October 14, 2025, Board of Education Meeting

001We will now I have to do that after. We will now call this meeting to order at 12:32 p.m. Start with a roll call for the record. I am vice chair Hanzush and I am present. When I call your name, please indicate that you are present. Uh Dr. or chair Dr. Sultan not present. Uh, board member Anderson, >> present. >> You're a little hot there. >> Board member Hearnen, >> present. >> Board member Johnson Davis, not present. Thank you. The first item on the agenda is executive session. Do I have a motion to move into executive session for the purpose of discussing land, legal, and personnel matters? >> So move. >> Uh, board member Hearnen makes a motion. Is there a second? >> Second. Board member Anderson make or second the motion. Any discussion? All

002in favor? >> I. >> The motion carries unanimously. >> Discussing land, legal, and personnel matters for which no votes were taken. >> So move. >> Uh board member makes a motion. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Uh board member Hearnen seconds. Is there any discussion? >> Hearing none. All those in favor? I >> chair votes I. Any opposed? The motion carries unanimously. We will now call this pre-work session to order at 2:08 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 board meetings through pre-work sessions. These sessions are typically more casual and are are primarily for information gathering. No formal votes will be taken. We will begin our pre-work session with our book study, modernday strategies for

003community engagement. how to effectively build bridges between people and the bottom line. Each year the school board selects a book to study that will assist us in living out duties and responsibilities of schoolboard governance. Today I will facilitate our chapter um chapter three with whom do you engage? All right. So we move to chapter three here. The um crux of this chapter talks about how communities may not be geographic locations. That was some of the um sentences that stuck out stood out to me here. Um people they may be people united by similar interests, communities of practice, or people united by affiliation or an identity such as an industry. Um since we only have a couple minutes to go through this particular chapter, one of the um one of the examples that the author gave

004here was talking about um Turkey Creek, the Turkey Creek Greenway project um and how there were a number of people that were invested in this particular project that were um had a came from a lot of different backgrounds and one of the barriers to getting them together was language barriers. So they had a good number of people that were invested in this project. Uh but some folks that they had forgotten were folks that may not have been English speakers. Um and then once they got those folks on board the project really took off and that was some of the takeaway that I had from that. Um so the question for the group was um I would like us to give some examples of kind of broadstroke of some of our stakeholder groups in the city

005of Decatur um or in city schools of Decator. So when you think stakeholders, give me like two or three examples here. Um and other than exam examining or engaging their specific in concerns, so when they come to us with their specific needs, um how can we work to engage stakeholders together? Um so different groups who may have similar interests or similar buy into school projects but may come from different backgrounds. Um, so when you think of stakeholder groups, um, what what comes to mind? >> I mean, I listed in that page 41 what groups make up your community. And >> so, one thing I was thinking of was our board retreat when we learned that 71 households indicator don't even have children. So, I started list and then 69% of the households that have children

006are using CSV, which means 31% aren't. So, I just listed parents of CSD children, parents with children who aren't sending their children to the school district. Um, and then some parents have a child in our school district and then they send their child to another district or retirees and people who work from home. And so I just thought of the various um ways in which people are um engaging or being exposed to our schools. >> I mean I think we have a great example here tonight. I suspect there's a fair number of Westchester parents that are in the the room today and that is clearly both a geographic and a common community interest that has brought everyone together. So, uh, I think I think we're going to have a live, uh, example of exactly that

007kind of engagement tonight. Um, one of the things that I thought about in this chapter, and this is a thing that we've been challenged by is, um, a lot of folks in the community, in fact, what we're sworn to acknowledge as board members. None of the parents in this district are actually our constituents. You do vote for us and we do run in different districts. This was a surprise to me when I got on the board, but my constituents are all of the children indicator, not not district one, which I represent, but the entirety of Decator. And that holds true for all of us. And so working to identify how to um better even engage the children in the community. I mean, we have uh put a a student representative on the school board. Uh

008there are a number of things that I know the superintendent does to try to engage with the students, but I think there's opportunities for us to uh even better and more fully engage with the the actual students in our in our system. >> And you stole my answer. >> Sorry. as a former uh teacher, as a former special ed teacher here in the district, when I think about stakeholders, I think about students, particularly students with disabilities um and our some of our traditionally marginalized student groups. And um I was also going to add that, you know, I think one of the ways that we are trying to address um engagement with our student stakeholders is through our um new student representative that we have um on the board here. Um, and I'm just I think

009there are other opportunities um out there that we can um can look into, but this is definitely one of those ways. Dr. Whitaker does also have the student advisory um councils that she meets with I think weekly monthly monthly >> on every grade man and I think that that helps. Um I think there other opportunities out there. That's what I think about when I think about identif correct me if I'm wrong. 25 unique languages spoken in the city of Decator. >> 25 unique languages are spoken and we focus on about five. So typically when producing information such as a listening session that's upcoming to the community, it's translated into Arabic, into Spanish, into Somali and also into Chinese because that in addition to English um are all of our different stakeholders. And then the other

010was in terms of stakeholders when we got some data at the last community meeting that the largest growing population in the cater is over 65 >> population is the demographic that is increased uh and is expected to continue to increase and I appreciate the communications office um having answers to the questions of like well how do you communicate about the schools people who don't go there? Yeah. 150, you know, every morning, every night. And um I just think that you've got to be aware of that and continue to work on um you know, communicating with people who aren't set up to communicate with you. And it's tough. >> Yeah. I mean, one I walk around the neighborhood a lot. Um and I like talking to people and so often when I do come across um

011older residents who don't have children, sometimes their first response is, I don't have children. I'm like, "Yeah, but let me tell you why um our school district is still important and you want to stay tuned." So, I find talking to people to be the most useful. Um, this is a little bit separate, but I recently got to meet with um the Cater sustainability team, and I got to go into um the the insight of how lunch service works at the Cater um through the lens of like what's climate friendly, but also what's like um operationally efficient. And it just reminded me of the balancing act that is um being a board member um where you know we're finding compromises and we're just trying to serve students as well. So it's just an important >> and

012the last question in the kind of couple of minutes we have before we move on is what are ways that we can bring various stakeholder groups together that may not um that may have similar interests but may not ordinarily work together. So if you have people that may be in invested in the school system but ordinarily may not um work together. So if you have different um if you have students but um you know student groups but different parent groups and they don't ordinarily cross paths but maybe they are invested in you know the K to2 schools how do how can we facilitate maybe bringing those folks to the table so that their voices can be heard that was also some of what they touched in in this chapter. I think just really trying to

013encourage more folks to regularly attend our schoolboard meetings, all stakeholder groups. It's just a great way to stay informed. I know that we often get more engagement when there's hot topics. Um, and then sometimes there have been things that have been previously discussed that people aren't aware of because they don't get it become engaged until it becomes a hot topic issue. And so I think that if all if we can encourage all of those groups to come to the meetings and attend the meetings and to stay informed um that will be one way to listen and hear what's happening and what's affecting these different um stakeholders. >> But I also think that I go back to just the number of people that are just busy and don't know. And so, you know, I know before

014we had our community meetings, I walked around with my CSD business card and I put the meeting times on them and I just stopped people and gave them. So, I don't know this person, right, in terms of what their supposed stakeholder identity is other than you're indicator resident and I think you want to be involved. And so the discrete stakeholder groups we have, but I also think the common ground is the work and um ways that we can get more people involved who don't know why they want to be involved. >> I I do think um so I I appreciate Dr. Johnson Davis's comments about the board meetings, but I but I do think the the uh community Q&A sessions are are are I mean, as a parent, I know I'm always at these board

015meetings, but as a as a parent, I would find an evening meeting where when I ask a question, it can be directly answered and you can engage in that back and forth rapport with the community in real time is uh certainly as a board member, I find those extraordinarily helpful. And I would imagine as a as a community member, being able to get direct questions answered in the moment is uh more likely to engender engagement as opposed to, you know, what can be a 4hour structured board meeting. >> And we do have five of those a year. >> Okay. Um thank you board members for your engagement. Next month, board member Tracy Anderson will facilitate chapter 4. How do you do community engagement? There being no further business, this pre-work session is adjourned at 2:20

016p.m. We will go right into our work session. We will call this work session to order also at 2:20 p.m. Thank you for joining us today for our monthly work session. Dr. Whitaker, please introduce the first presentation. >> Thank you, Sheriff Sultan. I would like to call on Miss McCall Hart Maronga, our chief of communications, and Mrs. Courtney Bernett, community and legislative affairs coordinator, to present the draft 2026 legislative priorities. Good afternoon, Chair Sultan, Vice Chair UTS, members of the board, student board representative Fatra, and Superintendent Dr. Whitaker. Today, Courtney and I are presenting a draft of the proposal of the proposed 2026 legislative priorities. I want to remind the board that the 2026 session will be the second year of the bienium, leaving the 150 education related bills that did not pass last year

017on our watch list for this upcoming session. We look forward to working with the district's new lobbyists from McGuire Woods and Gilbert Herald assisting us in this effort. The City Schools of Decada board of education annually adopts legislative priorities to support the mission, vision, and goals of City Schools of Decada and all four of our strategic accelerators aiming to equitably and effectively improve outcomes for all students. However, the approval of legislative and prior priorities is a function of organizational effectiveness and excellence. CSD's board of education will ask the Decater delegation to support the approved legislative priority during the 2026 session of the Georgia General Assembly. I will now turn the presentation over to Miss Courtney Bernett to present the 2026 proposed legislative priorities. >> Afternoon. Thank you, Miss Martin. As in previous years, the proposed

0182026 legislative priorities are categorized under four focus areas. Safety and security, mental health funding, and local authority and governance. The first legislative focus area is safety and security. PS supports legislation and funding that ensures every student feels safe, seen, and successful by proactively providing safe learning environments for all students and staff. As a school district, the safety of all students and and staff remains our top priority. The majority of our draft safety and security priorities are repeat from last year and we continue to ask the state to continue to allocate funding for school safety in the state budget, making it a stable ongoing priority. Pass legislation that requires safe and secure firearms storage for all citizens. We've consolidated two priorities from our 2025 list. are asking the general assembly to continue allocating funding for monitoring

019installation, licensing, and maintenance of potential physical and cyber threats as well as continuous training for school administrators. The governor and the legislator legislature made thoughtful investments in safety and security during the 2025 session, including grants and the passage of House Bill 268. We're very thankful for the safety grants and also the ESRE fund that covers the cost of previous cyber security. While we appreciate the governor and the legislator legislature for the grants that help districts invest in the safety of staff and students, securing our schools are permanent line items budget. For 2026, we added a new priority to continue to allow government to operate and enforce school zones. Our next legislative focus area is mental health. PSD continues to oppose legislation that prevent schools from creating inclusive learning environments where all students can thrive in

020a manner consistent with their identity. Like last year, the following five mental health priorities include continuing to expand mental health care, mental health care access, particularly for teens and young adults. Ensuring the mental health and safety of all students, including population, increasing funding for training for mental health professionals, and expanding student and staff access to the services, increasing funding for school counselors for students in special education and gifted programs. And while legislation during the legis last session was focused on adding muchneeded mental health supports for students, CMP continues to advocate for the school counselor funding ratio to align with the American school counselor association recommendation which is the school studentto school counselor ratio of 250 to1. We appreciate the CSB board for funding and allotting the ratio of 250 to1 districtwide while the current state

021funding ratio is 48. The third legislative focus area is funding. BSC continues to oppose the expansion of tax credits and private school vouchers that divert public funds to private education. The six priorities listed are unchanged from last year. They are to fully fund the QBE formula, modernize the QB fund formula to account for inflation and adequately fund public education. Increase state funding for quality early learning programs. Increase funding for student transport to and from school with electric buses and more green infrastructure. Continue to increase funding for state required literacy and dyslexia program. We are thankful for the past increase funding we have received and ask the legislature to continue this investment. And finally to reduce barriers to attracting and retaining talent to provide funding to support increases in employer purchion of non-certified employee health. Our

022fourth legislative focus area is local authority. CSC opposes any legislation that overrides the constitutional authority of the locally elected city schools educator board of education. We are continuing to advocate for maintaining local control over school governance and operations, maintaining local authority over educational and curriculum decisions, instructional resources, local revenue sources, and maintaining local control over local exemptions, maintaining local control and flexibility in implementing legislative priorities. And additionally, we've added the prior prioritizing maintaining local authority to deter determine educational frameworks that promote positive outcomes for all students and staff. In addition to our priorities, the city school indicator support legislative positions and priorities outlined by the Georgia school boards association as well as the priorities outlined by our partner are listed in detail slide. As I conclude, I would like to mention that in conjunction with

023the district lobbyists, we will host our legislative delegation at this year's legislative lunchon in November. Again, the 2026 legislative priorities are being presented as a draft for your review and discussion. We will bring the final draft of priorities to you for approval at the November meeting. Are there any questions? Uh yeah, one just very quick comment I wanted to make clear since we have so many people in the community here. One of the issues with the just receiving a safety grant from the state is that the state has also mandated a number of operational expenses that are recurrent. For example, our security monitoring system, we have to pay annual fees to maintain that. That is mandated by state law. We think it's appropriate that state provide some funding for that. Um on the the mental

024health, what is the currently funded ratio from the state? Do we know that? We can get it if we if we don't know about the >> counselor. >> Yes. >> 450. >> So they're funding 4 to 50 to1 and and the APSA as recommends 250 to1 which is where we're at. >> Correct. >> Okay. Um, first of all, I just want to say this is one of my favorite things we talk about. Um, I care about politics so much. So, it's just really important to me that this board takes such an active role in um, legislative lobbying because I really think that's representative of the importance of um, local decision- making um, especially in a political moment like this. Um, I do appreciate you acknowledging that tension between school safety um and mental health. It's

025also been historically important to me and I want to make sure that we're saying both of those things in the same breath. Um, but and I'm very excited to present this to the board because I know it's something that we've all been really excited about. Um, I wanted to gauge the board's interest in um adding a priority to um expand infrastructure for uh student voices like mine on local boards across Georgia. I've had some conversations with some of our representatives to call >> I love the idea. >> What does it look like? Um, so I think it'll be a project um involving a lot of different stakeholders and some of our lobby partners and seeing what they believe is strategic because we know um legislative session can be a little bit of a hard wall

026to penetrate sometimes. But um currently I think um allowing a provision for students to petition their boards to add a student member um given enough students and then having that member have a preferential vote um would need a little bit of an amendment and then any other suggestions you guys have. I think I think this also came up at GSBA when we were there in the summer and um a lot of other districts that are larger than ours um sometimes struggle with the toolkit as to how to get a student member on the board. Um and so maybe with some framework from the state um that may also and maybe also some um some funding from the state that may also help get this going. I think you know Decar uh we were able to

027kind of set the stage here. Um but other larger districts, more remote districts that have different setups, um even DAB that's got multiple high schools um may need a little bit of a different setup, but I think um you know with a little bit of a backing from state um I think that that's the way to go. >> What was the name of the student organization? It's nationwide that advocates for this. There was one that we we crossed paths with and I think um I want to say Anna Rundle County and Maryland has a full voting school board member on their board. So there are some at least national templates for how to do this and I'm I'm wondering if we can also engage or support there. >> Yeah, absolutely. Um so private personal shout

028out but I just got elected to the National School Board Members Association. um um Southeast Vice President >> uh California, Maine, um New York, those are states that have um four numbers in a vast majority of districts. So there is a lot of framework for that and I'm really hoping that that could be a really important collaboration. >> If if you need any of this down at the state house with you lobbying for us, please let me know. Thank you very much. >> Absolutely. Very much. All right. So, Nia, thank you so much for helping us draft our legislative priorities to reflect student voice. And as the Southeast Regional Vice President of the National Student Board Member Association, congratulations. We will continue to amplify the voices of your constituents. Miss and thank you Nia for

029your feedback. I look forward to our meeting with the Decatur delegation next month. Uh Dr. Whitaker, the next presentation. >> Yes. Thank you, Chair Stalton. I would like to call on Mrs. Jennifer Burton to present uh an update on the implementation of the Georgia multi-ter support system. >> Thank you. Good afternoon for chair Dr. Felton, Vice Chair UTS, esteemed board members of the board, student representative Vatra, and Superintendent Dr. Jima Whitaker. Today, I'll be providing an overview of our Georgia MTSS redesign and integration. I'll also share updates and data on our dyslexia and early literacy efforts, outline the preventative measures we're implementing to address address disproportionality, and highlight how we are leveraging our new student outcome support physicians in schools. In December, Assistant Superintendent Holtz will take a deep dive into our disproportionality data. The

030work of Georgia NPSS lives within our student success in all areas strategic accelerator. It's the engine behind how we align academic, behavioral, and well-being supports to meet the needs of every learner. So, let's begin with celebrations. Each of our schools has received Georgia NPSSPIS recognition with two schools advancing to a higher level. At the distinguished level, we have Glenwood, Oakhurst, Westchester, and Winona Park, the highest recognition level. Westchester and Winona Park each moves up from the operational level. At the operational level, we have Claremont and Beacon Hill. And at the emerging level we have Fifth Avenue, Tally Street and Decator. These recognitions were under the PBIS framework. Positive behavioral intervention and supports is a three tiered approach for promoting a positive culture in a school setting. However, with the integration of Georgia NPSS, the PBIS

031label is being phased out and the recognition system is shifting to focus more on outcomesbased measures. The practices and the ideas of PBIS remain. So schools will still implement schoolwide expectations for all students, but they now have the flexibility to highlight the values and visions that are important for them. So for example, several of our K2 schools have embedded the EL habits of character into their tier one schoolwide behavior system instead of creating a separate set of PBIS expectations. Beginning next year, our K2 schools will no longer be eligible for a formal Georgia NPSS recognition as they do not participate in the Georgia Milestones assessment, but as a district team, we will be monitoring and celebrating their achievements in supporting the whole child. Georgia MTFS is a datadriven multi-tered prevention framework that integrates academic, behavioral,

032and well-being supports to provide aligned needs-based interventions for the whole child. While PBIS is being absorbed into this broader model, its core components, universal behavior supports and tiered interventions for some and few students remain central. To support implementation, we've established a district leadership team that includes the deputy superintendent, assistant superintendent for student support services, myself, the executive director of whole child supports, and the director of MTSS. The role of this team is to set the parameters of NPSS expectations. Our district implementation lead team meets monthly to review data in the three Georgia NPSS domains, academics, behavior, and well-being. This team is leading the work at the school level. Each school receives a monthly Georgia NTSS report providing a snapshot of attendance, behavior, academic progress, and school climate data. This report provides fools a way to

