001% of our students showed mastery on the I on iLearn which is at or above proficiency. Uh the state average and which is a number that I like to at least compare us to to see because I I feel like that gives us a good picture about hey where are we aligning with other schools across the state. The state average was 34%. So we were about 13% off of what the state average was in 2024. That number didn't change for the state average. It still ended up about 34% but we saw an increase. We have different kids, different needs. That increase, we increased it to 25%. So an 4% increase. Now we're again, we're only 9% from that state average. In 2025, the state average increased to 36%. We jumped to 29% u of our
002kids showing proficiency. So now we're only 7%. So within three years, and I don't have 2026 numbers yet, so over the course of three years, we've we've cut that deficit from the state in half. Um and I think we're going to keep continue seeing a progression there. Um basically they've they've really tried to um hone in on depths of knowledge, how questions are being asked. One example was uh one teacher come to me and she says, "Did you know the negative sign of a fraction can go in the bottom?" Yeah. Yeah, I did. And she says, "Well, that I just that just like I I didn't I didn't know what to expect." And I said it it all it does is show a division between two numbers. And that negative sign can go really anywhere
003because a negative by positive is still a negative. So we got asked and I want you to think about this for a second. What does math instruction look what what did math instruction look like when you were in school? And I'll be honest with you, I graduated 34 years ago. Um I only got asked this because one of my employees was born on my birthday the year I graduated. And they were asking how old they were today. Math instruction kind of looked like the left picture a lot where it was a lot of the teacher was in front rows. Um it was a lot of sit and get the teacher gave the instruction and then you did your homework and if you had a question you went up and asked the teacher. The bottom left
004corner is some of our seventh graders. We still have that where the teachers providing some instruction um and the kids are doing independent work. Uh and so we still see a lot of that. The challenges with that is, especially if it's a complicated math concept, you see kind of the kids in the picture there that like what are they talking about? Sometimes it's a foreign language. Sometimes we even battle the when they're sitting at the kitchen table and you I'm sure you've seen the the the post on Facebook that's like I I don't even know what this new math is. Why are they teaching it this way? This is not the way that I learned how to do it. And I always told my parents when I was in the classroom, just teach it to
005them. Like I just want them to learn the math. Like teach it the way that you did. Sometimes having a different perspective is a good thing. And so over the course of the the last couple of years, um, somebody asked me last week, um, how did you how did you arrive at the instruction that's being provided at at the middle school? And I'm going to say, you know, I would love to sit here and tell you that it was a big master plan that we created and we're seeing the the the that master plan come to um fruition. Reality is it was a complete accident at first. Um when we did construction I had I found a box in my office that had a bunch of books in it. Building thinking classroom and I thought
006why do I have these books in my classroom? So I cleaned out the box, set them on the counter and I wrote six post-it notes to the three teachers, three math teachers, three special education teachers. The math teachers grabbed the book, read it. I have one teacher that's now read the book four times because every time you read this book, you get something new out of it every single time and they've started adapting some of those things. Um, which I'll I'll show you like some of the things that came out of the book um that changed the instruction. And so what happened as they they read the book and then and then they even created a book study with Betsy Breedlove um on on the book and they actually like studied the book. they've implemented
007some of the instructional strategies. And then last year we also we hired uh Dr. Ryan Flesner from Butler that provided just he he kind of he came in with some mirror options and some instruction. He sat down with the teachers and he talked about the strategies in the book and then they actually worked on implementation and implementing these in the classroom. So what does that all mean? So here's a question and you're like what does toilet paper have to do with math? And I completely understand that. So my question is um I don't know if anybody knows what this ugly formula is, but this is kind of an idea of how we've transitioned some of our math. So that's the area that's that's the formula to find the area of a cylinder, surface area of
008a cylinder. And so when I taught this in math, one thing that I used to do the and I was going to ask Andy for a roll of toilet paper, but I I couldn't find one. I I couldn't get one off the roll at school. So if you think about it, everybody knows or most people know that because you teach it that pi r squ is the area of a circle. And a cylinder has two circles, one at the top, one at the bottom. And so that's where the two comes from because you have two of those. But this other thing over here is just kind of crazy. This part of the formula like Mr. Arthur, where does that even come from? Well, let's talk about it. So if you actually p toilet paper works
009great for this little thing in math. I said because when you peel off the toilet paper, what shape is the toilet paper? And we do this in class. Like what shape is the toilet paper? And they're like, oh, it's a rectangle. Great. How do you find the area of a rectangle? So you start developing that why? What is that? What is the what is the why behind this ugly formula? And where does it come from? We already get the 2 pi r squ because of the two circles, but this pi rh. So if you really when you peel it off the 2 pi r is the formula for circumference. So you're bringing in background knowledge in that in that. And so the circumference is actually the length of that rectangle because it goes all the
