001- [Announcer] Good evening, everyone. I'd like to call to order this work-study session for Independent School Districts 624, would ask the clerk to please read the role. - [Clerk] Mullin. - [Mullin] Here. - [Clerk] Newmaster. - [Newmaster] Here. - [Clerk] Thompson. - [Thompson] Here. - [Clerk] Arcand. - Here. - Beloyed. - [Beloyed] Here. - Chapman. - Here. - [Clerk] Ellison, here. - [Mullin] All right, thank you very much. We'll get into our first discussion item, the overview of the conscious discipline. - [Kazmierczak ] I'll kick it up. - [Mullin] Dr. Kazmierczak. - [ Kazmierczak] Thank you chair Mullin and members of the board. Our strategic plan strategy it commits to ensuring the social and emotional growth of each student. I'd like to introduce Lisa Ouren director of student support services, who along with several others,
002will provide an overview of conscious discipline, which is one method we have employed as we work to achieve this strategy at the elementary level. - [Lisa] Good evening chair Mullin, members of the school board. Tonight, I would like to introduce you to three members from our student support services team. Jill Tessman, Kristen Johnson, and Angela Drange. They are gonna talk to you a little bit about our social-emotional learning initiative in our elementary schools, welcome. - [Angela] Hello chair Mullin and members of the school board. Thank you for this opportunity tonight. We're going to be talking about conscious discipline, something that's been going on within the school district. Again, thanks for this opportunity to share some of the really great work that has been happening here in White Bear Lake Area Schools with staff and for
003children. We are here to highlight conscious discipline. It is an evidence-based trauma informed approach to social-emotional learning. Why did we choose to come here and talk to you about conscious discipline and to have it within the district? Conscious discipline is based on current brain research, child development information and development through appropriate practices. It is a brain-based model that has been specifically designed to make changes in the lives of adults first. What we know about trauma and times of high stress is that brains can be significantly impacted. In times of high stress, we operate in our survival brain where safety is paramount. Conscious discipline gives staff tools to be able to identify children's brain state and to move them to the prefrontal cortex, like this slide that you're looking at right now, and get them into
004the ready-to-learn state. One of the areas on our White Bear Lake strategic plan is around social-emotional learning. Strategy eight of the strategic plan states that "We will ensure the social-emotional growth of each student." In order to do this work, we have with other community providers and agencies. We have received funding from the Sauer Foundation and PrairieCare, totaling $58,000. This has allowed us to train our White Bear Lake staff as well as staff from Community Education, Ramsey County Library, Intermediate School District 916 and Solid Ground. Conscious discipline focuses on routines and rituals that are rooted in safety and connection. These routines and rituals can be delivered both virtually and face to face. Routines and rituals help build our school families for both our staff and our students. They consist of such things as Wish You Well
005boards, kindness trees, social stories, visuals, jobs for all, and much more. Please watch as an early childhood teacher delivers a virtual Wish You Well routine. - And right now I have all of you in the heart, except for me because I am the only one that's at school right now. And the rest of you are at home, and I hope that you're healthy. And so I'm gonna put my hand over my heart and wish you well. ♪ I wish you well ♪ ♪ All through the day to day ♪ ♪ I wish you well ♪ I miss you and I hope you guys get to come back to school soon. - (whispering) Next one. - Okay. - [Angela] Conscious discipline began in White Bear Lake in the fall of 2019. The early childhood staff received
006training and began implementing strategies within their classrooms. As a result, the early childhood team saw dramatic improvements in self-regulation relationships and problem solving. Conscious discipline training continued in the spring of 2020 through online modules and group discussions. In this spring, 74 paraeducators and 40 licensed staff were trained. This past summer, we trained 79 licensed staff, including principals, teachers, psychologists, social workers, and nurses. Please take a moment to listen to what our White Bear Lake staff have to say about conscious discipline. - Greetings chair Mullin school board, Dr. Kazmierczak, and White Bear Lake community. My name is Trevor Putnam, I'm a school psychologist at Birch Lake Elementary. I participated in the conscious discipline training this summer, was so very much impressed by the framework and guidance that it provided for our staff to think differently about
007behavior, I'm it flips behaviorism on its head, in a way and set of antecedent behavior consequences. It's really about showing compassion and care for students and wishing each other well with strategies and tools to use. I really hope that the district continues to invest in this framework for a growing number of staff. Thank you, wishing you all well. - The conscious discipline training I took the summer gave me so many new tools and I'm really excited to use them with my students. Conscious discipline really helps educators make that shift from a fixed mindset of do-as-I-say, not as I do, to a more transitional mindset of be the change you want to see in the world. Conscious discipline isn't just another curriculum that I have to add to my classroom on top of the other things
008that I'm doing, rather, I will just be able to use it in everyday teaching by how I choose to respond, nurture, and make meaningful connections with my students. I learned how self regulation is one of the top predictors of life success, and this is even more important in early academics. So working with a younger population of students with a variety of abilities, the conscious discipline training helped to guide me through the different brain states and how does the part my students' skillset in each of those areas. So I'm walking away from this training with so many resources, including the I Wish You Well routine to use during my group time, a variety of breathing exercises that I can incorporate into my calming corner and scripts to ensure that all staff can easily implement a positive
009approach to behavior. I'm really excited to get going this fall and very fortunate that I was able to take this training. - Hi, this is Jonathan Luknic, principal at Birch Lake Elementary. To me the most important takeaway from conscious discipline is that to work effectively with the students, we really have to work on ourselves as adults first. We need to understand why we're reacting the way we do to students in different situations and to become conscious of that and to know why we're reacting the way we do and to know that those are the most effective and caring kind of reactions that we could have. And from that standpoint, the journey and learning with conscious discipline is really a journey of discovering yourself and reflecting on your own experiences and how it plays into how
010you do your job every day, as well as how you go about your relationships and every other aspect of your life. So that was a big surprise to me. I definitely expected to learn something about working with kids, however, conscious discipline was really a journey of learning more about myself and then understanding how that impacted my work. I've ever so grateful to have that opportunity and I hope we can continue to offer that around our district, I think it would be a great benefit. Thank you. - [Angela] We all know that COVID-19 is not a short term stressor. It is a time when everyone is feeling unsafe and disconnected. This is a longterm event with the longterm consequences for us, our families, and our community. The more we can do to provide safety to our
011staff and students, by giving them strategies to build composure into their daily practice and manage their emotions now, the stronger their foundation will be for handling stress. As a result, we will all be better able to model healthy, emotional regulation for children and increase resiliency. Conscious discipline is based on and steeped and inclusion because we are all in this together. It seems ironic that a virus that requires physical distancing to slow it spread and has drawn our attention to how intimately connected we truly are as friends, neighbors, and communities. Safety connection, and problem solving are the most valuable contributions we can offer to our colleagues and our students as we navigate these unprecedented times. We know that humankind is genetically wired to seek out connection and contribute to each other's wellbeing. There has never been