033monitor progress towards Georgia MTSS recognition, but also gives them data to assess the their system health. Over the past two years, we've made several key shifts in the areas of curriculum, communication, and professional learning to better support students with dyslexia. Two years ago, we transitioned from MAP to STAR as our universal screener. As a district, we recognized MAP was not an effective universal screener. This decision was echoed by the state as MAP is no longer state approved. We adopted highquality curriculum resources in K5 and for the first time provided a common resource for grades K through 8. The board graciously approved the purchase of just write reader decodable text for all K through3 classrooms as well as special age education classes at all grade levels. Oral reading fluency is often an overlooked area of intervention

034support. Fluency is not just about speed. Fluency is about accuracy, rate, and procity. Administering an oral reading fluency assessment allows the teacher to observe key reading behaviors that may be assoc associated with the characteristics of dyslexia. Selected students in grades 6 through 12 are be being given an ORF to identify any potential foundational reading needs. Communication has been a cornerstone of this work. We've conducted dyslexia simulations with all district office staff, principles, assistant principles, and instructional coaches. We held a Q&A session featuring a staff member and her child, both of whom are dyslexic. These sessions have sparked critical dialogue and built empathy. For the first time, we included the RAN results on the required parent notification letters. While a low RAN is not equivalent to dyslexia, it can be a strong indicator of potential reading

035difficulties as it suggests potential problems with reading automaticity. It's a significant piece of the puzzle that paints a student as a reader. Therefore, informing families of a student's RAN provides further context for their child as a reader. It also justifies why we administer additional assessments to gain more information and also explains why families may have received an at risk notification even though the diagnostic report showed a score in the green. We're committed to training all K5 teachers including special areas ESOL and special education in the science of reading at the 612 level. All ESOL, special education and REP reading teachers have received science of reading training. In addition, 92 teachers and readers have been trained in letters and/or Orton Gillingham. That's over 50% of our classroom teachers who teach reading or language arts in K

036through 12. While we've made progress, we recognize this is just the middle of our journey. Last year marked our first year of implementation under Senate Bill 48, also known as the dyslexia law. Our data revealed 43 students were assessed using the characteristics of dyslexia rubric and 17 were identified as exhibiting those characteristics. We believe this number is too low. Two primary factors emerged. one, hesitancy from school teams to make the characteristics of dyslexia determinations, and two, misconceptions that only students at significant risk could be identified. We've clarified with schools that we are not diagnosing dyslexia, but rather identifying data patterns and sharing them with families. With the merging of House Bill 538, which is the Early Literacy Act, and SB48, the Dyslexia Law, into one law, which is HB307, the Georgia Early Literacy and Dyslexia

037Act. We've revised our screening process with support and input from community stakeholders. The first column of our data reflects students identified using only the statemandated thresholds. The second column shows where we expanded our net to the 50th percentile on the universal screener. The third column reflects additional students we flagged using curriculum based measures like letter names, sounds, and nonsense words. And then in the last column shows where we track students receiving advanced tier supports and use their progress monitoring data as part of the characteristics of dyslexia determinations as required by HV307. An addendum is in was included to explain how students are identified across different categories. As you can see by our threshold and risk formulas, we have identified a larger portion of students. When a larger percentage of students are identified as benefiting from

038additional tiered interventions, we have to review and assess instructional practices. House Bill 307 is not just about screening for students, but it's also focused on how we instruct students. Highquality tier one instruction using vetted curriculum is a way to promote proficient reading on a wider scale. Whiten wisdom is our tier one curriculum rooted in the science of reading. Learning and implementing new things is not an easy task. It requires planning and I cannot thank teachers enough for their dedication to implementing what's best for students with fidelity. We're tracking screening data for every K through three student in all elementary schools. Here's a sample of our literacy data tracker developed to monitor student progress and identify students potentially at risk for not achieving grade level reading proficiency. Here you'll see sample student one. Their star percentiles

039are low but not below the 30th percentile which is the EIP qualifier. However, because we are using additional data, this student generated two qualifiers in three other measures. The next is sample student two. This student scored in the 95th percentile for early literacy and initially would have been overlooked, but again, because we looked at additional measures, gaps in foundational skills were glaring. This student ultimately qualified for EIP to target specific foundational skills. Many more students are being identified as having gaps and we don't want families to be alarmed by at risk notifications. Early identification and intervention are foundational to MTFs as a prevention framework. We realize that our screening procedures and data monitoring are aggressive. These steps are not standard in other district nor could in other districts nor could they be replicated but we

040know that this is a need in our district in our community. We are going above and beyond the mandates of HB307 to proactively identify and intervene for students. Remember Georgia MTSS is all about prevention and not waiting for failure. We're keeping student success at work in an effort to support students with literacy needs and combat disproportionality. Our next steps include facilitating dyslexia simulations with teachers during planning periods, some of which have already occurred this month. Expanding the administration of the language skills checklist, and we're continuing to train teachers in letters and Orton Gillingham every year. While this is the right work and significant progress has been made over the last year, we're just 50% of the way there. Specifically, we understand that there are students now in middle and high school that may have missed

041the benefits of literacy legislation that is framed screening and instructional practices. The board approved the literacy specialist two years ago to rotate across schools with the greatest need. Currently, the specialist is prioritizing secondary students with significant literacy gaps. We've certainly made significant progress in the last two years, but we have a long way to go. We want to acknowledge and thank our community and stakeholders for being thought partners and advocates of this work. All of the legislation surrounding literacy will not increase proficiency if students are not regularly at school to receive instruction. So this past summer, we had a fellow from the Southern Education Foundation, and one of her key projects was conducting an attendance inquiry with some of our chronically absent families. Chronic absenteeism is defined by missing 10% or more of school days.

042This can equal about 1 to two days of missed instruction per month. Chronic absenteeism is not the same as truency. Where truency focused on excused versus unexcused absences, chronic absenteeism is more about days when students are not present at school to engage in the routine instruction of regular instruction. Chronic absenteeism can have a great impact on student learning and it starts as early as kindergarten. Our fellow called 21 of our chronically absent families across K2 and was able to make 11 successful contacts. Common barriers included transportation and minor illnesses and some families reported low student motivation due to learning challenges and feeling behind in kindergarten. This feedback reinforces the importance of early readiness. When students enter kindergarten with key foundational skills, they're succeed and attend school consistently. Our new student outcome support or SOS were

043an innovative response to preventing disproportionality. The goals of the SOS are to be accessible, visible, and communicate with staff and families. SOS serve as the NTSS leads in K2 schools as well as facilitators. facilitating SFT for K2 schools. Their role includes strong data management like the literacy data tracker that I shared previously. They also serve as tier one behavior support and have a clear focus on closing achievement gaps. Teachers who have received their support appreciate their timely responsiveness. They meet with our director of MTSS bi-weekly for coaching hold monthly meetings with Dr. Whitaker. The addition of these roles represents a powerful investment ensuring our schools are equipped to intervene before gaps become inequities. Our work around Georgia NPSS early literacy, dyslexia support, attendance and disproportionality is intertwined, comprehensive, and evolving. We're not simply reacting to

044mandates. We are proactively building a responsive preventionoriented system that puts students first. There's still work to be done, but our direction is clear. Our structures and our rope are sound, and our commitment is unwavering. Again, I want to reiterate that this work cannot remain siloed within our district. Our community, stakeholders, the board, external partners have played a pivotal role in our progress. Thank you for your continued support as we work together to ensure that every student has both the opportunity and the support to thrive. I'm happy to answer any questions. >> I have a question about the slide seven and the qualifiers and just clarification there. Um says weighted double if you go up one more where I can see the data. My first part is what is that? What does that mean? >> So

045we created our own formula. Um, so this is something that that we created inhouse. Um, and there were um qualifiers that we felt were um more important that that signaled an additional lag. Um, and so we waited them more in an attempt to cast the broadest net possible. on this page, you said something that stuck out to me in the past talking at the capital with dyslexia groups. Uh, one of the ways the state finds it is you have to kind of be underachieving to be flagged for dyslexia. So, it seems like the student down there at the bottom is a 99, but no flags. And then the 95 isn't flagged. So tell so that student even though they're they're obviously killing it and if if they were my child and they came home with

046that would be ecstatic in all that they're doing. What sort of services would I expect once those flags were there? Um and because you've already spoken about like teachers and staff are identifying what would I expect as a as a parent there. >> So we would look specifically each of these students that has the bar would get something different. Um, and so let's say, so that 95, you're right, that's a that's going to be a green sheet that a parent receives like, yes, we're in the 95th percentile. But then when we started looking at these other indicators, it was ah, we've got some flags there. So if you look at expressive nonsense words, um, or passage oral reading fluency. So their passage oral reading fluency that was low for that student. So then your EIP

047teacher may implement the health fluency strategy or incremental reading. And so what happens as a parent is you would get a letter saying, "Hey, your student has been identified as at risk and we are going to provide additional supports to your student." Does it does it define at risk that letter that I received or is it just uh at risk? >> Um it it says at risk but then it tells you why they they were identified as at risk. >> Yeah. >> Also just want to mention that I went through one of those dyslexia simulators with um with Burton and her team about a year or so ago and it was lifechanging. Um, I think it's a great way to teach um, parents um, and staff exactly what our kids um, are experiencing. Um, I

048was in tears at the end of it. Not only did I have to write, but I had to read and then to have an adult standing over me and rushing me um, was um, I was panicked. Um, so I think it's in addition to following this data, the um, experience of what it's like for these children to be in the classroom um, and to have to do these times test was very interesting. So I think I teach a lot by simulation, but I thought that was a great way for adults to understand what our kids have to experience in the classroom. to to that point. Uh I know that we mentioned a little bit about the older children that probably haven't or that have not received some of the benefits of this early screening. So

049they're like just my heart goes out to the parents that are dealing with the children that are dyslexic that would have been caught by our screening but aren't able to be since they're aged out and they still feel all that stress and terror and frustration that that Dr. Sultan was just mentioning in the classroom. How do we engage there and and does that result you had mentioned the literacy coach? Does that result in EIP or additional support services as well for those students? Because because then they they may have figured out on their own coping strategies but are still dealing with the emotional fallout of precisely what Dr. Sultan was just mentioning. >> Yeah. So, the beauty of Georgia NPSS is that we're looking at academic and well-being. And so, with the academic piece, we

050have that um intervention specialist that's going in and working at secondary. Um we've started at the high school already in pulling data, pulling students, um giving them the oral reading fluency so that we can make a plan for them. But then also the MTSS team looks at things like the best data. And so you may have someone that is um you know that is dyslexic and they may be in that 95th percentile but they are coming up really anxious or at high risk. And so as a team we look at all of that um to say all right how is maybe this dyslexia impacting on the well-being side. So really trying to look at the whole child um to combat and and support um the both ends of that because there's certainly anxiety just like

051you were saying um for our students and so we want to try to meet both of those needs >> and then and then and then in the communication with parents around this right so so obviously it's it's great that we're starting to put these structures in place. I know that we're moving from a a era where we were quite a bit looser, I think, and we had a lot of room for improvement. So, but that introduces an element where it can be frustrating for parents who were used to engaging in a system that functioned a particular way. As we get more rules-based and rubric based, what are we doing to ensure that the communication with those parents while not uh while not lessening the need to comply with the law still brings along the compassion

052as we as we engage with those parents so they understand what options are available for their kids. >> Yeah. Um so we are it's kind of um you know we have communication that's more tiered towards K3 because this is what's happening with state legislation and then and that really applies actually K5 um but secondary as we are going through and doing more assessments we will be communicating with parents before we pull them um to say this is what your child has qualified for um and we would like to offer this and then the parent will decide and say yes thank you or you know >> and in the opposite scenario where the parent comes and says my child does need this and they may not meet the strict standards of compliance from the state how

053are we managing that communication because I think that's probably where there is more frustration >> um well I think we will definitely make database decision decisions. So um you know even at the secondary level we will be looking at data and that will drive our support but we are casting a very wide net um and so you know I'm not sure I don't we wouldn't say um I mean we will consider any additional data brought forward um but we have the support for students that have data showing that they need the support and we will certainly provide it. >> Mur um I just need clarification on a few things. PBIS is being phased out by the state. Okay. Okay. >> And then um I think you may have addressed this a little bit earlier, but

054what's the difference between the CST screening and the CST formula? There was one slide that Yeah, those two separate categories. >> Yes. So what we did was Um, so the CSV screening, we opened it up any students up that were under the 50th percentile and then for any student under the 50th percentile, then we gave additional assessments. So we gave the nonsense words, the RAM, the oral reading fluency. And so you could have students that um they may not have been picked up um you know that 50th percentile might have just been one qualifier but then when we did their letter name fluency then that gave them the second qualifier to give additional support. So we just kept trying to open you know as wide as we could within reason. >> Okay. And then my

055last question is and I talked to Dr. Whitaker about this in my one-on-one meeting with her this week. In terms of the um use of the term disproportionality, I often associate that with discipline disproportionality. And if I had to get clarification on that, this MTSS process is addressing disproportionality as it relates to overidentification of certain students for special ed. Correct. >> Yeah. >> This is the prevention, >> right? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Yeah. So, may I ask a followup to six because um I think it's really impressive that we are um identifying so many more students than something beyond a test score. When we get the advanced tier support though, are we talking about the three tiers? And if we are, then are all of these supports taking place only in the classroom or

056is there some um pull out for lack of a better word? I know that's not the tier one word, but >> yeah, but it just depends. So, each student has their own tier plan, tiered plan. So, we're monitoring in the third column, every single one of those students. Um, but the students in the fourth, they may need additional interventions and monitoring. Whereas the third column, all of those students, they may not need the additional intervention yet. it may be something that something small that we could address through tier one. >> And then I think the only other thing I think about which relates I think to your question Hans and just because I had a human in the house like this. So you know you have the math test, you have the STAR test, you

057have this test, you have that test. How do we manage that reportability so the child doesn't internalize the performance? you know, this is as good as I'm going to get on this standardized test. So, I see that there are different things CSD is doing and I heard you mention the letters. So, it sounds like there's a balance between a standardized test and some other assessment. Okay. >> Yeah. Yeah. One-on-one assessment, there's a computer-based assessment, but we're just trying to get the whole picture of a student. Um, and then of course the parent, you know, has a decision on if they're going to receive the support or not. >> Thank you. >> Well, thank you board for allocating the student outcome support team. In my last soup with the soup over at one of our elementary

058schools, teachers and coaches alike um said that those support individuals are helping them to understand the academics, the behavior, the well-being, all of the pieces of the MTSS peers. And also because they are boots on the ground, they are providing me with invaluable information. You did hear that I do meet with them monthly. So the ability to be to address the just in time needs from a swap is how we will catch issues before they become threats. Thank you Mrs. Burton. This is an area the board has been very passionate about since your arrival. I'm happy to see you are making progress and happier that you recognize that we still have some work to do. Dr. Whitaker, please introduce the next presentation. >> Yes, Chair Sultan, I would like to call on Mrs. Karen Newton

059Scott, deputy superintendent, to provide an update on the University of Virginia partnership for leaders in education implementation in our lab schools and how we are expanding the practices to all schools. Good afternoon board chair Dr. Sultan, vice chair, dean board members, student board representatives, and superintendent Dr. Jima Whitaker. I'm excited to share an update on our partnership with the University of Virginia's Partnership for Leaders in Education. It is a collaboration that is helping us strengthen leadership and accelerate accelerate student success across Decar. Today, I will walk you through where we've been, where we are, and where we're headed as we continue building systems that sustain growth. Our UVA partnership was sponsored for this school year through a generous $200,000 donation. We'd like to give a special thanks to Chick-fil-A for investing in CSD's leadership development.

060We've been able to keep this important work moving forward, investing in our leaders and in the structures that make lasting improvement possible. Our partnership with UVA has been structured around phases of transformation. We began this journey in 2023 24 with a district readiness assessment to identify our promising practices, strongest needs, and highest leverage opportunities. With that feedback in hand, we set out to design and launch our work by clarifying long-term desired system shifts, initiating strategies to address district challenges, and naming our four focus schools, Decator High, Beacon Middle, FA, and Townley Upper Elementary. Next, we activated by immersing in a rigorous campaign to ignite school performance, leadership commitments, and purpose. This year, we are adapting by integrating the success of the activate year and adopting our approach by refining and scaling our work for sustainability.

