001The thing is on sale. >> This meeting of the board of education is called to order. Please stand and join us in the pledge of allegiance. I >> pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> To welcome everyone to our meeting tonight. Um, Trustee War and Trustee Crawford were unable to be here tonight and send their regrets. And we'll get started by uh approving our agenda for the meeting. Are there any changes to the agenda as printed? Hearing none, there's a motion on page two, please. >> Mr. President, I move that the board of education approve the agenda as presented. >> Thank you, Terry. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank
002you. All in favor, please say I. I. I opposed. The motion passes. We'll move forward with our agenda and start where we always do with the superintendent's report. >> Thank you, President Vaner and members of the Portland Public Schools Board of Education. It is nice to have a quorum tonight. Uh last meeting we were a little short-handed, but we still had our meeting. No action was taken. Uh so for our update tonight, we're going to start first with Ben Kirby, who's our West Portage Little League. He's going to provide the board with a little update. We uh refreshed our agreement with West Poris Little League and we asked uh Ben to come tonight just give us a high level update of some of the things with Westport. So if you could join us, Ben, thank
003you. >> Thank you, sir. U yeah Ben Kirby been the president for Westport for the last three years. Um our spring program has over 540 kids in it as of last year and our fall program has over 518. So we serve over a thousand kids. um given that it is school property. So, we definitely appreciate the uh the usage of it. Um per the agreement, we have some things that we want to improve on this year. We're always looking to improve on the facilities, try to provide the best program that we can. Um this year, we're going to be trying to install some dugouts on fields 13, 14, 7, and 8, which are T-ball fields. Um so, that's kind of an improvement that we're looking to do. Uh we're also talking with the city of
004Portage on some other things. They want to um to become kind of a hub for baseball or a way to get more people in the area based on that skill set and being the largest area of the field in the area with 16 ball fields. They're kind of uh trying to figure out some other improvements I can do to that. So um besides that, we're doing strong financially. We're doing strong. Our board members are doing strong. We have a pretty good uh pretty good crew. So, anything other than that >> questions for the board? >> Well, we appreciate the update because this board was very close to Westportage Little League while Trusty uh Joanne Wilson was on our board. She kept us uh posted, you know, so we appreciate the update. We haven't heard anything
005in a few years. So, we appreciate you being here tonight. Glad to hear everything's going well. >> Yeah, we're we're pretty healthy. We're uh we're growing, which is not what I could say about other little leagues in the area. I think everyone else is kind of tailing downward. Um, so it's kind of the it's been my goal to kind of fix the culture and fix kind of what we do as a community to try to keep people here instead of going to travel ball and uh kind of taking that path. So, it's near and dear to my heart. So, [clears throat] yeah. But Wilson for sure, she's meant a lot to the program and uh she means a lot. >> Yeah, for sure. Well, I have a lot of great memories of little league with
006my boys and uh so I'm happy that things are still going strong over there >> for sure. Hopefully many many years to come and we'll keep it strong. >> Sounds good. >> So I did have a question for you. Um I'm sorry if you had a question. >> Um no I will I will wrap up with just a quick comment but go ahead. >> Gotcha. Is there any improvements? So we're supposed to get improvements for capital investments that are property. Is there anything that's kind of off limits that I can move forward without approval or is it something that every single time or if I just email you guys give me approval otherwise or? >> Uh, if you email it to Russ Gerver who's our assistant superintendent of operations. Russ, raise your hand again. >>
007He'll be your primary contact around the capital improvements. >> And he could always coordinate with with uh with me and the board as necessary. >> Awesome. All good. >> Well, thanks, Ben. Keep up the good work. >> Yeah, my comment was just to thank you for your leadership and service to the community. Thank you. >> I appreciate it. >> Thank you. >> Are you required to stay for the whole meeting? [laughter] >> Unfortunately, my board meeting starts at about 25 minutes. >> I appreciate. >> Thank you. I really appreciate it. Thank you guys. >> Thank you, man, for coming. All right. All right. Uh, our second portion of the superintendent update is uh is one of our teachers from Northern Middle Northern High School uh in regards to a high school trip Spain and Italy
008in 2027. Join us tonight to share an overview of that presentation is our own Lucas Riwa. Lucas, if you can join us, please. Hello. Thank you so much for giving us the time or the time to present to you. It's my third time doing this for drips. Um, also I want to say Oh, he left. But my kids play at Westportage and we've enjoyed that a lot. So, right there. Um, first time around we did a World War II trip. Last time we this past summer we did um London, Paris, Berlin. That went really well. This time we decided to with so many departments at Northern wanting to to do tours, we felt like we were there's only so many kids who are wanting to travel and we didn't want to cannibalize other departments. So
009social studies teaming up with Spanish department this year. So we wanted we had been looking at social studies doing like Italy and and Spain. We figured might as well make it a Spanish trip as well. So, what we have planned with World Strides again um is a trip to see really four cities. We're going to do um Madrid, Barcelona, Florence, and Rome. So, that'll give us a a ton of different experiences that relate to so many different uh classes that we teach at Northern and here at Central as well. But we've got connections to sociology with all the different cultural variations. We've got religions. We're going to go to Sagraata Familia. We're going to go to St. Peters and the Vatican. Um, all of that stuff. We've got all of several of our history classes
010are connected there. Um, I teach 20th century world history and I know we do Spanish Civil War and um, um, Mussolini's Italy. So being able to see some of those places and have our kids have the opportunity to connect with things on a deeper level more than just looking at the subject matter and the sources um documentaries and textbooks um helps bring it to life and and make good connections for these kids. I'm really looking forward to having um Spanish department along with us too to give us maybe more depth that we wouldn't have got being um you know out of our comfort zone in a foreign country where they speak a different language. So um it'll feel a little bit more comfortable having so many people that are bilingual or triilingual with us. So
011looking forward to that. Um I believe you guys had access to the itinerary shared with you. So, is there any questions that you had about the trip or world strides or anything I can help with? >> It looks amazing. >> We're very excited about it for sure. >> On the other trips that you mentioned, how many students were on those trips? Um this most recent one we had um I think there were 17 of us on the trip and um there was three staff members and there were a number of family members as well. That one was a little bit smaller than the the first one. Um the first one that I led we had I believe 21 and um there were I think three family members and um three adult chaperons with that. know
012the difference being students. Um we've gotten we did just like a informal Google form to gauge interest in the trip and um several of the teachers just made an assignment to fill in the form like you can say you don't want to go or whatever but um I want to say it was like close to 90 expressed interest. We know that nowhere near that number is going to be able to go, but um I think 12 people responded like very seriously like just show us where to sign up and we're ready. So I think with that that number plus the others that um were interested and needed more information or that were considering financial realities um it'll probably being clo be close to the 25 that I had predicted and filling in the the paperwork
013but um that would be a good group enough to where we can move around without being too cumbersome but enough to um have it be worthwhile. So, yeah. >> And you've been pleased with World Strides? >> Yeah, very pleased. Um, they pretty much have everything covered for us. I mean, when you look at the price for the trip, there's a bit of a bit of sticker shock, but then you realize that that's your flights, that's your tipping, that's your meals, that's your hotel, that's your train tickets, plane tickets, boat tickets, entrance to all of the different places. Um, and there's a tour director that goes with us everywhere and they coordinate with other tour guides. And it's um, after all the planning that we do as staff, once that's taken care of, once we get
014over they over there, they really just take very good care of the travelers and make sure we get from point A to point B and we we get the most of the trip. They really want us to get our money's worth. >> I like that they have a payment plan, too. So that is helpful for people if they can sort of break it up a little bit instead of >> paying it all at once. >> And this being a 2027 trip, we wanted to get the ball rolling as soon as possible. They have a number of um promotions that are timesensitive. So if at all possible, if you would vote on it today, that would be awesome. So we could save our kids some money. >> But um obviously it's up to you. >> Anything
015else? Is the board okay voting on this today? >> Any more questions for Lucas? >> Well, thank you, sir. Um, >> appreciate that. >> Yeah, we'll add it to our action items >> and take care of it tonight then. Thank you. >> Thank you much. Appreciate the time. >> Thank you, Lucas. Appreciate everything. And now we're going to have our bond project update as well as our change order summary from city superintendent Russ Kerver as well as Anastasia from OA. Good evening, board. Superintendent Edwards. >> Yeah, I got it, I think. Um, thank you for having us. I kind of give you kind of a brief overview of how the bond's going so far. Uh, we're going to start off with the first picture here. >> There's a delay. >> Pretty big delay. >> Yeah.