012a greater need for connection and safety in our schools. Conscious discipline has helped our staff to shift their perspective of this pandemic from an unprecedented threat to an unprecedented opportunity to build unity, compassion, and connection. When we contribute to others' wellbeing, we create a sense of wellbeing in ourselves. - [Kristen] As students and staff returned back to school this fall, we must remember like this iceberg you're looking at in this PowerPoint. We will not see what lies beneath the surface. We must consciously notice, what our staff and students may be feeling. Am I safe? Am I loved? Am I capable? Do I belong? Am I respected? Am I understood? Do I matter? We look forward to continuing our work in training of conscious discipline. We are excited to grow the knowledge of conscious discipline within
013the White Bear Lake School District. Angela, Jill, and I would like to wish you well. And we would like to take this opportunity for any questions you might have. Thank you. - [Mullin] Thank you very much. Are there any questions relating to conscious discipline? Ms. Beloyed? - [Beloyed] Oh, where did we find this particular discipline as opposed to maybe some of the others are out there, where do we find it and why did we choose this one? - [Angela] Well, Kristen and I were colleagues in a former school district. And Kristen actually introduced it to me probably four or five years ago. I've wrote a grant through the Sauer Foundation about a year and a half ago and introduced it to our early childhood program last year. We saw immediate results and wanted to bring
014that into the elementary schools because we saw such positive things happening with our youngest learners. Kristin and Jill joined our team this past year and Kristin has also introduced it into another district in the state and it became very popular in that elementary school and so we all join together and really put our heads together to get another grant through the PrairieCare grant so that we could introduce it to all the elementary buildings. - [Beloyed] So is it something that just works at the elementary level or is this something at the secondary level as well? - [Angela] It can absolutely work at the secondary, I don't know if you wanna speak to that a little. - [Beloyed] But we're only introducing it at elementary right now? - [Kristen] Yeah, we're really focusing right now on
015elementary and it really is conscious discipline isn't just a set curriculum as we talk to, it's more of, and I think Jonathan Luknic said it so wonderfully, it's really a philosophy in the adults and how an adult can change their behavior to really work with students and make those positive, impactful changes. So it works both with students and then within adults themselves learning how to self regulate themselves in order to better regulate children and students. But yes, we are focusing more on early childhood and elementary at this time, but we have had some of our paraprofessionals that have joined in on the training that are secondary. - [Beloyed] So then is there a tie in with special education with this? - [Kristin] We've trained both special education and general education. So both. - [Beloyed] I
016guess I'm just wondering, well, that answers the question. Thank you - Does it, okay. - [ Jill] I just wanna add just one little quick piece to that, when we're looking at social-emotional learning, curriculums, frameworks, whatever it may be to support our district, it's really important that it's evidence-based as well in addition to hearing how other school districts are putting them into their system and what the reaction is to that. CASEL is an agency or group that has really researched social-emotional learning, and conscious discipline is endorsed by CASEL. So if you're interested in learning more about that, it's C-A-S-E-L. - [Beloyed] Thank you. (indistinctly) - [Beloyed] Sorry, it looks great. I'm wondering, because I'm most familiar with what's been going on at Otter and I know they, for the last, at least two years have
017been using a specific curriculum and, I can't remember the name of it, but how is it blending with things that have been taught? Are they continuing or are we gonna change the vocabulary? - [Jill] Yeah, no this is so the specific curriculum that you're mentioning again, my name is Jill Tessman, is called second step. And it's important to us to also look for the alignment between frameworks and other curriculums that we might be using. Additionally, we're looking at the social-emotional learning competencies through the state of Minnesota, that we are using both conscious discipline and second step align very nicely with those competencies through the state. And it's like a layering effect. So as Kristen or Angela mentioned both probably conscious discipline is not a curriculum, it doesn't give us a second state of activities per
018se, although there's embedded activities, but what to do when it's more of a way of thinking and interacting strategies and tools than a set curriculum. So it's more like we're blending them together, does it make sense? - So it sounds like a philosophy. - [Jill] It is definitely a philosophy, yes. - [Beloyed] Thank you. - [Mullin] Other questions, comments? Okay, thank you all very much for your work, it's a great stuff, we really appreciate the update. - Thank you. With that, we'll move on to our next discussion item. D, ah excuse me, B2 which is the 2020, 21 strategic priorities, Dr Kazmierczak. - [Kazmierczak] All right, thank you chair Mullin. So tonight we're gonna provide an update on our priorities for the 2020-2021 school year. As we consider our priorities, these are the items that
019we're focusing on. These will remain, some of them are continuing from prior years, but strategic plan implementation or equity plan development, fiscal management, given the times we're in, we'll talk more about that throughout the course of the next few months. And then I'm also just acknowledging the pandemic response is an ongoing priority for us. So, but tonight to start us off, recall that this past July you affirmed the district's equity commitment statement and four way equity decision-making protocol. You accepted the results of our equity audit, and you approved our commitment to action and the development of a three to five year equity plan. So tonight we welcome Dr. Marcellus Davis director of Equity and Engagement. And Mr. Sebastian Witherspoon, who's the executive director of Equity Alliance, Minnesota to provide an update on the process for
020the development of that plan. So also tonight as those two gentlemen are coming up, Dr. Alison Gillespie will provide an overview of Envisio, a tool that we are using to track the implementation of our strategic plan. So she will follow Dr. Davis and Mr. Witherspoon. So at this point, I'll turn it over to Dr. Davis. [Davis] All right, (whispering). Can you see anything when I do that? - [Kazmierczak] This is blurred though, didn't seem like it. - [Davis] It's okay? Good evening. - [Kazmierczak] Good evening. - [Davis] Oh, okay we'll do that again. Good evening. (audience) All right again, my name is Dr. Marcellus Davis, and I'm here with my colleague in the work, Sebastian Witherspoon. And we are pleased to be here today to continue the work that we started years ago, under the
021leadership of Dr. Wayne Kazmierczak as well as Dr. Alison Gillespie. And I want us to think that this is a continuance and the metaphoric race to the work of race equity and educational equity in schools. July 9th, the last time that I was presenting in front of you, we were reporting on the equity audit report. And as we learned some things from the people, as we aggregated data survey and group wise that talked about our district and made some recommendations, this is the work in continuance of that day. This work is also in alignment with the strategic plan, goal area five in particular. So I want us to know that this is a scope and sequence, if you will, in the work. This work has been started for multiple years, and we are at a