061And the final phase would be to accelerate by emphasizing the work needed to ensure lasting impact. In fall 2023, the UVA Partnership for Leaders in Education conducted a readiness assessment of City Schools of Decator. The assessment examined the district's preparedness to pursue or expand a school improvement initiative drawing on national research and UVA's experience with over 100 systems across the nation. This process explored the district's capacity to implement and sustain meaningful change. This feedback helped us design and launch this transformation. As part of our readiness work, we received leadership levers. Our system leadership. There was a review of stability, alignment, and capacity at the system level to prioritize transformation. For support and accountability, there was a review of the structures that balance urgency with flexibility. For the instructional infrastructure, the assessment examined how strong and

062consistent our curriculum assessment and instructional practices were. And for talent management, we focused on leader selection, teacher development, and retention. These levers shape the decisions we made as we embarked upon our design and launch phase. With feedback from each lever in hand, we entered the design phase, transforming those insights into clear, actionable changes across all four levers. To design and launch our transformational work, the district team engaged in a week-long executive education program in June, bringing together a core change team and all school leaders. Also during this phase, we came together for a three-day winter executive education session in Virginia again with the core team and fourperson teams from each of our During this time, we named and designed the work under each lever that you see in front of you. That focused design work

063done in the summer, fall, and winter of the 2023 24 school year set the stage for our activation year when ideas moved into actions and systems began to take shape. For the 2425 school year, we had solid implementation in each of the levers. For level one, we define priorities through the identification of big rocks, strengthen leader capacity at the district and school levels by engaging in leadership development, and continued the work through our leverage leadership study. For lever two, we conducted strategic 90-day planning for intensive transformational work with monitored progress and strengthened the instructional coaching framework to support our staff through the get better faster coaching protocol. For lever three, our teaching and learning department developed the instructional toolbox, a one-stop hub for all curricular resources and guides. We also defined what highquality instruction looks

064like and began tracking the frequency of these instructional indicators through classroom canvases. And for level four, we strengthened our approach by connecting recruitment with a clear professional learning framework and implementing strong retention practices. Now we've entered into the adapt phase. This phase focuses on refining and sustaining effective practices. It involves making thoughtful tweaks to ensure long-term success. For level one system leadership, we refined our priorities for feedback to include coaching cycles, strengthened our focus on tier one instruction, emphasizing datadriven decision making to guide improvement. For level two, support and accountability sheet, we developed a cross department support system that provides a year-long calendar of coordinated support for schools. This structure allows us to track and analyze needs across departments, enabling us to work smarter, not harder. For level three instructional infrastructure, we established a balanced

065assessment system that integrates four types of assessments, including new interim assessments designed to give timely, actionable insight into student learning. And for lever four, we advanced our professional learning framework by streamlining the process of proposing, implementing, and evaluating professional learning. We now assess the quality and impact of each session both individually and through monthly district level summaries. The data and feedback we collect enable us to know what is working well, continually refine our offerings, and enhance our delivery methods. As we think about what's next, this phase is all about accelerating and sustaining the work we started, pushing beyond implementation into lasting impact. Here is a proposal of options that move us from momentum to mastery. Continuing our UVA partnership to ensure that every leader at every level has access to the same high quality hands-on

066development that has been transformative for our 3 through 12 schools. Options one and two continue the acceleration work in partnership with UVA for phase tally beacon indicator high deepening their capacity to tackle the next level of student growth leadership development and collective ownership of change. Option three begins a UVA partnership for our K2 schools, engaging them in a two-year core partnership cycle of leadership learning and school improvement. And option four, the most comprehensive, does both, allowing our 3 through 12 schools to accelerate and continue in our UVA partnership for an additional year, while our K2 schools also join the work creating a true K12 leadership continuum. The results speak for themselves. In just a few years, we've grown from 21% of schools ranking in the state top three in 2019 to an incredible 78% in

0672025. That growth is not accidental. It's the product of strategic leadership for solid standards aligned instruction, shared accountability, and systems that are designed to sustain improvement. A teacher once asked her students to plant seeds in identical pots, same soil, same sunlight, same amount of water. The only difference was how much attention each plant got. One pot she checked on every few adding water when it was dry. The other she left alone, assuming it would grow just fine. A few weeks later, the difference was obvious. One plant was strong and green. The other barely sprouted. When the students asked why, the teacher said growth doesn't happen by accident. Happens because someone pays attention. That's what leadership is. It's paying attention. It's noticing when things need adjusting. It's creating the right conditions for growth. We've made real

068progress building systems and structures that have taken root. But our work isn't done. Just like the plant that flourishes because it was nurtured with intention, our schools become more effective when we are intentional about how they are led. To sustain this growth, extending our partnership for another year encompasses Oh, excuse me. To sustain this growth, extending our partnership for another year encompassing our upper, middle, upper elementary, middle, and high school leaders and adding our K2 leaders to the same experience would be beneficial. Our K2 leaders benefit from shared learning in our monthly meetings, but we can't assume they'll grow the work in their schools in the same way without the same level of investment. Creating a true K12 leadership continuum ensures that every leader like every plant given the right conditions has what they need

069to thrive. That's how we sustain growth, deepen coherence, and lead lasting change. Thank you for your support and your commitment to our leaders and our students. And at this time, I would like to have your feedback on your thoughts on the proposal of continuing our partnership with UVA and extending it to the K2 level. Um, this sounds great, but I can't help myself. I need to know what the teachers say. Um, I I want to know what the teachers are saying about the impact in the classroom as well as possibly the time needed. I like hearing that there's um I think protected time, but uh time is just that resource that is probably the most valuable. So for me um I I want to see a lot more from what the teachers say. From this

070it looks great. >> How much of this is geared towards the teachers versus the principles, the assistant principles? Um >> this is leadership development. Um so it is for the principles, the assistant principles, um instructional coaches >> to build their capacity to lead the work in schools um and to help them design and facilitate the work that they do with teachers. So it is not a teacher development initiative, it is a leader development. So maybe the value in this I think um what I've maybe I've heard a lot of them say is prior to this they felt like they did not have other than reporting directly to the superintendent they did not have a leadership um pipeline or infrastructure to to help them in their day-to-day operations. But maybe the the more specific question is

071do the principles find this valuable And I will add that it's also district leadership development. Um if I can take a moment just to share my personal story of um progressing through this school district from a teacher to a title one teacher to an instructional coach and then a principal and moving into this role having the role of principal supervisor. I entered the role without any development do that work and so for myself Mrs. Burton, assistant superintendent, um our executive director of teaching and learning, executive director of schools, our chief of staff, we all benefit from this kind of development to um increase our effectiveness in the work that we do as well. and the principles um I don't want to dramatize this but they really love the work and the opportunity that they have

072been provided above and beyond what we do at the system level to grow their capacity in a way that we have never had as a development at least in the 30 years I've been here um for principles and in speaking with our K2 principles um often often times they're getting our redelivery of the information from going to UVA and there has been an express need to experience that learning firsthand so that they have the same resources and knowledge that has been available to us 12 but I do think it's it's valuable to have them speak for themselves as well >> um so I mean to the extent that uh resourcing both in terms of financing and time it's possible to do four. I I think that's a good option. Let's do as much as we

073possibly can. Uh I do actually want to uh second um board member Anderson's question though, right? I mean at the end of the day, the reason why we're developing the leadership in these individuals is so that they can lead the teachers better. And so I would be curious, do the teachers feel better led and and what that that outcome is. Yeah, if if I could go a long way on that because I agree with Dr. Sultan that obviously um the principles or the instructional coaches or whoever's coming in um you know the better informed they are at least I can only speak from my professional standpoint the more comfortable I am um but to know how that worked. So, you know, anecdotally, my AP students and my ESC scores may have improved and we may

074have a program at school, but if my students results were the result of that, I don't know. So, I like hearing from both. Um, and one of the slides at each level there was something happening with equity. Equity was strengthened. What is how are we defining equity? What does that mean? What are some examples of what that looks like on those levels? >> So the work is really centered around equitable outcomes here. And so the work is really driven for equitydriven leadership in how leaders in schools approach that work, implement that work and support that development with the other team members who are working with students and keeping an eye on who is learning and who isn't doing it. So that's the equitydriven through line of all of the work is to really concentrate on

075the areas where we are not yet seeing success with all >> and then for teachers who are interested in leadership roles how how are we addressing their development? So, we had the opportunity from one of our um uh executive coaches this past summer to offer an aspiring um leadership a principle so on and so forth academy that integrated the principles that we're learning in UVA along with very practical everyday this is what leadership is about and this you can look forward to. And so we hopefully will have the opportunity to continue to offer that. Um and it was a a four session kind of development so that teachers and other leaders within the school who have that interest can begin to develop their skills and really get to know what they're getting into when it

076comes to >> I you know I think extending this program to the lower elementary schools is great. I wouldn't assume that a great teacher who moves up to leadership positions always knows how to manage adults and instruct adults. I mean, that's a whole another uh skill set. And so, I think that we could only benefit from extending this program to the other schools. Um I think you know it's not just leading the teach being able to be good teacher leaders but again ultimately it's resulting in these student outcomes and ultimately I in all of this and so I would you know be in favor of doing. >> Can I ask a question? I don't know if it can be answered because it may be sight specific or person specific but kind of like the dyslexia

077simulation. I absolutely loved when I had to go into my um science teacher colleagues um room because I had no idea what it was like to set up a lab, how long that would take, what are the materials you need, how do you arrange this? And so I am curious, is there ever that kind of simulation where the leader is seeing what the classroom experience looks like before giving the feedback. >> I don't I just don't know what UVA does beyond the good stuff. >> Some of that work is just done locally. Like this morning we were at Claremont and we saw some exceptional teaching and one of the outcomes of that is as a as a literacy lead on the teaching and learning team along with myself and the principal instructional coach as we're

078walking together and calibrating on what is high quality. um that creates a vision for all of us that are in that classroom to understand what it looks like, you know, and uh so then we carry that with us as a lens as we approach the work and and visit other classrooms. So that's pretty much generally how it goes. That calibration has to happen. Um and you have to have the the people who are experts on the team. It could be content leads. It could be our district leads. But those are the people that inform us the most about are we accurately calling the things the same. >> Thank you. Um, really quick, I was just curious about um the classroom canvases and what kind of things um principles are trained to look for different like

079equity like you mentioned or any other. So we have nine indicators that we focus on across the district so that we can as I spoke of calibrate around high quality. So um our principles, our instructional coaches and one at the district level look for are not just from the teacher but in the students and what they're engaged in. And so each time we learn more isn't um a point of arrival to say oh I I don't have to continue to learn and talk about this. That's a part of the process and part of our work and it evolves um as things change as curriculum changes change offerings change um and so we have to continually do and how is that data collected because I know it's a little bit more qualitative. >> It's it's a

080little bit of both. It's um it's tiny on the screen unfortunately but I'm going to go back. So if you see that square that says Kansas 2425, we have a way of quantifying what we see and what you can barely see in the green are those kinds that we saw that indicator evidence somewhat and then red would be not and so we collect that data. I will be providing a report on that later I'm sure. Um but that's how we along with qualitative the board um that accelerates side featured our state our state rankings and they aren't necessarily by happen stance. So I thank you for your support. Also thank you for your feedback on how we might proceed in the future with UVA PLE. I know our principles were before you a couple of

081months ago and they shared firsthand their experience and so we look forward to continuing that conversation. Thank you for the update Mrs. Newton Scott. The impact of the UVA partnership is clear. We are excited feedback from the leaders and teachers as we continue to support the important leadership de development that the UVA partnership pro. Thank you, Chair Soul. I would like to call on Dr. Lonita Broom, chief update on the newly early Early Childhood Learning Center and the Decator High School campus expansion financials. She will be joined by Doug Deart of Davenport CSD's financial advisor. >> Good afternoon, board chair Dr. Golden Vice Chair Hine members of the board, student and student student representative Ashra and superintendent Dr. W. Today I present to you the financial update on the new early childhood learning center indicator

082high school expansion. Although the comprehensive capital plan will impact all four strategic accelerators, the financial component of the plan falls under strategic accelerator for organization effectiveness and excellence through financial transparency and sustainability. Doug get thart the district financial advisor NI will discuss all financial areas including the capital financing approach interest rates recommended for borrowing parameters for assumptions the cost of for a review of the aggregated debt summary for potential refinancing opportunity for COP series 2 2014 the financing timeline of the capital funding consideration and the operating ating budget for the new early childhood learners. Bill Ghart with that reporting company who serves as the district financial advisor has worked with the district for years on various functions. He will now present details on the recommended capital financing approach. >> Thank you, Dr. Brew. Again, pleasure

083to be in front of uh the board and um glad glad we're moving this project along. And so there's a lot of information on this page and you you've seen a lot of this information, but this meeting today is accumulation of a lot of hard work that has gone into the planning process for this particular project. So, as a reminder, we're we're intending to use floss proceeds to pay for the debt service bonds. had a number of meetings both on a community meetings as well as the public facilities authorities meeting and so at the board's meeting tonight uh we're asking you to approve a resolution authorizing that and then tomorrow the public facilities authority will be asked to consider what called the parameters bond resolution. So, as a reminder to the the board, the the

084financing approach and the recommended way that we're going to do this is through the public facilities authority of certificator in which they will serve as the issuer of the bonds and they have the power to do school type projects. In order to secure that debt service payment on the bond, the school district will enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the facilities authority. The city is not involved in this transaction at all in which the school district will pledge its full bathing and credit up to the military cap the 25 mil cap to pay the debt service. Obviously, we intend to primarily pay this back through dollars. But if for some reason something happens um in the future that the general fund and the taxing powers are going to be on the hook. Um, one of

085the things in the in agreement because of the need to use SWAT, the the titles of the facilities will actually be in the name of the PFA just during the construction period. And so once that's done in in order to be an eligible capital use from a legal structure, that's more on the bond council side, but that's what that intergovernmental agreement will do. So that's the type of bond. The way that we're going to actually recommend selling those bonds is through a competitive public market issuance in which the public market there's really two ways to issue bonds. One is through a direct bank loan or alternatively through a public market issuance. Due to the size and the term of the proposed issuance being uh 30 years and up to 52 million, which we'll get into

086in a little bit, uh banks don't really have the capacity to take on that type. So, we're recommending to go up to a public market issuance. And in order to issue the bonds, uh we have to go and get uh credit ratings. And so, we're in the process actually just recently got that on on the calendar here today um to go talk with the national credit rating agencies, both Moody's and Scand the school district's um credit profile rated. We're going to be preparing a document called preliminary official statement. Think of that your as your perspectives or offering document that sets forth all the terms and conditions, demographics, financials of the city. And then ultimately when we say competitive market, it's on a daytime concern. We're going to say, you know, bids are due at um

08711:00 a.m. on this date, and we are going to award it to the underwriter that provides the lowest um true interest costs, which we want the sharpest bid and the sharpest day. So we're kind of unbiased has to do both. And so through the combination of both interest rates and fees that go into that calculation of the true that's the benefit of going through the competitive sale. They're bet they're bidding to win the deal. And we we we're going to show some interest rates, but we're not going to know the exact interest rate until actually the day of sale in which they will be blocked then and then fixed by jury. wanted to give the board a brief update on interest rates. So the MMD or municipal market data is the yield curve that tax

088exempt bonds are traded off of and for for better for better at this point uh the what you see here the the green line is a 15-year AAA so that's the highest possible rating. assuming a 5% coupon. Um they get traded at these levels and then the 30 years in that that tan or orange color. And so the good news is is that since we kind of started the the planning process, interest rates are down about half a percent called 45 basis points which is great news which is going to result in direct interest savings u over the life of the loan which will be fairly material. Um there is one set meeting that's going to be occurring between now and the the anticipated pricing date. Um there's an that is when upgrades at those

089meetings, but that really is only affecting the really short end of the curve in years one through five. So kind of baked into the market. I think it'll be the market may react that did not occur. um if that expectation of a 25 basis point did not occur then it might influence the market otherwise there's nothing real um challenging right now however obviously even though the federal government had a shutdown um so some of the job reported data things of that have been delayed as a result and so there is a little bit of the bond market not having those reports come out but overall everything's been very stable the demand for papers there and great are doing it very well especially on a historical basis. So part of the bond issuance process what we're

090asking uh really the public facilities authority to to adopt tomorrow is the parameter which is also kind of embedded with a operation resolution as well. And so within that bottom resolution, it sets forth the basic parameters in which we are going to say, hey, these are the not to exceeds that we can go out and issue the bonds for that will get validated in the court system. And so there's really four main categories. One is interest rate, um, power amount, principal amount, maturity, and maximum service. uh we will have to come back for final approval, but these are kind of the the not to exceed levels that were have been implemented into that bond resolution. And so the not to exceed interest rate or or coupon on the bond. So, um, this is kind of

091getting into bonds math 505, but in the, uh, in the public market, bonds are not sold that far. As opposed to your traditional car, car loan or mortgage, you need a $300,000 loan, you're getting a $300,000 check. Um, in the public market where they people pay discounts or pre based upon that. So, the industry standard coupon, the high coupon right now is 5%. Um and so the yield is much lower than that. So we're recommending a 6% not to exceed parameter which is basically market coupon rate plus to build in that flexibility. The next one is a not to exceed principal amount. Um, we're recommending a $52 million document C of that is basically $35 million of new money and we're allocating that within the bond resolution. Um, the new money piece is 36.5 million

092and then the balance is for the refunding portion if it makes economic sense. Um the reason that we're using 36 and a half even though the estimated cost is 35 million is that you need to have enough dollars be able to procure the closing costs associated with the financing as well as as I mentioned earlier the potential to sell discount bonds. So it's essentially a 5% contingency um that built into new money piece of it. the the refunding piece is basically just the amount that's outstanding plus some contingency as well. How we got to that 50 the not to exceed final maturity is at 33 years. So right now it's a 30 year final maturity technically because we're having a May coupon or May principal payment is like 30 five six months something like 6.

093So the 33 years, while it sounds like it's three years of extra cushion, it's really two years. So if something gets delayed, um something were to happen or we needed an extra pricing go out an extra year for cash flow reasons, really only two years of cushion that we're building into the parameters that would be authorized in that bond resolution. And then lastly is the maximum debt service. So what we did on this one is took your 2014 bonds that are part of the refunding. We said obviously this is the maximum we're going to have on this. We're not going to refinance it. So can't exceed that. And then we shortened the loan down to potentially 15 years at the maximum rate of 6%. So when you add those two together, it got to be

094roughly $5 million. And the reason we do that is that obviously things can happen, market conditions change, um things go haywire that some banks might 15 years might be the only if it has to go shorter than that, we probably would decide to um but this gives us at least the ability to buy us some time u in the event of shortterm turmoil. So that's what we have in terms of the the borrowing framework. Our TIA functions uh again a $35 million project fund closing in December. Um principal starting fiscal year 27 November 26 with the first principal being in May of fear call level year level debt service structure. You guys have seen this number of times. Um, but what you can see here is the estimated debt service over the 30-year period right

095around 2.15 million a year for total cost of just north of 64 million. The all in true interest cost. So that bakes into account all the the closing cost and funers discount total cost is right around 4.35% today's market. And so what you can the top right hand portion of that page that um the par the par that we're anticipating issuing is 34.7 million with about a million dollar of premium being issued. We won't know those rising parameters or factors until we actually receive bids on the day of the sale of the very kind. This next page layers in the aggregate debt service. I think it's a little bit easier geographically. Uh 14 cops, the 2020 SA sale, 20 bonds, the public works, the lightly the new money um on top bring total debt service

096right around four initially across the school district's entire de Again, one of the things that these um back in 2014, the school district issued um certificates of participation, we call them cops for short, through the Georgia Municipal Association. Generally speaking, in order to proceed with a refinancing, the industry standard, net present value savings is 3% of the refunded um our amount. And so right now, we're kind of right at that threshold. Um it's producing just north of $600,000 of debt service savings. Um but it's very just great sensitive that a few basis points change here and there. So something that we want to have the ability to do and it's it's economically feasible take advantage of those. Um but it could be even a sense where you know it is above an industry standard threshold

097but we might decide just to hunt it down and see if market conditions warrant the potential in the future. um moving forward with that. And so what you can see on this page is the existing coupons, principles, and interest payments. In talking with you see the front part of it has five and a quarters and 4.75s. Um those obviously would make sense to pursue. However, in talking with our legal council that in order for us to refinance these bonds because of the original um structure that was been done that all the bonds have to so we can't refinance just a portion of it because of the way that it worked in order to utilize this loss. certain collateral was pledged and so we can't have some bonds that are partially pledged collateral issues from a

098legal structure. And so it's going to be an all ornone refinancing uh for these for these particular fun. So um here's the schedule and I'll turn it back to Dr. room um asking you to as your regular move forward with your authorizing resolution. Tomorrow evening the public facilities authorities will meet and talk with the rating agencies go through the validation process and then um we have some potential dates for a sale prior to Thanksgiving. will need to coordinate with not only you as the governing body to approve the sale leals but also the public facilities authority um following meetings to make sure we come up with an date that's mutually agreeable between both government bodies to actually approve it. The way that the sale typically works is that you have the bonds sold in the

099morning of that day and then we bring the the actual results that evening for approval and and give the formal award following the board meetings and then looking to close uh early December December 9th assuming the schedule stays on track and then I'll turn over to Dr. through the the balance of the operating. >> Um just just really quickly on the interest rates, is there a weighted lended rate that we would actually be looking for if we hit the market? Have we run the calculations on what that number is? >> Certainly in in on the new money side only that all end. >> Actually, I'm mostly interested in the comp side since that has to all be done at once and you've got multiple rates in there. I'm just curious what that might be. I

100don't unfortunately I don't I could get get back to you on that. I don't have the exact number off the top of my head. >> Okay. Yeah, I'd be interested in understanding. >> Thanks. >> Great. Can we look at slide 11? >> Want to make sure I'm reading it correctly. >> So the the blue is the new money or new debt. >> Correct. And then the other colors are existing debt that will simply be rolled into. And then we get to see each year how much we're paying of new debt as in the blue for um first column 2027 and how much of the old debt. And then as we go on to 2044, [Music] well 2047 so in 20 years then all the old debt will be gone. >> Just >> yes summary. Okay.