016So, when the picture switches the the uh it's got me kind of flustered here. Is it really this long and blank? Okay. Um so, the first picture is going to show the the uh the site blanketed in snow. >> Um last time I was here, I talked about how beautiful the weather's been for building everything. I jinxed it. It's my fault. Any completely jinxed it. We uh we went from perfect uh building weather in October and November and then December shows up and now the this site is covered in snow. Um which is part of the building season. They plan for it in their building schedules and everything. It just it's cold earlier than expected. Uh but that's not anything that's going to slow down the construction. It's just different construction. We'll kind of talk
017about that as you go. Uh what you're seeing here in the background, that is unit B of the building. Uh that is the twotory part of the building. That's the first story part. Uh they got the pre-cast on top already. So they're going to be ready to start going up after that. Uh so kind of flip to the next start pushing the button early. So you'll see a couple pictures coming up of the inside of the building where you look up. You'll see the pre-cast in place. So the pre-cast is down. Now they can start the second layer of of masonry to get the second floor built. And then see there you go. There's some of the pre-cast in place. Uh there's some there. I have to build the thing now. So you can see
018that's the pre-cast. That's basically the the flooring of the second floor in place. So now they can build the walls to put the second floor in and then they can put the roof on top of that. Um, so so why we're this is changing also on the site. The stuff you can't see in the background is they are actually trenching around the building and they've put in the sanitation lines as well as the water lines for the building. It's not connected to the city system yet, but they did the work of getting that around the building because we could. We had such a nice uh fall that we were able to get that in. And then once the ground and everything on thaws in the spring, we'll go and we'll be connecting that to the
019city sanitation and sewer lines. It might be which is the hard part is the part I really want to show you is the fun part of this. There we go. So, in the background you see there, this is some of the stuff that happens when you have winter construction temperatures that we're seeing this week is you have to build an enclosure to heat your your building while you build it because the material that holds the masonary together, the um mortar has water in it and if water freezes it doesn't allow it to cure correctly. So, there's different stages. There's ah it's cold but it's not really that cold. So, they can build outside no problem. Then, when it gets to about 25 degrees, they got to start heating the material. So having the bricks heated,
020the sand heated and all that so it just doesn't freeze. But when it gets as cold as it's gotten, they actually have to build an enclosure around the spot they're working on and put heaters in the bottom of that and negatively pressure pressurize it or positively pressurize positively pressurize it to get a little bloom at the top. What you'll see eventually um is I went up there. There's another shot of it with the sun. You can see the guys up there working on their platform. Um it's really neat because they were able to continuously build up there. So I went up there the other day and you know watched them build and you get up there and it's you know it's 10° outside down at the bottom. You get up there at top in their
021building. They got it about 50° so the building's going really smooth. They're able to continue their work. They're up there in their sweatshirts and their jeans doing their thing. Um it's really nice that they're able to keep the building moving by building these structures. And this is earlier than we'd like to have the structure built. I believe when I was talking to Kevin Null, he hasn't had to build a structure in the last 5 years because we haven't had this snap of cold for the duration that we're seeing right now. So, it's been a few years since he's had the experience of having a structure like this, but it's going really, really well. Um, the guys are able to continue dropping their 100 plus bricks a day per person. So, that's good. They got about
022eight guys laying bricks and a couple tenders up there bringing the bricks to them. Um, and this is kind of the key part of the building right now is keeping that brick laying going because once the masonry is done, then everyone else can get in the building and do their thing. There's a few little things going on in the building. They are running their conduits for electrical and different things, electrical and data because those are in the walls. Uh, but for the most part, getting the structure in place, all the masonry and the roof on is key. And that's why we go into a situation like where we're building in in an enclosure like this to keep it going because we don't want to slow that process down. And OAK is doing a great job
023of keeping the process moving, getting the guys what they need to continue building there. And I'm sad because I can't show you the fun picture of me up top because I climbed up there to be to see what they're doing. Okay, there it is. So, it's like a little little fortress up there. My my six-year-old would be proud. He'd be loving it. But those guys, you're up there. You don't even know you're 20 feet in the air. And they're just throwing bricks around, getting them laid, and doing a really good job of just keeping the building moving. So, um, that's kind of where I have right now in terms of the actual construction side of it in terms of the design. This is, uh, some more exterior pictures of the building. As you'll see, this
024is where I was going to talk about sanitarian water sewer, but I put that in earlier, but that's in place already, and you, it's buried. You can't even see it now. Um, but in terms of planning, we are working with um, Tower Pinkster and Fielding International. We've been working with Amberly Elementary staff and their team to start designing that building. We kind of showed you guys some stuff the last one and we also just started kicking off the work with Angling Road Elementary and got working with our DAT team and we had some really good conversations last week around the heart and where they want to like where is it in the building in the private area or is it in the public area. So those conversations have gone really well uh so far and
025we're looking forward to those projects developing giving you guys some more [clears throat] details as we go. Just another picture of the outside of the building popped up. Um, that one went really quick. [laughter] Said warm it up for you guys. Um, you guys have any questions or comments for me before I hand it over to Anastasia from O? >> Thanks for the update. >> No problem. So, Anastasia is going to go over the financial the change orders for the last three projects that we have currently going on. >> Good evening, everyone. Um, it's been a while since I've been up here. So, um, just kind of a refresh and an explanation of what you guys have here. So this time you got two bond change orders and I just wanted to [clears throat] explain
026why you got two this time versus typically I come up here and give you one. So the bond change orders are also done for a financial purpose. So balancing accounting and the change orders that are completed with contractors they need to um balance those. So I had done one previously back in October so that we could verify those numbers. I wasn't able to be here to present that one, which is why you guys have the one from October and the December one. Um, so just I want to highlight a couple of them and if you guys have questions about any of them or um an item in particular, please just don't hesitate to stop me and let me know. I'm going to start back on um change order number nine uh for central. Some of
