001March 16th, 2026. And I call this meeting of the role of education board of education to order. Sydney, would you please lead the role? Call the role. >> Arlandu >> here. >> Gerals >> here. >> Gonzalez Thomas. >> Kilberg >> present. >> Meadows >> present. >> Sliger >> present. >> Swiki >> present. You Please rise while we say the pledge of allegiance. >> I aliance 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. >> Tom, are there any items to remove, add, or otherwise reshuffle? >> Yes. Um, we will move item 9.3 under action and have that presented prior to 9.1. So, we'll move it up to the top of that section. Okay. Does the board
002have any other questions or comments or other requests? >> Okay. All right. I will attempt entertain a motion to approve the agenda as discussed. >> So, moved >> by moved by Aaron, second by >> Katie. Cindy, please. Cindy, please lead us in a roll call vote. >> Susiki. Yes. >> Siger. >> Yes. >> Kilberg. >> Yes. >> Meadows. >> Yes. >> Gerals. >> Yes. >> Harland. >> Yes. >> Right. Motion passes. Thank you. All right. Under celebrations and recognitions. Um in recognition of National Reading Month, we thought it would be appropriate to invite Sean Dickman of principal of Hooverwood Elementary to join us this evening to celebrate their new book vending machine. >> Please tell us all about it, sir. >> And I got Emily with me, too. >> Awesome. Even better. Hi. Come up
003here, Emily. >> Hi. Hi, everyone. I'm Sean Diamond, principal of Hooverwood, and this is Emily. She's the fourth grader at our school. And we got a book vending machine for our school. So, it is what it sounds. It's a vending machine full of books. Uh, it's repurposed. Um, holds chapter books, picture books, uh, and we use it as a way to instill a love of reading in our kids, motivate them to want to earn books. Um, I get to curate what's in there. So, I get to pick what types of books. Um, so we're picking, you know, award-winning books, diverse books, books that we feel like are good for children to have. Um, and then they get to keep the books. It's not a rental and they're not paying for it. They keep it themselves.
004So Emily here actually earned our first one a couple weeks ago. You want to share how you got it? >> I read 15 blue stem books. >> So one of the ways kids can earn it is our librarian um has like a blue stem challenge. So if kids read a certain amount of books, then they get their picture up in their library. But then since we got the vending machine, I was able to incorporate every time a kid reads X amount of books, they can come get a book from the book vending machine, and she was the first one to read 15. So she got to be the first one to win one. Uh other ways we use it is I tie it in with our positive behavior program. So when kids earn, we call
005them Howie's heroes. It's like we're going above and beyond. uh their name gets put into a raffle and then every couple weeks I pick 10 kids at random and then their names go in our video announcement and then those kids get to come to the library and pick out a book. Uh some teachers have then taken it and put it as um something that students can buy in their class cash store. So if they earn enough cash in in uh in their classroom, they can then purchase books from or they can use that to get a token from us and then we use that to they use that to buy a book. Um other ways we've been using it are um teachers have been doing um like bingo uh reading bingo. So different genres, different
006authors, different types of books and when they get a certain type of pattern then they can turn into me and then they can get a book. So the goal is just really to get books in kids hands in meaningful ways and ways that are making the kids earn it and want to earn it. Uh it's been a big success. So so far I'd say we got it in right before right when maybe like a month ago and we've given out about 40 books so far. Um, yes. >> Fine line because I want to give out books cost money. So, I don't want to be giving out I don't want to be giving out too many. Um, oh, I would like to say so Beefy Beefy bought us the books for it through uh through a
007grant and then the PTO paid for the vending machine. So, the book vending machine holds about 300 books in it. Uh, we have it all filled and then we have some extras left over. So, the goal is that we go you you should only have to refill it once every year and a half or so if you're giving out like a good amount of books. Um, so it's it's kind of self- sustaining. It doesn't it once you make the major purchase, then it's every year and a half you're just buying new books and you want to refresh the books anyways, keep them keep them up to date and keep them modern. So, no, we're really excited to have it. So, thank you guys. >> Thank you. >> Picture. >> Yeah, let's get a picture. Let's
008go. >> Go ahead. Come here. Come on up. This girl >> center stage >> two I already took like five pictures. All right. Can I have our student ambassador come to the program podium? It's not a Tuesday. My brain isn't working. Hey you guys. >> How are you? >> I'm good. How are you? >> Good, thank you. >> Of course. Um, I haven't presented to this many people in a while. So, hello everybody. My name is Ka. I'm a senior. I just had to introduce myself. Um, okay. So, basically all of the sports stuff is kind of winding down and starting up, so I don't have a lot to talk about, but it was just media day, so I got a lot of funny pictures up there. Um, baseball is starting, tennis season for the
009boys is starting, softball is starting, all the things. Uh, track, some of my track friends are very proud. They say that everyone on the team has PR or run a season best since the first week, and I thought that was really cool. That's kind of the only thing I have to say about sports. Um, yeah, and clubs and events. It's also been a very quiet month. I haven't heard a lot personally. I don't think Grace has either because Grace is in a lot of these clubs, but graduation speakers is happening. That was from last year. Obviously, they had their I think second meeting about it today. Uh youth and government has been doing a lot taking a lot of little trips. Uh few like drives. That one was for like periods and whatnot. Uh guest
010speakers for like honor societies. Yeah. And everyone is very excited for prom. The prom dress giveaway just happened at the library this past weekend. I wasn't able to make it, but I heard some very successful stories. Okay. Um, well, everything else is kind of winding down. If you can't tell, music, art, drama is all very much ramping up. Um, this is like my favorite month for some of these things. Um, swing singers competition season is over, but showtime is next week. They well I'll talk about this in a minute. Perform with the middle school on the first night, the 24th. So come support both middle school and high school show choirs. Um the spring play is happening I think in a little over a month, maybe month and a half. Um night of jazz happened.
011I don't have any pictures up there, but it's probably one of my favorite nights of the year. It's all of like the jazz bands and they sound amazing all the time. Um, choir concert is tomorrow. Come see me. I'll sound amazing. I promise. Um, uh, the drama program had a murder mystery party yesterday. A great turnout. Um, I won't tell you who the murderer was because that's still a secret, I guess. I don't know. It's a mystery. They didn't tell me. Um, uh, one acts are happening. Seniors, some seniors get to direct a show if they've taken the theater arts class. They get to independent study and direct their own oneact show, which I think is really cool. Uh, we had an improv show about two weeks ago. It went really well. It was hilarious.
012Uh, improv isn't supposed to be funny, but it is. Cater is in here somewhere. He would get mad at me if I said it was supposed to be funny. Um, Rock the Runway. Oh my goodness. I don't know if anyone in here saw Rock the Runway, but wasn't it amazing? Like 10 out of 10. Probably my favorite one yet. I've gone, well, I was in it the last three years, but I've seen it since I've been at the high school. It's amazing. All of students get to make their own outfits. They're not allowed to use any fabric, and they rock that runway. Those are our MC's up there, Quinton Rufo and Gabby Baines. They're wonderful people. If you see them in public, tell them I said hi. Um, and Tri, the Music Honor Society, is
013having their own um like recital. It's the first year that they've done something like that. And anyone that's in honor societ or in their honor society gets to sign up and perform a piece for all of their peers. And that is the 26th, I believe. Yeah, that's all of my music things. And middle school, I don't have a lot about them. Obviously, they're performing in Showtime, both their ac cappella group and their show choir. Um, and their basketball season is over. Uh the girls basketball team uh their well their A team lost to Geneva which was really sad but their B team won their conference tournament which it's pretty impressive if you ask me and they have their first little track meet next week I believe. Yeah, that's all I have to say. Um it's
014been a pretty great month. I guess I wasn't here last month so great two months. >> Thanks. >> Thank you guys. Drew. >> Yep. Your turn already, sir. >> Uh I'm not used to going uh we've switched around a little bit, so I was uh anticipating to go after public comment. So, um I had a a statement that I was going to read uh maybe depending on what that public comment looked tonight. Uh I'll wait and defer to uh the public uh to to speak to whatever the public would like to talk about. Uh but I will say one thing uh from this statement uh and I I want to make sure this is uh very clear here. Our students deserve to know that the adults in this community will stand up for them, support
015them, and ensure that every one of them feels safe and valued in our schools. And I will just leave it at that. And uh yeah. All right. So uh otherwise uh I want to thank uh the district administrators and schoolboard members uh who attended last week's uh city council meeting. I was watching it at home on my sofa on YouTube. Sorry. Uh to advocate for the conditional use permit of 812 Main Street. Our ability to use that property helps the district not only from a logistical and operational standpoint, but also in avoiding the financial impact of having to look elsewhere. Uh President Meadows, you referenced uh a few times uh in your address the importance of living within our means. Uh and the fact that three board members and three district administrators took the time
016to advocate for our district uh underscores just how important it is to do so. Um, hell, even tonight you'll be looking at the RSP enrollment analysis. I think that's probably why everybody's here tonight for the RSP enrollment analysis. Um, that will address things like uh program and grade adjustments, uh, facility additions, and long-term investment. Uh, our district has been given a sandbox to play in, and I think we've done a pretty damn good job of playing in that sandbox by getting creative. Uh, as you may know, our buildings across the district are currently reviewing and beginning to implement staffing plans for next year. This is the time of year when the district must examine enrollment numbers, FTE allocations, and overall financial health to determine potential staffing and program changes in many cases in order to
017live within our means. Uh living within our means requires difficult decisions, and we should always be focused on serving the students of Battavia School District, but we must never lose sight of the impact these decisions have on staff, especially our BEA members. At the end of the day, staffing and program changes can affect program quality, student learning, and staff morale. I am fully aware that uh things like shifts in enrollment uh financial uncertainty at the federal, state, and local levels and what seems like an endless parade of cost increases from health insurance to building materials are often beyond our control. But even in the face of these challenges, our focus must remain remain on what is best for our students. Additionally, the voices of those in the classroom must be part of the conversation when
018decisions that affect students and staff are being made. Our hope is that as these discussions continue, the district will prioritize solutions that protect both the financial health of the district and the educational opportunities that our students deserve. Uh, finally, I want to thank everyone uh across the district that supported the BEA trivia night. Uh, on the 26th, we raised over $3,600 uh for the BEA scholarship. You can applaud that. That was pretty good. That was pretty good. Uh, that's a team effort and it speaks to what makes this community such a special place. its commitment to public education and our students. Uh, peace, love, and bulldogs. Good night, and good luck. >> All right, Holly, public comment. >> Yes, we have 13. >> Okay. All right. Welcome to the meeting of the board of education.
019If anyone wishes to address the board this evening, please see our reporting secretary to submit a form, as many of you has done. Please put your full name and address on the form. In general, the board will not answer questions or engage in dialogue during public comment. This does not mean we do not take your concerns or comments seriously. The board values active community participation in the district's endeavors and encourage you to engage with the district using appropriate channels and systems designed with your input in mind. Board members are not involved in the day-to-day operations of the district and cannot engage in district business individually. If you have specific questions or would like further engagement with the district, you may submit your questions using the link on the website and the appropriate staff member will
020communicate with you. Thank you for coming tonight. And Holly, would you please call up our first >> Yes. Thank you, President Meadows. Speakers will be called up in order of form submission. The first form received the first person invited to speak. When your name is called, please come to the podium so that you can be heard. All individual speakers will be limited to three minutes. A threeminut timer will be started once you settle at the podium and will be displayed up here on the screen. Our first speaker is Paula Mueller. >> I'm just gonna >> I'm going to keep this brief. I just wanted to say a quick thank you to the school board for the opportunity tonight to speak and I wanted to thank you for the um post of Sarah McBride this uh
021past March with Sarah McBride as a powerful um woman that has made strides in defending LGBTQ rights and the first transgender um person uh American elected to high public office. She's a leader in an ongoing fight for human rights and it was great comfort to see that Battavia is proud to stand with the marginalized community that uh trans the Sorry, I'm nervous. From attacks on identity to attempts on attempts to roll back equality, it's important to stand together and let everyone feel safe and loved. Betavia has always felt like a close community and this willingness to stand together in support of LGBTQ people. And as a parent of former students and an activist in the suburbs, I feel great hope in seeing the school board stand with all. And I just want to thank you
022again for that post and for your support. Next we have Heather Delaso. >> Hi everybody. Um, thank you to the board and the district for all the work you do for our kids. I'm Heather Delmaso. I'm a Betavia parent. One of my children's is a graduate uh children is a graduate of BHS and the other one is a freshman in the high school this year. Um, they both started at AGS and have been at Betavia schools their entire school uh career so far. Um, I've gotten to know many of the students in their lives and their friends, their teammates, and the kids they spend time with are very special to me and to the community around us. And I'm here tonight and I'm going to get tearary because I was so excited to see everybody
023here and the way that we're showing up as a community. Um, the recent Women's History Month post recognizing Sarah McBride, I support the district sharing that post and I want to explain why. Um, first it was history. It was a history post. Sarah McBride is the first openly transgender person elected to state senate in the United States. That was a historic milestone in America public American public life. Women's history month has always highlighted women who broke barriers and made history. And recognizing historic first is exactly what these moments are for. Second, I want to talk about the students. I know and care about a number of Betavia students who are of the LGBTQ community. I care about them and I love them. They're part of our family. They are not political talking points. They are
024real kids in this district. They participate in sports, perform in band and theater, belong to clubs and honor societies, and sit in classrooms every day with all the other students. Who are their friends and classmates? And when com conversations like this happen, like what we saw out on social media, it's important to remember that some of the kids being talked about in these debates are sitting in Matavia classrooms right now. Research shows that roughly 9 to 10% of teenagers def identify as LGBTQ. That means in any school, on any team, or in any club, there are students who fall into that group. We know something else that matters. Those youth experience significantly higher rates of depression and suicide attempts. And research consistently shows that one of the strongest protective factors is feeling accepted and safe
025in the communities around them. For some students, simply seeing that their school recognizes that reality can help them feel safe and accepted and know they belong here, too. As a parent whose children have grown up in this district, I'm proud that Betavia Schools aim to educate students while making sure that every student feels safe, respected, and supported. Thank you. Speaker is Haley Lamb. >> Good evening. My name is Haley Lamb, Betavia resident and parent of two elementary school students. It's a two-parter, I promise. Uh, I am still waiting for the board to respond to my email from October. On February 23rd, my daughter's fifth grade class went outside to have their movement break, and unfortunately, my daughter Delilah was not allowed to participate. She was given a clipboard and told to sit on the stoop
026outside of her classroom and finish a worksheet at the end of the day while her classmates got to play violating the right to play law passed in 20121. As admin prepare for the new master schedules to coordinate full day kindergarten, I'm asking you please ensure our schedules actually follow the law. It appears that retraining might be necessary for teachers and administration who continue to disregard the law. And on a good note, I want to applaud Bavia for their progressive post during Women's History Month. As a woman who grew up in this community, raising two daughters in this community, it is important for our family to know that not everyone looks or acts like we do. Not every family looks the same as ours. And when Betavia posted that post, it showed that there are other
027people out there in the world that may not look the same. And it's really important for our kids as they grow in this unprecedented times that they're supported and they feel loved and accepted no matter what. So, I applaud you for that post and I hope to see more welcoming posts throughout the month. Thank you. Our next speaker is Wilma Van Aragon. Sorry if I mispronounced. >> You did. You did. Great. >> Good evening. Thank you for letting me speak tonight. My name is Wilma Van Aragon and I'm a resident of Betavia for the last 14 years. I love Betavia, its beauty, its diversity, its small local businesses. Our children and grandchildren have benefited from this wonderful school system because of the dedicated educators here. My husband and I are both retired educators in a
028neighboring district. He was a middle school principal and I was a certified school nurse and department chair for health services. I am an activist because I feel it is my moral duty to stand up for my neighbors, especially my marginalized neighbors. Recently, I had the privilege of proudly supporting our students who use their right to free speech to stand up for their community members and fellow students who they saw were impacted by ICE. I went to stand with them. They were respectful, enthusiastic, and in conversation with them, I was pleased to find out that they knew exactly what they were protesting. I thought, "These kids are all right. Our future is bright." The district's response was rather disappointing on a few fronts. It was a tragically missed opportunity for a learning for learning about civics,
029the constitution, free speech, and the moral obligation we all have to stand up for one another. Instead, the district chose to be somewhat punitive. Even after the push back, you had an opportunity to sit down with the students and community and think about how to move forward. Another lesson on civics and community engagement was missed. Last week, I was so happy to see on social media that you chose to feature Sarah McBride as a successful woman for what? For Women's History Month. Well done. Yes. And I also saw the responding hate speech. I kept my fingers crossed that you would hold your ground. It was another teaching moment. celebrating our diverse community, celebrating the successes of all and standing up to hate because is because it is the right thing to do. You if you
030if you had have caved, you you would have taught our learning community, students, parents that you won't stand up to bullying, that you won't protect us again against hate speech, and that you remain silent or capitulate in the face of injustice. I trust you not to do that. As a grandparent, resident of Betavia, and someone who who sees standing up for one another as a moral obligation, I thank you. >> Our next speaker is Ryan Hatfield. >> Hi, my name is Ryan Hatfield. I'm a resident of Betavia since 2019. children. >> I'm here tonight to voice my support for the post that was made about Sarah McBride. Trans women are women in the month of March should celebrate women from a wide range of backgrounds and identities. Sarah won the general election in November 2024
031with 58% of the vote and became the first openly transgender member of the US Congress on January 3rd of 2025. a historic event and one that helps those in the trans and broader LGBTQIA plus community feel seen and represented. The post and the inclusion of Sarah doesn't take away from but rather enhances the broader picture of the contributions and achievement of all women. It showcases the diversity of women and helps paint a complete picture. Recognizing another's right to exist, treating them with dignity and respect doesn't diminish your own worth or value. It's not a finite resource that we can run out of. Nor do we have to understand another person's joy to appreciate their happiness. So, thank you for being inclusive, teaching understanding and respect. And please don't let the close-minded change this moving forward.
032There are students who saw themselves in this post as well as a district that saw them. Thank you for your time. Our next speaker is Kan Clark. >> Sorry, can you hear me? Okay, great. Cool. Hi, my name is Kaya. I am a resident of Betavia. I moved here four and a half years ago. I'm a young professional and I was nervous to move here. I am a lesbian and I was terrified that moving to a smaller town would be scary and there would be no LGBTQ people and that I would have to drive an hour and a half to Chicago to see gay people. Luckily, that was not true. People in this town put up signs and flags and stickers on businesses and in a way that made me feel so welcomed and so
033safe to hold my partner's hand and not feel scared even though sometimes we still get looks. But I know that it could be a lot worse. Um, today I reflect on that post about Sarah McBride who is somebody like my sister. My sister is also trans and I was really excited to see that post and I was like, "Wow, that's so cool." And then I saw the comments and I saw the post get deleted. And I hope that the board remembers that when you make posts like that, you are putting a sticker on the school or putting up a flag that says, "Hey, we care about you and you don't have to drive an hour and a half away to find people who love you and care about you and support you." And I think
034that's what that post was. I think it was really awesome. I think it really sucks that people kind of poo pooed on it. And um I hope that you keep making posts like that because students in Betavia deserve to feel welcome the way I feel welcome in Battavia. Thanks. Our next speaker is Chrissy White Kendall. >> Hi. Thank you so much. My name is Chrissy White Kendall. I'm speaking up tonight because I also really love this town. I'm borderline obsessed with it. When I moved here in 2021, I quickly realized that Betavia holds many different perspectives. I saw rainbow flags outside one coffee shop and then just around the corner, back the blue signs on the other coffee shop. You know, Betavia is a place where people do not have to agree on everything to
035live well together. We value community and the common good. In 2024, my neighbor flew a take America back flag. So, I put up a sign that said, "We're not going back." You know, but we don't let that stop us from seeing each other and saying hi and being civil and being cordial and being respectful and enjoying the sun set together on Maine and Blair. Betavians, we care about this stuff. We donate to Mother's Club, Chip and Betavia, the food pantry. Our library is a haven for families seeking warmth, belonging, and connection. Our schools create opportunities where kids can try new things. My son did second grade cheerleading alongside his stepsister this fall without issue. My neurodeivergent child scored a touchdown this season after countless tries because the coaches here did not give up on him.
