001And then the next item uh on the agenda is the approval of the agenda. I'll move to approve the agenda. Second. All those in favor? The next is the new business and it'll be the approval of the personnel report that we have in front of us. And so if we have any questions uh or concerns, now would be the time to discuss those. Do we have any idea how long we're going with the volunteer coaches or middle school chair? Uh no, I I don't have that answer right off hand. I know that we've communicated several times with Mr. fight. But and I know he's working on a comprehensive long-term plan, but for right now, I want to thank the the people that are willing to volunteer. All of them with the experience. Well, Shaye used
002to be the varsity coach. So, yeah. Is Greg the co co- coach for the girls soccer? He's coach. I thought he's he'sach co- coach. I think I think it was co coach last year perhaps. This was this is for middle school. Oh, it does say middle school up at the top. Okay. Well, okay. That explains it except we don't know who the other co- coach is. Person. I'll make a motion to accept personnel um as presented. Second. All in favor? I uh and then next we have on here the board business which will be the interviews for the uh two applicants for the open seat. Uh those have been made vacant by the passing of Mr. Griffith. So, at this time, what we've done is we have your guys' resumes in front of us, and
003we've had those and we've been able to review those. And then we have a list of questions uh that could be asked. And then what we'll do is uh one of you will go first on the question one, and then on the next one, the other person will go first uh on the uh following question. So, um, at this time, um, if anyone has any specific questions they would like to ask besides what we have on this sheet, um, we can do that. So, uh, does anybody want to go first? Amen. All right, let's have uh, uh, let's have, uh, Jamie go first, then, I guess. Um, number one, uh, what insights from your time as an educator, former board member, do you think the current board is missing or could benefit benefit from? I
004don't know that there's anything missing that I see I talk to Mr. occasionally and I see Nan around and I try to follow board activities and I'm duly impressed by what you guys have done over the last few years and you've uh kept finances straight. Students have new opportunities um particularly in uh college credit and that kind of thing. uh got got a new basketball coach and and I feel like that uh um looking at changing conferences is a step in the right direction. Uh so uh I you know I would have made many of the same decisions and and could could contribute to my support to what you guys have done and but I don't know that there's anything I knew to change anything. Uh Josh, we'll have you answer the same question. So
005what insights u could do you think the uh current board is missing or could benefit from? Um, I wouldn't say I'm missing any. I followed for a long time, especially with my sister-in-law being on board for quite a while. Um, I think I just see this the board is they keep going up and up and getting better and better everything they do. Um, helping out with the community. I've uh worked with um Jackie on moving the girls gymnastics. Um it was great to see board presence there while we were doing that. Um working, you know, with the boosters. You guys are great to work for. Uh why I'd like to just continue to be on that board forward. Uh, next question would be uh Josh, we'll have you go first on this one. Uh, what
006are the uh most pressing issues facing students and educators uh in our district today that you feel? Um well I think the uh you know decline of students um activities it's hard to get uh it's not like back when I was in school it was you know real hard to make these teams and real proud uh to be it's a lot of that goes with the class sizes we need to really encourage multi school or multi- sport athletes uh keeping our students busy to keeping them out of trouble um outside of schools. I think we do a great job when they're in school, but I think we need to find some maybe some alterative ways to keep them busy when they're out. But I think we've done um good uh job of trying to do
007that. Free student tickets to the ball games and stuff like that. So, okay. Thank you. Uh Jamie, what are some of the pressing issues facing students and educators in our district today in your view? I think that um keeping uh keeping track of how we're funded. I know the state's got some exciting things going on now with with the budget to be able to offer uh all the academic programs that that our students want and need to continue to provide early college credit. um uh to keep the buildings usable. Uh to do all this uh and stay within our budget, to keep our staff uh well trained and well paid so that uh our students can enjoy having qualified, involved teachers. um probably the biggest concerns I see. And then you have u Hancock, Eastern
008Hancock bailing from the career programs and be nice to find some someone to backfill that keep that uh all those activities going. But we've we've done real well. You've done real well as a board keeping things growing. Okay. Um, next I would say uh our question would be um do you guys have anything else off topic or like off the script that you would interested in hearing? I have probably one more that I think would be a good Okay. So at this time uh the question will go to um Jamie and um how will you ensure taxpayer money is spent efficiently and effectively? Well, we approve the budget every year. So uh obviously uh one not not over um what's the word I'm looking for? Having faith in our administrators that uh as they manage