101Thank you. >> And obviously I think bonds uh if we refinance them they would go away. So that would then >> Yeah. >> And then you would have like a light blue more light blue that would be the refunding. >> Thank you, Doug, for the detailed review of the capital financing approach. In addition to funding the comprehensive capital plan with block funds, the district will also utilize new market tax credit. The new market tax credit is a federal program that incentivizes private investments in economically distressed communities. It provides investors with a federal tax for making equity investments and certified financial intermediary called community development entities referred to as CDE. The CDE then uses capital to finance a wide range of businesses and real estate projects within low income areas. Benefits of the new market tax

102credit include financing 20% of the project at a low interest rate and a debt structure that allows the debt to be forgiven after seven years of compliance which includes timely payments and submission of financial reports. In addition, an additional funding source will be the liquidation of district property. The district is currently assessing all facilities to determine the feasibility of liquidating or repurposing district owned facilities. The ongoing annual operating budget for the new ECLC is modeled after the operation budget of College Heights and is projected at $3.4 billion with the largest portion of the budget at $2.2 million allocated to personnel. The $2.2 $2 million is based on average salary. December's capital improvement and expansion update will be presented by Miss Adena Walker and will focus on staff. $1.2 million of the operational budget is for

103operational costs such as technology, maintenance, and instruction. The operating budget will be funded primarily by tuition and general funds. Additionally, we will accept child care and parent services referred to as CAPS to provide financial assistance to help eligible residents pay for child care expenses. The program ran by right from the start caps children attend early education programs to prepare them for school. We will utilize a graded funding model where one-third of the pay parents will pay full tuition, one-third will be staff and will pay partial tuition and one-third will pay via a third source such as philanthropy, scholarships, sponsorships, and federal programs like CAP. The very last option is a potential mill rate increase after receipt of tuition and taking into consideration the current operational cost and supplement to the Frasier Center. our anticipated fiscal

104impact less than $300,000. The board and community have been provided with various presentations, reports, and information as noted by the check marks on the looking ahead timeline. Upon approval of the resolution at today's board meeting, board legal counsel or c fund council, financial advisor and I will attend the public facilities authority meeting tomorrow evening for final approval of the bond resolution by the PFA. Next month's update will focus on instructional programs. In December, we are scheduled to have the ground breaking ceremony. December's update will focus on human resources and the school principal is scheduled to be hired. Bill and I will be happy to respond to any questions or provide clarification. >> I've got a few um if we can go back to slide 14. So the estimated operating 3.4 million is what? >> No,

105that's for the new >> but that's based on college height. I thought >> based on college height tuition and operating cost. >> Okay. So then like I was looking at I see our timeline to hire a principal for the ECLC but the website also cites sector. So is it really an applesto apples comparison if the new ECLC has staff that college heights doesn't? And then sizewise I don't know the size of college heights. I know the new ECLC is supposed to be 33,000 square ft. I know the new ECLC is also housing seven support staff. I assume the support staff are not rolled into that operating cost or are they? They are not. >> So then back just to the apples to apples college heights to ECLC. Will we get a more detailed breakdown? Because

106already I'm not seeing how the two are comparable >> as far as the staffing. >> Yeah. For the salaries and benefits in particular. >> Yes. Miss >> okay that's good. And then moving to the 1.2 million for technology maintenance and instruction. I'm equally concerned or confused because the new ECLC has two multi-purpose space rooms that college doesn't have. Um the new ECLC has two conference rooms. It has a huddle room. It has a lounge room. It has a work room. It has multiple observation rooms. So, how can they possibly be the same cost? >> It's not the same cost. >> Okay. So, the the 1.2 for test maintenance and instruction is not based on the college height comparison. >> No, it's based on for example the resources that ECLC has. The new center will also

107have, but there may be more. >> Okay. So, then the operating cost for the new ECLC could be more than what's listed in that square. >> We project it to be 1.2 Okay. >> At College Heights, they don't have the observational spaces because the CTA students don't go there. That is that some of the main fundamental differences. >> Oh, no. I assume the existence of the observational rooms were kind of like what we saw in Grand Rapids. I'm just trying to figure out how the new ELC will be 1.2 million and College Heights is 1.2 million. College Heights is not 1.2 million. I'll have to pull the budget for College Heights to get it to you, but it is not 1.2 million. >> Okay. So then how are we landing on 1.2 million for technology

108maintenance and instruction for the new ECLC? >> Based on the needs of the estimated needs of the facility for it, computers will be needed. You know, the instructional maintenance, the operating cost, it will be more because it's a bigger facility. Thank you. You're welcome. >> How much uh of that 3.4 is truly incremental? Right. So Frasier Center moves in there. We're already paying a fair bit for Frasier Center. So So what what is the current amount that we pay for the Frasier Center? And what would the actual incremental operating cost? >> The current amount is about 1 million. >> So So we're actually looking at just a 2, not just it's 2.4, but we're looking at a $2.4 $4 million incremental cost here, >> right? That's why I anticipate the actual fiscal impact to be

109less than 300,000. >> Thank you. >> But if I could go back to the operating funding sources just to be clear, we're estimating or we're planning I believe for 150 students and it's a braided funding model. So 50 will be at no or rather we'll pay nothing, right? 50 will be at least this is my understanding so someone correct me. Um 50 would be no cost to the parent. 50 would be the reduced tuition for the CSD staff and I have questions about that. And then 50 or full paying tuition. Is that correct? >> Correct. >> So we currently have no guarantee. We have some verbal assurances that there are people who want to support the reduced tuition or the full tuition. But right now we don't have do we we don't have check in

110hand. Is that correct? >> No, the facility is not >> not ready. We're not ready to receive a check yet. >> No, I'm sorry. I think I'm not being clear. So the people that are going to be funding the no tuition spots, the people that will be paying for full tuition, we'll get that afterwards. appropriate. We wouldn't get it before the bailing bill, >> but we Okay. So, that is that a a cost that we should at least consider in the event that we don't have the money for the full tuition? >> That that's what the 3.4 estimate is. >> Okay. That's that's tuition built in there. Is that what you're Yeah. It doesn't say how the tuition is coming, whether it's coming from donors or full pay. She doesn't she's not breaking it down

111granularly. She's just saying that is the total. >> So then we're covered for 50 free tuition spots with that. >> She's not I don't think she's saying that either. She's just telling you what the cost is. >> So board members, during our meeting tonight, the item to accept the parameters resolution of the bond in addition to the intergovernmental agreement with the public facilities authority will be recommended. Thank you, Dr. Broom, and thank you, Doug. It is good to see that the projected interest rate is lower than the initial anticipated rate in June. We look forward to the conversation with the bond council during the regular meeting tonight. Um, five minutes. >> Okay. Board will take a brief recess for five minutes and return at 402. We'll now call the meeting back to order at 4:03

112p.m. Uh, Dr. Whitaker, please introduce the next presentation. >> Thank you, Chair Sultan. I would like to call on Mr. Jarvis Adams, chief operations officer, to introduce Mr. James Wilson of Education Planners. Mr. Wilson will present a plan of action for school consolidation and redistricting. >> Good afternoon, board chair Dr. consultant vice chair US team board members and student representative Botra Dr. Whitaker I am Jarvis Adams chief operations officer this afternoon we welcome Mr. James Wilson from educational planners who will present the state required process for school closure including key steps timelines and community engagement requirements please join me in welcome Mr. Wilson support madam chair board members representative Dr. Great. It's a pleasure to be with you. Purpose of my uh presenting to you tonight is to provide an outline of the action plan,

113a review of the timeline for the board and the community engagement and to summarize legal requirements for school closures in preparation for process on December the 9th as milestone. This is our consolidation timeline to families being announced concerning the K2 potential of a closure hearing and feedback process. October the 29th there'll be our first public hearing for stakeholder feedback on consolidation and attendance zone changes. Plans will be posted on the website by October 27th. Education planners will present proposed zones. Board approval post maps on districtwide website. November the 13th, there will be a second public hearing for stakeholder feedback on proposed school consolidation. Board retreat discussion focused on staffing levels and district building utilization planning will be November the 18th. And then December the 9th will be the opportunity to uh finalize zones, approve triggers,

114posting and family communication. It is important to note that in any desire for a school district to establish a revised attendance zone that would be potentially closing a school resulting in the impact of attendance zones. It is important and it's required that you present two plans for the availability of the to the public at least prior to the public hearing in which that will be discussed. It is also a requirement that you have at least two public hearings that and they will be advertised uh to include school to be closed for students to be reassigned and the total number of students to be affected. The guidelines for this really make sure that I as your presenter have an opportunity to share, to learn, to listen and present. So the community would know exactly procedures that

115we're using and all the information that go into the closing or the attendance zoning changes. It is to consider time, distance, the safety of students, the traveling to and from school for the students. Student focus attendance zone modifications are clearly communicated, identify and directly engage impacted stakeholders throughout the process. Our goal, as presented to you earlier, is to make sure that this is a positive public awareness opportunity, learn from the community, and to make sure that all of the feedback that you are receiving that we've discovered, studied, and learned from the community and all the community members that give us the input that will be given the opportunity to do do so and also the staff members. So we make sure that transportation, education, all of the parts that go in a school setting are

116are communicated and carefully discovered and desired to make sure it's done the right way. So you'll see in this slide highlight all potential benefits. Implement effective strategies together with stakeholder feedback. Building a transparency by hosting community forums as we discussed a minute ago and clear communication to to have a strong attempt to make sure that we are not giving out providing misinformation that could be confusing to our crew. That's a quick rundown. The whole process will take several months. We're working with your staff. We we'll do the community meetings. We'll listen. We hope to learn from them. And we try to make good decisions that are based on research and positive feedback. Questions? So, I just um just so that the community is fully aware of what they're going to see over the next couple

117of months. Correct me if I'm if I'm wrong here. We're going to make the announcement that we're that we're looking at this in this letter that's going out in a in a in the 16th or I mean a couple of days here. And then there will be based on the data two recommended options that are not final options but just a starting point for the community to evaluate. And then over the next few months, your team will be meeting with the community, holding these public meetings, taking the feedback based on those plans, and then making the adjustments or changes to those plans based on the community feedback, which will come back to us in a final recommendation for our evaluation. Is that correct? >> Yes, it is. >> Okay. Uh and so what I think

118is important for the community to understand is that the decision has not yet been made that uh what gets posted uh at the end of this month is also not the final plan that it may be adjusted by the community feedback and that we we it is our intent to hear both what the data suggests and the community's feedback to weigh into our decision as we as we go forward. Um, the other thing I was going to ask is how many other districts in the metro area are >> all of every single district is closing schools, right? >> No, I'm sorry. All of them are looking at reduction in attendance. So there was a recent article from the Atlanta Regional Commission that shared that of several years now the enrollment in the metro districts are

119reducing. Everyone is going through some of the aftermath of CO and so we're seeing some reductions. Every district will do what they feel like they need to do according to their numbers and how much they may be growing or declining, but all districts typically at this point in time are looking to see what is best for them. >> Thanks. >> Yeah. Um just feedback on that. So my understanding is um we board members will not be present in those meetings and that is because you're the um expert who will be bringing us the data so we can make the most um objective and informed decisions. >> I'm the facilitator to do just that. Yes. >> So no one should expect to see us nor invite us to go to either of those meetings. Mr. Wilson,

120um are there outside of the meeting, how can community members share their feedback um with that? >> No, no, absolutely. We are sending out a letter uh tomorrow or two for Thursday. I will have the opportunity for them to respond back to me and that's going to the >> And in the event we get emails, are we sending them to you or what's that process? >> You are welcome to send them to me to make it a complete process. And just for clarity in your timeline here, it looks like towards the end of this process, you're going to pull all of this data um including a number of uh data points that you've put together from all of the K to2 schools that we have in the district. Um and then the feedback that you've

121gotten from stakeholders, parents, etc. Um but then feedback that you've gotten from each individual school, right? >> Yes. And then you is it you present that to us. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> We're we're researching and learning now on every one of our schools to learn more about them, their attendance zones, their transportation, all the multiple factors that we want to look at. We're doing some of that research. Could you maybe just explain for folks a little bit about what you're looking for, what you're looking at when you're, you know, looking at these particular schools and what some of the what's going into some of your research and what we can expect when you report back to us. Other than stakeholder feedback, well, there there are several things. First of all, we we look in

122the past number of years to see what the enrollment was and currently is to to see if there is a decline, see if there's growth, take a look at every single year of school. So, first grade to second grade and follow those students to see uh how your growth is or school monitoring, transportation, attendance zones, faculties, all of the factors that make up a good school to see if there's a need for any kind of change. It's a good planning process. It's a good learning process. Having the community involved in giving us their feedback helps us because we're really here to learn and take a look to see if we can provide you as the board and the school district and the superintendent a good plan of action. May I ask one other question because

123Decar is so unique. I mean I know we think it is anyway but I think Buford City Schools is the only real comparable district in size. So I understand a lot of districts are going through this. Are you aware of districts um as small as ours that are going through this? >> I I have really focused most of my time on the metro area >> and the Atlanta Regional Commission that I shared with you before that represents the 11 school districts, county districts, and the three city districts. Uh they are a great great benefit to me and a great resource to me and a great resource to you. We learn a lot of information from them. It's just a resource that we use. You have a company that has done your enrollment forecasting. The data

124that they provide to you. We look at the census data. We're researchbased. We want to learn as much as we can. And so, yes, we we use the ARC. >> And just for clarification, when you say going through this, you mean a decline in enrollment? Yeah, I was referring specifically to the declining enrollment and I think it started with all districts or most >> having to con contend with declining >> and and I may have misspoke a little bit for when asked the question are all districts going through this. They all go through learning about their attendance and forecasting for future enrollments. It's always a process that every district uses. Not all districts are planning on closing schools or anything like that, but but it is a learning process and it's always good to research

125back and then plan forward so you know what you your needs are not next year but five years from now in 10 years. This is just a planning process. So I kind of misspoke. Um, when you when you mention receiving community feedback, uh, I I strongly s uh suspect you're going to hear a lot of community feedback tonight. And so I would just want to make sure that that is also captured and incorporated into uh, this study. >> It's it's a big part of this study. We we really do want to listen and learn. the I've recently been surprised about how expensive it is to just like fix to change and update old school buildings. As we've been talking about the EPLC, how much of your data is about the the different buildings and the

126state they're in and update some of that stuff. It's a great part of it because you can build a new school and then 50 years later you're still using that school. And so school districts have the opportunity with the 1% sales tax, the slots to modernize and update their schools and make sure that the schools that you have are good using their stu good use for their students in their community. Well, board members, we anticipate communicating with families on October 16th as we consider possible school consolidation and redistricting. It is essential that we thoroughly evaluate, just as Mr. Wilson said, "All available information about the city of Decar's current landscape and growth projections, including the impact of developments like Legacy Park." Thank you, Mr. Wilson. I want to reiterate to the public that no decisions

127have been made. The school consolidation plans will be posted on the CSD website by October 27th. The community will have an opportunity to engage with Mr. Wilson on October 29th and November 13th at 6:30 p.m. Dr. Whitaker, um, please introduce the next presentation. >> Thank you, Sheriff Sultan. I would like to call on Mrs. Adena Walker, chief human resources officer, to pro provide a review of the current school aotment guidelines. >> Good afternoon, board chair Dr. consultant, vice chair huts, it senior members of the board, student representative VRA, and superintendent Dr. Jingle Whitaker. Today's presentation will review the FY26 school guidelines, also known as the SAT. The purpose of these guidelines is to establish a clear and transparent process that ensures the equitable distribution of human resources across schools based on student enrollment. While the

128board did not formally approve the FY26 guidelines, the current FY20 did not approve the FY25 guidelines since the current FY26 guidelines were approved last year and have now been integrated into the annual budget calendar. The board will have the opportunity to discuss budget priorities during the November board retreat. Following that discussion, the finalized staffing guidelines will be presented for approval at the December board meeting. The school a lotment guidelines are directly aligned with two of our strategic accelerators. Cultivating and retaining highquality professionals and the process of creating and managing the guidelines fall under organizational effectiveness and excellence. The FY26 school aotment guidelines emphasize school focused efficiencies that strategically reallocate resources to maximize impact on achievement of the district adjusts aotments for the for K2 assistant principles and K2 media clerks while investing in three new

