001I've got a bit of the whole summer. [Music] And then if you if you win, you get a All right, we're going to need to order. Start with the pledge of allegiance to the flag. of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation indivisible [Music] roll call shows we're missing Mr. Nash and Mr. Mr. Sorry. Okay. Um first or number two, public communication. Um, we do have a written correspondence that I will pass along to you. Something sent in. It's not actually a letter that sent us correspondence. Oh, LC personnel. Is anyone here? Nobody went. You asked me where are you? Yes. Sorry. Was that fast? too busy thinking about what I'm going to do for my birthday. I'm going to give these to you guys. You guys
002Wow. So, uh I'm Jason Zkar, high school principal, in case you didn't know that. Uh, I'm aware that some of you are a little newer to being board members and you're eager to show the community that you're standing up for them and their concerns. While I'm sure they appreciate those efforts, as an administrator for this district for now for 14 years, heading into my 15th year, um, being asked to be a leader in this district, I think it's important for me to help whenever I can. You are the most power you're in the most powerful position in the district. And with that your word uh means your words, actions or lack of actions and behavior is the most subject to legal liability. When you do things at open board meetings that are not right, they
003can have major legal consequences for our district. As a district administrator, we get legal updates regularly from through law firm to remind us of what not to do more times than they educate us on what to do. At last month's board meeting, I would just like to share a caution for what transpired and of kind of what not to do. We should never discuss any discipline related to students in our district at an open meeting unless requested to do so by the families of that student. Even referring to the discipline that occurred. If a student's identity can be inferred by our statements related to the discipline, as a district leader, we are putting our district in a situation where we could be held to FUPAL violations if the parents of those students disciplined want to
004file a motion against the school. Uh last month specifically, board members stated the specific discipline in the uh sporting events that students were involved with. Um, and those meetings are recorded, so people have access to that information if they so choose to come after the district for being unethical. One of those parents already reached out to me and asked why board members were discussing their child's discipline at a public meeting. They also asked me if board members were trying to embarrass their family name. I didn't have a response for that parent and said I would take it up with a new superintendent or they could if they felt safe enough to do so. Moving forward, when we need to discuss student discipline, we normally go into close session and our admin team provides a discipline
005history of the students and it's typically only during an expulsion hearing is when we would bring those. Doc Cuff has been here a little longer. He can attest that whenever a student is brought before the board, we bring a full discipline hearing. Uh to the discipline hearing, we bring a full report of that student's discipline and share it with the board for them to make their decision. In addition to potential verbal violations, it seems some of you shared that our high school administration has imposed discipline on fair. I can assure you that is not the case. We work very hard to build relationships with our students and families and being fair is a consistent theme and how we approach every situation. However, it does seem that some parents came to you with issues or concerns
006around athletics. I would like to share with you ODLC board of education approved athletic handbook documents specifically page 8 and nine that I handed you that identify the roles and responsibility and conflict resolution flowchart. I also shared with you the board approved conflict resolution flowchart uh resolution process and the administrative flowchart that we're going to update this summer obviously as some people have changed roles in the district. I share these things because it seems as new board members you continue to get bombarded with parent concerns. However, I Mr. Powell and Mr. McKini have not been getting those complaints from those parents. Hopefully this helps you when parents contacting you so that you can point them in the right direction. Appreciate all you do. I know your job isn't easy, but we have approved processes for
007how we deal with issues in the school district. You guys approve them whether you were here when they got approved or not. That's the process the rest of us have been expected to follow and encourage our parents, our community members, and you guys to do as well. So if you get parents that have complaints about anything going on at any building, uh the process is pretty much pretty clear on what steps to take. Step one on things. Any other person? Okay. All right. Communication from the public. According to board policy 0167.3, board of education recognizes the value of public comment on educational issues and the importance of allowing members of the public to express themselves on district matters. Um, with our time limit, because it's in our policy and we want to hear from everyone,
008please be respectful of the three minutes. We'll set our timer like normal and then just as a reminder in case you don't hear it now, please wrap up that thought. Okay, let me back. Before we call people up, we do have people who were unable to attend tonight who wrote letters. They are um with names and have been asked to be read aloud. So I'm going to read those. I do have one. I apologize my printer gave out on the last person. I don't like to get my phone out, but otherwise we can't read them. Um good afternoon everyone. I'm here today to speak in support of allowing our school's administration to coach. Some might question whether it's appropriate or effective, but the truth is our administrators bring a level of leadership, experience, and commitment
009that can truly benefit our teams. First, administrators are already deeply invested in our school's success. They know our students, understand our values, and care about our growth, not just academically, but personally and athletically. Who better to lead us on the field or court than someone who sees the bigger picture of our development? Second, many administrators have coaching backgrounds. They've played, coached, and led teams before. Just because they've moved into leadership roles doesn't mean they've lost that experience. If anything, they've gained even more perspective and skills that can inspire and unify a team. Third, allowing administrators to coach builds stronger relationships between students and the school leadership. It breaks down barriers and shows that our principles and deans are more than just disciplinarians. They're mentors, teammates, and supporters. Of course, balance is key. As long as
010they can manage their time and avoid conflicts of interest, there's no reason why their position should prevent them from contributing in this way. In the end, we all want what's best for our teens in our school. If an and if if an administrator has the passion, the experience, and the ability to make us better, why not let them? Thank you. And that letter was from Tucker Loins. All right. Dear Ovadelsi school board, I've written this letter to address a topic that directly impacts the quality of our school programs, student engagement, and community spirit. Whether school administrators should be allowed to to coach sports. Let me be clear, they should. First and foremost, administrators bring leadership, experience, and stability. Qualities that are crucial both in the office and on the field. Their involvement in athletics provides
011a seamless extension of their commitment to student development, reinforcing character, discipline, and teamwork in a way that resonates beyond the classroom. Many administrators come from backgrounds in education and athletics. To deny them the opportunity to coach is to overlook a valuable asset. These individuals often have years of experience in guiding young people, managing teams, and understanding school policies, all of which directly translate to effective coaching. As with teachers, the alignment of school hours with typical athletic practice times enables anyone within the school to seamlessly integrate coaching activities into their daily routine, unlike someone with the standard 8 to5 work schedule. Additionally, when administrators are engaged as coaches, they become more visible and accessible to students. This presence fosters stronger relationships, builds trust, and creates a school culture rooted in support and connection. Students benefit not
012only from skilled athletic instruction, but also from mentorship that spans both academic and extracurricular settings. Some may argue that coaching may conflict with administrative responsibilities. However, with proper time management and support, these roles can complement each other. In fact, coaching can deepen an administrator's understanding of student needs, school dynamics, and community expectations. If the administration is unable to effectively coach, it allows I'm sorry, it logically follows that teachers who also report upward through the chain of command or face similar challenges in providing effective coaching. Both groups operate within the same organizational framework where guidance and support flow through hierarchal hierarchal sorry uh reporting lines making the capacity to coach contingent on the effectiveness of leadership at all levels. Ultimately, allowing administrators to coach is not just about filling a position. It's about enriching our school
013communities. It's about leveraging the full potential of dedicated professionals who are willing to give more of themselves for the benefit of our students. My passion on this topic is driven not only from having girls in the school district from, but from when I had the privilege of playing college basketball where I was fortunate to be coached by some of the most dedicated and impactful mentors I've ever encountered. Their comment, passion, and leadership left a lasting impression on me. I hadn't experienced the same level of excellence in coaching again until this past week when I had the opportunity to assist with youth camp alongside coach Shawn. His energy, professionalism, and genuine care for the young athletes reminded me of the high caliber coaching I once received. It was both inspiring and refreshing to be part of
014such a positive and purposeful environment. What stood out the most was the time and heart he poured into each day, something only truly great coaches do. equal opportunity to all the participants regardless of skill level. An outoftowner approach which is a breath of fresh air for for this school. This is a powerful reminder to all especially those who have not volunteered their time to coach when done well demands far more time, energy, and emotional investment than what is reflected in a coach's salary. Coach Shawn's dedication over the last five months to this school is something to be recognized and valued, not driven out the door. Let's not place unnecessary barriers in front of those who are eager and equipped to serve. Instead, let's embrace the strengths of our administrators. Offer and allow them to lead