010way around the toilet paper. And then the height is just how tall the cylinder is or how tall the toilet paper is. The toilet paper works great for this scenario because you can just peel it off layer by layer by showing the kids. >> And so that's an example of what we've been trying to do. Um it's called conceptual learning. why why does the mathematics work? And so it really instead of just teaching them procedures, we try to get down to the why behind it. And so a couple of examples that we've done is is is the teachers have done collab boards. So during attendance and she says the kids absolutely love this. So as they're walking in, she's taking attendance as a bell ringer. She will simply write one topic on the board. So
011in this case, she'll write slope on the board. And this is some pictures that she took from her classes. The kids do brain dump everything that they've done regarding slope. So you can see graphs on there. You see triangle y over triangle x, which means delta y over delta x, the change in y over the change in x that you see unit rate. Anything that they can relate back to slope, they do a brain dump. Um, another example is um they came to me and said, "We want white boards." And so basically, whiteboards are whiteboards that hang up around the the perimeter of the classroom. As you see, one one student has a marker board and then one student has nothing. And so they have to verbalize and communicate. So instead of just doing the
012math, they actually have to explain so somebody knows exactly what they're writing down on the board. And the whole time the teacher kind of can look back in in the classroom and see exactly what's happening um in that. Um, and it's and it's kind of nice because when they have something that's wrong, you can quickly see and they can do error analysis during that. Um, these are kind of hard to see, but these are stations. A couple of the teachers do stations. Um, and so one one example, and I was trying to find the picture and I couldn't, but a couple of years ago, a couple of teachers actually put classes together and we're in our new collaboration room. And I walked in one day and I'm like, "What are you doing?" They were writing
013on the windows with dry erase markers and it came off. But it was they had given them they had given them a sub a math problem which is very similar to iLearn and the topic was they had this irregularshaped pond and they had this like you can buy panels two foot panels four foot panels and 11 or 10 foot panels and you have to put a gate in so people can access the pond but you want to put a fence around the pond. how are you going to do that so it's the cheapest cost? And they shut up and let the kids think about it. And it was really good. They could only ask clarifying questions and the kids worked in pairs to come up with it. Um so it was really good. And then
014um the teachers were smart because most of the kids had the same answer because they were piecing it together because one rule was you couldn't buy like large panels and cut them. You had to buy like if you needed a two-ft panel then two foot panel is all you could get. So that was that was really cool. It was and it was really neat to see the kids. Um, this is not a question for you, so don't worry. But a lot of times they will ask, "What questions do you have?" Uh, and I heard somebody else talking about this recently that she took a picture of a Girl Scout um thin mint box under her daughter's bed and then just started asking, "Okay, what what questions do you have?" So, in this one, and I
015know you can't see like what's in the picture that the kids are coming up with, but they give um Mrs. gave him a picture of a grocery store um just full of cereal boxes and what questions do you have and they're driving mathematics questions that come for you know maybe just hey what's the volume here um you know it could be hey what's our poss possible profit like there's just and you can see the list of questions that the kids actually came up with um during that time so then you kind of ask okay what does this all have to do with the middle school so we had two students from IU this past year that did an early field experience and I've been really pushing the the the teachers to accept the early field
016experience from IU and accept student teachers. Um I think it it makes us better and then I want to it helps us showcase the things that we're doing at at OVMS and two of the girls were absolutely great like um and and I had talked to them a couple times because when I would pop in math classes but Dr. Dr. Burch from IU had emailed me and said, "I don't know what you guys are doing. How did you develop this conceptual um how did you develop your conceptual understanding framework?" And um I'm like, so I emailed the teacher and I'm like, "Okay, you're going to have to answer this question because I don't I don't have an answer for this." So we arranged a meeting and and so she says you know this is this
017is the stuff that we're actually teaching our early field experience te um people that are training to be teachers and she said you know we teach them that hey students students need to understand the why behind mathematics and how things are working the problem is when I send them out into the field there's not very many classrooms that that's actually happening in it's still very procedure drill instruction, she says. And and Dr. Burch looked at us and said, "To be honest with you, I think you guys are the only ones that's actually doing this." So, um, in July, we actually have a meeting with Dr. Burch in the math department to create a partnership where Owen Valley Middle School will be, um, kind of a lab school for early field experience students where we'll be
018accepting early field experience students to see what they're doing in mathematics. And so, um, we're excited about that. And so just I thought that would be that Andy says that's exactly what you should share. So anyway, so I think it was exciting the things that we're doing and knowing that hey we we've got some new things going on and we're one of the only schools in the area that's actually doing it. So anyway, so if you have any questions or anything that I can answer for you. >> I do have a question. >> Sure. So for our sake, but also the community's sake as as we return to an ADF accountability system and the GPS dashboard and all of these numbers are out there accessible. Um I always struggle with when a state average is