129itinerate K5 student outcome support roles that analyze data, coach and model best practices to strengthen equitable outcomes. In addition, the administrative uh intern position repurposed into an instructional coach at Decar High School, reducing locally funded administrative costs and redirecting resources toward direct instructional support and improved student outcomes. The staffing aotment guidelines codifies schoolbased staffing per building including administrative clerical and instructional support staff, specials and connection teachers and operational staff at each location. Here we present the CSV teacher student ratios for FY25 and FY26 which serve as a reference point when determining local class sizes for FY27. It is important to note that local ratios differ from state ratios in which uh they are used to determine funding allocations. CSB continues to honor smaller class local class sizes. However, we the state's minimum class size requirements

130to fully ensure elig funding eligibility for each grade level. All of this information from the SAG is outlined for principles on their school aotment sheet and is reviewed during the school aotment meetings to inform them of their local staffing allocations. In addition, we also include the operational per people amount within the the school a lotment guidelines to ensure transparency and equitable allocation of funds across all schools. So here are the next steps in staffing allocations. In November 2025, during the board retreat, the board will receive a first draft redline version of the FY27 school aotment guidelines to review and provide feedback as we prepare for stacking allocations for the 2027 school year. The outcome of this retreat discussion will establish clear budget priorities and preparations for final approval at the December board meeting. We recognize

131the potential decommissioning of a school is under cons uh consideration and we will honor the board's commitment to ensuring that human resources will follow students accordingly. We also acknowledge that some specialized positions may not directly align with comparable roles. However, a clear and transparent process will be communicated and managed throughout this transition. Also during the board retreat, we will look at the first we will look at the first look of compensation for FY27, which will include CSB's total compensation benchmarks with other metro area districts. It is also an opportunity to take a closer look at additional specific job scales scales particularly for those job categories we have not yet reviewed to assess where we rank competitively and identify any areas that may need adjustment. In December, the board will approve the final draft of the

132FY27 school aotment guidelines. Also during this month, principles will start official conversations with staff not meeting performance expectations for possible non-renewals or continued feedback sessions. in January of 2026, during the the week following the holiday break, the district will distribute intent to return surveys to staff, providing school and department leaders with valuable insights for assessing overall staffing needs. Once the survey closes, the district will analyze the data to identify and address any staffing imbalances across the district. Between January 21st and the 28th, each principal will receive their projected staffing allocations for FY27 during their staffing allocation meetings. In addition to principles, key division leaders including representatives from HR, finance, teaching and learning, and special education will be present to ensure a clear understanding of each school's allocation for every program. Please keep in mind that

133principles always have the flexibility to to staff in ways that meet their school's unique needs as long as they remain within the provided staffing allotment. During the last week of January, the FY27 employment contract will be issued with a two-week return window scheduled to conclude just before the winter break. In February of 2026, the surplus and hiring cycle begins as principles assess their staffing needs to ensure schools are fully staffed at the start of the new year. To reiterate from a human resources perspective, staff will follow students through this process. If there are any surplus staff, then they will replace or offer offer opportunities uh prior to considering any other internal transfer request. In March, the internal transfer hiring uh cycle begins and we will it will continue through April. Staff who plan to resign

134or retire may go ahead and submit their intentions to their supervisor for timely processing before the end of the year. Lastly, HR will ensure that staffing timelines and processing the district policy are comm clearly communicated to ensure affected staff are supported throughout this transition. Thank you. And at this time, I am available to answer any questions you may have. Can I clarify too allocation is different from position. I think you talked about this James when you were on the SLT. So that the principal and the SLT then would be looking at how to use that beyond whatever is like legally required. >> Absolutely. Yes. So every every uh position is is allocated on the sheet >> and then I'm sorry I always get confused about this on 54 the ratio so you know 23 to1

135for K through2 or um 25 to1 for 4 through five >> is that the ratio that the state funds >> no that is our local classified. So, the face uh ratios are different. They are a little smaller, but we try to make sure that we're still over and above the max that safe at classroom. >> Wait, so the state might then say 9 through 12 could be 32, but we're saying 28. >> Okay. Thank you. That's I'll just throw out there that I thank you for including that a lot in I think your January and February SLT meetings at your schools are really important meetings to go to to discuss with principles. I mean that's where I found out we could hire a full-time PE teacher versus a full-time Spanish teacher. It's a really important

136part of being indicator. All right. So board members, the school a lotment guideline brings clarity and transparency to the school allocation. It also ensures the human resources follow the children. Just as Mrs. Walker stated, with the potential consolidation, it is more critical that the board uh not only knows what is allocated, but that you also approve it. Thank you, Mrs. Walker. I agree. This school aotment guideline is a transparency tool. I look forward to the discussion at our board retreat on November 18th regarding next year's guidelines. Dr. Whitaker, please introduce the next presentation. Sheriff Sultan, I would like to call on Mrs. Amanda Lynch, chief of staff to discuss three policies for first read. >> Good afternoon, board chair Dr. Sultan, vice chairs, esteemed members of the board, student representative Botra, and superintendent Dr. Laker.

137Today we have three policies on the agenda for work session. These are JCDAS use of electronic devices by students, FD facilities long range planning and SDB long range needs determination. Policies presented in work session are being presented for first read. If approved for first read, they will be available for public comment through assembly. Stakeholders can access any policies open for public comment on the right hand side of the assembly homepage. Assembly is also linked on our CSC website under the board. First, we will discuss policy JCD use of electronic devices by students. As shared last month, this policy must be adopted to meet the requirements of House Bill 340, also known as the Distractionfree Education Act. This legislation requires local boards of education to enact a policy that prohibits bell-to-bell access to personal electronic devices

138for students in grades K through 8. Policy is required to be in place by January 1st, 2026 and must go into effect by July 1st, 2020. Based on the discussion last month, the version of the policy being presented tonight is nearly the same as the Georgia School Board Association sample policy reviewed Language such as progressive consequences while discussed by the board remains because it was consistent with the language in house bill 340 itself. The draft policy has already been shared with various advisory groups including the superintendent student advisory councils for input as well. A few minor adjustments have been made based on this feedback such as specifically adding smart glasses as one of the named personal electronic devices. This was a suggestion made by one of our students. May I read the recommendation, please? The

139recommendation being made is that City Schools of Deater Board of Education accept policy JC DAFF, use of electronic devices by students for first read. >> I have a motion to approve the recommendation of policy JD AF, use of electronic devices by students for first read. So move. >> Member Johnson Davis makes the motion. Is there a second? Second. board member ut seconds the motion. Is there any discussion? Uh >> I did want to just make it clear while the law requires K to8 we actually do have policies in place independent of that from 9 to 12. >> We don't have a policy right now but we have practices and procedures in place for our 912 students whereby they are not accessing their personal electronic devices during the instructional period. >> Understood. Yeah, thanks for clarifying

140my language. that we are actually going beyond where the state law is and and we have something in place for all of our students >> not at the policy level but again at the practice level at the high school. Yes. >> Thank you. >> Can I just ask one question? So I noticed it says use of electronic devices and it's only because I was listening to NPR this morning and just technology in the classroom for the last 10 years. So we are not making up the title of that policy JCT. Correct. All the policy names actually come from the GSBA policy codes. >> Okay, I'll leave it be for now. Thank you. >> Any further discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor? >> Chair votes I. Any opposed? >> The motion carries unanimously. >> Next

141is policy SD, facilities long range planning. During last month's pre-work session, you discussed what you would like to see included in a draft policy based on an environmental scan of other districts policies. This draft for first read indicates that a local comprehensive facilities plan will be maintained in accordance with the Georgia DOE rules and regulations and requires a facilities condition assessment report to inform the facility's long range plan. And based on this board's request, it codifies into policy an annual capital update to the board of education. May I read the recommendation? >> Yes, please. The recommendation being made is that city schools Decator Board of Education accept policy FD, facilities long range planning for first three. I have a motion to approve the recommendation of policy FD, facilities long range planning for first three. >>

142So move member makes a motion. Is there a second? >> Board member Anderson seconds the motion. Is there any discussion? >> No, I don't mind. So, I know we're putting this in policy, but doesn't Georgia DOE already require school districts to have a five-year facilities plan? >> They do. So, it's it's just citing that. That was common language when we did the environmental scam. >> Okay. Any further discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor? >> Chair votes I. Any opposed? The motion carries unanimously. Finally is policy SDB, long range needs determination. Like policy FD, this policy has been drafted based on the board discussion in pre-work last month and environmental scan of policies of other Georgia school districts. It recognizes the board's commitment to highquality facilities, community schools, and responsible stewardship of public resources. It

143authorizes the review of current data to project facility needs and allows the use of external sources subject to purchasing policies. It indicates the superintendent should consider student population trends as part of long range needs determination in alignment with OCGA 20-2-260. It requires a minimum of two public hearings in the case of school closures or consolidation. Finally, it lists emergency closings on a temporary basis as an exception to the policy. May I read the recommendation? >> Yes, please. >> The recommendation being made is that City Schools Decator Board of Education accept policy FDB, long range needs determination for first read. >> I have a motion to approve the recommendation of policy FDB, long range needs determination for first read. board member seconds a motion. Is there any discussion? >> This policy internally references another policy PJ.

144When did we approve that? >> When did we what >> when did we where's that one from? That was >> so that's a purchasing policy that actually came through the legal review. They said to make sure that we cited it in um in accordance with that because it speaks about the superintendent being able to contract for the use of consulting services. >> Okay. >> The year was it accept the year we adopted it? I'm not sure off the top of my head. >> Okay. >> 24 >> 2024 23 24. It was one of the first financial policies that were adopted because there weren't the uh parameters in place of what should be one uh you know go out for RFP versus what should go out for multiple bids versus close versus none. So it's the

145what I call the red yellow green policy. Any further discussion hearing? None. All those in favor? Chair votes I. Any opposed? The motion carries unanimously. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mrs. Lynch. We encourage the public to review the policy, the policies posted on assembly. There being no further business, this work session is adjourned at 4:37 p.m. We will recess and return. Y and return at 5 p.m. We will now call this meeting to order at 5:00. We ask that you silence all cell phones at this time. We will begin with a moment of silence followed by the pledge of allegiance. At this time I ask that everyone join me in a brief moment moment of silent reflection. Thank you. Now I ask all who are able to please stand for the pledge of allegiance. [Music]

146I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Our mission is to inspire and enable student growth through meaningful and educ and engaging learning experiences supported by highly qualified and caring educators in a safe and inviting environment. Board members, are there any revisions to the agenda this me this evening? Do I have a motion to approve the agenda? >> So moved. Board member Johnson Davis makes the motion. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Uh board member Hernands the motion. Is there any discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor? >> I chair >> votes I. Any opposed? The motion carries unanimously. Our next agenda item is the approval of the minutes from previous

147board meetings. Do I have a motion to approve September's regular board meeting minutes? So move. >> Board member US makes a motion. Is there a second? >> Second. Board >> member Hearnen seconds the motion. Is there any discussion? All those in favor? I chair votes I. Any opposed? The motion carries unanimously. Dr. Whitaker, I see we have some people who have joined us. Do we have any recognitions tonight? >> Yes, chair. Recognitions. I would like to call upon deputy superintendent Karen Newton Scott. >> Thank you, board chair Sulten, Vice Chairs, esteemed members of the board, student representative Vatra, and Superintendent Dr. Whitaker. This evening, I'm honored to present four recognitions highlighting the achievements of Decar High School and Beac Middle School. As we honor each group, please refrain from taking your seats. Instead, we'd like

148for you to stage along the wall to my left and your right for a photo opportunity with our board members. We will begin recognizing a group of students whose academic achievement places them among the top scholars in the nation. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation has announced the names of more than 16,000 semi- finalists in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program. We are proud to celebrate eight Decar High School seniors who have earned this prestigious distinction. I will do my best not to mess up anyone's name, but if I do, please forgive me. All right, Leora Houston, please come up front. is Adora Rosnik Striker. [Applause] Una Shuy Bam [Applause] Jack Cannon [Applause] Bane Sedor [Applause] Derald Winkler [Applause] So, [Applause] Ellen Polus Noba. [Applause] These academically talented students now advance in the competition for nearly

149$26 million in scholarships to be awarded in the spring of 2026. Their accomplishment reflects the academic excellence, hard work, and dedication found throughout Decar High School. Please join me in join me congratulating our national merit and define We now celebrate our students who have been selected for the Georgia Governor's Honors Program, one of the most prestigious educational opportunities in the state. The Governor's Honors Program is a statef funded summer residential program for Georgia's most talented sophomores and juniors. It provides advanced instruction and enrichment designed to prepare students to become the next generation of innovators and leaders. This year, several Decar High School students were invited to the 2025 program at Georgia Southern University. Our students represented areas such as social studies, agricultural science, engineering, vocal music, mathematics, and computer science. These students represent educator with

150curiosity, creativity, and leadership. Embodying our district's vision of developing global thinkers and problem solvers. First up for recognition is our very own board student representative Leah Fra's [Applause] nomination area is in Up next we have Maze Downey. [Applause] Today's nomination area is agricultural science. Next we have Astred Joyce, Nila Martinez Garrison. Bane adore. Bane's nomination area is mathematics. And last but not least, Benjamin Taylor. [Applause] Benjamin's nomination area is complete. Let's congratulate our governor's honors program finalist. [Applause] Our final Decar High School recognition highlights a student whose leadership in STEM and career and technical education exemplifies excellence beyond the classroom. Anika is a standout member of our first robotics competition team. She's been selected to serve as a career and technical student organization officer, a statewide leadership position recognizing her commitment to STEM education and

151student empowerment. In addition, she was also recently named the first steam list semi- finalist, an honor that highlights her leadership, innovation, expertise. Leica's accomplishment exemplifies a spirit of collaboration and that strive to foster that we strive to foster all in. Please join me in congrat exceptional leadership and achievement in STEM. [Applause] Now for Beacon Hill, I'd like to invite our interim principal, Alexis Grin, to the front at Beacon Hill Middle School. at Beacon Hill Middle School. Miss Char Miller King, now in her second year, has built a dynamic projectbased learning environment that has sparked tremendous student engagement and enrollment. In partnership with Carheart, Miss Miller King and her students recently produced a commercial showcasing the real world skills, creativity, and collaboration taking place in her classroom. Let's pause to watch 1 minute and 15 seconds

152of her video. office. [Music] This is one shot made possible by me. >> I the best shot possible and that's teaching the next generation. Actually the first man to reach out to me and they sent me and my mind they saw something in me they could see my [Music] 15% of women in the skill trade in 2025 let alone women of color. when you go into a wood shop, you don't expect to be a black woman. But I've always felt like I operate differently in the world. I understand and in your mind I'm here to serve whoever I'm teaching that create [Music] a future where you gain your confidence in what other love for people like me I This video stands as a powerful testament to M Miss Miller King's professionalism, innovation, and commitment to

153preparing the next generation. ation of builders and problem solvers. Her work beautifully reflects our vision that every student is seen, supported, and successful at Beacon Hill Middle School. Let's celebrate Miss Miller King for her outstanding contributions to teaching and learning and Dr. Whitaker joined City Schools of Decator in 2023. He introduced a powerful analogy. PSD is a gem. He noted that just like a gym, City Schools of Decator is a rare and remarkable find. Its brilliance comes not just from its location, but from the people who shape it. the dedicated staff, educators, administrators, and families who bring purpose, passion, and pride to serving more than 5,000 students each state. Because of the commitment of the people, CSC continues to rank among Georgia's highest performing districts, consistently exceeding state and national averages. Tonight, we proudly, happily,

154joyfully honor some of our brightest gems, teachers who impact whose impact on student learning is both measurable and profound. The level four gym award recognizes educators whose students achieve the highest levels of academic growth in one year. Level four student growth percentile teachers must meet two benchmarks. First, at least 90% of the teachers students demonstrate expected or high growth on the milestone assessment. Secondly, at least 50% of the teachers students demonstrate high growth on the milestone assessment. I'd like to invite Dr. Whitaker to join me. There she is in presenting this year's awards to our six recipients from FA Chis Street and Beacon Hills Middle School. First up is Vanessa Williams representing Fifth Avenue Upper Elementary School. Next we have Ashley Foreman representing Tally Upper Elementary School. Sally Gerard from Sally Elementary School. Jessica Morgan

155also tally a [Applause] Johnny play around strong [Applause] Beacon Hill Middle [Applause] has been lucky to have all six of you as exceptional teachers in CSD and we celebrate your commitment to growing students above and beyond. Join me in celebrating our level four gem award educators. Together, all these recognitions represent very best of what it means to be all indicators. Students who strive for excellence, educators who inspire it in a community that supports learning at every level. Board members, please join us up front to congratulate our honores and to take an opportunity for pictures. Family members, if you want to grab a shot, please do so as well. Principal, please make sure you join your teachers the photo as well. Thank you so much. Good one. Thank you. Congratulations. [Applause] Congratulations. >> Congratulate Congratulations. >>

156Yes, congratulations. All right. Now we got Yom. Congratulations [Applause] here. might give There we go. >> Thank you. Congratulations. Thank you, Miss Newton Scott. Dr. Whitaker, do you have a superintendent report? >> Yes, Chair S. Good evening, CSD. Over the last two weeks, it was wonderful to witness the participation of all schools in our Decar High School Bulldog Homecoming festivities, as well as CSB Reads week and the kickoff of learning disabilities and dyslexia awareness month. A special thank you to our volunteers, including board members Dr. Sultan and Dr. Johnson Davis, whose time and participation helped make these events successful. We are also pleased that the Wallace Foundation selected Beacon Hill Middle School for a professional learning experience as a part of its equity centered pipeline initiative, otherwise known as ECPI. The initiatives convened education leaders,

157representatives from state education agencies, and technical assistant providers from across the nation to enhance leadership and support for students worldwide. During their visit to Beacon Hill, Wallace's ECPI participants heard firsthand accounts from students about how their involvement in clubs like YOE and Gent positively influenced their academic and personal growth. Thank you to interim principal Alexis Glenn and the Beacon Hill Middle School students for welcoming the Wallace's Foundation's ECPI and for their dedication to equity and inclusion. DSC was also represented at the evening event at the high museum where representatives participated in ECPI roundt discussions on various topics along with their fellows educational leaders the representatives from state agencies and technical assistant providers across the nation were participating. I was a featured speaker and roundt facilitator. Additionally, Amanda Lynch, chief of staff, Eston Melton, chief of

