001like to welcome everybody to McCory County Board of Education regular board meeting August 26, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. Central office. Call to order and roll call. Braxton >> here. >> Drew >> here. >> Cody >> here. >> Esper here. I need a motion. Second for the approval of the agenda with the addendum. Uh it the addendum will be 5 F and 56. 5G 5G. Sorry. >> I make a motion that we approve the agenda with the addendum of five and five. >> I'll second motion second chair Braxton I >> Drew Cody this time pray by Mr. Father, we come to you now in the name of Jesus. We thank you that you give us wisdom and strength. We pray again, Lord God, for our staff. Oh God, we pray for the students of this school
002district. Father God, we pray your protection and your mercy over their lives. We pray, Lord God, for our community. We thank you for just moving by your strength, by your power. We thank you for it in the name of Jesus. Amen. At this time, the the pledge will be done by McCree County High School. Caleb, >> I pledge algiance >> to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Presentation opioid grant for $169,786. Judge Jimmy W Green second judge executive presenting check for county opioid abatement grant for $169,76. like to have Judge Green or Judge Prudin to come up along with Karen. This is a great opportunity for our community and for our school district and we look forward
003to a good partnership and the good things it's going to do for the kids of McCra County. Any like just like to say we're very pleased to give this opioid money over to you guys and we know it'll be in good hands. But that's court has really focused on is is youth starting with our youth building from that program you know more on the prevention side and uh we're just very happy and we're very this is only the second award that we've given out so that's how much we think of this and the program put together by kid and judge so thank you very much we look forward to working with you I know judge pro she does a phenomenal job in court with us in Whley County and we look forward to the partnership
004I'm so excited. >> Do you mind if I get a picture of you? this way. >> No, it carries a lot. All right. >> Super communications. got a couple of announcements u prior to the uh awards recognition. Got a couple new staff members. Dr. Sam Marle will be joining us here at the central office as director of operations and that will entail u you know transportation department building and grounds and some various other grants. um and taking his place council convened and interviewed and selected Dr. Sasha Taylor to be the next principal of Greg Middle School. Two two great people going to do some great things. Really, really pleased with those. So, at this time, uh Dr. Taylor, can you come up and help us with the rewards? However you want to, however you want
005to do this, if you want to call our names, I just want to say good evening everyone. We've got some very special guests with us this evening. We've got some special students and parents out of more than 2,600 students in our district. The names I'm about to call represents the very best of what it means to be a leader. These students were chosen as our McQuary County Reward recipients for the 2425 school year. That's a program that recognizes outstanding attendance, behavior, grades, and citizenship in both school and community. For example, um the the students will earn a scholarship. If they're in second grade, they'll have $200. Eighth grade, $800. 12th grade, 12th grade, $1,200. And it goes in a in a little scholarship. And once they graduate and they present their diploma, um they're able
006to use this. And this is for um college, career, military, entrepreneurship. So, we're not just celebrating their success, but we're investing in their future. These students were chosen by their teachers and by the principles off of a rubric. Um I'm just very pleased and proud of everybody. We may be looking at one of our future superintendents right here in this crowd and it's my honor to present to you this award tonight. So I'm going to call the name starting with kindergarten area Stevens Patrick Wson Griffith Waters And Shman Kane Mason Sean Camden Murphy, Savannah Kid, Camry, Mayor Ashley King. >> This is all the elementary pictures. Congratulations. >> From the middle school, sixth grade, we have Tayden. Seventh grade, Knox Wilson. Eighth grade, two. Congratulations Nth grade we have 10th grade and Ross 11th grade.