015both in the office and on the court. Thank you, Katie Peas. I did tell someone that we separated something that really I told I would read as fast as I could, but all right, ladies and gentlemen of the board of education, as an OE alumni, pair of three students attending OE community member and youth sports coach and volunteer. I'm ready to encourage your reconsideration of establishing an administrative coaching policy. The OE mission statement is students first and our vision OE area schools will foster a caring educational community that will prepare all students to contribute to a global society are exactly what these administrators teach and embody as current and past coaches. We have had the privilege to see our oldest child continue or coached for three plus years by administrative staff and I fully support
016continuing along these along allow these strong leaders to coach our student athletes. As an upcoming sophomore, our oldest child has had these administrators not just as athletic coaches but life coaches. She continues to grow as a student athlete being held to high standards of academia and most importantly personal growth as a member of society. the valuable skills, abilities, athletics, and integrity that are modeled and in turn expected of her will ensure that she has the ability to enter not only secondary academia, academia, but all adult life lessons in the workforce with a strong sense of self ethics and standards. So, there's a policy in here 2431 intercolastic athletics. Um and they reference uh hashtag next coach uh established by coach Sean McKini the newly appointed ad is a motto and standard we should expect and
017demand our coaches to model to our students. These align with our very policies, mission and vision. Hashtag next next play next chapter. He believes in strong relationships as a coach, mentor first, basketball second. These are the traits we must embrace when we have the right person willing and fully able to coach to be and be an administrator. During the 24-25 school year, Mr. McCain was hired as a varsity basketball coach with high expectations. He did not only meet those expectations, but also had many additional roles and responsibilities placed on his shoulders following heartbreaking events that happened within our community. He put mental health and psychological safety as priority for students and players, gaining the respect and trust from our community, parents, students, players, staff within the first year. Mr. McKini has proven over the last
018five months he is more than capable of balancing both his administrative responsibilities and coaching responsibilities. He has an open door policy, responds quickly, promptly with concerns of parents and coaches, and continues to reflect his commitment to putting our students first. As a small community, historically in the OE school district, we support our teachers, pars, and administrators to have the right to coach, and they have proven their ability to still fulfill their responsibilities as school administrators. If a teacher is able to complete their lesson plans, attend PD, grade papers, connect with parents, why would we not allow our superintendent, principles, and athletic directors the same opportunity? So then in here we have policy 2431 in support of MH MHSA's program to strengthen sport sportsmanship, ethics, integrity. The board commits itself um I guess adopt policies which
019reflect district's educational objectives and promote the ideals of good sportsmanship, ethics and integrity. Establish standards for athletic participation which reinforce the concept that athletic activities are a privilege not a right. Attend and enjoy school athletic activi activities serving as a positive role model and expecting the same from parents, fans, participants, coaches, and other school personnel. Support and reward participants, coaches, school administrators. This is like a four page, but I also at the end there was a lot of um highlighted things that currently. Okay, next one. I believe you actually have it in front of you. um because Crystal copied it for us, but I did say that I would read this letter also. So, this one I'm sorry, it's um Stephanie Stephanie Lee. Okay, this one is from Carla Pin. I agree that a policy
020needs to be established to continue to allow administrators to coach. Attached, you will see a list of what has been accomplished by our current interim AD, who's also the girls varsity basketball coach since accepting the position four months ago. If after considering the community's input, you decide to abolish the ability to be an administrator and a coach, I believe it should not affect current administrators or coaches. I know they are at will employees, but they are currently invested in the athletic program and the student athletes. Shawn McKinn's in Shawn McKini's case, I am certain doing both will add to his financial stability and his longevity at Ovidel Sierra Schools. He's already proven that he can balance both jobs, so why wouldn't the district capitalize on that? This would also confirm what has been said in
021the situation and at several board meetings prior to when discussing other employee matters. This is not personal. So signed by Carla here and you can see the accomplishments um for fall, winter, spring, and multiple season. Okay. Next one. Dear board members, I'm ready to share my thoughts and concerns regarding this evening's special board meeting on the administrative coaching policy. I regret that I'm unable to attend in person as I have prior coaching commitments and I respectfully ask that you accept my apologies for my absence. As someone born and raised in the ODC area, a former student and athlete and now a parent raising two daughters in the district, I care deeply about the well-being and success of our schools. Over the years, I have had the privilege of coaching at various levels and have witnessed
022firsthand the powerful role that strong leadership and men mentorship play in shaping our student athletes. Throughout my time here, I've witnessed many educators and coaches pass through our district. Some truly exceptional, others less impactful. I can say without hesitation that our most recent athletic directors were among some of the best. They brought with them deep knowledge, college experience, strong leadership, and a genuine passion for mentoring kids. They weren't just respected for their positions. They were trusted, admired, and followed. They helped cultivate a competitive culture in our schools where teams have gone on to contend for championships and state titles. Their efforts didn't just elevate sports. They brought pride, energy, and uni unity to our entire community. Although my daughters weren't directly coached by these individuals, I would have welcomed the opportunity. I know they would
023have been mentored and challenged in the best way possible both on and off the field. It's disheartening to witness the ongoing loss of talented educators, coaches, and staff from our district. This trend is not only frustrating, it's deeply concerning. While I haven't served on any hiring coaching hiring committees, I find it hard to believe that other top tier candidates are readily available and eager to join our district. When we're fortunate enough to have someone who truly makes a difference and is committed to investing in our kids and setting roots in our community, we should do everything we can to support and retain them, including allowing administrators to coach. If there are concerns regarding potential conflicts of interest, such as how to handle parent concerns when a coach also serves in an administrative role, those should
024be addressed through clear policies and well-defined reporting structures. Accountability can exist without eliminating passionate, qualified leaders from coaching roles. I urge the board to consider the long-term implications of this decision. Let us continue to empower those who are making a meaningful dis difference in the lives of our students. Accountability and transparency can coexist with strong leadership. Thank you for your time and consideration. necessarily make the piece. Two more. Unfortunately, we cannot be in attendance for the special board meeting on Wednesday due to the baseball banquet. We are disappointed that the school board is attempting to prevent administrators from coaching in our school district. With the current climate, decreasing resources to our students put only puts us at a greater disadvantage. Similarly to other districts, we continue to have shortages for many roles, including coaching. Please
025take a moment to step back and reflect on your own situation. Is the role you serve on the schoolboard the only job you hold or do you serve in other full-time capacities such as a full-time employee, parent, etc.? Does this decrease your ability to provide your best and accomplish your goals? It appears that excuses are continuing to be made why quality individuals should not be able to serve in dual roles. What is the remedy if we continue this? Where do all the resources come from? How many other school districts like ours are in a similar situation? Please do your research before taking action to push another excellent person out of the district. Why would we not want an administrator who shows who knows our our students, our staff and community to also represent us more
026in athletics? The chain of command and flowchart has been reviewed at a past four meeting that we attended. Is that now obsolete? We urge you to continue to request feedback from the community. Talk to the students, parents, staff, and other coaches and ask what their experiences have been with Shaun McCain. Talk to them in person so you can see their faces light up of how positive their experiences have been. Review the last five months that coach McKini has served in his interim role. Let's shift the focus back to our students and what is best for them. Thank you Jessica and Wade Bowman. And last one to whom it may concern. We are both OE graduates and parents within the OE school district. We have three daughters who attend school here and who are all very
027active in sports. Over the years, we have seen some excellent teachers, staff members, and coaches put in long hours of hard work and effort, making sacrifices of their own and taking time away from their families to better our school district and our children. Some of these teachers, staff members, and coaches have had long careers at OE and made real differences in the children's lives here at OE. In more recent years, teachers, staff members, and coaches have been made to feel unwelcome and pushed out of the district. We have become a district that no longer has our children's best interest at heart. Instead, we have become one of one of self-interest, greed, and seeing who can be on top, especially when it comes to the school board. Has the school board forgotten what they are here
028to do and why they were voted in? Our school board members were not voted in to push their own agendas, but to be the voice of the district, the community, the parents, and our children. Our culture has become one that no teacher, staff member, or coach wants to be part of any longer. We have earned a bad reputation for not taking care of our own people. Let's become the school district that we once were. One of community, one that stood together, and one that was once one. We have a gentleman who is an amazing role model for our students. I'm sorry, our kids. Puts in long hours. He is at all sporting events, participates in everything for our kids, easy to talk to and communicate with, has great ideas, and yet we want to push