158safety and technology services, Alexis Glenn, interim principal from Beacon Hill Middle School, and Billy Heaton, principal of Tally Street Elementary were selected to facilitate as round the facilitate the roundt discussions. At this time, Deputy Superintendent Karen Newton Scott will present the 2025 graduation rates and other postsecary rated readiness data for students. >> Good evening again, board chair Dr. Soulton, vice chair, members of the board, and student representative Vatra, as well as superintendent Dr. Whitaker. Today, I'm pleased to share highlights from our 2025 graduation rate and updates on PSAT and SAT NCSD. All of this work reflects the continued commitment of our educators, students, and families to ensure that every student in City Schools of Decator graduates and is prepared for the future. CSD four-year graduate graduation rate rose again this year, reaching 96.04% up from

15995.25% in 2024 and 94.05% in 2023. The 5-year rate also remains exceptionally strong at 96.82% 82% demonstrating that every student who begins high school indicator completes their diploma whether on time or within an additional year. This steady upward trend reinforces the strength of our instructional systems, student support and postsecary readiness initiative. The data also show meaningful progress across nearly every student group. The percentage of black students increased from 89.19% in 2024 to 93.52% in 2025. A rise of over four percentage points and the highest rate in three years. Economically disadvantaged students demonstrated significant gains, increasing from 84.52% to 89.71% last year and a notable rise from 76.9% in 2023. Students with disabilities demonstrated one of the largest multi-year improvements, climbing to 92.16% from 80% in 2024 and 79.5% in 2023. These are extraordinary gains that

160reflect targeted support, inclusive practices, and a collective effort to ensure equity and outcomes. Our white and most multi-racial student groups continue to perform at high levels, maintaining rates above 97%. The few subgroups not reported are due to small cohort sizes which prevent public reporting but do not diminish the importance of those students experiences and successes. Graduation is one indicator of student success, but not the only one. CSD, PSAT, and SAT data show continued strong performance relative to state averages. Last fall, our students exceeded the state average by more than 100 points with gains in both reading and math. The CSC composite score increased from 1041 to 1056, continuing a strong trend and college readiness. This marks a significant milestone for our district because for the first time this year, all eighth graders in addition to

161all 10th graders will take the PSAT. This early exposure students to become familiar with the test format, understand their strengths, and set goals for growth well before graduation. We look forward to sharing those outcomes as soon as they become available. Students will be administered the PSAT this month. Students progress through high school. Those early efforts are reflected in our SAT results. City Schools of Decar students continue to outperform the state by more than 150 points overall. Our total mean score increased from 1147 in 2023 to 1198 in 2025 with steady growth in both reading and math. While the state averages have remained relatively stable, Decator's consistent gain demonstrate the strength of our instruction, our commitment to college readiness, and the impact of providing students with access and practice early on. Together, these results tell a

162powerful story on a preparation, opportunity, and belief in every student's potential to achieve at the highest level. As we examine our SAT results more closely, this chart illustrates how our scores are distributed by student groups. Overall, our district mean score again was 1198 with strong performance across all groups. Students identifying as Asian and those who did not report race earned the highest averages followed by white and multi-racial students. We also see areas where we need to continue focusing our support particularly for our black and Hispanic students. These differences remind us why our equity work matters and why it's important that every student has access to the same level of challenge, encouragement, and preparation. To address these differences, we are now offering SAT prep during the school day in partnership with Apple Services. All students enrolled

163in our one goal class received this prep as well as other eighth graders who elected to take the class. We have a total of 120 120 students who received this service as part of their school programming. By examining data in these ways, we can celebrate our progress while remaining focused on ensuring that all students are ready and competent for college and beyond. Thank you, Mrs. Newton Scott, for highlighting student success in all areas. We are excited about the progress of all of our students, particularly the growth made by our subgroups, including our black students and students with disabilities. This year, we're thrilled to expand our programming for students with disabilities. Last Friday, we proudly welcomed two founding partners to our career academy for an enterprise launch. By collaborating with Red Velvet and Joyful Jara, we

164will provide career tech opportunities tailored specifically for our students with developmental disabilities. In addition to academic growth, we're celebrating the achievement of Beacon Hill Middle School student Milo Shoemaker, whose artwork was one of the few to win an honorable mention at the 2025 2026 Georgia Artists with Disabilities Exhibition. His artwork will be a part of an exhibition statewide tour through 2026. This month, we will host CSD's inaugural transitions fair on Thursday, October the 16th at 5:00 p.m. This is just next door at the Epster Recreation Center located at 105 Electric Avenue, Decar, Georgia. In partnership with the broader community, the fair aims to support students with disabilities and their families in preparing for a transition to life after high school. Various vendors will provide resources and postsecary education, job training, independent living assistance, or recreational

165opportunities. These initiatives represent CSD's efforts to further support all students from cradle to career. While we continue to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month in October, we also recognize breast cancer awareness month, National Bullying Prevention Month, and the history and achievements of LGBTQ plus community. Additionally, this month we celebrate our principles for their outstanding leadership in engaging learning environments that promote student success. Before I conclude, I'd like to circle back and thank board member James H. Hearning for serving as one of the volunteers during CSD reads week. We certainly appreciate your time and and participation. Lastly, I invite all stakeholders to save the date for my final seasonal superintendent listening session, which will be held virtually on October the 16th from 11:30 to 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. We would like to remind families about the

166upcoming CSD remote digital learning day on Tuesday, November 4th. CSD is committed to ensuring that all staff members have the opportunity to participate in civic engagement. In addition to fostering civic engagement and enhancing students digital lit learning skills, staff will have the dedicated time for training and professional development. Shar Sultan, that completes my report. >> Thank you. On behalf of the board, thank you for joining us in person and virtually to learn about the progress we are making towards achieving our strategic goals of positively impacting outcomes for all students. I want to begin by commending Superintendent Whitaker and the administration on this successful state of the schools address last Friday. We're excited about the gains and student achievement made within the past two years, particularly for our subgroup groups, including black students and students with

167disabilities. As a board, we continue to fully acknowledge that there are still many areas for growth within our district. However, we feel confident that we are moving in the right direction. Congratulations are also in order for the board of education on our recent recognition as a quality board for the 2020 for 2025 by the Georgia School Boards Association's board of directors. The quality board designation acknowledges excellence in school boards that meet GSVA's core standards of governance, ensuring strong oversight, accountability, and continuous improvement for the district. During today's pre-work session, we continued our book study of modern-day strategies for community engagement. Our work session consisted of six presentations. It began with a review of the of the draft 2026 legislative priorities. There was also an update on MTFS and dyslexia which included an overview of the

168processes, interventions, and results of the 2024 2025 star literacy screening. Literacy is a key focus area of the strategic plan. So, it was good to hear about all we have are proactively and preventatively identifying students with greater precision and providing support before failure occurs. We will continue to monitor this area closely. This was followed by an update on the partnership with the University of Virginia's partnership and leaders in education which has been instrumental in helping our district and school leaders design and implement systems that have led to the impressive growth in our students. We are excited to hear even more feedback from the leaders and teachers as we continue to support the important leadership develop that the UVA partnership provides. We then received a financial update on the new early childhood learning center and Decatur

169High School expansion, providing a comprehensive overview of several key areas, including the budgeting and operating approach, financing timeline, potential refinancing opportunities, and projected operating expenses. As I mentioned during the presentation, it is good to see that the projected interest rate is lower than the initial anticipated rate in June. As the board works to meet the current and future needs of early learning for children ages 0 to three, we are also analyzing enrollment trends for our K to2 schools. Georgia has seen either stagnant or declining birth rates, yet Decator stable population of young families indicates a current and future demand for early childhood education. Today, CSD has 1,300 eligible children throughout the city in the 0ero to3 age range with about 326 combined slots as of August 12th available between one school which is college height

170and one program the Frasier Center which is housed Educator High School. In contrast, various factors have led to a decline in the K to2 public education enrollment within CSD across the state and nationally. Presently, there are approximately 800 children in the K to2 age group in CSD distributed amongst five schools. In the spring of 2025, the board committed to reviewing our K to2 footprint which is overindexed and the zero to three area which we lack sufficient space. Education planners presented a timeline for the first time during the next during the next presentation along with a comprehensive overview of the school closure and redistricting process. I want to reemphasize that this presentation sparked an initial conversation amongst the board regarding this process. The board did not make any decisions and no action was taken. We deeply

171understand the challenges and impact that a school utilization process along with the potential for a school closure can have on our school communities, especially in a city the size of Decar. As a board the community of our commitment to transparency throughout this process by providing several opportunities for public engagement as it unfolds. Education planners will post some preliminary options on the city schools of Decator website by October 27th in advance of the first opportunity for public feedback at a public hearing scheduled for October 29th at 6:30 at Beacon Hill Middle School. Our third party consultant education planners will conduct the meeting and we look forward to receiving their reports on the feedback from our stakeholders. Although it has been publicly stated several times, I also want to reiterate that a cost analysis for retrofitting an

172existing K to2 school to meet the 0ero to3 enrollment demand determined that it would cost less to build a new facility given the age of our schools and the limitations of of brick and cinder block construction. The final work session presentation was an overview of the school aotment guidelines which will be essential in our preparation for next year's budget. We also reviewed policies on the use of electronic devices by students in grades K to8 in response to the legislaturator's passing passing of House Bill 340 and on long range planning facilities. All the presentations are available in assembly. Today's board recognitions included eight Decatur High School seniors who have earned the prestigious designation of National Merit Scholarship semi-finalist as well as six recipients of the governor's honors award. Additionally, Dr. Whitaker presented the first gym award

173to six educators. Level four student growth percentile teachers must meet two benchmarks. First, at least 90% of the teacher students demonstrated expected or high growth on the milestone assessment. And secondly, it's at least 50% of the teacher students demonstrated high growth on milestone assessments. Congratulations to all students and staff for your achievement and for exemplifying the excellence of CMT. Finally, I want to assure the community that the board is acutely aware that we are living in uncertain times and the very personal impact on our schools, families, and communities. As we continue to navigate this together, we are committed to supporting the needs of our students while maintaining the financial sustainability and operational efficiency of our school district. This concludes my remarks for this evening. Board members, do you have any thoughts? I'd like to get

174clarification on a number. I heard that we have 1300 to four year olds. Is that correct? >> Yes. Do we know the um ages by grouping? >> So it's not a static number, right? >> Anybody else? >> I mean I the the basic answer to that question is about 250, right? I mean when I came up with my my first projected uh estimates, it was based on that because that's similar to what it is day two. The precise numbers we do not have, but it will be ballpark in those. So, is it your number we're using? >> No, the 1300 was a census based number. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Yeah. >> Um, on another note, I had the privilege of reading uh two classes at Claremont Elementary uh during Georgia Reed's week and I

175was invited on pajama day and had a great time. So, thank you for the invitation. It was a lot of fun. >> Where did you go? >> Dallas Street, baby. I went to College Heights. >> It was fun. >> Boy, you should come to College Heights. >> Anybody else? >> All righty. Okay, moving on. Dr. Whitaker, please introduce the next item. >> Thank you, Chair Sultan. I would like to call on Dr. Lonita Broom, chief financial officer and bond council, Terry Finister of Murray Barnes Law Group to discuss the intergovernmental agreement with the city of Decar public facilities authority and the bond resolution. Miss Sinister has specialized in public finance law since 1990 and has worked with the city schools of Decatur as bond council since 2010. She began her public finance practice with Southerntherland

176Ashfield and Greenman now where she remained she remained until 2004. She then joined her current partners and became a partner at the firm of Murray Barnes Simsters LLP. Her practice primarily involves financing for state and local government and nonprofit issues. She represents governmental issues, investment banks and conduct borrowers as bond council and underwriting council and a variety of tax exempt financing for public infrastructure, healthcare, higher education, transportation, and public private partnership projects. Miss Finister graduated from Emery University with a bachelor in business administration. She passed the certified public accountancy exam and received her MA in taxation from Georgia State University. Miss Sister received her JD with distinction from Emery University and is a member of the state bar of Georgia and various fun counsel. I present to some and introduce the other son council, Miss

177Terry. I don't think I've ever been introduced like that before. Good evening, members of the board, superintendent, and um the representative. Nice to be with you this evening. Um the purpose for me being here tonight is to review u the intergovernmental agreement of sale that is before you tonight to be approved pursuant to the resolution that has been posted. The intergovernmental agreement of sale is the intergovernmental contract between city schools of Decar and the public facilities authority of Decar to back the bonds that will be considered by the public facilities authority of Decatur tomorrow evening. This contract in essence pledges the full faith and credit of the city schools of Decator up to 25 mills to pay these bonds as they become due. However, the school district can use any other lawful source of funds

178that it has to make those payments, including SWAT, special purpose local option sales tax, which is what I think is intended. This contract would run for the term of the bond issue, which is expected to be 30 years. Um, as presented in the work session, the not to exceed amount of the bonds. My glass is on. Not to exceed amount of the bonds um to be approved is $52 million. 36.5 million of which is allocated to ECLC and the Decator High School renovation and the remainder to the potential refinancing of the school systems 2014 certificates of participation. That decision will be made much closer to pricing to see where the interest where the market is and where interest rates are. Um again, these are parameters. The actual final numbers will be determined at the time

179of financing which is scheduled to be sometime in November. This contract also governs the operation of those facilities. The the improvements at the Decatur High School and ECLC. In effect, what it does is put all operational uh obligations on DA on City Schools of Decar, which would be the same as if you owned it outright. um the public facilities authority is acting purely as a conduit in order to finance this transactions for you in order to provide the backing that's required to sell the bond. So for example, the school system will be responsible for repairs, operations, maintenance, insurance um and will also be asked to indemnify the public facility authority for anything that happens at the project which is very standard. Um the events of default under the intergovernmental contract include you know failure to

180make a contract payment sufficient to take bonds certain covenants which are the operational covenants which are routine and then bankruptcy which you can't file in Georgia but it's a routine event of default to be included in these bond documents. If there were an event of default, which we don't expect, um the bond cannot be accelerated. The PFA could enforce a contractual rights for you to make the payment on the bond. Um attached to that document, the intergovernmental agreement of sales, attached to your resolution this evening. In addition, what's presented at the meeting, which I think was also in your package, are some ancillary documents which go along with the bond issue and they will be brought back in final form to be ratified when you meet again once the pricing is received. And those are

181the offering documents which are still the continuing disclosure certificate which obligates the school system to provide ongoing disclosure about itself during the life of the bond issue which is required by by law. and then an agreement with a paying agent and custodian that will hold the project fund money fun money fun money fun money fun money fun money fun money fun money funding unless the bonds are sold but those are all very routine and the uh forms that were presented in the packages tonight do have some blanks in those and those are the routine blanks that will be finalized once we try this bond and we have that final data and I'm happy to answer so including in the documentation we saw in the previous present presentation today a number of uh type parameters around

182uh maximum payment I think it was $5 million maximum interest rate I think that was around 6% all of that is delineated in these documents as well >> it is and it is set the the binding those binding provisions are in the bond resolution because that governs the terms of the bonds which the TFA will be reviewing for adoption tomorrow evening but yes >> do we do we know when we get the um ratings agencies perspective. When when is the anticipated date for that? I don't mean to put you on the spot because I'm happy in your lane. I'm just on schedule. >> It was on Doug schedule. >> We can follow up and get >> I think it's early November. >> Okay. Basically, >> can I just confirm one thing? So, um I know

183that I am understanding this correctly. this um fund that would help fund the capital plan that includes the ETLC is the first domino, the auxiliary gym is the second and the black box includes a contract that is 22 million as the maximum price for the east. Is that correct? >> My understanding is that's the maximum price and then the parameters that were developed by Mr. Jeff Hart incorporated that information. Yes. But is there a maximum price for the auxiliary gym and the black box? >> Not yet. No. >> Is the question of the rating agency discussions will take place the week of October the 27th. >> Thank you. >> May I read the recommendation? Yes, please. It is recommended that the city schools of Decar Board of Education approve an intergovernmental agreement of sale between

184the city schools of Decar Board of Education and the City of Decar public facilities authority for the sale relating to the issuance of City of Decar public facilities revenue bond series 2025. Do I have a motion to approve the intergovernmental agreement of sale between the city schools of Decar Board of Education and the City of Decatur Public Facilities Authority for the sale relating to the issuance of City of Decar public facilities revenue bonds series 2025? >> So move member US makes a motion. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Board member Johnson Davis seconds the motion. Is there any discussion? >> Yes. I'd like to say a few things. Um, one, I would like to thank everyone who has emailed, attended community meetings, and come to past sessions for this. Um, your input is valuable

185to me. Uh, I do find this process confusing and concerning. Um, on our website, we have the 2017 release that specifically states BSD intends to use the property, the very property we're referring to for an early childhood center if College Heights is needed as an elementary school. And during the same meeting, we are discussing the declining enrollment and here that may facilitate changes in our district. This same release also discusses the purchase of the houses that we may also liquidate to pay for this building. And speaking of a building, and I'm sorry, I should not have to say nor should any person living here that we support early learning. That's understood. But we told people that we were building an ECLC for 9 months. But what we're really doing is building a building with 12

186ELC classrooms and 16 offices rooms, which I might agree with philosophically, but I'd love to know how they'll be used regularly. And then we have two conference spaces, a huddle room, a lounge, and a workspace. And if we're looking at $22 million for $33,000 square ft, that's $611 a square foot and interest. And so I would like to have seen something that I think one board member mentioned in August input after the design. I am terrified that we're spending this amount of money when we could possibly modify this to save some dollars, save some of the green space that the community wants and possibly have other options. And then the first thing and then I do want to be clear if we're investing in early learning. Right now we have six jobs opening. the most

187number for early learning. And I brought this up and then I looked at our contract for the custodians last month, the one we approved. And I believe daily custodians make $2250 an hour. And I believe our early learning providers, our current early learning providers have to work 13 years to make that hourly rate wage. While I am grateful that we have put early learning as one of our legislative priorities, if we are saying we're investing in early learning, it's like the questions I asked about operating costs. I told people when I ran for this seat that I would ask questions and I will continue to do so. So, I support every manifestation of early learning possible as long as we are also being financially responsible. Thank you for letting me speak. I you get elected

188indicator, you care about education and you care about equity and you hear statements like we care about early childhood learning. There are 550 households own government sanction. I apologize for my language. I want to get the language right. The section A, you know, services public it repeatedly since 2017 said access to early childhood education is a struggle for them and their existence. And we have SAT data that shows that we care about equity, but the children of color, the children who've come from a predominantly economically disadvantaged that we've been making promises to since 2017 because we care about you. I promise we care. We haven't done a damn thing about it as a city since we were founded. We just haven't. I'm sorry. And we've heard people say, "Well, we should fuss them with a

189straight face to this board to members of this community." We heard from DHA, people say, "Well, will they even use it?" And the director of Decar Housing said, and we they have shut down the wait list for the Decatur Housing Authority. It is full. And yes, they they may have 30 new housing authority over in Legacy Park, which is a problem we will also have to deal with in the future. Something that's lost is that yes, this board has asked questions like it is incredibly expensive to to fix and retrofit buildings that are fixed in the 1950s to serve early childhood learning education. Yes. The rest of the board went and looked at like what does a state-of-the-art early childhood learning center look like? And the difference it can make in the lives of the

190people that we as a community claim to care about is unbelievable. And I we've had public meetings where people complain about $30,000 cars for an hour and a half. And so I get that. I'm I'm aware that we are care and we are sensitive. But to say that we haven't considered all of these things or that we're not interested in moving it, I want to separate that from from Yes, it sounds like there is an inconsistency here and I apologize I'm rambling. The K to 5 population is declining indicator. Thank you Mr. Wilson for is it is declining throughout Georgia. There will across the metro, including Buford City, be fewer kindergarteners than there are se seniors at all of our schools. But here's the facts. There are 524. There are,300 students. We have 326 slots.

