001items only. So, if there's any comments on the agenda items, now would be the time to um comment on those. >> All right, we'll move it on to the approval of the agenda. >> I move to approve the uh agenda as presented. >> We do have we do have one amended uh one one addition if it pleases the board. Um, I'd like to add the approval of the multi-purpose restrooms uh north of Neil Field uh as 3G item 3G information just came in today. So, I did text the the board about that. I apologize for the late notice, but it just came in today and it's it's good news. So, again, that's approval of multi-purpose restrooms north of Nefield. >> So, do we have a motion to approve the agenda as amended? Yes. >> Second.
002>> All in favor? I >> uh next we'll go over the approval of the minutes from the July 14th session uh which was provided to all of us in our um monthly packets. Any questions or corrections for that? >> No. I'll move that we approve the minutes from last month. >> Second. >> All in favor? Uh next we will move on to the routine consent items. Uh those are all that information is provided to us in our packets as well uh for review. Are there any questions? >> I have a comment. >> Are they always going to be this detailed from now on? Because that was >> No. >> Okay. It's the physical year end reports for the ECAS. Those those reports are uploaded gateway at the end of June 30th. So, it was just
003included in your packet for >> I've done this for 12 years. It's always like that. >> We used to put we used to print them out, but it just seemed like a lot of um paper to print on. So, that's why we put it in the back. Okay. So, yeah, you'll just have your monthly normal reports um every other month, but >> cuz I was like, do I really have to know anything about all of this? >> I know it is going to package is 445 pages this time. Yes. My apologies, but it's we have bus routes and >> and everything else. It'll be shorter next month. >> I move that we approve routine consent items. >> I'll second. >> N got the second. She got >> make up for being critical. >> All in
004favor? >> And then next we have the submission of the monthly corporation extracurricular receipts and dispersements. as well as the uh fund reports. And this is not something that we vote on. Uh it's just something that we are able to uh review and ask questions and make comments on uh if we have those. Do we have any of those tonight? All right, we'll move right along to item three with our new business and uh item A, retirey recognitions. >> We don't have any tonight. We do have some names that are coming up, but uh we're not going to uh recognize them. We'll probably recognize them in January, starting January. >> All right. Uh next is uh student attendance. This is Bergen. >> Oh, yes. Um, I put a little presentation at your seat and I
005gladly sent it to you digitally too after the meeting and I won't go through word for word, but with recent legislation the last couple of years focusing on attendance matters in schools and with the new A to F model that's in draft form right now also has an attendance piece. So, I just want to keep you in the loop. This is obviously much of this is in our handbook as well for parents and staff and everything. But so I'm going to go through the sections of this and then like I said, welcome to we can follow up later, but I'll also send you the digital uh presentation as well. So really this is all in response to the legislation sea 282 which actually has now also been updated since the original and it really holds
006schools in general to more accountability. uh we used to be held to a percentage rate of attendance and now the state looks at the percentage of our students that are here 94% of the time. So with a lot of things there's some contradictory pieces to this legislation um that we're going to talk about tonight as well. Uh but we're doing what we can to obviously be compliant, to be proactive, to be interventional, to be empathetic. Uh but we definitely know that we need to have our kids in schools because good attendance does come with better learning outcomes. Um the state in this legislation also just requires a lot more tracking. There's actually been an update even for this year with uh power school that with excuse absences you now have to also tell what category
007of excuse it is. And I'm actually thankful for that. I'm sure it's been a nightmare to Gail and those dealing with power school. But for those of us who feel like they've truly been following the legislative law and perhaps some other school corporations have had some local definitions of excuse and things like that, I think maybe the state is addressing that in this way. So that's why we wanted to kind of make sure you were um aware of what our intervention and proactive pieces are at Newcastle schools. And I feel like with me being over the elementaryaries, it starts with us. um you know obviously you know little kindergarteners kindergarten is not even mandated but we want to start early with this language and just really pressing upon families um the importance of having your
008kid kiddos in school so as I said it's already been updated a couple times from the original legislation for example the first legislation actually went through fifth grade but now it does include middle school and high school so we have really just kind of based all of our processes and procedures on this legis legislation. Um, we're focusing more on data. Thank you, Mr. Hurst, for creating real time admin reports in P school for our principles to follow daily. And they do have a designated person that follows this data daily to watch for students who are becoming at risk of attendance um so that we can catch it early. So, that's a huge piece that we are very thankful that he has developed with our input. He asks us what do we what do we need
009it to say? What do we need it to look like? and he's done a great job making it very user friendly but giving us the real-time data that we need. Um we are trying to be proactive. You know we're talking to parents of first graders. You know we're holding everybody kind of accountable to the same procedures because we feel like if we intervene and are proactive early we won't have the attendance hopefully issues um you know later on in in secondary. Um we're trying to be very collaborative with families working with families. Thankfully we do have our counselors in our buildings. We have family support specialists and everybody's a part of this process. So, it's definitely a team effort. Um, and it definitely has steps to it. We don't jump to something. We definitely do
010everything that we can to connect families to perhaps community partners that they need, supports that they need that try to find out what is the barrier to the attendance problem. Find that root cause. It's kind of like with our academics now. We can't just say a student's having trouble reading. Well, what piece of reading are they having trouble with? So, we're really trying to drill down to the root causes and of course early intervention is what we're trying to do. So, the next slides kind of give you what is in our handbook, but again, also meeting legislative mandates as to when we send what letters home that we have created locally um to our parents for that communication and collaboration. So, we do have a day three letter. We do send it whether it's excused
011or unexcused just because that letter just simply talks about research and what's good practice for attendance and why kids need to be here. That's all it says. It's important. We want you here. We want to work with you. We're seeing a pattern. That's really all that is. And then with legislation after day five when there's unexcused within 10 weeks um we do kind of jump to what we call an ARC meeting for unexcused and that's the attendance review committee and that's at the building level. So each building has a team that's part of that committee. We bring the parent in and that's where that dialogue first starts. You've gotten a couple letters from us. You know, we see a pattern. We want to work with you. Again, first grader, 10th grader, whatever it might be.