009their budgets, they stay within uh reasonable boundaries, but uh to continue to lobby our administrators to make sure we have proper funding. Um but managing the local bud budget, making sure the administr and when we need to borrow money, I know we've over the years used bonds and uh uh and have not raised taxes by uh paying them off before we borrow again and and it's it's been I I think great fiscal management. So those same things All right, Joshu, how would you ensure tax uh payer money is spent efficiently and effectively? Um, one is, you know, keeping a close eye on the budget. Um, I've been on several different boards and that seems like the budget is once it's set forward sometimes can go uh sideways trying to keep it intact and in line
010uh going forward making sure that, you know, every penny is spent wisely. Um, letting people know that, you know, our interest is in the kids as far as the money. Uh we're going to do what we can with a little bit of money. You know, we each year it keeps shrinking. It seems like uh we're going to do the best that we can with that money for the kids. All right. And then uh last question, we'll start with Josh. Uh how would you handle uh disagreement or controversy within the community? Um you get this you know a lot different places. Uh my you know first reaction is is you know have you come to a board meeting? Have you do you know all the ins and outs of it? Uh there's you know rumors start
011and that's where things tend to go sideways. uh trying to draw them back in in a uh neutral environment, trying to get them to understand uh our point, our perspective of why we did what we did or the reason there is. And then uh Jamie also, how would you handle disagreement or controversy within the community? Um as a board I think we would uh if we know there's controversy we should have conversation about it and if there is a consensus identify an individual or maybe it's Dr. Shoemaker to uh to speak the school's opinion. Uh it's uh dangerous if everybody on the board or an administration has a different opinion and uh they say one thing to one person and the next thing you know there's there's 10 different uh stories of of uh what
012the board's going to do or what the corporation should do. But uh um listening to community concerns uh discussing them as board members and administrators uh you know establishing a stance and then uh basically picking someone to be the voice uh so that we don't tell conflicting stories. Is there anything else anyone has to have any comments? Do you guys have any questions for us? [Music] Sorry. This is um not an easy time to be a school school board member and I just really appreciate um your willingness to step forward and put yourself out and put yourself in this position. It's um it speaks a lot about how much you care about our school district and our community and it kind of courageous. So I applaud both of you for being willing to to step
013into that role. It's uh it can be um definitely under a microscope. Yeah, it can be a bit overwhelming. So, thank you. I appreciate that very much. I I would echo that. And um just seeing that we've got two people apply that are supporters of what we do and um that you already have a proven track record both of you of supporting our kids uh is was a huge relief to me u because you don't know who's going to apply and so uh people that are positive about what what's happening and um encourage our kids to do you know reach their very best um is paramount. So, um I will say and I I think I mentioned this and just to backtrack a little bit and that that is you know we this is day
01430 so it's a little bit awkward in the in terms of the process but um you know by law we have to fill the vacancy within 30 days and I think I mentioned this on the phone with both of you and I tried my I tried to mirror my comments to both whoever was applying I tried to to make sure it was a carbon copy. Um, but we this is day 30, so I think I had mentioned that Joel will do the installation after after the vote if it's not a tie. Um, and then, um, I I wanted to mention, and I don't know if I did the other day, but, you know, a couple of things that we have, you know, one, whoever is accepted or voted in would be the board member, but
015the other person I would extend, we've got ET, we've got Friends of Bundy and the Fieldhouse Committee, and I would invite you to sit on those. Any one of those, you know, it's an invitation. Um, but they're I would call high impact, low um uh low time commitment. And so that's kind of a nice kind of a nice um you know thing to be involved in as well. So um I'm going to throw that out there uh and we can connect afterward. Um so and that goes for both of you. uh at this point, you know, you're replacing um a God we all love. And um we've got this uh thing here, and I I want to read it for one last time before we take these down. It says, "In recognition of John Griffith's
016lifelong commitment to education, and service to our school community, and as a devoted teacher, athletic director, and valued member of the school board, Griff inspired generations with unwavering integrity, compassion, dedication. Go Trojans." So that's all I got. Right. Well, big shoes to do. Big shoes to fill. I just was also going to say I was really thrilled to have two people that again echoing what you said care so much about our school district and so qualified and as I went through these I spent an awful lot of time just and I'm appreciate hearing your comments but you're both excellent. So yeah, I I just appreciate the quality as well as, you know, your your willingness. So yeah, this obviously is a a tough decision for us, a tough spot to be in. Uh especially as