027the ones I wanted to highlight was we added the ERCEES uh system to the buildings. That's a new I wouldn't say it's new, but it's a state requirement now for the emergency responders. So for police and fire to be able to use their radios in the building. So they've experienced in the past where they have they had a change in their frequency. So you put these um systems in there with an antenna on the roof so that they can use those. Um, so there we had to kind of break that out as we were figuring out the process of what they needed, which was getting them their uh material ordered as well as the programming side and the actual work. So through the change orders, you see a couple of those. Um, moving forward, we
028are incorporating those into the new building. So there will not be the change orders for that process. >> So this is a new requirement. Um, >> you want me to speak to that a little? >> Yeah. >> So, I ran into it about a year ago where they started requiring new builds to have this. It's actually been in the code for a while, but they're now just catching it and enforcing it with buildings. Um, it when we built the building environment center, we had the same thing. We're at the stage of opening the building like, well, we got to have this and everyone, what is that? And so, we kind of rushed through it. You guys had a little bit more planning with it. uh it didn't make the original bid scope because of how
029long it takes to bid and build, but um it's a it's it's new for buildings nowadays and it it's it's a good thing because it allows if first responder has to go in a building full of smoke and everything, they can still communicate out to their crews on the yard and they can communicate to them. So, it's a very positive thing that you have this for the first responders. It just comes at a cost unfortunately. >> Yeah. >> Thank you, Russ. >> Yeah. Um, another one for central um that was just a little bit higher dollar cost was bulletin 25. We did add some card readers um which was electrified door hardware access control um programming to the doors to the educator workshops. So that was uh brought about by discussions with the teachers and
030staff of just kind of keeping that space a little bit more private from the students and again adding that card access reader. Um then there was also some additional landscaping changes, grading and fencing uh revisions that were were completed there. Um moving on to Haver Hill, still on change order 9. Um, we had quite a few interior changes like adding some ruler shades in the heart to kind of uh be able to view the um not the TV, the display in in there a little bit better. There was um some additional tile just to protect the walls in certain areas that we kind of had some discussions about that students might um mess with the drywall a little bit. So, we added some more um tile in areas and then adding AED cabinets throughout the
031building and also some power and data relocations. Um we also had some smoke control door operators that we had to adjust and also add smoke control dampers. Um so the majority of that cost came from the state required items for the smoke control that were in there. Um, and then running that equipment from the from the rooftop units all the way down to all of the doors. So, there was quite a bit of length of cable and work involved with that as well as some interior changes to the living room uh bench seating in there. On to Woodland. Um, kind of one of the bigger items there was on Bulletin 2. We made some revisions to the stainless steels to be stainless steel in lie of painted just for maintenance purposes. Um those should be
032easy moving forward versus paint that you got to keep up on. Um there was also some additional door hardware adjustments based on the previous buildings and kind of what we learned from those as well as some mechanical updates that um involved the chilled water system. Any questions on change order 9? Okay. Um, quickly on 10, there isn't as many on this one here. I'll really just touch, I think, on the bigger one from Woodland was bulletin 4. We added some additional data drops to each of the teacher stu uh stations as well as in the learning commons. Um there was some motorized shades in the cafe and library that we were adding as well as some um civil updates per the state drawing feedback when uh the architect submits those to the state. Um and
033then there was also a request for um some IT racks and we kind of shifted how and where that that um was going to live in the building. So overall right now between all three buildings um I you know we're sitting really well. Central we have 1,521,853 left in contingency. Haver Hill we have 1,49691 um left and Woodland we're sitting at 2,78,393. So, um, moving forward, there will still be a couple little changes for Central and Haver Hill as we, uh, you know, wrapped up some change orders and processing paperwork for things, but really those two buildings you should start to see fall off here soon. >> Good. Good. >> Okay. Any other questions on 10 or in general? So, just a a a broad observation for Central and Haverh Hill, >> and I won't
034say those buildings are done, but you'd probably say they're 99.5% done, right? And still, we made it through both of those and roughly have half of the contingency left. >> Yes. >> Right. So, we're we're way we're way positive. So, >> yep. I just wanted to underscore that. That's that's that's really good news. >> It it is good. I you know, I think that all the teams have worked really hard. um, Portage, uh, Tower Pinkster, OAK to try and get creative with how we problem solve some of those those items that do come up during construction. So, we always appreciate, you know, your guys' willingness to work with us and get the project complete. Thank you guys. >> Thank you. Thanks for coming. >> Great. Um, and last but not least, um, we have one
035of our principles here in the audience, Mr. Jeremy Zance. Uh this past week he was honored as the regional principal of the year by MESA which is Michigan Elementary Middle School Principles Association. I believe it's region 4 which is basically Southwest Michigan. So this is a big deal for um any leader to be recognized by their peers and others. So I want to acknowledge Jeremy tonight and allow him just to say hello to the board so people can understand the uh the magnitude of this accomplishment. I brought the award in case anyone else wanted to see it. >> And I think we have a >> We do. >> We have a video before you get started. Just stay right there. >> Do the video first. >> Yes, let's do the video first. >> Mr. Z
036is the best principal. I love Mr. [music] Zanty. He played at the boy. Mr. Z teaches me how to be kind. >> Mr. Z let other people know that he [music] appreciates the rules that we teach. We collect a for being the [music] best principal and keeping us safe, respectful, and responsible. >> And thank you foring me to be better in life. >> We love >> [laughter] >> Thank you, uh, President Van Antworp, members of the board of education, and Superintendent uh, Edwards. I appreciate the opportunity to speak tonight, and, uh, I'm honored to be here. I have a little bit more than just a simple thank you. Uh, because there's a lot of people that I'd like to, uh, address. Uh, because, as you can imagine, these type of highlights don't happen very often.