019in the 30s, you look at that number and you go, how is it possible that only 30% are proficient? because in a lot of people's minds I think it's um that means you have a lot of kids who are failing but I know that's not the case but what does that number really mean for a student in the students you know so to reach 30% what does that mean for those students as they then progress in their math skills and >> what is what does that mean I >> I think you have to go back that I learn is an extremely difficult test it it really requires requires a lot of high order thinking skills um for the kids which is a lot of strategies that you that that they're working on and it's it's
020it's been a progress for us because I'm not sure that we've been teaching to the level or the rigor that we needed to be in order to to achieve that 30 40% pass rate. Language arts has done been doing a great job over the course of the last few years and some of our I learn scores have kind of been a roller I wouldn't say a roller coaster but we've seen some humps and hills the No, that's okay. The the the problem that we that we had with with language arts is last year they went through and redid the the writing portion. It used to be a two-day writing portion and then they condensed it and said we're only going to do one day. Well, when the state does those things, those portions don't count
021in our um scores. And so, we saw a slight dip in our scores. Normally what we will see is our seventh grade is usually on pace with whatever they did in sixth grade and and I think a lot of that's attributed to hey it's a new building it's a new format um there's a lot of things happening there our our teachers do a phenomenal job um getting them from seventh grade to eighth grade um but as far as for for kids um I I don't think it means that they're going to be unsuccessful under the new accountability system um the state has allowed what we call success indicators and so well I still call them success indicators I think the state has come up with a new name for it now um and like one
022thing for example is um I was all excited in February when we learned so we get a baseline score of iLearn and we get we get these success indicators and I always tell the kids they're bonus points when we see for example a kid that gets a a growth a year's worth of growth or more than one year's worth of growth then we can get bonus points for that. Um, seventh grade just went through and redid or filled out graduation re graduation plans. >> Um, and that really only we only did that hey are you interested in the enrollment or yeah enrollment seal, enlistment seal or the employment seal. So basically after high school what are your intentions and what are your plans? Do you want to go get a job? Do you want to
023go to the military? Or do you plan on going somewhere after college or after high school for some kind of training? And and we don't get into the pluses. We don't get into the honors. It's just like which seal are you looking at? >> Then we then we go down to and we we try to get them to select a pathway like what what pathway interests you the most? >> And then we start looking at what course lineups do you have with that lineup? And then we kind of take that because um at the middle school we've been working on developing partnerships like we have a a really good partnership now with Boston Scientific where we actually take take the eighth graders to go visit the facility. They see the production line, they see the
024AI tools, um, and they see like the the things that they're doing there. Um, I actually had a meeting with them today about one of their programs that we want to bring to the middle school. Um, we've invited um, other people in. We've taken a group to Crane to visit. Um, but it kind of just gives them that foundation of like, hey, what do you want to study? Then when the high school counselors meet with them in eighth grade, then they have an idea of like what pathway they need to set, what pathways they need to and how they need to start lining up their coursework um with that and it and it and it brings in the parent. Those are that's another bonus point that we or like I said, we get bonus points.
025Um, the other thing that I think helps kids set kids up for success, uh, is is every student has the ability to earn at least two high school credits, um, before they even walk out of the middle school. Um, and so it kind of sets them on that on that positive course um, before they step in. And so they understand one thing that I think understands and it's it's especially for an eighth grader who's in like preparing for college and careers or computer science first semester and Mrs. Ziggler at the end of this semester and they say, "You have to retake computer science because you didn't pass it." What? What's this? I don't understand this concept. So, I think it it it it's kind of a it gives them the opportunity to expose them to
026high school without the penalties of of of high school because they they almost get a redo. Um, if if they don't want to take a high school class into high school, it it doesn't it doesn't transfer over. It doesn't move over. So, I think those are the things that we're working on to set the kids up for success. I think there's more to it than just one ilearn score. Um, and then that's why we have we have set up for those kiddos who's who are struggling next year, we've set up like resource periods almost like study halls to kind of help transition them into middle school that hopefully will also help. So, so if a student is not proficient in math according to iLearn, then what happens with that student as they approach math as
027they continue on in their progression? So, the state um passed a new law last year. Um we've we've done remediation labs for during our our advisory period. Um teachers have the ability to pull kids in for extra support. Um special education teachers pull kids in for support. So, under the new um tiered system of math um kids who are not in that tier. Tier one is basically 80% of your kids will hit that instruction and that's whole group instruction. Then they'll move into tier two if they haven't if they haven't grasped the concept that the teacher did. And those are small groups typically around five kids. Um and that can be done. We want to hopefully train some of our IAS to assist with that as well as our our math teachers. And then if
