Oxford Schools Board of Education: 7/29/25

001Thank you so much. >> Good evening everybody and welcome to the July 29th board meeting. If you could all rise for the pledgece 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. [Music] >> Thank you. James, could you take attendance? >> Yep. >> President Mcdana >> here. >> Vice President Aldred, >> yes. >> Secretary Summers here, Treasury Whitney >> here. >> And Trusty Gibson >> here. >> Trusty Aches absent. and trustee Campourney >> here. >> Thank you. Any changes to the board agenda? I have none. >> All right, jump right into our first presentation. Miss Pam Beiel. >> Good evening. Tonight, I'm here to present an overview of our intent to establish a center-based autism program

002in Oxford Community Schools. This represents both an urgent response to a critical countywide need affecting our students and a strategic opportunity for our district to demonstrate leadership in special education. So, the purpose of tonight's presentation is to provide you with a high-level overview of our plan. We'll cover five key areas. The urgent need created by the Pineree C Center's closure, our two-phase solution, the financial structure, our implementation timeline, and the overall benefits of the program. So, before we dive into the specific proposal, I wanted to briefly explain what center-based programming means. If you recall this visual from when I presented back in May, this diagram shows the continuum of special ed placements ranging from the least restrictive at the bottom to the most restrictive at the top. Centerbased programming falls into that separate school category

003where students receive all their instruction in a specialized program with other students who have similar needs and um disabilities. This is appropriate for students with severe autism who cannot be successful in general education settings even with accommodations and supports. These specialized schools operate throughout Oakland County and are run by Oakland schools and are available to ser serve all students within the county who require this level of intensive support. For context, Oxford currently has nine students in center-based programs all throughout Oakland County. This critical need came about um if you recall in December of 2024 the Lakeorian school district announced the closure of the Pineree Center. This closure created a significant gap in services because Pineree was the only autism program in North Oakland County and more importantly the only separate elementary autism program in all

004of Oakland County. This closure has left students with severe autism needs without appropriate educational placements. Two of those directly impacted students are Oxford residents and we are legally obligated under federal law to provide them with a free appropriate public education, what we call fate. Without Pineree Center, families across North Oakland County are now faced with lengthy bus rides to distant programs in South Oakland County or they're being forced into inappropriate placements that may not meet their children's complex needs. This map here illustrates the current landscape of center programs throughout Oakland County. You can see that orange line represents the dividing line between north and south Oakland County. Next year when Lake Orian Lake Oran's Pine Tree Center is no longer operational, you won't see it on this map and the entire northern portion of the

005county will be completely without autism programming. This affects not just Oxford families, but families throughout the entire region who depend on these specialized services. Looking at the map, you can see that Waterford will become the most northern district with any with any center programming, but critically important to note, it does not offer uh autism specific programs. So, we have developed a two-phase approach to address both the immediate situation and establish a sustainable long-term solution. Phase one would be our immediate response to happen this fall. Because Clear Lake had an available classroom, we're creating a temporary placement there to serve our two Oxford resident students. And we also pursu pursued a cooperative agreement with uh a resident district of another displaced student from Pineree. And that's where we provide programming and that resident district pays us

006tuition for that. The classroom is fully staffed. I'm happy to report that. And we are making necessary modifications to the classroom to protect the students dignity, privacy, and safety. These modifications include fencing and a special walkway to a badge card reader entry exit at the exterior classroom door. Um, this way the students won't have to walk through the building. They'll have their own private entrance to their classroom. Phase two, which is our long long-term solution, starting in the fall of 26, we will establish a purpose-built modular center program on our OEIC property. This facility will have the capacity to serve approximately 18 to 24 students across age levels. The facility will be a 10 classroom modular building with specialized features designed specifically for students with autism, including sensory rooms, secure outdoor spaces, and therapeutic environments.

007This aerial view shows the OIC campus. We do have ample space in existing infrastructure support this program effectively. We're currently working with a site engineer to evaluate two potential locations on this property um to determine the optimal placement that maximizes both functionality and safety while minimizing any impact on existing OEC operations. So, we're looking at this area here and potentially this area here. [Music] Looking at the financial aspects of the program, we will first be pursuing county funds through Oakland schools. Capital funding will come through PA18 funds, which means the facility construction will be fully funded through Oakland schools. There's a tenative 25-year commitment tied to this funding. While this commitment typically applies to brickandmortar construction, we are working with Oakland schools on modifications to accommodate our modular approach. Once established, operating revenue will come

008from resident districts who fund both facility and staffing needs through tuition payments. As enrollment grows, the tuition cost per student will decline. We also receive a 7% contingency fee built into the tuition structure for our program sustainability. And we can also include rent and indirect costs to our tuition calculations. For startup support, Oakland schools provides even more funding for allowable special education equipment, supplies, and materials. The key point to emphasize here is that once operational, the program pays for itself and generates additional revenue for our district while simultaneously meeting a critical countywide need. To access the capital funding, we must go through Oakland school's application process. Our application will include detailed facility specifications, complete financial productions, and educational justification for the program need. The approval process involves multiple review levels to ensure thoroughess and accountability.

009First, the PA18 reference group reviews our application and conducts a site visit. Then, the superintendent subcommittee reviews their recommendation, and finally, the Oakland Schools School Board makes the final funding decision. The timeline is structured to support successful implementation. We submit our initial application and receive preliminary approval within 90 days along with 15% of the planning funds to begin detailed preparation. We then submit our comprehensive final application and upon approval receive the remaining 85% of funding to complete the project. And here's how it'll roll out practically for phase one. This summer, we'll complete the necessary classroom modifications to Clear Lake. Um this fall, we'll begin serving those three students in our temporary program. Throughout the school year, we'll be actively planning the permanent facility, hiring and training staff, and consulting with Oakland schools regarding the county

010weight list and enrollment projections for 2627. For phase two, we'll submit our capital application to Oakland schools hopefully in the next two weeks. We anticipate receiving preliminary approval and 15% planning funds this fall. We'll submit our comprehensive final application this winter with construction and installation scheduled for spring and summer of 26. And our goal is to launch the full permanent program for the fall of 26, providing a seamless transition from our temporary solution to the permanent facility. I'd like to leave you with how this program offers significant benefits on multiple levels for our students and most importantly will meet our legal requirements for for providing FAPE while keeping Oxford students close to home instead of subjecting them to lengthy bus rides to distant programs. They'll receive specialized programming designed specifically for severe autism needs delivered

011in a safe, appropriate environment with comprehensive sensory supports. For our district, we would be helping to address a countywide challenge. Financially, we achieve cost recovery plus additional revenue through resident district tuition, meaning the program more than pays for itself while generating excess revenue. It demonstrates our unwavering commitment to serving all students recogniz regardless of the complexity of their needs. And then at the county level, we'd be filling a critical service gap in the northern region, reducing placement pressure on existing programs, and keeping families together by providing essential services close to home. This creates a more equitable distribution of specialized services across the county. >> Thank you. What questions might you have? >> I have one. Um, what age group do we go through? What's the highest age we do with this program? >> So, we're

012going to be working with Oakland schools to talk about um the county weight list. Um, so that's to to be determined, but we do serve our students through age 26. >> Okay. >> Um, the highest level of need in the county right now is elementary. >> Okay. >> So, that's something we would keep in mind that may be growing the our elementary students all the way up. >> Okay. Thank you. Now, with Pine Tree closing, >> I'm guessing with the timing, were we able to retain any of those staff or >> Yes, we were. >> Okay. >> Yes, we were able to obtain um the classroom teacher from Pineree Elementary along with Pra and some support staff. Any other questions? >> Yeah, actually. Yeah, >> thank you. >> Um, so going back to the revenue

013generation stuff, what what's our threshold or what does that look like and where does that money go? Does it go back into the program or does it go elsewhere in the district? So it we as the LEA have the discretion to do with what we want with those funds. This can be reserved in our general fund. Um we could potentially um create a safety net nest egg in case we could not fulfill the 25-year commitment so we had a pool of money that we could access if needed. >> Okay. Thanks. >> Hi. Sorry. Thank you for the presentation. Just a quick question. What is the plan for growth um of this program because I'm I'm assuming that the need is going to continue and possibly even grow. So, I just wonder what the plan was

014moving forward. >> Yes. So we um have talked to several different modular companies and we did go with um a larger unit or we are pursuing a larger unit being a 10 classroom. So we do have the opportunity to grow and expand to start off. Um we would have the classrooms be connected with an interior door so we have a space for instruction and then we have a space for a sensory outlet. Um but if the programs grow, we can always reduce sensory areas so that we can have more students and serve more students. Um one of the benefits of having the modular as well is that we can we have the ability to add classrooms if we need to add and subtract classrooms if we need to. >> Sorry, just a quick followup. Do

015I remember correctly that you can add up as well? You don't necessarily have to add on. Can you add up? >> Yeah, it depends on the unit though. >> Okay. All right. >> Have you spoken with staff members at Lake Orient to identify some of the barriers that they had? You know, there was a a reason that they closed early prior to their commitment being fulfilled. So, have you identified some of those barriers and have an action plan for what how we're going to overcome those? So what was presented from Lake Orin administration was that the building that the program was being run in um what had needed so much work that they were not able to sustain just from the operational standpoint of that building. Um, but other than that, I have not inquired

016about why the program why they chose to close that program other than what was presented at their board meeting. >> So then, do you know with Oakland schools and the agreement if the modular buildings become in a state of disrepair, will they pitch in to assist with that cost as well? >> We could submit another application for additional funding. Yes. >> Okay. Okay, >> very good. Well, thank you for the presentation. I know how passionate you are and I I really commend you for coming up with this idea. I think that it is excellent and um I know our our families and students will appreciate it. So, please keep us posted on the progress and how we are moving along in the timeline. >> We'll we'll do >> Thank you. [Applause] Item number four, we

017have scheduled public comment. We will start with Nancy. [Music] Nancy, you'll see three lights on the Yes. It'll blink yellow when you have 30 seconds left. And when the time is up, there'll be a pretty loud beep. So, just letting you know in advance. >> Perfect. I rehearsed so I should be under three minutes. >> Oh, look at you prepared. Thanks. >> Good evening. Thank you for the opportunity to speak tonight. I'm here as an Oxford resident to give a statement regarding the centerbased school that Oxford Community Schools is creating. So, you have a face as to see as to why this is so important. We're here discussing this topic because of Lake Orian School's decision to close Pine Tree Center with no placement options or consideration for our kids other than to throw them

018back into their resident districts. My son is an amazing nine-year-old who loves to laugh, listen to Polar Express, play in water, play drums, and loves tickle time. He's incredibly smart and loving. My son is also epileptic, non-verbal, severely autistic with a cognitive level of approximately a 12 to 18month-old. He's also the size of an adult. He elopes. He does not understand stranger danger or safety concerns. He does not respond when you call him. He requires 24/7 constant supervision to keep him and others around him safe. He doesn't understand due to his size when he hits or pushes that he can cause harm. Our kids need extra care and compassion. They also need significantly more services than and trained staffing than what public schools can provide. Our kids need an open environment with minimal distractions. They

019need a safe area for when their emotions get too big to handle that they can that they can't safely express themselves. They need teachers and staff who will love them and help them no matter what behaviors they have and who will celebrate the smallest milestones that us parents celebrate such as saying a new word or experiencing a new activity with a minimum behavior. Our kids crave structure and consistency. Our kids also need an abundance of additional services such as behavioral sport, speech, physical, occupational therapies, and much more. Our kids also deserve to be among peers and not locked away into isolation in public schools because they might be a danger to themselves or others. Pineree provided all of this for our kids. And this cannot be duplicated in a public school setting. My son thrived

020at Pine Tree, but what he accomplished wasn't perfect attendance or honor role or a great classroom behavior. The thought of losing the school was devastating to our family. So when Pam called to tell me right before the end of the school year that she had a plan, I cried the whole time we were on the phone. The weight of not knowing what would happen to my son weighed very heavily on me and my family. Knowing that we're here tonight, that Oxford is generously deciding to opening a centerbased school for elementary, middle, and high school students makes me so happy that our community is willing to step up for our kids by giving them a chance for an amazing future. Knowing my son will have a home here in Oxford Community Schools for the entire duration

021of his school years is such a relief to our family. I feel this is an amazing opportunity for Oxford Community Schools, and I'm greatly appreciative of your time tonight. Thank you, Nancy. [Music] >> Take your time and then Marissa, when you're ready. [Music] Um, >> okay. So, I'm I'm here to speak about the vote tonight on the sinking fund. Um, I know I've reached out to you guys on email about this already. So, um, we're looking at a 1.5 mil sinking fund to fund um, capital projects in the district. I looked up the previous syncing fund. It was a 5year.75 mil syncing fund that ended in 2022. So, we're looking at doubling the time frame and doubling the percentage of money. Um, this is going to be the only item on our ballot from what

022I can tell in Brandon and Oxford. So, the district will be um shouldering the entire cost of the election estimated over $100,000. Um, I want to make sure and I'm hoping to hear a lot of discussion tonight about how we arrived at this 1.5 mil figure because to me we should be asking for the least amount that we can while accomplishing the most that we can. Um, for my family, I ran the numbers. I mean, we're looking at um I won't say exactly how much, but you know, thousands of dollars over the 10-year period. And um so we're asking that of most of our residents here without a lot of information given to you guys from what I can tell in these meetings of what what the projects are. Um I saw a roof kind

023of added on at the end only at the highest level. You know I see playgrounds prioritized over roofs. Um I I just don't see a lot of information. I know you're up against a deadline and most districts have already submitted this. I know there were delays caused probably by those awful settlement offers that we saw set and Mullins who I think I saw step in. Um he I he shouldn't be in board meetings. I don't think I that's my opinion but um give give to our victims. Um so I know that set this process back probably but um it's uh I I don't think it's been um presented well. So tonight is the chance to present it well and show us um why the money is needed for what specific projects over the 10 years

024each year other than boilers. Um yeah, thanks. >> Thank you, Marissa. Up next, Danielle. [Music] >> Good evening. So, I speak tonight as an advocate and taxpayer demanding better. Oxford Community Schools is once again asking voters to support upwards of 1.5 mil sinking fund and an increase in the operating millillage which will impact all of our businesses and renters as well with no details of the actual needs. You've had months to prepare a transparent and detailed plan and yet we still don't have one. Instead, we've seen biased and misleading messaging promoting fear rather than facts. It isn't a spontaneous request. Both tax increases have been discussed for over a year now. During that time, you've hired not one but two additional communications resources taxpayer funded. Yet, we're still left with no real data to support

025the request tonight. Worse yet, here we are again at the final hour. The board being pressured into an approval that's due to be submitted before August 12th. Again, with no real plan. This pattern of lastm minutee decision-making is not due to urgency. It's due to consistent lack of planning, prioritization, and leadership. This concern has been raised multiple times over multiple years. The proposal being presented tonight is frankly insulting. A vague slide with some graphics outlining how we might spend upwards of $30 million over 10 years. It's absent any real data, facility assessments, timelines, or measurable goals. It's unprofessional, and it's a failure of basic stewardship. The community deserves more than a one-page slide. We deserve a serious plan with cost estimates, priorities for safety, and infrastructure by each building before placing this on the ballot.