036That is the community I know, one that makes room for kids. So I ask us tonight to be mindful, not fearful. We live in a rapidly changing world and it's okay not to understand everything about gender identity. I'll admit I didn't always understand it myself. I've asked questions. I'm still asking questions. I'm trying to understand more. But more importantly, I've listened. As a family law attorney, I had the chance to attend a P flag gathering where families spoke openly about loving and protecting their children in the LGBTQ AI plus community. They also talked a lot about the fear that they have for their children. And here's what I've learned so far. Transgender people are not abstract ideas or political talking points. They are human beings. They have bodies that belong only to them. They have
037thoughts, emotions, strengths, and struggles. They want safety, education, friendship, belonging, and understanding. Just like every other child sitting in our classrooms, when hostility spreads online about recognizing a transgender public figure like Sarah McBride, a child somewhere reads those comments. A child hears their parents talking about those comments. A child's classmates repeat those comments. And that child learns whether this community believes they deserve dignity or rejection. Disagreement is part of democracy. Sure. But turning discomfort into fear and fear into hostility teaches something that none of us wants our children to learn. Every adult helps shape the emotional safety of every child in this town. That responsibility belongs to all of us. So tonight, I ask us to live up to the behavior we already know ourselves to be and the community we want to be. one
038that is willing to listen, to learn, and to lead with empathy and understanding. Let's make sure every child in Betavia learns from us that belonging is never up for debate. Our next speaker is Richard Den. All right. start off the first the last time I was up here uh asked you guys uh during COVID to uh not muzzle our children and here I am again. Uh first I'm uh requesting the immediate firing of Miss Dipman here, the director of communications at BPS for spreading lies and propaganda. After that, I'm going to ask all of you at the BPS 101 school board to immediately resign for allowing lies and propaganda online. I'm wondering how in how in a town of 27,000 people, you can't find one female to celebrate. That's pretty sad. How do you believe
039this impacts the self-esteem of real girls within this school district? In a single post, you brought disgrace and embarrassment to our entire school district, our community, the state, and throughout the entire country to see. It's important to acknowledge in the single post that the BPS 101 struggled in several subjects and was not entirely truthful. There are multiple grammar grammical errors. That's English. He is a US representative, not a senator. So that's social studies and history. And yes, Tim is a man. So that's biology and science. So in one single post, you got five things wrong that you should be teaching our children in school. It's important to uphold the integrity of the five subjects you guys are teaching and supposed to teach our children. When your post contain fundamental civical civic in your accuracies or
040present ambiguous information, the community is justified in expecting higher standards from each and one of you. Several of you have terms coming up in 2027. Is it possible to get you on the record whether you support teaching children that men can become females? Is that possible tonight? Can we address the board? Not at all. All right, that's too bad. Thank you. >> Our next speaker is Matt Sperry. >> Thank you. Um, my name is Matt Sperry. I'm an attorney. Uh, longtime Bavia resident. I grew up here. I graduated in 99. My kids go to school here. Uh, I come here to thank the board and to speak in support of the post related to Representative McBride. Uh, you've heard from lots of people tonight that have spoke more eloquently than I can. I would echo
041a lot of their points. Um, I know in relation to my own children, I view kind of what's been going on with the posts and kind of the current political environment as a teaching moment for them. And I mean, you know, kind of explaining to my kids tonight why I was here. And a big part of it is I'm I'm here for them just as I know you all are, just as I know everyone else in this room is. And I think it's really important for the board to continue to recognize that we're different and there's accomplishments. And I mean, we're not all the same and that's all right. Like diversity is a strength. Um, and so what I'd ask the board to do at this point, you know, continue to be an example that
042can point to my kids like here, like here's an institution that's doing it right. I know it's really easy in this day and age to kind of see what's going on generally speaking. Tell your kids like look like this institution isn't working the way it's supposed to. This institution isn't the way working the way it's supposed to. But it's nice to see someone, you know, doing the right thing. I'd encourage the board to continue to do that. And believe me, like I recognize like it's a difficult spot for you all to be in. like you read stuff out of the King County Reporter and kind of the you know I'm not going to dignify it with what I really want to call it but you know you guys shouldn't have to tolerate you shouldn't have
043to deal with that okay and like people can certainly dissent but descent in a respectful way and you know I'd ask that when you consider posts like you know in support of Representative McBride in the future similar post like I'd ask you continue doing it and again like everyone has said think about the message that sends the kids think about the opportunity we have to talk to our own children about what this school district has done and why that's a good thing. You know, I'd like to be able to to support and thank the district and I'd like my children to be able to recognize that. Like, it's a teachable moment for me and my kids and I appreciate that the board has given that to me. I'd ask the board to continue to do
044that to me and I think you do all of our children a a service by doing that. Thank you. Our next speaker is Missy or Melissa Hem. Hi everybody. Can you hear me? Okay. Uh my name is Missy Hem and I'm a parent of a BPS student. Um I'm here to express my support for the trans kids in our school district and other trans folks in the community. I was really pleasantly surprised to see the post on VPS social media um honoring the accomplishments of Congresswoman Sarah McBride. I did not expect to learn about the slew of hateful offensive comments that poured in from across the country, not just from our community. And I do not believe that those comments reflect the views of Betavians. Um, I'm a licensed clinical social worker. And when I
045think about supporting trans kids by creating safe school environments, prohibiting discrimination, preventing and responding to bullying, using the correct pronouns. I think of that as suicide prevention. Um, actually, it's not just that I think that. research from the National Institutes of Health and the Trevor Project demonstrates that um for trans and non-binary youth who have affirming adults and spaces in their lives um they have 40% less risk of attempting suicide compared with their unsupported trans peers. Um I think that the point of schooling and education, you know, in general is to help young minds be ready to enter the different spheres of public life and adulthood. um including being active participants in the civic process. In spite of the hate and intolerance directed at the trans community, which was on full display in the comments
046section last week, trans folk trans folks are amazing and able to achieve excellence, and that ought to be celebrated. Um I was really heartened to see the district's anti-harassment policies in section 7 on the website. Um, but it feels slightly disingenuous to say that we're going to protect trans students in school, but then capitulate to bullies online by removing a post about a trans congresswoman. So, instead of backing down, I think that we should be saying with our whole chest that we stand behind our trans students and neighbors. Thank you. Our next speaker is Sunny Ford. Good evening. My name is Sunonny Ford and I have been a resident of Geneva almost my entire life. I'd like to speak today about a post made by the Betavia School District last week, including US Representative Sarah
047McBride as part of celebrating Women's History Month. But to do so, I need to talk about some of the students of the Battavia School District. It is hard to be a transgender teenager. On behalf of my trans loved ones, I can tell you exactly how hard it is. It is hard to face rejection and harassment for simply living your life. It is hard to avoid restrooms and locker rooms all day out of fear of humiliation and violence. It is hard to hear cruel words from people you thought loved you unconditionally. It is hard to be bullied by your peers and sometimes by the adults that are supposed to support you. It is hard to hear about the assault and violence inflicted on other trans people and to wonder if tomorrow that will be you on
048the news. It is hard to pray every day that you won't lose access to your life-saving healthcare. It is hard to constantly be the punchline, to see hate spewed by adults that want people like you to disappear. And on top of all of this, we ask these kids to go to school every day, forget about all that fear and that pain, and do their best in class. Around 40% of transgender youth attempt suicide in their lifetime. That rate plummets to 20% when they are accepted by the community surrounding them. On behalf of my trans loved ones from Geneva schools, I can tell you why. They remember every teacher and school official who was kind and affirming to them. They remember every time an adult in school stepped up to advocate for them. They remember what
049it felt like to go to school less afraid because they knew the administration was behind them. So today, I'd like to thank the Betavia School Board and the superintendent for their post and for the message to all students at Betavia that they are seen, they are valued, and that no matter their gender, their accomplishments as good citizens and leaders are what matter most. Thank you. Our next speaker is Denise Theabald. >> Good evening. My name is Denise Theobald and I am from Geneva. Can you guys hear me? Okay. Uh I want to begin also thanking the board for recognizing women's history month by highlightings highlighting uh the contributions of Sarah McBride, acknowledging leaders who have broken barriers and expanded opportunities really matter. It sends a message to our students that history is still being written
050and that courage, authenticity, and public service are values worth lifting up. But recognition alone is not enough if we ignore the reaction that sometimes comes with it. When hate, misinformation, and dehumanizing rhetoric follows moments like this, and we allow that to pass without challenge, we risk normalizing it. When extreme voices push a rabid, untruthful, and dangerous narrative, and the rest of us stay silent, it creates space for bigotry to grow. History has shown us that silence doesn't calm hatred. Silence allows it to spread. As Martin Luther King Jr. reminded us, silence too often sides with the oppressor. Our community is asking not just for recognition during a single month, but for continued leadership. We ask this this board, every board, all elected officials to keep highlighting the contributions of people from every walk of life,
051gay, straight, trans, non-binary, Asian, indigenous, just people with disabilities, but particularly the trans community. They're being used by this administration in an unprecedented way to pit people against people to other people. And every one of us is potentially next. And when we do speak up, we must do it clearly and loudly because when we do, people around us notice. Many are quietly looking for signals about who it's safe to be around, who it's safe to learn from, who it's safe to grow into the person they truly are. Moving through life, not knowing who your allies are or who you're safe to be, is a burden no one should have to carry. Safety is the basic human need. Our students are watching how adults respond in moments like this. They learn what leadership looks like by
052seeing whether we speak up, speak clearly and fiercefully, or if we just sit back quietly. Hate has no home in this community. It can't flourish enough when good people show up and all these amazing people show up. and you did a wonderful job by posting that. When we use our voices, we do it for those that can't do it for themselves because an attack on all of attack on one of us is attack on all of us. Thank you. And our final speaker is Elizabeth. >> Hi everyone. Uh my name is Elizabeth Eckleston. I am a citizen of Betavia and I've also am a mother of a student at Grace McQuain in the ILP program. Um, I also want to address the post of Sarah McBride for Women's History Month. Um, I am incredibly grateful
053that the post was made. Our lives are vastly improved when we celebrate and recognize the contributions of our marginalized communities and for right now specifically the trans community. Um, this is not only essential for our community as a whole to recognize this because trans people have always been here. They've been here throughout time and just now it's a matter of recognizing their humanity. Um, but also as many of the other speakers have said, they're also our children. Um, I have worked with trans kids as young as three years old. um and my background as a volunteer but also as a social worker and I just want to say that kids know themselves. People like to discount it but kids know themselves. Um, and something that I love about Betavia and one of the reasons why
054uh my family moved here in 2022 is the school district. And I admire and respect and appreciate the work that the district does to acknowledge community. And sometimes even when we don't have the greatest diversity in our own community, we still recognize it and we seek it out and we celebrate it. And that matters. That really, really matters. Um, however, I was, as many people have also brought up today, uh, pretty disheartened when in the face of the bigotry and the hate speech that we all saw, our response was to delete the post as opposed to address it. Now, I understand the instinct. I really, really do. Um, but as many people have said today, our kids are watching. They're listening. They're seeing what we do when these awful things are being said about them.
055And just to delete it is not something that we are we're not supporting them in doing so. What I would very respectfully ask our board and our district to do is to make a plan. This will happen again. This will happen again if we continue to be on the right side of history and continue to make these incredible post celebrating the diversity of our community, of our citizenship, just as everyone in this community, almost everyone in this community has said today. Um, we will have this kind of response again because they're loud and it's nasty and it's terrifying. But what we need is a plan. We need our people who are work, our poor administrative assistants or social media managers or whoever made that actual post in our district. They need to be supported with
056a plan of how to address these things, how to mute comments, how to block people, how to even turn comments off. Even if you left the post and turn comments off, that would have been more welcome because we would still be presenting our support of the community that we intended. Um, so your time is up. >> All right. Thank you so much. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you everybody for coming to speak tonight. Very much appreciated. Thank you. All right. Uh consent agenda. According to our board policy, we designate a portion of the action items on the agenda as a consent agenda for those items that do not usually require extensive discussion before board action. These items are generally are routine, recurring, and can be grouped together for efficiency. Steve, if you like
057to take us through the event, if you would like to pause for a minute, sir. >> Absolutely. >> That's fine, too. >> Thanks again for coming, guys. Tony Tony Tony. Okay. didn't want to make us sweat over here the whole time. Like I don't care. >> Go ahead. >> You ready? All right. Here we go. >> Thank you. >> 7.1 is the approval of our board meeting minutes from February 17, 2026. 7.2 is the approval of our close session uh meeting minutes from February 17, 2026. 7.3 is the approval of our monthly payroll and bills. 7.4 is approval of donations. Uh they're listed on the screen and we're definitely grateful for their generous donations from all those organizations. Uh 7.5 is the approval of our monthly personnel report. 7.6 is the approval of the destruction
058of the close session recordings uh from August 20th, 2024. 7.7 is the approval of our 2026 2027 NIA contract. 7.8 8 is the approval of the Fox Valley Career Center joint agreement. 7.9 is the approval of the classroom use agreement with Mid Valley Special Education Cooperative. And 7.10 is the approval to purchase uh fiscal year 27 elementary school supplies. >> All right. Thank you. Anyone have any questions? >> I was curious what the $3,000 donation for postp promia is used for. So, the donation is used to help secure the facility site uh in the costs associated with that. Um it goes into some of the refreshments and supplies to provide everybody uh for the evening as well. >> I think you mentioned that like the parents kind of plan this or the parents. >> Yeah,
059this is a parentled initiative. Uh but we're kind of like the the ways and means group, you know, we help them. >> Yeah. I volunteered at the event. Help the kids come in and park safely, but it's a great night. It's after prom. It's a safe space. They're bowling, playing putt putt, and roller skating. So, yeah, >> it's a really great night. Yeah. >> Uh and then, um how does the district furnish transportation for the Fox Valley Career Center programs? >> We use our bus vendors, uh our bus vendor for that. Yeah. So, our bus company transport them from the high school to the facility and back. >> Do Do kids ever transport themselves if they're if they have their license and or are they expected to? >> No. Uh I believe we Joanne, we
060handle all the transportation on that, right? >> Yes. >> Some programs they do themselves but >> Okay. >> Uh and then I just was wondering if there were any changes to the Fox Valley Career Center agreement or is it the same as previous? No changes. >> No changes. All the terms and agreements are the same. Uh the only thing you might see increases when we have to pay our tuition rates that go up because they're based on the uh Kalin school district teacher contract. So when they're uh teacher contract sees increases we all the member membership school districts contribute to that. >> And then my last question was the school supply lists are they periodically reviewed with teachers? >> The >> yes but I'm gonna need some help on that because I got help on
061that uh answer to your question. But in general, yes, the when the program began, it uh the listing was created uh with teacher input, but also based on what we knew were supplies being asked for uh people to purchase. And then over time, there's an annual review process. We have a district catalog that is used, so we have a consistent provider and supplier for all of our our needs there. >> The elementary level teachers have a a default list, but they can create their own list based off of that catalog. Anything else? All right. Anyone else? >> Okay. I will entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda as presented and clarified. >> So moved by Katie. >> Second by Danielle. Cindy, please lead us in a roll call vote. >> Syber. >> Yes. >>
062Swiki. >> Yes. >> Kilberg. >> Yes. >> Meadows. >> Yes. >> Arlandu. >> Yes. All right. Thank you very much. That is the consent agenda for reports. Tom, would you like to lead us for any foyer requests? >> Sure. We had four requests. Those were presented to you in the board memo. Um, all were granted. Pretty straightforward. >> All right, Tony, treasurer. >> Nothing out of the ordinary this month. >> I love it when you have nothing out of the ordinary. >> All right. Committee reports and updates. >> Yeah. Um, so before any of the board members want to talk about any of the committees you of these uh committees that you sat on to just the committees all met, I'll speak more specifically to DCC, our district coordinating council. Uh, we met and we've
063had an ongoing series of conversations. Um, typically our meetings have we have a general report out from all of our major uh committee group leaders and u co-chairs. And then from there uh some of the specific discussions we had as noted in the in the memo to you uh we discussed uh some of our future AI um procedural development and how to kind of think about moving forward together on that work. Um we talked about the financial forecast in kind of a holistic manner for the district. Um, I think you kind of heard a little preview of that conversation from uh Drew Ray tonight in his comments, but we're certainly what we're trying to do is avoid coming to FY29 as we planned for that year's budget, realizing we did nothing until that point and
064we had a we have a huge cliff to face. If we can make some uh wise decisions now, wise decisions next year, we I I really do believe that working together, we'll be able to prioritize where our resources go um and move forward so that it is going to feel seamless for us and potentially even move that cliff further back now. And that's usually the goal is when we're looking at these forecasts that Tony provides us, we want to see that kind of moving backwards and and as far out as possible. So, um, that was, yeah, and then we talked about a little bit about BPSU and just some, uh, future plans and ideas and thoughts and having conversations about that. And that, I'll turn it over to you all if you have anything you
065want to share from your committee experiences. >> I went to the RACK meeting, but I think we're covering a lot of what was covered later in this meeting, so I don't need to go over any of that, I don't think. Um, could I provide some VIC updates at this point? >> Sure, let's do that. Yeah. >> Uh, I went to the VIC meeting and it was great. Um, one thing they talked about was, uh, wanting clarification on PTO uh, providing funds to teachers and how that process, it sounds like it has maybe been a little different school to school. So, they've asked for um clarification so that there's some consistency. Um we got to learn about a little more about the BAFF camps. They're getting input. They're not live for registration yet, but it's always
066exciting to look at the camps, especially as a parent with, you know, kids who get bored over the summer. Uh music buffs gave an update. They have their big mattress fundraiser coming up. Uh some parents are trying to get a PTO together for RTO. So that's kind of exciting. They want to, you know, they'll they'll probably start small, but they want to get something going so that they can at least in the very least like be there to support the teachers. So I thought that was great. Um oh, one of the members suggested having the BIC meetings at different schools, which I thought was a great idea. So, it sounds like they're going to be moving ahead with that for next year so that people have the opportunity to see other schools that they might
067not normally see. Uh, and then the other thing I thought was possible for us to have two board members at a BIC meeting if we wanted to. Correct. >> So, I know that there's only four. So, I thought for next year, give more people an opportunity if they really want to go, could we open it up so that minimally one at each big meeting? But there could be two because I know you were there at the beginning and I mean technically you could have stayed. >> I could have. Yes. >> If you really wanted to. >> I popped in a couple times. Uh just a thought. >> May I add on? >> Yeah. And one other announcement I thought was interesting because this is a as you all know this is a group of parents
068who just volunteer their time to do something for their kids and give back to their school community, right? Uh one suggestion that I thought was brilliant. Uh they are all pretty excited about the idea that we do a facility tour for them. um very similar to the conversation at this table where the parents noted that I don't know what the other elementary buildings look like and it'd be cool to see that and understand when we're trying to support the school district what what that means and what it looks like. Uh so I thought that was a really cool point that they raised. So we're going to try and uh Don't worry Mark. I I'm gonna figure it out. I got it. Don't worry. Um >> uh there there's no board constraint meetings on that stuff.