022point now where we are ready to create an equity action plan. So that we can have action, and we can have measurement, and we can have accountability to create an equity within our system, which also means removing inequities. Are we ready to begin again? Once again, I am here with my colleague, Dr. Sebastian, soon to be, Witherspoon, who represents the Equity Alliance, Minnesota, who is a partner in our work, we work in tandem with them. They provide professional development, they provide a youth-student development, and I will let you take the mic. - [Witherspoon] All right, thank you, Dr. Davis. So it's a pleasure to be here, superintendent, school board. First off, I'd like to commend you on doing what I think is kind of vanguard in this idea of doing an equity audit. And I
023liked the way the superintendent framed it, the idea of accepting the research and the findings of an equity audit, because often there's a lot of push and pull, when people say these things are happening within our district. And so, the way to think about, I think the relationship between an equity audit and action plan is kind of doing it on the ground now. So you have an organization that came in and shared with you what was happening in your district relative to equity racial, equity work. And then with the information that you already have received and recommendations, we're gonna convene some folks together to actually do the work on the ground in White Bear Lake to make sure that all your students are meeting that desired in for the specific graduation rates in their academic
024attainment and achievement that we would like to see within White Bear Lake Schools. So this is the agenda for the night. We wanted to speak to you briefly, and it's not gonna take a tremendous amount of your time, but there's a purpose, there will be a selection of a team, we'll explain these things, the process, we'll explain the timeline, the outcomes and then if you have any questions for us that we could entertain as well. - [Davis] So it is important for us to always know that there was a song years ago from my favorite artists, his name is Brian McKnight. He has written the soundtrack for my wife and I's love. All right, he had a song and it was called Back At One. And I say this to say that anytime that we
025get a stray from our work in the district, we must revisit our mission. And our mission says, I'm going to try to pronounce this in a theatrical way and captured this feelin' in which it was written. The mission of the White Bear Lake Area School District, the community at the forefront of educational excellence, honoring our legacy and courageously building the future is to ensure each student realizes their unique talents and abilities and makes meaningful contributions with local and global impact the way vital system distinguished by: students who design and create their own future, a culture that respects diverse people in ideas, safe, nurturing, and inspiring experiences, exceptional staff and families committed to student success, abundant and engaged community partners. If anytime we get out of alignment, we must revisit our mission and it is our
026work with the equity action plan, which will create our first ever equity plan. We are going to make sure that the ideals espoused in this mission statement come to fruition through the creation of this plan. - [Witherspoon] Thank you, Dr. Davis. We're kind of tag team and so on. And I'm having some trouble because of my glasses, so bear with me. I've got some fog stuff going on, so bear with me as I try to read. And so like Dr. Davis had aforementioned, this idea of always starting back at one, Brian McKnight have to be one of my favorite artists as well, doctor, and so we want to make sure that our work is centered in the strategic plan of White Bear Lake Schools, but we need to also identify what our trajectory is and
027so this is our purpose, for the work of the action plan. And I'd like to read it to you as well, but I won't be as theatrical. In an effort to accelerate our equity initiatives and to try and hold true to our district's mission and vision, our collective goal is to inspire the action that is needed to support our students, families, and staff in achieving educational equity, capital letters, ALL students. That's all of our goals. That is, we want all of our kids to be successful, we want all of our learners to be successful and reach their greatest, highest intellectual performance. We're not trying to create this kind of idea, where we're comparing kids against each other, we just want all kids to beat the greatest level that they can attain individually. So the process
028that we're gonna use, that I would go on-- [Davis] I think you may have skipped (voice drowns). - [Witherspoon] Okay, my bad. - [Davis] It's all good, it's okay to share it the mic. - [Witherspoon] All right so, I just gonna briefly go over the selection process. Number one is gonna be very intentional and very inclusive. Our goal is to make sure geographically, we represent the entire district. We wanna make sure that we are represented from community education all the way to tech learning and making sure we have narratives and racially, culturally diverse narratives and multiple perspectives to help guide this process. This is a community effort to create a racially, equitable learning environment that is free of inequities, okay? We were even getting down to percentages, we didn't want to have too many administrators,
029we want to make sure that we had staff, we want to make sure that we had student voice, we want to make sure that we had parents as well as external voices to really capture an entire breadth of the community. So the process for creating an action plan is to define equity. We want to start with the foundation of defining what equity means for our district, our staff, our community, our constituents. So we can move accordingly all on the same page of being grounded in what this idea of what does equity mean to us. So what does that mean? Got to gather a community voice, create a foundation statement to guide our action plan. We want to review on the line, you've already pretty much done all that, so this idea of this continuation of
030an action plan coincides with the work that you've done with the audit. So you have the information once we can be in the team, we'll share that information with the team and that will kind of get us grounded in our work going forward, that's the directory that will go on and going and doing a deep-dive into the findings of the equity audit that you all had completed last year. After that, we identify priorities. So we build the policies and the things that are most present to the district. So we're gonna dig in some of those places and we're not gonna identify all the priorities, I mean, all the policies, that's the ones that are most appropriate for student success. We wanna share those findings with the community stakeholders and ask and get feedback from that
031process. We wanna make sure that people are being included, so it's inclusive, it's transparent and people feel like their voices are being heard. And then we want to determine what the gaps are. So the audit kind of said, these are our recommendations going forward. The group may look at this information and say, "Well, those are not our priorities, "those are not the things that we wanted initially focus on." So they'll have an opportunity as a group to identify the priorities of the White Bear Lake Schools. And then what is a purpose and possible ways to close and eliminate the gaps? And that's gonna be the hard part. I think a lot of us can sit here and identify some of the things that are happening with our students at White Bear Lake Schools, but we
032can't specifically say why. And so a lot of it is due to some prognosticating, but a lot of it is to say, this is where we think is happening, and this is why, we're gonna have a really gifted group of folks in that space to help lend their virtuosities to the conversation and identify where the gaps are needed and our attention is needed to eradicate those gaps. And then we'll create an action plan. And then we'll sign some timelines, we'll find some folks what be call some equity street folks to do the work. We have to do the work and so we're trying to establish a way ina process by which people feel gifted enough, they feel like they're equipped enough and they feel like they have the capacity to actually do the work of
033initiating to try to eradicate the gaps that do exist in White Bear Lake Schools. And then we wanna create realistic, smart goals and measure progress and success. I think that's one of the spaces that education as a whole doesn't do well. We put really good things on paper, we say really smart things, we have really smart people in the room, but we often don't assess the work that we're doing so we know what's currently happening. And so, there's a word that I don't like to use, but I'm gonna use it for the sake of this conversation, and we're gonna do it with fidelity. I think that's used as a euphemism sometimes, we're gonna do this work with fidelity. I'm gonna make sure that there's people involved that hold our feet to the collective fire, if
