already have in place? So, you know, as a board, we've studied community engagement, I think, for a year and a half now. And so, you know, are we talking about just using the parents and community members who, let's face it, I mean, I I would like to think they just showed up because they're good-natured, but they were terrified. And so what are the other things that we're not hearing at times because we're not using a process right now that allows us to know that? So I I'm still stuck on what are we doing with our five-year facilities plan? >> Well, I

344mean deciding which buildings to maintain upkeep and priorities. >> Yeah, that is not a closure question. Five fiveyear facilities plan is a whole different thing around the timing of what capital gets deployed to keep the buildings in good shape. It's it's different than what we're talking about here. But but the the the end of your point which I which I agree with. I mean maybe maybe that's how you roll it into the strategic plan. Like what are these? The city has [laughter] a dozen committees, long-term standing chaired committees of community members that provide engagement, expertise, and access for communication on a range of topics that the city needs help on. Right. James, you mentioned green and echo initiatives like that. They have a whole environmental uh I forget the name. I'm gonna totally blank the

345names of all these different committee boards. >> Yes. So, we could have boards like that. And I I think maybe a part of the strategic plan could be standing that up. Maybe that's that's one of the thrusts of the strategic plan is to is to improve community engagement through the use of, you know, public boards, engaged parents. And I think realizing um I think to to board member Anderson's point some of these things may have some overlap in the ven diagram. So you may you know definitely just like HR and finance when we're talking about teacher compensation they overlap tremendously you know so it may be that looking at your fiveyear you know facilities plan overlaps with whatever you know your new vision for community engagement looks like. um if that's kind of where the

346board wants to focus in the next you know in our new five years and you know this and you know whatever you want to call it enrollment utilization consolidation whatever is the word we >> that it would overlap with finance as well they would all >> overlap together and that's not necessarily a bad thing >> no it's been the way it is so I think put my old teacher hat on to kind of summarize why I think you guys are um need to continue the discussion However, there's three buckets that I've heard. One is this pseudo parent university that morphs into advisory groups that morphs into the interdependency of everything inside of the school district. So, understanding how finance and operations and HR, how all these things interweven, interwoven and make sure the community can

347give input and maybe advice on B mentioned I meet with the sustainability board that's important when I buy items for the cafeteria right and so like board member Ernan said I would have never thought but let's go plastic free in the cafeteria going to the sustainability board to give some some some powerful insight so I I don't think you guys are ready to come to a conclusion tonight. Uh, but I think I want to speak up for the community healing and trust. So, time will heal all wounds, but there has to be some intentional actions to rebuild trust. And I think that's what I've heard over and over from this. >> Just so I don't forget, I think we have an untapped resource. We have school leadership teams, right? And so, you know, that's been

348another thing I've been thinking a lot about. Where are they? [clears throat] How are we as a board using the school leadership team? Like, they meet monthly, right? And so, it seems like that's already a system that's in place that could provide some of the information. >> And I think also like Dr. Whitaker suggestion of putting this at some strategic place on the calendar. Otherwise, I fear that it it'll it'll go away or it'll come up in pocket. Something will happen and it'll be more reactive than proactive. And I don't think that's a good way to handle this particular discussion. I think so. Yes. All right. Future dates. The board will have its winter retreat on Tuesday, February 24th from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Decatur Recreation Center. Our next board meeting will

349be held here at the Wilson Center on March 10th, 2026. There being no further business, this meeting is adjourned at 7:46 p.m.