029him away. Why? Because we have a school board who wants to make a name for themselves, who wants to make a new policy. We don't understand. If you want to make a new policy, make a new policy on how to handle conflict if it should arise. If the AD is a coach and the AD, fix what you think the issue is or could be. Don't chase off someone who is willing to do what needs to be done and put in the hard work for our kids in our school. Let's make this work. Let's make this work for our kids, for our school, and for our district. Let's do the right thing and let's do it for the right reasons. Thank you, Brandon Patterson and T. Now to our public communication, Danielle Camp to the members
030of the school board. I hope this letter finds you well. I'm writing to express my strong support for allowing school administrators and teachers to serve as coaches for our student athletic and extracurricular programs. Administrators and educators have bring a unique and invaluable perspective to coaching. Their daily work in the classroom equips them with deep understanding of our students academic, emotional, and social development. When these same educators step into coaching roles, they reinforce consistent expectations, build stronger relationships with students, and extend the educational mission of the school beyond the classroom. Coaching becomes a natural expression of their commitment to the whole child. Furthermore, allowing teachers and administrators to coach fosters a deeper sense of community in school spirit. It bridges the gap between academic and athletic spheres and encourages collaboration among staff, students, and families. This
031unified approach helps students feel more supported and seen in multiple areas of their life. I know. Very good. Additionally, many teachers and administrators are already highly qualified to coach, bring years of experience, certifications, and passions for their mentorship that benefits our youth. To restrict their involvement would be a disservice not only to these dedicated professionals, but also to the students who look up to them. While it is important to ensure that no conflict of interest or undue burden is placed on the school responsibility, these concerns can be addressed through clear guidelines and thoughtful scheduling. With proper insight and communication, the benefits far outweigh the challenges. In conclusion, I urge the board to support a policy that embraces and encourages administrators and educators to contribute their talents as coaches. Our student our students deserve role models
032who are interested in every aspect of their growth and few are better positioned to do so than the teachers and administrators who already guide them each day. Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration. Thank you, Charlie Green. [Music] So, a couple years ago, uh a few years ago, uh I was on a uh junior high basketball team, seventh and eighth grade, uh I was the seventh man on the team, so I never started, but I learned a lot from my coach. I learned a lot of things that prepared me for life and and I've had coaches like that in various capacities over the years. Um, by the way, the number six guy on that team, uh, he did okay, too. Uh, Kirk Ba. Um, so, uh, so that coach had that coach had a
033lot of influence on on our lives. And uh my kid, three kids, all came through this school and had a lot of positive experiences with coaches that prepared them for life, even some administrators. And so my challenge for you folk folks is simply make your decisions based on what on the finding the people that are going to help kids most be best prepared for life. Make that your priority. Who's going to help these who's going to help these kids have a have a good life and give them the skills that they can carry on? You know, they learn a lot of those skills in sports and and whatever else is going on, whatever criteria, I don't understand it all, but my challenge to you is just figure it out. Figure it out. Thanks. Thank you,
034Nyak. [Music] Hello and good evening, Oidel Board of Education. My name is Mindy Kek and I'm a parent of a sophomore and a senior. I'm here tonight because I value academics and athletics, but most importantly because I value doing what's best for kids. Any of you who know me know that I'm a very non-confrontational person. It has to be something near and dear to my heart for me to speak in front of a crowd and that is exactly why I'm here. I noticed on Facebook earlier this week that we are talking about administrators coach once again. At first I questioned if it was referring to coaching administrators instead because I thought surely this can't be a topic for debate once again. I've been a parent in this district for 12 years and only the last
035five or six have I really started paying attention to high school individual athletics. In that time I've noticed that some members of the ODLC community have worked to drive out nearly every administrator that has also coached. The first one that comes to mind is Mr. Pokar who was driven out of varsity basketball even though he brings a lot of skill and background experience to the coaching role and also cares about our kids. Next, we had the luck of landing Jesse Johnson, an AD who was an amazing for our athletic program. Outside districts were recruiting him based upon what he did for the little community of 08. And now he's gone. Then somehow we were lucky enough to hire Chris Winter, who was a phenomenal asset to our school and our athletic program. Another amazing coach
036and athletic director gone. Now we have Coach McKenna, the interim athletic director and varsity girls basketball coach who was doing really great things to build the basketball program back up. Just last week he held basketball camp and had the varsity players helping to coach the upandcomers. Then this week he went right to basketball scrimmages at Cedar Point where he is now with the varsity girls. I do find it a little convenient that this meeting was set for a time when he was out of town. I'm not sure how many of you spend time looking at school websites for coaching openings, but in my job, that's part of what I do. Match people becoming certified teachers or administrators with jobs in their region. Yesterday, I visited 25 school websites looking at job postings. Because this meeting
037was on my mind, I noticed that of those 25 districts, every single one of them had at least two coaching positions open on their website. Some had as many as four or five. These are small rural districts like Goi, not big D1 schools. So, what that tells me is that people are not lining up to coach kids, not just here, but across the state. Why are we not valuing and showing appreciation for the people who have a vested interest in our district and actually want to coach? Why are we doing the exact opposite and driving them away? I urge you ODLC board of education to hear the public to look at the ODLC community page for all those commenting in support of administrators holding coaching positions who could not be here to speak tonight. We
038want what's best for kids. To end, please consider that there is not an abundance of coaches to coach our children. When someone in district who knows our kids, who wants what's best for our kids, wants to coach, let's not push them away. Instead, I urge you to do what's best for kids and allow our administrators to continue coaching. Thank you. Thank you. [Applause] [Music] I feel like some of my comments are going to be redundant, so I'm going to try to abbreviate. So, I apologize if I stumble. I'm not a basketball mom. I'm a cross-country mom. So, I'm going to talk about what I know. Good evening. My name is Lena Miller. I am the mother of three students who currently attend ODLC school district. My children have gone to Obodi their entire life given
039me 12 years as a parent in the district. This is my first time speaking at a schoolboard meeting under the public comment section, but I felt compelled to talk to you tonight to show you the example of an administrator who was also a coach and did it well. My son had an administrator as a coach for cross country over the last two years in the full-time position and before that as an assistant. and it was a very positive experience. This administrator was Brian Powell. Brian seamlessly filled his responsibility as both an administrator and a coach simultaneously. To give a little bit of background on how this came to be, Brian and my son have ran cross country and track together since middle school. And it was kind of apparent through watching Brian that he was
040a pretty active parent. um at the end of my son's freshman year and his son's sophomore, the current cross country coach resigned and after posting the position several times, the school district was left unable to fill it. Brian having never coached cross country or any competitive running stepped up to fill the void essentially in my mind saving that cross country program. Brian went above and beyond using additional personal time learning the sport and consulting with experts to figure out a training schedule for our team. I have always admired the amount of dedication and time he put into working with every single individual student to develop individual goals and help them develop a plan to achieve them. After hearing the proposed conversation about not allowing administrators to service coaches, I couldn't help but wonder what would
041have happened if our cross country program two years ago would not been able to been filled by an administrator. Both boys and girls cross country have gone on to win many accolades including conference championships and state qualifiers. But that's not really the important thing. It was the relationships that coach Powell build built with those students. Teachers and administ administrators both work hard to build relationships with students. There are several benefits to connecting with students on a personal level. The research will show that a strong relationship with a student improves academic outcomes. It increases motivation in the classroom setting and engagement at school. It helps with behavior management issues and give students a feeling of equality and con inclusion in their community. It can even help to identify students who are struggling academically and emotionally. Coaching
042is the perfect way for administrators to be able to connect with students and foster this kind of relationship. Thank you. Bear with me. I have a lot going on. Um, I'm Michelle Moore. I'm the athletic administrative assistant as well as a parent. Um, I'm really disappointed that I even have to write this. Uh, we're a small school district and community and our kids deserve to have good quality coaches as well as administrators. And if that happens to be one person that excels at both, and that's exactly what our students deserve. With someone that works directly in the athletic department, I strongly feel that if the administrator has a solid support team, there should be no reason that they can't adequately um they can't be adequately supported in being a coach as well as an administrator.