028students still aren't getting that, then our special education teachers can pull the kids and work one-on-one with them um to work on those concepts. So that's kind of the the system that we'll use is that we'll use that tier system to pull kids in to provide them with more additional support. >> And so is the iLearn for teachers a di more of a diagnostic? >> We use it that way. So since they now have moved to the checkpoints, um checkpoints are given three times a year. So, we'll give a checkpoint in the fall. It's usually around fall break. Um, we'll give one in in around um math gives it before Christmas break. ELA is giving it right after Christmas break and then we'll give it around spring break right before the summitive. And so, they
029use those as kind of guiding opportunities to look at that. Um, this year we're also going to pilot with to hopefully with reading comprehension as well as bring I Ready back in. So, I Ready will have to do a benchmark. All the kids will take a an assessment at the beginning of the school year to kind of place where they're at and hey, how did summer go for you? And then it will after they take a checkpoint, it will realign those two programs will realign with what the kids actually need support in also. And they'll be working on those in their Patriot hour also their advisory period. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Yeah. Yeah. Any other questions? All right. Thank you. Appreciate it. >> Thank you. >> All right. We will move on on our
030agenda here to uh old business. Do we have any old business this evening? >> Uh there, excuse me. There are no old business items this evening. >> Right. We will now move on to new business item number one. Item number one is a request for the board to approve the student handbooks for 2627 as prepared by the building principles and uh athletic directors and administrators. Uh you have items A through F. Uh the elementary student handbook, uh the middle school student handbook and athletic handbook, the high school student handbook and athletic handbook, as well as the alternative school student handbook for the high school. >> Okay. All right. You have heard the request. Do I have a motion on that request? >> Move to approve. >> Thank you, Jack. Do I have a second? >>
031Second. >> Thank you, Dina. Do I uh It's been properly moved and seconded. Is there any discussion? Okay. Hearing none, we'll proceed to vote. All those in favor, please raise your right hand. Motion passes seven to zero. Next on the agenda, item two. Uh item two before the board is a request to approve the Harmon Consulting Services 2026 20227 contract. This is a contract between Mr. Brian Harmon and the school corporation to provide uh financial and budget preparation. Uh we've worked with Brian uh for the past five years myself and I know Dr. Briggs worked with him I believe for his tenure as well. uh he's an invaluable resource and asset uh in budget preparation. Uh and again for public uh transparency, we are putting this contract forth for board approval because there has been
032updates to public law which now require us to post these contracts for public access on the school website. So, uh Mr. Harmon thought best to just go ahead and update his contract so it would reflect uh current policy and current agreements. Okay, you've heard the request. Do I have a motion on that request? Move >> to approve. >> Thank you, Mark. Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Dina. Okay, properly moved and seconded. Is there any discussion? Okay, hearing none, we'll proceed to vote. All those in favor, please raise your right hand. Motion passes seven to zero. Item three. >> Uh item three before the board is a request to approve the Owen Valley Middle School flooring quote uh from TF Andrews. That total amount is for uh excuse me $112,100. This
033would be updating the floors on the first floor, all of the hallways and the main hallways that were not uh encompassed with the most recent renovation. And again, the the cost of this project would be paid for using remaining 2024 bond monies. >> You've heard the request. Do I have a motion on that request? >> Thank you, Liz. Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Rick. >> It's been properly moved and seconded. Is there any discussion? Okay, hearing none, we'll proceed to vote. All those in favor, please raise your right hand. Motion passes. seven to zero. Okay. Next on the agenda, item four. >> Item four is a request before the board to approve the 2026 2027 breakfast and lunch pricing. Uh as again outlined in the memo to the board and
034some background for our audience. Uh we are asking for or having to request a uh 10 cent maximum increase. Uh the um the tool used to uh calculate these uh recommended an increase of 22 cents, but there is a statutory cap or a limitation that keeps that at 10. Um so that would reflect uh an increase in adult lunch pricing of $5 going, excuse me, $5 going to $5.20 uh which is not uh applicable to the cap. Uh, also your elementary prices for, excuse me, for uh, breakfast would be at 30 reduced $1.40. Uh, paid lunch reduced would be at 40 and paid lunch would go to $2.90 increasing from $2.80. Uh at the secondary level uh breakfast prices would remain the same at 30 cents and reduced prices uh excuse me uh the reduced
035price would be I'm sorry reduced price is 30 cents remaining unchanged and then paid breakfast would go from $1.40 to $1.50 50 lunch prices. The 40 cents would remain unchanged for reduced costs and then the paid lunch would go from $3.20 to $3.30. >> Okay, you have heard the request. Is there a motion uh on that request? >> Thank you, Mark. Is there a second? Second. >> Thank you, Jack. >> Properly moved and seconded. Is there any discussion? Um I do have a question and it really just occurred to me. Um we're continuing though with free breakfast at our schools. Correct. >> We are analyzing right now free breakfast at the elementary programs whether or not we can continue that. So we have seen because of consumer price index increases and I've asked Mrs. Wagner
036and uh her immediate supervisor. Oh man, Lauren, sorry. Uh to be able to speak to that as well. Uh we're we're looking at those costs to see whether or not we can maintain that or not. So I don't we just finished with the May month end reports. So we will have a better idea of that going into uh the middle of June and be able to tell you that in July. So I I don't know if you want to speak to that or Yeah, >> step to the mic. >> Make sure it's green. >> So, unfortunately, our reimbursement rates have not kept up with the inflation. So, it is something that we have to look at to see if it's something we can sustain because essentially what happens is those costs become something the district