012So we try to get to those root causes. They probably walk away with some kind of plan of what they can do, supports, connections, whatever that takes. And then if that is not working and we continue to see the pattern, that's where the newer piece comes into play. our secondary schools. This will be their third year for this and that is um when we get to further on with days up to almost 17, which is a lot of days. Again, remember that 94% rule. We're we're still held to that. And kids can get dug dig a deep hole pretty quickly to where you mathematically can't get out of it. So that's why we're doing the day three and the day five because if we let them get to straight to 10 or 17 or you
013know then it's it's almost impossible. So we then have added um K to 12 what we call the AIM meetings after an arc is either not working or the pattern continues. That's been at the building level. This is where the new legislation mandates come in because the legislation says I have to have a collaboration with the prosecuting attorney's office. I have to track and notify the prosecuting attorney attorney of truent and uh habitual attendance families. So, what we are doing is we're partnering with the probation department, uh, the DCS, um, and the prosecuting attorney's office, and we're having what we call AIM meetings at the courthouse. Those letters are not sent from the school. That is actually sent from the prosecuting attorney's office. The parent and if it's a fifth grader or older, the student
014also comes. And I've sat in on all of these and they are dynamic. Let me tell you, it is really raw good conversation. We've had parents break down. We've had parents, we find out barriers we didn't realize, even though we've done meetings at the school and connections. It just sometimes takes a while to get to that root cause. Um, for an example, we had a parent, a student who was sitting right there, I think it was high school, and said, "I just can't get up. I'm, you know, they're just not getting up." And so, we literally arranged his schedule differently. I mean, we are working with these families to make them want to be at school. We often will say, "What's the best part about school? Do you have that go-to person? What are you
015missing?" So, it's really good dynamic um discussion. Um like I said, if it's grade five or higher, we have the student come. If it's below for fifth grade, it's just the parent. And um a lot of times with the AIM, um they're very quick because we've met a lot already. We bring the data. We try to find those other root causes, but we don't leave without a plan. And this was modeled from Wayne County. Wayne County started these AIM meetings and actually Nick Middleton and Tiffany Buyers are the ones who studied it for a while and then brought it to our secondary schools. We I wanted to see it lived for a year and then we brought it down to our elementary because again we're trying to be proactive. Now, am I going to take
016a kindergartener to an A meeting? No. Obviously, there's case byase basis. my principles know if there's a long-term illness. I mean, just know that we're not we didn't have that many AIM meetings last year. But again, it was the parents and the families that just, you know, we weren't clicking on what is the trigger, what is the barrier and things weren't changing for their for their kids and we just saw a decline in academics and we saw a decline in the relationship. So, we really had to kind of make that move. So again, we're all at the table and I really want to, you know, I'm thankful that the prosecute attorney's office has responded to this legislation. Probation, DCS is wonderful. They're there. And then of course the schools and so we again have a
017very quick what's the background, what can we do? And again, we don't leave without a plan. Something has to change. Now, if an aim, if the pattern, and to be honest, the next steps in the elementary, we have not done yet. Adam can speak if it has happened. I believe it has but in the elementary it has not. But what could come of the aim if another plan does not work then it can become a DCS case. It can become a open case with the probation officer. It can become an um prosecuting off uh prosecutor's office case um which would involve court and judge. It can and that's very much lined out at the AI meetings. Parents actually leave signing a contract with us. We sign it, they signed it. this is what we've talked
018about, this is what we think we can do to help. You know, we've got to work together. So, that's what comes out of the A meetings. Um, so again, um, we have been very proactive. We've been very thankful with the SIG grant. We've had, um, an attendance liaison for secondary, um, that has really kind of coordinated and a few different people have had that role the last few years, but they're the central kind of coordinator. Um um Stephen um Sullivan almost said thirst. Who's Stephen? Stephen Sullivan um has been at every AI meeting. He really facilitates the secondary meetings. He's wonderful at them. I'm at every elementary meeting plus the principal of the student. And really honestly last year I think we had three or four aim meetings total in the elementary. So again, it's
019very my principles will come to me and say this per this child's data, you know, says so many absences, but I know there's this situation. I'm working with them. Okay, that's fine. We just need to if we take a family to AIM, we need to know that it's a need. It's a must because we're just afraid of where that child is headed academically, emotionally, things like that. But we did get a shout out in the last uh slide. you'll see a shout out that was given to us for being proactive because again things that maybe aren't punitive to parents, they're still held to just us. So we have to do what we can for this attendance piece and now with this new A to F model, I think it's good that we got this started.