026It's particularly offensive that we believe this level of summary is acceptable. The district's leadership continues to demonstrate a pattern, polish the optics, protect the narrative, and bury the details. We're being asked to dig deep into our pockets again. Watching monthly credit card bills sore, the admin team expand. Meanwhile, teachers are crowdsourcing basic classroom supplies. Parents like myself are happily fulfilling wish lists to cover what the district cannot provide. Parents continue to scramble for resources, for recovery efforts. The students and staff and community of Oxford deserve better. I want this district to thrive. I have family and friends that go to the district, that work in the district. I understand the importance, but not under this continuous model of complacency. We deserve better leadership. Thank you, Danielle. Next, Emma. >> Hello. >> Can I start? Okay.

027My name is Emma and I was recently hired by Oxford Community Schools as the local center-based elementary ASD teacher. I'm here today to thank Oxford Community Schools with their continued support in the planning and construction of a center-based ASD school. I also want to reiterate why it is so important. I understand it can be difficult to understand why a separate school is necessary for fulfilling the students free and appropriate public education. And I wanted to help understand why. For students to be placed in a center-based school, they must first go through all the least restrictive environments that Pam showed us, including a gened setting, a resource room, and a self-contained setting. After attempting all environments without success, a center-based setting is recommended. In my experience working in centerbased schools for now four years, safety and

028dignity are the main reasons a student is referred to a center-based school. In my classroom, we see behaviors such as hitting, kicking, spitting, disrobing, elopment, charging, swearing, self-injurous behavior daily with high frequency and intensity. This is also with the support of onetoone pair professionals, a full-time social worker, and other support staff. Many of my previous and current students who attended a center-based school have medical needs as well, some of which require EMS support. Currently, some of my class have seizure disorders that require emergency medications. Although the behaviors can be intense, I found center-based schools to be some of the happiest places on Earth. Centerbased schools allow for students to truly be themselves and grow into who they are. Centerbased schools allow for students to have dignity as they work through their personal needs. Centerbased schools

029give these students a space to make mistakes and grow safely without the possibility of injuring themselves or others. And the most magical part of a centerbased school is watching a student transition back to their home district. The main goal of a center-based school is to support the remediation of a student's needs and get them back to their community and their home like we're trying to do here with our Oxford residents. And the previous centerbased school I worked in, my team and I were able to support and transition six students back to their home district in three years. I truly hope this is something I can continue to do in Oxford Community Schools. I wholeheartedly love my job and I have greatly enjoyed working with Oxford since June of this year. I want to thank everyone

030again for your continued support with the planning and construction of a centerbased school for all of our students. Thank you. >> Thank you, Emma. Jim, >> hello. Good evening. Um, I'm here to talk tonight mainly to express gratitude um for the generosity of the donor that is installing turf on our football field. You know, I've addressed um previously the board about needs in the district and mentioned the football field and uh this huge huge impact for our students and it's not just the students that you would naturally think of like the football team or the soccer team. This extends to the band, which is 160 students this year who will benefit from that. It extends to cheerleaders who cheer, the dance team that dances. To have a safe, updated, appropriate field to to perform on,

031whether you're an athlete or a a musician or a dancer, is huge. And so, the the generosity of this donor and what they've done and the support that they've shown for our students is greatly appreciated. and I want to make sure that whoever that person is, they understand the impact that they're having um across the school district. I want to thank the board and administration for uh working so quickly to get this done so that it can happen uh this summer. And especially huge thanks to Tony Demar, our athletic director, for the work that he did. I know that Tony probably didn't get much summer, I would I would imagine, working behind the scenes. Um, so and and I just want to point out that while this generous donation addresses um a high an area

032of high need with the with the stadium, it still doesn't alleviate the need for other capital projects that need to occur in the school district that will be funded through the sinking fund and the millillage. And I encourage you to continue to support that. get that on the ballot so that our community can show the same level of support that the generous donor did to help our students and make sure that they have the best facilities and the best uh opportunity for um opportunity that they can possibly have. So, thank you. >> Thank you, Jim. Next is Tony. Good evening. I'd like to share tonight also in regard to uh the new stadium turf. On behalf of Oxford athletics, our student athletes, our coaches, uh I would certainly like to express my deep gratitude uh

033to the private donor family. Their generosity is simply immeasurable. uh covering 100% of the costs uh for uh an entire uh stadium turf field as well as uh goalposts. I would also like to thank the board for accepting uh this uh generosity and uh as well I'd like to show appreciation to Dr. Milligan uh for uh your time and uh direction that you have provided on this project. I'd like to take a moment to outline uh a perspective on the field's usage. Uh Mr. Gibbons alluded to some of these these items. With 39 sports that we offer through Oxford Community Schools, there are no more than 20 other school districts across the entire state of Michigan with greater student athlete participation. In less than two weeks, on the MHSA start date of August 11th, the

034official start date for fall sports, approximately 60% of the high school student population will begin official training for the upcoming season. 60%. Our stadium sports include sideline cheer, football, girls and boys soccer, girls and boys lacrosse, and girls and boys track and field. In addition to those sports and also on the new turf will be our 160 member Wildcat marching band, the dance teams, junior wildcat football, junior wildcat cheer, and various parks and wreck activities and sports. These are literally thousands of athletes and young people throughout throughout our schools and community. My message tonight is simple. A heartfelt thank you again to our donor family, to our school board, and to Dr. Milligan. It's an honor to be a Wildcat, and it's a great day to be a Wildcat. Thank you. >> Thank you, Tony.

035Next up, Adam. Hi, my name is Adam Bike and I'm the varsity soccer coach at Oxford High School. Um, I've had that honor now going on my sixth year. Uh, I brought my three senior captains with me and I'm sure the whole team would have come. Uh, we want to express gratitude uh from the bottoms of my heart uh for the gracious gift from the donor family. Uh, thank you to the board superintendent and Tony Dear, our athletic director, our leader. Um, we promise to honor that gift. It's hollowed ground to us. So, we're so appreciative and um we'll see you this fall. Thank you very much. >> Thank you, Adam. Next is Samantha. >> Samantha couldn't make it tonight. >> Thank you. Samantha is not here. How about Noah? >> Oops. Uh so I'm

036speaking on the uh the field as well. I just want to say thank you um to the donor as well. Uh thank you to the board and thank you to uh Mr. Dear, director of athletics for making this possible. Uh as an Oxford alumni, current uh employee and an Oxford resident. It's been a big part of the community and a place for students and community members to come together. And I just wanted to say thank you and I wish everybody a uh fantastic rest of summer. So just wanted to bring that to light. Thanks. Thank you, Noah. That concludes our scheduled public comment. Move into item five, our consent agenda. We have our minutes from last meeting, bills payable and HR updates. Would anybody like to make a motion? >> Go ahead. >> Yep. Move

037to approve the consent agenda as presented. >> Support Shane. Thank you. Any discussion? All those in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries. Item six, our superintendence report with Dr. Milligan. >> All right. Thank you, Aaron. Appreciate you. >> Yeah. Um, no, that's Amanda. All right. Good evening, everyone. And for us at the board table, it's welcome back. Um the summertime, hopefully everybody took the time to rest, rejuvenate, reflect, and refocus. So I was able to spend quite a bit of time with my family, which was quite a joy. And I did find that rejuvenating. Um also had lots of time to reflect not only individually, but also as a team. What are the things that went well last year? What are the things that we can improve? um primarily leaning into the strategic

038plan to increase student outcomes. So that is our ultimate goal is to improve outcomes for students um and refocus our efforts in that way. That is actually a sunset at Myrtle Beach when my family was there at the beginning of July. It's lovely. So, I just want to kind of um revisit our strategic plan and the process and where we landed with our strategic plan. It's been a month since we've talked about it. So, I want to make sure we touch base with that. So last summer and fall, so a year ago, the district leadership started looking at the existing strategic plan for alignments and where it was misaligned and it was pretty quickly evident that it was not uh resonating with our current reality. So after that we started kind of digging into what

039would resonate, what does make sense and we put proposals together for our a new vision, mission and core values and presented that to a community forum in January of this year which was a dynamic gathering of voices. um they shared lots of ideas and thoughts and we took all of those and crafted our new vision, mission and core values uh through February Mar and March. So we finished that up and then we presented it in April to our second community forum um as well as we got input on what goals and aligned actions would be important to our community. In May and June, we finalized the goals and aligned actions and the board was wonderful and and approved the strategic plan at the end of June. So since then, so about a month has gone

040by, we're finalizing our strategies to ensure that we meet each aligned action and that the metrics are clearly defined to determine this progress. So why is our strategic plan important? Well, for multiple reasons. It establishes a clear vision and mission, aligns all stakeholders, including staff, students, families, and community around a shared purpose and direction. It provides focus and prioritization. It helps district it helps our district concentrate resources, time and energy on the mo, excuse me, on the most impactful goals and initiatives. It improves decision making by offering a framework for making informed data-driven choices that align with district values and long-term objectives. It enhances accountability by setting measurable goals and outcomes, creating transparency and responsibility at all levels from board members to classroom educators. It promotes equity and inclusion, ensuring that all students, regardless of

041background, are considered in planning and resource allocation. and it encourages community engagement and trust by inviting families, local organizations, and residents to partner in shaping the district's future. It supports staff alignment and morale by giving educators and staff a sense of purpose and clarity on how their work contributes to district-wide success. It fosters continuous improvement by encouraging ongoing evaluation, reflection, and adaptation to meet changing student needs and community needs. And finally, and most importantly, it improves student outcomes by keeping the district centered on its core mission, improving academic achievement, well-being, and readiness for life beyond school. So at the heart of everything that we do is this simple but powerful vision. Empowering learners, building community, and inspiring futures. Now, this is more than a tagline. It's our commitment for to every student, every family, and

042every staff member in our district. Our mission is clear. We are dedicated to providing a supportive, safe, and opportunity educational experience. One that fosters a deep sense of belonging, builds self-empowerment, and prepares each learner to thrive in and contribute to a connected world. We live out this mission every day through our core values. These include empowerment, giving every learner and team member the tools and confidence to grow. Belonging, creating inclusive spaces where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued. Integrity, leading with honesty, and doing the right thing, even when it's hard, and innovation, encouraging creativity and out-of-the-box thinking for the future. We have four goals within our strategic plan. Goal one, safe, supportive, and connected schools where physical, emotional, and social safety come first. Goal two, knowledgeable, critical thinkers and communicators, ensuring our students don't just

043learn facts, but learn to think deeply, solve problems, and express ideas clearly. Goal three, empowered and engaged team because our staff are the backbone of student success and they deserve the support and opportunities to thrive. And finally, goal four, innovative, sustainable systems and structures, making sure we build smart, future ready solutions that serve students today and tomorrow. Finally, there's progress monitoring and reporting. This includes clear measures for each strategic goal, progress regularly reviewed, assessed, and reported, and updates shared with the board of education and the public. Our strategic plan serves as an anchor. This is a living guide document, not a static report. It will help maintain focus on the district's strategic plan and ensure alignment in decisions, discussions, and direction. I've provided a handout um it's uploaded in board book of some key questions

044that we can ask. We can ask in leadership meetings, we can ask in staff meetings, we can ask at board meetings. Um, I look forward to having these questions asked to my leadership team when they're presenting to help us stay focused on our strategic plan. So, some examples, for example, mission, vision, alignment. When we're making decisions, how will this how does this decision or initiative align with our district mission, mission, and vision? Under student centered focus, how would this impact student learning, well-being, and opportunity for equity and access? Who benefits from this decision and who might be left out for progress and accountability? What measurable progress have we made on our strategic goals? For resource alignment, are our budget, staffing, and time investments aligned with our strategic priorities? Community engagement. How are we keeping families,

045staff, and community informed and involved? Sustainability and capacity. Do we have the systems and people in place to sustain this work long term? And finally, strategic foresight. Are we planning for the future, not just reacting to the present? So, these are some examples of questions that can be used. There's plenty more uh questions that can be used to ask in meetings. We've already used these in our leadership team when trying to make decisions. We go back to our strategic plan and say, "How is this grounded in our strategic plan?" And it really helps streamline those decisions. So, several of our community members and staff spoke to the donation of the stadium field. Um, the family wishes to remain anonymous. However, they did provide a statement that they asked me to read. So, I'll read it

046here. So, I am very excited to share that Oxford Community Schools has received a generous donation from anonymous donors to support a renovation of our stadium or stadium field. We're incredibly grateful for this meaningful gift which reflects a deep commitment to our students, our staff, and our entire community. The donors shared that their gift is made in honor of those impacted by the events of November 30th, 2021, and with the hope that this space will be a lasting tribute to bring people together, build connection, and reflect the strength of Oxford. This project is an investment in the future of our students. It will expand opportunities for all students to participate, perform, and compete. Whether they're running track, playing in the band, cheering from the stands, or competing under the lights, students will experience a space