037has to take care of. >> So, had a grant in the past or how was that? >> So, yes. So, previously we were receiving um additional funds that were SCA funds is what they were called and we were getting close to $54,000 a year and that pretty much covered our free breakfast. Um we no longer get those funds. Those were cut. They I mean they were never intended to be a long-term but that was what was covering our free breakfast and they've been gone for the last two years. >> Was that co money? >> It was. >> Okay. So So then are there other grant opportunities out there? >> We have looked and there's really not and we've had so much cut. Um we also used to be able to get what was called local
038food for schools. um that entire program was scrapped. So all schools across the country lost that money >> and that was scrapped this year in midstream just for clarification. So >> yeah, so unfortunately like I said schools across the nation we've suffered a lot of cuts. >> Okay. So is it I'm a little bit confused because Is it being looked into? >> So if if we feel that that's where we need to go, that was that's what the price would have to be. >> Yeah. >> Any further discussion? Um, off hand, do you know a percentage of how many how many kids eat breakfast? >> So, it depends on the school, but we are we average around 44% of students that eat breakfast. I guess I just didn't realize that the free lunch wasn't on
039the table anymore for this price for breakfast. Um >> if a if a student is still qualifies for free or reduced, >> right, >> they would they will receive free breakfast. >> That still continues. >> Yeah. This is just for those that are not free or reduced. This is just for paid. >> Okay. >> That entry, >> you know how many kids eat twice? How many for seconds. >> Uh breakfast, there's hardly any that come for seconds, and that would mainly be middle school and high school. Um for lunch is same thing. Middle school and high school normally are ones that come up for seconds. Um we have a handful of students in elementary that will come for seconds. But I mean, even if they're free or reduced, seconds are they're paid. They're all cart
040prices. And that's just a state standard that we have to follow. >> It's always a state. What happens if we every year this comes up and every tomality that we have to accept. What if we don't accept it? Then the district becomes responsible for those costs. >> Which cost specifically? >> The cost in the entirety or the excess cost? >> The excess cost. >> Okay. >> So whatever the excess food cost is would fall on the district to cover. >> So are we covering difference right now then between 22 our cap at 10. >> Yes. >> Yeah. >> So, we would be covering if we failed this, we' be covering 22 instead of 12. >> Wow. >> And to put that in perspective, we served a little over 350,000 meals for the year. So when
041you take that 12 cents times 350,000 meals >> Yeah. >> Well, >> that's what the state does not reimburse, >> right? >> Yeah. >> Yes. >> It's a little over 350,000 meals. Yeah. So, but to put that in perspective for you, right now the food service account has $59,000. So when you say 350,000 meals, >> that doesn't include all. >> No, >> but we we don't receive reimbursement for all of cart items. I mean, that's just it's like >> that self- sustaining or is that um >> Yeah, because those are priced accordingly. >> But that $59,000 >> it does making money. It will add to the cash balance. >> Yes. So, >> and those items are priced accordingly. Okay. Any further discussion? Okay. Hearing none, uh we will proceed to vote. All those in favor,
042please raise your right hand. Motion passes. 70. Okay. Next on our agenda, item five. >> Uh excuse me. Item five is a request to uh declare uh the Owen Valley Middle School surplus items that are listed. These are primarily English and language arts items. And when we get to the discussion point, I'll let Mr. Arthur speak to these if you have additional questions. >> Okay. Uh you've heard the request. Is there a motion on that request? >> Move to approve. >> Thank you, Jack. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Mark. Is there any discussion? Okay, hearing none, we'll proceed to vote. All those in favor, please raise your right hand. Motion passes seven to zero. Okay, next item six. >> I'll go ahead. I was going to say actually, can I have
043the slide that over? Uh, next on your agenda is a recommendation from uh me to the board uh to provide Superintendent Klene uh with a $1,200 stipen uh language in his contract um indicates that we will let me get it right. uh that any increases or any uh payment uh during his contract. Um if he receives a a rating of effective or highly effective, the superintendent's annual salary may be increased by a percentage within the range of percentage increase if any of the corporation's teachers as the result of the collective bargaining for the previous bargaining session. Uh the super superintendent Klein did receive uh an effective rating and um as part of our collective bargaining process with teachers, teachers received a one-time stipen of $1,200 and the request is to provide um a $1,200 stipend
044uh less the let me get it right. Uh payroll would be subject to all applicable tax withholdings and deductions. So, the request before you is a $1,200 onetime stipen for Superintendent Klene. >> Okay. Is there a motion on that request? >> Move to approve. >> Thank you, Rick. Is there a second? >> Thank you. I got Liz. Thank you, Mark, though. But, um, all right. Properly moved and seconded. Is there any discussion? Okay. Hearing none, we'll proceed to vote. All those in favor, please raise your right hand. Motion passes seven to zero. Okay. Next on the agenda is personnel. >> Uh under personnel, again, if it's the pleasure of the board, I would ask you to take items A, B, C, D, and E as one motion. Or if there is specific items that you
045would like to vote for individually, would ask you to request that uh for your uh personnel report this evening. Does anybody wish to pull any specific items out of personnel? Okay. Uh so we will take these all together as one motion uh for all of the personnel recommendations. Uh items A, B, C, D, and E under personnel. Uh is there a motion on that request? >> Move to approve. >> We got Dina and Liz as a second. Okay. Uh, having been properly moved and seconded, we'll uh proceed to discussion. Is there any discussion? Okay. Hearing none, we'll proceed to vote. All those in favor, please raise your right hand. Motion passes. 7 to zero. >> Okay. >> You're hired. Don't you go anywhere. >> Hey, you're on the list now, buddy. >> Uh we we