069So but we're going to do that. I really like that idea. And then, you know, for a lot of the parents who don't have students who have attended RMS or BHS yet, they were also kind of like, it'd be cool to see what those facilities look like, you know. So, um yeah, that was that's another point. Otherwise, Christian covered it all. >> Yeah. I guess the other thing I'll say, I was there for a little bit. I had an obligation so I couldn't stay long but um because I see someone who's at the meeting here in attendance but uh just to thank everybody who participates on those PTOs and those different organizations like Tom said and Kristen said they're all volunteers they're all uh doing what they can to make a positive contribution not only
070for their children but for everybody where they're participating. So, um I just want to say thank you because the district would not be able to function without folks like that uh lending their uh expertise, time, and uh goodwill. Any other committee updates? That doesn't end the report. Okay. Thank you. >> All right. Workbased learning. Brad. >> Yeah. We're going to invite a few special guests up here. Mr. Brian Austinitzki from our high school. So we're really happy to have them kind of give the board a little bit of an update and a little bit of an ask too around workbased learning and some of the exciting work that we're undertaking um throughout our secondary school. >> So good evening. Uh I'm Brian Gamlin. I'm one of the assistant principles at the high school. >> I'm
071Mike Thealt, uh one of the one of the teachers working on workbased learning. >> And I'm Austin Civitzki. I'm also working on the workbased learning program. >> Uh we'll apologize in advance. There is going to be a lot of technical jargon and vocabulary in this. So we did prep a doc in advance that had a lot of that on there. Go ahead in your folders. We printed out for you. We thought ahead. >> Um lots and lots of you know acronyms and things like that that we're used to. Um we've as a team have spent about three years now digging into this in terms of looking at what the state requirements are, what the changes we need to make are and then so for us a lot of this is second nature but we understand
072that other people haven't haven't had that. Um so in that time we've studied um we have uh you know what let me click to the next item before I dig too deep in the purpose tonight. Our goal is to unpack kind of where we're at on the college career pathway endorsements. It was in the July of 2023 when I presented to the board on that last and that was kind of just the beginning of that progress. We're going to give you a status update on where we're at. We're going to dive into the next layer which is the workbased learning layer and unpack that. Probably haven't really ever done that deeply for the board and then we're going to talk about our new field experience course where that's at. You approved that in I think
073November or December and kind of where we're at with implementing that for next year. Uh but again backing up like we've spent three years or so digging into this. We've connected with a lot of other great school systems. We visited Lake Zurich, Yorkville, uh the Neapville 203 districts, West Aurora, you know, Wheaten North, Wheaten South, um and just had the chance to like gather information from them about the challenges of building programs like these as well as some of like the learning about best practices through their implementation. And that way we can kind of bring what we believe are all the best parts from all the different programs we feel we would want to emulate. Uh we'll give credit to Neapville uh 203. We stole a lot of parts of theirs. They're the one furthest
074along, but that also aligns more closely with our vision. So we unpack a lot more pieces that some credit is due to them. Uh but I'll kind of dig in a little bit more here then. So, some background and why why are we here to talk tonight and what are some of the changes we need and what drives that? Um, so I'm going to give you some of the what I refer to as the adult reasons why we need this. Uh, so the state has enacted the need for school districts and high schools to to offer these college career pathway endorsements and those are the different clusters on the right hand side that that are part of those pathway endorsements. So, we were required by that statute to have our first endorsement done and ready
075for the class of 2027. And it's a little deceiving because you got to back up two years, at least two years in front of that date because the that's when the first graduates need to get out and these are two-year programs. Uh so, we launched education pathways as our first one under uh human services there, human and public services. Our plan for our second one by 2029 is the engineering pathway. And so that means we've got to have some ducks in a row for next year on that so that that pathway can progress. Um, and there's a lot of pre-work that goes into these things before they're launched and such. I did a little deep dive, but we started work on the education one in 2021. uh thankfully with a grant from our region that
076that helped us get the coursework started, helped us through the application process and all the other hoops you have to jump through to kind of develop these. Our third pathway is kind of undetermined at this time. We got to kind of look at where our students interests lie as well as where our resources lie. That could be in computer science, it could be in health sciences, it could be in business. Um it's kind of we're not ready for that one quite yet. So that's kind of like the first adult reason. The second adult reason is our old link class. If you've ever heard that term, the the acronym was learning through internships nurtures knowledge. Uh that's what the course was created about 20 years ago. Um as an internship course and that course has run
077its course. It's 20 years old. It doesn't really align with the state standards and the expectations of the pathways. And so it's time to retire that and replace it with the field experience. And kind of the other adult reason is the teacher that teaches that is retiring this year. Uh Coach Piran's been doing that for about eight years. He won't be here next year. So we need new teachers to take that over. Um I'm going to make a shift then. Why do our students need this? And this is still a little bit on the adult side. Why do the adults believe our students need this? Um, so if you look at like the the model on the left and you think generationally, I'm a Gen X. I believe my peers here are more millennials and
078then you've got Gen Z, Gen Alpha, and now Gen Beta. But back in my generation, the pathway on the left was pretty much kind of the model everyone had. Like you do your schooling, you keep progressing to the job, you keep getting promoted, you're on that very clear linear path towards whatever you define success is. Uh, and that in this day and age is not an accurate depiction of what the world of work looks like anymore. And if you're some of those newer generations, like I was doing a little generational research, like uh my generation was the first like pre-post internet. And then the next generation, the millennials, like they always had Wi-Fi and they were the first generation with social media. Gen Z has always had social media and they're the first generation with
079smartphones. Gen Alpha is what's at the high school now. They're the first ones that have AI and algorithms that drive all the time what they're seeing and what they're viewing. And then Gen Beta is what's you know being born now. They'll be the first generation with those advanced models of AI uh that are completely changing the way the work world looks. So what we need to do is kind of back up and focus on like employability skills and other experiences that are going to help students make wise choices or be better prepared for a myriad set of options in their future. Um kind of the old option two had some pitfalls where students might not explore deeply in their career area. They're good at math and science. So, mom and dad have always said I
080should be an engineer. And pretty soon I spent four years at a very expensive engineering school, and I have no idea if I really like this or want to do this. Um, and we kind of believe that's not a great model to find out at the end when you have to pay that bill that it's not for you. uh kind of that last subset was like we first started having a career counselor at BHS maybe five or six years ago for our students that don't graduate and have postsecary as kind of like their like I'm going to college right away. We really want to have better options for them other than just exiting for like a fast food or a retail entry level position. There are lots better career opportunities even in our community. Um
081and we need to help coach kids onto those pathways. So if I transition that like the next layer, this is kind of like why from our students but from their voices more so um indirectly. This is a survey data that comes out of U science and U science is one of the vendors um that does a lot of career exploration and surveys and programming to help students figure out what are your strengths, what are your areas that you're most interested, what seems to be like the pathways or clusters that best fit your personality. Um you can see this is what students are telling us. Um, and it's pretty clear and pretty charging to us what we need to kind of address and fix for them. Um, and we believe Betavia students really aren't that different
082from the national data set in terms of those the needs and what they're telling us. My transition from this is like when you take all that background and rationale, we're going to now kind of back out a little bit here. I'm going to hand it off to Austin. Like this is kind of like the why we're here tonight. We need to unpack a little bit of about work-based learning for you and then we'll tie it back to pathways here in a minute. >> Thank you. Can I walk and talk? Will you hear me if I walk up there? >> I'm walk. >> I think I should ask before I start going. Hello. All right. So, this graphic might be very new to everybody. There's kind of two up there. The first one, the taller one,
083the workbased learning continuum. um that's the one that the state sent out and then we kind of broke it down for the high school level. So what we're here to talk about is the workbased learning continuum. When we started this work three years ago, we thought that workbased learning was the capstone class. It's not. Work-based learning is really this continuum K through 12. So if your kids went through BPS 101, you might have had that first career awareness and your students went to the public works and you went on a field trip. Might have been your first time first career exploration type of awareness pieces. So when we're looking at that first green box, um that's K12, that awareness piece. We're doing lots of awareness at the elementary and middle and high school. We're more
084focused on the middle and high school right now when talking about our work-based learning continuum and that transition to field experience. So our career awareness um and career exploration, those are like those earlier stages, the very beginning of the workbased learning continuum. In the freshman sophomore level, you'll see that we have like career exploration lessons. our counseling and advising team go in to our core classes and meet with all of our freshmen and all of our sophomore. They do a 90minute lesson specifically on what career pathways could be for them. So that's kind of like that first career exploration activity at the high school level. So um as we've continued going through this continuum, the team based challenges are focused in our career and technical education courses. We're doing a lot of team based challenges
085inviting business partners in. We're doing um specifically our employability skills and there's 10 of those. that's at the very bottom of your jargon sheet. We'll talk more about those 10 essential employability skills and technical competencies as well when we continue on through this. So, in our career and technical education courses, we work on the 10 essential employability skills. We had guest speakers in. We do team based challenges, career exploration events. Um, all of our freshmen went to uh Wanty Community College this fall to do a career exploration event as well. We had tons of vendors from the local area. Super cool event to go to. So, we're doing a lot of these really cool pieces of the workbased learning continuum throughout our our pathway throughout K12. Um, but we're really focused on the red box.
086Click it. Yeah, it's going to look good. So, the workbased learning continuum focused. Did I not push the right button? Which button? >> Oh, thank you. >> There should be like should be like advance. It's all good. There we go. Perfect. Oh, transition, man. All right. Good, good, good. Okay. Good thing I wasn't walking and talking. >> It's good. So, our big focus today. Sorry for the, you know, jargon. Um, is that red box, the career development experience. That's our field experience course that we're really going to dive deeper in, um, and talk more about that specifically. So, you'll see in the junior senior year that field experience. We're going to talk a lot about what that field experience course looks like, but also that bottom part is the CTE courses. Our freshman, sophomore level,
087we want our kid, if you're interested in going into business, you should be taking our CTE business classes, our accounting classes, maybe our incubator course, maybe refine it more, do if you're interested in engineering, taking our engineering courses, transition in, and we're going to talk a whole lot about what our field experience looks like from here. The last two boxes I did want to touch on would be the youth pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs. not something we're going to offer. After talking with colleagues in other area districts, that is more of a state level piece. That's Mike's going to talk about 450 hours, not something here at EPS 101 that we're doing in a high school day. Um, but the state really needs to get on board with like the union pieces of this one. We're
088not there yet. So, we're focusing specifically on our field experience course. >> Awesome. >> Okay, >> Ryan, back to you. >> So, that's a little bit about workbased learning. We'll draw some more connections for you here. Um, but I'm going to circle back to some graphics from three years ago about the college career pathways. So, from our perspective, the work-based learning, college career pathways go hand in hand. Um, but there are some nuances and differences. I believe every student needs exposure to the work-based learning. Not every student will be a fit or is wanting a college career pathway endorsement in the high school. That's going to be for subsets of students. Uh, and the two key things we're looking for subsets of students that are ready ready for that type of an experience. And Mike
089will talk a lot about readiness as well as committed like going for that college career pathway endorsement. You really have to have like this is what I want. This is what I really know I want to do. I want to dig in deeply. Um, so for example, when we launched our education pathway, there were a number of students that their comment to us was like, I've been waiting for these classes. I'm so glad you offered these classes. I always knew I wanted to do this. Thank you for like allowing that structure to come together. So again, work-based learning is for everybody. The college career pathway endorsements are designed for more specific subsets of students. There's some basic requirements under the professional learning that the students have to do. They have to have at least two
090CTE classes. Those classes have to be dual credit or college credit earning. They have to do at least two team- based challenges, two career exploration activities, and then the last kicker part, 60 hours of service, either supervised, paid, professional, um, component pieces there, which most of us use the term internship for that. Um, that's where our field experience comes in. We that's the term we prefer. So, for our education pathway, that 60 hours was built into the courses we designed. uh and with our partner with Wabanzi. So, it was woven in for all of our future career pathway endorsements. It's really a standalone external thing where they would do the coursework and then they would also go into that field experience. Um, it's also a standalone because one difference from like our programming from Neapville
091203s is they'll only do internships or field experience opportunities for students in dedicated pathways versus we still believe there's a need for that for students that aren't necessarily already pathway committed. There's value in them experiencing that opportunity as well. Uh, so that's kind of like that broad background. when we got to that like this is where the link class needs to change. This is where field experience comes in. So I'm going to hand that off to Mike. All right. So field experience really just means a course to cover those 60 hours in any any experience. Um but a course to have those 60 hours. Um the state defines six different types of workplace experiences. Uh, so I'm going to touch on those bottom two. The agricultural experiences and the apprenticeships. Uh, the agricultural experiences are
092ones that are more for rural areas. Uh, you need an agricultural program in your school. So something that we're not going to focus on. Uh, you never know what could happen in the future, but right now that's not our focus. The youth apprenticeships, again, uh, the state defines apprenticeships as 450 plus hours of workplace uh, of actual work. Uh, so students can't get that in a school day. Um so again that's something that has to be set up at the state level um and some different infrastructure with that. So those could be down the road but our focus in field experience are the experiences those top four. So the first one studentled uh enterprises those are students who kind of have started up on their own business. So students who've taken our incubator entrepreneurialship classes
093uh would go into that. So, um, they've taken incubator, they want to keep working on their business. They would take field experience, uh, working on their own business and continuing to develop their business. Uh, school-based enterprises, those are, uh, businesses, students who are working for a business that serves the school. So, one example in our district right now is Bulldog Media Team. Those are kids who, uh, do broadcast um, and uh, take pictures for sports, uh, different activities, events around our district. So they would fall in that school-based enterprises. Um the third one is those clinical experiences. Those refer to medical experiences. Uh the main one within our district right now is our BNAT which is our nurse program. Uh that's through the Fox Valley Career Center. So that they kind of take care of
094that aspect of that right now. And then the fourth one which most people think about when they think about workplace experience is the the internship part. And that's you're actually going out in a job in the community. You're working. you're learning and again you're getting those 60 hours of experience through that. >> Okay, that's awesome. >> I can hold it, too. >> Yeah, I'm not very good at that part. >> Oops. All right, so we're kind of breaking down what the calendar looks like for our field experience course. This past fall, you guys approved it, so thank you for that. Um, so we had that approval process go through this past fall, and once we were approved, we really built in that time to talk to our counselors and our students about what is field
095experience? if you want to take this class, who are you? What is this about? We want to make sure that you're ready and fit for this program. So, in the fall, we talked to our counseling department. Um, we met with them during their learning community on a Thursday morning, Mike and I did, and we talked exactly about the student that we would like see in this class in their future. Who is the perfect fit for this class? Who are we trying to recruit? What does this program actually look like? And who are the people that should be taking this class? because our counselors pop into all of our kids' courses and when they're working with our students, they're telling them before course selection, this is what these classes look like. So, it's an important time
096to make sure that our counselors are educated on what the course looks like as well as our students. Once students began that registration process, any student that was interested in becoming a member of our field experience course, came to anformational meeting. We had how many students attend that? >> Uh over over a hundred. >> We had over a hundred students attend those two meetings. So, one of the requirements for this course was if you're interested in come like being a member of our field experience forced course in this next fall, you need to come. We need to make sure that you know kind of what we're expecting of you. And some of our students weeded themselves out during that process. So, we did that in the fall. Um, and that was part of our course
097selection integration that was wrapped up this January. >> So, the the next steps were in the winter and kind of what we're in progress with right now is um we took those 180 students who had interest. We narrowed it down in the meeting. students then narrowed it down again by filling out an application for this course uh who truly felt that they were ready and interested and it fit their schedule. And then with that we pulled their all a bunch of their data uh you know attendance records uh uh GPA just a variety of different data to look at those students and try to see the big picture of which students are going to be ready. The most important part of this process is and I actually got to do this. I got to do
098one-on-one interviews with the students and the interviews were I would say partially an interview but partially a career conversation uh to make sure that as Brian mentioned before that the students were ready for this experience. Um and when we talk about readiness, one example is um if a student wants to go into gra a graphics internship, well we have graphics courses at our high school. We want to make sure they take those graphics courses first and then they go into this internship. So they're going to have uh Yep. shout out there. Uh they're going to they're going to have a much better uh experience in that internship uh in that you know field experience if they have those technical skills already already made. So another one could be engineering. We have a couple engineering courses
099um at the high school. So if a kid wants to be an engineer, you know, one of the questions I would ask is have what courses have you taken already? What math courses? What engineering courses? And uh some of the conversations kind of they don't know that we have those engineering courses. They they should because we we tell them, but sometimes, you know, we miss things. So um those conversations narrowed it down and now we're just getting to the the final, I guess, group where we're going to look at it together and and narrow it down to Brian will talk a little bit more about the exact capacity there. Um the so the next step with this uh in spring and summer now uh we're getting close to that is uh we want to reach
100out to businesses to build partnerships. Now we already have tons of great partnerships through the link program uh that coach Pyon's running uh has run uh through Paige Buddles and um through her career counseling and and the things that she's done with that. So, we want to build off those partnerships and focus on the uh opportunities that our kids uh who are going to be in the class next year need first and then keep going from there. So, uh the next part this spring is really planning the course. Uh Austin and Brian both talked about those employability skills and in this everchanging world of jobs where I've heard a lot of different data about how many times students or uh people change careers uh as they go through life, you know, whether it's 10, 15,
10120. I've even heard um we want to give them the employability skills through this class that the state has identified and businesses have identified as the important skills that are transferable to whatever career you do. So just so I know the board you you have those skills on your sheet but um just so everybody knows some of those skills are teamwork, conflict resolution, uh problem solving, critical thinking, uh planning, organizing, uh initiative and self-drive. Uh those are just some of them. So making sure that students have those skills and can transfer is going to be very important. So that's part of the planning this uh spring and then I'll give it back to Austin for what's happening in the fall. >> So this fall uh spring 20 or not spring fall 2026 our first cohort's
102going to launch. We're super excited to have our first group of kids in the work or in our field experience course. And the big piece of this is we're going to start this class and then send them out. So Mike and I are really going to work as like the coaches of this class. The beginning of our course is going to be a two to three week boot camp where we're going to focus hard on those 10 employability skills. Communication. They're reaching out to businesses, finding those partnerships. Where do I fit? We're going to do some interview skills. They're going to be reaching out to the businesses. They might apply for multiple internship experiences. We are coaching them on how to get those jobs. It's truly up to the student if they do get that
103position, though. So, if a kid doesn't get that, that's when we get like really into those intensive practice pieces of those employability skills to make sure that they're ready for what the real world looks like. We have this wonderful bubble of our four walls. We want to send them out so that they're most prepared for what it looks like outside of those walls. So, in that uh first two, three weeks, we're practicing those employability skills. Then, they're going to get placed into their internship. We will continue getting support uh some evaluation pieces. Is this working? Do we need to transition some of these pieces? What does it really look like? The big thing with this is we want the right candidate. We want the perfect student, but the perfect student doesn't always look like our
104AP kids. We might have kids that going into the trades. We want people that represent BPS 101 the best way possible. Our passionate kids, our kids that really want to go into this career field are the students we want in this. So, when we're looking towards this program and and what it looks like in the future, we want to build a lot of bridges. We don't want to burn any. So when we're working with these kids, our big goal is to start building these employability skills so they represent our district well so we can continue this program and build upon the successes that we have. >> Ask a question. >> Yeah. >> I don't want to break up your flow. >> I mean it's real good. >> You guys are good. >> Uh so I
105just understand. So I mean this is all very exciting. So when we get to the fall with the boot camp >> Yeah. >> Um and you're going to be you know working on these 10 skills. uh we're going to be working to create those partnerships. So like they're not literally going to have to go out and find all internships. It's going to be kind of queued up like here's some opportunities, what's a fit, but you have to go out and get it. It's nothing's guaranteed. Is that accurate? >> Yes, absolutely. >> Okay. >> So like we're trying to present like this could be an opportunity for you. You can apply for it, but you're the one that still has to go interview with them. We're not guaranteeing that that placement's made, but we're giving you
106the opportunity to meet with real business like professionals and personnel in our community to hopefully secure that placement. >> Thank you. >> Yeah, Mike. >> And and just one more thing with that is we we want to build those opportunities uh for all students because some of those opportunities might have only been open to a student in the past if their dad had a business or, you know, they had a neighbor. So, us being able to build those partnerships is really powerful to create opportunities for all students with that. So >> when we've talked with other districts like it's other districts that are further along than us, we can learn from them. And one of the things that was what they communicated is like allowing the business's choice is important too. So that they have
107choice in so if they have one internship position open and three or four of our students apply to it, they might take one, they might take two, they might prefer certain candidates over others. like that's all part of the natural, you know, work progression that all of us have been through that we need to help students get ready for. So, we've had experiences, maybe me more so, where students sometimes misperceive what's going on and they show up and they're like, I'm ready for you to just hand me my internship. Where am I going tomorrow? And it's like, well, that's not quite how it works. Like, it's there's a matchmaking process. And part of our job, we'll talk about later, is making sure we have enough of those potential matches on the board for all of
108our students. Um, so that was kind of the neat thing. We were kind of shocked by the number of requests from students. So that's their voice telling you how interested they are in this. Um, but I as kind of the administrator have to kind of rein that back a little bit for you. So give you a little bit perspective. Uh, our biggest challenge I see going into next year or toughest challenge is how do we calibrate and scale our capacity properly for next year? Um because we love to see that level of interest and some of the stories we'll show you a little bit later on are awesome, but like this is incredibly hard work and slow work. This is not thing work that gets done quickly. So for example, when Neighborville North and Central
109High Schools, so two different high schools launched together, they had less than 10 students in internships their first year. Uh and it took them up to their fourth year to get up to about 90. Um, so again, this is not as awesome as those numbers are, that's a lot of work yet. Um, and they have two full-time teachers and a district administrator kind of managing that to get to 90 students. Um, we've been in conversations with the Wheaten High Schools. They got uh a real interesting grant of about $200,000 from their county's ONET program, which is not an acronym on the sheet. I can share that some other time. But their charge was for this spring to find 12 lowincome students in need of an internship at each of the two high schools. So their