00712th grade Let's give them one more round of applause. We are so proud of each of you and we can't wait to see the great things you're going to accomplish. We appreciate everybody coming out. If you want to stay for the rest of the excitement, you're welcome to. If not, we appreciate you coming out. Have a great evening. Yeah. superintendent report on personnel employment authorization. Mr. >> Taylor, just need the acknowledgement that y'all received the personnel employment authorization. Motion treasure report Mr. In general fund we have July payments funds reimbursements reimbursements and children reimbursements capital outlay and building fund. We got our first yearly deposit that goes toward our bond payments. Debt service we had a bond payment that was made service reimbursements totaling around 137,000. That leaves us with a general fund ending balance
008of approximately 8.9 million. >> Any questions for Mr. Thank you. No public comment. Need a motion and second for actions by consent. Motion by consent. Second I chair actions with discussion discuss or take action on maternity leave board policy 03.12233 and 03.2233. >> Okay. Um I'll I'll stand up and just speak here. kind of look with y'all. Um, basically there's a new state law that says by 2030 we have to offer 30 paid days maternity leave for anyone that gives birth to a child. Um, my opinion for what it's worth. It's a great retention tool to go ahead and offer it. We're not bound to require it until 2030, but several districts are already starting to offer it. And if you're one of the ones that's holding out, certainly that's going to play into young
009teachers minds when they look at where they want to be employed and where they don't want to be employed. Um the statute does require us to pay 30 days pay attorney leave once 2030 hits. And the question for is just really when you want to implement that. But like I told you, I've seen a lot of places. It's already been implemented. And as you can see, and I'm sure Dr. more, you know, teacher recruitment, retention statewide at a premium at the moment. So, you want to put yourself in a position to be able to be as competitive as you can be. >> I think the middle school has 17 new employees. policy. >> We've already approved that. We just we just need uh I guess we need a motion and a second, John, to go
010ahead and start it this year. >> Active July one. >> Yes. >> Just a motion and a second to start taking July 20. That's 230 days. >> The So Melanie, the up to 30 days means the teacher can take up to 30 days. >> It doesn't like we have to offer the 30 and it's >> where we need to change it because I need to make sure on KSBA that we have it. >> We've got the KSBA recommended language is correct, but the teacher can elect to use up to 30 pay days. The teacher doesn't have to use the 30. That's what the up to means, >> right? >> 30 days. >> They get up to 30. This shirt up to 30 days. >> That's what we're offering. The teacher has to elect to use
011all 30. The teacher can elect only use 20, but we're providing >> we don't change anything. >> No, that language is correct. >> Make a motion to approve. effective this school year retroactive July 1st. >> Make a motion we approve the maternity leave active July 1, 2025. >> Yes, I >> chair >> discuss or take action on 2025 2026 on the salary schedule. We had some old business to take care to update our salary schedule from previous meetings such as the elimination of the director programs and the addition of the director of operations and the elimination of the director of transportation of those things. We do have some new business on there. career and tech student organization stopping the high school had requested. They have gotten approval to pay for that out of the CTE
012supplemental which is previously known as the lay grant and that just goes to those sponsors of those CTE programs. They have a lot of activities outside of normal school day. And then we have one other item there to look updated the GR19 maintenance worker column. Any questions on the side? I'll make a motion we approve the 25 26 hours. Okay. Drew discuss take action to adopt 2025 2026 tax. therapist looks a little better than mine. She's not running out of it. Option one, we have a tax rate of 0.35, which is the current tax rate, which generate a revenue of approximately 1.9 million. Option two, we have a tax rate of 355 generating a revenue of approximately 1.931 million. And option three would be a tax rate of 0 358 generating a tax revenue base
013of approximately 1.947 million and that is on the real estate taxes and when looking at this and thinking about it just got some information to share with you all and judge green can chime in on the in of tax the secure rural schools act Um in the past couple years ago we got anywhere between 200 and 220,000. Last year we got around 100,000. This year his office was informed that that was drastically reduced and the revenue generated from that of the fiscal year 26 is 14,451. So that's a shortfall of around $25,000. Uh, our insurance premiums have increased 68,911. Our utilities have increased about 5% which is $52,50. So when you look at both of those in combination with the shortfall of money coming in and the increase in those premiums, you're looking at about
014$331,000 deficit that the district is not going to have to work with 26. And also if you take option one current rate the school will lose 43,000 >> that's $43,000. Yes, they give any last question. Any reason why it's dropping? >> That's that's a good question. >> Yeah. >> Uh they did reauthorize the secure rural roads act. So, uh, we've we've advocated took a trip to Washington to talk to Congressman Rogers. >> That's interesting. So much of our county >> more than double the next county as far as federal federalally across the board. >> So, he understands how important it is to us, but you know, goes on up the chain. What's going on? Thank you, sir. Any questions or anything that one could possibly answer? I know we met individually and kind of looked