034you will. [Davis] And just briefly, we really have an expedited timeline with our host of implementing and getting our plan started by the year of '21-22. So our timeline starts in October, we're gonna communicate it out with potential people who want to be a part of this learning experience by using the methodology of application process like we used consistently used for different committees. In November, we want to start our first meeting of equity action plan team. And then by May, we want to be completed with an equity action plan. Creating our equity plan, - [Witherspoon] Given that it's unusual circumstances and they're using time, that is kind of an ambitious timeline, but we're gonna do our best to make sure that we meet that end. So these are our outcomes. Create a working definition of
035equity, I spoke to that on the front end of this presentation. Identify White Bear Lakes equity priorities. What does that mean? It means that we wanna make sure that people believe that these are the things that we should be focused on relative to the work of eradicating educational gaps and opportunities for all students and staff and learners. This is not just about students, this is about the community. We want to have any gap that we have that's a barrier for anybody's success, we wanna eradicate those gaps. Allocate resources, there's a lot of ways we can do that, I won't speak to that in detail, but those are decisions that are made by people in places that are not positioned in currently. We want to establish alignment of equity initiatives, making sure that people no matter
036if they're in HR, no matter if they're in teaching and learning, that there's an alignment. People in the classrooms, people positioned in leadership positions in schools. We have to make sure that everybody knows what we're doing, they're on the same page, and we have a critical mass of folks that make sure the work goes forward. We wanna create this action plan that we talked about, including a scope and sequence and recommendations identified in the equity audit. So the equity audits where we start to work and hopefully that's where we finish the work. So that leaves us to the end of the presentation, if you all have any questions for us. - [Mullin] Thank you very much. Are there any questions regarding the strategic plans? Ms. Beloyed. - [Beloyed] So I was just wondering, we haven't
037yet selected the team, correct? - [Dr.Davis] No, Ma'am. - [Beloyed] How long do you think it'll take to do that if we're meeting in October? [Davis] I hope that we can finalize everything within the next 30 to 40 days. - [Beloyed] I guess I was also kind of wondering how do we get the outside voices, were do we go to, how do we let people know that we're looking for those voices and how do we get those voices? [Davis] Good question. I will work with my cabinet team for guidance as it relates to how they've done it in the past, and just try to be consistent with what the district has already done and just follow that blueprint. - [Beloyed] Okay, what were the different things that you measured for success in the past? Are
038they typically the same types of things or is it really just related to each and every district or unit that you're working with, whatever those gaps are, is it really that different or are they really tend to be the same kind of differences and how do you measure that? Did that make sense? - [Witherspoon] You'll have to excuse me, ma'am. I think I know pieces of the question, but I guess the reality is is that every school has a certain set of challenges as it relates to what gaps exist in their district. The audit identified the areas that they thought were the highest areas of concern, and that's where the conversation starts, so when you come in and you do an audit to say, we look at a whole gamut of things. And it says,
039"These are the areas relative "to student outcomes, pedagogy, community input, "teaching, and learning" The areas based on the questions that we asked, this is where we got the lowest amount of response in terms of if it was pro or con, and then I think based on what we're gonna do, we're gonna use the result of the audit to start our work, but it's internal data that's looked at too, so in terms of student outcomes would have been, student referrals, attendance, things of that nature. So it's based on this, really this idea of empirical data that says "We got to use data to make our decisions." And then one of the challenges that we're gonna, we have to identify what the root causes are. And I think that's some of the challenging work as to say,
040well, why, because that is just data. But now we have to contextualize it because of the story behind it and identify what the cause of the data is and what is it telling us so we can make a proper course of action. Does that help answer your question? - [Beloyed] Yeah, I guess, I was just, I'm thinking of in terms of, you know, objective and subjective, you know, I can ask you the question, how do you feel today, and then six months later ask you how you, well, how feel then-- - [Witherspoon] Well you have quantitative and qualitative data, so I think related to what you're saying, it's the idea of the qualitative data is a lot more subjective than a quantitative. And so, we're gonna have to kind of tease that apart as we
041get people who are able to contextualize that data and try and especially related to the qualitative data. - [Beloyed] Okay. - [Witherspoon] To make it less objective, if we're going back to what you're saying, that's a really good question. - [Beloyed] Okay, perfect, thank you. - [Mullin] Other questions, Mr. Chapman? - [Chapman] Could you speak a little more to what the equity action team is going to be made up of, I mean, in terms of how many members you're envisioning, or if you've got any idea in mind and also as far as the balance, or if there's going to be a balance between external you know, community members versus internal staff and so forth, or if it's not gonna be quite balanced, just any thoughts that you've got as far as the makeup of that
042team? [Davis] Good question, so external members, you mean external community members that may have a business in a community or live in a community? I think that will be a small ratio. But our goal is to make sure we have representation from teachers, staff, students, parents, paras, multiple different educators that makeup education in those settings. So that we have a good cross pollination from multiple lenses and multiple perspectives. Our goal is, our targeted numbers 22. I don't think we need 40 people, I don't think we need just 10 people, I think 22 gives us a nice cross-pollination across the district from early childhood to tech, we want representation. Is that fair? - [Witherspoon] We will also have some student representation, and then we have slots identified for the positions that people hold to identify those
043spots which don't have the people yet. And so, it's a hard process to try to identify exactly who that will be, 'cause I imagine that some people will want to participate but we won't have enough spots. But with the work of the cabinet, they'll find a process that is the most equitable, if you will, to make sure that all voices are heard. - [Chapman] Okay, getting a little more granular though, as far as when I said external, I was talking not so much, you know, I was looking outside of these buildings, as community members, parents, not businesses so I mean, businesses too, but more in terms of parent parental involvement and you know, what, what the makeup would be there or so. - [Witherspoon] We do have a few spaces that are gonna apply for
044those folks as well. - [Chapman] Okay. [Davis] Yep, parents, students, and then external community members. So we want to try to make sure we had a good representation. - [Chapman] Great, okay, thank you. [Davis] No problem. - [Mullin] Other questions, Dr. Newmaster? - [Newmaster] I'm just thinking kind of along the same lines that Kim is thinking as we put this together. And no offense to the cabinet, but they represent a particular archetype. And I'm thinking, how do we really get representation of our whole community, whether it's including elders or specific groups or something that's just outside of school because that's also a piece of that's our kids' lives. So I'm wondering, and I also remember two years ago, April, was it that we spent a day trying to come up with a rough definition of