046have further business here. Um okay, at this time we will now move on on our agenda to board comments. We will start with Mark. >> Well, I'll start by saying how thankful I am that we have two fantastic principal candidates ready to go and ready to for tonight. >> Okay. Thank you very much, Mark. Chad, >> are there any? >> Yes. >> What are your names? congratulations. >> Okay, >> thank you, Chad. Uh, Dina, >> congratulations to Jake and Chris, and we know you'll do great things. Welcome, Emma Spencer and like to thank Tom for his presentation tonight and also thank you for um taking the kids to Washington DC. Um and I know our granddaughter had a wonderful time and um she you know, we had to be really good because Valley, the middle
047school kids have been known to be a really good group. So, she said we had to be good and I think they were. So, thank you for that experience. >> Thank you, Dina. Rick, >> pardon me. I too want to welcome the new hires and Jacob and the teachers. >> Thank you, Rick. Liz Um, that's on now. Um, I just want to say how just impressed and proud I am to be part of a school corporation where a big college like IU would send their teachers over here to just watch our staff and what we're doing. We're doing things right. It's It's so exciting. Um, and if you're not pumped about it, get pumped because that's a big deal. Um, Chris Patrick'sburg principal. So, so excited about that. I know everyone over there is so
048excited, too. So, and hey, promotion. >> That's all I got. >> All right. Thank you, Liz. Jack. >> Well, I'd like to thank Mr. Arthur for the presentation. Congratulate you on the partnership with IU. I think that's that's fantastic. I'd also like to congratulate all the new employees that have new positions. As a student that was under uh Alvin Schwarz as a principal, Mr. Stein, you have a principal's haircut for sure. Mr. Alvin Schwarz had a flat top and he meant business. You can tell by the haircut, he was all business. So, uh yeah, you're you're off to a good start. Okay, thank you, Jack. Um, new hires, thank you very much for coming this evening and and uh being here. And for our administrators, uh, get to work. Uh, school year is going to
049start soon, right? Uh, a lot faster than you think it will be will start. Uh, I'd also like to thank Superintendent Klene for um as we've approved the renewal of of the contract here and and there the next uh part I guess yeah new renewal of the contract um and his continued efforts and stewardship of the district. I I greatly appreciate all of your hard work. Um uh Mr. Arthur, thank you very much. Uh I think that was our first data presentation of the year. Did I get that right? We've had student presentations. So I don't know if you've topped the um AI group. That was a pretty from your That was a tough group. You I don't know that math. Not as exciting as an AI um program that counted people or or oh
050uh the bullying detection. That's right. Yeah. Math isn't as exciting, but necessary for for science, I'm sure. Um, but yeah, thank you uh very much for that. I do want to make a public announcement that uh coming up next Thursday at noon is the deadline to file for school board um elections for the fall ballot. So, um there are those in attendance who I know I called the clerk's office today have already filed their uh petitions for nomination, but the deadline for that is fast approaching. Uh we do have one district that no one has filed yet. Um so if you have friends, neighbors uh who are interested in joining this illustrious body uh looking at you folks uh to join us uh please twist their arm and get them to uh fill out their
051petition at the county clerk's office. So that is all I have this evening. We will now move on to administrator comments. Um, if you are an administrator, please step up to the microphone so those listening at home can hear you. Uh, we will start with uh Tom Arthur if you had anything else to add. >> Um, the only the only thing that I'll add is is like I said earlier, we did take 30 kids to Washington DC. Um, it's it's a really busy trip. We're there for three days. Um, we started, we left the hotel at 7:45 every morning and we didn't get back till 10:00 and the next day we would do it all over again. Um, but they got to experience everything from touring the Capitol, um, touring and visiting the Library of
052Congress, including the reading room, that famous room that you see in textbooks. They got to go in the gallery and actually see that live. Um, they saw the Supreme Court. Um, I'll be honest with you, we didn't get to see much of the White House between construction at Lafayette Park and the ballroom and the new um, rink that's getting put up. Um, you just it was blocked a lot. So, um, they did we did the best we could. Um, they got to tour the Bureau of Printing and Engraving. Um, there was no money being printed, but one one chaperon looked at it because they would fan sheets of money and and like we're talking thousands of dollars and then it would send it through a system that would um kind of check it for flaws
053and it would just spit out the ones that were flawed. And she's like, he just shred thousands of dollars like it was nothing. Um, and then at one point we actually got to see them cut the bills. Um, and that's about all we got to see, but they did get to experience the Holocaust Museum, all the memorials. And so Dena's right. Before we leave the parking lot, we have a very stern conversation with them that you're representing Spencer and you're representing Owen Valley Middle School. And this is our this was our second trip because we went in 2024. And the course group leader that we have that leads our group once we get to DC is an 80-year-old man that worked 37 years in the DC metro system. He now lives in Florida. He flies
054up to do these tours and he only picks groups that he likes and and um can be respectful and and every year he selects our school. Um at my request I request him and he he gets to say yes or no um whether he does that. Our bus driver um was from Evansville and made a comment that I got to do a lot of people watching and um I was so glad that your kids were on our bus. We have some great kids here and I don't think we tout it enough. Um because if you can take them to a city like Washington DC and just see how other kids are behaving and not being very respectful on the memorials um they need direction and we gave them those coaching when we went but they