110round one is only going to be 24 students total. Um again our challenge is what is the right scale? What's the right calibration for us that we're successful? Don't dive in too deep but also don't come up short. It's very difficult for us to listen to the students stories, their internships, their wishes, their desires, and then have to refine it down and tell some of them like sorry like I I don't have room for that or I don't know if I can do that. Um we believe and maybe we're a little naive in this too that we have capacity to do more than we think in the first year. We have some advantages that some of those other schools did not have. They did not have a link program. typically this was their first foray
111into internships whereas we're building off of a foundation that exists already. Um they also don't have some of the different internal pieces we have where we talk about the bulldog media team or some of the other opportunities that have been built. Um, we've had a manufacturing cohort that hasn't always gone successfully with Wabanzi, but we've had some opportunities to make connections with local businesses and Matavia and have conversations about structured internship opportunities there that are not just sweep the floor and clock in and clock out type things with Suncast with Betavia Container where they're thoughtful, well-designed internship opportunities for students. Um and so our struggle is that calibration. At the moment I would put us we believe probably 40 to 45 students is something we think we can handle for next year. Um we'll you'll
112see how that looks later on like if we can actually do that. But um that's kind of where we think we're at and we have some more to unpack here a little bit. But uh that's kind of where we're at in terms of our future work. And this is more kind of me and supporting both of these teachers is how do I best support them as we they launch that first cohort. Any initial offering the behind thescenes lift is way more challenging than it appears when you're doing something like this for the first time. So supporting them in terms of getting all of that rolling is super important. As a team, we need to build connections so that we have more of those internship opportunities for students kind of pre-mapped out. Job shadowing is a
113component of work-based learning that as a district I feel we could do a lot more with and it's a possibly softer entry for some of our business partners where they're like, I can't do an intern. Like, I don't know what that is, but I could have a student job shadow for an hour or two or a half a day. And then once you've made that entry and they meet some of our students, there's a greater likelihood they're like, I think I could maybe do an intern. Um, so that that's definitely on our list. When we talk with some of our partners, uh, Neighborville's internship program, they have dual credit with COOD for that program experience, and I'm in conversations with Wabanzi about what that may look like. And if that doesn't work out, I I
114think we have the ability to pivot to Cood as a partner for that. And then uh again if you look at the chart, this is a chart about students um telling us when they start thinking about their careers. You notice the sixth and eighth through 8th grade and the nth through seventh grade are huge there. They're telling us like that that's when they're really starting to dig into this. So part of our work and Brad and I have had discussions on this for a long time is like how do we increase exploration opportunities at the middle school so that we can begin some of these things earlier there's greater understanding of what that can look like as they plan their four years. Is that it? I think so. Back to you. >> Okay. So, one
115thing, this is kind of our uh we've worked with the district uh recently to really get this going, but we want to be a model. Um if we're going to ask the community uh to to take our students and take our interns, then we also want our district to serve as a model for that. Uh so, this is something we've started working on with our district. And being being the district we are and the and the large district we are, we have a lot of opportunities and careers that are built within our district, whether it's maintenance, marketing, accounting, uh logistics, athletics, there there's so many opportunities for kids to learn within our district, which uh also at times if a kid doesn't have something like transportation, provides them the opportunity to still get a great
116uh I guess rigorous workplace experience, but right here within our district. So, we're very excited for the opportunity um to be able to do that and keep uh this spring keep building those opportunities for our students. Um now, our last thing here, getting to the wh I'll go back. Can I go back here? There we go. Uh getting to the fun stuff. Um we're we're so excited for all the things that our students are already doing in the district with workplace learning. uh whether it's in some of these incubator uh classes, the entrepreneurial classes, or whether it's in the link course right now. Um and we're very excited for the opportunities that this field exper uh field experience uh course is going to uh give our students in the future. So, we have a quick
117video that was actually made by um one of our students who's actually been working with us this semester, Jack Wetzel. So, he made this video, pretty cool. Cut it up of a lot of other students. These are current students in our district now. So, we'll go ahead and watch that. And Holly, if you could uh once you play it, if you could just hit the bottom right to make it bigger. >> Sound. >> Classic. No sound. I watch everything with closed captioning anyway. That's how I watch every movie these days. And Jack did Jack did put sound on the video. There there is >> there is >> Stick with it. Don't give up. >> That is an employability skill. Persistence. Well done, sir. >> Yes, nice timing. >> While they're working on that, we can
118do a few questions because the video is really blow. >> There we go. 450 people in the neck. My name is Jack. >> Then if you could just make it big >> and I'm founder of >> My name is Andrew Hager for my internship. >> I'm Sarah for my internship. I work at >> I recently just gave a pitch or a keynote in front of about 450 people and then next year I'll be giving one in front of 600 plus people. Right now I put a ceiling of about 10 to 20k a month profit, but I'm shooting for some pretty high goals at the end of the year. >> I've worked on a lot of trucks, done a lot of things that I 17 or 18year-old doesn't typically do. >> I love working with a
119lot of veterans come in and we got to redesign different lights for that which I love doing. >> I'm Jack Watson. I'm looking to be intern for electrician. >> I'm photography. >> I'm Braden White. I make graphics and ebike graphics. >> My name is Charlie Wendy, founder of Chuck Cheeseburg. It'll give me like a a step ahead before. So, I'll get what a year or 6 months ahead of everybody else. I think it'll help me a lot. >> Field experience. I'm super excited. I feel like it's a more structured thing to give me more opportunities to learn especially more like business aspect. >> I do like probably 10 to 15 orders a day in just an hour and a half that I have with this class. I do five sheets of decals. So that's 50
120orders. >> Set up in the market was 100 to 150 burgers every Saturday morning. And then also we did BY as well and that did pretty well. 80 to 120 burgers every Saturday as well. >> My name is Eddie and I'm currently in link and I do I have a YouTube channel. >> My name is Ray Roberts. I'm the student leader of the Battavia Bulldog media team. >> I'm coach Pan. I think the key thing has been over the last few years is giving students time their creative passions and it can't have some of the same restrictions that a classroom setting has. >> I'm pretty busy throughout the day. I do sports, got homework, too. So, link I have the opportunity to go home, get the work done there, and have a better schedule. >>
121We've got between 15 and 20, but we're hoping to expand with the incoming freshman next year. Hoping to expand that number to upwards of 30 people. >> We can provide opportunities for kids to realize their dreams that won't ever happen under a lot of normal circumstances. Simp not giving them that gift of time in their day to work on a passion. >> There is no limit to doing whatever you want. It just seems fun. >> It's been great. I've been proof. >> I think that I've developed a lot of leadership skills just being able to improve and help others improve as well. >> It was really cool to have. >> That's awesome. >> They can do cool things like this. >> It was something I cared about. I'm super excited. >> Awesome. So again, that
122was just a video clip from one of our current interns and voices of multiple other interns. And >> at this point in time, we're open for questions. >> Very comprehensive presentation. >> I don't know. I don't have too many questions. So how are you looking for um like commners and vendor partners? What is what's your process or are you still figuring that out a little bit which is that it's okay? Part of it is knowing which ones to target, which is where the interviews come into play. So, like you don't want to start aiming for something that that's not in align with what the kids are asking. Okay. >> So, um we're now probably in the next week or so ready to begin like our strategy. >> Obviously, the chambers one, like we said, internal
123models within the district itself is another one. We've already had some of those conversations. We had conversations with Mark about what that might look like in the athletics department. Um, and so like it's putting together that puzzle board with those pieces now that we know what the kids are interested in. >> Great. Thank you. >> Any other questions? >> I would just say like anecdotally like I have a junior in high school and I have a daughter in college and like what work will look like uh with this AI revolution we're going through is a exciting but also very scary. And so the kids are kind of wondering like uh is this even going to be a option in five years? And so I think the access to go out and collaborate with business partners
124and get that experience and see what the work actually is and understand because I think I'm of well I'm older than Brian actually but uh you know we would you would get a major because you're good at math or what you said and you just like well I'll be an engineer but then you didn't really know what it was and then you're wasting time and effort and maybe you don't realize that mistake. You've already graduated from college. So I think for these kids to get that like several of the students said to get that leg up uh is amazing. So I applaud you because I know this has got to be a tremendous amount of work to build this thing. So thank you for that. >> Anyone else? >> Thank you very much for this
125great job. >> All right. Try to follow this up with a board policy reading. Brad. >> Sure. I'm gonna actually start with Erin. We have one board policy. This was a hold over from um a couple policy committees ago because we wanted to really study it and look at it about uh homeschool students and part-time attendance. They're kind of complicated issues. So, uh we had our special ed attorney, the district's special ed attorney weigh in on this. We used press uh for some of those pieces. We were seeing in our own implementation of this policy, there were some inconsistencies just because there was a lot of stuff in it and we tried to really make it crystal clear about what opportunities are available for part-time attendants or for homeschool students. Um, and hopefully we achieve
126that. Erin, do you want to >> Yeah, I just I had my notes. So yeah, we met on the second and it was a pretty robust conversation about this and really and Brad clarify this for me if I make a mistake in stating it for the board, but uh we have these uh non-fultime students uh whether they're going to parochial schools or homeschooled and they will seek out for part-time enrollment and so it better defines their eligibility and then it defines what they're eligible for a service. A lot of this is with like special ed and that type of thing but also with extracurriculars what they can participate in. So, uh, I think we were having a lot of challenges in that area and this is just creating a policy that provides more clarity for
127us and the families of the community. Is that accurate? >> Correct. >> Okay. >> So, this is the first reading, no action today. >> So, if people have feedback, please contact me, let me know, and then we'll bring this back next month and see where it's at. >> Right. Thank you very much. Community outreach update. Holly, >> I am very excited to share with you. We have two new things that we'll be launching in the next month. One is, and this is response to surveys we received after the referendum and the public opinion survey that was performed by Fallon Research last May. Um, our communication efforts were missing portions of our community and our stakeholder groups. uh specifically non-parents and future parents. Uh those two groups responded as unsure at a higher rate than current
128parents and our own staff. So, we needed to come up with ways to try to engage those people that were unsure so that in uh future conversations, they would know more about what we're doing and what we're proud of here at BPS 101. Um so, we found two things that we're very excited about. We have a new print and mailed newsletter that will be going out to every address in our district boundaries. Uh all of those mail routes. Um and it is going to be dropped on the 20th. So this Friday uh the first issue of the district dispatch uh will be in the homes of all in our community and we're excited to story tell about what's happening. Uh we did a great interview with the first grade team at Grace McWain. Uh an
129awesome show of a firstear teacher and a very tenure teacher in our district working four of them are working in the same team and the same grade group and they're just an it's an awesome story. So look forward to reading that. Um we'll be doing that two times per year. One now and then one hopefully again in the fall. Um, then we have a new podcast that's coming out. Actually, I wanted to show you what the um our district dispatch looks like. So, here's just kind of a little preview um for the public to see. Uh that's that cute first grade team. Uh it's kind of a window into the classroom and you'll see that they just kind of talk about all the great things that are happening at Grace McWain. There's a just poetic
130letter from our superintendent. welcoming them to the conversation with our district. Uh, and you can see on the the sidebar there's some enrollment, you know, for kindergarten enrollment. So, people can quickly scan that QR code to um enroll their kid for next year. We have a little uh story on the site about the honor roll AP honor roll uh certificate that was uh earned by the high school. Again, more pictures. Cute. Everybody loves the school. um and just a really nice way to connect with our community. Um it also is soft launching a um community voices group that we are going to be forming that will help us to get all perspectives in the conversation and a feedback loop with our community. So, this is again why we want to get this in everyone's hands
131so that people that have been disconnected from us can now find a way to connect and have their voice heard uh in our in some of the decisions that we make here in this district. So, a little soft launch there of that community voices group. More to come on that. Um and secondly, I wanted to share with you um our new we are going to have a podcast and it is called Kids These Days. Um, and the idea behind that is it's kind of a intergenerational conversation. Um, so that the older folks in our community when they say kids these days can actually have a foundation in the conversation with a real student. So, uh, we recorded this two weeks ago. Um, by the end of this month or beginning of next month, it will
132have its first episode will be, um, put out and we interviewed a senior student at Betavia High School and, uh, Craig Foltos, the barberh shop owner. Um, and the two of them just sit and talk about really what was it like? What did you think of, you know, what is my favorite class was this? What's yours? Uh, did you have a job? How do you get money? How much screen time do you have? It's a really really cute conversation. I encourage people to uh listen. Um and it is uh through a local podcast company. So, we're really excited with that partnership. Um and we'll be putting this out once a month um in the school year. So, again, we started it late in this year so we can get a couple under our legs, make
133some improvements over the summer, and relaunch again um in the fall. So, super excited about that. We'll weave into that conversation also some of the reasons why there's differences today. versus before um and again giving more information out to our community. So um we are really excited about this. We really hope that we engage some new people um some that are interested in podcasts and some that are, you know, really interested in having something in their hand to read and be delivered at their doorstep. So that's a report for two exciting things coming up in the communications department. >> And where can you find that podcast? >> Um it will be on what's it's um Richard Clark's uh podcast. It's the area code. >> Yeah, area code Bavia. He is going to um put it
134out on his stream and then also we'll have it embedded on our website >> and that's it. >> Any comments, questions? >> Nothing but positive. I think that's is all a great idea. uh the park district has started these monthly conversations and it kind of reminded me of that like intergenerational discussions you know about Battavia. Um so I think I think it's a great idea. >> Thank you. >> Well, thank you very much. All right. All right. And as a reminder, we are uh for our action section of our agenda, we're going to be discussing and u voting, I guess a voting on or discussing approval of the student board member program. So that's item 9.3. So uh Danielle and Rob, would you like to lead us through this? You guys took the reigns of
135it last time and we >> appreciate it very much. >> Yeah. Okay. So I think um what's attached here is just some notes from our meeting. Um, I guess we can kind of briefly go over that and Rob and I just chime in and you guys can ask any questions. Um, again, we we met. It was really to try to find a way to just create something there. I want to preface everything with saying that this is really a timesensitive type of um I don't know even know thing to turn around because if we if we do want to achieve this we do need to have some things in place. So um we walked through uh as you can see as we start off we start off with like what do we want the details
136of the position to be what grade level how many members. Um, we could definitely go up from two members eventually, but we figured two members would be a great thing to start with. Um, we would start with a junior and a senior and then you would alternate. So, you know, obviously the next year, the second year, you would be having that junior at a two-year term, move up to a senior, and then we would be looking to bring on a new junior. Um, so that you're always having someone who's had a little bit of experience and you have that new junior coming in shadowing, just kind of how we used to kind of deal with our ambassador program. Um, we really spoke about I don't know if Rob you want to add anything specific in,
137but we really really felt it was important for um the K through eight voices to be brought in a bit more. I mean, they've done a great job with bringing in especially the middle school, but we really would like this um role to incorporate more of bringing in the K through eight voices. And how that's done is something that will determine as we roll this out because this is going to be new. It's going to be an opportunity um for these first two to really really like make it what it needs to be. Give our feedback be very very fluid because it's just the details of it I don't think we're going to understand until we get into it. Um and I think so the the rest of the layout I don't want to go
138too much in detail with like every little piece. So you guys just ask questions, but um and we really try to lay out what does the uh process look like for application. Um we kind of came up with the IASB has samples and so we took that and basically edited. It's not included in this but I think you guys have access to it. The editing was horrible like when it got sent to you guys. I'm sorry. um we kind of try to plug it in, but basically what we'd be looking at is it the students would have um access to the job description. Um they would have to turn in one staff recommendation. Does not have to be a teacher. Um it just has to be a staff member of BPS. Um along with that,
139there is a template kind of that we would lead into a a student letter, if you will, where we're kind of asking, why do you want to do this? What are some ideas? Um and then they would turn that in with that letter of recommendation and that is something then we would go forward into a um process where I think all of our all of us board members perhaps if the timeline works right we would have a close session to kind of go over our top picks and then we would move that into eventually into an interview process when we have an interviewing like maybe committee I don't know if it's Rob and I we'll talk about that a little bit more um how many we're going to do. I mean, it's just going to
140depend on the conversation here. Um, with the hope of by May's board meeting, we would bring to the table then the two candidates that have been it's been narrowed down to, we would recommend and then that way we can bring the students on and they're take their oath by June. >> Yeah, exactly right. So, a couple other things to add here. Um, one, so We're expecting this to be a really a big increase in responsibility and it's it's going to be a big we think it's going to be a big time commitment for people um that want to apply for for this position. So, we want to be pretty clear with that um expectation um so people know what they're what they're getting into um for this. And it's not not to say anything about
141how we've done done it in the past student ambassadors program, but we I think we want to take it to the next level here a little bit. So the expectation for involvement and responsibility will be um taking a step up here. Um uh let's see u the I guess the one of one discussion point and Danielle touched on it but okay. So we want um the entire board to give input and feedback on um you know the fi the final candidate selection of course but uh but leading into it. So we'd like to have your guys's input. Is that something versus we can designate maybe a couple people. I guess those are the two options. um you know, we can designate one or two board members to kind of lead maybe up to getting potential
142candidates, you know, narrowing it down to two or three potential candidates. Um or we can have more of a everyone involved in in that decision. So, that's maybe one one question to discuss right now. What's your guys' thoughts on that? So would you be saying like uh like we have a however we winnow the candidates then the option is like a panel interview with all the board or the option would be like we select two or three people to be a representative probably two to be a representative of the board to do like the in-person is that what you're kind of asking right now or not. >> Yeah. So there's two parts of it probably one is to um narrow down the candidates. So let's let's just say we get 20 20 applications and we
143want to we want six to interview something like that. So that's the first thing >> that would be the an April close session potentially if we're able to do that. So you would have a interview you would have application window of about a month open. >> Again we're on a tight timeline. So this is not ideal but if we want to be able to have either ambassadors or student board members this is the only way we're going to achieve it. Um, it's not ideal, but it's the only way to achieve it. So, we would open up the application process maybe hopefully on the 20th if we can get our things taken care of. Close it on April 20th. We need to talk about where the applications are going and make sure that it as a
144board can we have access to them before our 21st meeting so that on the 21st we can hold a close session and everyone can come to the table and voice like, "Yeah, this is my top pick or my top two top top picks." Yeah. >> And I think depending on how many applications we get, I think at that time we can determine, do we want to narrow it down to three people that we're interviewing, 10 people? I mean, and kind of go from there. >> And it may depend on >> I mean, how many we get, >> but we want to make sure every board member, >> we want to make sure every board member can be part of the conversation. I don't think that we can I like honestly I don't know how we
145would make >> I don't think we can interview this year with every board member at the table. That's a little overwhelming, too. But um for the kids, but also time time wise, I think it's going to have to come down to maybe two people going potentially to the high school like we do with ambassador program or having them doing something where that would happen between April after our April meeting. We have our narrow down list and then through so that we can make that decision by May and bring it to the rest of the board. >> Yeah. I think to get all of us involved with especially like if I'm looking at this right I think like we would the 19th is like the day before commencement. So it's a very robust I mean it's
146just like the intensity of that last month of school is something else. Uh I think >> yeah I think >> the only good thing is we're we'll be interviewing like sophomores and juniors. >> That's true. Right. So, it's not going to be the seniors that are >> exactly >> kind of on their way out. But >> yeah, >> it's not ideal, but we don't have anything else to work with. >> No, there's no other options. >> And I don't think I mean, at least me, I understand what we're trying to do. And it may look different next year, and that's fine. Right. Because we're trying to >> You guys have done >> Yeah. >> Yman's job at getting this up and running and getting a framework put together and effectively a month. Yeah. >> To
147try to look at it. I I have a couple of question. one I it doesn't matter to me whether it's how it's broken apart. I mean I think it needs to be fair and it needs to be appropriate. Some of it needs to be maybe a bit responsive to if we get five applicants or we get a hundred applicants, right? Like talk about that. >> That's a little bit of a different tact that you guys might say we need to pull an audible and I'm happy to help work through as much as I am able with the team here to communicate as I have the ability to do as board president. Um, we will need to check with our attorneys and those in the know about the closed session option if have others done that
148that you've seen at that. So, we just need to make sure that it falls within one of the categories of that. I'm not >> Oh. Oh, the for the selection of >> Yeah. I'm not I'm not saying it doesn't. You may have saying, oh yeah, ISB said do it. I'm just going to get them to check and we'll be good. >> That was the recommend that was on there. The sample was actually from ISB to have the entire board do the interview process um as like a an ability to do that. But >> okay. Yeah. I mean Thomas is looking there's like a line in there where like we think it would be under that. Yeah. >> But it's not like crisply written that seems like it would align. >> And will we need to
149do a close session? There's only two of us who are >> That's the thing. That's one of the reasons if you if you decide to get two doing the interviews then you don't need to do that. we can certainly do ours and then kind of bring together and just give an update on we selected a few and yeah, >> you know, we don't have to get overly specific with that component. Yeah. Right. So, just I think we can be nimble about how to move forward if everybody's kind of >> in agreement with that. I mean, I I'd like to kind of suggest that you two keep kind of rolling with it and figuring out how to make Yeah. this kind of come together and then we can at the next, you know, meeting or if
150we need to as far of a kind of stronghold with me to be able to kind of figure out how the next steps look if need be. >> Yeah. I mean, if you two are willing to spearhead it because I I'm seeing here you've got a pretty good description of what the job would entail. >> Yeah. I it's a ISB sample and then I pulled some of the the points that Rob and I felt were really important like working with um the primary level um that we also wanted to ensure that they were in the principal advisory committee. Um and the rest of it I think was pretty much already on there. >> Okay. >> Where I didn't touch too much of it. Um and the only thing is that they had two this is
151and I want to be really clear um transparent I should say. ISB a lot of their model was that the principal and the superintendent um interviewed and it was staff recommendations. when Rob and I were going through it, we felt that it was something at this time that the board could handle. Um, especially since we were kind of building it up and that having at least that one staff recommendation kind of like put that part in it, but would also open up the doors to to more students and a little bit more diverse um, collection of abilities and you still have to have that staff recommendation to help with that part too, just so we kind of get a background. But, I mean, in there you have to be in good academic standings. It doesn't
152specify how many clubs you're in or anything like that. So, it gives us that ability to really get students in who are really really interested but not um just one kind of criteria of kid. Um I think the only part that we really need to one of the parts that we really need to hammer out today would be how we get the applications back to us. Like if there's Google forms, how does that work? So that can we have them go to like a Cindy? I don't know if there's like a a board or a board email like where do can the applications come back to if they were like on a Google doc, >> you know? >> Well, we can I mean >> Okay, I'm about to expose my technical >> Did you say
153we can >> technology skills or lack of >> I mean we can have them pop into a population into a folder. Uh, so if you do it through a Google form, >> yeah, >> it's submitted, it gets collected into a folder and that folder can be shared with the board >> and and then you all can just peruse >> that that I think that would be ideal so that we're not all just like, oh my god, the day before the board meeting just starting to go through applications. If there's five, fine. But the only question I had for that is we are asking that part of this application process, they get that staff recommendation. Is there a way for the staff for that to tie and somehow match in behind the scenes to that? No.