020Can I answer anything right away that you thought of? I wondered with all of this seem to me there are some barriers that are out of our control. Absolutely. I mean, we have picked up I mean, thank thankful to transportation. We actually, I can tell you, had a family at a name meeting last year that was in the country and they were not in our system. They were transferred in and we were literally taking a bus to their door and that child for some reason could not get on that bus. So, you do sometimes think, okay, what's left to do now, you know? So, but we worked through it and you know what? After that aim, things did get better. >> Things did get better. It just sometimes is the message, I hate to say,
021but they have to realize just how important this is. And if we've done all these things before then and again, we want to catch it at age eight versus age 18 and then there's graduation and there's going out into the real world and in those life skills. So, we're just trying to really be proactive and interactive. >> So, we have had and she slips my mind which >> Katie Smith. >> Thank you. >> Right. And we still have Katie. >> We don't have Katie. We have the role but we don't have Katie. We had last year Jared, no >> Tyler Jarrett, sorry, Tyler Jarrett. And again, this is the secondary, the elementary, the principles, and I handle the facilitation of all this. Um, and this year, I believe Chris Sites will be the overall um
022coordinator for the high school, and then Steven will still handle all the AI meetings with me at the courthouse. >> So, we have we have that role filled. Yes. >> It's combined. Yeah. >> So, it's not it's not fulltime. It's not. But Katie was full-time attendance. So, >> she really got things going for us. She helped develop this process. >> The system is there. >> Yeah. Right. >> And without her support and without the support of probation and the prosecutor's office, without this combined effort, it wouldn't happen. And so, we're thankful for the collaboration we get. >> And we don't have a a person anymore because you felt like we didn't need it or because of funding. >> It it was it was part of the >> grant. Okay. So, the grant money was part
023of it. >> Yeah. >> But we did get the system and it was Yeah. She did an amazing job getting it off the ground for us. It's kind of a welloiled machine. Now, >> if if all else fails, which court does it wind up in? Circuit three. >> Circuit one. >> One, I think. Is it? Is that right? Yeah. >> I assume it's pretty self-explanatory the excuse versus >> well, >> excuse like I mean, >> correct. And that's what they have to now code because I think there has been some corporations that have decided how to define that differently that which skews attendance data. You know, we get on, you know, the sites and think how can they have, you know, that's just not, you know, well, >> that's why this new ADF will be
024interesting too. Unless they really define it and monitor it, you're still going to have that. I've been working to be honest with the county corporations to say we have a lot of people that come in and out of our corporations. If I have a student come to you and they walk in your doors with 14 absences, they need to have 14 absences. Don't because you know that's not fair, you know. So when they come into me and they have 14, I need to start 14 because then you have people that will cough the system because they get to start over and that's really not what should happen. >> So they switch schools does not follow. >> It should. I'm working hard on that. Yeah, the state does, but the local level decision making of what
025you do with attendance maybe not. Okay. Yeah. >> Any other uh comments or questions around that? >> I will send electronically and feel free to email me if something comes up or if you have any other questions about it. And we've not had any obviously we are starting any meetings right away, but they're set up and this is not for Sherry at all. that students are allowed to miss an hour a day uh their prep their um study hall period to go to Bible study. >> An hour and 20 minutes per week. >> Okay, that's over 30 days of absences if you count all all those hours. And according to all of this and the >> what the legislature has said, if you miss >> when when are they turned over to the to the
026probation? >> 17. >> Just saying. >> Well, that's why I meant that's where some things just kind of work against each other. They don't really mesh. >> Right. Right. right now our our plan um is 20 minutes per week is what they would >> and I appreciate that >> and it's at the end of the day >> I appreciate that early >> the people that are involved are working with us on that I'm very appreciative of that because it is important for kids to be in school >> right >> and and like you just said studies >> and even the legislature seems to back that but on the other hand they say oh you can miss an hour and 20 a day. >> Well, and there's also the category of exempt and exempt for attendance
027means like military and I think state fair and things like that. But there are corporations who if you give us a note from a doctor, they say it's exempt and not just excused. >> And what's the difference between those two categories? >> Well, excuse still is absent. So it's not an absent. >> Correct. That's not it's like they were there. >> Do we still do family vacation kinds of things? But that's still it's pre-arranged and excuse but it's still absent. So we still are taking on that >> accountability thing. >> No, never have >> not here. >> Thank you. This is Yeah, >> it's a lot. >> It is a lot and it's >> but again we're just really trying to be relational and proactive and interventional. >> Really good things coming out of this.