015at these overlain. >> The current rate we're at right now, we're the lowest in the state. >> We are currently the lowest in the state. And I' actually been contacted by K to make us aware that you are do realize you will have the lowest tax rate in the state. >> Would we still be the lowest? we took option two or three. >> If if other districts around us if if they take a similar option uh and we take that option two, we're still going to be in a similar position. Uh if we we didn't take those options, if we stayed with option one and they took one of the other options, the gap's just we're going to be farther behind and that's just money that taken away from opportunities for kids. We we have
016went down in seven years. >> We were at 41 point something. >> 2015 in 2015 2016 we were at 41.9 >> and we we voted it down for seven years >> and last year I think we lost 70,000 by taking the compensating rate. In 23 24 we were at 36 and then last year we went to 35 years. >> Yes. >> Even if we take off we're still >> I was in high school. >> That's better. Does this thing take into account state average 64.35 If we look at our area of schools county and ourselves if we average those that's 51.5 we're 16 lower in our region. motion second. I'll make a motion that we adopt option three as our tax rate from the information we've been given. If we don't something don't change with
017it. We're just going to apparently keep losing money as the years go on. And so, and nobody likes to have to pay more taxes or be taxed more. But when you're looking for giving the kids the best opportunity in a school district that we can, then you know, every little bit of money helps, you know, towards that. So, I'll save that motion chair. Hi Drew. Hi. We also get the personal property. Real estate taxes. We have options on the personal property. Option one would be the current rate at 37.5 and option two would be to add exonerations on that for 37.8. >> Where do we stack up on the personal property? It's competit I'm sorry. So like Leslie County's real estate and their personal properties exactly the same county they're within a point. So all
018those together. So we would still be down there on that one. >> Do we need to make a motion on the motor vehicles too? >> Motion on both. The difference just to be I know it's redundant that the difference in the two is $7,000. Correct. >> So you want that all in one motion. Does he need to do motion over the top and add the other two? That personal property is a.3 motor vehicle just stays the same. real estate. We can do okay. >> Yeah, just do a separate motion for the property for the personal property and then one vehicle. I make a motion that we adopt option two on personal property. Second motion chair. on the third motor vehicle that rate will not change. It will stay the same. We just have to keep
019it the same. I'll make one rate. I chair >> discusser take action on virtual school application excuse me and communication waver. >> I talked with John the last couple days and then talked with still technology today. Uh with our virtual students, there's really no good way to have a face to face and have a check in to see those kids without using some sort of communication. So she checked today and like Google is an approved platform and it has Google meet [Music] which is embedded in there. So that's that's already been approved by you all. Google classroom has and just the virtual teachers be using that Google meet to check in weekly with our virtual kids just to have eyes on because you worry about the kids and not being able to see them. You
020just communication via email. Who's to say that somebody else is not sending their email and you need to have those eyes on? So, I don't know if we take any action on that. John, not with Google in me and Dr. Taylor discussed this a little bit. We're just trying to come up with a solution. When we first popped, we talked about Zoom or some other form of electronic communication that would need your all's approval andor a labor sign of the parents to comply with Senate Bill 181. And then as we kind of dug into it, I think he spoke with technology folks after me and him talked and looked into idea of Google just to see if there was something KD had already approved. So right now there's really nothing to do other than just
021let y'all know that we've been working on it and looking at the notion of adding ways to get eyes on contact with our virtual students to ensure their safety and wellbeing and things of that nature. >> We we found that out this morning. That's why it's on the agenda, but we wasn't sure as a district should require any action discuss and take action on Superintendent Clint Taylor's growth plan. >> So, Melanie uploaded my growth plan for you all to take a look at. And last, the last meeting we we uh decided that we We look at standard u standard one and standard three for the growth factor. And basically I'm going to read the goal here for standard one and then the goal for standard three. So by 2026 develop and implement a clear district-wide
022vision and mission statement in collaboration with the board of education and stakeholders ensure an alignment with strategic priorities and improve communication across all schools and departments. So that's something that I I want to do. I want to make sure that, you know, we're communicating with the community, with all stakeholders, and I want to look at our uh our mission and vision, say, but it's it's been a long time. A lot's changed over the last 26 years that I've been here. Uh so, I want to revisit that. Um standard three is um cultural leadership. The goal will be by June 30, 2026, design and implement a district-wide communication and engagement plan that increases transparency, fosters trust, and includes feedback loops with internal and external stakeholders. So, these two kind of tie together, you know, we want
023to make sure that we're communicating with everybody in a transparent way and we have nothing to hide at all. And you know, we'll have different avenues to to share to share information. And also included is my 30 60 90day plan. Um, obviously we're past the 30-day point. We're getting into that phase two. I'll let you look at that at your leisure. Anybody have any questions? Make a motion that superintendent Taylor's growth plan be standard one and standard three. I think second reading motion second motion. Rex at this time. >> Need a motion to second to enter into executive session pursuing to KRS 611810 1C discussion of proposed litigation against district. motion we enter into executives second