047that better meets their needs and reflects the pride we all share in being Wildcats. This project aligns perfectly with our district's new strategic plan, which includes a multi-year facilities improvement effort across all of our schools. And because this renovation is fully funded through the donation, we're able to redirect district resources to support improvements in other areas benefiting students throughout the district. We are deeply thankful for this extraordinarily gener this extraordinary generosity and for all that it makes possible for Oxford Community Schools. And that concludes my report. Thank you. Any questions? Excuse me for Tanya. >> Okay. Thank you, Dr. Milligan. >> Item number seven, board of education matters. First up, we have uh MASB awards. I believe Tanya, you have those. >> Yep. So, first and foremost, I want to thank each and every board

048member for all your efforts in um education. obviously is educational leaders. We want to model that education is important. Um so I appreciate all the courses, the workshops, sometimes you do them on Zoom, sometimes you go in person. So thank you for all your efforts. I am a firm believer that the more we become educated, the better we can do. Um so we have two awards to hand out tonight and these are board members who have engaged in continual learning um through MASB. So we first award goes to Miss Amand Amanda Mcdana um level two award of merit which is uh awarded upon completion of a certification level one and a minimum of 45 educational credits. So congratulations. And our second award goes to James Summers having completed the course requirements for the certificated board

049member award CBA program. So congratulations. >> All right. Thank you. I think uh Dr. Milligan was most excited about the award. >> I was Uh last time we had briefly touched on having a space in our meeting for open dialogue and discussion. We had touched a bit on the self assessment and uh we didn't have a leading question this evening but just giving space for any board member who would like to bring up any topic whether it's related to the self assessment. I have a couple that I would like to discuss, but I will open it up to the rest of the board members if there's something in particular. Sarah Beth, in regards to the uh turf being replaced, are we getting another blue one or are we getting a green one because the community

050voted down the blue one twice or can we go to a natural turf? It's being replaced. >> Okay. Thank you. I'll jump in in this point and just say maybe for the self assessment. I know looking at the results it's been a minute so I'm not going going to hold everyone to an answer tonight. So maybe for the next meeting we can look in that leadership category because I correct me if I'm wrong, but that's the one that stood out most to me with an array of options on that and we were a little all over the board. So maybe we could take a look specifically at that one first and at our next meeting be prepared to come with comments, maybe some goals that we could set for ourselves to improve these scores by

051the next time we take the self assessment. Does that sound fair, Mike? >> In regards to the self assessment, I think it could be prudent that we actually dive into it. Maybe we actually talk about it. All right. So, we went through the session. We had multiple days if you will. Maybe we actually talk about the points of interest. What are our thoughts? What's our feedback? I mean, this table is our forum to chat about it. So maybe we actually put it on the agenda and we actually talk about a few of the aspects that may or may not be kosher, maybe the good, the bad, the ugly, if you will, and we actually talk through it, right? If we can't get through it in a session where it's just us, maybe we actually talk

052through it where we can be at a table, we're all together, and we formally discuss it, talk through it, and then we come out with a resolution or a a follow on to that. Um, I think we've realized that there's maybe some differences, thoughts. We talk about it. It's all I'm kind of putting out there is maybe we talk about it. >> Yeah, I I think that's the the goal. And do you agree that we should start with that leadership category, focus on that for the next meeting? Do we just limit to to that? Right? I mean, I think we start we start with what maybe >> maybe as a group we discuss good, better, best, number one, number two, number three. Perhaps we don't all talk about it at the same time. Maybe we

053don't discuss all of the aspects in one meeting. Perhaps we even talk about one per meeting, right? and we digest, we discuss um one topic at a time where we can thoroughly understand each other. What is the feedback? What are our thoughts? And then we move on to the next one. I don't think we go through the whole thing in a meeting, right? That may not be efficient, right? But maybe we talk about one topic at a time as we see fit as a board and then we come out of it with the next steps coming, you know, on a positive level. That's I guess my perspective. And I think I think out of the board workshop, I think it was structured a little bit differently um than we thought. Um I we were on

054the edge of having some pretty I think uh beneficial discussions and uh but that's where that leadership category really kind of came out. So I mean I agree with you but also I I think I agree that in this setting taking it in chunks would be would be most efficient. So if we want to prepare for leadership discussion next time I'm okay with that too. >> Yes. >> Yeah. I'm I'm fine with I just I keep reminding myself too that this is the first time that this board has ever taken a self assessment that I'm aware of and and we all come with varants of experience and longevity on the board and stuff and and so I you know I think our workshop that we did started to Mike's point started to to give us

055some good conversation there but it was also you know it was a long long day and we had you you know, unfortunately I had personally had scheduling conflicts that we had to go to afterwards and stuff. So to continue it, I think is is good. Um, and definitely some some goals for us to attain and continue to move forward. I mean, it's a starting point. We can only get better. >> Yeah, I agree. this we had taken it prior with a different composition of the board and between the turnover and there wasn't ever really that momentum and I I really want to make sure that this doesn't fall through the cracks that we keep this at the forefront and and move on it. So if everyone's good with that, next meeting we'll plan to come

056prepared with maybe some goals, thoughts, ideas, what can come out of that specific category first and and move on. Okay. And there was one other thing I wanted to bring up. We had discussed last time was potentially a subcommittee. I believe James came up with the idea of the subcommittee and Shane was not here. Uh but essentially looking at alternatives to MASB and just wanted to bring that up again and again not let that slip through the cracks that we keep momentum on that if that's what the board would like to do and maybe ask for some volunteers. >> Yeah. So I'm I'm going to step into that one. Um I'm happy to to step into a group whatever we think is best to look at options. I mean, I know that uh our neighbors

057to the south and and Rochester just went to MSB from a a previous I just in general, I think back to the previous, you know, conversation in the assess assessment. I think we take it as it comes. Our opportunity here in the minimal amount of time that we meet is to actually have a conversation uh outside of special meetings or coordinated sessions where we actually talk through something, right? So whether it's insurance or MASB or self assessment, I'm all about taking it as it comes in the way that I handle my business, like small bits at a time. And I will volunteer absolutely to to be part of the group to look at what options we have as a board in general, whether it be MASB, insurance, uh, assessments, whatever the case may be. So

058I'm raising my hand. Yeah. Um, I second that. I absolutely would be more than willing to uh take part in that. Um, I I did have several uh items that I wanted to discuss. I'm not sure if now would be the appropriate time or if I should wait till, you know, later for closing remarks. I'm not sure how you guys >> No, this sounds great. If we >> if you want to have any discussion items, we're up to this part of the >> It's how we do it, not how you guys do it. Fair enough. Fair enough. So, I just have a uh first and foremost, I have an ask, I guess. Um I'd like to know if it's possible for us to ask uh our c our council Brad Dat uh to send a

059letter to setseg asking for more communication uh from Mullins who uh was hired by setseg to represent the school board. I feel like the updates, offers to families, etc., we're not necessarily receiving that communication on a regular basis, and I feel that that's essential for us to have. So, I was wondering if it's possible for us to uh since our repeated attempts to reach out have sometimes gone unanswered or um maybe they were underwhelming in their response, uh if we could possibly reach out to Brad. Wondered what everyone's thoughts were on that. I I got I'm with you. Uh having some information before it comes to the table would be fantastic. I'm going to leave it at that. Yeah, I I'm absolutely in agreement on that and I would be happy unless there are any

060board members who oppose. I would be happy to do that first thing in the morning. >> No, I think that's that's fine. I mean, it's we've we've asked it before. I I know you've asked for that before and do it, but uh re reasking re-energizing it and and doing it just so we have some more transparency in what's going on cuz it's not it's not right. not knowing and then hearing about stuff and then not having answers, not knowing, unaware, >> getting the impression we're all with you on that, Shane. >> Okay, great. Go ahead, Mike. No, I I I just want to make note that with Ann not being here, I think it's really really important that we ask this question again when all of us are here because I think it's important that

061all seven of us have a voice when it comes to do we want information coming to us without any insight or heads up. I think it's important that all seven of us are aware of this. So, we I just want to note that Ann isn't here, but we need to respect all seven of us on the information that may or may not be coming to us, known or unknown, and she's not here. So, we need to bring that up again, I think, when that's when Ann isn't is here to to answer that question. >> I don't disagree with that, but I also think that it could be an easy conversation, phone conversation that Amanda could have as the board president saying, "Hey, at our meeting last night, we had these topics and this discussion. I

062wanted to get, you know, fill you in on what was discussed and things because you've done that in the past with me if I missed something or in the past and then then she can get the feedback from Ann and then, you know, disseminate the information out to us if we if it needs be or at least she'll she'll have everyone's input of the time. I just I don't want to I don't want to delay that of what we're trying to do and I think it's easy for a quick phone conversation. >> Amen. Because I think the key word what you just said, James, is delay. Yeah, we don't want to delay and I'm I'm all in on that and if that's an option. >> Yeah, thank you for that. Thank you for your comment.

063>> Okay, great. Um if we're good, I was going to move on to the next topic. That's okay. All right. >> Um one of the issues that I've become concerned with is I and I've expressed this before is that FOYA seems to have kind of become a barrier uh in this community. I feel like the foyer requests that are coming in and that are being partially uh awarded and partially denied and then it gets wrapped up in this long back and forth and there's a lot of money being thrown around $5 and $800 or whatever I've seen. Um what I really think this all comes down to is transparency with this community. We're asking for a millage increase. We're asking for a sinking fund. We're asking these members of the community to reach into their

064pockets and pull out more money for this district. And I don't necessarily know that every response to an inquiry about, hey, what happened to the 2017 syncing fund money? What did we spend it on? I don't know that the appropriate response is necessarily foy. Um, I think that we can be better stewards of that information. We can be a little bit more forthcoming with that information. I think that a presentation to our community, which again, in a few months, we're about to ask for a whole lot of money from them. I don't think it's too much to ask for us to give them the information that they're looking for in a succinct presentation. um that doesn't again necessarily end with well send in a foyer request. Again, I don't know what everyone else's thoughts are

065on that >> I I tend to go ahead. >> I think I'm sorry, Amanda. No, no. >> I I think this could be a a pretty interesting conversation and I think it's important one for the seven of us to have information to be shared with our community that benefits the entirety of the community seems to be important to me. That's why I ran. It's why I'm here. We're all different. I'm not I'm not negating that. So, I agree with you. To what levels within the authority that we have to share information that we have or can get, why not? The only caveat I say to that is to the extent of what information is being requested and the amount of time it takes. Right. There there is Look, I'm all about what you're saying. I'm

066100% behind it. We have to understand and we have to figure out how much time it takes to gather that info, right? If it's pages and pages of data or is can it be something that's simply a populated chat GPT, right? Like something simple, can we can we populate it? I think I think we can do a better job of explaining how much time can it take to pull the data because then that would back into whatever cost we communicate the incurred amount to be. Right? If it's an hour, great. If it's three or four weeks, there there's a difference there. As long as we communicate what that is, communication wins every battle. communication data, right? And I'm with you 100%. Like within reason, can we? Should we? Yes. But I think we communicate what

067it takes. What is the what's the detail behind it? How long does it take? Where's it at? Who has it? Just so everyone understands it. It's not just a simple click. Oh, it's it's in this file here and I can just grab it, send it. That's the only piece that I I recognize from a from a business perspective is there is time and time is money. I don't know how you can't communicate that and have some level of understanding. Hey, this is how much time it's going to take and go from there. Right. Like maybe it's maybe it's a tiered approach. I I don't know the answer to that, but I'm with you. Absolutely. >> Right. And and I 100% understand that. I'm not a business person, but I get the business aspect of it.

068I also look from the perspective of we have a ask in November and that ask isn't small and if the juice is worth the squeeze right we we want the sinking fund we want the millillage to pass we need these funds moving forward is the cost of a foyer worth more than a potential as somebody had stated $30 million over the next 10 years that would be my question from a lay person who knows nothing about business. >> Sarah, >> I come from the perspective of isn't that what we hired these people to do? If I want information regarding the finances of the district, I shouldn't have to do an FOIA. I should simply be able to request it and it shouldn't be that difficult to pull it up. To me, that's what we are

069doing as a community. And to be transparent, yes, there are some things like Mike said that might take a little farther because I might want something like we said about the 2017 millillage. That's going to take a little bit. But at the same time, that's what we hire our people to do is where I'm coming from. I mean, I guess I'm with Mike on this a little bit. I've said it in the past, there has to be a threshold, right? because there is um I certainly am an advocate for transparency as well and I want to make sure that I want to make sure that we're um both from from a board standpoint. we're educating, we're we're able to get all the information we need to make decisions. Um, but also from a community standpoint

070as I mean, first off, we were elected uh by the community and now currently we're we're going in November for for a millage and a syncing fund. Um, but there I said before I don't know what the threshold is, but there has to be some some threshold. I mean the reality is we have gotten a lot of new people throughout right the I mean from the board on down all the way through um some of the requests do take a lot of time and we're talking about we hired for instance like John right we h I mean he's he has access to the financials if we're talking specific specifically about financials as what you mentioned. Um, but he wasn't always here, right? So, he's trying to get old files. He's trying to figure out what's

071how Sam organized some things as well. Um, Courtney is a a uh a common ground, I guess, there, but she didn't I mean, she didn't do what Sam did, you know, she did. And so, um, it isn't as easy, at least from my discussions, because I've pushed on this as well at times, isn't as easy as just grabbing a file, right, or or something. And then that doesn't include if redactions have to take place if if all all of that. Um, I would be interested. You mentioned chat GPT or AI would wonder how we could try to try to utilize that maybe um in some way. Obviously, it'd have to be secure. Um, but how how we would be able to utilize that to kind of make it uh make us more efficient, our systems

072more efficient. Um, I know we're implementing things at work that are are enabling me to be more efficient, probably out of a job, so that's okay. Um, but no, but in serious um and uh and so I I think there has to be a threshold because the reality is I mean we didn't hire anybody specifically for foyers, right? I mean, we we have people we hired them for jobs and if they're t if the foyer's in their purview, then they're on the hook for it for sure. Um, so I I mean, this is a I don't know what I don't know what that threshold is. That's my problem. Um, I don't know if it's hourly. think we have had that discussion um in the in the past and and wanted kind of something targeted like

073over this amount of hours or this amount of cost, right? We were willing to be consistent. We need to be consistent as well, right? From a legal standpoint, especially um it's good discussion, I guess. I'm glad I'm glad it's on the table. definitely something um that I think is important. I um I I I I want to give the the voters, the community the information certainly uh but I'm not not coming with solution. I mean like that you know it's not coming to uh that it should be what what what the threshold is. I just don't have it. >> Anybody else? I I think it might be helpful because I do agree that it is a barrier for our community and especially when we're talking in this instance of the sinking fund and there have

074been financial questions raised that maybe we could use this as an opportunity to say there's an opportunity here. we're not providing enough information if they need to ask these financial questions and this would be a good opportunity to pull that out and lift it up. Um, now obviously there there are some foyer requests that we get that are incredibly time inensive and I also don't have the right answer but if we start to really try to encourage looking it through the lens of beneficial to the community and how can we turn this into an opportunity to promote and show more transparency. I think that would go a long way and and speaking to some of the guiding questions from the strategic plan. I I love this one. are we funding what we say matters most?