028Just >> making good touch points is what we're trying to do >> early. >> Absolutely. And work with their barriers. >> Thank you. That's really the bottom line. >> All right. Well, thank you for that. And if we don't have anything else on that topic, we'll move on to uh the bus routes. >> Yes. So, speaking of speaking of things you could read along with the Bible, um we have we have the bus routes um that uh you were sent as well. Very thorough um in terms of >> notice my presentation was not near it. Um, so again, very similar last year. There wasn't a lot of changes um from from last year. Just some minute things that that shifted. Every school had every elementary school has a still has the same amount of buses
029that go to them. So, and those routes are pretty much the same. So, not a lot of variation from last year. We have had to shift a few things with a couple buses. Uh, we we're getting some some buses are getting kind of full, so we're kind of shifting a little bit here and there for that. So, >> how full are the buses? cuz >> a couple of them are pretty full. Okay. >> So, they're they're they're getting there. So, >> but we we made arrangements and adjusted and we we number one is the kids are safe when they're on the bus. That's our always our number one priority. So, >> and we actually do a significant amount of an analysis to make sure that those are as um efficient. >> Yes. So, we're just
030requesting approval of these bus routes. It's a state mandate. I got a question. Is there and and I don't know if this is something that can be done but I mean if these routes and the extent of these forms uh you know I know the bus drivers don't have and they're not checking off who's here and who's there but is there any way because I guess maybe it's my secondary cynical mind and that we can have kids get on a bus ride into school and enjoy downtown Newcastle and come back and pick up the bus to go home. But then that information, it may take two or three hours for the in-house administrators in the buildings to really find out that they're truent. Is there or could there be any sort of technology that a
031iPad or something that a kid has to check themselves in and maybe >> Yeah. There are some systems that have been created that um >> some that provide geo tracking um so like it'll pin where the kid is and um it'll identify whether or not the student got on the bus. There are systems that they can get the student can get on actually scan a QR code on their phone if they want to and say, "Hey, I'm here on the bus." Um there are some that um the student has to put their their pin like we do for lunches that put their number in when they get on the bus. Um >> so there and of course there's a cost associated with all those things. So, we have to consider how that impacts it. One
032one piece that we do have in place that's always helpful is the cameras and so we always know who's what students are on the bus and we can get those um in real time or we can pull them after afterward. And of course, we also have the GPS systems on all the buses so we always know where all the buses are as well. So, that helps all those things help with that. But yes, there are there are systems that could tighten that up even more. >> Any other questions or Well, I'm a little confused. When they get get to school and take attendance, won't they know in real time? I mean, I guess I wasn't quite sure what what you were missing in class. Yeah. >> Well, if they're missing in class, you know, it
033may take a couple periods or something to find out that >> the calls would go home about 10:00 a.m. >> 10. Yeah. for a student who is absent that the automatic calls go out for those students. So that when probably a parent would reach out and say, "Hey, I put my kid on the bus, right?" And they're not there. >> So you're just saying there's a 2hour lapse that they could be into whatever and >> Okay. >> could be far away in two hours. >> Absolutely. >> I make a motion that we approve the bus routes as presented. >> Second. >> All in favor? I >> I >> uh next we have the approval to move the October board meeting to October 20th. So we we've done this um I think probably the last four
034or five years. And uh the justification for that is is that the 13th is right at the um right after our fall break. And so sometimes uh if staff members are gone, it's hard to get the packets together, the financials uh etc. So um it's just it seems like it goes a lot smoother if we can move it back the the week after. So that's what the recommendation is proposal. Okay. Do we have a motion for that? >> So move. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. Uh next we move on to the uh final reading of the new schoolboard policy D325. >> So the this one was um uh separate. I think this was from batch 4 and uh the this policy specifically um was about if one of our employees is arrested,
035they must self-report uh any arrest um within 48 hours. Uh and then uh the other thing is is that if they uh transport students within the conditions of their employment, bus drivers, uh coaches, whatever, uh and they receive a speeding ticket or moving track traffic violation, they are to report it to their supervisor and to the director of HR. That way things don't get ahead of it or or you know, we can monitor it and we can you know if they were going 120 miles an hour and got a speeding ticket, you know, they're probably rested and we need to know that so that we can make a decision on um whether they are going to continue to transport our children. We haven't had that. So we we added that and that was really from