037Uh, and when they do, um, they're they're really made to they really make you feel special inside. So, I've got a couple things I'd like to share. I have been selected as the region four principal of the year for MESPA, which as uh, Superintendent Edwards shared, uh, the Michigan Elementary Middle School principles association. There are 14 regions across the state, and I'm grateful to represent ours. While I am not the statewide principal of the year, I am honored to serve as region four honore. uh and I feel truly blessed to have this honor. I want to begin uh with what Mensah means to me. Mensah has supported me throughout my entire journey as a principal. It provides highquality professional learning, but just as importantly, it gives principles a place to connect in a role where
038we usually uh feel alone or isolated with just one of us in the building. Um, Menso brings principles together, encourages collaboration, and reminds us uh that we do not need to lead alone. I've had the priv privilege of presenting at MEPA many times. I have mentored new principles. I have spent weekends learning through programs like leadership matters. MEMSPA is not just an organization to me. Uh, it's a professional home and a source of strength for principles across this great state. I want to take a a moment to thank my wife Jill uh who is here tonight. Uh without her support and encouragement, I could not give 100% to Haver Hill and to Portage Public Schools. She has listened to more school stories than any spouse should ever have to hear. She continues to be the
039steady foundation that allows me to serve this community fully. In fact, she even proof read this before I read it before I brought it today. To the teachers and the staff at Haver Hill, this award is because of you. Your dedication, innovation, and commitment to students define the culture of our school. You show up each day ready to make a difference, and you do. I am honored because of the work you put in every single day. I also want to thank the elementary principles in Portage. The team has supported me, challenged me, walked alongside me through many years of growth and change. They are an exceptional group of leaders. Mr. Blasting Game at 12 Street Elementary, my ride or die. Mrs. Carson used to be my engagement specialist and now is the proud principal at
040Woodboom. Dr. McCulla who was at Lake Center. Mr. Crouch at Morris Bridge. Dr. Fur at Amberly, uh Sarah Waganar at Central, and uh Essence Williamson at Angling Road. Their partnership means uh more than they'll ever know. As I look back in my early early years in Portage, I would not be the leader I am today without several formal principles who shape me. My mentor and friend Mark RP guided me with honesty and insight. Effie McCarron, Mary Doe, Larry Phillips, Beth Hartman all gave encouragement when I needed it most. Their guidance shaped my leadership and I carried their lessons with me every day. Several years ago, when Portage experienced significant turnover in elementary leadership, many of us who were new to the role worked together to ensure that all eight principles could attend MEPA. At that
041time, leaders like Kelly Jensenius and Lori Kershman and Heather Yankovich were beginning their journeys alongside me. Lori has since passed and her influence, warmth, and commitment continue to be felt by everyone who has had the privilege of working with her. We knew that shared learning builds shared leadership and those early experiences brought us together, strengthened our relationships and helped us build a unified vision for our district. I also want to acknowledge the encouragement I have received since being named region four principal of the year. Servant leaders often praise more easily than we receive it. And that's saying much because I'm not a very humble person. But hearing from so many colleagues, families, mentors has meant more than I can say. Principles are used to hearing about missing jackets, recess concerns, cafeteria mysteries. It's rare to
042hear hear praise and I am grateful for it. I want to thank Superintendent Edwards for reaching out multiple times to congratulate me. He asked me about the award called the afternoon of the ceremony to wish me well. That support meant a great deal. I also want to thank Ann Gordon who has been a supportive colleague and a friend throughout my career. She also has reached out to me multiple times. Both her and Superintendent Edwards have encouraged my growth and and have helped me feel valued. This matters because it's not always been that way. In recent years, I was often encouraged to keep my opinions to myself, to share thoughts privately rather than with a group, and to stay quiet in collaborative spaces. I share this not to criticize but to acknowledge a culture that existed.
043When our district, and it still exists in some areas, when voices are not encouraged, growth becomes limited. When Superintendent Edwards met with me during his 90-day plan, I shared my concerns with him. I asked him what he expected of me. His response was simple. He told me to be myself. He told me to share my ideas openly and help move our district forward. That permission mattered. It allowed me to reclaim my voice and proudly represent Haver Hill and Portage public schools. I have worked for Portage Public Schools for over 25 years, more than half of my life. I interned at Lake Center Elementary School in 1999. This district is home. When I hear the question of why we're not performing as we once did, I believe part of the answer is that people do not
044always feel heard. We ask for feedback, but at times we're not ready to receive it. I see that changing now. Superintendent Edwards is asking hard questions. He is listening. He is examining our systems and culture honestly. This gives me great hope. hope for our staff, hope for our schools, and hope for our students. I also want to acknowledge the work we have done together on the new Haver Hill building, and I'm super excited how many millions of dollars we have left for me to spend. [laughter] This project represents years of collaboration and planning. It reflects our commitment to creating learning environments and support collaboration, creativity, and community. The building stands as a symbol of what we can accomplish when we work together with a shared vision. I want to close with gratitude and hope. Gratitude
045for my wife who has a special place in heaven because of me. My colleagues, the mentors who have shaped me, and the Haver Hill Elementary staff, students, and community who inspire me every day. [snorts] Gratitude for Memphis and this recognition as region four principal of the year and hope for the future of Portish public schools. I believe we are moving in a direction where people feel heard, respected, and supported. I am proud to serve this district. I am proud to leave Haba Hill Elementary and I look forward to continuing the work of supporting teachers, lifting up students, and strengthening our community. Thank you for this honor and thank you for allowing me to speak today. [applause] >> Thank you, Mr. for joining us. And that concludes our super work for tonight. Thank you for all
046those who played a role in the other areas as well. >> Oh, that's a good one. Yeah. So, uh uh we're Is it okay if the board get a picture with you? >> I would love >> uh with the award [laughter] shoes are so appropriate for Haver Hill. >> I'm getting [laughter] >> these are my Haver Hill shoes. You're >> so appropriate. >> See, is it one line or are we doubling up? >> Uh like it. >> Trying to get high enough so I see portage over your heads. >> Go. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Congrats. >> Congratulations, Jeremy. Proud of you, man. Thank you very much. Appreciate it. >> Makes the building. You're doing a great job. >> Congratulations. >> Thank you very much. >> Congratulations and meaningful comments. Okay,
047we'll move on to our next agenda item, board education presentation of monitoring report 1.1. >> All right, great. Uh, tonight uh is our first of three parts of monitoring report one. Uh tonight will be our elementary, I'm sorry, high school and middle school uh reporting by our assistant superintendent, uh Dr. Michael Basco. >> Good evening, Super Edwards and trustees. Mr. Edwards says, I'll be presenting on MR11 by looking at each PPS middle and high top 10 similar schools across the state in an effort to determine how we land and how we compare. Um all the information that you'll see this evening is pulled from my school data um with the criteria based on enrollment. We looked at percentage of economically disadvantaged uh some demographic data and then also looking at total per pupil expenditure. So
048similar approach to what we did last year. Uh total building uh per pupil expenditure for the sake of MR was also directly pulled right from my school data. So this approach eliminates uh all schools kind of getting clumped into one average and it provides us kind of more of a true comparison to alike schools uh within the states that have a similar makeup. And additionally, we'll look at uh our schools comparing within Kesa as we go through the slide deck this evening as well. So we're reporting on these three areas as we have in the past uh for local schools as well as um similar schools list percent proficient. So, we're simply looking at last year's 2025 spring cycle and comparing that to the county as well as our similar schools list. The second one
049is the percent proficient improvement. So, that's where we take last year's data and compare that to the previous three-year average and see how we're doing improving over time essentially. And then growth is determined by the percent of PPS students with a student growth percentile. So, an SGP of at least 30. Uh my school data defines average growth as SGPS from 30 to 69 and above average growth as SGPS uh from 70 to 99. Similar schools criteria based on the recommendations from our building teams as well as uh some of the folks from central office as we were getting ready for district data reviews as well as building data reviews in the past. uh our schools had noted that the comparator districts in the past were very different from them demographically. So these comparisons were not