017someone who uh knows of both of you, you know, and I know we all value this, but like Dr. Shoemaker hearing me say this all the time about uh relying on what what does our community want us to do? What do we think they want us to do? uh because ultimately that's who we answer to you know the community. So that makes it, you know, just like everyone said, it makes it great, but it also makes it really tough uh in a cert in circumstances like this, you know. So, um yeah, I mean, just greatly appreciate both of you wanting to be here and fill out this, you know, f fulfill the rest of this term. You know, I think it's going to end up being 17 months uh total, something like that. 17 or
01818 before the next, you know, uh until January of 2027, you know, so very appreciative of putting your guys'elves out there and um what it means to our uh corporation for the time being. So yeah, I would agree. I think we talked, you know, the last few elections have either been unopposed or very few people running. Um it is a thankless job probably sometimes. Um so I think we were we were nervous that you know either you get the wrong person or you don't get anybody at all. Um but like Seth said I think like we can make a lot of decisions as this board that if we made the wrong one it could be a problem. I don't I think this one like either way we went I think we probably are going to
019be fine. um because we got two quality individuals, but you know, like Seth said, um we've got to make a decision. Um so, like for me, I think probably being 17 months, I know I'm 6 months in and felt like I knew a lot. I mean, it's a big learning curve. Um so, as close as it is for me, I probably think Jaime's experience um is pretty valuable like for continuity. Um, but again, I think either way, um, it would be fine. But, um, if you're looking for a motion at this point, I'll make a motion that we select Jamie Markham to fill the to fill the seat. Okay. We have a motion uh for Jamie to be the uh, selected board member. uh to have a vote, we would need a second um for
020that. So, at this time, I'd be asking for a second for Jamie Markham to be uh to go under the vote. I'll second that. All right. Motion has been seconded by Nan. And then at this time, what we would do is we will cast our votes. Uh for anyone who's in favor, say I. I. I. Anyone opposed? So, we would at this time recognize Jamie as being the new selected board member and we will be able to do a swear in with Joel Jamie. Thank you, Josh. Thank you very much. Thanks. Raise your right hand if you would. I state your name. I, Jamie Markham, as a member of the board of school trustees of the Newcastle Community School Corporation. As a member of the board of school trustees of the Newcastle Community School Corporation,
021solemnly swear or affirm solemnly swear or affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States of America that I will support the Constitution of the United States of America the Constitution of the State of Indiana the Constitution of the State of Indiana the laws of the United States the laws of the United States and the state of Indiana and the state of Indiana and the code of ethics established by the Indiana School Boards Association and the code of ethics established by the Indiana School Boards association. I will faithfully execute my duties of office as a member of this governing body. So help me God. I will faithfully execute the duties of this office. As a member of this governing body as a member of this governing body. So help me God. Help me
022God. That's it. All right. Well, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Congratulations. It's It's always a coin toss how much how much you're going to chunk that up for people. It's just like I think I've gotten a little better at it. I think that Seth Yeah. Yeah. You rolled Seth pretty hard. I was rolling him pretty hard. Thank you so much. And don't Yeah. Don't give up on us. Yeah. Because here's what I will say. You know, we're able to discuss different things onetoone. So, it's hard it's a it's hard to it's hard to openly communicate with each other. Um, and one one thing that uh kept coming back uh that that gave you know a lot of the reason you didn't see this big open discussion is because it came down to us being
023able to like Josh alluded to uh hitting the ground running because it took it took me it took me a full year to even know uh one what was going on, how things work. Um and and that you know there is a little bit of of back channels that you have to learn. Um so uh Jamie would have the advantage on that just like if you look at a res you know you've got someone who's done it who's won elections and you know it would have been a tough it' been tough for us to go against someone who's been elected uh before especially in this role and you know Jaime's indicated his his lack of uh further intentions. So, like there's going to be an election in in the fall and you know, if you're
024one of those candidates, we'd love to, you know, love to see you run for that and uh be a part of this, you know, through that process. So, and being uh the booster president, you should definitely be on that fieldhouse committee if he's not already. For sure. And they don't we don't meet much, but it's there's a lot that goes on on, you know, when they meet, it's because something big's happening. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, but again, like you know, this is the this is the hardest part is is dealing with we like both. I've been in your seat twice. We like both. And you know, it's just it's the toughest part. So, at this time, we'll uh uh adjourn this meeting.