036input from community. So I appreciate that. >> Any questions around that? All right. Do I have a motion uh to approve this? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I I uh la next we have um the final reading of the new schoolboard policies batch number five. So this was a pretty clean batch. Um batch six we pulled back uh and we'll have a I plan on having batch six final reading next time uh because that does have some it's got some financial changes. I think that was it's got the um >> internal yeah internal controls >> um and there is some some language changes in there as well. So uh this one um like I said is is pretty self-explanatory. Not a lot of changes from what church church and Antrum
037provided us. >> All right. So, any questions about these from our packets? All right. At this time, if we have a motion to approve, move as presented. >> We have a second. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. And then next we have letter G, the multi-purpose uh restroom addition. So um one before I go to that I should have mentioned in what we were talking about F um the new policies we're transitioning from NEOA um to church church hill and the reason for that is is that um just this year alone we've had 44 legislative changes that impact K through2 um I don't think that Nola which is a and they've done a fine job for us in the past never had a problem but with you know over 120 changes is in
038the last three years that impact K through2 schools in Indiana. Um uh to have a local uh representative or local law firm um monitoring that and making sure that we're in compliance is important. So, but our our the transition is and I just want to be clear on this is we have uh currently have Niola once we've um completed the all of the batches then we will go ahead and put all of the church church hill and antrum policies into place until then we'll be under NEOA so that we don't have two different sets of policies I should have mentioned that I think I've mentioned it months ago but I just wanted to re mention it again so um as far as G goes um that is um approval of the multi-purpose restrooms um and
039that's those are north of Neil Field. Those will accommodate the restroom needs of our visitors at the football soccer stadium slash soccer and then um also um it will accommodate the needs of our um our tennis courts which is is badly needed. So this has actually been in the plans for a long time. Uh if you'll recall, we got the first um uh it was combined with a locker room and I I I'm going to go from memory here, but I think it was somewhere in the neighborhood of 4 million, maybe $4.6 million, and we just kind of had sticker shock. We we didn't have nearly that amount budgeted. We were hoping to get some donations and um that didn't materialize. So, we went back to the drawing board and um Yeah, literally. Yeah. and
040um uh really reduced the footprint of that. So it'll be a nice size storage area and then uh uh men and women's uh restrooms. And so that that came in the bid we had the bids um a while back and and this is actually the second time we bid it. Um and so the second bits came in uh modified so that our our students in the building trades would be um the ones that are doing a lot of the work. Richie and um Richie Broyals and and Don Chrisell will also be uh leading out there. So um the bid came in at $663,000 which is well within our um budgeted amount, well below our budgeted amount. Uh, and it came in from Pridemark, which we've had a nice, you know, Mr. McDaniel will confirm that
041it's, they've been, they were Bundy, did they do anything else besides Bundy. They did a really nice job for us in Bundy and, um, always willing to help. So, um, and that came in today. So, I apologize for the late entry, but I thought this has been delayed long enough. Let's get it on the board agenda. I thought the board would be happy that it's it's well below the budgeted amount and um and we've got it with a company that we're comfort comfortable and confident in. It's good news >> with the uh storage area. Do we have specific items that we want to store there? >> I know we've got track and field things. We've got things in the um in the Morton building. I think we're going to move the Morton building. I think
042that's the plan, isn't it? >> There's been conversation about that. >> Yeah. And the Morton building is the white building with the green on it um out there. So right now that's a lot of track and field cushions um whatnot. Um >> Gator football um so I don't I don't know that it's specifically airmarked, but I I do know that we we need more storage area there. >> Okay. >> This includes all the sidewalks and all the ADA compatibility. Mhm. I don't think it belong. Does Does it include the sidewalk from the west parking lot or just to the um to the tennis courts? I think just at the tennis court. >> So, we had talked about having a um the west park parking lot over by the middle school. We had talked about having
043um a a path along that perimeter and cut in. So, we we might still look at that. We we pulled that out of this project because it would end up bringing the entire project cost up because of do they bring another set of >> contract more lighting and there's there's a lot going on there. >> Pulling it out makes it less expensive. >> Does this include is there lighting or landscaping or anything that's included in this? >> Just the building. Okay. I think once the the field lights or the uh fan field lights are on, there would be plenty of lights >> and there would be lights on the building, right? Exterior lights on the building. So, that that's going to help a lot. Yeah, like kind of Yeah, we talked a lot about that,