191The people who need it most need that access. And I I find it an overwhelming moral call to put our money where our mouth is as a community. That's it. >> Thank you, Mr. I'm going to add to this as well. If you sit in a kindergarten classroom in Claremont or in Glenwood where the bulk of those DHA students go to for K2, you see students that walk into those classrooms with passports speaking second languages reading at a near second grade level in kindergarten. And then you have children who we have been promising equal access to education to for 15 years. Those children show up having never sat in a classroom before. They're starting kindergarten 2 years behind their peers. And we have been promising them a solution for 15 years. We've known that this

192is an issue for 15 years. anything about it. So I agree with you, Mr. Hearn. The moral call in my mind is crystal clear. This is a desperate necessity in this community. It has been for an extremely long period of time. And so I stand in firm support of moving forward with this. >> May I ask one followup here because my students and I are reading The Crucible and it seems like repeatedly I'm thinking of the judge. You're either with this court or you're against it. you're either for these students or you're against them. And again, my question is why do we have to build such a big building? I did not suggest that we don't need early learning, nor did I say we don't need an early learning building. But I don't understand why

193we have to build so much and possibly not allow for the flexibility because again we are being told there are 897 zero to four year olds and that would be an important number to parse out because if they're four year old, 130 to four year olds. >> Okay. Well, I did 69% because our board retreat in August told us that 71% of the households indicator don't have children and that 69% of the households indicator that do have children were not using the school district. But either way, what I have heard people ask repeatedly is for more information. And so I wholeheartedly agree with our moral imperative. I've spent three decades in public education, but I'm not sure that I understand the expense in the current manifestation. And again, it was stated in August that people

194had not looked at the design. Instead, the either or that we gave in August was a more expensive option for this now expensive option that I believe another board member recognized most people were concerned about the cost. I think what I struggle with honestly, board member Anderson, is it is at what point would would the community have the people that are in opposition to this, at what point would they have been satisfied? I mean, we we gave we we presented an option to maximize up to 50% green space and then it came with a cost. Um, so I I'm not sure. I also I struggle with there not have been being have been enough feedback or enough transparency or enough opportunity for people to have engaged when we have had community meetings almost once per

195month. There was an opportunity for people to have have gone through the past process. We were allowed to submit names. People could have had multiple opportunities to give us feedback. It's it's difficult to understand that. What I struggle with the most is that this is a multi-tiered expansion process, not just for early learning, but it is we get we don't get the same level of opposition about that high school. We do not hear about the same level of opposition for the athletes or the bands. It is always targeted at this particular thing. And I get it. It is a large price tag. I understand. I understand you should ask questions along the way, but to it it I I agree James said we have to at some point put our money where our mouth. It

196is difficult to continue to have conversations with folks about equity and about these numbers. And then when it's time to do something, then we have to we have to endure conversations about I think we're paying too much or green space or dog parks. And while I value all of those things, I really do, I think at some point it becomes it becomes difficult to continue to find a pathway for I also I also don't always hear a lot of meaningful suggestions as to how to get this done that without what I hear is a lot of I don't understand. I don't hear a lot of meaningful pathways forward that would allow us to build this building, allow access for these children and and and still be able to to move forward. We have also addressed

197the issue of what this office space is multiple times. >> I'm not talking about office space though and so let's address a few things. We had a public comment speaker come last chair, had you finished your comments or I'm done. Thank you. >> And I like to give a comment. Oh, sure. >> Board member Johnson. Thank you. >> I'm excited about this, folks. Um, I'm excited about moving forward. Um, since I've been here, this is, uh, the fourth superintendent, and all along there's been talk about an early childhood learning center when Decada was booming. Um, and nothing was ever happened. And so, you know, we can't preface. I'm, you know, I've always advocated for, you know, early childhood learning center or early childhood, you know, education, but um, you know, we have to want for

198all children in CSD what we would want for our own children. We're not going to I wouldn't depend on putting my children on a bus for remediation or tutoring and that be the, you know, the chief solution. That's and I don't think most people in here want that for their kids. And so and so Carmen, you asked the question. I don't think Kier Anderson can speak for most residents. I don't you know I think it's you know I'm not going to speak on behalf to answer that question. >> No, what I'm saying is is that Carmen asked a question. What was he was posing a question. What would be >> how would we how would we and she's not going to be able to answer that question >> a rhetorical question not one requiring an

199answer. >> Well, it's not rhetorical to me because last September we had a public comment the secret and I listened to the meeting again last night and he spoke for a minute about again and inclusivity. And then we had the knock program meeting with the city and then we were at speaking hill for our second community meeting where we had heaps of residents talking about the fact that they had not been included. And then to your question about suggestions, I don't believe anyone was able to offer feedback and I think Hans you recognized that in the August meeting after the design after the two past sessions which I which I think had a total of 40 people that were majority CSD employees there appeared to be no mechanism for the community that we want to

200engage it with to give feedback. So this is by no means some um I don't know 11th hour attempt to hijack our early learning. I have also repeatedly asked about what we're doing now. And you all know that because early learning if it's urgent is now. The creative programs that we could have been doing now while we were waiting for the building to be done. all of the information that um Jennifer presented about what's happening in terms of literacy and I mean does any of that matter about what we're doing now? So the now, the now is us. Then now is us taking a literacy program and transforming it into a best-in-class scientifically pedagogically sound program which we did not have before while at the same time rebuilding an entire NTS program MTSS program which

201we did not have in place in an effective way while at the same time implementing dyslexia screening which we did not have while at the same time putting into place uh the the follow-up tears for for dyslexia actually going significantly beyond anything that the state had recommended all of these things were all happening simultaneously right so so when you say nothing has been done now fundamentally on literally every level I disagree we have done enormous the the school systems have gone through an unprecedented amount out of change and improvement targeted at helping all of the children across the district thrive and do well. And we are beginning to see the results of that in our data. The last domino, the last domino is equitable access to early childhood education. And so when I see suggestions

202that are instead of building this building, we should do buses. It's very easy to look past that and instead say, you know what, the plan that we have now is the one I'm going to support. >> I'm sorry. Are you all I'm so confused and forgive me because this has been one of the most um emotionally exhausting experiences because no one wants to deprive children. But in case I was unclear, I was referring to the children that we're talking about right now, the 1300 that we say our indicator right now that apparently have no access to early learning. I think we have done great things with the literacy that we saw for our K students and our first grade students and our second grade students. I want to make sure everyone understands how happy I

203am about that. But when we are talking about urgency, a building takes time. And by no means did I ever suggest that we did only buses. I was looking at the expansive cost of that building and wondering if we could make that smaller while also so for anyone to know, I only learned about the um mobile learning bus that Calhoun County has at a board retreat. But then I happened to be running in Tampa along the riverfront and there's a mobile only learning bus. So I stopped. I asked the woman, "Can I go in?" Is that the buses y'all are referring to? >> Cuz you keep mentioning buses and I was just kind of confused. Are you referring to mobile early learning buses that I brought up or are you referring to buses for transportation?

204There were um during the last community engagement session there were there was a recommendation that we use uh buses um to to the student or to or there's been conversation about if we retrofitted a school like Westchester into a zero to three program why didn't we bust children from wherever they lived to another location or why didn't we open up more classrooms at college heights and then bust children to college heights which um you know like board member Johnson Davis I I would not put my my infant on a bus. I don't think anybody in this room or even the people who suggested it would put their infants on a bus to to go to um an early learning center, especially if um a lot of what the community seems to value here is the

205walkability or the access to wherever they are um putting their children in school. Does anybody have any other items for discussion? Okay. Hearing none. All those in favor? >> I. Any opposed? >> No. >> The motion carries 4 to one. May I read the second recommendation? >> Yes. It is recommended that upon approval by the city of Decar public facilities authority authorization of the chair of the city schools of Decar board of education and the superintendent of the city schools of Decar to execute the documents as necessary and appropriate for the fulfillment of that purpose. Do I have a motion to approve the recommendation that upon approval by the city of Decar public facilities authority authorization for the chair of the city schools of Decatur Board of Education and the superintendent of to execute the

206documents as necessary and appropriate for the fulfillment of that purpose. >> For member US makes the motion. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Member Johnson Davis seconds the motion. Is there any discussion hearing? None. All those in favor. The >> chair votes I. Any opposed? Hearing? None. The motion carries unanimously. All right board, we will now move into the consent agenda items which include monthly items such as financial, nutrition, and personnel reports. The first item includes a report. There will be a motion to accept the consent agenda in totality. Dr. Whitaker, do we have a monthly financial report? >> Yes, Chair Sultan. Dr. Lolita Brun. Chief Financial Officer will present the monthly financial report even the August 2025 financial reports and definitions of the finance department operates based on the district's four strategic accelerators

207with a specific focus on accelerator number four organizational effectiveness and excellence through financial transparency. for the general fund. As of August, the district collected 27% or approximately $1.8 million of the budgeted revenue year to date, which is in line with the percentage that was collected this time last year. August is the first month of the year that includes the new fiscal year salaries and benefits for all employees. Expenditures are normal this time of the year. The district has expended 10% or approximately $9.4 4 million of the budgeted revenue which is 3% less than what was spent last year. This time overall for the month of August there is a deficit of approximately $7.6 million which was deducted from the fund balance. The fund balance of approximately $41.6 million includes the unodudited beginning fund balance of

208approximately $24 million. Last year this time the fund balance was approximately $35 million. Please note that fund balance will decrease as expenditures increase and revenue begins to decrease. $424,485 was budgeted in the general fund for the school security grant which increased the general fund budget to $112,773,290. August revenue for capital funds consists of approximately $66,74 from SWAT 6 proceeds in earnings on investment. Expenditures are significantly lower than last year and the $365,930 surplus was added to the fund balance. The collection and expenditure percentage are both 9% for the month of August. Fiscal year 26 anticipated expenditures for capital and debt funds is approximately $9 million. Special revenue funds consists mainly of federal, local, and state grants not budgeted in general funds. In August, we were closing out fiscal year 25 grants, receiving reimbursement, and preparing

209for fiscal year 26 grants. As of August, $425,022 in various grants, as shown under highlights, roll over into the fiscal year 26 special fund budget. School nutrition revenues and expenditures are trending within the same range as previous years. For the month of August, 13% of the budgeted revenue was received and 15% of the budgeted expenditures were spent. School nutrition operated at a deficit of $6,399 which has been deducted from the fund balance. As of August, the school nutrition fund balance was approximately $1.4 million. I will be happy to respond to any questions or provide clarification as needed. >> Thank you, Dr. Broom. Any questions or comments from the board? This item is on to consent. Sheriff >> Sultan, may I read the recommendation? >> Yes, please. >> I recommend that the City Schools of Decar

210Board of Education approve the consent agenda items 1 through eight. Do I have a motion to approve the consent agenda items 1 through eight? >> Board member Anderson makes a motion. Is there a second? >> Second. >> 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. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. 10 minutes. Um you can start if we need >> start. Okay. We will now move on to the public comment portion of our meeting. 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

211board during public comment is limited to district parents, students, residents, employees, 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 CSD 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 specific amount of time or a specific number of additional speakers. The time limit for all speakers will be three 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

212board members. At the chair or chair's discretion, persons violating this policy may be asked to step down. Speakers should be courteous and professional. Speakers are not to list complaints about 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. The chair may terminate public comments that are profane, vulgar, defamatory, or disruptive. If any speaker comments begin to verge into areas of hate speech or defamation, I will 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 comment or speak to the substance of

213any 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? The first speaker is Bernard Frager. Hello members of the board. My name is Bernard Fraga and I'm a professor of political science at Emma University and a parent of a first graders Westchester Elementary. I'm here to share my concerns about the enrollment projections used to guide board decisions. In 2004, 2013, again in 2016, and 2018, CSD made very large decisions about the future of the district based on population projections included reopening schools, redistricting, reconfiguring from K to 5 to KA 3 and eventually KA 2 with two upper. Immediately after these changes were implemented in 2019, enrollment began to decline, dropping more than even

214the lowest enrollment projections. However, the methodology used for at least the recommended consultants projections in 2015, 18, and again in your retreat in 2025 are intentionally designed not to account for changes in birth rates or even neighborhood by neighborhood growth differences. I want to affirm projections cannot be used to guide enrollment in specific lower elementary schools in the medium to long-term period. Now, independent of these projections, the district indicates high demands for prek and preschool enough to indicate that we should build the ECLC. Assuming this is solid, the ECLC provides the high quality education we all wanted to do. This would indicate a bumper crop to first, then upper elementary, middle schools, and the high school over time. So, which is it? declining K through2 enrollment going forward that justifies closing the school or increasing

215enrollment for preK that justifies the ECLT and if we're truly allin put us right back to where we were in 2014 when we had to reopen an elementary school after closing it 10 years ago. What projections can do is reveal the future of the district as current students progress from elementary to middle to high school. By the time my children or the first grader and the prek get to DHS, the math shows that DHS will have 600 fewer students than it does now and will be well under design capacity as let the dust settle a little bit before reconfiguring our schools again. Let's see how changes in the housing market, increased access to early childhood education, non-resident tuition, and reduced class sizes in our middle and our high schools could impact the district's needs to

216go. Thank you very much. Thank you. [Applause] >> All right. >> I apologize. >> I'm Gina, so there you go. >> So, the Decatur City School Board of Education My name is Janique Regin. I am an educator and a c a CSD parent of a wonderful kindergartner and a fantastic third grade. I am speaking today on behalf of my family and a school city parent that are deeply concerned about the closure of a K to2 elementary school and the lack of transparency presented by the CSD board around this decision. The decision to close a K to2 school was by a decarish article published on October 10th four days ago. According to CSP's timeline, the impacted families will receive emails in only two days informing them of a decision that from our perspective feels it has

217already been made. That is not a transparent process. That is not the community engagement we expect and that is just simply a notification. Closing an elementary school is not a small operational change. As you know, it affects children, families, neighborhoods. It has an impact on the social, emotional stability of our youngest learners. Decisions like this carry long-term consequences for trust, equity, and how we care for our children. Decisions of this magnitude require partnership, not surprise. We ask for transparency that CSD so proudly speaks of. Today we're asking for a pause in this process so that three commitments can take place before any vote can be responsibly taken. One, full public documentation. Release a comprehensive cost benefit analysis, operational, capital, social, and educational. Include renovation options, transportation impacts, long-term enrollment projections. Share how this closure really

218impacts the whole educational system from K to 12 early childhood education as well. Share these numbers and and share us your thought process. Two, meaningful community involvement. Hold multiple forums and listening sessions with the families affected. That includes K2 parents, CSD parents, neighborhood associations, to cater reg residents at large, non-resident tuition families that are also impacted. Lived experiences are so impactful and they matter as much as the spreadsheet. Three, consideration of alternatives. Evaluate and propose other paths as well. Show the community this information and allow for questions. In closing, as your neighbors and as the people who put our trust in you to represent the best interests of our children, we ask for transparency before action. We ask for data before decisions and fiscal responsibility before irreversible change. No process or further meetings should occur

219until the public has access to the full financial picture and understanding of your long-term plan. Thank you so much, Mr. >> Thank you. [Applause] I just want to remind you of what I just what I just read. Um language threat comments applause. No applause. Thank you so much. The next speaker is Miss Hilton. Hi, my name is Smith Wilson. I'm a second grader at Westchester Elementary. I feel sad that Westchester might be closing because I learned how to read this. I learned how to be respectful, responsible, safe, and kind. Also, I think it shouldn't close because then the kids there might overcrowd the other schools. But if a bigger school closes, then it could fill up the other schools. I feel bad for the first graders and kindergarters. They would have to learn new teachers

220name and wouldn't be able to have the same full experience that I had. That's why I think we shouldn't close Westchester. >> Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Smith. The next speaker is Ben Brewer. >> Good evening to members of the board. My name is Ben Brewer and I'm a parent of two girls, a third grader, faith, kindergartener at Westchester Elementary. I'm here tonight to ask one question that I know is on many people's minds. Why the urgency to close a K through2 school? We heard earlier today that a financial decision on closing a school will be made in less than two months. Why move so quickly towards a decision of this magnitude before the public has had time to review data and understand the financial reasoning behind? This is a structural change that affects

221our city, our neighborhoods, and most importantly our children's educational stability. A rush process does not build confidence in our community. It erodess it. Many parents and community community members are questioning what data and cost analyses are being used to justify potential school closures. To that end, the Georgia Open Records Request Act has been submitted to obtain this documentation, including discussions the district may have already had with real estate agents about selling Westchester Elementary. Until this request has been satisfactorily received and the committee has had time to review the provided materials, it is unreasonable and irresponsible to start the formal and legal processes needed for a final vote before that public review can take place. Transparency means more than checking procedural boxes. Means more than having two community meetings and allowing the public to speak with

222a single designated consultant representative of the board. It means making numbers, assumptions, and comparisons available in a format that taxpayers and parents can examine and question. Moreover, it means engaging the public to frame the types of analyses and studies that the board engages consultants to. Discussing capital projects on a monthly basis while admitting that the impact of that project may be a closure of a K2 school is not transparent. Decator's lower elementary schools are some of the highest performing schools in the state of Georgia. How does the school board come to conclusion that it should close a high-erforming school? Why does the board think that closing a high-erforming school is a suitable option for this committee? The board should be hiring consultants to determine how to keep open existing schools, all high performing, because the