154So, how can that hand how can we handle that part? Are we just kind of want match them up as they come in? Maybe I mean I that's I think there's ways to be able to say the staff person would have to put the person's name on it. They're recommending and then we can tie them together. I mean I think that's a solvable nuance that there are ways out there to deal with it. So, I think it's a good plan. >> Okay. Um that way if that way also if the staff member can give that the staff recommendation could give a like it doesn't have to go through the student like college recommendations are right like yeah here it is and this is my opinion about whether the student >> why they're a good fit
155for this. Yeah, you know and that if they didn't submit one that the student doesn't need to know they didn't submit one per se. So >> you know >> well the student would have to know that you would want it because if we won't we won't take the I mean or we could I guess but they >> take it you just they wouldn't get moved to the next phase. >> Yeah. Yeah, I guess we could always look at what's coming in and if they're missing, reach out to the We'll figure that. I don't know that part. I don't want a student to be not have a chance, you know, if that does happen, then maybe they have another staff member they can ask. >> In theory, they would talk around and ask. Did you say,
156"Oh, I didn't have chance." You know, that kind of thing. >> Okay. Yeah. >> So, work based learning experience. >> There you go. >> Application. >> Yeah. >> So, how are we going to advertise this? >> How are we going to get the word out? >> How we can you help us? All uh >> Rob is right down the >> Oh, that's that's very >> All right, we already talked. We're I'm already team student board member. So, yeah, we'll work together to make it work. >> Are we >> so do through like the news, our weekly digest and then we're going to ask Joan to put something in the high school newsletter. that probably be the best and we can always just do a email out to those grades uh families to ask for them.
157>> I I mean I think the question before the board primarily about the nuances of how things happen and whatever to me is not I think those are nuances that can get worked out is do we as a board want to go through a process for this and end up with the junior and the senior as a as a as a student board members. Right. >> Right. >> Who Google Docs aside and whether recommendation letters come in after >> you guys will think through that or others will so >> in a couple days. >> Yeah. Right. Yeah. >> So maybe a couple other real quick things. So policywise, do we need to change anything? Tom and I kind of talked a little bit. >> Yeah. Rob and I spoke today about that. And based on
158what our current policy language is, I I'm not sure there's any policy change that needs to be made. Okay. it it the language is encompassing enough that the changes you're making are more of the pu uh administrative procedures and even in there I think t Danielle you kind of highlighted that earlier I think the model that was used to build the ambassador program has a lot of similar pillars there so might have to tweak a couple things here and there but um yeah no >> it's just >> I wouldn't let that hold you back >> it's the ambassador program just a little leveled up and bringing the voices literally to the table um and giving them opportunity and we will definitely have to work on a lot of those other parts of it as we
159open up, you know, and and figure things out. One of the things that we really talked about too is >> just really understand this and be very fluid, right? That we're we're going to be pivoting. We're going to be asking the students in the first year, can you like just to basically make this role work and that's a big assignment. >> Yeah. We got to really understand, like I said, we're we're expecting like responsibility increase, >> but we got to remember they're still students. So, we we're going to be monitoring that, making sure we're not doing too much here or throwing too many things at them. Um, so one of the other things, uh, just it's in the notes here. But the advisory votes, that's kind of a issue that comes up with the student
160board members. Our initial recommendation is no on that, but that's like Daniel says, that's one we can pivot after we get some more experience in learn about that. We Let's see how you know it goes and uh then we can we can change that as as uh as needed. >> I think our hope is that the board culture will be very much one that allows the students to speak and to give feedback from their peers. Um and as long as we are building that type of culture here at this table, I I think we both felt like it was kind of confusing. It's like, hey, you can give a vote, but it doesn't really count, you know? So just get their feedback and their peers feedback >> without titling it an advisory vote and if
161something needs to be changed like Rob said. >> Yeah, that's the more important thing I think. Um and then one other quick point is so one of the things we talked about is we would give these uh board members uh possibly an initiative to start with. for the school year, something that they're going to work on throughout the year and report back to the board. And so yet to be determined, but this way they have something. And but we said at the same time, we're not that doesn't mean they can't they can still go out and meet with their peers and as they hear things or they want to bring up anything that they'll they can still do that. But um but they will have a task, a job, you know, kind of a project
162to work on for the year. So, an internship if you will. >> And by the way, I want to steal all these skills right here. >> Yeah, right. Can we Okay, but the edit if maybe Holly can put more. I You should have seen me trying to edit like I had to download Adobe and then I was like, what am I doing? And I couldn't make the boxes. I'm just I was You guys I This is not my skill set. >> It looks great. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. Are we replacing the ambassadors then with these? Yes. Okay. >> So then will they also kind of have an ambassador role a little bit like or are we just sort of like doing away with that part of it? >> That's a good question. DVD >>
163to be to be determined. >> I think they should still be be bringing celebrations if they're not given especially if they're not dealing with a lot of tasks. And I think like in the future you could potentially have four board members, right? And then like you could definitely >> one could do >> Yeah. Yeah. You could skill sets like Okay. Hey, you are the what do you call that? Like the standby board member. >> Yeah. Alternates. >> Alternates. I mean maybe you task them with that connection with the K through eight kids. >> Um and then freeing up time or maybe doing more of the celebratory stuff. But like a Yeah, this stuff just it seemed like for right now >> we'll kind of build it and uh >> I think we could they could
164still bring their celebrations with some other stuff >> with business. >> Okay. >> But they would be expected to sit at this table through most of the meeting unless they had like some reason to to leave. But >> except for closed sessions, right? >> Yeah. No closed sessions. Yeah. >> They don't do any sort of closed sessions. They don't vote. Can we rearrange the meeting though if we know that you know there's topics that we definitely want their feedback on >> the beginning things around >> we talked about that we would frontload their topics at the beginning of the meeting although I think I shared at the last meeting when I watched the asiggo one >> they had the student board member all the way at the end >> feel like we're gonna make sure
165you stay here >> they got to earn that title >> right earn that title >> no our meetings go so late I don't think we could do that to them. So, >> so yeah, we were saying we we'll try and have it at and if they need to leave for some reason, but if if there's not a reason to leave and the expectation would be they would sit >> we will have to figure out actually >> tech week >> where to put them physically >> next to >> I just that's a that's a we can work that out. >> Yes. Yes. Listen, I'll advocate this. >> No room. I >> can't ask. >> I think we get going with it because there time is of the essence. So, I think we if Rob and Danielle
166are okay with it, get the applications rolling and then depending on the volume, then we determine how we make selections. >> Yeah. Especially because of the time crunch. I'm okay with Yes. putting some of this in your hands if you're okay with that. >> Absolutely. And then if next year we decide, okay, we need to have a different process, we can do that. But because of the time crunch, I think we need to just get like ideally we wouldn't be doing a feedback and like so next year we could have a feedback loop and then adjust and hopefully be doing this process I think more towards the fall >> to roll out later. But yeah, definitely definitely. >> Yeah, >> I'm excited for it. Awesome. Thank you. >> So Holly, can we start on the
16720th? That was our goal, right? >> Deep breaths, Holly. >> Tell us what you need from us. >> Do you want me to edit >> Monday? >> Edit more documents. I can do all of that. >> Yeah, Monday's fine. >> Monday's okay. >> Thanks, >> All right. I will entertain a motion to approve the student board member program as presented. >> So moved. >> Fluid. >> Second. >> All right. Motion by Katie, second by Aaron. Uh Cindy, please lead us in a roll call vote. >> Yes. >> Slider, >> yes. >> Garos, >> yes. >> Kilberg, >> yes. >> Meadows, >> yes. >> Thank you. Congratulations. You two >> off and running. All right. Item 9.1. Brad. >> Sure. >> Let's talk about textbooks. I am asking the board to place on public display for
168a period of of about a month a textbook for um one of our algebra classes um books are from 2004. So they're older than some of our students who are taking that class and one of them we need to to update that and a lot of this is in response to really a very successful implementation at our middle school of EM squared which has really upped the rigor of our students math experience and given them great experiences. We run that same class at the high school, algebra at the high school, and we're seeing like ripple effects. So, like kids are in different spots now, and they're learning in different ways. So, this update, the department went through a process. Uh, they agreed to this, and they're going to use this as kind of a jumping
169off point for adjusting to some of our new student expectations around mathematics. >> Any questions? I will enter. Let me get the wording right. All right. If there are no questions, I'll entertain a motion to place Reveal Algebra 2 2020 on display for a period of one month in accordance with BOE policy 6 col 210 under the section instructional material selection and adoption. >> So moved by Danielle. >> Second by Rob. Cindy, please lead us in a roll call vote. >> Arlanu, >> yes. >> Garos, >> yes. >> Sligger, >> yes. Swiki, >> yes. >> Meadows, >> yes. >> Kilberg, >> yes. >> Passes. Thank you very much. Item 9.2, approval of the purchase of cook and hold ovens and commercial refrigerators. >> Now, I know why you wanted this. 9.3 first. >> Start off
170big and work our way down there from there. >> Yeah, we're just kind of >> I refrigerators are important. >> It's important, don't get me wrong. >> Everything's important. And uh this is really looking at transitioning from residential grade cookware at our elementary schools to commercial grade. So just will the technology work? I don't know, Holly. >> Oh, turn it back on. >> Oh, it's not on. >> Oh, and sorry, I unplugged it. >> Oh, one moment, please. >> I really didn't want you to be able to speak. No refrigerators tonight. >> We're not talking. >> Wait, wait, wait. Let me >> I heard the noise. >> There we go. All right. So, let's look at the why. Um, there's going to be a short-term component to this and then a long-term component. So, the
171short-term component is to improve our breakfast offerings at our elementary schools. And then the long-term goal is to position the district to reimagine lunch service at the elementary schools. Um I sit with a lot of kids. I hear about lunch. The high school loves it. The middle school loves it. The elementary it's like it's okay, right? And we can do better. So this is one of the reasons we're doing this. It's also, if you haven't been following about the food pyramid, there's a new food pyramid that came out from the government and this will eventually trickle down from the USDA and change some of the offerings that we have to provide for lunch and breakfast. So, we want to just position ourselves to be as responsive as we can. Um, this is a quick timeline
172of what food looks like for our elementary students. So at 5:30 in the morning, lunch and breakfast production starts at RMS. And I want to highlight breakfast with this one. That's breakfast for the following day. Okay? And then it gets loaded onto a truck and a hot box and it gets sent over to our elementary schools where it sits in a hot box and a cold box and is served for lunch. Breakfast. Those are some of the breakfast items at the bottom there. They're very graband go. They're not requiring cooking. They might have to be warmed up in the microwave, but as I said, they're getting tomorrow's breakfast today. So, those are the types of items that uh students are getting. And while kids might like Pop-Tarts, it's not necessarily the most nutritional option that
173we can be providing them. All right. I don't know if you've been to some of the elementary kitchens lately, but here we go. Here's Storm. Um, you've got a residential stove, a residential fridge, there's three, 400 kids at Storm, and could you imagine cooking Thanksgiving dinner for those kids with that equipment? You couldn't do it, and it wouldn't be possible, right? Um, all of our elementary schools look like this. We've got uh commercial or residential stoves. I went around with Mike Holly, one of the uh facilities guys, and we were looking at the upper cabinets, and there's not even anything in them. They're there just for wall decorations. And I point that out because they'd have to be removed for what we're going to be putting in. This is what we would be putting in.
174Uh assuming you guys help me out and approve this purchase. So, we've got cook and hold units, which is a way of keeping food at a proper temperature and also cooking it quickly. Um this is more of a commercial product and it's not that residential piece. And then we would be serving more fresh food. So we would get away with the freezer that literally has nothing in it except maybe an ice pack or a bag of ice and have a full commercial fridge to put more fresh products into the kitchens. The cost is uh it's a large it's a large cost. But Erin, I know you're already thinking it. Is this budgeted for? And yes, it is. So, this was already budgeted for um and this is a way to position ourselves for these elementary
175schools to get better products in breakfast to start and then lunch. This is the like compliance piece. We're doing this through the uh purchasing cooperative Omnia um purchasing agreement and we have to do that to meet requirements and purchasing and this also allowed us not to actually post this for bid. We let someone else do it for us. Um this is what breakfast would look like. And I want to emphasize this is step one. We're focusing just on breakfast. So, what we would do, all the other pieces would stay the same, except we would be actually warming the food up on site. We would be changing what we're offering and focus more on proteinbased items for breakfast. So, we'd be giving kids um some choices other than prepackaged food. And then we would monitor that
176by um our current participation in breakfast is 4% I think we can do better than 4%. I'm confident that if we offer a better product, we can get those numbers up. And then talking to kids, making sure that we're offering what they want for breakfast. Um, making sure the temperature is is good and that we're being consistent with that. And this is something that I would monitor. And also our partners with organic life questions. So they're not cooking the food in this >> in this for breakfast. No, they are warming the food. >> It's staying warm, right? >> It's staying warm and it gets up to temperature quickly in these cook and hold units. >> Right. >> I will say anecdotally, the only question my daughter or when my kids were in grade school ever
177asked me about related to these activities is about the food. That was the only thing. And I would get that kind of consistently actually. So this is I mean, when you showed what we're giving them now, a pop-tart >> Yeah. >> and something with protein like that's a win if we can do that. >> Yeah. And I don't know this for sure, but with the USDA's new guidelines as they come out, my assumption is it's going to become more protein focused. So, this allows us to be prepared for that and not be as retroactive. Uh if I'm understanding from the Iraq meeting too that this is money that through the school lunch or the national school lunch program like we have to reinvest in our food service. So it's budgeted for and it has to
178be used in this kind of way. >> Correct. So the last big renovation we did at the K8 level was at the middle school. um we redid the whole serving lines there. Now we would be reinvesting in our elementary buildings with um these units. So yes, and since you brought up rack, we're actually doing like a whole food service continuum. We're looking at the programming. So, we're going to be at the high school next month uh doing some taste testing and then we're going to look at operations in the future month um to then really look at our whole K12 food service because what we want to do, we're in year two of a potential five-year cycle. So, we're using years two and three to really look at the program. So, that way we can
179make sure when we go back out, we do it with intent instead of just rolling the ball back out doing the same thing. How much of that 4% is subsidized breakfast? Is that included in that? That >> that's Yeah, that's the total breakfast participation. Okay. >> I have it in my office. What the numbers? I don't know off the top of my head. >> Okay. I'm just wondering if a majority of it is do you think a majority of it is subsidized? >> It's Yes. the the amount of students that participate is greater that are subsidized than are not, but I don't know the exact number. We looked at it at RACK to be honest. All right, any other questions? Okay, hearing none, I will entertain a motion to approve the purchase of six Alto
180Sham 1200th cook and hold units and six Hoshiaki R1 AFSL steel heart region refrigerators from Johnson Lancaster through the AMIA cooperative purchasing agreement in the amount of $95,173. So moved. >> So moved by Danielle. >> Second. Second by Kristen Sydney, please lead us in a roll call vote. >> Geros, >> yes. >> Sligger, >> yes. >> Siki, >> yes. >> Meadows, >> yes. >> Kilbert, >> yes. >> Arandu, >> yes. >> All right. Thank you very much. Props to the board for not stying us in a tie. >> So, all right. Um, item uh agenda section 10 is discussion items. But first, I wanted to ask, does anybody need a break or want to go through? >> I could use a little >> All right. Is everybody okay with that? >> Okay, >> it's good.
181It'll give them a chance to get set up. >> Yeah, it went it was cooler earlier. >> It's It's going up and down, up and down, up and down. Like one minute it was hot, next minute it was freezing. >> Good plan to help us understand the state of >> So we are so I'm good. I just stand up. >> Do you mean to have your sweater in your pocket? >> Do you need to have your sweater in your pocket? >> I can't feel this anymore. >> It was like touching like a like a handkerchief. >> Do you feel the bruises on me from falling down? >> It's so weird. They just got over the flu. But they need me. >> They're doing okay though. I know. >> I know. >> Good. Good. Just busy.
