001All right. We'll get started by if everybody will stand up, we'll start with the Pledge of Allegiance. >> I pledge allegiance >> 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. >> All right. Thanks everybody for being here tonight. I know it's a beautiful night out, but hopefully we won't be here all of it. We'll see. Um All right. Uh as we look down our agenda, call this meeting to order. We've got enough for Uh we need to motion to approve the agenda. >> So moved. >> Thanks, Todd. We have a second. >> Second. >> Thanks, Andrea. We have a motion and a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? Agenda approved. All right.
002Communications to the board. I don't see any at this point. Uh consent items, you should have all received those with your packet, and you also have another sheet sitting beside you. And is there anything any comments on those or questions? If not, we need a motion then to approve the consent items. >> Make a motion to approve the consent items. >> Thanks, Tom. Do we have a second? >> Second. >> Thanks, Andrea. We have a motion and a second. Any further discussion? Hearing none, all in favor say aye. >> Aye. Opposed? Consent items approved. Moving into administrative report, we have our athletic director, Mr. Jacobson, here to talk to us tonight. >> Hi guys. Thanks for having me here tonight. Just wanted to be here to inform you of some recent changes. I think on
003on June 2nd, Governor Reynolds signed House File 2591. Um in that in that bill there, um it changed general transfer rule from 90 school days to 140 uh calendar days, but also tagged into that bill was now um eligibility for eighth grade athletes, um, to have similar eligibility as, uh, current students, um, grades 9th through 12th. Um, we don't have so also in that bill, it was it was put in, um, for the DE to to to have rules and be implemented by August 1st. Um, currently right now, um, they have not released those or developed those rules. I believe their next meeting is is June 18th. So, right now we're a little bit in limbo as far as we don't have any guidance on what those rules are going to look like. Um, but
004we, you know, we've been asked to inform, we've been asked to start thinking about what that may look like. Um, and so I just wanted to inform you guys of what's out there. Um, also that, you know, right now from the DE we don't have any information or guidance on the state. Um, I'm hoping to hear more. I've got a a state AD zoom on Thursday. Um, and hopefully Tom Keating and and the IGHSAU will will be able to provide a little more guidance for us there. Um, but we're kind of in a wait and see mode right now. And then once we get a little more guidance, we'll get together with our head coaches and start putting a plan together. >> And Andy, we don't we don't have the emergency rules yet, but we
005do believe it will be a local control rule, correct? >> Yes, that's that's what we've been told it it'll likely be a local control rule, yep. >> So, so emergency rules that need to be established, for example, currently you can only be eligible in eight semesters. You know, that's Iowa code. So, something's there's going to have to be emergency rule to change that. Um, and I I don't know, there's some there's maybe some other obvious ones that >> There's there's like ninth graders eligible upon entering ninth grade, well, what's that look like for an eighth grader? Stuff like that. >> yeah, absolutely. We we think it's important to start a discussion with this group, um, because if you start to establish a timeline, um, you know, fall sports start the second week of August. Um,
006you know, we we probably need to, um, propose and and provide some um, some options for policy at the July board meeting. And, you know, what what we need to think about as a district is what we want this to look like in our district. Um and there there's a lot of different ways you can go. There's some other states close to us. South Dakota, for example, has had legislation similar to this for some time where eighth graders are eligible. I I've talked with some administrators who have worked in South Dakota and what that looks like for many schools. Minnesota's got some sim- a similar type of law as well. Um but one thing I think we should we should put at the start of our discussion is um subject subjectivity. You know, do do
007we want policy um that rests on uh someone deciding if a person plays high school or not, if an eighth grader plays high school or not. Uh do we want to uh coaches? Do we want parents, for example? I think taking subjectivity out of it's probably good policy. Um you know, many many schools in South Dakota um eighth grade eligibility is based upon the number of high schoolers who are out for a sport. So, if if there's not enough to field teams appropriately, then eighth graders are eligible. In other sports, it's not like that. Seldom do schools in South Dakota have football as one of the sports. Um most all schools have cross country, track, and wrestling where they just are. It's not number dependent. So, there's lots of different ways to go. Um you