044too. And to clarify with the alternate, there is an alternate in there because in the original plan, um the ceiling was higher. Um and as a result of it, um we had a conversation about the fact that if we make the ceiling lower, it's going to be less expensive. And so that extra cost was to see the differential between keeping that ceiling as high as it was originally designed or whether or not we should keep it lower based on uh the the type of drywall sheets they would use. So, >> how many how many stalls? How big is it? >> Oh, um, five, I believe. Okay. Which one? >> Sounds good. >> All right. So, if we have a a motion for the to approve this uh cont this proposal, this quote, uh, ask for
045that now. >> So, move. >> Second. All in favor? >> I >> We don't have words written before us. We struggle. >> Yeah. >> So moved. >> Uh item four is the building grounds transportation support services. >> Yes. So good news. We uh just approved the multi-purpose restroom to move forward with that. So, what we did is we we we did approve to uh to pro proceed with a letter of intent to Pride Mark and get the contract going with them. The sooner we get that going, uh the sooner we're going to have kids working on it, and that's what we're that kids are already in school, so we already get them going. Um and I know Mr. Chrisell especially is very excited about this opportunity. uh high school restrooms. We are still working with
046a company on that one and we've seen a little bit of um encouraging conversation as a result and so we're hopefully we'll have some resolution here in the next week. Um the track project that one is on hold after we received those cing samples uh and we've been able to see kind of what's underneath the surface. We're waiting on numbers, but we should we should have received those today. Um on what the additional costs might be for us to take the different routes for the project. Um I don't know if you're going to mention Fieldhouse, but I know that one is is in the works. And then Pasman, if you haven't walked by Pasman, you get a chance to look in there. It's pretty neat on the wall. The new Trojan head. It looks really
047cool. Um and they're going to be working on the floor here uh hopefully as soon as possible. uh we want to get them in there quick and then at the end of the month we're getting the new bleachers. So, a lot of things moving along there. And big thank you to our custodians and maintenance uh and transportation. A lot of work goes on over the summer to get everything ready. And it's you always can see it on Richie's face when people are coming back in the buildings because that's when the work orders start flooding in because everybody starts seeing the issues that have propped up. And he um you can always kind of tell that week before school starts he's those eyes are big. So, but again, they've worked really really hard to make sure
048that it's been a good uh good facilities for our students to come back to. And then of course, food service and technology uh worked very hard as well to make sure that everybody's ready to come back. So, a big thank you to all the team uh to make those things happen. That's it for me. >> Question. Um is the career center also doing a a home or just the multi-purpose? >> So, they they have been working with Habitat as well. Okay. And I think they're they're going to do maybe two days at Habitat and maybe three days at at the restroom facility just to kind of >> vary it up a little bit. >> Okay. >> Y >> Okay. So, next we have the superintendent report. So, I want to thank everyone because we had
049a great start to the school year and and I think um u it's it's I think it's a very good sign when you have an empty audience uh you know four days into the school year because that's when things you really don't have time to clean them up and you just think oh we got a board meeting four days into the school year. Um but yeah, yes, we've had a few uh planning, a few uh little communication things, but overall our principles, our teachers did a phenomenal job. Um as Mr. McDaniel mentioned, our maintenance and our custodians, our bus drivers, uh you know, just to have uh the the very few uh bus um concerns and and we were adjusting, you know, not me, but Gwen and and uh Richie and Mr. McDaniel were adjusting
050uh bus routes that afternoon the of the first day. So uh credit to all of them and to everybody that put in extra time to make things go so well. So we have 19 new teachers. Uh and I would say for the last three years prior to this it was about 30 new teachers. So it's nice to have um and there was some some reasons for that. You know we hired a lot of people off the grants and whatnot but it's nice to have uh you know lower turnover and and consistency there. Um we had some uh just in my visit to the middle school high school uh first of all the middle school's up in every grade which I don't know that that's happened. So what I mean by that is let's say we
051have 200 students in fifth grade metriculating to sixth grade. Uh that number was higher. The sixth going to seventh was higher. The seventh going to eighth was higher. So, we're up in every single grade, which is really a credit to the middle school staff and kids want to be there and and um have the middle school experience there. So, credit to them. But really, we're our enrollment is is today is two 2874. Um now, that that will change. It will change. You we by the time we get to October 1st, um it will may look different. Um but last year on this very date, we were at 2829. So, uh, it's it's a big increase. And you might say, well, why is that? Well, we did open up virtual. And so, we've got 31 students
052in our virtual program that we didn't have before. And I think we were losing a lot of kids to virtual. And um, you know, as I said in the in the welcoming back um ceremony, it is not a substitute for in in-class instruction. In-class instruction is the best. Um, but if we're going to have students leave us then, um, and get a virtual, then we can keep them and then many times they come back to us in person and that's it's a win-win for for everybody. >> I'm sorry, ma'am. What did you say was right now? >> 2874. >> Okay, cool. >> And the other thing is credit to uh m Dr. Fton uh you know last year I think we had I'm going from memory 58 maybe 57 somewhere in that range >> on