182>> Yes. He manages a store in St. Charles. >> Good. >> Yes. Yes. I'm always like, >> "Yeah." >> Yes. That is Yes. Yes. So, actually tomorrow he shoots a, you know, the next day shoots a like a commercial thing. They always go to him like for those type of things. He does really good job. But >> yeah, but so he's like, "I got to go get a haircut soon." >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Not that kind of like it's for the internal use, >> you know? But like Wait, he's the guy in the training videos when they have >> Yes, one of them. >> I was like, "Yeah, you got to have your haircut." >> That's funny. >> Want to work here? >> Yeah. >> This is uh this is our >> Did I just
183check? >> Oh, we can hear you. >> He's going to be joining us because his flight got cancelled last night. He was going to be here in person, >> but his flight was cancelled. Okay. Well, thank you for taking >> We got you. >> Unfortunately, yeah. Unfortunately for you, Rob, is you're only going to get to see me >> that is so >> can you see my screen as well? >> Yes. >> Oh, okay. Here I'm good. All right. >> Really good. >> This is going to go this way. Yeah. So, >> we intentionally figured that >> we can see your screen. >> We tested all the seats. So, whoever is talking to him, will you be talking to him just to introduce him? >> Yeah. >> We just did a quick break. So, >>
184he can't probably see us right now, can he? >> He can see me, >> right? Rob, can you see me? I can see you hiding. >> Yes. >> Whoever just watched, >> you lucky man. You get to stare at me the whole time. >> But um you your pres presentation guys >> up on the screen and they can also see a little sidebar picture of you as well. >> Thank you, sir. >> Make that screen. >> All right. You guys that are out there know we have a meeting. >> Yeah. Really nice actually. >> It's nice because then people know we're having a meeting. >> Yes. >> You talking about the new doors? >> Yeah. >> So, kudos to Tony got sick. >> I get that in the middle of his entry to the back.
185So, this will be the front door that doesn't >> Okay, are we all good? >> All right, resumeing item 10.1, discussion of the RSP enrollment capacity analysis. Tony. >> So this evening, uh, Rob Schwarz with RSP Associates was traveling here. He was going to travel here to be with us. Unfortunately, with the weather today, he couldn't make it. But he is joining us virtually, which unfortunately too that this room isn't the best setup for a virtual meeting that is streamed and a live meeting all going on at once. Uh, maybe we'll work on some of that technology in the future. So, we've patched this together with the time that we've had so that we could have a conversation with Rob. He and his team, of course, I'm sure you remember, presented the they did the
186uh capac enrollment and capacity analysis for the district that was shared with you this fall and we're following on that discussion to think about how we can apply some of those lessons learned to our enrollment boundaries now and in the future and also capacity in our schools. So without further ado, Rob, I'll turn it over to you and I hope you can hear me right now. >> I was able to hear you and hopefully my volume is coming out well. Can you give me the thumbs up, Holly? Is it working or Molly? >> All right, sweet. All right, so if you look on your screen, um, we'll try to to take you through a few things. Let me get my technology working. Um, I'm going to give you a brief recap of where we've been.
187Um, so kind of almost like a classroom. We won't spend a lot of time on this, but we need to understand some geography. So, we have our district boundary, which is the purple line. Solid colors on this map represent each of our elementary attendance zones. We gave you the enrollment forecast um as Tony indicated to you and we we show some enrollment decline. You see the breakdown of our is the red portion of the bars. The blue is our middle school. The green is our high school. We are showing you the enrollment by building and what that change is and what that utilization is. This is an important page to start putting some of the data. Um the things that we've talked about with the admin team is being data informed, not data. So, how
188does the data inform us on things we need to do um with our buildings, our programs, and the student outcomes or services that come from those experiences. We've been working with where growth can be in your community and we have some changes that that are happening with the speed by which developments are occurring. But on this visual, the green areas represent where there's current activity or there should be some dirt moving when we have reasonable weather. Um, yellow is when we get out towards 5 years and then purple's 10 years. So again, just a recap of how new development can impact what we're going to see for enrollment, how that's been introduced into the model for that future. We also built the building utilization for each of your buildings. And so on this page, there's
189a lot of definitions, but really what I want you to take from this is the functional capacity is how the programs are effectively in some cases maybe ineffectively um working in each of the buildings. Um so how the programs uh interact with the physical environment of the buildings different than just saying, hey, we have 20 classrooms. Do a class size of 25. That's the capacity. This is a little bit different. It gets into how we utilize the buildings. We have, of course, your district class size standards um that drive a lot of what we may see for the number of students that can be experiencing what they can in each of those spaces. And so this is again just listing that off, helping you that some programs are going to be different. Specifically, our special
190education, um some of the fragility of those students, some of the needs of those students um require something a little bit different than just saying here's a classroom. And so, we're just trying to help you see there's those differences when we look at spaces. All that lent itself to understand two different pieces of information that created your capacity. So, we have the general education population and then our special education population. The combination of those gives us the total capacity for each of our buildings. And then you can see the class rooms and how they're assigned with full-size classrooms. So identifying the problem or the situation. Um this visual that we've presented here on page 11 shows you the enrollments for each of the buildings and it also gives you a understanding of some of the
191things that are related to the capacity and so the program distribution by building. So um Christopherson we have early childhood. We have developing opportunities, our DO program that's in Hoover Wood Elementary, our ILP programming, so the instructional learning programming at Grace McWain. Um, and we also have our bilingual English learners that's at HD Storm. And so each of these programs need different things. And so some of our challenges are with the specialized program. What you're experiencing is no different than if I had St. Charles on here. We we went do the same experience with them in one of their processes to align space and programs and how that would work effectively for those students where they're living and how they um go through their dayto-day experience in our buildings. And so this is why when
192we have capacity as a number and we start to align that with what the program needs are and what they will evolve into in the future for their need, we have to take that into account more than just a number. And so at the bottom of this bar um you see um what the capacity is for each of these buildings as we look out over the next um five years. Again, just giving you an example of capacity and what that means. So we look here at Grace. Um this is a recap of that capacity report where we show you what that capacity is um with 412, the special education capacity of 30. Um the pie chart below gives you the total number of classrooms and how they're being utilized. Um underneath that, the special programming
193that's in that building. When you go to the top right, um you see the reside enrollments and the attend enrollments. Um so reside is is if everybody resided in this boundary, how many students would that be? as we look out over the next five years. Um the intent is we know there's movement of students in each of our buildings. And so this gets at that fluctuation and shows you if those trends continue. Um what does that mean? So in this case the darker red is that it's enrollment. Below that is each of the building classrooms and how they're being utilized. Whether it's core content, which is the blue part of the wheel, um the orange which is our um elective content and then the purple which is our special education or other program content. What
194I want you um to see in this walk you through some challenges that can come from just looking at space um didn't bring my glasses in here. So I'll just kind of go from from what I'm seeing with the first grade and the second grade. There's four classrooms that are identified there. When we look at class sizes and those get rolled up, we might need another third grade space. And if the classrooms that are needed in first grade are still fourth by four, we need an additional classroom. So, how do we get that classroom? Um, just going through this exercise, you go down to the elective contents and um that would say that we'd have to do something different with our art room. So, do you put art on the carts? Um, do you do
195something with our music that would bring in the our cafeteria? Um, so those aren't ideal. Um, we would say you would want to have a art room, a music room. So, then you'd move down to the to the other program space. And you can see that we have five classrooms identified that are being used for some of this special education program and specifically with our ILP program. conversation that we've had um with the district is we need more space for the ILP program and so where do we get that space? So we have some issues with our core contents and then we have issues with how we want to use space for this program. So we have to use the space differently. I'm just kind of giving you some some looksies at this where a
196442 capacity numbers wise we'd say hey we have space in this building but how we may need to use the space starts to tell maybe a different story and why numbers are just that a number doesn't really get into how the student experience or our staff experience might be in the building. So, it's kind of a a brief recap of how you use this data to effectively program our buildings in the future as we see program needs change. So, solutions. All right. And so, in some of the conversations that we've had is we know that this um can be quite challenging trying to move things that might be seemingly simple on the surface of let's say a program or if we go back to the do we uh realign some of our new growth areas
197um to other areas? So, one of the things that we've talked about with administration is two visuals here and there may even be a third visual. So, I wanted to give two examples of if you're going to work through a process um to have either um for sure you the board, for sure the administration, but is there a committee, is there community input? And so neither of these examples may be right for the district. And that's why I say there may be a third where we might pull the two together and come up with something entirely different. What won't be different is the colors. Um we want to make sure in an effective process that we utilize every different positive in our district. So we'll start with the blue. Um that's the board of education.
198Um the green is a committee and the committee might be a exclusive committee that is let's say a superintendent advisory committee could be a board advisory committee. So those are two differences. Um and you see off to the right how we work through a process comes about through um you as the board of education administration. What will the public need to know? How quickly do they need to know the information that may take place? So again back to the colors. So blue was board, green is the committee. Um yellow is um RSP is the consultants um and then orange is public inputs and then the pink color is your staff input through the process. And we we've done processes where all these things are mixed up where there might be a public input at the
199beginning to get their um voice um heard. There could be um two board meetings at the end because you just have a a reading of what the recommendation is and that next one is approval of um what I wanted to just give you is the flavor of if you're going to be going out to the community and there may be other things that you want to look at. So, let's go to the bottom part of what this might um require for your district is do we want to balance the utilization of our buildings across the district? Does this involve some of our programming? Specifically, um I mentioned the ILP because I know that programs um needing more space. Um do we integrate in some of your strategic planning? Are we trying to be more proactive
200in our approach that hey, we may be able to get through things for the next year or two, but we need to plan for those changes. We want to give the community, the students a longer runway to know what that change might be. Um, do we want to have some operational flexibility? And how does this fit into things um such as we know there's uh things that need to be done to your buildings. So, we get into your facility condition assessments. We get into maybe some things that we want to do with innovative space. Does this take into account maybe a future bond that may be required um to do some of these physical environment changes to the buildings. So, these are some of the things that we're saying that this is what gets put
201into the process. I don't like to muddle things with a lot of different nuances, but I know those are effectively things um that we want to consider. Um here on page 15, um this gets into some of those specifics about program relocations, could be program expansions, um what a boundary adjustment is. Um do we look at things that might integrate configuration changes? um facility additions, bond referendums. You I didn't want to box anyone in whether it's administration, my team, or you as a board. I don't know where you effectively want to go with creating a process, but some of the data, right? I said data informs. Um so each of these bullet points below kind of highlight things that we've talked about with the enrollment analysis or the capacity analysis. Um but strategically help us
202understand how do we use the built physical environment to the way in which you're programming spaces and maybe want to program those spaces in the future. And so that's my last slide. Um I would be happy to hear comments, questions that you guys have. Because again, this this is um a build on to what you've already received before and maybe t is taking you in a different place than where you thought maybe you needed to go. So um questions, comments, I'd be happy to entertain others. >> So I have a question. I'm sorry I didn't catch your name, sir. Could you say it again? >> Who's presenting? >> Yes, Rob Schwarz. >> Rob, thank you Rob. Um I'm looking at these I'm looking at slide 14. So we're looking at the same thing. example one
203and example two. Um unless I'm missing it, are there like uh general guidelines for how long these options should take or you should allocate for these processes? >> Yeah. So, great question and time is definitely a factor. So, the more things that we're trying to cross off. So, if I go to page 15, um if let's say there's district potential options, um let's say we're planning for a bond referendum. Well, we want to make sure that we have um the things that are related to your facility condition assessments, things that maybe we need to start planning for for your programs. Um what does that mean for additions? That impacts what we may visually come up with. what a scenario may look like. Um what grades are in those buildings? Um is it a paired schools?
204Meaning is it like K2s 35s? That's a popular conversation we have now with um efficiency factors and professional development for staff. Um but typically if it was just a straight boundary adjustment, I go back to page 14. Um something that would have um three meetings whether it's option one or option two. um would be adequate to to accomplish that. But if we're trying to get some of the other things that maybe are on your list as a board or administration, um I would suggest there would be more meetings. And typically what we would want to do is have those meetings at least every two weeks. Um so there's some regular rhythm, there's time for um either administration or the RSP team to put together data and the contents that would appropriately um align with the
205conversations that would take place in each meeting. Sorry, a lot lot of words there to try to answer a pretty straightforward question. How long does this take? And it could be three months, it could be six months, all all depends. >> Yeah. So for me it kind of comes down to like identifying need urgency and then what the board and the community I guess from feedback would have an appetite for as well I guess right. I mean there's I've seen this process before. Um it becomes a bit of a chicken and egg, right? Like you can do certain things if there's a bond and a referendum and you know raising money to build additions that can adjust your borders one way. You can also look at a a borders a solution that may result in
206some less than desiraables but manageable kind of processes. So it becomes kind of a refinement process more than a you do one before the other per se. So okay this the ones I've seen and and and been kind of tangential to are like ones where like hey we need a new middle school or they need big big big work. We're not like at that based on what this has been presented, but there's real challenges, you know, like the IL ILP program and Grace McQueen kind of being a little bit near its max and not from a capacity perspective per se on numbers, but like you said on what it's actually trying to do program-wise. So, I mean, in a lot of ways, this might take a little more time because administratively and with RSP a
207bit might be trying to figure out like what is option A, B, and C and what do each one of those options kind of result in? Like option A is we move the boundary here, we're disturbing more students, but it doesn't we don't necessarily have to do an addition. Option C on the other end is let's do an addition and we got to find a way to fund for it and the only way we might be able to fund for it is some sort of bond rep, right? So it's it's and then what's in between, you know, and each one of those has a different timeline for those, right? because presented the the concern today or the problem, right, or the opportunity, but not per se a solution because that isn't out there yet. >>
208But is that the next step then? Is that like what's what's the next step here? is um the next step here immediately is that we're going to have a conversation later tonight about altering school boundaries on the east side to address new developments in particular because uh the new developments happen to be within a mile and a half of the of Hoover Wood School. But yet, as was designated 20 years ago when we last redesigned boundaries, it goes to JB Nelson School. Coincidentally, JB Nelson School is near the is the highest in capacity. You know, it's over our our ideal target temporarily. It'll probably go down in the future and Hoover Wood is the least at the moment. So, I I think that one makes sense. But that that's one, you know, lens that we
209need to look at. The second is there are other developments on Rob showing the growth map. There are other developments underway and that's going to shift these where students come from and what grades kind of cluster together and clump more or less you know there always seems to be kids in the wrong spot unfortunately you know and so it's interesting but these things have been flow and if if Rob would you go to that slide that summarized Grace McWain school briefly I don't remember what number it is it's actually slide 12 you'll Look on the left side there. You see 22 23. But you can see that the the the trend is up going upward in terms of the enrollment historically. It's driven by a number of factors. One, just the housing stock and its
210age, when it was built, who's coming through it. There's new developments that are part of that boundary. And then we have special programs there. And the reason why we put the ILP program at McWain is because it had the least enrollment at the time. But this now, you know, of course things change that way. And now we're feeling a little we're not over capacity, but we're feeling space constraints there. And we're also looking at facilities that weren't designed for this particular use. And so we've got to have a framework to understand, be data informed, as Rob mentioned. We've got to figure out how these pieces fit together and keep an eye on it. And then lastly, another conversation that we're going to have tonight is we've got some work to do on our schools of
211various priorities, but there's some absolute essentials that we must must must do and we're struggling to find the financing, the funds available to get that work done both in terms of health, life, safety, and warm, safe, dry, and then other things that need to be done to our schools because it's been a while since we've we've done some of this work on them. They're aging. >> When was the last time the did a boundary. I think it was right before my kids got into school. So, >> yeah, I think I don't don't quote me on this, but it was right around 2004 or 2005. >> Yeah. >> Um and that changed the boundaries where, you know, some of the southern southeastern uh newer developments were now a go in many cases to Louise White School.
212>> Kids on the east side of Randall going to Grace McQueen at >> Yes, there were. And so and um there were segments of this particular area of town here that was going to um HC Storm that switched over Ellis Gustoson and some kids that were being bust across from Mc Randall Road to McWain and so all that stuff changed then because of those shifting dynamics. We've really enjoyed a really long stretch here of not shifting school boundaries and it's it's a messy process. Nobody enjoys it, but sometimes it's necessary. And we're, you know, some things make sense right now, but others we just got to keep our eyes out and looking toward the future. We've got very different programmatic needs and we also have shifting resident enrollments, you know, across town. So, this is
213the balancing act that we face. is is on the development side on that one slide that he was showing is that is there other empty spaces that mean that are just not projected for >> how far out does that go Robert? Yeah, there's there's three colors. So, it looks out 10 years. Okay. Possibilities, >> but it changes like I think we have one that's um river points that's up by um the highway shield that's yellow. Um I think those are 76 low income units um known as river points. Um I think those have been moved forward whereas it's closer to a two threeyear horizon than it is out at five years. Yeah, that's correct. The city just approved that development. I don't know where they are in terms of financing and moving forward with it.
