001stand to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisibley and justice for all put us all in a great holiday. Great job so far. very lucky to have you guys here today. Thank you. Um, okay. Moving on to the approval of the agenda. I don't have any additions or corrections like a motion to approve the agenda. >> Any questions or discussion? Not hearing any. Everybody here approve say I >> Anybody opposed? That passes. And to the consent agenda, uh, we've got the board minutes from November 24th of the invoices, the old policies first. Uh that is for policies 1422 3122 4122 which is a replacement 1422.02 3122.02 4122.02 for delete percent 1662 3362 and 4362 for a delete percent 2260 for a
002technical correction 2260.01 1 for another technical correction. And then also 1623, 3123, and 4123 for a technical correction. And then also got 2210 curriculum revised, 2266 revised, 2412 revised, 4162 revised, 5460 is revised, 5517-1 revised, 7540.02 revised, 300 revised and 8305 revised. Do I move motion to approve the consent agenda as >> any questions or discussions about this? Not hearing any. Everybody in favor say I. >> Is anybody opposed? >> Okay. Motion passes. Okay. Moving on now to the good stuff. Uh we're going to start off with our band directors, uh Payne and Bla. Take it away. >> Awesome. Well, we got one more plan. Uh this is our uh concert composer. It's called the Big Band Christmas. It's a whole bunch of different Christmas carols or songs kind of mashed together. So, we have
003a couple solos. Please enjoy. Heat. Heat. Wow. Heat. Heat up here. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat up here. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Thank you guys so much. It's always a pleasure to get out here and play with you guys and kind of share what we've been working on. So, we got a concert in our JS concert the end of uh April, beginning of May. That'll be the next time you guys perform. We'll have all kinds of new stuff ready for you. Thank you guys so much. >> Well, thank you so much you guys. That was absolutely amazing and always takes me away when you guys play even football games, basketball games, any anything we go to, it's always when we go to a away game and we see their
004band and we see you guys, it's a market difference. So, great job by all of you. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> All right. Um, moving on now to I believe Mr. Mar. >> Good evening. Uh, I want to thank the band again as we've already done that. We've just got awesome directors and awesome students in Japan. Um tonight, uh we wanted to highlight something that's a little bit different, unique. A lot of times we talk about what's happening on campus and what we're doing here. And so I wanted to spend the evening to talk about a little bit about what we're doing with our shared time, some of our shared time students with the Elcart Area Career Center. Uh we've been in a partnership with the career center for over 30 years.
005and we send 60 juniors and seniors every year to the career center where they engage in career and technical education that's going to allow them to advance um in the in the real world potentially right out of high school. And um so some of the things that our students are doing over there uh is a general role in health sciences, engineering, technology, public safety, agriculture, hospitality, manufacturing and skilled trades. And one of the cool things is about their their programs over there are taught by real life people that have actually worked in the trades and are now teaching back, giving back and teaching. And one of the cool things is two of the teachers over there are our former Eddies that went to the career center, went out and worked in industry and are now
006back teaching. So it's kind of cool when I connect with those guys and hear some of their stories. Um, but one of the things I think it's important to realize, the career center is a partnership between Edwardsburg High School and the community because we are providing students to go into a workforce. And as you know, if you paid attention to the news, there's an incredible shortage of students in and people in the workforce. And that's one of the things that the career center does is they prepare and equip these kids through internships, through clinical experiences, some of them through paid internships and give them an opportunity to go into the real workforce um with some very very uh wonderful skills. If you haven't had the opportunity to ever go to the career center, give me
007a call and we take you over there because if you've not had a chance to tour it, there's just so many neat things that they do over there. and uh want to say thank you for your continued support as we continue with that partnership with them because it's a critical piece of offering our school our students the experiences to do some real life type things that we can't do in our traditional high school setting and uh so tonight I've asked three students to join me they're all seniors that've been there for two years we've got Ryland Fields Kayn Holand and Kale Meyers they're going to come up and share a little bit about their experiences at the career center and give you a little clearer picture as to what actually happens uh when our kid
008kids kids leave campus and go to All right. So, I don't know if you guys drew straws. Who's going first? But, all right. Kale Myers. Uh, hello. I'm Kale. Uh, the program program I'm doing at the career center is drone tech and precision a and uh through that class we get six different uh certificates. Uh, we get our drone license or part 107 certificate and then we get our OSHA 10 IvyTech plant production certification, food safety management, uh, safety rules like through Purdue, and then we also get eight IvyTech classes, class credits. Uh, the class is really amazing. There's kids from at least three different schools in my class. We go and we have a on or off-campus school farm that we go to almost every Friday when it's not cold or raining. Uh we