008know, I I think thinking about the unintended consequence of of a child uh playing playing up a level, what that does to the class they leave, what that does to the classes who are there, and the kids who are out are things to think about. But, um we thought tonight would be a good opportunity to start some discussion before we get to some policy options in July. >> Andy, what was the driver for this? Why the change? Who pushed for it? >> I I don't know. Um from from I know it was kind of a late change. From what I know of >> And it wasn't it wasn't stand-alone legislation. It was an add-on to the education bill. >> Yeah. >> So it wasn't [clears throat] it wasn't a law that was proposed on its
009own. It was it was written and proposed early on in legislation and lost support and didn't advance out of the chambers and then it got added on to the educational bill. >> [clears throat] >> So do we know what that mean for baseball and softball? Would >> Yeah, that's a great >> Seventh graders be >> There there's a lot of yeah, a lot of considerations. I you know, baseball and softball kind of already do it, right? >> Right, they do do it. >> Yeah. So there there's a lot of like I said, there's a lot to wade through here. We certainly we also value our middle school sports, too, right? And it's a great developmental tool for our for athletics and we don't want to see anything harm that, either, too. So there's a whole
010lot of considerations that go into this and it's good to start having those those discussions. >> Would you know more by the retreat time, even, or >> Certainly also, I mean, it's set to be effective by August 1st. So >> So we're looking at a retreat of >> It's not May 15th. >> May 15th. >> June. >> 25th, possibly, Andy? And 18th, do we think we'll know something? Is that right? >> I the the the next DE board meeting is is June 18th. I would assume that there should be more information after that. >> Yeah, so that that might be an opportunity to >> have good discussion, too. >> I absolutely agree. >> Doesn't Minnesota have something similar, too? >> Yep. I think Minnesota might even have uh seventh grade >> I guess seventh graders
011and stuff. >> Is it something I mean, do we want to reach out to schools in Minnesota or in South Dakota and ask for policy and >> Yeah. Yeah, I I think that's that's a good idea. Um >> [clears throat] >> like I said, I in in the Prairie Lakes uh regional meetings, there's a couple of administrators who worked in South Dakota schools. That's where I got that information of what is typical in South Dakota. I think getting some of that same information in Minnesota would be good also. >> Any other discussion or questions for Andy? We'll be thinking about it. Maybe we'll have more discussion on the 25th then. >> Absolutely. >> All right. >> Yep. >> Yeah. >> Thanks, guys. >> Thank you. >> All right. Uh we'll move into the superintendent's report.
012>> Looking at our finances, um again, our revenue versus expenditures continues to look strong. That's been a trend over the last few months. Total revenues through May are 20 million 489,000. Total expenditures 18 million 463,000. So, about a $2 million difference on the good side for our revenues versus expenditures. Now, those numbers will balance out. They always do in the month of June, uh where we have um a number of end-of-the-year expenses such as special ed uh in and out, open enroll in and out, um and Lisa's already looked at some of those numbers. Remember, we have forecasted uh throughout this year uh that we would deficit spend. And I'll still tell you I think we are going to deficit spend, um but we would not have predicted um our revenues to be $2 million
013ahead of our expenditures at the end of the May either. So, good story. It's a good story, and we think things look good, and we'll see how we close out the rest of this year. Probably the big thing um and however it falls isn't this year, it's next year um because our our forecast that we use in our models are based upon, you know, the current year that we're in. So, if this year ends up better than what we had forecasted, then so does next year, which is a is a good thing. Um we are projected to end with a fund balance of around 2.4 million. So, fund balance is cash. That's cash that we have. That would be about 10 to 11% of our expenditures. We have a board goal of maintaining a fund
014balance that is 8% of our total general fund expenditures. Now, that 2.4 is also assuming that we deficit spend around $600,000. So, again, if that happens, we we would be in a good place. If it's less than that, we're even better. I think a a place to feel more comfortable is a fund balance closer to $3 million. But, we're we're still above our board goals for that. Our unspent balance balance ratio will be a little over 19%. We have a board goal of maintaining a 10% ratio. Now, the difference between unspent balance ratio and and the fund balance is that's not all cash. That's authority, authority to spend. I mean, we you know, like a credit card limit, we always have authority beyond our our cash value. Both those are good numbers. Both of those
015are above what our board goals of maintaining and we're going to end the year in a strong financial position. And we've also made adjustments because we we know we have changes coming in our revenues in future years with the end of reorganization incentive dollars. So, we we did adjust our expenditures and we'll have $800,000 less and expenses from staffing next year and we increased cash by 500,000. Those are all changes we needed to make which align with our strong standing. So, just a little bit of again that's not new information for you guys. It's all part of our forecast, all part of the budget that we built but we look strong looking into next year and the coming years. Questions on any of those numbers? Board retreat, you know, we eliminated dates I think possibly