214Uh but that looks like it's coming sooner than we would have realized the last time we looked at this earlier this fall at least. >> And that's the thing, you can never tell. I mean, the green area off of like behind the target and all that, that's pretty well built out right now. you know, >> there are still other vacant there's other vacant land on this map that could be developed, too. Um, we that just we don't are not aware of any plans to do so in the uh near or long-term future. >> I mean, the only thing that I have an opinion about is whatever boundary we need to look at, we need to try to be as forward thinking as we can so we don't put people through it kind of twice in
215a reasonable number of years. You know, like you don't want to a kid to one school for two years and then move them to another one because it makes more sense three years later, you know, >> and I would, you know, what Rob is showing you in terms of the process itself and involving the community and all the stakeholders. Um, we you have to think about that we can't obviously make these decisions in isolation. And these schools of course belong to our community and um his team in particular they're not only they're excellent at helping us figure out the numbers from enrollments and capacity but they also help facilitate that process too. That's what they do well. >> Any questions on the data? All right. We believe you. Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Uh,
216is there anything that the board would like us to see us do next in particular or is this you want to mle this over a bit? >> Well, I mean, go ahead. I mean, part of what we're >> I'm trying to figure out what what are we what is what are we trying to do here? >> Well, you're going to talk about a boundary re adjustment next, correct? >> Yes. So >> unfortunately, it's one of those, as you said earlier, Craig, it's chicken, egg. >> Yeah. >> And we struggle with that, too. >> Yeah. Of course, >> we're going to talk about boundaries. One, the thing that we must do in the near term because the development's underway. They're moving dirt. They've actually have model homes up. These kids are coming as soon as this
217summer. So, it's time to do this now. But one, we have a framework that Rob's team has helped us devise that helps us keep an eye on all these things and how they fit together. But we also have some capital investments that we need to make in our schools, especially when it comes to health, life, safety, and warm safe try. Those are the things that are on the immediate horizon. But all those factors come back to this. >> Which is why from my perspective, I kind of want to hear all of them >> and then be able to see all the chess pieces and where they sit on the board because right now I see the data and I get it and I agree, you know, I' I've worked with these guys in the past,
218like I said, adjacent to it and their data is usually pretty good. So, >> so Rob, what would you say? You do this with school districts from around the country. >> Yeah, great question. So to to me where where you're at is do you just do a boundary process or do you do something that's more of a what I would call a reimagining education process that integrates maybe some other things that you're wanting to effectively integrate into community knowing more about how you want to advance different things and I'll give you an example um in playing fields Um, we just finished a a process, what I would say is probably phase one of a boundary process that started out where it was going to be comprehensive at the elementary, middle school, and high school. But
219as we were working with their administration, um, we started to u both parties see that there were some challenges at the elementary and middle school. And so if you go and look at what happened there, um we only did changes at the high school because more work needs to be done on what needs to occur at the elementary and middle school for capacity that's going to meet some of their programming needs. So knowing that, what what our conversation um with Tom and Tony has been is are there other things that make the need to do something is a little more robust than just boundary changes. So, we don't double move kids. We effectively plan for things that that'll give you kind of an idea to think about is some of the things I've even heard
220you as a individual speak tonight fall in the category of dreaming or dreading. And ultimately, what a plan, an effective plan's going to do is design. So what can we do about some of our our dreams of what we want to see with let's say our ILP space maybe some other innovative program space um when we start talking about STEM or steam um uh CTE pathways um how does that dream get smashed with some of the realities of our budgets right so some of those budgets are going to need a bond referendum or some of those budgets are going to need a different the way that we um financially fund those programs. So, if if you want to build something that creates a vision um more than just a boundary line, but something about your
221programs and and how you're attracting students and preparing them for what they need to be needing for career and college readiness. Um that's where you start to look at this RE type of vision. Um we can do either. We we've done um effectively just around you. We've been working with Asiggo, Planefield, St. Charles. In fact, CCSD 93 where we have a a boundary slash how do we better utilize buildings um uh process that's kicking off um here in the next month. So, um we're we're at the service of where you guys want things to go. We just want to start it at the beginning. Um, too often we get down the pathway if it's a boundary change and then it starts to morph into, well, what what could we do if we do this or
222that? And that's where I give kudos to your admin team where they're seeing that this could spiral into other directions and so do we just try to embark on this journey knowing that it's got a wider pathway that we're going to be exploring. I >> mean, if there's If there's, and this is for us more than anybody else, but if there's a mechanism for something that when I've done things sometimes, I've called them kind of good, better, best, right? Three kind of categories of options, right? Like what what meets our needs right now probably gets us with a minimum of expenditure of capital costs to get 80% of what we need to get done done, but maybe only has a 10y year, fiveyear lookout, right? That kind of thing. Then what's the dream side of
223it? like if we're going to do this try to hit for another 20-y year mark and we start talking about things like CTE and whatever else what is that end of it kind of look at and then whatever happens is probably in between the two somewhere is that a logic and kind of a bit of a direction of a next step of sorts >> that I'd be interested in that >> that Tony is that something that's within a capability >> I think so this helps us kind of get our round arms around everything. And so one concern that we always have and one works for Mark and I in particular is that when we have our arms around everything, we can plan the the one off. We do the immediate needs but then plan ahead
224for what is coming so that we don't I don't know what would be a good example here but we always say we don't want to throw money you know good money after bad where we put a classroom here and the program is going to be here and we've invested this money into this program being here and then two years from now we're ripping that out and we're moving it over there because we didn't get our arms around all the dynamics and all the things that were at play. So I think there is a lot of wisdom in that. We might not be able to do it. >> No no I fully expect that you can't. No, exactly. >> But figure out the variables. >> Exactly. >> so the like the ILP issue is not bad
225enough at the moment that we have to do an immediate solution. We have time to think about how that all works together with everything else. >> We've identified, I think, a way to put it as Craig did all the variables. We have an idea of how they play together and we can navigate that. we have a framework to navigate it over time so that we're not reacting and we're also not leaving these things stagnant for 20 years before we come back to them. And not to criticize that this boundary plan worked really well for us for 20 years, but we've atrophied in our skill set to deal with some of these challenges in some regard. We have the capacity to manage these skills over time. We had the luxury of not needing them for 20
226years. >> Well, and really looking at what programs will need to grow in the future. I mean, everybody's talking about programs expanding to beyond just manufacturer and the trades, but it's business, it's nursing, it's, you know, co, you know, cosmetology, etc., etc., etc. >> Our programs have truly evolved and sometimes the way that we use space just haven't quite caught up to it. Yeah. >> So, like that's visioning, >> right? >> The other one's solving a problem, >> right? So is that like a three time period plan? So shortterm one to two years like boundary a fiveyear kind of window what we would look at and maybe a 10-year window. >> Yeah, exactly. Knowing that everything that we're working on can always shift, you know, we you know that another example is River Point. It's
227coming sooner than we thought. So we better be ready. And and that too that the developments that we're talking about this evening, Abby Meadows and Harvest Point, they're coming sooner than we thought. So, we got to get moving. >> It's a good problem to have. >> It is a good problem to have. Yeah. >> I do agree with I mean, we're talking about the long range view because it wasn't that long ago people were talking about a closing of school in Bavia if I'm remembering that right. And if that had happened, then we'd be in a perilous situation right now. So, >> there was talk about closing the school. >> There was a there was a questionnaire that was sent out that put that on the table. >> Yeah. >> To try to help manage
228some cost >> elements. It didn't last very long. >> It was our survey. We did look at it closely when we were planning for the referendum and making sure that we had adequate capacity to meet our needs because we had declining enrollment and um you know obvious know you know if you outside are looking and say you have declining enrollment obvious you don't need as much space as you had. Well, we were busting at the seams then at the time, but also the way that we use spaces of all other programs that we offer students today didn't exist when those buildings were built or for the conditions that we were facing in terms of enrollments at the time. >> I didn't know that. >> All right. So, bookend interest. >> Yeah. Rob, is there anything
229else that we're not capturing here or any other advice that you might have for us to consider? >> No, I think I think you guys have it all out on the table, right? And and really kind of my closing thought for you guys is part part of this process if you go down what I would call this RE plan or a hybrid plan is a way to effectively look at your system in this 3x3 by3 perspective. So what do we continue? What do we change? And then what do we retire? And um when we do a process like this and we honestly talk about some of these things. Um you'll start to notice there's a lot of things in the district that we just continue and do because it's that just becomes legacy. And so
230that starts to impact how we use our buildings, how we use our space. Um, so, um, there's a lot of really good things that come out of some honest conversation about how are we doing things today and is it the same way that we should be doing it next year or five years? And if not, how do we start to position the system, our staffing, our students, our community to to prepare for what that change is? And the more change there will be, the longer that runway typically needs to be for them to come alongside and embrace that whether it's dollars, programs, where I go to school. So, it's really like those deeper thoughts that you as a board member, you're you're conflicted with because you have things that you have to do right away.
231You have things that you're planning for when many of you won't even any longer be board members. But that's the legacy that that you guys get to leave behind. >> So I'm a broken record, but the next step. So, is Rob going to present to us the good, better, best option using Craig's definitions, which I'm not sure I 100% understand, but um and then timelines because the thing I'm thinking about is like the urgency in which we need to like the clock's ticking obviously with these developments like you said, they're coming faster than we anticipated. So that when I hear that from you and my ears here, >> we're going to need to act on something, >> we're going to set that up, that particular thing. We're going to set that up this evening and
232we're going to move forward that >> independent of of this process potentially. This is how we get our arms around everything in the future, not necessarily the things that we need to take care of. Okay. Take care of immediately tonight with the with the u these two particular developments. >> All right. Thank you. But we are going to have to have continued conversations. This is one of those like here's the things that we see from, you know, a data standpoint. We want to bring this to your attention, but we're also going to need feedback from the board as to what your vision is and how the pieces fit together and what the next steps are. It's not going to come forward. It's not going to come forth as a here's a recommendation that we think
233we you should do. We're going to have to have a dialogue about it moving forward. end up a workshop meeting. >> Yeah, you could. So, >> okay. >> Thank you, Rob. Thank you. >> Thanks, Rob. >> All right. Thanks, everyone. We'll be talking more. >> Thanks, Rob. Thank you. >> Well, that worked amazingly well. Thank you. >> It did. A special thanks to Holly and to Dominic to make that happen on very short order. Yeah, >> his pony. It looked like he had a commencement gown. >> It did. I kept seeing >> I kept thinking like that had one >> with the logo. >> Yeah, right. I wasn't the only one thinking that. >> Okay. >> All right. So, item 10.2 is discussion of proposed boundary boundary assignment. >> Yes. >> So, this is not
234for action this evening, just to be clear. This is for discussion for the board and to to see what you're thinking in this regard. But as been has been mentioned, Holly, would you pull up that memo, please? There are two developments coming quickly in the southeastern part of town on Reddant Road near Butterfield Road. And those developments are within the boundaries of the city of Aurora. So they approved those developments and they're underway. Two model homes have been constructed and it's our understanding Mark spoke with PY who's one development. Lenar is doing the other one. The PY development already has two model homes almost dried in. They plan on beginning to sell in April with closings as early as June. And so that means that students could be showing up when school opens in the
235fall. Now, as I mentioned earlier, those particular properties are walkable to Hoover Wood and be considered walkable per state uh um the Illinois State Board of Education's transportation requirements. So any child that lives more than a mile and a half away from school is eligible for free busing unless there's a hazardous route or hazardous condition that prevents them from getting to school safely. So uh there are a lot of that's a whole another um set of details. Um if you could scroll down a little bit, Holly, I'll show you where these developments happen to be on the map. There's a there's a figure at the bottom of the page that gives a little bit more indication. So, since that there aren't students there that were moving, we obviously want to make this decision sooner rather
236than later and we want to obtain community feedback. So if the board consents to us moving in this direction or intends to, we would do that share this news with the affected schools and respective families, collect some of that feedback and bring a recommendation to the board of education probably in April, but could be potentially as late as May. We'd like to do it sooner rather than later so those individuals that are considering purchasing those homes know that this in fact is where their children are going to attend when they're making that purchase. We're in that position right now to do so. Um, going at the bottom of the >> Oh, those are really easy to see. Yeah. Can you zoom in at all? So, the first is what you saw earlier is just our
237overall boundary map, but figure two zooms in on Harvest Point and Abby Meadows in particular. They're right across from Armian Marian school and um you can see Hoover Wood School is I should have probably highlighted that. Um you can see Hoover Wood School is in the northeast corner. As I mentioned earlier, Hoover Wood School happens to be right now, the school with the lowest utilization. So, there's plenty of room there for the foreseeable future. And JB Nelson School, which is where they would otherwise go if we make no decision, happens to be the school with the highest utilization right now. That utilization isn't going to decline in the coming years. uh and we'll be within our target range, but it makes sense to do make this change. Now, >> that's Butterfield. >> Yeah. Okay. questions,
238thoughts, concerns. We did share this, by the way, with the Iraq committee and they recommended that we move forward with this. We do have to obtain feedback from the respective families, the schools at the respective, the families at the respective schools. I mean, what's that feedback going to tell us? >> People don't like the boundaries being renowned. >> Well, since we're not moving anybody who lives there, I don't know that anybody's going to mind. >> This is just kind of adding people, >> New people going to a spot as opposed to it's not like one of those where you're moving people to a spot. And to do that, other people have to go somewhere else. >> All right. You do have that advantage. But oftent times when we have similar conversations with with stakeholders and
239residents their concern would be well if you put these children here then will we have capacity issues there in the future because that might affect me too >> and here are there's not any indication that would be the case with the information we have today >> like is this step one of a step two later. >> Yeah. But this doesn't shift other kids around or anything like that. No. >> Nobody's in a school now be at a different school. >> Right. Right. So that's not really. Yeah. >> And we are built around neighborhood schools. So everywhere else where kids can walk to school, that's that's how it works. This would this is the one exception. >> Well, no, you got What about the Ginger Creek and >> those aren't walkable? >> Yeah, but they they
240go to Louise White, right? >> They do. It doesn't mean that once you're on a bus, you're going, you know, that was the rationale back then is they had capacity issues with schools. And the rationale by by the board at the time was we could send them to Hooverwood but we don't have the capacity to to serve them there so we have to put them on a bus and they said the best place to send them if they're already on a bus is Louise White School. >> What's the average ride time for kids coming from there? >> I don't know that off the top of my head. So, a lot of this is so that I mean so that our facility can be prepared for this influx of potential students and then those homeowners, potential
241homeowners can make a buying decision based off they know where their kids are going to go to school. >> Yeah. >> Correct. >> Yes. >> Is that what you guys talked about on R? >> Yeah. Because some people, you know, if they if their kids already go to Hooverwood, then they might think, "Oh, well, I can move there and my kids are still going to go to Hooverwood." But >> if they're thinking of moving and it would change their good information for people to know before they purchase, >> I think to my view then I just go ahead and get the input, go forward with it because it's not to the current people that are attending those schools. There's no change besides there's going to be a little more density in the building. Correct. >>
242Yeah. >> Right. Am I understanding that right or not? >> Yeah. >> And then obviously the impact to the building the staff there and everything like that. I mean other options like we're going to bust them put bus them somewhere. Right. >> Right. I mean that would be the other option to do which doesn't make any sense. >> No. So, this is walkable, but they have to cross Butterfield to get >> No, no, no, no, no. The school's north. >> It's not clear on this map. I should have done a better job of making it clear where the school is, but it's >> this one, right? Is it right there? >> Yeah. >> Oh, okay. All right. >> I barely see the word elementary school. >> So, this what you're proposing is that this map
243>> Oh, that >> does that. >> Yes. Okay. Yeah. The nice thing is they're contiguous, which sometimes you have to do these and they're not. You have to do a pocket, right? So, it makes sense and it it's logical. >> Now, arguably, you see that sliver to the >> to the right of Abby Meadows, >> like this little bit here. >> I know. Um, I need map reading skills. I think >> I need a refresher. >> Social studies. >> Yeah. bring it back. >> There's a neighborhood right here, >> you know, that would still be walkable. But what happened was at the time there weren't sidewalks that went to Uberwood that were adequate for that neighborhood to get there safely. And so since it was part of JB Nelson School, >> oh, there you go.
244>> Um, since they were already part of JB Nelson School, it made sense that they were going to be bust anyway. They were going to leave that at JB Nelson. But in the future, one of those considerations could be you're looking at things like that and now that there are sidewalks, you could make the adjustment >> as a part of a more comprehensive >> as a more comprehensive boundary analysis to do that. You could as part of that adjustment >> look at uh Ginger Woods and and say, well, you know, we instead of putting them on a bus to send them to Louise White, you put them on a bus. You must put them on a bus because of the roadways, the four-lane roads. you could send them to Hoover Wood, but that kind of
245analysis would be something that we would want Rob to help us with, Rob Schwarz, and figure out how all the pieces fit together. But in that instance, you're moving from kids from one school to another. And that gets really complex and usually emotional. I would tell you, I've had conversations with family families that live in Ginger Woods that say, "Don't you dare change my school. We're part of the Louise White community. We love it. we think this is the greatest thing ever. I don't want to move. And we've had others that say, "My kid rides past two elementary schools to get to theirs." And so you hear that a lot, too. >> Um there are a lot of factors to consider when it comes to this >> a lot, >> but for right now, that
246is not what is what >> that's not what we're talking about right now. But we do need to think about those things in the future. And that's what in many ways Rob is alluding to is there's a lot of factors to consider that we haven't considered in a long time. In my opinion, and in the opinion of Rack, this these two developments before there were houses here, >> let's get them in. >> They're kind of a no-brainer. >> The rest that comes after it is not a no-brainer at all, >> right? >> It's going to take some serious thought and consideration on how the pieces fit together. >> So, get to get used to the easy one is what you're telling us. >> The rest will not be easy. >> This is the easiest conversation
247we're going to have in regards to this. >> Yeah. >> Okay. All right. Let's go forward with it. seems to make sense. >> Yep. >> Right. Thank you. Now on to your next easy discussion. >> Yeah. It's not mine. It's it's Mark's. >> Thanks for sticking around, Mark. >> Wake up. >> It can be All right. As Holly's working on finding >> that already open. Yeah, we if you remember last month I think it was a committee update from RACK that we started talking about this and some of the feedback was is you know some more information and so tonight I'm going to give you more information is um part of really the bigger picture um and we started this so we have talked a lot at RACK about HLS bonds and funding mechanisms and
248you know warm safe dry and so basically in This is really to give you an overview and yes I come in the fall and give an overview of capital projects but more of projects that really have gone in front of rack um specifically hls health life safety projects um and really organizing them by safety and then more longer term and we talked about this I mean you guys were just talking about this about one three year five year 10 here. Well, you're going to see some of this in um this. So, right here is this is just kind of how the framework and how I put it together. So, you have HLS1, that's health life, safety bonds, that's eligible. So, basically, it's eligible to get money if the state um approves it. HLS2 is there's
249going to be some additional cost to that that the state might not approve. And then warm, safe, dry. You've heard a lot about that. And then kind of breaking it down a little bit more, you have CPP1 and CPP2. So you just calling this near-term, so 5 to 10 years, and then kind of some midterm, so 10 to 15 years. So, if you look at HLS1, we're looking at about 11.3 million that we think, when I say we, myself and the architects think that um it is eligible. So, some of these examples are fire alarm at the high school and middle school, a lot of unit ventilators in this district, but specifically at the high school C-wing, which was 95 that was done. And then Routolo has all still original UN units. Um, and that
250was from 1992 that building opened. And then also at JB Nelson and Gustoson, and those are the oldest. That was 1989. Also in those buildings, they have tunnel piping. So they're fed by under the tunnel. Okay? So most of them and buildings now are usually in the ceiling. This is all underneath. Um, and then the HLS2 is about 6.3. This number could change depending on exactly what gets approved and really what we feel that are we just doing a onetoone replacement with unit ventilators or are we using a different type warm safe dry kind of what's left um some roof replacements seawwing exterior shell uh domestic water at JB Nelson and um the when I say original building at the high school meaning the original building that was built in 1966 and then some parking
251lot replacements. This the three to five years you've seen this this was part of the original warm safe dry that was approved two three years ago now and then here's some kind of bigger picture items that need to be done. Okay, this is not the entire list is attached and wasn't it's very hard to see if I put it up here too. So just some basic so that 5 to 10 year so some science labs at the high school seawwing more roof replacements boilers chillers air handlers um some security vestibule specifically um the McQueain Hooverwood and at the high school and then the longer term ones a lot is into that but just some examples you can see there Now these costs are basically square foot costs. Okay? So basically taking a square foot of
252a place and using per you know a dollar amount. These have not gone to the architect. It has not gone to the CM. It's just kind of basic costs. This is just a rundown and a total of what that is. Now in parenthesis there you see something that's not adjusted at all for inflation. These are today's costs now potential for health life safety bonds. Okay. And some next steps. So that 11.3 million um again we look at medium median household numbers. It's about $155 per year for um a tax increase. So really the next steps, you know, I know we talk a lot like, okay, why am I telling you all of this? Well, there's nothing requested tonight. This is just a discussion. Um, if we get a feeling of like, hey, health, life, safety,
253bonds is the next step to go. Board needs to approve that. So I'm suggesting April. Only reason I'm suggesting April is because timelines. Again, this summer's done planned. Next summer really should already start being planned. It really should be planned at this point. Um, so again, we're talking about timelines and, you know, I know at the very beginning we're talking about the student um board members. Same type of thing. You know, we need to kind of get moving on this. What needs to happen is the recommendation to revise the health life safety survey. So the DLR architects did 10-year health life safety that's already been approved by ISBY basically would have to take that back because when it was approved that box of HLS funds was not checked. So we would have to do not
254whole healthy safety but basically amend just the part that we're looking at to get the money for. Then it goes to ROE which that's usually very quick. The longer process is with ISB that could take up to six months. I I mean it could take as short as three months. I usually hear about that three to six month range. >> Isby has one employee that oversees all this with the state all the requests. So that's why it's a very unpredictable timeline for school districts >> and there are other districts talking about >> right. Yeah, we're Believe me, Dave is not the only district talking about >> because this is fairly newish. Yes. Two years. >> I think it was 24. >> Yeah. 23 or 24. >> So, what this allows you to do is What's
255the term on the 155? Is that what did you guys calculate that as? >> What do we calculate as Josh? >> It was uh it was seven years for that particular one, but we could do it. I'm glad I came up with a question for you to get. >> I know, right? I was sitting there waiting for you. Thank you. >> Okay, so Rack has considered this extensively over we've been talking about this for quite a while. Just to give a little bit more context going backward when the board approved warm, safe, dry, we gave our best estimates at the time as to what things would cost, not knowing how the economy would work against us and also not knowing how state and federal funding would work against us. And so when it comes to
256health life safety, this is work that's identified that we must do. We have to do our 10-year health life safety survey. We don't necessarily have to do it next year, but it's not long. I mean, we'll have to do a lot of this work within the next couple of years. And unfortunately, with lower revenues and higher construction costs, we have to figure out how we're going to pay for this work. >> And some of this work turns into an emergency real quick on a bad day. >> It can. And uh you know I I've shown you Craig and I'd be happy to show anybody who wants to talk about it or see it, but you know Craig uh Mark's team took a pipe that failed in the tunnels at JB Nelson out and we knew
257that they were in poor condition, but they're in poor condition and there's a chance that we could lose all the heating and cooling in that building at any practically any given moment. And luckily that failure happened in early January when it was relatively warm and his team could drain the pipes and do the repair. But if that happened in the deepest cold that we faced a few weeks later, a couple weeks later, that would be a real serious problem. We could lose the whole building. So that's some of the work that we face. This is work. Those pipes are 70 years old and they're showing their age. And so this work needs to get done. >> I think the other piece that's important to talk about is, you know, we have Hoover Wood and Grace
258McG they're 25 years old. Five to 10 years from now is all when all major mechanicals start coming. Boilers, chillers, their univvents, their air handlers, their roof. Okay. It's not really I mean it's on a list, but that list is getting closer and closer and closer. So, it's I almost look at it as the next warm safe dry. You know, we kind of concentrated warm safe dry and certain schools. Well, again, we don't want to forget about that. It's, you know, you say, "Oh, that's a new school." It's 25 years old. So, >> so we knew we were going to have to make some changes to warm, safe, dry to kind of adjust to the various dynamics. And it's going to take us longer than we anticipated, of course. >> But the very next thing
259on its heels after that work is done is Hooverwood and Grace McWain. Uh, and we don't want to be in the same situation again. And I've said this many times over the years, but you know, we just paid off all of our debt and that we paid off all the work that we did to our schools. You know, over the last, you know, 20 years ago, you know, 15 to 20 years ago. And from the early 90s on till now, we were always dealing with enrollment expansion, building buildings to accommodate our student enrollments. We didn't have much extra to do a lot of the investments that are necessary to take care of our schools. And you know, as you can the the 70-year-old galvanized pipe that's in a non-conditioned space in a tunnel in the
260basement of JB Nelson School, it's it's coming for us. Those are the kinds of things that are waiting to be done and they're not cheap. And the longer we wait, the more expensive it's going to get. >> So, kind of think of it like this. So 11 was what was 11 million HLS, right? >> So we get that from the HLS fund. So that frees up 11 million for warm, safe and dry, the other projects we want to work on, right? >> Yeah. >> And again, warm, safe, dry isn't anything that changes space for students and staff. >> It's quite literally warm, safe, and dry. They're not anything that changes anything else. They're the barest of bare essentials. >> All right. So, walk me through the scenario. So, you're presenting the information to us now.