075And I feel like that is a central question to a lot of the foyers we've recently received. So again, no clear answer on this one, but I do appreciate you bringing it up and I do agree with the mentality of moving more towards openness in any way possible. If I can just take a second, I think that the if we go back up to seven, board education matters. I love this. I love the fact that we have a section where we can actually talk, right? Whatever the matter is, we need to talk about it. If it's whatever it is, this is our chance. It's not just a script and we just go through it and we just check the box. Amanda, I commend you for this. number seven having education matters where we can talk

076about some options, some ideas, some thoughts and Shane, I I commend you for bringing forth some ideas and some thoughts and and spawning some conversation. I I think this is exactly why we are at this table, not just checking the box and going through numbers. So, thank you both of you for this. All right. You have more >> more. >> Sorry. Yeah. >> Yeah. Don't be sorry at all, please. >> Um just uh a couple other things. Um it was through our walks through different schools and and also through some reporting from some parents. Elementary locks aren't adequate at this point. Um, these locks uh on the doors uh are not self-locking. Um, they're not necessarily safe. They definitely are not up to the guidepost recommendations uh that we were given. Um, >> what locks

077are you talking are you talking about the push? >> I'm talking about locks getting into a classroom um that I could not all the doors are self-locking where I couldn't just walk up to my child's classroom and just walk in. Um, so I feel that that's a safety consideration that we need to discuss and I think it's something to me that needs to be pushed to the front cuz safety is number one in my book. Uh, so I I just didn't know didn't know if there's any plans. Um, but I think this is non-negotiable uh in in my opinion when it comes to safety of our kids. Doesn't that go back to the building assessments that we're doing of looking through and assessing because we because we obviously we have John we hired a facilities

078person right to go through holistically and look at everything right I think that's part of it I think it's it's good to highlight it of hey you you remember that from the walkthrough and something that they can to look at but I think it also goes in a larger thing of what else is there and then we have a understanding of what needs to be done Um, so you're saying the locks on the classroom doors, so the doors can be shut, but they can't necessarily be locked. >> I'm saying I could walk into any classroom. >> That shouldn't that shouldn't happen. I shouldn't. >> It's not a safety practice that elementary doors are locked during the school day. >> And I that's a really good question because I've seen that in the safety reports that

079come out that it it's best practice across all safety organizations. And it's and I I I don't know if we would have the answer right now or who would have it, but I'd be very curious to know if that is part of the funding intended with the sinking fund is to replace those. I kind of on the spot here, so I I I won't hold you to an answer. >> John will probably speak to that. >> Okay. But >> that's a good question to know if if that's part of the sinking. That's what I would like to know about it. And what are the barriers to not following those recommendations? >> Thank you for that. Anyone else? >> Anybody else >> have a comment on that? >> Uh, sorry. I just have one more item

080and then I promise I'll stop talking for for a minute. >> You're fine. Um just wanted to discuss I know we had talked about this in the past and there was some back and forth as far as how we were going to um how we were going to proceed as as a board as far as accountability and things of that nature. Um the community has been very vocal lately. Uh and I've I've received many uh concerned people reaching out uh through email and texting uh phone calls about our agenda not being posted 5 days in advance of a meeting which is as I understand it in the contract for our SI. Right? that is in the contract for us to have our agenda posted five days prior to a meeting which would be on Thursday.

081Correct? Now, I do know things change. I understand information comes in last minute. I get it 100%. things can shift, but I think we owe it again to our community, to the people um that really rely on this information to determine whether they're going to come speak, whether they're going to come and attend just to listen in. I feel like this is something that again, if it's in a contract, um it should be something that we hold everyone accountable to. So again, didn't know I know we had touched on this before, but we kind of got away from it. And I've just noticed that we kind of ran into the same situation again because I received a rather spicy email. So I know on Wednesday, the Wednesday before we sit down and we have an

082agenda review meeting, right? We go through and we talk about what's going to come up on the agenda, right? that typically gets published on, correct me if I'm wrong, Thursday to board members and out to the public. Okay. I can't speak to what board books does and how it notifies stuff. That's a technology there and we'll have to reach out to them again being that there are vendor that we use that many other places use. Um, so who knows if what's happening it's technology on that side, right? So in those five days counting Thursday, that gives us six days till Mon or Tuesday for the meeting. So we have that stuff there. And to your point, some things are fluid and stuff. So, I don't I don't want to cut it short that it's not

083there. There are some things that that we've asked for, but there are some things that take a little bit of time to put together after it's been approved or suggested on the agenda that has been published out there to finalize those reports. And then obviously, we know day-to-day operations things happen. People's time gets redirected to something else that's more of a priority on sometimes. And so I'm I'm trying to be a little bit more respectful to the people that put the stuff together and and have some grace to them of, you know, we'd like to and have it there, but also the agenda gets posted on f or Thursday and that hits those five days and stuff. I don't I don't think the the contract clearly like every little nuance of the agenda comes out,

084right? Uh well the agenda committee with would be essentially our president and the superintendent and then other people that join and stuff and do that. Sorry, >> Shane. I think what resonates with me is it's in the contract, right? And and James, I think when it comes to what we meet on on Wednesday, and if we come down to the fact that a software organization takes time to regurgitate what we decide goes into the agenda, do we look at backing out a day? Do we go to Tuesday? Right? And if we're at the like we're at the mercy of software. >> So that's just one avenue though, but we also post it at our board office. >> Sure. >> Out there and on the website. So there's there's other avenues too. So relying on one.

085We have three different spots. >> So don't you know if I'm wrong, I I feel like you're talking more about the agenda being posted and you're talking more about the items >> with the content of the agenda. Okay. Just wanted to >> more content. Okay. >> other than board books lack of notification, I don't think we've missed getting the agenda the agenda posted. >> But it's it's all the details in it. >> Yes. >> We've had this conversation before when we talked about, you know, a scheduled comment as far as obviously we have a deadline for them and so that kind of tension. Um so I I understand where you're coming from for sure. Um I understand where you're coming from, James, in some points. Uh I don't I mean I I don't want uh

086as as some someone who can procrastinate on things at times. Um uh I know um the absolute last deadline is gets met, right? I mean, if if it's not if it's a soft deadline, it doesn't always get met. If it's if it's something hard, um and I think certainly we we have it by Monday night or Tuesday morning, all all the things in there. So, I think if we do at least shift that maybe hard deadline, I don't know how often uh and it maybe doesn't have to be Thursday, right? Um I don't know how often that would affect things missing the agenda. Uh it's really hard to tell. It's it's hard to, you know, because if we have a soft deadline and people like, "Okay, I can just get those last things in on

087Mon by Monday." Um, that's a that's a different mindset, right? And so saying if we say by Friday close of business, if that's going to make it so things miss the agenda or miss the the actual like the details miss the agenda. I don't I don't know if that would be um and I I I don't my gut is I feel like maybe We flex a little bit as far as the scheduling. Is there a particular reason why we we've just always done Wednesdays and then we post it by Thursdays? >> Um, so maybe it's both, right? Tuesday, Friday or something like I don't know. I don't know what everyone's thoughts are. I haven't been on in those agenda. I mean true full transparency, right? I haven't been in the agenda planning committee or meetings.

088Um so I don't have the intricate knowledge of everything that goes into that. So I guess I defer to some of you as far as if that makes sense. >> Yeah, I would say with the agenda review that there are there are definitely tweaks that are made. So that could be a a good possibility is to move it from Wednesday to earlier. That might be helpful. Um I agree with you, Shane, that I think we should have as much time as possible. A lot of the decisions that we make are they're important decisions and we need some time with them and we need to be well prepared for how we intend to vote, the questions we intend to ask. And so I I do agree with that. And then to also James point, there are

089many times where things come up in between and we we need to pivot. Um, so I think that this definitely merits further discussion and what a good balance and what that looks like that would satisfy all parties here between staff, superintendent and board. Great. Anyone else? Okay. Any other items for discussion? >> No, I'm I'm good now. Thank you. >> Okay. >> All right. Well, let's move in to item C. Then we have our 2025 2026 board meeting schedule. We had looked at last meeting, made a couple edits. There were typos, but aside from that, the dates were were good at that point. So would anybody like to make a motion? >> Move to approve the 2025 2026 regular meeting schedule as presented. >> Support Shane. Thank you. Any discussion? All those in favor? >>

090I. Any opposed? >> Motion carries. Item D, board member conference approval. I was actually on vacation for this agenda review, so I'm a little behind on the history of this. James or Tanya or Mike, could you It was this an opinion from Trun that we do this or this was just >> It was just an opportunity. >> Okay. >> In the Monday memo, we have the listable >> of the different Okay. >> Uh we could go into the motion and discuss or or discuss ahead of time here. Uh I have a >> I'll make the motion and then we can support and discuss. >> Yep. Go ahead. >> Decide if we're going to vote. Yeah. >> So moved to approve the board members to attend and approve reimbursement of expenses that are consistent with the

091established categories of reimbursement expenses in pursuit to the board bylaw 2305 for MASB, OCSBA, and NSBA conferences for 2025 2026 school year. Support I would say why wouldn't we support that? However, I think conversations about what and where and how and all those things probably should be conver, you know, a conversation, right? Uh where, how long the biggest piece here is reimbursement if I need to go to Pontiac. >> So, so we got to support it first before we can start. >> Okay. You know what? I'll just go ahead and support this. >> Sorry. My bad. >> Thank you. and then we'll move into discussion. >> Okay, now it's your turn. >> Okay, now >> I support your support. Right. Uh I I'm sorry. So apologize for that. Strike that for the record. Um from

092a discussion perspective, I think it comes down to communication. We have a conversation about what we're going to go do. Like what is the um the conference approval? Let's plan it. Let's talk through it. um how long in advance can we can we plan it out to reduce the cost? Uh I think we talk about that like I think we do that in our general business, right? Like the longer you plan it, the better off you are typically and we understand it from from my understanding. >> So those organizations publish ahead of time at the beginning of the year what conferences they're putting on and what classes and such, right? So understanding that this this motion is just for these three categories, the MASB, the Oakland County School Board Association, National School Board Association conferences,

093right? So this wouldn't include things and keep me honest, things like going to uh a Lancing trip for meeting with the legislators or if um there's a big conference for schoolboard stuff. I think that we had one for Meno or uh in years previously Aaron and Mary went to Washington DC and stuff. So those would still have to come and still have to have the normal approval process for reimbursements. So it's not this isn't a blanket for everything and anything but for things that match this category. So when we go to the the monthly Oakland County Schoolboard ones uh down there um I don't even know if there's a cost for those but they throw on extra additional ones that you can go to and attend and stuff and then that happens to go into

094our continuing education credits and things that we get. Um so that's that's my understanding of what this covers. So it's not the the larger part of it. >> No, I mean and James, thank you for that and and thank you for correcting me because I'm I'm focusing on probably a macro versus micro, right? So these three areas absolutely why would we not want to approve us getting more training or understanding or education? >> Well, this specific is for to to approve the reimbursement of expenses. For example, when you travel to Traverse City for the conference, you have you could reimburse for your mileage as well as a meal if they don't provide it. Things like that. Uh which >> is that >> in the past has I'm sorry. >> Is that National School Board the

095Traverse City one or was that because it wasn't >> I thought it was MASB >> was it? Okay. Uh but in any case, my personal opinion on on this one is that we do not do a blanket approval for reimbursement of expenses. I think that we should be in the habit of bringing it every time. Not only to avoid confusion because to your point the Lancing event is not a conference and so it could be misunderstood that you would be reimbursed for that because of but it's not the same thing even though it's hosted by MASB. It is not covered by this motion. So, one the the confusion of it. Two, I think it would be best practice that we are in the habit of bringing our receipts so to speak every time and we

096go to a conference what go to wherever that you want to be reimbursed for. You know, when we did our superintendent search, that was a lengthy drive that we were reimbured the mileage for, right? I think it's best practice and promotes more transparency that we as board members bring our receipts every time. if we want to throw in a little hey this is what I learned that >> that extra step would be also appreciated but right >> I am not a fan of of >> I think it was sorry >> I think just one second I think the expense part isn't after the fact >> I think I would I would again raise my hand that if if these three organizations have us laid out as to what the the conferences are throughout the year

097and we know how many are allowed how many of us are going can go and a backup as to if someone all of a sudden you know Shane and you and I are excited to go but all of a sudden I I can't go so what's my backup then we communicate what the cost would be for two people if there's a third that's last minute okay they still have two people because you you're backing me I'm going to go out right so we should be able to plan accordingly I do this already on my conferences throughout the year act is that you and I are familiar with. I know who's going. I know what the exhibit cost is going to be. I know what the flights typically are going to be. So, I think we

098should go another step. I mean, if we know that these are laid out, pardon me for being obtuse here, but we should already be ahead of the schedule on this versus an after the fact submitting a receipt. Who's going? What's the cost? What's the average cost? What is the last two year, three year cost, etc. And then you're going to have whatever this year's cost is if it's a I don't know if we fly but again we should be able to plan accordingly and communicate accordingly. So >> well I would echo Amanda at I mean maybe it's separate from this and maybe that's that's okay but we should have and we talked about it I think it was just last meeting even though it feels like it was a long time ago. um a regular