043There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that the new athletic director will excel at coaching girls varsity basketball as well as being the AD for our district. He has a solid support system between his staff, his fellow administrators, and his assistant coach. Looking back through the years and some of the administrators that have all also been varsity coaches, we've had some pretty amazing seasons. From football going to Ford Field, competitive cheer making it to state finals, girls basketball reaching quarterfinals and cross country, having successful seasons, and multiple state qualifiers. What's the common factor? dedicated and good quality coaches that also happen to be administrators. Our students deserve to have the best. When it comes to athletics, they deserve to have a coach that is qualified and invested in the program that they're coaching. It's been
044said by the board that we want to do what's best for our students. By eliminating the resources for coaches is a huge disservice to them. When we post coaching positions, we don't have a huge number of applicants knocking at our door. In some cases, we've had administrators step up to coach a varsity sport because if they didn't, our kids wouldn't be able to participate. How fair is that to say to our student athletes, "We have a qualified candidate, but just because they're administrator, I'm sorry, we won't allow them to coach you and you won't be able to participate in the sport you're passionate about because they hold that as their career." The benefit of having a school employee being fortunate enough to be able to coach students. So, they have a flexible schedule. They're able
045to see the kids daily and what they go through and form relationships with them. This may not work for for coaches that work outside of the district. My frustration continues as last night I received a text message from my daughter who is a member of the varsity girls basketball team and is currently at basketball camp with her coach and team where she should be only focused on playing the game she loves and bonding with her teammates and having fun. But no, she's now worried about what's going to happen with her senior basketball season. So, I asked her to give me her thoughts. Everyone always says that with every decision they make, their number one priority is the kids. However, it is rare that anyone ever asks what these kids think or how they might actually
046be affected. So, I'm speaking today to offer the perspective of a player and how this decision will ultimately affect my teammates and I. My high school athletic career has been filled with many different challenges or changes. I've had four different basketball coaches in the span of three years. And as a team, we've missed out on so many experiences due to this. After a year filled with ups and downs, Coach McKini came to the program with a newfound energy, excitement, and passion for the sport, and most importantly, the team. Coach's goal was always to win, but also to shape us into good human beings. teaching us to always leave a place better than we found it, to always show gratitude towards others and how to treat others. Personally, he has been a good role model for
047me and has always been there. If any of us needed some advice about the game of life, Michelle, can you try my sum? So, basically to end it, she just said, "People always talk about the importance of mental health. What about the mental health of an athlete like this had zero stability pertaining to her coaches throughout her high school career? Uh she's asking the board to please put the kids first and consider how your final decision will impact us. For those that don't know me, my name is Heather Kimmel. I'm a first grade teacher here at Leonard and have three children in the district. We are one of the many families who relocated to this district two years ago and have grown to love the district and feel part of its community in a very
048short time. And Shawn in that very short time has made a great impact on our students and families as well. I'm here tonight as a concerned parent regarding the decision to remove coaching duties from his role as athletic director due to concerns about time commitments and potential conflicts of interest. While I do not see the behind-the-scenes work that he does as an athletic director firsthand, I have witnessed the tremendous positive impact he has made as a coach in a very short time. Sean stepped into this program midyear, a challenging situation, and immediately begin strengthening the girls basketball program while fostering collaboration among other coaches across all sports. My daughter and her friends have formed a strong bond with him and are genuinely excited to be coached by him as they grow older. The enthu this
049enthusiasm speaks volumes of the positive influence he's made on our young athletes. One of Sean's greatest strengths is how he consistently is engaged in both youth and high school girls sports through numerous events and camps. These opportunities have created excitement and a true love of the game, building a strong foundation for our program's future from the ground up. His efforts to rec to connect with players at all levels encourage participation, growth, and a sense of community that benefit everybody. I understand that the board's concerned that coaching responsibilities might detract from his administrative duties or create conflicts of interest. However, he's already proven, so I'm confused of why we're questioning this. He's already proven that he can successfully manage both roles. Many teachers balance classroom responsibilities with coaching and their ability is never questioned. Being a
050small district, these staff members wearing many hats and taking on many multiple roles to ensure that these students get a well-rounded experience academically and through extracurricular activities. And we are blessed that someone like Shawn is willing to do both and go beyond the expectations. Coaches are hard to come by as it is, and great coaches like Shawn are rare. A coach coach's impact on our children rivals that of a classroom teacher. Rather than creating policies that exclude great coaches from contributing in multiple ways, we should focus on policies that plan for and address any issues that might arise. Strong is a great example for all kids and a dedicated coach to these girls who deserve the opportunity to learn from him. We hope that you reconsider your decision to remove his coaching role. Um, keeping
051him in both positions will benefit our entire athletic program, our coaches, and most importantly, our students. Thank you. Good afternoon, fellow students, staff, and community members of the Ovads area schools. My name is Brooke Kimmel, an upcoming eighth grader this year. I'd like to start off by saying that as a new student moving in the 2023 to 2024 school year, I was beyond excited to play for ODLC sports, including basketball. Basketball has been a big part of my life, and I truly love it. Through all my sports, I've had multiple coaches. Some great and some who just stepped up when no one else would and tried their best. But Coach Sean McKenna standed out. Although he is yet to he was yet to be my coach, I still considered him one because of all he's
052done, not just for me, but my for my fellow teammates. Just seeing the success of him coaching the high school girls, I was looking forward to playing in that gym and learning from him. Coach McKenna has not only taught us skills for the game, but skills for life. He's helped me build my confidence, stay focused, and push me on and off the court. He cares deeply for his players and pushes each of us to succeed, not just in basketball, but as people. Here are a few things that he has done for us. Push each individual player to be their best. And halls will always check up on you and grow your bond with him. Inspired people to play or continue playing basketball. Made camps events and challenges to help improve their skill their skills in
053basketball. Invested time with younger players preparing them for their future. It's upset. It's upsetting to hear that the school board is questioning whether he should be allowed to coach. From my students perspect perspective, I would like to say clearly he is a great coach. Not just because not just because of what he knows about the game, but because of how he treats us, how he leads us, and how much he cares. Thank you for listening, and thanks to Coach McKenna for believing in us. Thank you, Karen Tom. Good evening. Thank you for the opportunity to address the board and our community. And special thank you to Miss Cadillac and Miss Williams for posting on your school Facebook pages asking for input from the community. That was appreciated. My name is Karen Tuma. I'm a 1994
054graduate of Oadali and I just finished my 25th year of teaching in the school district. ODL is my home. is where I choose to work, raise my family, and send my girls to school. Over the last several years, I've attended many board meetings. There have been times I wanted to share my thoughts, but didn't. I can no longer sit back and pray everything works out. I'm asking you to put students first and allow administrators to continue to coach at OLC. Katie and Brian Tommy shared a document with you with 50 schools where athletic directors are also filled roles as coaches. 50 schools. Why is this even a debate at OLC? One concern I have heard from board sorry one concern I've heard from board members is that being an administrator is a demanding job takes
055time. It's true that both administrative roles and coaching requires significant time and energy. However, we have administrators willing to take on added responsibility because they believe in the value it brings to students in the school community. When managed carefully, coaching does not detract from their primary duties. that enhances their v visibility, deepens student connections, reinforces their leadership. These are the very qualities we want in our school culture. Being a teacher requires a significant amount of time and energy as well. I'm also the middle school school improvement chair, middle school testing coordinator, co-chair for the special education department, mentored to two special education teachers. I help with scheduling the middle school, and this past year, I helped coach the middle school girls basketball team when there were zero applicants. Is the school board concerned about my
056workload? And if I have the time to do my primary job on top of all the added responsibilities I have, are you going to tell our spring coaches whose primary job is teaching like coach Huff Nigel, Coach Labs, Coach Cassidy, Coach Lewis, and Coach Snder that they can't coach because it takes time out of the classroom? Based on this argument, is your next move a policy that doesn't allow teachers to coach because we carry a demanding workload? as well. Another statement I've heard from board members is that it's not about Brian Powell and Shawn McKini. They have no issue with them and it's nothing personal. It's simply about not wanting administrators to coach at Openupsy. Shawn McKini was not the only applicant interested in the athletic director position who wanted to coach. There were wrestling,
057cross country, track and field, and basketball coaches who wanted to coach in addition to being our athletic director. Are you going to tell my daughter, her teammates, our student athletes, our school community that you're going to hire the third or fourth best choice simply based on the reasoning that the candidate had no desire to coach? Our kids deserve the best. That should be the only agenda and the number one priority of the students who are in decision of the adults who are in decision-making position. As a school board, would you have been happy with your third or fourth choice for superintendent? As parents, would you want your child's teacher to be the third or fourth best applicant? Would you rather see a sports season canled because the only applicant was an administrator? Put an end
058to this debate tonight. Give our students what they deserve and allow administrators, including our athletic director, the opportunity to coach. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Stop. Good evening. My name is Grace Tum and I'm an eighth grader at Odale. I want to speak in support of administrators being allowed to coach. Taking away administrator's ability to coach affects all of us who count on them to be there. I've been lucky enough to work with two administrators who are also coaches. Coach Powell set up to be an assistant coach on the high school track team when there was not a single applicant for that job. This track season, he took the time to connect with me and offered me the tips on my shot throw. He was also there to cheer me up and encourage
059me at our home. We have he was not my coach, but he still found time for me. I've also seen how much time and heart coaching team puts into coaching. He cares about the girls in his program from elementary age to high school. I know how busy with he is with all of the responsibilities, but he has never made me feel like he didn't have enough time. Being part of a team helps with more than just sports. Helps boost our confidence, strengthen our friendships, and even improve our mental health. Coach McKini creates a space where we feel supported, encouraged, and seen. That makes a huge difference, especially with everything students grow these days. It's not easy to be a kid, which is why it is so important to have people like Coach McKini in my
060corner. Every student at OelC deserves a chance to have him in their life, not just the girls basketball coach. However, how lucky is ODC that someone like Coach McKini wants to be our athletic director. We should be celebrating that, not arguing about it. Thank you for listening and I hope you continue to allow administrators to coach. So, Coach Powell and Coach McKini can keep making a difference on the track, the basketball court, and in our lives. Thank you and go Mars. Nathan Sweet. Thank you for your time this evening. My name is Nathan Sweet. I have three daughters, one just graduated and two more that are in the school district. Two of my daughters have bene have benefited from having a coach who also served as an administrator. Dr. Ryan Cunningham and Mr. Jason Tokar
061gave my daughters an amazing experience through their hard work and dedication to basketball that is tough to be matched. While serving as administrators, they both they took on both the role of middle school basketball coaches as well as serving as the varsity head coach and varsity assistant. This would ensure that the skills at the middle school level would be taught the same as the kids moved into high school, thus putting students first. That's one of the many reasons why we have our daughters in this district. With a daughter going into 10th grade and another going into sixth grade, I want these same experiences for my daughters. I myself am an administrator and a coach. It works and it makes sense. If this policy is put into place, I'm wondering how are we putting students first?