045what equity was Dr. Kazmierczak, do you remember that group? - Yep - And that had students and community and maybe about 30 people, I don't think-- - [Kazmierczak] Yeah so that, you know, 20 to 25, maybe a little bit more than that probably may be closer to 30 is a typical number for these processes. And it isn't necessarily, you know, as a member of cabinet, who do I think should be on it, it might be who do I think might have a good idea of who should be on it? So making, and just being very conscious about decisions we're making about representation. I think that's a more accurate depiction of what that conversation would be like. And that's what we've tried to do in the past with groups that have come together for these larger
046processes. - [Newmaster] That's what I'm thinking, because we've got people that have experiences that need to be reflected in this. - [Kazmierczak] All right, and we may tap our cultural liaisons to help us identify people who might be wonderful representatives, for example, yep. - [Newmaster] Okay. - [Kazmierczak] And I think we have a couple of students sitting here tonight who might have some interests. - [Newmaster] Yeah, I remember some of the testimonies the kids gave at that earlier equity day and read experiences and things they'd written, reflected things maybe other people had never seen through that lens. - [Kazmierczak] The end result of anything we work on is always better when students are involved, that's a hundred percent for certain. - [Newmaster] Okay, I was hoping we'd be real. (laughs) - [Mullin] Ms. Ellison, did
047you have a question? - [Ellison] First, I wanted to say, thank you for this work, I serve as the liaison to Equity Alliance, and it's been a pleasure to work with them and get to know Mr. Witherspoon and the staff, and I think they're gonna do an excellent job, and Dr. Davis are as well. My question is about implementation. So if we have a plan by May, is it your feeling that it will be a gradual implementation over a single school year, or will it be something that is like a one to five year plan? [Davis] Great question. So, I think the committee will determine whether it's gonna be three, four or five. And we were very consistent in saying that we want our action plan to be three to five years. And I don't
048want to dismiss, some of the work that has already been in progress. So part of this equity action plan is really coordinating and aligning some of the efforts that have already come together. And again, like steps, we wanna make sure to scope and sequence goes a little deeper from year to year, by the time it sunsets, we should be able to have data that represents there's been growth in our district, and equities have been removed. And we're seeing it in student achievement, we're still seeing it and recruitment and retention and staff and staff of color, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. - [ Arcand ] I'm gonna add something to that, so to put it in the context of the strategic plan, we will likely be having a strategic plan update this coming summer, we
049would likely be having an entirely new process two and a half years from now. So if that gives you some idea of those types of processes, and so this plan would fit within that context. And so that plan would also need to be refreshed as we move forward. So even if it's a five year plan, we would be re revisiting and it wouldn't be stagnant and it'd be worked into an embedded within that larger context, so. [Witherspoon] Beautiful, Dr. Arcand it is a fluid document. It's organic and it will be consistent with the strategic plan. - [Mullin] Other questions, comments? Okay, thank you guys very much. - [All] Thank you. [Davis] So Dr. Gillespie has a brief overview of a tool that we're using and school board, you'll see more of this as we go
050forward. Ans Alison is gonna give a overview. - [Alison] Good evening, chair Mullin, members of the board. We are entering the start of our third year of our current strategic plan. And I'm excited to share about Envisio as we get more sophisticated in sharing our progress on our strategic plan. And eventually, we'll be able to have a public dashboard that shows our strategic plan progress. So in our first year we had some internal communication that was awesome and served its purpose. Last year, you had me on special assignment and I shared progress, and now we have Envisio And so Envisio is a strategic planning software that really helps us track progress on each of our action steps, specific results and strategies. It also has an awesome capability that it can connect where schools have connected
051to our district action steps. It shows the owners of those action steps, which of our cabinet members, which schools also identified that as work in their own individual site plans. It will increase our communication around the progress, both internally amongst our stakeholders with staff, with us school board members, and then externally to our public, which I'll talk about in a little bit. And then our reporting features that help support us as cabinet members and monitoring progress and ensuring that we're reporting to Dr. Kazmierczak our progress and the strategic priorities. So I'm gonna show some examples. We just had our first round of reporting and we've learned some things. And we'll get better over the next few months before we're ready for the public dashboard. And so I'll show you what it looks like, and then
052each month we'll do some of these reports with Dr. Kazmierczak so that he can share as he sees fit with the board, and then eventually that public dashboard will be ready. So each strategy, our cabinet members are linked as owners for action steps. And so they update each action step that they're assigned to, we identified in a timeline of our five years of when we're working on things. When it says completed, it means it's been operationalized and as part of our system now, and not something that we necessarily have to intentionally think about as new work, and it's now considered standard work for us, some disruption might be that fall reopening has delayed, something that we originally thought we could make more progress on over the summer, and then on track would be that we
053are where we thought we should be. In this strategy, there was one status that was pending when I printed this report. And so Wayne will get an overview of each strategy and then you can break it down even further. So seeing each strategy and then a specific result and seeing the progress. So for a specific result 6.1, our community supported plan for the structure of our schools, we are 98% complete, which we all know we've made significant progress in our strategy around our facilities. And then lastly, we are able to put together summaries around specific results. And so cabinet members update their action steps. I'm able to pull from their action steps, summaries and then create a more general summary of some of the highlights of our work. And then we can use that to
054update you around the progress, and eventually some of that will be outward facing to our community and our staff, and so it'll be a great way to highlight the work that's happening as we make some significant progress on our strategic plan. So it has been really exciting for me as I love our strategic plan and know it very well, my fellow cabinet members are equally getting excited about the Envisio. You can see them smiling behind their masks. And really the upcoming work for us is that we will continue to work on our internal reporting and communication monthly. Envisio suggests that we have at least two or three internal amongst us as cabinet with Dr, Kazmierczak to work out our own glitches before we have a public dashboard that will be launched January of 2021. And
055so we'll work with Marissa and her department and that public dashboard, Envisio actually works at the city of Maplewood. So if you're curious on what it might look like, you could look at the city of Maplewood, I did not know that when we worked with them, but that dashboard will show our progress and be updated each month as we update our progress. So, we wanted to provide an update on how we'll be communicating, and it will allow us as we think about two and a half years from now as Dr. Kazmierczak said, we'll have a lot of data to support us as we think about what does that look like as we move into a new strategic plan. [Mullin] Thank you very much, any questions. Okay, excuse me, Ms. Beloyed I'm sorry. - [Beloyed] Actually,