009do soil samples all the time and uh the class really benefits me because well gives me all sorts of different things for all sorts of different jobs. I will be able to utilize them a lot in the future. Any questions? >> Thank you, >> K. My name is Kayla Homeman. I'm currently a second year student at the career center. Last year, I did the cardiology and EMT program. I quickly learned the medical field was not for me. So, this year, I switched to criminal justice. I I always had like a desire to help people in some way. So, this I just felt like it fit me. Um, I chose because growing up I was always so intrigued by like shows like Chicago PD or uh Criminal Minds. I'm sure you guys know those shows, but
010I've always wanted to help people and I've always been so interested in crime scene investigations and like learning more about the justice system. So, that's also why I want to pursue this career and hopes of becoming a detective or like a crime scene investigator. Um, through EAC. I've learn I've earned my jail certification just recently to work in the jail straight out of high school as a correctional officer. So, I could do that. Um, and I don't really have a lot of the opportunities that the other students do have because they took two years of it and I only have taken one. But um I also believe that the benefits students it benefits students because it allows them to learn if if the career center something they want to pursue like that job that they're
011in and um it's a stepping stone to the start of my entire career and EAC has strengthened my passion for this career and I'm very blessed to have had this opportunity because like most students like I have friends that don't get to go off campus and learn these things that I've got So, but thank you for your time. >> Hi, my name is Rayen Fields and I'm currently a second year um dental healthc care student at the career center. Um first off, I would like to thank you guys for letting me speak here tonight. Um my fascination with oral surgery became through my health science classes here at Eversburg. Um, as I learned more about the human body, I really learned the importance of oral health and just taking care of your oral hygiene. Um,
012the career center was my first choice. Um, during our dual enrollment process, I was very intrigued by the CTE programs and learn the the hands-on learning and the off-campus environment. It was really beneficial to me. Um, through the dental health care program, I'm currently a paid intern at Oral Surgery Michigan. So, I go there in the mornings and then I come here. Um, I am CPR certified. I am pursuing my radiography certification, my NEARE certification, and my expanded functions dental assistant license. Um, these certifications have helped me learn professional skills while still in high school. Um, compared to a tra traditional high school experience, EAC has provided me with resources in a hands-on learning environment. Along with the opportunity to pursue my career through an internship, I've also been offered a full-time job at Oral
013Surgery Michigan to be an expanded functions dental assistant right out of high school. So, within that, I'm going to be um given all of those certifications completely paid for by the career center and by my um dental office, which I think is really exciting. Um and I also get full benefits with that job. So, I'm really excited about that. Um The career center has just really helped me learn about what I'm passionate about and it also has just helped me financially and I think it is really beneficial for other students financially as well because now I know that I don't have to go to college and I don't have to pursue those four years. I can walk right into a full-time job and it's something that I'm really interested about and it makes me excited
014to wake up in the mornings. It makes me excited to go to school and I just am really having fun with it. So, thank you guys for letting me speak and I've really enjoyed it. So, um, I can't put it any better than what they did. Um, but I think, you know, Kale in the drone technology, we had another student that graduated two years ago. She had three different a firms locally that were begging for her services and she could pretty much write her ticket to which one she wanted to go work for, you know, and who would have thought with farming, you know, the technology that's involved with that with the drone. Kaylin, you heard her story. She went to the program last year. didn't necessarily like the program. Now she's on the right
015program and that she didn't waste a year after high school to figure out what she wanted to do and was able to do it while she was right in high school. And then of course Miss Fields, she's getting paid right now, you know, when she everybody else is sitting in world history, she's off getting paid while she's learning the skills that she's going to use in her career. So it's just a it's a wonderful opportunity for our students and um and we're so thankful and appreciative of the board support as we continue to, you know, keep building that partnership with the career center. So, any questions for me or for the the students specifically? >> Okay. Thank you for letting us highlight the first section. >> Thank you, Ryan. >> Um, you guys want to
016take Okay, we got now the substitute rate increase. Well, as you know, if you listen to um any of the political talks the last couple of years, the goal has been to get minimum wage up to $15 an hour is their ultimate goal. and they're doing it in small increments. So in um January 1st of 2026, the minimum wage is going up to 1373. And looking at a lot of our contracts, most of our normal contracts with um hourly staff such as uh food service, custodial maintenance, they're all way above um the minimum wage. We've been able to keep them up high higher than we need to which has not only given us great staff but has also placed more staff to come and join us. On the other hand, we have subs um subteers
017don't fall into that category for pay them on a daily rate but hourly subs for clerical and food service we had well below the new um minimum wage. So, as of January 1st, 2026, we need to look at increasing our substitute rate in these two categories to $13.7. So, your permission, I'd like to move forward with giving that increase. Do we have a motion to uh increase the substance? So, move Any questions or discussion on that? >> Question. >> Yes. >> So, so that's moving everyone to that page. >> Anyone who works as a substitute. >> So, we had a daily substitute teachers. >> Okay. So, I I didn't know if it was crossover. I didn't know if we changed the format. Sorry. Any other questions? Okay, not hearing anything. Everybody in favor say I.