053count day >> on count on count day and and his will definitely adjust downward. I don't know that we're completely through the two weeks um uh of boot camp um but usually we we but it works 102 103 102 >> 102. >> Okay. So um that is huge and and that was really they you know Grant and a lot of people there put a lot of extra time to do some recruiting so and get the word out as to what that's about. So that's about double from where we were um a year ago. So hopefully those numbers will stay. In addition to that, we've got 38 students um virtual in Hikah as well. So our our HIKA right now is one um on the button 140 between virtual and in person. So um that certainly
054and we're providing a great service. So makes us feel good. Um let's go to um oh one as as we ceue up this um I guess we're already there, aren't we? Um, so, uh, I just gotta say we've gotten some really neat kids, uh, just going around. We've got a lot of new moveins, uh, from, you know, from county, yes. But a lot of them from other states, uh, and, uh, really, really neat, neat, uh, young men and women. So, that's very encouraging having a lot of good conversations there. Um, all right. So, uh, the best administrative team right there, uh, there is off to the left. And then, um, that's also back to the at the back to school festival. I did want to give, uh, shout outs. And it's I I'll talk about
055numbers here. Um, so credit to to Jackie and and Judy, uh, and the board, the back to school festival for their uh, their work on this. It is a yearly um, journey for them. It it starts maybe in a week or two and it already >> started buying. >> Okay. It's already started. So I stand correct that it's it it's a lot. So the the Christian Love Health Center uh gave out 946 backpacks, a huge support to our kids. Uh the library uh we hosted that uh the haircuts there. There was 114 haircuts, 32 dental screenings. Food service gave away uh 450 bags with two meals which is 900 lunches. and the arts park hosted 563 kids uh in Henry County families. So, thanks to everybody that put time into that and get our kids
056ready for school and there other places don't do that. It's just they just don't which is really neat. Um so, back to school breakfast, a lot of winners there and that means just there's a lot of donations from our our community members, our business leaders and that's always a fun I see Miss McGowan right there in the front row. Um what did you win? you won what $50. >> That's awesome. >> So, yeah, that's uh that's a really fun day and I liked the combination. I'm I'm biased on it, but we could share information that I think was important to share um in building culture and but also um really credit to, you know, Gail and Adam and and Rama for maximizing the efficiency at the end because >> I would say it's the best
057ever. and and I had nothing to do with it, but I mean when the names came up, boom, it was ready. Boom, it was ready. Boom, it was ready. And it just kept on flooding up and and it was really really wellrun. >> And Jackie ran behind the scenes, just so you all know. >> Yeah, that's true. That's true. She's like, >> but it was really really it's and it's really fun. It's a fun fun day to be a part of. And here's the cool thing also. It's voluntary. We don't make anybody go to that. There's it's it's voluntary. We have fun. I did make it to 8:30 and the purpose behind that was so that everybody could um uh they like to talk when they you know every after being away from for the
058summer. So it's nice to to get together and and um have a little bit of conversation before then. So happy so many and that there was there was what over twice maybe three times that amount of people there. That's just how many winners we had. Uh there you can see the pictures um of the Trojan head and we are working on getting the painting on the south wall. Um and so um but those look I think really really look good and the guy he was pretty good. I he was basically freehand right I mean there's no way I could do that. It was pretty cool and he was putting those stickers up. I'm thinking dude >> it better look good and and it and it does. His name was Olsen. um really did a nice
059job for us. Uh and there is Oh boy. So um >> yeah, Richie and Drew put that together. Um and I want to thank James Armicost. You know, he came up with the idea and he's a parent. Uh but he's like, you know, that that humidity is not going down and we may be here, you know, in a month from now. It's still waiting on the humidity to go down. And the problem is is that it's not just the humidity of the air, but it's the moisture within the wood, the raw wood. So, we really need to suck the the moisture out of the out of the wood. And that takes, you know, some dry air. So, we've got I don't know, I think maybe four or five big industrial dehumidifiers down there. Um, and
060in total, we had about 10 working at one point in the in the fieldhouse. And that that that's 180 gallons a day um of water that's being taken out of the air which is really incredible. So I want to thank Richie and and um or as we call him MacGyver because he can fix anything. I I will say we got two quotes. One was 31,000 and one was 27,000. And I don't know what he spent on the plastic but whatever it was you know that's what you know that's what it cost us. It wasn't 27,000. So, um, so that yeah, that's and they're working. They were working Saturday, Sunday, and today on that. So, hopefully that will be done by later this week. Done meaning we'll be able to take the tarp off and start