016landed on June 25th as a possible board retreat day. Let me know um sometime in the next few days if that does not work. Some possible agenda items so we talked about cell phone policy. I would love a discussion with our board and our administration on cell phone policy from where we're at, what we want that to be, if we want it to be different and we want to go further. Secondly, facility updates we you know, new a new elementary school has been the the priority of the district. Just again talking through that discuss discussion and when financially we think we that would be something we could explore. Property tax reform which was legislation that was packed passed that does have an impact on our district where 25% of the 1 cent sales tax is
017going to be taken from us over a 5-year time period and how we are able to you know, budget and and work with that loss of it's about 3 million dollars and then I think eighth grade eligibility we may identify tonight would be another good topic for us to talk about and if there's any others be sure to let me know and we'll get those added and get some information around that. >> I think we should just I think we should just schedule it on June 25th based on the cell phone. Let's just plan on that. >> Okay. >> It's if we're going to toss it around it's still going to get tossed around and we're >> We'll just plan on June 25th and we we thought uh early evening time, right? Is is best
018to kind of I don't know if we've done 5:00 for that. I'll look. I'll look and get a message out to everyone. >> I know this is down the road. What does the 5% reduction do to general obligation bond credit ratings? Does it have an effect on it? >> Um >> Or will it not have an effect on it? >> I don't know for sure, Tim. It could have a uh if you were going to uh pass a revenue bond like we have for the field house, it would affect that because your your revenue's going to go down. Uh a general obligation bond with a community, I don't think it would affect that. >> Okay. >> Cuz that your your ability to um bond on local property taxes wouldn't change. It it still remains the
019same. >> All right. All right, any other questions? All right, we'll plan the 25th and be looking for a time frame on that. >> Yep. >> Um we'll go into old business then and looks like we need [clears throat] to approve a second reading of the board policies. >> Second reading of board policies, mostly in the 400 series. Uh we reviewed these last week last month. Um some update to language, no changes in policy. We can carry those and just uh updated to match ISBE recommendations. >> I make a motion for the approval of the second readings for the 410 series. >> Thanks, Jay. Do we have a second? >> I'll second. >> Thanks, Lana. We have a motion and a second. Any further discussion? Hearing none, all in favor say aye. >> Aye. >>
020Opposed? [clears throat] The motion approved. Uh new business, uh we're going to look at first readings of some board policies. >> Yeah, first readings of board policies loading here for a minute. >> What's that? >> Just loading Sorry. >> Oh, got you. Sorry. >> I don't know. Is mine going to load? >> Mine stopped, too. >> Well, I think we're all in that same boat. Darn internet. >> Mine's still working. >> Oh, here we go. >> Just had to catch up a little bit. Uh let's see. We are in first reading, board policies. Um we're starting into uh some changes for for legislation. It starts with the uh policy 203 in board of director conflict of interest. There is some revisions, again, um on how much a board member can make uh within the district.
021Um some of those are revisions as things like school bus drivers, for example, are hard to find in certain areas. Having a school bus driver or having a school board member work as a school bus driver, for example, and allowing that still to happen. Um some 700 series changes, um from debt management to investments. Um again, not a lot of change in uh policy, just a change in um terminology. So, first reading for that, approving those 700 series changes in July. >> All right. Well, do take a chance to look those over. We'll see those back next month uh for approval. Uh year-end authorization authorization payments. >> We need to approve uh authorization to have Lisa Chapman pay the June bills as they're due to help with our year-end process that will end before our
022July board meeting. Uh this is a typical authorization for us in June to finish out the school fiscal year. >> I make I make a motion to make that recommendation that we pay our bills. >> Thanks, Andrew. Do we have a second? >> I'll second. >> Thanks, uh Brent. We have motion and second. Any further discussion? Hearing none, all in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? Authorization approved. Look to approve school fees for 2026-2027. >> Yes. School fees, again, this this is something that's important. We want to make sure we we set those fees to cover costs, but also with thinking about our people. The The attached fees are no increases. They're the same fees that we have this year for next year. Now, we don't approve lunch fees as part of this approval. That's something