055were absolutely phenomenal. It may have been the threat to put them on an airplane and send them back home but I've never had to do that and I hope I never ever have to do that. But it was a great experience. Um, and so we're looking forward to making a request for 2028. So, >> might I suggest walking home might be a bet better threat. >> That's a long walk. >> Okay. Thank you, Mr. Har. Uh, Melinda, is there anything? >> So, we have some exciting news. Next week I have three of my unit leaders that will be attending the state-led culinary training. Um it's a program they do every year and this year we lucked out and it's just down the road at Edgewood so they don't have to go very far for it
056but they'll learn culinary skills and um presentation skills to try and get students to eat more of our our healthier items. They'll also learn the history of the National School Lunch Program. They'll get a refresher on offer versus serve and all the information on the new USDA standards. And the two ladies that run that program do an amazing job. I did it myself a couple years ago. They'll have a lot of fun. They'll get a lot of good knowledge that they can bring back and teach their staff. So, I'm really excited that I have three of my six that get to go and do it. >> Thank you. Okay, next up uh we will go with Jake Steinmets green. Okay, I would have brought notes if I known I'd had to do this. So, I
057thought I was good till July one. So, um no, thank you to all of you. Dina for being on the committee, my wife for putting up with this, Mr. Klein for the opportunity. She knows what's coming. Um, but hit the ground running the last few weeks already. I mean, we've uh we hired we offered a biology teacher last week. Got cosmetology down to two folks. We'll have somebody by next week. Uh, Mr. Highland or myself interviewed some English folks today. We'll have one of those hired by next week. Got about 12 applicants for the assistant principal position. We have a math position open. Um, we're just we're filling them as we can get them. But, uh, excited for the year. uh started the morning down in Washington with Jake Cunningham playing golf. I wasn't playing,
058I was watching. Uh he shot a 74, which the cut was 71 to go to state, >> but the cut last year was 76. So he, you know, good good batch of golfers today. So it was great to see him play and then tailed it up here to do some interviews. So um other than that, we the military wall has been installed. Looks great. I think you've seen pictures. Come and look at it. um wait rooms getting ready to be done. I mean I it's lot lot going on in the high school even though there aren't kids there and there are kids there all the time but uh place doesn't sleep but thank you again for the opportunity and let me know if you ever need anything. >> Okay, thank you very much. All right,
059uh Chris Samk uh comments. >> Well, thank you for entrusting me with a year at Patricksburg. I'm looking forward. We had a great year last year. So, um just hoping to capitalize and and do even more great things this year and look forward to working with Jake. I already have texted back and forth quite a bit with I mean he's he's on it. So, I appreciate that with the he really is great about highlighting kids and what they do. So, um and then Emma and Brianna, welcome. So, um I Emma, you were with Ed. Are you Edgewood? Is that where you came from or >> No. >> Or student teaching or >> um I was at Cloverdale. >> Cloverdale is where you came from. >> Okay. Because I I know some of your names came
060through when everybody was hiring. But welcome. I'll see you at new teacher orientation. That's something else I'll be at. And we're fully staffed at Patrick'sburg. That's exciting because last year we weren't until I two days before school. But, uh, we are fully hired and and ready to go. So, thank you. >> All right. Thank you, Mr. Taylor. >> Good evening. Um, congratulations to Mr. Steinmets. Um, I know you've been working hard. We've been working together and uh, so I appreciate all of your hard work. Um, even before July 1. Also, congratulations to Mrs. Sam. This great news. So, it's wonderful. So, uh, Brianna and Emma, welcome and congratulations to you. I know that Mrs. Watson and Mrs. Green are very excited to have you on board and looking forward to working with you and so
061um, we're excited and um, Miss Samk mentioned the new teacher orientation and so that will be coming up uh, and we'll be here to support you as you uh, get on your way. So, congratulations. Thank you, Mr. Arthur, for the math presentation. That was great. I never realized I could learn so much about toilet paper and uh the formulas related to that. So, that's uh that's wonderful. Um just wanted to share an update for our students in summer school for elementary summer school. um they actually uh took the first part of the I read three test today and they will finish up with the um second portion of the test tomorrow. So we're looking forward to um those results and uh to see the improvement that they made uh during that summer school time. Uh
062as Mr. assignments mentioned, there are students at the high school still are um students that are seeking credit recovery are continuing with summer school and that will finish up um at the end of next week. Um so, uh we're busily finishing up here um and working on those pieces as well. So, congratulations to all the folks here. So, thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Taylor. Uh we will now move on to the superintendent report comments. >> Uh thank you uh thank you to the board for renewing my contract or extending my contract. I appreciate that very much. Uh also thank you very much for the stipen. Uh appreciate that very much. The uh the IU Bersar's office will appreciate that very much as well. So, but again, we will continue uh pushing forward and uh
063putting kids first and uh pushing them forward to be their best. To our two new teachers here this evening, thanks for your patience. You both came by my table at IU interview day and I had I think I had interviews with both of you and then I came back here and scanned all my notes and scanned all of your materials and sent them to the four elementary principles and said if these names show up on your application list you need to interview them. So appreciate you very much and welcome aboard uh in that capacity as beginning teachers. So Mr. Steinmets, Mrs. Samic, uh, thank you for your continued service to the schools and the positions that you're taking on. Uh, I have no doubt you will continue the level of expectation that we know exists