223truth is we cannot afford to lose them. Closing schools is not just a budget line. It's a long-term decision that impacts enrollment stability, transportation costs, neighborhood cohesion, and the value that we feel in our community. Those consequences deserve thorough evaluation, not a hurried two-month process. So tonight, as others have asked, I respectfully ask this board to pause, allow the community time to review materials requested under the open records request, engage in an independent review of the financial assumptions being utilized to determine that a school closure may be needed, hold public hearings and Q&A sessions that are not tied to a legal requirement for hearings prior to a vote to close a school. This allows parents in the community to review, question, and contribute in the decision-making process without a procedural check the box rule being

224satisfied. >> Thank you. >> The next speaker is Adam Kong. members of the board and superintendent. Thank you very much. My name is Adam Kong. I have a daughter. So in listening to the conversation tonight have a greater empathy battling constraints resources budget um declining enrollment challenges that any board will have to work hard and you're trying to plot a path forward but how do you optimize about limiting um constituents values or your values without hurting yourselves and our students and our kids and I know a little bit about this. I work at an airline. So I try to optimize things company as well as I'm here to talk about like many of my peers here about the potential closure of a KC school. Um and I want to know that I want to emphasize

225that one listening to you all talking about your dedication to transparency and how you want to work with us. I want to ask that you please continue to engage with us as closely as possible. like my my colleague Ben just mentioned earlier, um we only just found out about this a few days ago and um I know that there's planned forums to to to discuss this and have um have our input and understanding, but what I really want to emphasize is that this decision can't be do we need to close the school. It's how do we keep these schools open and how do we keep them continue to be high performing and and serving our students and our kids. We're all neighbors here. We all live together. This is for our community and it just

226can't be focused on clothing. It has to be focused on finding a way forward an optimized flight to get us to a a a balanced budget with schools and the right people and the right teachers and the right resources supporting our students. So I like to share an anecdote because I only have about a minute left but you know I'm I'm not from Atlanta. We we moved to Decator not because of you know jobs or resources or or or we have we have ties here. I moved here not knowing a single person from the state of Georgia. But I moved here because of the cater moved here because of civil servants like you all, because of my neighbors behind me, because I found that this could be a place where I could create a home

227and even convince our my wife's best friend to move here with us. They live down the street from us now. And part of that is because we have good schools like Westchester Elementary and these K2 schools that will serve our our kids for many generations to come. And it it hurts me that we have to face this problem, but at the same time, let's let's address it as a community and let's make sure that we do this in partnership. One, emphasize transparency, slow it down. Let's find a way that we can get forward or we have a path forward with this without closing any schools. Let's do it in a way that represents our not uh not rushed, but in the right time, the right time. So, pause there. Thank you very much. >> Thank

228you. The the next speaker is Caroline Morgan Burchchuk. Good evening. Uh my name is Dr. Caroline Morgan Burchchuk and I'm a proud Westchester Middle School indicator high grad. And there's Mia and now a Westchester parent and at nine months pregnant and embodying your future demand. But uh that is not why I'm here to talk about enrollment. Um I'm a physician and my entire job is built around building the business case for equity. And I can tell you with confidence and expertise and experience with school closure that achieves equity or cost efficiency, which we've heard a lot about tonight. And in fact, this would costic dearly in community cohesion, in a worsened inequality gap, in financial challenges, and in public trust in the institutions and leadership. And how do we know? Well, first, we lived this

229before. Um, the decision to close Westchester in 2004 fractured this community. I still have friends who don't talk to each other after that decision happened. And families left for private schools, not necessarily just because they lost their name at school, but because they lost trust. They lost trust in the district. They lost trust in the leadership and neighborhood ties weakened. It took 10 years and a lot of community investment. By the way, it was a two-year consulting engagement community forum, not two months, um to rebuild what had been broken. And so the data are clear. You know, Westchester costs our city millions of dollars in lost tax revenue both to the city, to the county, and to CSD. And that's publicly available data. And so if we look at what if that same thing were

230to happen now that's in today's dollars that's tens of million dollars in lost revenue. That's not fiscal responsibility at this point. We're talking about fiscal harm and in medicine we say that's cutting off your elbow to save your hands. Um it doesn't necessarily align inequity. Um, and the research backs this up, right? There's a national research base that shows, in addition to our own case study, by the way, which Westchester offsite is a what not to do situation from 2004, that displaced students from high performing schools actually have lower uh academic performance, do not suffer gains, and often suffer declines. The community loses trust, engagement, and social capital and leadership. Property values dropped 7 to 10% which is about neighborhood stability in addition to the revenue component and equity gains are rare. No matter what

231the robust support the courts are, they're almost never achieved. So consolidation isn't a task to equity, it's actually a proven task to decline. And so when we think about, you know, this is not a problem to solve, it's an asset to protect. and you're talking about everyone facing these challenges, but yet not a single district in our state is proposing or has closed a top 5% neighborhood diverse walkable school. Um, so this would be an outlier not only in our state, but it would be an outlier in our country and we don't have any evidence to show that there would be benefit from that and a lot of evidence to show there could be harm. So we can lead, we can be different, uh, we don't have to dismantle what works. Um, but we can

232actually show excellence, diversity, equity, financial sustainability can all live together and we're committed to helping you to figure that out. >> Thank you. >> The the next speaker is Jessica. >> Actually, not me. >> Hi, my name is I am 6 years old and I go to Westchester Elementary. I want to tell you something important about me. I have autism, but that just means I learned in my own awesome way at my school. That's okay. I have two special teachers, Miss Bush and Miss Chamba, and they help me when things are hard. But most of the day, I go to a regular classroom classroom with my friends. And guess what? They think being different is cool because Westchester is different. I love whales and dolphins. In fact, I do still love them. I know more

233about them than most grownups. Did you know dolphins sleep when I open? Our librarian nation knows um I love seeing. So she made a So she um always says special books just for me and she made a Star Wars book section for my brother to help him with reading. I'm in for rein group with Miss Mor to learn even more about the ocean. I wouldn't be so brave talking to you for my kindergarten teacher in Greenfield. She taught me that my voice is important. Everyone in my school knows my favorite animal is a dolphin. Even when it's and when it's our day, I always want to um draw about 100 dolphins. But Miss Howard says I'm only allowed to put a reasonable amount of dolphins on one page. So we compromise something. I also learned

234that my my sister isn't just my school. It's where I learned of being different isn't something to fix. It's where it's where I learned. I mean, it's something to be proud of. And don't forget The next speaker is Rudy Colberg. [Music] >> Good evening board. I'm Rudy Goldberg. I am a Westchester parent with a kindergartener and a three-year-old at Smarty. I want to share an analysis that I did of the tax revenue impact of prior Decator school closures. I'm willing to speak to any of you or anyone in the press about my analysis, our analysis. Closing down a school will cost the city of Decar $15 million in lost tax revenue over the next 10 years due to lower property taxes and it will significantly erode city services. Separately, CSD will lose $24 million in

235tax revenue total over the next 10 years, hurting all Decator schools, all students, all families, all staffs. That pays for the ECL. The cap penalty would also lose similar millions impacting broader services to the community. We use public data from what Decator experienced when they closed Westchester from 2004 to 2014. This is not theoretical. This is exactly what Decator already experienced. And this board cannot ignore those lines. Data shows that before 20 before 2004, there were no property trend differences between the neighborhoods. In the 10 years after Westchester closed, property values for Westchester's homes grew at a 40% lower rate than the rest of Decar. Due to that lower property value, the city of Decar has already lost $14 million in tax revenue. CSD has already lost $20 million in tax revenue which would have

236paid for your ECLC and you also spend half million in reopening less than you do. This is fiscally irresponsible. We don't want to see the same level of waste again. The cat county would also lose millions of dollars once reopened in 2014. Those homes went from being the worst performing in value growth prior to the reopening to being the second highest in property value growth through 2025. Recall 77% of Decator's revenues comes from residential property taxes. Even independent studies including Harvard show property values go down by 5 to seven 5 to 10% in communities impacted by closures. In that scenario, the city would lose 30 million. CSD would lose 45 million. I've spent 20 years as a management consultant at top firms leading this exact type of decision- making for boards and seuitees. I urge

237you to be more disciplined to consider all of the implications, all of the data, and consider the impact to our children, the city, and our community that make Decator a special place that brings in people who want to be active from Jupiter to the community like all of us. Thank you. Thank you. >> The next speaker is Dr. Katie Bell. >> Thank you very much. Can you hear me? >> Yes. >> Okay. Hello. My name is Katie Bell and I'm an educator, a community member, and a dreamer of starting a family here in Decar. I care deeply about our schools, our students, and teachers who help them grow. Like myself, not just academically, but emotionally and socially. As an educator, I know firsthand how important stability is for young children. In fact, an educator saved

238my life in this capacity. Schools are often the first place we feel truly safe, seen, and connected beyond our families. The relationships formed in those early grades are sacred between children and teachers and among families who share those first milestones together. When stability is disrupted, it ripples far beyond the classroom. I've seen wonderful educators lose their positions due to furls or shifting resources. I've seen teachers who have loved their students as if they were their own feel detached from the community that they've helped build. These moments leave lasting impacts on educators, on families, and most of all our children. That's why I'm deeply concerned about the potential closure of a K2 school, especially given the significant investment in the new early childhood learning center. I respectfully urge the board to provide transparent data and clear,

239compassionate rationale for any proposed decisions, including enrollment projections, financial analysis, and resource allocation. Transparency and communication are essential to maintaining the trust that holds this community together. I also encourage the board to explore creative solutions that meet the needs of early learners without disrupting the strong foundations that already exist. Our teachers, families, and students deserve thoughtful planning and genuine opportunities to be heard. Thank you for taking the time to consider the human impact of these decisions. I hope we can move forward with honesty, collaboration, and care for all people and the relationships that make Decar Schools so special. Thank you. >> The next speaker is also on Zoom, Jolene Hillia. Okay, we'll move to the next speaker, Scott Tenderrass. Good evening, Superintendent Whitaker and members of the board. I'm Scott Pendigraph. live on Chelsea Drive

240in the Westchester lower and faith upper elementary school districts. My children were in second and fourth grade 21 years ago when the school system made the terrible mistake of closing Westchester for the stated reason of dramatically declining enrollment being projected. Uh the following years there were classroom trailers on of Claremont Glennwood school to accommodate the um overcrowding that resulted from the closing of Westchester at the time. U we should learn from our mistakes. We should not repeat mistakes that have been made in the past by closing an important educational facility that is an anchor to our city. You should not close any of the five lower elementary schools. We have friends, family, colleagues in Winona Park, Oakhurst, Glenwood, Claremont. One of the terrible mistakes that was made 21 years ago is that two school districts

241were pitted against each other that there was going to be a winner and a loser. There was going to be um and this school system inadvertently set up a battle that as you heard scarred the city. did great damage to your relationships and friendships. Please do not repeat that mistake as you've been um asked to do by some of the previous speakers. Take your time with this. Be deliberative. Be collaborative. Be open. Take your time. Be careful. Be financially responsible. understanding all the consequences that a school closure could cause to the city. The next speaker is Kayn McInness. >> Hi, my name is Kayla McInness. I'm currently a seventh grader in the school system at BHMS and I live in the Westchester Hills neighborhood. I have previously presented to this board regarding my efforts to

242push for the use of reusable lunch trays for school lunches in the school system. I attended Westchester Elementary from 2018 to 2021, including during the pandemic. And I want to share a few reasons why this school is important to me, our school system, and to the neighborhood where I live. This school is a gem for the North Decar neighborhoods. Many children, including me, are able to walk to school through a path in the woods, which is a unique experience and the reason that families move to our neighborhood. The park and the park and playground are community assets. They are a much needed green space that connects the Hidden Cook Park and the nature trail. The park and playground also provide good learning opportunities about the environment and local plants and animals, as well as opportunities

243for community service projects. Even if enrollment is lower currently, it doesn't mean that it will always be low. Our neighborhood is constantly evolving is a constantly evolving group where new families move in specifically so that their children can attend Westchester Elementary. There are currently many new families with children under the age of two. It would be a mistake to sell the property and have it turned into something else besides a school. In the short term, if it needs to function as something other than a school for a few years while enrollment has a flow cycle, it could be used to support other educational needs for the school system. For example, as a space for the robotics team to practice so they don't have to drive to Cob County. I'm on the Lego robotics team at

244BHMS and understand how important practice and build space is. Please don't close my school and please don't sell the property. It would be a huge mistake for the future of our school system and for our neighborhood. Thank you for my time. >> Thank you. >> The next speaker is Robert Fib. Um, I'll be brief because part of what I was going to talk about DCL. My name is Robert Deb. Um I'm the parent of three children in the city school of Decator. Um one of which may attend Westchester in the future or may speak a term I suppose. Um I also attended the Gator school myself graduating from Glenn whatever and Gator High School and I'm there's at least four of us here probably more that are alumni the school system and there's a reason

245that we come back. is because we want our kids to have a similar experience to what we have which includes neighborhood schools and that neighborhood schools and neighborhood schools if you're closing down schools within neighborhoods. Um I was initially going to talk about CLT and some of it is not as relevant anymore. Um but I do think that the two topics cannot be totally separated. Um because both each project has a budgetary impact. Looking at each topic in isolation is illogical and irresponsible. A capital improvement plan for a school district would incorporate all facilities. I don't I don't understand how you can have a capital improvement plan for ECLC and a separate plan to look at the districtwide plan. In my mind, there should be one capital improvement plan that's all-encompassing. Um, but that's just

246a sale apparently. Um, let's see. And those are all my written remarks. Um, the only other remark I have is that how the DCLC process occurred gives me little faith that the next process would be any better. >> Thank you. >> The next speaker is Matthew Woodruff. Good evening board. Um, thank you for the time. Um, first of all, I would like to pause and just uh mention how excellent so many of these speakers have been. I would really urge the board to dig into the data. There's an enormous amount of effort that has been put into this. I would really really urge you to reach out to folks that have have just spoken and I'm not going to speak to much of what they said because I think that I I couldn't do a

247better job than they already outlined. I would say a couple things though. Um you've heard from me a few times. Uh the first time you heard from me was when I was a parent looking to figure out why Claremont Elementary was rated a one on grade schools. The second time which turned out to be a data error for more than six months that deeply impacted the understanding of the quality of the school in the neighborhood. The second time was when I was on the SLT at Claremont looking for achievement data from Claremont across the K2s because there was a legitimate concern that rose from the great schools data that the school was not of high quality and we wanted to dispel those rumors. The third time I was up here, I was talking about DEI

248restrictions, closures, pollings because it was going to impact the students at that school, right? All three times I requested for support. All three times received no support. We did not have engagement around the grade school scores. We did not have engagement around the data required by the SLT to make decisions. and we ultimately did not receive the support that I was hoping for that the board would provide to those students at Claremont as they were trying to understand what was going. I mentioned that not to admonish the board. I understand how hard your job is. But there is a tendency of this board to step back and let processes play out at arms length. I understand why as well on that too. This feels a lot like we are going to take a step back.

249We're going to let an independent consultant gather a whole bunch of information and then you are going to evaluate that information after the process is played out. And what I'm here to tell you today is if you do that, if you do not pause the process and listen to all the folks that have spoken, the damage to those communities will already have been done. Because as soon as the consultant starts gathering information about who to close, the rumor mill will fly. Westchester parents will make lists of all the reasons Westchester shouldn't close. Claremont parents will make lists and already are of all the reasons that Claremont if you do not pause the process as folks are asking you to do right now prior to proceeding as you are already planning that damage will be done.

250I believe that there is good intent here and believe that the board is trying to do the right thing by folks. I think it requires a pause. Again, I would please ask you to reach out to these folks who I think have done an excellent job of providing information will be helpful to you. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> And the final speaker for today is Dan Baskerville. >> Good evening board. I am a district parent um indicator. Um much like one of the previous speakers couple before me, I was going to kind of talk about the ECLC. Um and you know that we've already passed the resolution tonight before any public comments, but I think it's still like he said worth talking about the process. So maybe this process um goes a

251little better. is a little bit more transparent. I think a lot of you think it was a very uh open process. There were a lot of community meetings, a lot of information out, but we can just, you know, agree to disagree on that. Um, as you know, last month I sent my comments on the ECLC to the board in a five-page document. I not go into the five-page document tonight, of course. Um, anybody wants it, that's fine. I'll give it to them. um because and what I focused my concerns on was with the process because I believe a thorough and transparent process the best way to provide faith in the resulting solution. I like many others who have spoke want this problem solved. I was president of no DTA for two years. I was president

252DTO at FA for two years. I ran for school board four years ago. It was all to try and you know one of my big reasons then was on closing the literacy gap for all children whatever age and I still feel very strongly about that but h how can you trust anything with a process that's not what I believe fully open and I'll go quickly because I see I have like a minute left I'll just point to one example um when the drawings and funding model and costs were put forward your jour June work session why at that point did you not say the next step is we will have a community meeting on this proposal to get input not first progress to a PFA meeting or the planning commission I think at least that

253would have garnered much more trust in the process um although maybe it wouldn't because in that discussion I guess wouldn't have been included you might be closing other schools like the other speaker said how how could you not talk about all of that in capital programs a and additionally I know you had the community meetings, but those are not really great places to have discussions. You know, when you had the DEI community meeting back earlier in the year, that was great. That was great open discussion, but these meetings where there's one minute and here you get 3 minutes and I have 20 seconds left. That's not It sounds like there might be a better process here for the school, but the school board should be included. Superintendent maybe it's going to be their staff listen

254to this. We need to have an open process. How can we trust the outcome? How can we trust these kids are actually going to be served at this new early learning and child center to achieve their goals? Because goals better be achieved. These kids deserve it as four members said. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> That are all our speakers. Okay. Thank you. >> We would like to thank all of the speakers for taking their time to be here tonight. As board members, it is important for us to hear the concerns from our communities. We will take your comments into consideration. There will be a CSD public hearing held on Wednesday, October 29th from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Beacon Hill Middle School. Our next board meeting will be held here at the Wilson Center

255on November 11th, 2025. There being no further business, this meeting is adjourned at 7:01 p.m. It works.