099cadence of reporting what key takeaways or something. It really I mean I guess depending on it could be optional but I really I would really like to see key takeaways from the time and efforts we've put in and I and I and maybe that's separate from this but I know you mentioned I agree with you completely. Um I but I I would strongly encourage that more than like if you like to you know if if you're if you're going to any of these conferences if you're doing any any training if you're going to uh Lancing or Washington right I mean we have done that at times in the past but it's not a regular cadence on >> trip. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yes. trip report. >> Um because again just like that's kind of a regular

100I mean when when I go to a conference I'm expected to actually report back like I didn't just go there to hang out right and uh so I I think it might be separate to this but I we need to we need to set that as an expectation that's my feel. >> Yeah. Um, one of the things I wanted to mention is in my role, in my regular job, I could attend 30 different conferences a year. There's literally a conference every other week um that I could attend, but what's the return on investment? You know, if we're spending taxpayer dollars to go somewhere, what are we getting out of it? What are we able to bring back? To Tanya, to your point, you always say, how is it enhancing things for our students, right? The

101students are the center of what we do, the whole reason we're here. So, if we're going to a conference, we should already have in mind what are we going to get out of this or what should we pull out of this? If we can't come up with something, it's probably not a good investment in my opinion. And I think maybe a little more dialogue to your guys point to going might go a long way in deciding are we being good stewards of this this money uh prior to spending it. and then coming back with receipts. >> My opinion on on that, that's an excellent point. And I think if we decided not to move forward with this and go back to how our policy states, which is that you can gain approval prior to or

102in the meeting immediately following your trip. uh that might lend itself more to the structure that we're all kind of talking about right now, right, with the the trip report and the the coming back um because it it might be easier for that to fall on the wayside when we're not discussing it as far as reimbursements go. That's just my suggestion. I don't know what the other thoughts are. Sarah Beck, you had something? >> Um first of all, is it in the budget? Second of all, um if they have to ask permission to go on field trips for like the eighth grade DC trip or whatever, I think it should be the same for us that um to like we were saying being cost effective and also what's your report kind of thing. Um and

103and again, do we have this allotted in our budget? So that because I might be able to get it to attend one or two throughout the year depending on what's going on with my schedule, but um again, I don't want to go over our budget if there do we have a limit to what each of us are allowed to spend to go to the conferences. So, >> yeah. Well, I I think uh to your point, um modeling behavior, I think that would go a long way in this community. Um we ask our kids to be principled and we ask our kids to do the right thing even when it's tough. And so, I think that's absolutely the standard we should hold ourselves to. Uh and to your point, policy. Wow, what a concept. We follow

104policy. I think the last comment I have on this is that I would I would vote to approve this with the caveat of exactly what we've been talking about with the caveat of two minute two meetings before an event or more like maybe three we talk about based on coordinated effort to get there these three organizations these are who are planning to go let's talk through it and then we just go from there so I would vote to approve this on the general consensus of of course where you want to go be better and then with the caveat like a little one a here of let's have a conversation one or two meetings before the fact to coordinate the effort and we either agree or we don't agree right it's just communication it's not just

105a blanket statement like I'm I'm I'm against blanket statements right so if there's an MASB coming up and James and I are going to go let's talk about us going dude like does it make sense as a magnite maybe I think we can still do that under our current policy and we don't need this >> right >> and and so I made the motion so we could have this discussion but after hearing from everybody here and it feels and I'm making you know uh that that I'm going to withdraw my motion because it sounds like we're not ready to move forward and that there's some more um either changing of wording because we'd have to approve what's here and to your point Mike of of hey, maybe we we add like uh the way that

106we're going to do it, operating procedures on how we're going to bring it to the board and stuff like that. But if we fall back to our policy, we can do that anyways and still keep within the policy and not not add this on there and so there's not a layer of confusion and so there's better transparency. >> Just my closing thoughts on it. I mean, I with that caveat, I really don't see what this saves us. >> Yeah. >> Right. like if we're going to be discussing it anyway, we can have it in the agenda and it brings up a regular cadence of discussing it. We approve it and and then we have a trip report afterwards, right? I mean, but I don't know what this saves us and I think it adds some

107confusion to Amanda's point that not all everything would qualify to this. So, am I supposed to ask for approval or did it was it already approved? Right. And so I think >> I think it's just the normal cadence that we've had in the past, asking for approval um and then adding just some more dialogue with it. I think that would be great. And from a historical standpoint, when they went to DC, we gave a blanket appro approval to a certain dollar amount not to exceed without further and we knew that they would get reimbursed for that at the minimum of that amount and it was to cover uh you know being you know whatever level the plane or whatever you know some basic stuff right but like meals and everything like that they still had

108to come back and ask for it. So you know and that was following within our policy. So yeah, so again I go back to I withdraw my motion and we can move on to the next. >> Excellent. All right. Item E, receipt of FOYA appeals. This is to acknowledge that we are in receipt of a couple FOYA appeals. We will be going into close session this evening to discuss uh both of them and after that it will be at our discretion whether we make a decision this evening or at the next board meeting. All right. Item eight, finance. Mr. Fitzgerald, will you be talking about these motions first? go down the schedule. >> Okay. So, the next item, the first item up is the request to have the board authorize a change in check signer

109related to our bank. uh Connie Hogan who retired as the end of June was a formal signer. Now we want to place it with Courtney then place my name as a contact to the bank so I can communicate with them but not sign for anything. So that's that's the next item on your schedule. You have any questions on that? Good. You me just I'm just keep rolling if you as we go through them. >> Do we have to move >> do the motion first? Yeah. Okay. We'll get we'll put a motion. I can do >> Thanks, Mike. >> Move to approve the removal of Connie Hogan and the designation of Courtney Macowski as the authorized check signer for Oxford Community Schools effective July 29th, 2025. >> Support James. Thank you. Any discussion? >> Do we

110need more? No. >> All those in favor? >> I. Any opposed? >> I'll I'll keep going. Move to approve the removal of Connie Hogan and the designation of John Fitzgerald as the official district contact for Oxford Bank effective July 29th, 2025. >> Support, >> James. Thank you. Any discussion? All those in favor? I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries. >> All right. Item B, John, thank you. >> Um, additionally, uh, we have two bid awards before you tonight. First one's related to the purchase of uh two used buses. Um from an operating perspective, the district's um done this on a basis as a as a regular standing operating procedure. Really, we look for buses that are coming off first round leases. So, we'll pick them up at a reasonable price with reasonable miles on them. These

111two buses, they're both 2021 micro bird buses. One's a 29 passenger and one's a 34. Both have approximately 31,000 miles. I'm going to say one's about 30, one's about 32 and change miles on it. Um, they're asking the bid price on that is $44,826 per vehicle. A brand new vehicle as such would push you 100 pushes $100,000. And included in your paperwork are some quoted um comparable costs for comparable vehicles. The pricing on these two buses through Holland Bus Company are are very good. Um, in terms of what we're requesting is the board to authorize administration to purchase the buses from Holland Bus Company for a total of $89,652 >> questions. >> Hey John, is this adding to our fleet or are we replacing things that we're retiring and taking out of >> We're replacing

112two older buses. Those will be auctioned off I want to say in the next few months. Sound okay. Maybe a little further out. Mike's giving me that look like it'll be a little bit longer, but it's replacing two two buses that are very high miles. >> Okay. Then is there still a cost if are we adding cameras and stuff to these new buses as well? >> Yeah, we'll be pulling we'll be transferring from existing buses to these. >> Do we do that in-house? >> As much as we can all of it except for maybe. >> Okay. All right. Thanks. >> Can I ask are they electric? >> Yes, you may and no, they're not. >> Thank you, Jesus. Um, John, quick question. U, obviously you're not a, you know, mind readader or anything, but what

113can we expect to get out of the two buses you're going to auction off? >> Ballpark. >> I would guess two to two to 5,000 somewhere in the neighborhood. >> They typically end up south of the border. So, >> any other questions? >> I mean, is I'm surprised at the price. I mean, it seems quite low to me. Uh, I know it's 2021. I don't know the mileage, but I know you really can't get much any day and the these days for 44. And I was surprised on on a on a large bus. Um, >> well, these aren't these aren't the big buses. These are the smaller smaller passenger buses. >> Micro buses, smaller ones. I got you. Micro bus. >> The fulls size bus would run 150ish for new. >> Okay. Okay. >> These

114are the smaller ones and they'll run 80 90. >> Okay. Still, I mean, still I feel like Okay. But yeah. >> Oh, yeah. No, I think we good price. >> I did miss that though. >> We do think it's a good price. >> Okay. like 78,000 miles on the one and 90,000 on the other. >> It's in the packet. >> Yeah, sure. >> At what mileage do you typically take them out of rotation? >> 100. Well, Mike, you want to let me take a stab at if I'm way off, just straighten me out. Some of the buses that go on the dirt road specifically go on those roads. they go lower miles that last they don't last as long. So the ones that are less that are that are off more the dirt roads will

115last longer. You'll get anywhere from 100 120,000 miles depending upon metal conditions and structural support. >> So the one you said had 90,000 miles. >> So those the ones you're talking about, James, are comparable ones we put in to compare. The ones we're buying >> are 31,000 33,000 32,000. >> Oh, fair enough. Okay. Yeah. All right. Thank you. Thank you for your clarification. I I didn't realize that when I was looking at this. So I stand corrected and if we did not move on this this evening, would there be any repercussions for moving it to the next meeting or is this a a need to decide type of situation? >> Um the preference would be to go to move on it tonight. The vendors typically move buses to districts late June, early July. We've already

116kind of pushing them to late July because of the timing of our board meeting this year. So, the prevalence would be this time around versus August 12th. But, >> okay, >> I would defer to what your comfort level is. >> Okay. If anyone is comfortable to make the motion this evening. So, I'll I'll make it. So, move to approve the used bus uh bid award as presented by John. >> The motion we had also included the >> Yeah, I didn't because we didn't talk about the copier yet, so I left that off on my motion. >> Good call. >> Uhhuh. >> Want to wait. >> Do you Why don't you go through the copier stuff and then we'll we can do it all together. >> Okay. the uh the copier, it's it's a little more

117uh nuanced. It's if it's a typical um operating lease for copier, it wouldn't make it to the board. This is a capital lease, so it's a 16-month lease with a $1 buyout at the end with the strategy there is to use them under maintenance agreements for the 60-month period, then buy them for $1, use them for at least one, maybe two more years, and then sell them and do it all over again. So that's what this this one the reason that it's actually before the board is because it is the capital lease. So it's treated as if it's we're buying them outright like the buses we just talked about even though it's it's a lease but it's got a special price built in. We'll buy them in the end of the lease. And that is

118the goal. We'll be buying them and using them for ideally three years but one to two years beyond that and then we'll sell those off and start the process over. The pricing itself is coming off the Oakland County's cooperative contract. So, and we also in terms of because it is a capital lease is a little bit of the gray area there. That's why I'm pointing out the base pricing is off of cooperative contract. So, the contract meets the state requirements. And we also put um some information in that that addresses our own policy about multiple quotes because it's a bit of a gray area. I want to make sure we had our bases covered, not only for the information to the board and the public, but typically when audits, the auditors come through, they'll pull

119out a selection of different bid products that went through in any given year. And with our luck, my luck, our luck, they'll be pulling the capital lease. And if it's not, if I'm not covering all the bases, it's been doing a lot of explaining to them as well. So, >> appreciate thoroughess. There any questions on this particular one? >> Just a quick question. Um, where are these copiers going to be placed? >> Um, in terms of I would probably defer to Matt, but they're going to be spread out in different sites in terms of the need of the the district. So, there's 17 here. I want to say have, and this is a rough guess, Matt, I want to say we have 50ome districtwide. >> 37. So, it's little, it's just about half. So, The

120likely places for these would be the highest volume places. Mo I would guess several end up at the high school because the typical high volume. >> So at what point will we need to replace the other 17 or more? >> When when they get up to they're a lot like buses that get so many copiers to them copy so many copies to them, >> right? And they have >> we don't know that. We don't know that information as far as how how much use each of them has had yet. >> We do. What's um actually we're putting in a system to actually better improve our data on that as well. >> Okay. >> So that's coming actually in the process of coming online. >> So we do we have the basic data on that now

121and that's just going to improve as we go forward in terms of who's getting moved where. That'll actually help us rotate so we can get balance copiers. Typically if you don't have a good grasp on that, you'll get a copier that's got, you know, 50 copies on one that's got better than a million and it'll be, you know, two doors apart. >> Okay. But you said that information as far as each copier and the use for each one should be available online. >> Well, not online. We should have it in in house. We're doing some analysis and and I don't want to speak for Matt too much because I don't want to put out u some a data piece that he doesn't have completely put together, but we're in that process. And when we're actually

122looking at these, a lot of that data has been collected. the new software piece that's coming online will actually improve our our data management of who's using what copiers or what site per per machine volume management. >> So just just for a quick clarification the the $27,000 figure is a f it's five years. >> So it's roughly you know 40 40,000 a yearish. >> All right. And when can we expect the comprehensive update >> for the you said it this was >> all listed under the assessment, right? The building assessment. Is that what you just said? >> No. Okay. I'm sorry. >> Independent tech from a tech department point of view of managing the copier fleet. Mhm. >> That's in that's being um reviewed and and built out with a better set of data based

123on some new new software that's going in. >> Mhm. >> So these 17 copers have been kind of through that process and that's where they're identified as to replace these. So now we'll have fleet management piece moving forward that will help us better manage the life of each machine, who needs to get moved when, those kinds of things, >> right? I guess, sorry, not trying to beat a dead horse here, but I guess I'm just wondering like you said that data will all be available. When would it be available for somebody to look at? >> Matt, can you take a swing at it? >> Uh, so we do have rolling leases on some of our coffee machines. So we, to answer one of your first questions, we have on uh fivey year leases on a

124lot of our different machines and we picked up some over the course of the years. We found a need here. We pick up a coffee machine. We've been rolling through some of those. In this in this aspect, we're consolidating some of our leases. One of the great things about uh this uh situation is we're instead of paying for a whole bunch of copies on a copy machine, like say 100,000 copies on this copy machine, we're going to be paying based on usage. And then we're going to be instituting this system called paper cut. And that uh system called paper cut, what it does is it uh when anybody like sends a copy to the copy machine, they will release it with their badge. And when they release that with their badge, we don't end up

125with copies sitting on a copy machine uh because they accidentally printed it to the lost machine. All those things. Now, that that data isn't going to be put out there to the public, but it is going to be something that we will be able to internally see what copy machines are being utilized a whole lot. And we're just going to be paying a uh uh I think it's 0442 cents per color copy with this deal and 042 cents per black and white copy which significantly cuts down the cost on the uh copies that we've been paying for previously. Does that answer your questions? Hm. >> Do you have any idea when would it be next year? Would it be 5 years until the next purchase? And about how many units? Are we there yet or

126no? >> We're going to have leases expire next year, the year after, the year after just because of the way that uh some of our our leases have gone in the past. Um, we will have to determine whether or not does it make sense to put the same machine there. I mean, we do have and we are going to go be looking at moving some machines around it. We have uh a particular machine at the high school that has 100,000 copies on it and the location that it's at right now only uses 15,000 copies, but we're paying for 100,000. There's another location in the high school that has uses 85,000 copies um but only has but it only has an allotted usage of I think 20,000 copies. So we're paying an overage on those copies.