050as helpful at the building level. Uh you can see the breakdown of the criteria and the weights at the top uh compared to our old uh way of doing things uh when we did the comparator district um a couple years ago. Um, I just want to note, I said this last year too, but we did run numbers from 30 to 50% weight for the range of economically disadvantaged. That seemed to be the most important factor. So, the top five closest schools in the similar schools list, they always showed up. There was no difference than uh than a three school difference. And then the changes that we saw at the bottom of the ranks didn't change more than one or one or point uh one or two points either or negative or positive. So, this seems
051to be the best middle ground based off of kind of where we landed in terms of how we want to look at the data. So, we'll start with the high school data. Uh, so you have a list of similar schools that determine where both PN and PC land based on the criteria in your packet. So if you go to page nine, figure two, the list shows what schools were the top 10 most similar to PCMPN and the percent for each of the categories at the top. And here we're on figure one where we see there's three categories at the top of the table. Above expectation that ranges from first to third for ranking. So we say that's above most at expectations fourth through six. So in the middle and then below expectations anyone that had
052a ranking seven through 10, we say below most. So here we start with the percent proficient. We see that PC ranks second above expectations and PA PN ranks seventh below expectations in reading and writing within their group of 10 similar schools within the state. PN was within 1% of the fifth ranked school. So very very close to being in the middle of the pack. Um as a reminder in 2024 the college board renamed evidence-based reading and writing to just reading and writing. So I'll uh when you see RW or reading and writing that's the new terminology. Uh in math PC ranks second above expectations and PN ranked sixth at expectations. PN was point4% from fifth in math. So some of these schools were were very close in terms of their rankings within their list. um
053looking within the local schools and kesa and we include it in Madawan based off of some of our conversations in one one retreats uh which is figure three page 10 in your packet we can see where our high schools fall based on the 2025 spring data for SAT so PC rank first in both reading and writing and math PN's fourth in both reading writing and math uh we purposely removed alternative high schools we don't get a lot of valid data from there just based off of low numbers Um, also the state doesn't report based off of low performing schools a lot of those scores. So, uh, we just stick to traditional high schools for um, this report. All right, moving on from percent proficient portion of MR11 and figure page uh, in figure four of
054page 11. U, uh, we now move to percent proficient improvement with similar schools. So again comparing over three years um prior specifically looking at percent proficient which serves as our trend data over time. Um all similar schools are listed in figure five on page 12 for your reference. Um years 2022 to 2024 that makes up the three-year average. It's a weighted average based off of the number of students who took the took that test each spring. So that's the same approach as we've taken in past reports. So comparing 2025 data to the previous three years looking at percent proficient you can see PC ranked third in reading and writing and second in math while PC ranked 10th in reading and writing and eighth in math compared to their similar schools list. Um then we could
055look at percent proficient improvement compared to our local schools in figure six on page 13 in your packet. PC is first in both reading and writing and math. PN was lower amongst local schools, 10th in reading and writing and sixth in math. Uh, but I do want to know PN went from minus or negative 11% in math in 2024 to negative 3.6% in 2025. So, they're showing improvement um in percent proficient and their ranking went from ninth to sixth this year. So, we do see uh some positive there. Uh, moving on to growth on figure seven, page 14. Again, my school data considers an SGP of 70 to 99 as above average growth. Um 30 to 69 as average and 1 to 29 below average growth. So for academic growth, the statistical norm for the
056percent of students with average growth or above average growth is 70%. So therefore, any PPS school with at least 70% of students in these ranges is considered to be at expectations. Any school that's lower than the 70% is considered to be below expectations. This delay is interesting. Um, when a student takes the PSAT 9 or 10, they're assigned a group based on their initial score or performance and then they're compared to others in that same same group the next time they take an assessment. So in that example, it would be the SAT. So within the band of students in a group, the higher a student performs, the higher their SGP. So in 2022, the SGP data is based on the prepand pandemic assessment results and we just put the prior year results there uh for
057context and for your reference. Is it just keep This delay is interesting. Okay. Um so PC and PN had at least 70% of students uh with average or above average growth in reading and writing and were at expectation. Uh PC was at expectations in math with 73% while PM was close but still below expectation with 68% of students with average or above average growth. So very close to um that threshold. Just jumping all over the place, but we'll move to middle school data. um our eighth grade students take the PSAT 8. So on figure 10 page 17 we see our middle school rankings amongst their similar schools as it relates to percent proficient. Um you'll see in your packet on figure 11 page 18 the specific schools that make up each group. Uh note that
058CMS and West Middle ended up in each other's group with 10 similar schools mainly due to their percentage of economically disadvantage in their enrollment similarities. CMS is below expectations of both reading and writing and math. North Middle is at expectations reading and writing and below expectations in math. I do want to note though a positive for North Middle. improved in reading and writing by about 10% from last year. And they leveled off that decline in math proficiency that we've been seeing over the last couple years, which gives us hope that they'll trend in a positive direction in moving into the upcoming years. So, that's a positive. West Middles below expectations in both reading and writing and math as it relates to their similar schools list within the state. Okay. Okay, now we'll look at our
059local schools and Teresa and Madawan. Uh in figure 12, page 19. Um West Middle and CM CMS ranked towards the top of the local schools in both reading and writing, so second and fourth, and math second and third. You can also see that North Middle Schools in the middle of our local schools in both subjects. Uh seven of the 14 or 15 schools listed. Um this tells us that we've put ourselves in some very competitive similar schools across the state. So West is a good example where they rank second in both subjects here in the county but towards the bottom of their similar schools within the state. Uh we move to percent proficient improvement with similar schools on figure 13 uh page 20 in the packet comparing over three prior years specifically looking at percent
060proficient and looking at that trend data. So comparing 2025 data to the previous three-year average looking at percent proficient, you can see CMS and West Middle were below expectations in reading and writing and math. North Middle was at expectations in reading and writing and below in math. Again, we saw that 10% increase in proficiency for reading and writing for North Middle and they leveled off in math. some positive for North Middle compared to local schools. On figure 15, page 22, PPS percent proficient improvement. Um, we're in the bottom half for reading and writing and math with North Middle School kind of being the outlier and landing in the middle for reading and writing. There was only one school, as you can see on the bottom within the area, that saw an increase in math as
061it relates to percent proficient improvement. uh PSAT8 SGPS are based on previous MSTEP performance. So again, this is determined by the state um in all for all students in Michigan. So if you look at figure 16 on page 23, we see all middle schools had at least 70% of students uh with average or above average growth in reading and writing and were at expectations. Um maybe that went too far. CMS and West were at expectations in math while North Middle School was below expectations at 61%. Um we had um we had 87% of their students at West uh growing but again not at that proficiency level that we would like to see. So just you know I know some of the questions is what kind of what does this mean or how would you summarize
062it? So, both of our high schools saw increases in all math areas for percent proficient and percent proficient improvement for similar and local schools. CC ranks either first or second in each category or subject, except for one where they showed an increase this year, but dropped third in their rank. Um, at middle school, North Middle showed improvement in almost every category and subject, including rank. The one area that was a decrease in proficiency, they were still able to increase in their rank. That tells us in that particular subject area a lot of schools may have uh decreased. Um although we saw decreases in proficiency for CMS and West Middle, we saw an increase in growth uh which indicates students are growing over time but again not necessarily proficient when we look at comparing ourselves to
063similar schools within the state. Um CMS and North Middle School improved to 79% and 81% of students respectively who are average or above average growth in reading and writing. and West Middle increased to 87% of the students with an average or above average growth in math. It also tells us we need to continue to focus on math proficiency overall. Uh which will highlight the work as we get into the January presentations when Dr. Jensenius and McKenzie and Tracy come to present on kind of our next steps. Um we also need to ensure we don't see a continued dip in reading and writing. That's historically been a strength for us. So we have to keep an eye on that. Um, so that's kind of all the MR11 secondary data that we wanted to share this evening.