062Mr. Mr. Shawn McKenna has the female athletes in the school district, my daughters included, very excited about playing basketball. He puts the time and effort into getting both jobs done correctly. He is more than capable looking at his background in coaching both college and high school levels. In his short time as interim athletic director, he has proven that he would be the best person for the job by putting the students first. According to board policies, it's written that the board has a dual responsibility for implementing statutory requirements pertaining to public education and for meeting the desires of the residents. Board members will avoid being placed in a position of conflict of interest and refrain from using their board positions for personal partisan gain. So, if this is the case, I strongly urge you to follow
063the district's mission of students first. Make the correct decision and let administrators be coaches. Thank you for your time this evening. Thank you, Justin. Um I uh sorry. Um what was the I'm not I don't vote a lot of these, but Mr. Sweet said it. What was the district's um motto or something? Go ahead. What was that? Students first. Okay, students first. I'm going to finish reading what my uh sister said. Everyone always says that with every decision they make, their number one priority is the kids. However, it is rare that anyone ever asks what these kids think or how they might actually be affected. So, I'm speaking today to offer the perspective of a player and how the decision will all my teammates and I already said that. Um, my high school athletic career
064has been filled with many different changes. I've had four different basketball coaches in the span of three years. And as a team, we've missed out on so many experiences due to this. After a year filled with ups and downs, Coach McKenna came into the program with a newfound energy, excitement, and passion for the sport and most importantly the team. The coach's goal wasn't always to win, but to shape us into good human beings, teaching us to leave a better place than leave a place better than we found it, to always show gratitude towards others and how to treat others. Personally, he has been a great role model for me and has always been there. if any of us needed some advice about the game of life. During our season, he was hired as the interim
065athletic director and was put in a position where he had to balance two very taxing responsibilities and he handled it great. He was able to balance both coaching and athletics as a whole, giving his all and more to ensure that both had his undivided attention and focus on in their respective times. Not once during the season did I feel like his mind was somewhere other than with the team during a practice or a game. He also supported other sports. For example, he had shown up to both home and away sporting events for multiple winter and winter and spring sports. Coach Pini has already been in position where he had to balance coaching and being the athletic director. People always talk about the importance of mental health. What about the mental health of an athlete that
066has had zero stability pertaining to a coaches throughout her high school career in the year that is supposed to be the best gets ripped away and turning into a rebuild year because that's what happens when you get a new college. Um, so I'm asking the board to please put the kids first and consider how your final decision will impact us. Thank you. Um, I also was a assistant coach uh to Coach McKenna last year. Um, and I saw firsthand how he was able to handle both being a basketball coach and being an athletic director at the same time. Um, he would manage his time well. Um, if times needed to be where he needed to be doing something that into the athletic director. He would have me start practices, um, things like that. Like, he's
067not doing it by himself. There is a team behind him. Um, that will help him succeed in in both his roles. Um, so I just want to say, uh, please think about your guys's decision and how it affects the students like for example, because you know how much it means to bring Thank you. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Nicole Tokar and I'm a proud parent of three children who have attended Obadosi area schools for their entire academic and athletic careers. I've been actively involved in our school community for many years as both a parent and a coach. I'm here tonight strongly advocate as many others for the continued ability of our school district administrators to apply for and hold coaching positions if they so choose. In OD in ODLC, we do not have
068a deep bench of coaches just waiting to be hired. In fact, we often struggle to fill those roles. I personally coached volleyball here for six years. Several of your children have been on my teams. Just last year, a week before high school volleyball season started, we had a varsity coach and no one for sub varsity positions. I stepped in along with another dedicated parent. Not because I was eager to, but because my daughter and her teammates would have gone without a coach otherwise. That's the reality we're facing. Between my own three kids, we've had five different administrators coach them for a combined nine seasons. varsity football, varsity basketball, varsity cross country, JB basketball, and middle school basketball. Uh, and those individuals were Dr. Ryan Cunningham, Coach Longstreth, Coach Winter, Coach Tokar, and Coach Sean McKini.
069Every one of those administrative coaches was professional, committed, and more than capable of balancing their responsibilities. They prioritized their duties while also building strong relationships with student athletes. And here's what the facts look like over the past five years at the high school level with administrators coaching or assisting my own children's teams. We've had four conference titles in varsity girls basketball along with a district and regional championship. We've had a district and regional titles in football, a cross country conference championship, a cross country state qualifier, and a four-time state champion in Pvault. These are not just wins on paper. They're examples of incredible outcomes that come from strong leadership, support, and dedication. something our administrators and many others have clearly brought to the tables as coaches. Why in the world would we take that opportunity
070away from future student athletes? To say administrators shouldn't be allowed to coach is not only shortsighted, it's a disservice to our students and our district. We're in a time where there is a shortage of qualified people in education and in coaching. So why would we intentionally remove qualified, passionate, and already invested individuals from the coaching pool? We should continue to hire the most qualified and most dedicated individuals for the coaching roles regardless of their title in the building. If that person happens to be be an administrator who wants to serve our students even further, we should be thankful and supportive, not restrictive. I would really love to know the root cause of this inquiry. There's been no official community or schoolwide survey that I'm aware of to gather input on this issue. How many administrators
071and school districts across the state also coach? For example, I work in a large school district with just shy of a thousand students at the high school. Currently, uh, some of our administrators coach varsity volleyball, varsity football along with some middle school teams. I think many would be surprised how many administrators coach if that data were actually collected, which tells me the topic hasn't been properly vetted in any meaningful or transparent way. But here we are at yet another special board meeting. If we want to have a discussion, let's discuss facts, not opinions and personal agendas. Let's do what's best for our O students and community. Thank you. Okay. So, now we're at three, which is the whole purpose of our special board meeting. And then just from listing, I kind of want to give
072a little background on how we got here because I think um I don't know, I think that's really important. Um so for us as board members, the reason this meeting took place tonight instead of in a few days when we have a board meeting, we were given an update on chalkboard, which is something we get every couple weeks from our superintendent. And it did share with us that we were going to have a contract that was coming up on Monday. And so because we have had some discussion in the past, some discussion was already being had. We did not want to have this discussion on the same night that we were going to honor a contract. We didn't want somebody to feel that that was that it was an attack on them. So we wanted
073to have this discussion so that board members were all here at the same time. Um and it literally is what it says, just a discussion about administration coaching because it's something that's come up before. Um clearly everyone has a lot of different opinions. So one of the other things or so after that what I did is I reached out to every board member even though we're not all here so that I kind of had an idea and of where we were at and that's what led to sitting down with Dr. and Mr. Hor and sharing some of those and we just felt that having a discussion just getting it out whatever it is and being able to hear all the sides have community input was the best way to move forward with this. So um
074there was a and I've heard this so I just want to clear it up. I'm the one who set the date today only because we had a finance committee meeting on Monday and there was a village meeting yesterday and Tuesday. So this is not to keep anybody out of a meeting or to keep it separate from the Monday meeting which is the next available date. So um so the purpose of this is for all of us to be able to talk different questions we have think on this um also I think I shared with all of you that in meeting with um Dr. Killia that we I asked um Mr. Rock to sit up here because he is our administrative consultant right now, but in just a couple of weeks, he will be the superintendent.