127So those machines are going to split flip so that we're not paying over we can't break the leases that we have with them but we can at least utilize our resources better. >> Okay. Had that been done in the past or is that a new initiative this year? That is a new initiative this year. >> Thank you. >> It's going to take a few years to coordinate. The ideal situation is to get your entire fleet flipping at the same time. >> So, we're about halfway there. It'll take a number of years to get the existing leases recoordinated. >> Same question. Will this throw a wrench in your plans if it is not voted on this evening? >> Uh, yes. our that that software that we have that paper cut software that will significantly we have

128to roll that out to teachers. Um they're going to have to get used to that system. Our our trial of that has expired. They extended it twice for us already as we uh utilized it over the summer with central office to make sure it worked to work out any bugs so that the teachers could come back and we could feel confident. Also, Jim Gibbons, we put one of the one of the devices in his hallway so that he could understand how that uh how that software works. So, when we roll it out and the union teachers uh would know how to use it, he had other people in his hallway that asked for access to that so that they could use it, they liked it because they controlled when their copies were released and you

129didn't run the risk of uh sensitive data sitting on that on those copies. I would like to roll that out as soon as possible. And that's why um uh I would like to roll that out as soon as possible. It will hold us up and we want to get some of these devices delivered and in the location so teachers can use them uh when we get back to school if possible. >> Thank you. Any further questions? So, uh, what's the timetable? If upon approval, when can they get up? >> Did you get it? >> That was a high five. >> Yeah. >> No. Like, so no, no, it's over here. Thanks, Matt. Um, >> yeah. Right. Um, so if upon approval, how long turnaround time are we looking at? What's the lead time that for

130it? >> We're getting pretty tight in the time frame. Um, they said they need about four weeks for Okay. >> already there. I'm hoping that they can get some stuff a little bit quicker to us and that we get them in the right places. Okay. If there aren't any further questions and anybody would be comfortable making the motion, go ahead. Mike >> ready. Move to approve the used bus and copier capital lease bids as bid awards as presented. >> Support Sarah Beth. Any discussion? All those in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? >> Motion carries. Thank you. Moving on to item C. are you also speaking to this one? Thank you, John. >> Yeah, I'll be the rest of the night. >> I was gonna bring a chair up. >> Um, as the earlier people

131had spoken to, we as you're aware, we have a donor who's generously helping out with the field with the field turf replacement piece. Um, from a district point of view and working with legal counsel, the document that's in your that's in your board packet, it's affectionately referred to as the lease slash donation agreement. That's the mechanism to which this will the transference of ownership installation and ownership is driven by. Um the request is the request is the board approve the lease agreement as substantially as it is in the form that is presented then authorize us to finalize information with the donor and then execute the document. Um typically a lease like this is a $1 lease a low dollar lease. It's uh it's to create the lease relationship so you can establish a leaseold improvement

132relationship and that's how this is going to occur in terms of the work at the field. So when this very short-term lease ends I would guess very early September the ownership reverts back to the district. By the look on your face you got you've got you've got a question cooking there Mike. I can hear it. >> No I'm just uh So what I mean what this is so the the the donor is the the customer for a time for for this to to pay for all the costs of that come with the field replacement. >> Yep. >> Um and that's why it looks well that's why it's there's not many details here, >> right? Um, and so that's what >> we're just trying to ride the line of keeping the animinity of the donor and

133then in an agreement that protects the district and actually protects the donor as well. Puts their organization position how they want to handle their end of it. Now all the actual facilitation and work is we've got personnel that's in coordination with them trust me on a daily basis and from an in from a way things are structured it's there's an incentive for them to the vendor to get things done right quick and then knowing our role is we're almost acting as the CM ourselves with in this regard but is in coordination with the with the donor So, uh, John, real quick, we have confirmation that the new turf is available. It's not like on back order. We're not going to be sitting here for 3 months. >> It's my understanding it's in production. >> Okay.

134All right. So, it'll be when is when are we scheduled to if we approve? When are we scheduled to start the tear down? And >> whenever you end the board meeting. Literally. >> We we will be done by the 28th. >> Okay. >> My question is does this affect the like the stands and the buildings or just the field alone? >> Purely the purely the purely the turf >> just being replaced. >> Uh didn't he say and the goalposts as well? >> Yeah, there's some goalpost work that's going to go on with contained within the turf. Okay. >> Any others? Would anyone like to make this motion? >> Shane, thank you. >> All right. Pick the longest one. Move to approve a lease donation agreement in substantially the form presented and to authorize the assistant

135superintendent of business and operations or his design to negotiate, modify, complete and execute the agreement on behalf of the board and the district's best interest and subject to legal review. >> Support. >> Yes, >> Mike. Thank you. Discussion. from the bottom of my heart and just on behalf of the board, I know I speak for all of us when I say thank you. Thank you so much to this anonymous donor. What an incredible gift. Um what a way to really give back to Oxford and honor the students impacted from November 30th and our community. And to include that, I think is is just incredible. So, thank you. I I wish I had better words than thank you. It is a monumental donation. >> If if I can. >> Yes. >> If if they're listening or

136anyone knows them, whoever they are, as someone who travels North America, our our stadium is known and it's fantastic to hear that our stadium will continue to be known, especially for all the right reasons. So, thank you. All right. All those in favor? >> I. Any opposed? >> Thank you. >> All right. Motion carries. Thank you. Thank you again. >> Item D. >> Uh the school loan revolving fund annual loan and repayment activity application resolution. This is second reading. Um it's a comes through the board annually and again we are expecting to pay down on the the school loan revolving fund this year and that's really all I got to say on that one. >> You said we were expected to pay down approximately how much? We're hoping about three and a half million give

137or take. >> Is that contingent on any of the sinking fund millage any pardon? >> Is that contingent on any funds right now that are up in the air? No, that's just >> with what we have. >> Yeah. One of the other updates is I'm going to do a quick update on the district debt structure and I I touch on a little bit more there. >> Okay. >> All right. Would anybody like to make that motion? >> James. Thank you. So move to approve the school loan revolving fund annual loan application as presented. >> Support Shane. Thank you. Any discussion? All those in favor? >> I. Any opposed? >> Motion carries. >> I to me. >> Um the next the next three items are updates. So starting and with the insurance quoting update and relevant

138conversation that's been going on a little bit earlier. So we are in the process of accumulating the data that's required to go out and quote so information the different property data the different uh historical loss run data have been working with set st and they've been helping in producing they understand what's going on in terms of they know we're going to we're looking for quote to to compare so in order to actually execute the corroing process there's a lot of data that goes with it so we've got most of that put together we're simultaneously been in contact with Mazeel, Middle Cities, and uh Michigan, Michigan schools insurance pool. So those are three school pools. And my preference, if I were to make the argument, I think the district's best served being in a pool that's

139of schools, managed by schools with board of directors driven by the communities, school community. But once we get all the final data put together, we'll be sending it to those parties and we'll probably be touching base with a couple of commercial entities. Not that commercial entities are bad, but it's just philosophically speaking, I'm I'm from the perspective of if we're in in the pool with others like us, it's predictable what kind of issues are going to go on in terms of the facility damages and things like that. It's just really a matter of what district is going to have a higher incident per year. Um, so that process is going. I just want to give you an update. Um, hopefully you hear more back on that soon. um from a district. You want me just

140go any questions? You want me to talk about the >> Let's see if there's any questions on that one. >> Okay. >> Shane, >> uh do we have a timetable as to when we will get these bids together and actually have something substantial? >> Um we should we have almost all the data underlying data information put together. So, that'll be going out. how long it takes them to get back to us with a quote. I I don't want to put an expectation out there that we can't meet. Hopefully, it won't take too long. Um, at the same time, we'll probably send some information to a couple of the bigger commercials. So, what are we in beginning of August? So, um, I really don't want to give you time frame, but if if I had to

141venture to guess, it would probably take a matter of months to get information turned around, get some multiple pieces of quote back, so there's something to compare, talk about. We'd probably talk I would assume we'd talk it at the finance subcommittee in terms of these pieces of it in that kind of a arena so to speak before we move to the board for decisions >> from the standpoint of your part and the information that you're gathering and submitting because once that's done you know it's it's just their discretion on how long it takes. So, what's the timeline do you imagine for when you're completed and it's just in the insurance hands? >> I'm hoping in the next couple weeks. >> Okay. >> It's really it's just a bunch of data accumulation that I mean they

142they all want to see, you know, it's any underwriting process. They want to see what what occurrences, what the history, all those kinds of things. >> So, >> thank you. Appreciate the update. Any other questions? >> All right. >> Okay. a little bit of district dev update. Um I've been meaning to do a bit of a presentation. So I' uh in lie of doing a presentation because we've got a couple already to go and that's you know the next set of slides. I can I can hear Dr. Milligan thinking right now. But just a quick update, the the bond principle that the district has and school loan revolving from an outstanding debt as of this past June, so July 1 of 2024, the beginning of the year that we just ended, was 123 a little

143over 123 million in outstanding bonded debt and school loan revolving fund debt. By the end of the year we're in now, so by the end of next May, it'll be down to 97 a little over 97 million. We're anticipating had mentioned earlier about three and a half million in pay down on the school loan revolving fund piece. We are anticipating an early payoff of we have a 2010 what's called a QCA bond. Um, of course it's an acronym because everything in school world has an acronym. It's a construction related bond that were issued. If you remember back in 2010 with all the shovel ready products and projects that the federal government was looking for people to fill in because of the the collapse in the tax base and all that stuff, these bonds were taken

144out by the district then. And it's a uh we've gotten we're in a position because the way the mechanism is set up to pay that bond off, it's a little different than a normal bond. We'll be able to pay it off earlier than anticipated. So we expect that to happen this year as well. So that's uh going to help bring down probably roughly 20 by 20 20 plus percent our outstanding bonded debt by the end of this year. Each year after that will probably be reducing 78 million 728 million on a regular basis. Um also things that are potential on the horizon here. We're looking at doing a refunding on one of the existing bonds. It's a 2016 bond. We're we're this close to authorizing the refunding of it. When it comes to refunding existing

145debt, when the net present value clicks up to where you can justify a certain net amount to the district's taxpayers, then you move forward. So, it's typically two and a half to 3% in cost savings. So, in this case, once the interest rates, relevant interest rates tick down and the tariff stuff's kind of been, you know, kind of disrupting this piece, too. We had hoped to do this earlier, but once it does tick down, we'll do a refunding and we should be saving the district's taxpayers anywhere from 300 to $500,000 in taxes to shorten the lifetime of that bond and the rate the cost of money on that bond. So, that's that's on the radar screen. And also on the radar screen in near future is a potential opportunity to reduce the overall debt levy

146within the district. that takes more a little more work on that to figure out what we can and can't do, but that's on the radar screen too. We're looking at that. So, any any questions in terms of I know that was just a quick snapshot. As exciting as the debt structure is, if you want a more, you know, in-depth kind of presentation, we can we can do that too, but or we can talk about that maybe in subcommittee in terms of a more detailed piece. >> Any questions on that? Yeah, Sarah, >> are we um >> Oh, got there. >> Are when can we expect the um audit to be published for the 20 June of 2025? >> Um audits will be out in September. It'll probably be p published late October. >> Okay. >>

147With the board's got to board's got to accept it by November one. >> By November. Okay. Actually, we have to file with the state by November one. The board senses accepting the documents as opposed to approving them. >> Okay. >> That can slide past November, but we'll get we'll be there before then. >> Okay. Thank you. Any other questions? >> All right. Keep going. >> And the clicker is working. That's always good. All right. So, next update is related to the the scing fund. That's the millage is on on the agenda tonight along with the operating millillage. There's been a lot of questions I understand about the millillage, what what the old the previous sinking fund was spent on, what we're looking at for projects going forward, those kinds of things. The the ideal world

148would be able to produce here's a whole list of projects that we know we're going to do with any approved syncing fund. We won't have that list until we're done with our assessment of the district. So, that's happening concurrently. So to the point of what the money will be spent on without be able to say you know XYZ at Daniel X Elementary is going to get done just as by way of reminder there's certain list of costs or list of allowable expenses that we can spend them on. So within that general realm just like the last syning fund it's audited every year this anything new would be audited every year for compliance as to staying with and what you what you can spend the money on. So, just by way of example, this past year

149we spent over a million dollars out of the general fund. That's money that could have been plowed into into the classroom that we had to take care of the physical facility piece with. So, a little bit on the on what we can to my earlier point, we'll be replacing boilers, chillers, hoods, ventilation systems, a lot of the big not really exciting but must-have systems. Um, our youngest building is the high school and it's 25 years old. So all the major systems there are at or soon to be at end of their life. So and all the buildings that are older all the other district buildings has work has been done on them. The prior syncing fund in coordination with the bond program there had been done and then over the in between years the general

150fund has been reacting to things as they bro break. So the value of a thinking fund is to pro proactively plan forward and get ahead of the curve so you can get some maintenance work done that minimizes any future damage piece. So again, HVAC, roofing systems, different technology, we'll be able to get buses. Um we'll be able to purchase forward plan and purchasing to you know some of Matt's point of view in terms of the district technology. We're a very heavy technology district. So, if you know you've got stable funding, you can legitimately do a multi-year forward planning cycle for technology. And that is the plan for all the capital projects. Any money that is approved through a syncing fund, whatever the military is approval, there will be a five-year rolling budget worked on every

151current year adding a year in the front end and it'll be published and people can see what is going on. And then the actual, you know, from the bill cycles, you'll see them through the bill bill payment process. So in order to try and just put a little um perspective on what you can expect or what we would expect in terms of the different dollar volumes generated. So the first picture is a boiler those whatever whatever millillage the district goes for and hopefully the community supports things like tech like the boilers the safe safety things heating a building in the winter those will be the first things priority things health and safety stuff first. Same with transportation. You've got to have safe transportation. You can't get the kids to the school, you don't have school.