064I apologize for the delay in the slides. I invite any questions or comments that you may have. >> Paul, go ahead. >> Yeah, I was just making eye contact and getting kind of my thoughts here. You want to go first? Go first. >> Um um pastor, could you um talk about the 70th to 99th percentile when it comes to growth? I think there's there's some people out there think that's just the state's opinion, but it's more than the state's opinion. Correct. Isn't it based on data? >> Um just in terms of of average growth and above average growth. >> Yeah. Yeah, >> 70 to 99. It's it's it's how it's calculated through my school data and MDE, but it's like we said, it's kind of that statistical norm for where that average growth or above
065average growth is. And so getting 70% of your kids to that benchmark is kind of the goal, which is really important for us, right? We want to see the impact over time. Like I said, we saw you see some really good growth in here um with our students even when we see like we missed maybe a year on proficiency that we're still seeing kids grow over time. So that's a really important one for us um especially. >> So proficiency tells us where our students are at right now. It's a snapshot and they're different cohorts, right, of kids when we look at straight proficiency versus we are following kids as they take one assessment to the next and see how much they've grown compared to uh a group of students that were alike them in terms
066of a similar score. Um so it's the way that we measure uh SGPS and growth. >> So the demographics are out of that >> demographics are out of that based on where the student is, >> right? and the progress they've made, >> how well did they do compared to their peers in that same group the next time they take that assessment. So for middle school, it was MSTEP to the PSAT 8. High school, it's that PSAT 910 to SAT. >> Thank you. >> Yes, no problem. >> Oh, what's on your mind? Um well, it it's um I think we've seen some of these results like this before. Um I I think when we compare ourselves, you know, for people in the Kamazoo area, >> um a lot of these results, you compare us to other
067schools in the area really good. Consider Portage and Environmental Schools of Choice. I think um you know what we've consciously done and I think it's taken root and I got to give credit to you and your people who came up with the methodology to figure out kind of building comparisons and what buildings other school buildings in the state are closest to our buildings to try to get an apples a good applesto apples comparison and when we do that um the results are more humbling and so that's kind of That's where I come back to as as a trustee. Um is when when we're doing apples to apples, I'm willing to have a degree of patience. Um but but so then after looking at this last year, we had our winter and spring retreats and we
068kind of got down into the weeds and tried to figure out how we could be helpful. Um how we could articulate our expectations better. um you know and and one articulation that I love and keep falling back on is that you know we will compare favorably to similar schools. Um and then we we beat that up and wrestled with it and you know argued over wording and um and kind of ended up at as better than three out of four similar schools. We don't need to be the top one out of a hundred, but um but we we want to get to so we're clearly better than the typical schools that kind of look like us. And so [snorts] you know, so I'm I'm just kind of giving my elevator speech here. Um and you
069know, so we want to set the bar high as trustees and have a degree of patience and provide a degree of support. Um, so that's just that's just a reflection I wanted to make. Um, but then about 20 minutes ago, Mr. Zance stood there and and said something that was really touched me and you and I forget how you phrased it, Jeremy, but you talked about culture. Um, and and I forget the wording that you use, but I I wrote down other wording that that I identify with, but but how improving and creating an environment where it's [snorts] safe to have respectful but frank two-way conversation. Um, and if if we can keep improving on that, that is part of a window to kind of kind of continuing the climb up. So anyway, Jerry, when
070you said that, I just I thought this is this is that's important. Um, and that's some of the the interpersonal magic with kind of the numeric magic. And as a trustee, we're not present we're not present every day. And largely we we kind of figure this out by looking at data. Um, so um anyway, I just I just wanted to acknowledge that. Um, and Michael, I wanted to thank you and your team for for coming up with a methodology to help us kind of see it and and just wanted to underscore that, you know, we're trying to set the bar higher um and kind of stretch stretch us and kind of and kind of keep us humble um stretching for a higher standard. >> All right, I'll hop off my soap box, but thanks guys.
071I wrote down about um you mentioned the uh hopefully short dip in reading and writing and to me reading is so important because if everything else is missed in a child's education if they can read and read well they can pick it up and so it's really that core of being able to be successful later in life is so important. Um, and I like what you said. I've served under really great administrators and some who are not. And the they set the culture and I know I said this to your to you, but you had mentioned that it's because of the staff that you work under you that you are where you're at. And I would push back on that and say it's because of you that they are comfortable to reach their full potential
072like that. And so thank you. Um but I my question then uh not necessarily looking for an answer right now but throwing it out there what are we doing then to make sure that that dip does not continue. Yeah, I think uh in the January presentations we'll get more to like that next steps. Um I think the curriculum uh as we go through these CRC the curriculum review cycles not only making sure that we are adopting the right curriculum but we're also implementing in the way in which it was intended. So there's two facets to curriculum. Sometimes you could have the right curriculum in play but it's not being implemented correctly. [snorts] Or maybe we're missing the mark on not having the right curriculum. Therefore, we don't get a chance to implement that. I think
073that's that's one. Uh we're looking at attendance rates as well. Uh some of our previous meetings looking at back to 1819 compared to where we were. Um we do need to focus in on that. That's something that even talking to Mr. Messenger at West is it doesn't matter what the school is in our district, we're having less kids come on a daily basis just because of that flexibility that we taught families through COVID. Not us, but just the pandemic itself. So, you know, there's still that mindset of like school can be flexible, but when they're not in seats, then we lose instructional time. So, that uh needs to be a focus as we move forward. Uh mental health is still uh something that we're concerned about and trying to provide as much support as possible
074uh for our families and and our students. Um so, it's not singular. It's culture, climate, it's relationships, it's datadriven, uh, strategic thinking. It's not one thing that's going to change this. We just need to be good at and be focused on many things that, uh, feed into improving academic results. Um, and that's what we'll talk about a little bit in the two presentations in in January. Okay. >> Like to offer just a quick followup that combines with that culture and so on. Um, I know that it's been great that we have as a district offered teachers coaching and offered teachers um, advice on how to better implement uh, curriculum. Are we listening also to the teachers and not just telling them this is what you should do, but hearing them say this is what we're
075running into and this is what we think would help since they're the boots on the ground. >> Yeah. And we [snorts] have some wonderful instructional coaches too um that have been doing a lot of collaboration with not just supporting new teachers but supporting departments and um that's something we didn't have you know years ago when I first got here. So that's a nice additional layer but we do have to make sure that you know we're hearing what's coming from the building so that we can align our supports to what what the needs are. >> Thank you. Do you ever see targeting different um tactics I guess is what I would say for different buildings like dependent on what demographics are or culture or percentages of kids that are struggling or you know there may be