064in each of your buildings and will, uh, strive for even more as we go on forward here. So, um, talking about some of the initiatives here, uh, to dovetail Mr. Arthur uh with the the the lab school setting with the cooperation with Indiana University that is just outstanding. And uh we will also be looking at we submitted a a letter of support to the Indiana University School of Education and also the Kelly School of Business to expand the tutoring program that now exists at McCormix Creek and Patrickburg elementary school. If those those if those monies are awarded that will expand the tutoring program to all four elementaryaries. So we will wait patiently to see uh that outcome. But that has been positive gains as well with our elementary students. Uh just getting some extra help
065and extra assistance from some college kiddos that want to come over and work with our students. Uh we also have uh finished up the uh grant process uh the grant preparation process as we've talked about in earlier board meetings with the artificial intelligence grant uh that would be part of a consortium of 10 school corporations. This is now a $35 million grant and we will know by September if we're going to receive this or not. So uh this grant would be uh a gamecher for us to provide uh oversight and instruction for our teachers on the use of artificial intelligence uh and also to start preparing our kids to understand how to use it uh in a proactive way and uh uh not abuse it. Um which you know it it's here and we have
066to be prepared to deal with it. So, uh, we'll keep you updated on that. Uh, also congratulations to Noah Hall as he finishes his high school career. I, uh, appreciate his efforts, uh, at North Central. Um, I guess was this past Saturday. And, uh, he is in good hands at Maran University with Coach Weise, uh, who ironically is one of my former students and one of my former athletes from Indian Creek. So, I've already given her the down low or the skinny on him. it's like let's just get him going and move on to college. So, congratulations to Noah. Jake already mentioned our uh golf participant. And uh uh I I know they're not watching, but I also want to have a shout out to the high school cheerleading squad because they are over at
067IU I I believe tonight and tomorrow night, right? Uh participating in uh the varsity cheerleading uh camp over there. And what I've seen so far on social media, they've done quite well. and uh uh kudos to them and their efforts and building that squad and uh expanding it here over the last several years. So um make sure I covered everything. Oh no, I got two more things. Uh the community uh artists will be having their production coming up this weekend uh at the auditorium at the high school auditorium. If you have time, I would encourage you to go over to that. uh and also in working uh as a member of the chamber of uh the board of directors for the chamber of commerce for Owen County. Uh if you have time on Saturday and
068you want to see some hy jinks, come over and see uh the Chester Chicken Chuck from the courthouse roof. Uh and you you'll have a a good old time. I'll say it that way. So, but uh for those two items, the Chester chicken chuck, they're going to chuck rubber chickens from the courthouse, and if you catch them, >> you win prizes. >> You may win prizes. So, money going money going back to the chamber to to support the uh to support the community. So, hats off to uh >> and the the second year in a row for that event. So, it is >> new new community tradition, chucking chickens off the courthouse. And it we're there using rubber chickens. When it was first done, it was actually live chickens and live ducks way back in
069the day. And then you took it to the local butcher and they took care of it for you. So uh a little more uh >> responsible in 2026, let's say it that way. Uh and then one other thing uh I will uh promote uh because we did have a discussion about this earlier um with the chamber of commerce and with u Marcy King Marcy Johnson uh as that director. July 14th there will be what is called the business and career expo at the high school. Mr. Steinmets will be a part of that. This is again an opportunity we are trying to invite businesses in the community to come and find out about the requirements that have been alluded to by Tom and also Jake with the new diploma requirements uh that are coming. uh part
070of those requirements depending on the path that the child chooses uh for example if they choose the enlistment path or the enlistment seal they must complete 100 hours of community service. If they are in the employment seal, they must complete over a four-year period of time. And it could be during school or after school or during the summer, but or 650 and 750 hours of work or apprenticeship or uh that type of thing. So, we need our businesses to re to be prepared to take on some of our students for that type of work. uh whether it be paid or not uh it is going to be a requirement uh that will be a challenge uh you know for Valley High School 630 kids in 9 through 12 more so at the at the end
071of the journey our juniors and seniors but uh you know those kiddos have got to have those hours as part of their requirement uh the academic enrolled or the uh I'm forgetting it now the co the enrollment seal is uh they reduced that to 75 hours based on the academic rigor that they're doing with dual credit courses and advanced placement courses. But uh again, these are things that uh our kiddos are going to need some help with and uh re reaching out to businesses for those employment or volunteer opportunities. So you will see if you've not already that's been on social media and we'll start again pushing it out to all of our parents and community members through parent square as as well. So and um that is all I have. >> Okay. >> Thank
072you very much superintendent Klein. We will now move on to patron comments. Does anybody wish to make any public comment on anything this evening? Okay. All right. Uh, no comments are heard. At this time, I'd entertain a motion on adjournment. >> So moved. >> Second, >> Jack and Liz. As a second, all those in favor of adjournment, please raise your right hand. >> Motion passes seven to zero. We are now adjourned. Our next meeting time is July 16th here at central office at 700 pm. And as always, if you're watching on YouTube, be sure to hit like and subscribe. July 16.