152Technology, again, I mentioned we're a heavy technology district. So, anything that puts us in position to plan forward on a consistent um efficient basis is a win for the district. So, theoretically, you move down to the 1.25 millillage. You just get all the other stuff and then things like a a playground. The the point of that picture is that that's a higher cost project. A playground in elementary runs 300 $400,000 these days. So that is a higher cost project versus buying a bus for a h 100,000. And if you if we end up at a higher level things like roofs that are million-doll items can be planned forward for. So so from a pictorial point of view into the numerical I'm personally numbersoriented. So this is the typical situation. If you find your, you know,

153your taxable value from a from a grid point of view, I like I like the $100,000 taxable value and then for me, I'd apply it to whatever my taxable value is to get an idea of what what's the ask of me would be. That's the point of this slide in terms of the potential in the middle there to the cost to our residents and what the revenues would be generated. And the bottom line, the intention of the bottom line is to show each quarter quarter mill increase, which if from a $100,000 perspective, each $25 increment increase, $300,000 taxable value, each $75 increase generates an additional $400 plus,000 in terms of new capability to to get things done in the district. So, from a scing fund perspective, that that's on on deck. Just a little touch

154on it does require v voter approval for the levy. The law is you can't you can't ask more than three mills. Different conversations we've had gone all over the board as to what makes sense for what to ask for which I'm sure in a very near conversation that the board is going to be talking about some of that. Um maximum duration 10 years. The concept of 10 years is that I think it was mentioned earlier elections are expensive. You can go three years, five years, but you're paying the same freight for something that once you get it well planned into your district, you're going to want to keep going in terms of a management tool and operational tool. So, from this perspective, um, I do want to pass out, maybe I can get talk Justin

155into doing this. Please give one of these to each board member. What he's going to pass out are what I consider the re relevant. You know what? Give me one because I got to speak to it. Thanks. So, back in May of 2017, the presentation was given to the board that was seated then. What you're getting now are some key pages of that presentation. The presentation itself is 10 times more than these pages. The the point of it was They were speaking as to what the district needs were identified at that point. So, building systems. So, page two, building systems, site improvement and parking, sidewalks, roof replacement, technology work, security camera work, playground work, bus replacement. At that time, the district was asking support for about $30 million. So the dilemma back then was to

156to ask the district for a no tax bond increase and no a no levy change bond program. All they could generate is 25 million. So the solution was and I'm not sure who actually gave. I want to assume it was a superintendent at the time who gave this presentation to fill that gap the $5 million gap. The solution was ask for a bond and a syncing fund. So that syncing fund from 2017 authorization, its specific goal was to supplement the 2018 bond. So in terms of comparison to what we're asking for, we're asking for a syncing fund to to do the more traditional forward planning ongoing um maintenance and systems replacement work as opposed to asking for a supplement to a bond. So, in terms of the projects that were done with that money, that

157one page that's in your handout summarizes it pretty well. So, we have been trying to to dig through some most of this information is contained in an old operating system and buried in files. And we've been trying to figure out some of the things that were done. And we came across some pay apps, which is a form of payment that was tied to the scing fund. And we were kind of baffled because typically you'll see a pay app in a bond program. But after we came across this, it made sense because the pay the bond the syncing fund then was actually passed to coordinate with the bond to actually take care of all the 30 million in projects. So that was the starting point of that syncing fund. So from from a historical point of

158view, that's probably the best 20,000 foot view that we can give the board in terms of the history of that. And frankly, the items that's listed on that that one slide about the kinds of things to spend it on, we would be doing the same, but the difference is we'd be forward planning on a preemptive maintenance approach where this to this was clearly a coordinated effort to go with bond programming. So, and I do know there's a 2018 syncing or 2018 debt fund which tells me that this actually happened and it was a syncing fund bank account and accounting side of it. So, so these things did happen. So, so the long story there is to try to give the quick overview of what the other syncing fund was actually designed to do or the

159the intention of that. And it's near as we can tell they they pretty much delivered what they wanted to. Oh, can we switch over the other one now? Sorry. So, so that's that's more of what that piece there was about more of an update in terms of the history of where the scing fund piece came in. So to close the update out, so we did as a district, we did a uh I want to say it's a four fourward four question survey and we put it out to the public to get a again a 20,000 foot feedback point of view in terms of where we're at as a district. So the basic questions were do you currently have a student? The next question, this is pertaining to the general fund operating mileage in terms of

160that all that word wording boils down to would you support the renewal of the general operating millage 70 to 30 was a yes a positive yes. Same same type of question was asked about the sinking fund mill and if you answered yeah if you answered no then the survey ended there. If you answered yes, it moved into a question, a set of questions that had how much cost would you be willing to support so we could help because at this point when we did this, the administration and the board were thinking in terms of and working in terms of what makes sense as a levy. So this kind of painted the picture of where people would stand in terms of if it was if um you know if they had a choice of how much

161they wanted to pay annually. So this is the this is the the really the four question survey that went out. It'sformational from a perspective of how it's across the board. I was really surprised that there was a drop at the 125. I kind of thought it would land at the 125. So I don't know if this is going to help you guys in your subsequent discussion or or muddy the waters, but when I look at it, I see the the 100, the 125, the 150. I add up all the percentages, divide by by two, and I land in the middle with the one, the 125, which correlates to the 1.25 mil. But that's just my math head. So, that's that that's all I got on that. So, um, from an update point of view, that's

162all I've got with that. I'd be happy to hand any questions. I know I just threw a lot for an update, a lot of information at you. I figured with the next subject on the agenda, it's better to have it have you guys understand it than >> so help me understand with the 2017. I know you said you looked back in the programs and were kind of confused about where you found the numbers and data. So, do we have >> we one one of our one of our people found the that PowerPoint? >> But as far as the money spent, do we have an accounting of where that syncing fund where >> Yeah, though every year this existing existence of that syncing fund every year it's audited just like the bonds were every year audited.

163So from an annual point of view, the summary information is contained in every a every board audit that's there from that time frame. There's not a lot of data on it. It's really breaks down to uh here's how much revenue came in. Here's how much was spent on the big category. Most of the 90% of the category is capital. So what you would expect and then the auditors will go in and they'll do a statistical analysis and they'll pull out a statistical relevant number of um payment vouchers so to speak cross check them make sure that legal everything was done like I earlier mentioned about when we do some kind of an RFP like we get a bid award making sure that all the the the eyes are dotted and the te's are crossed because

164the auditors pull those two in the same manner. So they did the same thing with the syncing fund and the in the prior bond work and then they make an assessment that the district's in compliance with state law and all the stuff and all those compliance issues and that becomes part of their um when they give their okay on the on the actual issue issuance of this of the district's audit for that year. So there's not a place for the community to see I from my understanding this time around the intention is to have a dashboard. Oh, yeah. Going forward, there'd be literally we'll have online the um the budget planning, like I said, the five-year planning going forward for the sinking. They'll be able to see this is happening at this building, this is

165happening at this building. Those two buses were bought some technology. you'll see from a going forward piece and each year that we complete there's an audit done and there'll be the data system the financial system we have now is a um a better data capture system so when you want to go back and look it's much easier to drill down and see what the specifics were. So the other the other kind of challenge too in terms of producing a detailed project list without having the entire district assessment in front of us is I've experienced in past roles that if you put a list of things out and this was literally tied to a scing fund in a district not too far from this one. If you put a list of projects out, there will be

166people that will say that will of course make sure you live up to what you're saying. But, and this actually happened in the district not too far from here, when that project list went out, legislation shortly changed after that, making a whole slew of the intended projects not not legal. So, now for years there were people asking me, why didn't you do this? Because it wasn't legal. So, so personally from my own work experience, I'm jaded in terms of putting out something saying this is exactly what we're going to do until we have something like our assessment completed to produce that data that we know sorted by our priorities being health and safety and then working backwards from health and safety down to nice to haves. if we could ever get to that point on

167the seeking fund, that's all going to be captured in the projects that are selected to be done on that budget count, that budget schedule. So, it's it's literally what we've done in the past is a schedule that by year, here's the projects, you know, the building, the issue, timelines, the cost, and if somebody had a question about it, they could simply say, "Tell me about the XYZ at ABC building." And here you go. This is what was done there and this is what or this is what we're planning to do. >> So, >> I understand the being jaded part. However, we are asking our community for for a lot of of money and the the law could change at any time. We've seen this happen multiple times with our legislators here in Miss Michigan. So,

168>> do we have I I know the facility study is not done. So, do we have an idea of when it will be done and do we have any preliminary results as far as highest needs buildings? We know all the roofs leak. >> I just say roof roofs, parking lot base infrastructure and then the um HVAC related systems when it comes to the health and safety of keeping places places heated and cooled. They will be the first priority projects. I mean, I can tell you without fail, those will be the first ones going through. I can't tell you which specific building we'll launch first. But we're going to we'll we'll soon we'll very soon start planning for stuff because literally um in order to get anything done next summer, we have to start going to

169vendors late this fall. Even by late fall, there'll be a much clearer picture. We we'll have the assessment project itself done, data piece done. Ideally, again, I'm going to give a time frame and I and I can hear Tim yelling at me now. Ideally, by the end of September. So, we've got we've got the roofs engaged. We've got the maybe sooner, but we've got the roofs engaged. We've got uh vendor doing a a parking lot sidewalk hard hard surface analysis and we've been pulling existing um analysis that the the state send some people out last summer to look at all of our instructional buildings, the main operating pieces there. So, we're getting our hands on that because they've got a lot of data that we'll just immediately peel out. So I don't want to I

170don't want to promise a time frame and not deliver it but it's it's in process. >> I apologize. Any other questions? just um not really a question but so the as far as the sinking fund is concerned um so in this out of out of 633 um uh votes I guess uh so 50 57% said yes and 70 I'll say five maybe it's a rounding error in there but 75% of those would do at least $100 one mil in this math. Um, >> so you're looking at this one. >> What's that? >> You're looking at this screen. >> Yeah. So comparing cuz that's only yes votes, right? I mean that's obviously >> Yeah. >> So it's only yes votes and so then 75% I guess because clearly there's a rounding somewhere. >> Y >> um

171but 75% of the yes votes said they'd do at least one mil >> according to this if if as long as they read the question correctly. >> Yep. >> Um out of 57% though. >> So okay. I I kind of feel get a see where we're at as a community at least. >> Yeah. That's just where we were hoping to get just the flavor of where to help us and the board to to land on a specific >> those numbers one. >> Would this be a good time to to >> for the next item up where you guys are? >> That's with the average market value of 200,000. So when you look at what the average market value of Oxford is, it's 405. So when >> that's why I said one mil as long as

172they did the math and they >> Well, I I don't know if we could count on that when we didn't put it as mill. We put it as $75, $100, $125. When you look at >> Well, right. But >> yeah, >> it's it's >> I know what you're saying. >> I understand. >> Yeah, I understand what you're saying as well, but obviously it's Well, maybe not obvious, but that's $100,000 taxable value. And so therefore, that's what where that $100 annual comes from because that's that's effect that is one mil of $100,000 taxable value, right? >> And then you you'd have to do the math. That's why we put in the the actual amount dep is dependent on the home's value. Um my I guess my point is assuming that this is good data. Um it's

173uh for it to be yes 57% to be yes at the in the previous slide right and then so this is only the yes votes. >> Mhm. >> And 70 only 76 of those said above 100 or 1 mil. >> Yeah. And looking at at the history, you know, 2016 didn't pass. 2017 passed by a 500 vote margin, give or take. >> I mean, that's what that comes down to. >> Yeah. Yeah. That's what >> So, that's what that's looking at. >> Personally, I'm not comfortable with 1.5. I think it's too high. I think our our survey and data that we all of of the data that we actually have available to us it's not lending itself to to a 1.5 in my opinion. >> No, that's kind of my point. Um I mean I

174I see the need right. Um, in the grand scheme of things, this is not a a huge sample size, but it's I mean, it was more than I expected, honestly. Um, it's just tough because that brings that down to even with the no pretty much 76% of 57% is pretty much even. So that I guess if we go with one mill, which I I would like to see that at least from a from a school I I see the need, right? Maybe it's because I'm on the finance committee. Maybe it's so I see the need. Um but I know we have our work cut out for I guess that's what I'm saying. Um >> yeah, >> bottom line is is that we are in debt and we are asking our community to take on more

175debt or to push it out farther. When I looked at the 24, the June 20 24 audit, we are not going to be out of debt till 2048. So, we are leaving a debt to our great grandkids at this point. I don't know about you, but I try to pay my debt off and be out of debt. So if I have to operate in a budget, a balanced budget, so should the commu. So should the community. So I'm disagreeing with even to me it's insulting to our community to ask for more money when we have not been good stewards of what we've already been given. So, >> can I respond to that? Yeah. >> Just clarification. Sinking fund does not come with debt. It's pay as you go. It's a tax. There's no debt which

176you're looking at in the audits of bonded debt that's related to the the bonds that were previously authorized by the voters in the district. The goal of bonds like that because they go out so far. When you vote for a bond and your kids starting in say first grade, they're going to be out of school in 11 years, that building that you just paid for is still going to be around another 40 years. So the point of a bond for those big projects is to spread the cost of that building over the generation of kids and families who are going to use it versus a sinking fund, which is a maintenance piece. Because when they did establish when the state did establish how school districts were paid in the 90s through propos they did not