056I have a question this time, you'll probably like that, I think this is fabulous. This is a great way for us to, I mean, as a board, you know, we're supposed to be evaluating what the superintendent is doing. And most of that is how are we achieving our objectives through the strategic plan. And this is a great way for us and the community to see what we're actually doing. It's not, we don't have to guess. So I think this is absolutely fabulous. - [Witherspoon] And this was born out of conversations we had as a group. And I shouldn't say this, but you know, we did get derailed a little bit in the timing just with everything that happened starting in March. And so the timeline shifted a bit just because of everything else we were
057focusing on, but now we're back on track. So I'm targeting January. So you'll see more of these types of reports here in the coming weeks from me. - [Alison] I just think it's really common that people come up with, you know, an action plan and an equity plan and all those different kinds of things and you never hear the ending of it and what you actually achieved as opposed to what the goals were. So again, love it. - [Mullin] Thank you, other questions, comments? Thank you very much, Dr. Gillespie. We'll now move into our third item B3, which is the school district elections. Dr. Kazmierczak. - [Dr. Kazmierczak] Alright, thank you chair Mullin, members of the board. So I'm actually gonna just read through the memo that was included in the package just so anyone
058is paying attention to this, they have that context. So, White Bear Lake Area Schools currently holds at school board elections in the odd year and we take part in the primary system. So I have prepared information that will help us discuss the possibility of moving to even year elections into eliminating the primary. So according to the Minnesota School Boards Association, 299 Minnesota school districts hold elections in the even year, while 33 hold elections in the odd year. In 2002, 172 Minnesota school districts held elections in the even year and compared to 299 now with 168 in the odd year. After they help America vote act of 2002, many school districts in Minnesota shifted to even your elections due to new technological requirements and the associated costs. Another reason cited by MSBA has a significant reason
059for the shift was low voter turnout in odd year elections. Since 2010, voter turnout in White Bear Lake Area schools elections has ranged from a low of 10% of registered voters in 2015 to a high of 34% in 2019. nine out of 332 Minnesota school districts take part in the primary system according to MSBA. Again, that data is according to MSBA, White Bear Lake Area Schools last conducted a primary in 2015 and voter turnout was between one and 2% of registered voters. According to then Ramsey County Elections manager, Joe Mansky, the cost of conducting that primary election was approximately $30,000. White Bear Lake Area Schools is the only school district in Ramsey County that has a school district primary, Saint Paul Public Schools discontinued the practice in 2011. So due to the low level of
060public interest and the cost to conduct a primary election, Mr. Mansky, at that time recommended that we consider discontinuing the practice. So with that, I would invite any board members to kick off the conversation. - [Mullin] Ms. Ellison. - [Ellison] Thank you, Dr. Kazmierczak and chair Mullin. A lot of, you probably know I'm a social studies educator. And so civic engagement is really important to me and voter turnout in particular, and I'm also a bit of a voter numbers nerd, so I went to the secretary of state's website because you can look at the turnout for elections over the last several years. And so I collected some additional data. And the good news is the thing that I think is really exciting about this, is we live in an area where there's high voter turnout
061on the even years. We live in an area where on the even years, 2012, the rate of voting from registered voters was about 80%, which is enormous. For context, Minnesota has the highest voting rate in the country, and we're at about 70% turnout. States that aren't are about 40% turnout. But then if we look at our odd years, it drops significantly. And you know, the numbers that Dr. Kazmierczak quoted the same thing happened in 2017, 2019 was higher, but I think that was the referendum. And so these numbers to me, show that we live in an area that votes, and I would love to see more people in this area voting in school board elections. It's really hard to change voting behavior, and so I think the idea of moving to an even year as
062many of our fellow districts have done would be a way to get more involvement in school board elections. So I think that this is a really good option and numbers really back it up. That if we want to get people to vote, we kind of have to bring the voting to the patterns that they already show. - [Mullin] Other questions, comments? Mr. Chapman. - [Chapman] Yeah, I also think that this is a good idea, I think too as Ms. Ellison had mentioned to get as many people out to the polls as possible, I think is a good thing. Unfortunately, we on the school board aren't necessarily the people that are gonna turn out the vote or if we're the only ones on the ballot, we're not necessarily going to be the people that are gonna
063churn the voters out. And so the idea of having the even number of years with the larger elections, I think there's gonna be a much better turnout on the school board race, as well as the other races that occur those even years. As far as the primary, I too think that that is something that we need to take a look at abolishing, when we're talking a $30,000 price tag, that's to me, a lot of money. And especially given the fact that we just recently went to the voters and asked them for $326 million, yeah, it's a drop in the bucket in the whole scheme of things when you're talking 326 million versus 30,000, but yet 30,000 is 30,000 and I think we need to be good stewards, with the taxpayer's money too so I'm very
064much in favor of this recommendation. Or I guess I'm not sure it's a recommendation, but in favor of moving ahead with abolishing the primary and then also shifting to even number of years for the school board elections. - [Mullin] Other questions, Dr. Newmaster. - [Newmaster] If I recall this year, the decision was not to have a primary early on and then before we got deep into it, wasn't that the case there weren't that many people registered 'cause that's sort of-- - [Kazmierczak] It's based on the number of people who registered. - [Newmaster] Great, so we didn't have to have a primary? - [Kazmierczak] Correct. - [Newmaster] And we had a discussion about how it honestly makes sense not to have a primary and I would agree with that, whether it's 12 people want to run
065or three people on a run, it seems reasonable not to have a primary if it costs that much. And the mass of changing the years of when, if you cut a year off or extend a year, I'm not gonna begin to try to figure that one out. Be interested to know what other districts did when they transitioned. - [Kazmierczak] Typically you extend everyone's term by one year, it's a resolution MSBA provides, it spells it out, you extend terms by one year to get to the even. And that's how the districts made that transfer back in 2000s. - Okay. - [Mullin] Other questions, comments? Has there been any evidence shown that is indicated what the down-ballot results are when somebody typically I respect the fact that, I think all states in the nation go up during
066an even number years, especially with the presidential election, but not everybody votes all the way down the ballot, they typically would go in and vote for say the president or the governor, that top position. Has there been any evidence that you've seen that has indicated how that works, how the voter turnout has come around? - [Kazmierczak] I don't have that. - [Mullin] Ms. Ellison. - [Ellison] Didn't slice and dice the data quite like that, but you can extrapolate that from the secretary of state's office. You can look at, you know, certainly 2012, the rate of voting was about 80%, 2014 it was about 60%. So the numbers go down, if it's not a presidential election and then go down even further, if it's an odd year. - [Mullin] Yup, that's typically the way it kind
067of works, so definitely around the country. I've had some conversations with secretary of state and he's indicated that the voting down-ballot is a lot less. I'm not, I mean, that I do have some concerns over the whole kind of process, but I'll just say that, I mean, I totally respect what's trying to be accomplished of creating more turnout. I think personally that the school district votes in odd years, I think that it kind of puts the school board at the top of the ticket, if you will, or the top of the ballot conversation, which allows residents to be more in tuned for, you know, the issues that they're facing. I think in this last couple, especially this last year, we've had a lot of great concern or I would say a lot of paying attention