076different things going on at each of those buildings that are impeding kids in learning or understanding. Has that ever been looked at or do we always approach it as a district-wide initiative? >> I think when we go around and we have started those continuous improvement workshops that you may have heard about uh Dr. Jensenius may have also articulated that in some presentations that really helps us get an idea of where our respective individual unique buildings are and their plans are based off of their needs. So when we hear that in those uh workshops uh we take a step back and say okay how can we support that unique building with their specific needs because not all of our buildings are the same. So yes, we have to take that into consideration because we're all different
077spots. Um there are some similarities that can be more of like district-wide goals, but there's some individual building goals that we need to support that may not look like some of the other schools at that respective level, for example. So yes, I think that's extremely important. Yeah. >> And it sounds like January you're going to come together, summarize everything, have your plan moving forward. Um would it be possible or within all that all the ideas you guys presented last year. I'd be curious to hear what what you put into place and how they worked or how they were effective or maybe not as effective or how did they change good or bad the results or undetermined to be maybe what the teachers think of some of those plans um just to kind of see where
078last year's ideas how they worked. I'd just be curious to see that with I'll kind of hold off on the other questions till we hear your summary in January. But thank you for the results. I know that's a lot of data to >> Thank you, sir. >> Yeah. If if I could just one last reflection, big picture of the trustee. >> Um and I'm going to give a list of what I think are the most important presentations we get every year. And I I reserve the right to change this um but just barely. um this presentation um the one you will do in January about elementary and then from just the prior months um treatment of parents and family and treatment of staff and I'm I'm just reflecting as a trustee uh those those are
079the four most important uh data points that I get and if I thought about it further I'd probably have a few more but um but those are the top four and maybe this in January on this topic are probably 1 A and 1B. So, but with with those other two very close. So, um anyway, thank you. And um you know, yeah, with my colleagues perhaps at some of our future retreats, we'll be back talking about those areas and maybe a few more um trying to figure out how we can be more helpful in terms of how we articulate our policy and our expectations. >> All right. Thank you. >> Thank you. Okay, we'll move on to our comments and communications section. Is there anyone who wishes [clears throat] to address the board this evening? >>
080Just one. >> Let's start with Cat Frank. Welcome, Cat. >> Good evening, trustees. I'm pleased to once again share a few highlights from across the district. And I want to start with saying congratulations, Jeremy. That's awesome. Uh at Angling Road Elementary, the Scholastic Bookf Fair held during conference week was a tremendous success. It brought families together. Students were excited to discover new books. And thanks to strong community participation, the school raised funds to continue expanding its library and strengthening its culture of reading. Thanks to colleague Lori Arnold for her work. At Amberly, many staff members showed remarkable generosity by personally purchasing and donating furniture and household items to a new to Amberly family. Their kindness helped the family furnish their home and make a positive new start in our community. We also had four of
081our K12 PE and health teachers attend the statewide shape conference. Over two days, they learned new [snorts] games, skills, and strategies to help students grow physically and socially. They participated in hands-on activities and came back energized with new ideas and resources for their classrooms. The experience was so valuable that they wanted to thank the district for sending them to this PD and strongly recommend dedicating PD funds to send more PE and health educators in future years. At Northern High School, the National Honor Society has partnered with North Middle School to send 30 high school students to tutor middle schoolers during the school day. Each student volunteers at least once a week offering academic support and mentorship. And in November, Northern proudly inducted 47 new NHS members. Students recognized for their scholarship, leadership, and service. Thanks
082to Chris Frying for sponsoring the NHS Society, uh encouraging this great opportunity for all of our kids. And today during our central high staff meeting, we reviewed the results of our recent Cogna and IB accreditation processes uh which usually is really boring but uh we got a ton of great feedback which was really nice to hear. Um the reviews incorporated feedback from staff, students, administrators, and families. I'm pleased to share that both accreditating bodies highlighted the exceptional dedication of our students and staff. With nearly 70% of all PC students completing at least one IB course before graduation, it's clear that this program is highly valued by our students, their families, and our school community. Personally, I'm really proud to work at an IB world school. This is our last meeting of the year. So, I
083hope you all have a wonderful break and happy new year. Thanks. >> Thank you, Cat. You too. thanks for coming to our meetings and uh sharing this news with us. We appreciate it. Thank you. Any comments from board trustees this evening? All right, everybody seems anxious to get to the consent agenda on page 41. So, here we go. Uh we've been asked to approve minutes tonight from the November 3rd, 2020 25 committee of the whole work session and close session and the November 17, 2025 regular business meeting. Uh [snorts] we also are asked to approve revisions to bylaw 0167.3 which is our rules for public participation. And number three, we've been asked to approve the purchase of four 77 passenger buses and one lift bus from Holland Bus for a total of 765,622, the funds
084for which will come from the 2025 bond fund, the third series from the 2021 vote. And finally to approve the purchase of a 2026 Econoline 450 with box and liftgate from Bob Maxi Ford of Detroit, Michigan for a total of $74,900. The funds for which will come from the lunch fund excess fund balance. So thanks to Susan on that one. Are there any exceptions to the consent agenda presented? Hearing none, the consent agenda is approved. And our next uh item is um approval of the summer tax resolution. On page 59 here. >> All right. And then this is what it came about. >> Yeah. Okay. Page 62, please. >> And you look Are you looking for a motion on page 61? >> Yes. >> Um I would be pleased to get it. >> That's good.
085>> Uh Mr. President, I move that the board of education approve the annual summer tax resolution that authorizes Portage Department of Public Schools to continue with summer tax collections in 2026 as presented. >> Thank you. B. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Any any uh conversation, any questions? It's a routine item. All those in favor of approving the summer tax resolution, please say I. >> I opposed. >> Uh the motion passes. The summer tax resolution is approved. Our next action item is uh administrative handbook changes on page 64. Is there a motion, please? Mr. >> President, I move that the board of education approve that the administration handbook changes as presented. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Bo. And Brad, >> good evening, trustee. Superintendent Edwards. So pleased
086to be up here. I think as I warned you last year when I brought the administrator handbook, this was going to become an annual item uh because we are now integrating the each updated administrator salary schedule into the handbook to comply with office of retirement services regulations. So uh that is the biggest change in here. There are a couple of other items as I noted in my memo as well. Uh we do have a change to our health insurance that I did reflect in here. So, we are changing from ABC plan one through Mesa to ABC plan 2.5 to Mesa. Um, next year there'll probably be a 33565. I don't know there. And that's also to help mitigate cost. Uh, we had a 13.3% increase to our health insurance from rates from Mesa this year.