023we look at separately as we get more guidelines from the federal lunch program on the reimbursable amount. So, this is all fees excluding lunch prices with no proposed increase for next year. >> Good. >> Last year at the board retreat, we talked about activity tickets and scholarship or community funding for that. >> We >> Yeah. >> look into that? >> Yeah. Coach Jacobson's worked on some of that stuff. That might be something we have more more report at July and his and maybe he'll be out working towards that. But But the um you know, the idea is we find if some community partners to help in providing activity tickets for our kids. >> And recognizing them often. >> Yeah, for sure. For sure, which would be a great thing. >> It's a I mean, it's
024a win-win. It's advertisement, but it's Yeah. It'll be I just think it's great for our kids. >> Good for our kids. You know, our events are great places for kids to be and the more kids that we have at those events, I think the better thing it is for our community. >> I like that idea. >> Yep. All right. Any other questions or discussions? Hearing none, then we need a motion to approve the school fees. >> Motion to approve the school fees. >> Thank you, Brent. Do we have a second? >> I'll second. >> [clears throat and cough] >> We have motion and second. Any further discussion? Hearing none, all in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? Fees approved. Look to approve the high school ELA stipend. >> Now, this stipend is not part of our
025collective bargaining and master contract, but it is something we've had in place for the last three school years. The high school English department, because of staffing, moved some of their courses around with some typical electives being offered at the college. When that happened, Mrs. Speer took on larger class loads. And what that means is she We used to give her a period per day where she worked on Commons messaging, newspaper assistance, web page content, you know, a lot of different stuff she does beyond her, you know, just her teaching contract. With the change in the scheduling 3 years ago, we're no longer able to give her that period. So, we have stipend her $3,000 to cover those all of those work that she's done the last, you know, last few years as well. So, I'd
026recommend that additional $3,000 stipend for for Mrs. Speer. And again, the reason we do this annually we bring it to you guys is because it's not part of the master contract. It's something else. You know, so we certainly would want your approval to pay that. Right. >> And we appreciate all the work that she does there. >> She's at everything. She's at everything. I had a district contact me today and say, "How are you able to get so much information out through your app and social media platforms?" She's a big part of that. There's some others as well, but very thankful for all that she does for us. >> Is $3,000 enough? >> [laughter] >> I think so. If you look at um you know, we kind of compare it to coaching contracts and time
027spent. And And she does have a yearbook contract. This would be above and beyond in all these other things she does. So, I do think it's the right amount. >> All right. We need a motion then for approval of the statement. >> I'll make the motion to approve the statement for $3,000. >> Thanks, Jay. Do we have a second? >> Second. >> Thanks, Andrew. We have a motion and a second. Any further discussion? Hearing none, all in favor say aye. >> Aye. >> Opposed? Statement approved. Uh looking at open enrollment, looks like we've got one unless something was added. >> We have one. We have one open enrollment and um every every uh requirements met. I recommend the approval of that open enrollment application. >> Make a motion to approve the open enrollment. >> Thanks,
028Don. Do we have a second? >> Second the motion. >> Thanks, Don. We have a motion and a second. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor say aye. >> Aye. >> Opposed? Open enrollment approved. Uh looking at personnel now, I'm moving into resignations. >> We have four resignations. Uh Bertha Mullins, Bertha Godfrey teacher associate, Faith Caylor, brand elementary teacher associate, Jason Bradley assistant boys track, and Corey Johnson for eighth grade boys basketball. >> All right, we need a motion for approval. >> So moved. >> Thanks, Andrew. Do we have a second? >> Second. >> Thanks, Brent. We have a motion and a second. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor say aye. >> Aye. >> Opposed? Resignations approved. We'll now move into contracts. >> We have four new contracts. Brittany Underberg, Bertha Godfrey teacher associate,
029uh Tony Rice Bertha Godfrey teacher associate, Faith Caylor our musical director, and then Corey Johnson resigning his eighth grade to take the freshman boys basketball. >> Who is musical director? >> Yeah, uh we filled that. I think Adam Orban has helped us out and done that for us the last year for sure, maybe the last 2 years. Um that's that's a separate contract. Often times our vocal music teacher takes it, but not always. >> What is it? What is it? What do they do? >> Our fall musical. They direct the the fall musical. >> Okay. Musical director. Good question. Do we We need a motion >> musical director on there. Here, yeah. >> Yeah, got it. Today we're going to go into closed session next under 21.25 1 I to evaluate the competency of an
030individual who's requested hiring and performance and discharge necessary to prevent needless injury to the individual or injury to the individual or reputation. Uh that individual has requested closed session.