068from issues related to school district, which I think when the next election, we'll increase the amount of exposure to the election, the typically, you know, when somebody is just going in for president or for senator or state rep, they're punching those numbers and kind of looking at accordingly. So I would just caution us to look at, you know, how that process works before we make a decision. I think that the more that we put our complete vision and show tell the citizens of our school districts, why we're running and what we're doing, I think as people get, you know, see value in those pieces, that they'll continue to want to work through that. As far as extending a year, I don't think I am not supportive of extending any agreement, I think that if we're
069looking at trying to manage the election, I think that we should hold the election next year and maybe shorten the term for the board that would get elected next year. So that the community doesn't think that we're just extending terms for just another reason or because there's been a lot of controversy. I don't want to lose the community's trust in that piece. So I would encourage us to look at other methods of implementing if this board decides that they want to move to an even year. As far as the primary goes, I can see that we haven't had a primary in several years and don't think that having a primary really makes, you know, for the cost value, I would agree with Mr. Chapman. I think the one thing that primary does is offer an
070opportunity to really get down to the core issues after the primary, if there's four candidates on the ballot, it would take it down to eight. Typically we don't have more than eight people running at a time, so I think that's just a moot issue, but that's just kinda my thoughts. - [Newsmaster] Can I make one more? - [Mullin] Doctor Newmaster. - [Newmaster] I would agree with the fact that we don't often have a primary, but we did have one the first time I ran. And there were 10 or 11 people and it thinned it down so there's no more than I think, two per it thinned it down to six, I think or something like that. And not very many people voted. I do agree with the fact that in this election, which is a
071very unusual one where we're inundated truly, and I'm a geek about politics, I read absolutely everything, every paper, every day, and I don't know how much attention a school board election would have. It had a whole lot more attention in the headlines of the paper, you know, when St Paul and Minneapolis school board elections, previous years, when they weren't competing with national candidates. So I don't know, I think it'd be interesting if we really want to push this forward to put a survey out, what do people think rather than just do it? - [Mullin] Ms. Thompson? - [Thompson] Is it working? I guess my first question would be we could do away with the primary without moving to an even year for school board, - [Kazmierczak] Separate issues. - [Thompson] Yeah as far as removing
072the primary that, I mean, it would get a little messy when we had a lot of candidates on the ballot, but I see the cost savings as something that's beneficial and would make sense. But as far as the moving the election to an even year, because there will be more voter turnout, well there will be more voter turnout, but, typically a lot of those people who vote in those election years go in and vote down the ticket either with a name has an R next to it, they check the box, they got the D next to it, the check the box, school board members don't have that next to them. And a lot of times they won't vote for that part because that's not what they went there to vote for, or they will randomly
073vote and just pick because it's on the ballot and it's something there and so they just check boxes, but they don't really pay attention. I think having elections, I am somebody who votes in every single election, no matter what that is, you know, I feel that is my civic duty and that's important to me. I feel like when we have them in the odd years that don't have that big name ticket on the ballot, people tend to pay more attention to who they're voting for, and the people that go to the ballot on those days are very vested in why they're there to vote. So I don't really see the benefit in changing to an even year election, I do see a benefit in the savings of getting rid of the primary 'cause I don't
074think there's, I mean, I don't know. I'd have to go back through the data, I didn't have time to do that, to see how many times we've used a primary or we've had that need, but I would have to think that it's a minimal amount. But otherwise I don't think just moving it to an even year is gonna make people pay more attention to a school board election. And that's just my opinion, I guess, on the issue. - [Mullin] Thank you, Ms. Thompson, Mr. Chapman. - [Chapman] Just circling back to something that Dr. Newmaster said, and I guess it resonated with me is looking at the possibility at some point of having a survey of the parents and of the community, just to see where the interest lies, because ultimately those people that are aren't
075gonna vote, you know, those are the people that are our constituents, the citizenry, and I think it would be a good idea you know, to find out, take a pulse of that citizenry to find out what they're thinking, what their preference would be. So I think that's, that's a good idea, actually. - [Mullin] Dr. Kazmierczak this isn't something that needs to be decided at the next board meeting, I assume. I mean, because the resolution, I mean, we still would have some time before- - [Kazmierczak] Yeah we have time, for both issues we have time. - [Mullin] Ms. Ellison. - [Ellison] Yeah I really appreciate this conversation and I'm glad that we do have some time to think about it. And I'm willing to go back and look through the secretary of state's data, because my
076understanding that the research shows, and I can find things to back this up, that people are more likely to vote all the way down the ticket than they are to show up in an odd year election. So, but I can find the data, I'm happy to do that to kind of flesh this out a little bit, to kind of get a better sense of what the data shows about our community 'cause I think that that would be really valuable, these big numbers I think are helpful, but we can find a little bit more granular to get at what does our community look like, and what do the voting patterns look like, so I'm happy to do that. - [Mullin] Ms. Beloyed. - [Beloyed] I think if the point of this is to extend the vote,
077meaning more people coming in to, you know, vote us on the board or not vote us on the board the more people we have coming in, you know, you can extrapolate that too well. Even if they haven't been paying that much attention to the school board items there, most people are gonna start looking. You know, most people will take a look at who's running, you know, is the mayor, running who's running that kind of thing? And I guess I don't see, 'cause I was off here. Yes, we were in the paper, but we've had more engagement from the public because of different things that are going on outside of an election for us to be here. So to me, people are gonna show up because of what's going on at school. So right now we've
078had bond referendum, we did a levy, now we've got all the COVID stuff. People are going to show up because people now have opinions on some of this stuff. So whereas everything was kind of going along, you know, smoothly for quite a while we're making a lot of changes. So if we really wanna know what the community is thinking, we really need to have as many of the community members come in and vote people onto the board. So to me, the best way to do that is to do it on an even year when those people are gonna show up anyway. I mean, people get very apathetic and I think, the other thing that I was thinking about was people are tired of politics right now, and they're sort of tired of all of this
079and so, I'm making them come back out again in 2021, I think people are gonna be very apathetic about that because I think people are just tired, it doesn't even matter which side you're on, they're just tired of any of this. So that's kinda my thoughts on it. But I appreciate the research you did, that's helpful, Jessica. - [Mullin] Dr. New master. - [Newmaster] We can talk about this forever, so we'll keep it short. I do agree with all points because numbers, I like data, but I also know your questionnaire has to be more than a survey monkey to get into why you've got that big number. And I think Angela made a good point. I will have to say there's an occasion or two where I'm looking at a particular commissioner or something and