177take into account the brickandmortar facility maintenance that number that foundation allowance was purely calculated on general fund school operating costs. So just I'd be happy to I'd be happy to walk through any of this whenever you'd like. some more input regarding the decision in front of us. James, do you have a number in mind that you're comfortable? >> Mike a go ahead. So, data in front of us. My gut's telling me we need to go for a larger sample size. Like we need to educate and put this back out again and get a larger sample size and have a better constitution of data, right? Because we just talked about data. We just battled about data and we have 25 35 6 35 like and then what is the constitution of data like what is our

178sample size what is is it five is it 10 is 100 like I feel like we need to have more input from our community to validate yes or no to have a sample size of 10 and then have 75% of them say yeah I'm just saying I'm just for for the argument of the data I'm just saying I personally I my gut is telling me I would like a larger sample size. Our community is much larger than what we are looking at from a sample size. >> Statistically our sample size total is about 10% of who we'd expect to be there on months on on in November probably roughly. So if we are to then decide and have a conversation at the table about what's in front of us based on the data provided to

179us and the information that we have, then we need to vote on the information we have. And if that's the case, we put forth that conversation and let's talk about it, right? Then we don't belabor the point and we move forward, right? Um, I I just I just my gut was telling me like we needed a larger sample size. But if this is what it is, we go on what this is. Let's have a conversation about what's on the screen right now. And what do we want? You want $75? You want $100? Do we vote for our community based on the data we have and go from there? Right. going by data the I I do wish we had more I wish we had uh more time with this. I wish that we had the

180facility study completed. I I there's just there's some things. So, looking at what's in front of us right now, my personal opinion is that if we're moving forward with this, I see a 75 to one mil. I I just I'm not comfortable higher than that with the amount of money out out there into our community. I don't know. There's a a preference. James Shane, >> any input? >> I'm just looking through the the like the home values and difference on what it would be yearly. James, are you good? James, I didn't want to interrupt you if you were still talking. Okay. >> The way that this is set up and and I just can't help but think a lot of people that answered this may not have understood the $100,000 taxable value. And for some

181that did understand and spoke up, um, the cost is significantly higher than $150. So, um, >> you mean to you're talking about to them due to their home value? >> Yes, absolutely. So I think you know we we serve on the board for everyone not just a select few not just some folks that live in water stone or some folks that live you know somewhere else right we serve everyone so I think right now we don't have necessarily a comprehensive plan as far as what we are going to spend this money on we have to wait for needs assessment to be completed. Um, and we I guess at best I heard end of September is when we're going to get that information. I mean, I think if we wait till the end of September and

182then try to decide on this, it's going to fail miserably. >> We we can't wait, >> right? But I mean, if we if we wait to act on this, you know, in any way. >> Yeah. Yeah. So, if we don't do anything tonight, then nothing's going on for November and it'll be a whole another year that before we would be able to, you know, revisit and re reput this up just for clarity. August 12th. >> And so, we'd be leaving what roughly 200,000 on the table if we didn't increase the mills at all. Right. Wasn't >> operating. >> Yeah. Yeah. It was like 200,000 I think is what was discussed. >> So out of the four options what are we putting forward? >> Well okay so one one question. So the the motion says as

183as written as you know millage proposal. Oh thank you. So the the the the motion there is millillage proposals as presented. How do we we we have to decide on the mills and and that would be what we'd be voting. So we'd have to understand that in the motion would be um trying to read it but it' be like for the 1.0 mil 1.25 one 1.5. I think it might be in our best interest to take a vote of the the mills separately on the sinking fund. >> Yeah, >> that's what I >> because the motion that we have on here is to approve the millage proposals as presented. So, in order to get there, I think especially since we don't seem to have a consensus right now, we should take a vote on the

184individual mills first. put that into the proposal on whichever, you know, wins and then make the motion. So, we could have some more discussion. I could run into a motion starting at the top come, you know, could start at 1.5, vote on it, go down to 1.25, vote on it, go down to one, vote on it, whatever. We could go that way. We could have further discussion. Does anybody have a preference? >> I'll make a motion for I I move to approve the millage rate of 1.25. >> You said 1.25. >> Yes. >> Okay. We have a motion. Do we have support for 1.25? All right. I I want to make sure and I apologize. Yep. >> I want to make sure I understand what I need to look at from the value 1.5.25 1.0.

185What does that constitute? Where am I? >> Are you looking for this table right here? So at at 1.5 with an average home value of 400,000 which is our average in Oxford that would be a $300 per year >> at 1.25 which James just made a motion for. >> That would be $250 per year. Got it. No. I want to make sure we can we need to take our time with this. So I want to make sure everybody is is fully understanding. >> Got it. and and James is just make sure yours you're at 1.25 right now. >> That's that's my my motion. >> Yep. Waiting for >> is not support. We don't need to keep talking about it at 1.25. I want to give you all the time, but I'm just going to go

186ahead and move on unless someone wants some more time. >> Okay. Is there another motion? >> I'll make a motion. >> Okay. >> I'll make a a motion to approve a mill a 1.0 millillage >> 1.0. >> I second. >> 1.0. Yes. >> Okay. Is there support on this? >> Mike. All right. Now, discussion on 1.0. I mean, again, for me, and I wanted to I almost seconded yours just to talk about it, but I figured we could talk about it here, too. But I mean, like I said, I see the need. I'm just also seeing the data. And if you look at it, 30 40 41 40 41% of the yes's would be willing to do a 1.25 or higher. if you're looking at this data as as usable data and I just so

187that that puts a big mountain to climb for for November and I don't I don't know I mean it's hard it's hard for me to to your point the data is relatively small um but it's 10% of what we I mean it's we're going to be the only ones on this ballot so it's uh I I feel more comfortable I guess in that way um utilizing it and that so therefore I'm going with I see the need so I want to I want to try to get the the funding that we have or that we can get rather um and and so I'm I'm looking at 76% of that those yes votes going for 1.0 or higher. And that's why I recommended it. >> Any other discussion on the 1.0? >> I'd feel a lot

188more comfortable about all of this if the assessments were already done. if we had, you know, a plan of a comprehensive plan, if we were able to look back and find a lot of data as far as what we did with the money previously. Feel like this community is dying for us to give them answers and and we're kind of asking them for more money on hopes, right? Just trust us. And I don't know that that's going to be enough. Um, to your point, I definitely think anything over a 1.0 would be pretty destined to fail at this point. Um, so I I would support a 1.0 at most. >> Yeah, I think it's my atmost as well. I think I'm more comfortable in the 75 range. On the other hand, I we were on

189the walkthroughs. We saw the roofs leaking. We see we know that there are needs and we certainly don't want to short change our students in in any way and they they of course deserve the best and it it it's just looking at it at the history the last two were 75 one failed one narrowly passed from a perspective of do we go higher than that and and risk losing it or do we go you know I there's a lot to think about here um >> I I would be comfortable between point 75 is my preferred but I I would be comfortable with one it it means that there needs to be there's going to need to be a campaign that is going to knock the socks off of this community and it needs to be

190full of data and it needs to be well. >> We need a comprehensive plan. >> Yeah. >> We need an actual plan that somebody can look at, sink their teeth into and and understand instead of just saying, "Well, >> roofs leak, boilers blow, you know, electrical boxes unfortunately catch fire." You know, we yeah, we know all these things, but what is our plan? Are we starting with our oldest building and working our way forward? or you know what is the plan instead of just yeah hand us $1.6 million you know extra per year in your taxable dollars and we'll take care of it from there. I think that's a huge ask in a community that doesn't have a whole lot of trust right now rightfully so. >> Any further discussion on 1.0? right now. Okay,

191we have a motion. We have a support. I think it's probably best if we just do roll call on this one just to ad hoc go around. Do you mind if I just start at one end of the table or Okay. Shane, >> yes. >> Mike Whitney, >> yes. >> Mike Aldrid, >> yes. >> Anda Mcdana, yes. James Summers. >> Yes. >> Sarah Beth Camoui. >> No. >> Okay. Well, it looks like we've settled on 1.0 as our our right. And so identifying that as what our resolution is going to the proposal, excuse me, on resolution will read. 1.0. Would anybody like to make that next motion? Unless there was continued conversation on the millillage. We talked about the scing fund mainly, but I just wanted to make sure that there was space for the

192millillage. If anyone had anything on that. Okay. Anybody would like to make the next motion. Thank you. Mike move to approve the millillage proposal as presented. >> Support Shane. Thank you. Discussion. All those in favor? I. >> Any opposed? >> Sarah Beth. Thank you. Okay. Item nine. We have Dr. Willamman. All right. So, I have two things this evening. The first is the um code of conduct for the first reading. We can There's my clicker. Um there weren't a lot of changes. This is based off of the Michigan model code of conduct that was um set in 2019. That was the last time the state revised it. Um over time we have done some personalizations as we are allowed. So this year um looking at the cheating and academic dishonesty violation. We wanted to add

193language around artificial intelligence as we will be um continuing that work and just being able to make sure that that's clear that that's part of that. Um as well as the model code of conduct had closed campus meaning our students can't leave for lunch in with the same category of leaving school without permission which are two very different like you could be leaving school without permission to go to lunch but there are other times where you're just walking off campus grounds. Um, so wanted to separate those into two different keep them there but separate them out and then um just updating formatting and numbering. We've been able to transition it to Google Docs so that it's just easier to share and more friendly. Um, and so this was part of your board book and this

194is the first reading for this evening. >> Any questions? >> Thank you. We don't need to make a decision on this tonight, but are there any questions? We will be making a decision at our next meeting. Take this one. Okay. Moving to your next item. >> And then the last thing is Lighthouse Connections Academy, the virtual charter school that we authorize um has an amendment wanted to make an amendment to their contract contract um which the board has to approve and it was simply job description updates. Um a lot of it was the same. Um what seemed to be the biggest difference was they changed let me scroll sorry um they changed the role of academic interventionist specialist and ELLL teacher. Um it seems that they created a wider umbrella with just instructional coach to

195give themselves flexibility. Um there were little changes um but the core jobs remain the same. There really isn't much of a change there. Um, so that's that is all I have. But since we authorized them, any amendments made to the contract, the board has to approve. And then should you approve it this evening, I have to update that in the gems system. Any questions about that? >> Okay. Thank you. Just to clarify the question I had already asked earlier. >> Yes, >> that was switched. Correct. Yes. And the new description was that was a mistake on my point. It's like when you send the email without the attachment. >> Yep. Just make sure everything was switched. Yes. >> Okay. Fantastic. Any any other questions? >> Motion. >> Mike. Okay. James. >> Uh move to approve

196the LCA job description as presented. >> Support. Yes. Mike. >> Any discussion? All those in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? >> Okay. >> All right. Thank you. >> Do we have unscheduled tonight? >> All right. >> Thank you. We have our list of scheduled activities coming up. Uh any administrative clarification, Dr. Milligan? No. Uh, final board comments. Feel like I should give them a chance to come back, but >> yeah, let's let's We're missing two, so let's wait till they come back. fillapot. >> I forget my name's Mike and um the uh I had forgotten that we had a finance committee meeting. >> What? >> Over a month ago. Finance committee meeting over a month, but since the last board meeting. >> Oh, >> it got snuck in there. So, can I do a

197quick report? >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Um yeah, cuz I was looking through my notes. I'm like, "Oh, wow. It was over a month ago, but it was since it was the week of the last board meeting. >> Okay. >> Um uh so we had talked about uh central office RFP. So that should go out this this month still. Um so they're clearing staging that that area. Um facility management system. Uh it was uh there was some I guess good uh words support for Tim. Um as he's coming into his own he's really kind of taken that that role. Uh so that's a positive positive uh thing and John's really really seen that from him. Um then this millillage planning discussion that we've we had tonight um that kind of uh we went through some of

198the data that we we have available at this time and then we discussed the survey to the community and how we wanted to get their input. Um, I appreciate Tanya and Christine and uh everybody that got that out there in a in a timely manner. I know it was a Friday morning and we and there was some uh push to get it available by the weekend because there were some events that uh we we were we were going to and uh so I appreciated that for sure. Um and then the year- end audit discussion. So, those were those were pretty much the uh the items for for that we went over for the finance committee. >> Do you have a tenative timeline for the downtown property of when it goes to market? >> Uh it

199should the RP should be this this month. So, I'm thinking tomorrow. Oh. >> Uh >> I think actually John did follow up with me honestly. >> Correct. Is that that information is that >> it's being issued 30th >> tomorrow? >> Okay. >> I was just making sure. >> Okay. >> Um but yeah, I I I said by the end of the month. So I guess that's the same almost. Um but uh and then how long it'll be out that we're going to defer to the um commercial group to to determine how long it's going to have it out there and whatnot. But so we'll start seeing information from that soon. >> All right. Thank you. Didn't want to close out while we had some missing members. Uh we're in final board comment if you had

200anything additional. >> No, I think I've said enough. >> Okay, understood. Okay, we will be moving into close session if somebody would like to make that motion. >> Yep, Shane. Thank you. >> Okay. move to meet in close session to consult with its attorney regarding trial or settlement strategy in connection with case numbers 24-211234- and 376423 pursuant to MCL 15.26E and to consider material exempt from discussion or disclosure under state or federal statute pursuant to MCL5.268HH 268H >> support Mike Whitney. Thank you. >> James take roll call vote. Need a yes or no, please. Summers, yes. Aerson is absent. Aldred, >> yes. >> Cajority, >> yes. >> Whitney, >> yes. >> Gibson, >> yes. >> Mcdana, >> yes. >> It is 9:39. We're going into close session. ready. >> Are we ready? >> All right.

201It is 11:03. We are back from close session. After our discussion, I would like to move forward. I move to deny Danielle Croak's appeal. Specifically move to deny Miss Croak's request to produce nonpublic records from a third party. >> I support >> James support. Thank you. Any discussion? >> All those in favor? >> I. Any opposed? No. Motion carries. I would also like to move to deny Karen Vander's Foya appeal dated July 21st, 2025. Specifically move to uphold the denial as item one and uphold the decision regarding the fees. >> James support. Any discussion? All those in favor? I. Any opposed? Motion carries. Thank you everyone. It is 11:05 and this meeting is adjourned.