075So, this is very much impacting impacting him as we start. and he has um after we have a little bit of discussion, he has some ideas um based on concerns that have been brought forward, based on things that were shared that he feels might be an approach that we could look at that I feel considers the concerns but also maybe strengthens some some policy. So, um it's just something he'll share with us, but I wanted to give us a chance to talk first. Okay. So, I just want to say that um when this was brought to my attention, I do not take this duty lightly. I do like to do research. So, um that's what I did. Um I've had a lot of people on both sides of the table very strong opinion not saying
076opposite viewpoints they have some have an opinion that um administrators should coach some people have an opinion that administrators should not coach. So I um took to the internet and I looked up and I listed myself pros and cons lots of things that were already stated out loud. So, I'm just going to go through some of them. And um so some of the pros would be um coaches um in administrative roles have deep understanding of athletic programs, challenges, dynamics. They lead to more informed decisions. Um stronger connections with students. Coaches help ensure that athletic programs align with school's overall educational mission. Um they build strong relationships, students, parents, and the community. And then I have cons listed as um both the coaching and administration roles are demanding. Um there's a role conflict sometimes when there's
077might be something unethical. Coaches may perceive a bias with specific sports. Uh may be difficult for them to objectively handle disciplinary issues involving their own teammates. um a clear separation of duties to um prevent lack of um training and and then there was um a section that how do we get around these things that might become a conflict? How do how do we work through that process? So I also went through um clear policies and procedures about how maybe you report to somebody else if you're um you know the administrator of your yourself the coach, maybe you report to somebody else. Um, you know, there has to be ways to to work around making sure that there's a check and balance. Um, so then I decided because there are definitely a lot of pros and
078there are some cons that are concerning to people. So I decided to reach out to Michigan School Board Association lawyer and talk to him about, you know, what does this look like? And he says, and I think some people are unaware of this, in order for us to all to get together and brainstorm like you're taught in school, like get together in a group and brainstorm and think of ideas and talk it out and we have to have a meeting. So um so with that said he told me that it's definitely the duty of the board to get together because of the time restraints of an administrator if if the coaching conflicts with the duties of an administrator which we ask them to upload the um job descriptions but I've only seen job postings not
079job descriptions. So um that is definitely the job of the board to have that discussion. So then I decided how do how do I um am I so then I was like I needed something more substantial. So I was like I'm going to reach out to other area superintendent. So I contacted 15 superintendents and I asked them the question, do you allow administrators to coach or do you have a policy related to this? So I only got a response from seven seven superintendent. Um these superintendent were from Chesning, New Loth, AASO, St. John's Bath, PW, Ithaca, and Fowler. And they, this is what they exactly responded to me. Currently, no administration coaching, but no policy that would restrict it. Number two, we have had administrators coach in the past, but it is a highly discouraged
080as administrators have many responsibilities after the school day has ended. It would be reviewed on a position basis. We would not allow someone to be a head coach in a sport. Three, we do not have a board policy that prohibits administration administrators from taking on coaching roles within the district. However, in practice, this is often challenging for administrators to balance the demands of their primary responsibilities with the time commitments required for coaching, especially when considering away events and early bus departures. That said, we currently have one administrator who is coaching tennis. Four, there is no form of policy or contractual language in our admin contract stating administration cannot coach high school athletics. However, it is not something we pro promote or encourage giving our district's enrollment size. I do not believe we have a formal
081policy that addresses this and we have not had this issue during my tenure. I have heard that question was raised about maybe eight or 10 years ago and the decision was made that the administrator in question could not coach. In the past, we've had administr administrators also coach an athletic team. The decision is on a case-byase basis and the superintendent makes the final decision. And the last one, we follow district policy which is listed on our website. So with that being said, I was eager to talk to the rest of the people and look at what kind of information they collected. You guys are the people. I think that's an interesting approach though like when you mention that somebody does the case by case decision. Yeah. Oh, it was they just don't let certain levels,
082you know, there's I don't know. Well, I mean, if there's been anyone that's here or anyone else that has contacted me, I've given them the same answer. So, I'm sure it not that chat, but um my stance is based on my stance is that I don't like that we have administrative coaching and this is not that I've hidden. Um I shared this when we talked about it before. We've talked about it as a board and my reasoning goes back to I have no high school kids. I have no affiliation with high school sports. Um it's only based on the experiences I've had as a board member at the table or when people call me. So limited as that may be, um, over the time that I've been a board member, I've had parents and students
083and, and I'm not someone that, you know, I don't have kids, I don't have a lot of people reach out to me, but I've had them come to me when there's been a conflict of interest. There's not the chain of command, even though we have that in place. There might have been a situation that's happening and it's so far gone, but because it was an administrator and a coach and there was that intermingling part, there was nothing as a board member I could do to help. it just went by the wayside. And and and um I've had teachers reach out to me uh people who have left our district, good people we've lost because of this lack of conflict or this l this chair command, the the dual roles and um I feel like some
084of the parents that have reached out, they have a hard time when they don't have someone that they can actually reach out to when there's a principal, there's there's an AD, there's there's not a clear thing. And one question someone or something someone brought up to me when I was talking to them and listening to their point of view um because people brought up some really good points and like well why can't we um rely on our administration to handle that and my response was I have relied on that for the last nine years. We've had different superintendents different administrators and unfortunately that keeps happening. Now does it happen all the time? No. And it was mentioned tonight that we had someone I will share Brian Hall I've never heard a single thing as an
085administrator or coach that that that was an issue. So I I don't want to like group everybody, but every other situation that's as a board member what's come to me. So that's where I struggle if I know that and I've seen it over and over. Um if you know better, do better. But again, as people have brought up ideas or I I brought this exact conversation to Wayne and Mark. So, I'm encouraged with Mark sharing some ideas on how to mitigate this to tighten policies to whatever it may be if that's the best thing we can do for our kids to stop having this happen at our board table and allow the best things like I want to be open to to thinking. We're all here to share. Well, I agree with everybody out here
086by you know, I've been here 30 years before Bapt was athletic director and head basketball coach. I've seen it go through all of the time. My wife Justin had to take the ninth grade. They didn't have anybody to coach, you know, and I help coach. I mean, and I'm not an administrator or anything, but I'm just saying you don't have enough coaches here. and we have some good coaches on. I don't think everyone can do it, but I think certain people can do it. And I look at like we got to give those people a chance to do it, you know. I mean, all of us had, like I said before, all of us have jobs yet come here to do this. How much re-shirts? How much time did it take you to do what
087you did? You know, a lot. And so, but I never question what whether you can do both at the same time. And I think that they have a great, you know, If you think about it, a teacher, you take a teacher out of the room, you got to get a sub. So, you got to pay for a sub to do with administrator. You don't and that will affect the way the class learned by having subs and then versus having I mean I I want to know where the problem is. Why we came up with this in the first place? You know, what what is the deal? Because I watched the open sports. I was there with Jerry Genen was here all the time and we went to four years. But I I don't see this
088problem that everybody else seems to have and I've been through it. I don't have many kids in it, but I've gone through it for the last three years. I was coaching and helping Zach when he was playing basketball and and that and we bring people from Michigan State to come and play against him, you know. And so I'm not seeing where administrators have had a problem with this at all, you know, and and if we don't have a a coach to do it, who are we to sit here and say that someone shouldn't get that opportunity to do it, you know? I mean, I'm so frustrated with this, you know, and I think every one of these did anyone I didn't hear one complaint about we shouldn't do it. All I've heard is everyone say
089the same thing and they all came here tonight. You know, if I would have seen people who said, "Well, we shouldn't do it and this is why," but I don't have a good reason why we shouldn't do it. But none of those people want to come because they're afraid of what tell you. [Music] So I'm not I don't think people are afraid to say anything at times, you know. I think the people who are this they're just they're frustrated and I dealt with that Sean. I I talked to him quite a bit just about because I love basketball, you know, and and I like coaching it and you know, he is a sharp guy, you know, you do not want to lose someone like that. He knows basketball very well. He's very personable. He's a