087Um, so not only the administrative group changing, I believe every single group has made health insurance changes as we lead into the new year as well. So that is reflected in here as well. Um added some additional language with our retirement the administrator retirement incentive um that will allow folks who are 52 week employees to give six months notice instead of having to go in June may be able to go earlier but keeping that same time frame in place. So and then the final one is um we're trying to track do a better job tracking our own PD as administrators. So, just have a requirement in there that we put in the PD into the Skyward system so that we can be tracking it there. A lot of folks are already doing that. Um, to
088credit to one of our principles who went last week to try to do the do that and we hadn't added that time off type to his uh his ability to bank to the bank. So, we fixed that for him and made sure that everyone was set from there. So, those are the changes as as forth. Then again, you're likely to see these again next year with an updated pay scale again. And hopefully that's the only thing next year. >> Any questions for that? >> Okay, then all those in favor of approving the administrative handbook changes, please say I. >> I opposed. And the motion passes and the handbook changes are approved. Um, >> thank you, Brad. Our next action item is to approve the trip to Spain and Italy. There's a motion, please, on page
089three. >> A motion to bring it to action. >> Mr. President, I move um that we move the 2027 Northern High School student trip item to action. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you. All those in favor of moving the Spain and Italy trip to action, please say I. >> I opposed. Motion passes. Is there a motion, please, to approve the trip? >> Sure. I move that we approve the 2027 Northern High School student trip to Spain and Italy as presented. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you. All those in favor, please say I. >> I. Opposed. The motion passes and the trip is approved. >> Our We're moving to discussion items now. And the first is our Niola policy updates. Uh thank you uh President members
090of the Portage Public School Board of Education. Uh let me just before get into the details, uh we are um a Neiola client and what Nola does for districts that are clients is they review um all policies um in their in their guidance in their handbook. and periodically they'll offer some recommendations or changes that are coming down uh from either a state or sometimes a federal level to make sure that districts remain in compliance. Uh once we receive those um uh suggestions for uh modifications to their policies, uh we oftent times give them to uh the members on the exec team who work more specifically with it. As an example, uh the policy updates around non-discrimination related issues that would fall under an HR matter. And so therefore Brad and his team will go through
091the revisions that are suggested by Niola and then uh accept those recommendations or not. Uh sometimes there are just some technical things related to grammarss and punctuations and and the like. Uh so over the course of the first uh almost half of the school year, we've had an opportunity to review a number of policies uh related to Niola. And as those policies have rolled out, what I've done for you as a board is to give you a brief summary of them. And I believe the total changes uh if I'm not mistaken Barb is quite lengthy in terms of pages, not the actual changes but the number of pages total that they impact. Uh I think it was north of 100 plus pages. Um at the same time though we take this matter uh very seriously.
092I want to make sure that uh all of our recommendations or suggestions to the board as relate to these new policies are things that are obviously practical and applicable to the work that we do. Uh there are none of these policies or areas that I would consider to be alarming to us. Uh many of this is uh compliance to again state andor federal laws. Uh and also we have a representative from Neiola uh who's always willing to come and meet with me or our team to break down the specifics of of any of these changes. So, as we've rolled through um the course of this first half of the year, this is our first pass at some NEOA recommendations or changes uh to our to our policies and um I'll be happy to answer any
093questions in general process as as we review any policies. >> I would just say I appreciate the summary. It was sized just about right for my brain. Uh, and I think I get it and I'm supportive and I'm not an attorney and I not would not have done well with 100 pages. So, yeah. >> Does anyone have any questions for Johnny right now? >> Okay. Thank you. Our next discussion item is more money purchase of smartboards. Evening trustees, Edwards. Tonight, I recommend that the board of education approved the purchase of 16 Smart RX interactive flat panels from Forte Incorporated in the amount of $87,452. These are intended for 12th Street and Lake Center elementary schools. And the funds for these interactive flat panels will come from the 2025 bond fund. So hard to believe, but
094Col Street and Lake Center Elementaryaries opened their doors in 2009, 2010, respectively, and I saw that 2009 uh date. I was still in the classroom as a teacher at that time, not here in this district. So the technology in those classrooms, in those buildings, has not changed uh since that opened. So they're long overdue uh for refreshment and replacement. Our focus on that has been rightly focused so much over the last few years on the new elementary schools actually called out the use of smartboards in the common areas and like our education specifications and those task groups that went through that and all the design. And what that now has done has opened up the possibility and the potential that we see [clears throat] in using Smartboards in our elementary classrooms. Uh mainly as a
095replacement for the TVs that you see on the walls. And so through that process, we've been able to realize that potential, get that in front of teachers, see the see the feedback, have great discussions around those. And so what we want to do at 12 Street and Lake Center is to use Smartboards in the classroom as the primary device and continue to have the teachers with a Chromebook. And so basically the Smartboard on a cart becomes a TV but much more flexible. And then we gain all of the other benefits that we get through the Smartboard technology. This plan would be to put eight at each of those elementary schools. So that's why that 16 number came up. And basically we were thinking one per grade level plus two. So that we would have one
096per grade level and then we would have two. One for a specials teacher and another bonus one if we had another grade level person that was really excited to get started on that. later this spring, then you would see the larger order to fill in the rest of the Smartboards for the rest of the classrooms. Right now, we don't want to overcrowd the classrooms in there. You know, it's going to be a a new object in the classroom that they need to get used to. We need to get some people trained and used to that. And then if we have eight, we can move those around. So if there's three teachers at one grade level, we have some time to move those to the other teachers and get them get them the training that they
097need. So if that makes sense, the big order would come later in the spring. That would be for the remaining of them. Later on, as you know, we already purchased some for Woodland. And so we're doing that same kind of thing. They don't open their doors till the fall of 2027. Our hope is that we would be ready for the fall this next fall at 12th Street and Lake Center uh for for outfitting those classrooms. As you know, just like before, we've run this all through the REMC bid process. And tonight, if you have questions, if you're comfortable with moving that forward for approval, we'd appreciate it. Get going on the on the project. But I'll take any questions you may have. I don't think we have any. >> Great idea. Let's support it. >>
098Just throwing a little plug out there, too. We have all day trainings going on tomorrow uh and Wednesday for the Woodland staff. We're bringing a core group of teachers over to learn them. So, if you have time and you want to stop in 9:00 am to 4 pm all day long uh at the admin building, you'll get to see those firsthand if you want to. They know people are going to be coming in and being nosy, so we warned them already, but if you wanted to check them out, you could see them in action. >> Thanks, Ryan. >> Thank you. >> Uh there's a motion on page 80 to bring the purchase of smartboards to action. >> Uh Mr. President, I move uh that the purchase of smartboards uh be brought to action. >> Thank
099you, Bozer. Second. >> Second. Thank you. Terry, all those in favor of approving um moving the purchase of smartboards to action, please say I. >> I. I. Opposed. The motion passes. Now, there's a motion to approve. >> Mr. President, I move that the board of education approve the purchase of 16 Smart RX interactive flat panels from Forte Incorporated in the amount of $87,452 for 12th Street Elementary and Lake Center Elementary Schools. The funds will come from the 2025 bond fund, the third series from the 21. >> Thank you, sir. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you. All those in favor of approving the purchase of smartboards, please say I. >> I opposed. The motion passes and the smartboards are on the way. Thank you, Ryan. >> Okay. Um, we're going to move into
100a close session for periodic personnel evaluation. There's a motion, please. Um, on page 85. >> I move that board of education move into close session to discuss periodic personnel evaluation superintendent as allowed under the open meetings act 15.268 section 8A. >> Thank you. Is there a second? Second. >> Very good. Barb, this a roll call vote, please. >> Mrs. Novaria, >> yes. >> Mr. Vaner, >> yes. >> Mr. Snder, >> yes. >> Miss Larson, >> yes. >> Dr. Stevenson, >> yes. >> Very good. The motion passes. Uh, we'll be moving into close session and we will not be taking any action afterward. So, thank you very much. >> Did you guys >> It's okay. You were talking in