261Then next month, you're going to be asked to make a decision on these life safety bonds. And if we say apply for it, our team applies for it. We hope they process the paperwork in a timely manner but it's three to six months assuming they approve all of it which is not guaranteed. Then how does that it's not going to referendum so it's just going to hit people's tax roles right? Well it wouldn't be automatic and so then the board would have another decision to make once that was approved as to whether or not they wanted to pursue those bonds and you could take action to do so. you have the authorizations to do so under law. You have the the legal authority >> effectively. Right now the authorization is just to start on the
262process. It is not actually to secure the bonds. >> So we go through this process to approve it and then if we whatever we secure then we vote on if we want to move forward with it. >> Y again. So there's a couple of gates to get through. It's nothing definite but we can't start on this work without your permission. >> Katie and I have to sign paperwork. >> Yep. >> At a minimum. So what would the I guess to Eron your question I think you maybe get to this when when would they when would a resident see that tax increase? Let's say we went through all this. Would it be 2027 tax bill or? >> Yeah, it would be in the next tax year. Not this year. So you're going to get a tax
263bill in June and September. You wouldn't see it then, but you would start seeing it next June and September. So, I'm trying to play these timelines out in my head because when I see this, I see $142 million of in today's dollars. A year from now, it' be a higher number that we have to figure out a way to fund. And this is like just like keeping the water running, keeping the lights on, that kind of stuff, right? >> Yeah. And to be clear, we've spent um I don't remember the number off hand. We've spent about 30 to $35 million already on work safe drive. >> Oh, I know. >> We've got another 15 million to go and we've spent fund balance and we're spending money each year in our operating budget, our operating rate
264that we tax we collect toward this work. And in 2027, correct me if I'm wrong here, Josh, but in 27 or 28, we'll be spending about $6 million a year on this work. We can't keep up. And what it's going to do, it's going to ultimately impact our ability to deliver programs and instruction to students. >> Oh, this is going to get real serious real quick. Real quick. So, my question for the rack committee, I don't want to put I'm not trying to put you on the spot, but when you were having your deliberations, I'm sure it was very serious. All points of view were considered. Um, I mean, was the decision to recommend just that this is available to us? we don't have another way to get this kind of revenue. It's just not
265there right now with the current means that we have available to us. So, we should take advantage of it. Is that how we came to that conclusion? >> Yeah, I think it was that there are some immediate needs and there's an option to have at least a portion of that paid for. Um, but you know, then there were also discussions about, hey, this is seven years What does that limit a referendum? So that's where I'm getting at with all of this because what I'm again train but we go let's say we assume we go through this process gets approved the board approves it we get $11 million and then I could envision a scenario where right when it's hitting people's pocketbook we might be asking them for a referendum and uh we didn't ask you
266U people want to say in this right and so that timing can be things challenge make it a challenging environment is that was that ever discussed >> yeah I think again that it was like a referendum a referendum can happen in time for the things that need to be done >> right >> and we don't have discretion on what needs to be done >> no I get it this is like if that pipe breaks at JB Nelson like they're It's so when because I thought about this a lot, right? Because the there is there could be a sentiment of a certain set of people that feel like you snuck this in on them. Right. >> Right. Because it's a new thing, they wouldn't know it. They don't, >> right? >> There's a high likelihood that
267that certain subset of people just aren't going to like it no matter what you do. >> That's true. >> Okay. The reality is whatever we do here reduces the number we may ask for later in some capacity. Whether it's straight off the top or it's fighting our inflationary trend a bit because we're doing this because I kind of have a feeling if you took the numbers we looked at when we had the referendum before that looks like the deal of a century right now. >> I agree. >> Right. But the community spoke and it is what it is. You know, so this is the world we're in. So we're battling an operating rate that we are locked in on and operating rates were not meant to fund buildings and to build addition. That's why we
268have to go ask for money for it to make sure the community would support that. Right. So, but one of the things I think did hurt us a bit in the previous referendum is that we were there was no dream really attached to it was like fixing these things all over the place and it was hard to quantify and it was hard to rattle and it felt a lot like why aren't you take care of your buildings, right? So, in a lot of ways, this is a way to take care of at least some of the things in the buildings. Yeah, I think some people had issues with the and I understood the idea of like it's sometimes it's cheaper to tear down a building and build new, but I think there are people that
269had issues with that idea. And so we're not tearing down buildings. We are working with what we have, but there's there's a huge cost. >> And to be clear, the the opportunity to tear down buildings has sailed, >> right? We've spent, you know, tens of millions of dollars at this point on those buildings. You know, it wouldn't make sense anymore to now turn around and tear them down. >> So really the question before us is do they start on the process of doing this? There's time to think about it. There's time to try to, you know, work through the process of rack and bic and others of having community input input if it is so desired, you know, but right now it is Do you take the bird that's in the hand and move forward
270or you kind of hope you catch one eventually? >> All right. Are you two going to point at each other all night? >> No, I use that say something. >> I use that turn of a phrase with Mr. Kim earlier and he was like, I've never heard that before, but now you've heard it twice. I don't um I think it's important to kind of also keep in mind I think in the last two years we have tried to pursue other options to fund our capital projects. Um with the previous board, there was some discussions about a possibility that when uh I was working with the Illinois Association for Superintendent, uh we were they had connected us, me and some of you were on that meeting to see if there was a way that an in
271uh an investment group from the east coast was willing to consider uh pursuing funding all of our capital projects needs. Unfortunately, some of the levers with uh and and um Tony, you can explain this better, but basically this the way that we needed money to make to make that project happen anyway still, right? It just didn't work out because we still have to pay back that money and if we didn't have the funds coming, there's no way we could have done it. It was a good it was a good idea. Um we've also looked at different grants. I know Mark is actively always looking at grant. I forward you a ton of emails and stuff and we just never qualify for any of them because we're a tier four school district. So, we never qualify
272for anything. Um, I shouldn't say never. We do qualify for some things. I know you guys get some monies for some grants, but the big ones, the ones that don't make a dent, uh, we're unfortunately not eligible for those. >> So, that's part of the story, right? when it goes out, if there is a referendum component or when people call up and say, "Well, what the heck, you know, that is, you know, we we decide, do we want to handle this as a messaging thing and let people know in advance what's happening or why or do you wait till afterwards and that's decisions to be made as we move forward through this process?" >> Mark, you would agree with this statement too, right? like we can't let a summer pass us where no work has
273been done. >> Correct. >> I mean, the way Mark explained to me, if I'm summarizing correctly, one, we're allowing projects that we could have done cheaper to get more expensive. And then two, points of failure, right? We we run the risk of something failing the next school year then if we don't address it. >> Correct. I'm sorry. >> I mean, the reality is, in my opinion, this is like a non-quest that has to be asked, >> right? >> Yeah. I think we have to move forward at least in the next meeting and keep the options open. >> People probably aren't going to like the $155 a year or whatever it works out as, but people will like it even less if their kids are in school and something terrible happens and they don't have heat
274or, >> you know, I >> Oh, yeah. the district I mean tried twice for a referendum and community spoke and so we've been just dealing with what we >> can do and so this is a direct result of that in my in my opinion just personally this is a direct result of that and so it's >> it's the only option we have >> that's true >> huh >> that's not your opinion that's true >> okay I didn't want to >> it's the math >> right exactly exactly >> um yeah and and so we had a quick conversation when they first introduced me to the issue with the pipes at at JBN. I was like, "So, if it's offline, what are we talking? A week, a month, two months?" And we talked it could be months,
275right? >> Weeks. >> In the winter months, let's hope not, >> right? Because that's when it's worse. >> Well, if you don't have heat in a building, there's a whole host of factors that happen. Everything starts freezing. >> Everything gets worse. to Kristen your point like it's like >> all right so we're gonna create an A and B schedule and everyone's going over to Hooverwood you know a two split day SK I I don't know I mean you have to start thinking like what are we going to do that happens so >> not to sound apocalyptic >> well there's a logic to say if you say no now and that happens how will you feel now that you couldn't make the decision now >> if you're like Fine. Then you can make a certain decision
276one way. Like boy, I be kicking myself. >> That's probably a good hint of how you should vote. But not today because this is just for discussion. It's just discussion. >> Feels kind of heady, but yeah, you don't have to decide today. >> Good for that. >> Yes. >> All right. Uh last item of 10 point. Thank you, Mark. >> Thank you, Josh. Last item is board self evaluation. So, I asked Tom to put this on here because it's about the time where we start trying to figure out when we can get together, if we want to get together. Um, I think there's been a lot of growth and a lot of changes, you know, in the board. Um, and I think it'd be a good opportunity for us to get together and to talk
277about it. So, I guess my first question is, does anybody have any objection to figuring out a time to go do that? >> So, this is the same we're proposing kind of the same process, which is Laura Martinez because they're one of the only that can do this in a kind of a closed session and an orchestrated response. Um, two things I would like to get your opinion on amending is one I would like to be a little bit more of a targeted approach of it. So like maybe have Laura um dig into kind of some of our meetings and talk about some things she saw or didn't see. Like we're all at this point relatively, you know, comfortable. We've been in our seats for a couple of years. You know, we we're no longer
278newbies as it were one year, but I don't think you get to be a newbie anymore. >> You don't look that old. trial by fire, Kristen. Um, and and have her come in and just kind of let us all know kind of where we're sitting and everything else. Um, the other thing I would, if that's fine for that, the thing I would like to also is, um, when we last, and I've seen it every time Laura's been here, is sometimes you ask a question that has some sort of legal implication or evaluation of the law, and she can't answer the question, >> right? and she will say you should talk to your legal counsel. I would like to recommend we have our legal counsel in the meeting with us >> for no other reason just
279to we you know talk through the issues there and and and work through that and we've met with Justin a couple of times and I'd like to potentially put Justin on the table for that. So thoughts? I'm good with that. I think it'll help be a very constructive meeting because then Justin and Laura can work together on as well, you know, and crafting how it looks. Is there ISB is good, but they're kind of boilerplate for what they go over. Okay. So, we'll start trying to figure out dates. We'll reach out to Laura and Justin and then work through the next steps on that. Planning a date where we're all around. Um, and I think that's it for our general discussion items. Yes. What did I forget? >> What did I Oh, four. Oh, board
280meeting dates. >> Tom, those are our proposed dates. Uh, Cindy has ran it past uh the cabinet team, looked at other calendars. Um, most of them are to the reciprocal date of where, you know, it falls on the third Tuesday of the month. Uh, there's a couple of months we had to make an adjustment due to the way the calendar falls, but those are your dates. Um, >> we usually try to get them approved April, Cindy. >> Right. >> So, we have >> Yeah. So, we can start posting for next year's calendar already if you want to take a look. just discussion, but uh what we'd like to get this on the agenda for action at the April board meeting so you can all approve your meeting dates. >> Sound good? >> So, if anybody
281has any adjustments? >> Yeah. One big change, we are removing the April special kind of it's not a special board meeting when you call out in a year in advance, but uh that a that meeting we have in early early April. That's usually our honorable dismissal process. uh we're removing that and we're going to uh try and make sure everything's done within the March regular board meeting. So >> also May 25th >> you should mention >> yeah it doesn't fall on the we did decide to go with the third Tuesday. So that these all fall on the third Tuesday with the exception of the May 25th one because the third Tuesday is graduation. >> Right. >> Appreciate it. It's not for slim pickings around here if that's the case. >> Yep. >> Okay. All right.
282>> All right. Superintendent's comments. >> Well, Tom, you holding in our hands meeting. >> All I'm going to say is uh just as always much gratitude to our administrators in the district, to our teachers and staff. Um we have a lot of good things heading in a really good direction right now. Um, despite tonight sounded like really gloomy with our financial forecasting and cable project, it's all good. We we're going to get this figured out and continue to um maintain our facilities so that all the teaching and learning that's happening in our buildings continues to go in the right direction. So, I just wanted to say thank you to everybody for that. And then, uh, lastly, I just hope everyone has a wonderful spring break. That's it. >> Board comments, anyone? I'm looking at anyone
283but Kristen right now. >> You can start in the middle sometime. And >> Erin, go ahead. >> Oh, I elaminated myself. You >> bring it up. >> Uh, I'll be very brief. I'll say just thank you for all the presentations. We had a lot of very in-depth information presented tonight. So, thank you for those presentations. I want to thank uh Danielle and Rob for their work on the student board member. That was excellent. And uh again, I want to wish everyone a safe spring break. And I know from experience that once we get from back from spring break, it's sort of like we hit like put it in fifth gear because everything starts going really fast and the next thing you know we're at Northern for commencement. So, uh to those senior parents, just I
284hope they hold on tight and enjoy every minute. >> Oh yeah, have a great spring break. Um, shout out to Holly for her help with the student board member uh project and uh for her all support she's already given and her continued support. Um, yeah, and that's it. Thanks. >> Uh, thanks to Rob and Danielle for the work on the student. It's exciting. It's exciting to get those student voices here and I thank you for it was a lot of work. Thank you. Uh, I was just going to talk about some events I went to. I went to the BPN parent uh, resource fair, which was amazing. Um, 60 over 60 vendors. I had to park across the street because there were so many people in the parking lot. There might have been other activities
285going on, but there were a lot of people there. Um, and it was, you know, everything from like mental health support, job skills training, parent coaching, education, speech therapy. It was, it's really impressive the I mean, there must be a lot of work that goes into planning that. So, bravo to everyone that's involved in organizing it. Uh, and then I took my son to the college career and wellness fair, uh, which was also great. He's a freshman, so it's a little early, but I thought it was good to have him start thinking about, you know, what's important to him, what kind of questions he could ask in the future. Um, there were over 200 colleges, businesses, and wellness partners. Uh, it was hosted by West Aurora, Battavia, and Yorkville. Um, my alma mater was there,
286which was very exciting because it's very small. It's not it's not always everywhere. Uh, but I talked to the guy and he asked what school my son went to. He said Betavia and he was like, "Oh, Paige Buddles. She's great." So, yay for Paige in Betavia. Uh, and then Rock the Runway, which was mentioned earlier, was amazing. I am I've been to it a few times. I'm always so impressed with the creations and the set and the lighting and everything that these students put into it. Um, so thanks to the organizers of all these events. Um they help our students find their passions and help them prepare for life after school and not just academically. Uh so when I I sat at Rock the Runway with my daughter and there was a group of students
287next to us and obviously one of their friends was one of the designers because she walked out and they just went crazy. They were cheering for her and I just thought about how amazing it must have been for her like to it's it's got to be a little frightening to create something and then walk out onto the stage by yourself at the BFAC to show an entire audience but then to have like your people there cheering you on. Um, and it made me think, um, that is what I hope that all of the students at our schools get to experience is a place where they feel supported and cheered for, whether it's Rock the Runway or an athletic team or a music group or joining a new club or just trying to be their true
288selves. Um, I want every all of our students to feel that support. Um, and I'm here to cheer every single student on and I think given the support we saw today from our community, our community is ready to do that, too. So, it's just another heartwarming moment for me. >> Yeah, sure. Um, sorry, sorry, my voice is kind of going. Um, okay. What do I want to talk about? No. Um, Holly, I love everything that you brought to us about the communications. Um, I'm really excited about that. I think I've so many conversations I've been in community. So much of it has to do with whether it's failure of referendums or just like the inability to understand one group of the other that that generational gap, right? And this just sounds like such an amazing
289way. The question is always like how do we bridge that and to hear the park districts trying it out. You're working on it. I'm so excited about that. It's something I think that is seriously missing in Betavia. And I think the more that youth understand, you know, the generations before them and then the opposite way, the more buyin everyone has, the more support we have talking about supportive community. So, I'm excited for that. Um, great job on that already and I'm I'm really excited for that. Um, and speaking of support, um, of course tonight, um, I obviously definitely want to touch on, um, tonight because, uh, I mean, I I think I can, it's obvious where my support stands. And I took the oath of this position to support every single student in Betavia. Doesn't
290matter how they identify, what family they come from. It does not matter. And every bit that I have ever seen posted from BPS is educational in some way. It is educating people on what different types of barriers have been broken, what different types of obstacles, what different types of successes there are. And just as we heard really loudly and we've we've gotten so many emails, so many people saw themselves, so many kids saw themselves, so many just alumni, so many different people were just like, you know, I really really appreciate that. And so it is Betavia. It doesn't need to come from people who are from Betavia to be representative of the Bavian community. So, I just really want to encourage that we continue to remember that we are a public school district and we
291all very much look different, come from different backgrounds and when we don't do that, it causes direct harm and trauma. And I was really really, you know, when I sat with this, it's um, you know, ACEs is when we talk about like some really big life issues that happen. And one of the biggest things and we've heard it from different people is what makes the biggest impact for people who have sustained harm and trauma and it's community. It's community like that is what can reverse it. And you heard different people actually talk to percentages of it. And so I just really want to be clear that I took this position to ensure that our kids have the accessibility to go to school no matter what their background is that they are safe that they are
292representative. they're represented and that they feel like they belong. So, I just I'm really it was really encouraging to see a community come together, rally together. It always is. Um so, I just wanted to share that. Um you know, I just I think it's really important for us to remember that. Um I think that's all my voice is going to allow for right now. But I think yeah, just I'm always coming back to community. So I appreciate again what you're doing and just that that other part of it. So thank you. Uh similarly I would like to thank the community for showing up tonight. Um Holly, I hope you felt the support in the room. Um really appreciate all the work that you're doing. I just happy spring break. Happy Women's History Month. Trans women
293are women and all children belong in BPS11. I will not belabor all the points but only one. Thank you Robin and Danielle. It's a lot of work and that's something that really kind of started as a board idea that a couple of you have championed and I appreciate you continuing to move forward and understanding that board action is a once a month decision and it takes time. So I appreciate you sticking with it and we're getting to a point now I'm really excited to see how that develops in the future. So thank you for your time. I will say thank you to everybody that showed up today and I very much appreciate everyone staying that that kept it positive and kept it constructive. Um for those that were able to do that and I appreciate
294it. So um with that I will entertain a motion to adjurnn unless I forgot anything else. Cindy, I'm good. Okay. Entertain a motion to adjurnn. >> So moved by Danielle. >> Second by Katie. >> All in favor? I >> I opposed. >> It is now 10:59. >> That under the wire.