090very nice man. you know, he's a hasset. Ask the girls there, they were with him, you know, and I just think he by making some policy that we aren't going to do it, you know, it's just wrong, you know, and I'd like to hear what Mark has to say because he was principal at a high school over there in St. John's. He had to deal with some of this stuff. So, I don't even know if he's told the sport over there. So, that's why he's sitting up here. I just want to be able to just talk and then and then have them but I still would like to know what really brought this up because we've had this I've been on the board a long time. We've had this argument we had it with Jason
091we've had it with the people before you know should they be doing it and it's been that way for all along. So what's the cause for one to change? I guess that's my question. Did someone do something that's wrong? I know Sean took over I think in January beginning of February. I don't know exactly when and he u did a good job with both and he was a new uh athletic director and that now that he has the experience it knows what it is and I know he's helped le co you know and he had other things to do in that and it's a it's a team aspect and if he wants to do it he's good at it you know I think we're wrong by trying that that means Mr. Pow will do it
092and I know no one would jump it for his job when he went and took it over but I'd like to hear you I just I wrote this down I wanted to start by my gra. Oh, sure. Sorry. Um, I wanted to start by expressing my gratitude to everyone who took time to contact me personally and other board members by email, text, and phone. Your input is valuable. Um, we board members are your voice. um if we don't know your voice, we can't vote correctly. Um having said that, despite of all the great remarks made here tonight regarding admit uh publicly and comment coaching, um there are just as many community members who have contacted me contacted me behind the curtains who have less favorable opinions. Ch these are children or kids parents, employees, and
093stakeholders of our district. Um, I've asked if they would be comfortable addressing this in public, and they all said no for the same reason. It was all for the same reason. They are afraid of the administration pursuing retaliation. They are afraid for their children getting, I guess, pinpointed. I don't know. They never really said just their children um or their own jobs from actual uh employees. Um this really deeply saddens me. Um I don't know how I I mean I don't know this isn't about a personal person. I've heard great things. I've reached out to coaches um and had great feedback from their experience with Shan McKenni. So, it has nothing to do with that. This is the operation of our district. Um and are we able for me anyways? Then are we able to
094um have admin advent coaching at the same time um and doing their primary role first um I think that uh in the right environment I think everything's possible. Um I think it depends on the person, their workload, um how they uh manage their workload. Um and I think that this is uh maybe better left up to the superintendent moving forward, how he would manage that if we continue to have um admin coaching. And my other I thought about this on the way here. Um, if we do have a admin coaching in a role and we had a teacher come in, do they are they able to take over that role if they have the first opportunity if everything is equal between coaches or does that coach admin coach have to resign before a teacher is
095able to apply for that position? So if you were we hired you because it's in the teachers contract in the union that they have first opportunity to coach everything for that one one year at a time. One year at a time [Music] one year at a time and so if a teacher wanted to apply for that they could each year. The advice and we as principles do the same thing. I just I this was a thought that came across that is not a master every coach it's a seasonal thing but if they do an excellent job at it there's a very good probability they're going to do it but you always do it take the best person for that season Mr. Paul, I don't know how many years he's been doing it. A few years,
096couple years has been doing not just it's a year. It's a six year. I think so. Well, you know, I could ask one thing because she said that, you know, people don't want to show. How many people who spoke tonight? It's the first time that you ever spoke at a board meeting. Oh, raise your hand. So, I just want to And were you nervous and worried and scared about coming up here also? And that I just want to show that they have not come out here. They came out. I just want to say that if we never have a discussion about anything, the pros, the cons, we never have a discussion. How do we ever get to the very best answer for our district? Do we just not ever come and have a discussion and
097we just um whatever somebody sits in front of us, we because we might as well not sit up here if we're not able to talk things out and brainstorm and think through things. It may change people's mind. I may offer something you didn't think about. You may offer something I didn't think about. Like I just am I'm am kind of sick of the negative narrative of asking questions and wanting to deliberate because that's our duty and our job here is to deliberate and talk things out. And we might not always agree. We might have to agree to disagree. But I think that doing nothing and just agreeing to one person like a dictatorship like here you go do this. That's not the right thing for all of our students here either. So, I mean, there's
098a reason why schools have school boards. Yeah. But there's also the fact that we've already done this four other times in the 18 years I've been on this and we've discussed it. You haven't called me yet and asked me anything on this this thing. I'd love to talk to you on it, but I haven't got a call and and I didn't know about this until Brook finally talked to me. So I still don't know what the main reasons why we're having this, you know, why is it brought up? when I sat on these things and we've discussed this already three or four times in the past. So you sometimes well sometimes you know when um it just takes one person to wreck something for everybody else and that's why we have laws and we have
099rules and we have you know I mean that's what I think you I mean that's why we have those things. So I don't think it's an unfair conversation. We haven't heard any examples of anything negative being done by any. So give us to keep this within a board discussion. Not being disrespectful. The negativity starts with the board. [Music] Okay. So um when Brooke initially called me, I have to admit I was on the fence. I I hadn't thought about it much. Um and then um as Miss Tuma said, I did um put on my schoolboard Facebook and open for commentary. Um so, um but I was very appreciative of that because um I got over 30 emails and um messages and some text messages within the last 24 hours. Um and I read each one
100of them and I replied to each one of them. So, some common themes from those emails and these are not my words. These are other people's words. Um, well, first let me clarify. There was a general misconception that our topic of today's meeting was only about Shawn McKenna. Um, but with that said, those that talked about Shawn um said he's been a great AD, great in the AD role so far. Um and I heard from parents and some current coaches even the coaches said that he was able to balance dual roles effectively. Um kids look up to both Mr. McKini and Mr. Powell as coaches and leaders. Um one person suggested that as a smaller district it's hard to find coaches and typically educators are the ones that do have that time because they don't
101work 8 to 5 like many of us do. Um, some parents even said that they feel kids are safer when it's a school employee coaching. And I thought that was an interesting um, comment on um, implementing a blanket policy. Um, folks um, overwhelm overwhelmingly were concerned that we would lose two good coaches, Mckin and Paul. Um, and then it was suggested a few times that a policy, a hard policy could deter other staff and coaches, staff coaches from considering administrative roles because they would have to choose kind of between their passion, if you will. Um, so I thought those were all great comments. Um I would be remiss if I didn't point out that overwhelmingly and we've heard a little bit about it um many of the parents talked about the chain of command um
102objectivity and accountability um they suggested instead of creating instead of a policy create a set of protocols to make sure that a dual role is being handled in a way that is productive and beneficial to our students and I agree with that um we recognize the conflict of interest so there needs to be appropriate checks and balances. Um all concerns about a an admin and admin/coach combined role should be routed directly to the superintendent and over overwhelmingly there was great support for Mark's ability um as he becomes superintendent. Uh the verbiage of the chain of command and checks and balances should be made transparent on our website and every everywhere we can put it. Um so it helps alleviate concern and parents know who to contact. Um I know that got passed out but we
103all know how information travels and sometimes it doesn't fortunately. Um, parents want fairness and objectivity when it comes to issues and they don't always feel supported in making a complaint about an admin. And I thought that was interesting. So, I'm kind of going the good, the bad, and the ugly. the more specific comments um that to me um I I've heard we've probably all heard um at OE um with student discipline in some cases they felt has been biased when certain administrators are involved um related to girls basketball. How can a principal be the AD's boss by day and the AD be the principal's boss at an athletic event? administrator coaches have been have demonstrated a lack a lack of objectivity in the past and then a few incidences were referenced um had to do
104with the exchange student and a uniform and inconsistent punishment for teaching. Um improve the integrity of either position coach or admin by holding people accountable. Our school admins want to hold kids accountable but not themselves. At our previous school, um this was someone who moved here. At our previous school, admins were were not allowed to coach and they had to live in the district. Uh superintendent should do the annual review and the superintendent should do the annual review of an administrator/coach. And I think the most striking um but simple quote that I read today was one or two bad apples shouldn't ruin it for everyone else. Um, so I've talked about transparency in the past, so I'll put my cards on the table first. Um, you know, I'm okay with AD. I think that's the