061working on they'll sand it, they'll paint it, um, and then they'll finish it. And, uh, there's some of the behind the the the scenes heroes off to the right there. And then again, our custodians did a phenomenal job getting everything ready. back to school nights. We had one at every every single school. Those went really really well. I want to put her up there because I think we forgot to I forgot to introduce her on the uh beginning day because she was a late addition. So, >> uh welcome Miss Brown. And then career challenge. Uh this is from our boutique. We had a whole professional design. I want to give them a shout out. They they gave us I don't know how many >> shirts. Yeah. Just a lot of clothes. Um and uh they're
062always really good to us. So um but this is the uh Trojan boutique. Um we have I just just so you know this is the education group. Uh and we don't have nightstand stuff in the Trojan boutique and lets kids wear it in. She wore it in. She wore it in but we've got Trojan stuff. I didn't buy anything else. So and then the last thing there is the green and white knight. And you can see John Brewster on his tippy toes. Uh, you know, he said, "Record me at 65220." So that's a that's a little stretch. Um, and then I got two announcements. I think that's it. Yeah. Got two announcements. Uh, on um August 16th, we've got the Heny Brown 30th anniversary gospel concert at Bondi Auditorium. And the >> free >> it's
063free. It's free. you got to bring in a a canned a non-p perishable um item and uh the doors open at 5:00 pm and you'll hear from the Irwins, Adam's voice, and Aaron Dishman. They'll all be performing. So that's that's exciting. And then lastly, >> Newcastle grad, >> Adam's voice. >> Um >> you were talking about that today. >> We were. So, >> I got her. >> And then August 30th is homecoming. Uh, Friday night there will be a dance and then 10 o'clock downtown parade and a one o'clock game and no golf carts. >> I'm kidding. No, she saved my life. So, >> that's true. >> All right, that's it. >> All right. Well, thank you for that. And now we come to the part where the public uh you have any questions or
064comments? Chase >> I'll be real quick. >> Item A here uh transfer of uh from education to operations fund. >> So this resolution covers the month of July um in the amount of $300,000 and that will be a transfer from the education fund to the operations fund. >> So moved. Second. All in favor? >> I. >> And the other item I put in a a budget preparation calendar just to inform the board of how that process works. And next month we'll have the budget hearing and then following in October we'll do the approval. So we'll get that started and going. >> All right. Uh now we're to the public comments. Um >> I I always have to say this when we are talking money and budgets and things like that. Um and I know everybody
065in this room knows this, but it's for the people outside. Um the money for the restrooms and the storage comes from a different pot than the teaching salaries. And the we're just getting ready to head into negotiations. And I want to make sure that everybody under not everybody in here, everybody in here already knows, but everybody out there >> that it comes from a different pot that it doesn't because it comes from operations. It comes from the building pot of the school. Yes. Not from where we get our raises and things like that. I just feel like it's good to say out loud every once in a while to make sure that we're all on the same page. in the fieldhouse floor and the >> Trojan. Yes. All of that stuff does not come from
066where we get paid. >> I was going to say, >> well, yeah, >> not the public, but uh and Jackie probably could speak to this a little better, but the amount of community participation in back to school festival and Dr. Shoemaker mentioned it, we also had students and it really probably could not have been pulled off without the students. So it was the um the cor the >> showire showers >> dynamics and red hot blues >> and they it was hot and they were working hard. >> They were >> and and they just did a phenomen and they were dressed up and they were cheerful and bless their hearts they were way more cordial than I was. >> Great kids. I drove down what 18th Street that day past the love center and >> they
067were lined up for blocks and there were city officers there directing traffic making sure everyone was safe and >> that was really nice to see. >> This has gotten to be a huge event because uh Christian Love Center starts at 10:00. They had their first person in line at like quarter after 5. >> Yeah. >> And the area where I'm usually at at the arts park, we technically start at 12 noon. We had our first one at 8:30 and they stand there and they wait. Um and and it it is it's very heartwarming because those are the people that >> um you know need the assistance >> and they're willing to do whatever. And I got to say this that the amount of thank yous not just from the parents but also the kids this
068year >> was enormous. you know, I was handing out bags and even these little kids were saying, "Well, thank you." So, it it really warm warmed my heart and warm my skin because it was >> Yes, exactly. >> We were lucky we only had two passes here. Well, I also heard good things about that uh from another business group that I'm in and the way they spoke about it that day is it just to reiterate everything they said uh and you hear it from two separate groups uh is pretty pretty important. So, >> and we couldn't do it without all of the I think there was 45 tables of different organizations or ch churches. Now, there's a lot of coordination that we do as far as okay, you bring this and you bring this and
069you bring this uh and and so that that takes a lot. So, yeah. So, that we get almost everything covered on the uh uh list for so they have everything. >> All right. If we have nothing else, this meeting is adjourned. do something. >> Thank you.