018>> I. >> Anybody oppose? That motion passes. And now on to the bond project and security. So, we've got all of our new beautiful vest wheels in all except part of the high school, but that will be starting on Monday, I believe. They've got all the windows that will uh finish out that high school vestibule and office area, but we can all see right through the windows. So, we've decided we wanted to put some one-way film on those windows. That way public can't just see students, staff sitting in offices. The film that we've chosen is a security film. Also, it's not bulletproof, but it will slow a bullet and it stops intruders. You can't kick the glass once it's got the special film on it. Um, you can't, you know, push it open or even
019the video shows where they shoot it and still begging on it. can't the glass won't break. So, that will deter any breakins or um any instances that we have with people wanting to go in through our big beautiful windows. Um the reason I'm bringing it to you is because the total quote is for $69,85. I only have one quote. I reached out to a couple different companies. Only two of them got back to me. One of them didn't even want to quote it because from the east side of the state and they said once they calculate mileage it just wouldn't be uh very competitive. So the company that we would like to go with is called Buster Blinds and Window Film and they're out of Traverse City, Michigan. They have done some other work in
020our district which I believe we're very happy with. I it was done way before I got here. I know we haven't had any issues with it. Um so we would like to go ahead with this quote. We bring it to you because it's over the $50,000 threshold that was given to the superintendent when we started the bond project and it will be paid with all. >> Just also to clarify this is the same we have existing windows already. So this is just now placing the same on any questions. >> Does anybody have any questions? Did they know that the company was coming from Traverse City for this? >> Well, the ones that didn't want to bid on it because it sounds like they're probably closer. >> Probably, but she just she wasn't even interested. >>
021Uh, can I have a motion to approve the purchase of the security? >> Any questions? Everybody in favor say I >> motion passes. Now let's move on to the superintendence with all of the good things we got going on with the holidays. Um of course listening to the jazz band is my favorite things about this particular board meeting and last week was all the band concerts. So it was nice to hear them twice. Uh this week we have our choir concerts. middle school is tomorrow and then high school is on Thursday. Um, also a huge thank you and shout out for Operation Christmas with Mr. Kazinski at the high school and our high school students there and it was awesome to primary students who came over and participated in that last week. Um, then you
022just have buildings spreading that holiday cheer. a lot of buildings have done things to um either provide for different families or raise funds or different things like that. So, just our entire Eddie community really steps up not only this time of year but um all times, but great to see all of that. Uh for our um coming up in January for the board work session on infrastructure, we've been getting a lot of great feedback throughout the district. We now have just with our online survey over 250 responses which I think it might be more than we got for our strategic plan. Uh we've also um Ryan Towner and I have met with staff at the primary at the middle school and high school at ALC um and Eagle Lake and then after grade we're meeting
023with uh the intermediate staff. Uh we've also gotten input from um a number of our high school students and our eighth grade student council. um or the principal student council group. So just excited to be able to present that to the board along with more of the um you know technical findings from like last year's uh infrastructure study done by the state. So we have that as well too. So lots of good input for the board to consider in January. And then just excited with all of the bond projects currently um in motion and with Gail Enders and Christine Nap really leading the way to make sure those are are finishing up along with Skilman. So the secure vestibules at the middle school and high school finally getting the glass installed there. Um and then
024working on the plan for uh the summer work which will go to bid hopefully in January which will update all the HBAC at the middle school and high school. We'll put air into all of the um in both middle school and high school. And then we'll also update some controls and some boilers that we're looking at right now at the intermediate. So that's just all really really good things and just excited for the holiday. Any questions? >> So, do we have any questions or comments from the audience? >> Just one quick thank you to Miss Emma Hurley over there too for making this look super nice for tonight. >> Absolutely. Um, okay. We have a motion to adjourn. Okay. I have any questions or discussion on this? Okay. Since you guys are so quick tonight
025at uh responding to anybody in favor. >> Any opposed? All right. We're turned.