105position that probably is most likely um to be in a position to coach. Um, I'm okay with the AD assistant principal, even the curriculum director, and even the IT director coaching. Um, I'm not in favor of building principal coaching. Uh they're paid large salaries for a demanding job. Um mostly focused on curriculum and supporting staff and all students in their building. I'd prefer that their focus be on a building of 150 or 150 or 300 kids versus a roster of 12. I'd like the athletic director to report directly and be accountable to the superintendent. Our athletic director should be empowered to run his or her program autonomously all the way from buying the chalk for the fields to selecting coaches to scheduling and managing big athletic events. Just let them do their job um without
106other interference. And then finally, before the athletic handbook comes out in July and August, I'd like to see that it includes a clear chain of command process for parents, one that incorporates um and maybe clears up some of the gray areas and incorporates a new and improved process. I think um Mr. McKenna and Mr. Horat can develop that together. And then finally in looking at the jobs job descriptions um I see um some of the discipline disciplinary and disciplinary actions um being the responsibility of the assistant principal um but I haven't always seen that happen in practice. So I'd like to see for consistency and fairness a better process uh developed by our new superintendent. And then finally just some words for myself. Um, I'd like to extend my gratitude to everyone who took the
107time to reach out by email and private messages over the last few days. Um, they were meaningful and engaging conversations. I gained valuable insight from parents, staff, and a few coaches, all of whom were courteous and articulate. I'm disheartened by the continued spread of false narratives about a personal agenda. I learned today that both I and another board member were specifically targeted in text messages circulating among sports parents. Speaking for myself, I am confident that those I engage with now recognize the inaccuracies they were presented. And I hope those that have shared some claims on on community Facebook pages um can eventually engage in m mature discussions. Dialogue can be constructive and doesn't always have to be contentious. Thank you, Mark. I know we had this discussion, but thank you. Um, I uh put together
108a memo to the board. Uh this is specific to uh Coach McKenna. Um I will just mention um I am not in favor of uh developing policy that restricts administrators. I do feel this should be on a case-byase basis. Um there may be cases where I don't feel that it's a good fit. Uh in this case I do. And so I' I'd like to read uh this memo just out of transparency so everybody knows what it says. Uh during the most recent varsity season, the district appointed Mr. Shawn McKenna as interim athletic director. Uh due to the program needs and timing, he also continued serving as a head coach of the girls varsity basketball team while fulfilling his administrative duties. As a community member at the time, I observed Mr. McKenna carry out both roles
109with professionalism, commitment, and effectiveness. Following a thorough hiring process that included two rounds of interviews, Mr. McKenna has now been recommended to be the district's permanent athletic director. Since taking on the initial eight role back in January, he has demonstrated strong leadership, a positive rapport with students, and the consistent presence that benefits our entire athletic program. I've been especially impressed with the respectful and encouraging relationships he builds with our student athletes. It is my professional recommendation that Mr. Mr. McKenna continued serving as head coach of the varsity girls basketball team for the 2526 school year. Last season, he was the only candidate to apply for the position and maintaining continuity in this role would serve our students well. As a small district, it is not uncommon for administrators to take on multiple responsibilities. Uh just
110to add a little a little bit, uh in St. John's, uh administrators uh did not coach. They were uh not allowed to coach, but they didn't coach because there was plenty of of candidates in Fowler. Uh the athletic director was a football coach. Uh when a qualified coach came on, he decided to step back and let let that qualify candidate coach. Uh and also the middle school principal was a football coach as well. Um I've been especially impressed. Uh I'm sorry, lost my spot, right? I should have lived. Uh third. Yep. Okay. Uh when an individual has both the talent and desire to contribute beyond a primary role, I believe it's important for the district to support and value that commitment. This memo outlines the potential benefits, key concerns, and a structured oversight plan to
111guide the continuation of this arrangement during the 2526 school year. So, these are the potential benefits that I've listed. Uh first one is proven leadership. Mr. McKenna has already demonstrated the ability to manage both responsibilities effectively, earning the respect of staff, students, and families. Second is continuity and stability. Maintaining consistent leadership across both roles promotes a unified vision, strong program culture, and clear expectations. The third one is enhanced relationships. His direct engagement with the student athletes and the coach can deepen connections and foster a more student centered athletic culture. some of the concerns that we need to monitor. The first one is conflict of interest. Overseeing the program he coaches may raise questions regarding resource allocation, scheduling or evaluations. The second is time constraints. Coaching a varsity team requires significant afterchool commitments that could limit
112the ad's availability for other responsibilities. Next is equity and perception. It's essential to asssure all coaches and programs feel supported equally. An oversight structure, clear and consistent supervision must be in place to evaluate performance in both roles. So I would uh propose and and I'm not superintendent at this time, but it will be July 1. Um so this will be a proposal that I would put forward uh but it's under consideration for now. uh expect expectations and oversight for 2526. To ensure transparency, effectiveness, and fairness, the following measures will be implemented. Number one, superintendent oversight. The superintendent will directly evaluate Mr. McKenny's performance in both roles. Given my past experience in evaluating the athletic director position along with my 10 years of experience coaching girls basketball at the JV and varsity level, I feel he
113would benefit from an effective evaluation process. Feedback will be gathered from building administrators, coaches, and student athletes to ensure comprehensive and balanced evaluation. Number two, a role management plan. Mr. McKenna will submit a written plan outlining how he will balance time, delegate responsibilities, and avoid potential conflicts between his coaching and administrative duties. And that's something I would obviously work together with him on. Number three, equity safeguards. Midyear and end of year reviews will examine program budgets, facility usage, scheduling, and overall support to ensure fairness across all athletic programs. And number four, annual reassessment. This dual role arrangement will be formally reviewed at the conclusion of the 2526 school year. The review will include performance data, stakeholder feedback, and the superintendent recommendation to determine whether the arrangement should continue or be modified. So, in conclusion, Mr.
114McKenna has already demonstrated that he can succeed in this dual capacity, and this plan allows us to continue leveraging his leadership while maintaining strong accountability and oversight. The district remains committed to ensuring that all decisions are made in the best interest of our students, staff, and athletic programs. If the structure proves to be ineffective in the future, adjustments will be considered. Thank you. You're welcome. Okay. So, I guess my question obviously you guys are just seeing this. Do you feel that this puts those safeguards for concerns that they brought up? Do you feel that that this does that? I feel very positive about this this plan. Yeah, I think it's perfect. So then the whole I'm assuming this. So um the whole point of this was for us to just discuss this. So we've gotten
115out, you know, gotten community feedback. We've talked about it. We've seen Mark's oversight. Um it sounds like, well, we don't have to have a vote, but like it sounds like can be yes make a motion for July board meeting to have this presented to us. I don't think we have to make a motion. We can just say we're not looking at any other policy but we would like Mark to to fully develop it to be approved I think well not July in July. Um, yeah, obviously I'd have to develop with with coach McKenna. Um, and so by July we could have a, you know, the full part with with his plan as well. What does this look like? Because it was never meant to be like specific to, you know, we're having this discussion. It's
116not specific to Sean even though this plan specific to Sean. So what does that look like going forward because we're not creating a policy then we're leaving it as is, right? uh each case has to be considered individually because uh they all are different and there's different responsibilities. Uh if it's an assistant principal, principal, uh whatever their their title is uh there's going to need to be a team approach to it. Uh and it's going to take you know everybody contributing and you know covering at different times. Uh and that's how it's going to have to work. I can't say that you know there's one policy doesn't work for every administrator besides a coach. It's all individualized and there would be to be an individual plan every time that happens. Any other questions? So, is
117that also you're going to do a plan for Brian also? It sounds like he's already got it locked down. Uh, being a current coach, we can we can look at that. Um, but I, you know, the oversight, uh, with Brian, um, isn't, you know, he's not the the AD where he would report to himself. So, you know, the current chain of command that is working. So, in my mind, I don't think we need to adjust anything with that. I thank you, Mark. Some of the concerns that you outlaid here were the similar concerns that we had, but you have a a plan in place how to mitigate those concerns. Thank you. Okay. So then we move forward. I don't have any other new forms for additional participation. So any other matters? Okay. And wait, I
118guess I did say this to you earlier because you were asking just so it's clear like we this discussion is done. We're moving forward with this mark, but there's no further discussion on this administration coaching. That's motion by [Music] I talked. [Music] Thank you. You're welcome.