080it's like, I make the decision not to vote if I don't know who they are. But I think a lot of people my sister will say well a woman, you know? So I do think there is a focus when there isn't as much who hoo-ha, but this year has been outstandingly full of stuff. So, somehow if there's a questionnaire, ask people if they think issues could be as focused on in an election year that had everything in it. Somehow they just get at that, 'cause I don't think a big number of people filling in the circle necessarily represents thoughtful voting. - [Mullin] Yeah I just wanna add too is I think that currently our school district elections aligned with, I know they do with White Bear Lake, the city of White Bear Lake, but I
081think they also align with Hugo, the city of Hugo, I'd be interested to see that information also. And then any other city and township elections along those lines, I believe the White Bear township elections are even years, but I would be very interested to see how they align with the other local elections that go on at the same time. - [Beloyed] Well, I know it doesn't jive with the Hugo mayor because we're voting on it in November. - [Mullin] So then and I don't know how the council works up there, I know that in White Bear, it's the mayor and two council, and then the other side is the even number of years on the other so that's how they work in White Bear, so I'd be interested to see on how it works. And
082then, you know, also I know that, for example, I think Birchwood has an election this year I think, I don't know where Gem Lake is, I'd be interested to see how it aligns with all the cities and townships that coincide with the district. Other questions, comments? Okay. Dr. Kazmierczak I'll turn it back to you if you have anything to close with. - [Kazmierczak] I don't, so thank you, I've taken some notes and we'll move forward with, we have some research to do so we'll get to work on that. So thank you. - [Mullin] Ms. Beloyed. - [Beloyed] Sorry, just one last question. So, it seems like we kind of all agree on the primary question, is that something that we can move forward and just do that separately, like get that out of the way
083and then you move on to the- - [Kazmierczak] We certainly could do that, I know we're not voting here, but I am sensing a consensus on that at a minimum. So we could treat that as a separate issue for sure. - [Mullin] Yeah, I think we can put it on the agenda for the next school board meeting and just bring it up as an action item, I think would be the easiest way 'cause we have time to manage that because they're not even gonna start thinking about however that turns out for a while. So I think we'd be okay bringing up as an action item. - [Beloyed] Okay, great. - [Mullin] Anything further? Okay, we will move into our next discussion item, which is D, B4 excuse me, the overview I'm sure my glasses are
084fogged, of the facilities projects. Mr. Wald. - [Wald] Yeah, thank you chair Mullen, members of the board, Dr. Kazmierczak, Ms. Adams and Ms.Tessman. As you know, in spite of the challenges that have faced us over the last six months, the facilities planning projects have continued as planned at the May 19th school board, our architectural firm, walled architects and engineers provided an update to the board on the scope of projects, as well as the timeline that we'd be working on. A lot has happened since that March board meeting and tonight we've invited Paul Aplikowski and Sal Bagley from Wold Architects and Engineers to provide an update of the work. We have several bids that are scheduled to go public very soon and so that was a good time to do that, so welcome Paul and Sal
085and I know Raj Dhital from MLA Architects, the firm that's worked on the South Campus Gym is here as well, if we have any questions for him. Turn it over to you. - [Sal] Good evening chair Mullin, superintendent, Kazmierczak and members of the board, thank you so much for having us. Hope I'm supposed to put on a glove here. We are very excited to give you an update on the transportation facility, the phase one elementary schools, as well as the South Campus Gym addition, all right. We will start with Lincoln and then we'll move into Matoska, Vadnais Heights, Willow Lane, the New Transportation then end with the South Campus Gym and talk about some next steps. - [Paul] And as we dive into those, we're in what we're calling phase one of the projects so
086this is only the first series of ones going out to bid. The high school, the new elementary school and the other elementary schools all will come to you in various forms and reports in the futures. - [Sal] So I'll start with Lincoln Elementary School, we'll get into the same rhythm here. I'll talk about project scope and schedule, and then we'll share some exciting developments on the design, including floor plans and 3D renderings, and then talk about the construction process. So, the project scope in Lincoln Elementary School is to have an addition for a new gymnasium, a building conference room, a cooler and an extended day office in storage space that will require us to rearrange the parking for that addition. And then as with all other buildings in the district, we are renovating the media
087centers for additional 21st century learning space. And in Lincoln at particular, there is an existing small gym on the North side of the building that will be renovated to serve a new purpose, in this case, orchestra and music. And then last but not least, there is proposed to be new classroom and media center furniture, and that is a future project. From a schedule perspective, we were in schematic design working with the core planning group from April to May and that's the work we reported on last time we were with you in May. We spent the summer doing what we call user groups, getting stakeholder input with the principal and relevant space users. And then the bid opening is coming up for Lincoln, that is on October 13th, 2020, and construction will start obviously after board
088award for fall 2021 opening. Here are some diagrams, I'm gonna start with the diagram on the right, is the site plan. So the existing building can be seen in white and the addition is highlighted in orange. That will include a new loading dock for the building and it also proposes to replace the parking in the front of the building at the bottom of the image and improve the building on parent drop off there. On the left hand side, you can see the main level floor plan, all of the improvements at Lincoln in this phase are on the main level so we don't have a second floor, but all the areas that are highlighted in a color are kind of areas of impact, so you can see the addition really connects the two wings of the
089buildings with the gym in blue being the centerpiece of that flexible learning space outside of it and the light blue with the extended day office and storage in green there. The golden rod color, if you keep moving East, is the new building level conference room right across the way from the learning commons or the renovated media center, we will have a couple zoom in plans on the next couple of slides. The existing stage will be renovated into a multipurpose or flexible lab maker-space. And then, like I mentioned before, the existing small gym way at the top of the image will be renovated to create a dedicated orchestra and music classroom, classrooms, I should say. And here's what we call an axonometric drawing, so this is like the second floor the ceiling got taken off so
090we can look down into the space and 3D. The center of the image is the gym addition on these drawings, anything that shows up in the dark black is new and anything that is in gray is existing so again, you can see where the areas of impact are, the renovated media center, just to the right or to the East of that with the building conference room across the hall, extended day office in storage, there was a new set of restrooms associated with the addition and then improvements to the kitchen with the added freezer and a receiving space. Here, we have zoomed into the formerly known as the media center, the learning common so we actually met with representatives from teaching and learning and principals and instructional coaches for all the elementary schools to come up
091with philosophy for the new learning commons that can be applied at all the buildings. And it was very important to all of them that there was a significant amount of square footage dedicated to collaborative space. So you can see that in what's labeled the open media center, small group tables, individual space, reading nooks. You'll see it, all the projects, all of the kit of parts as the same, so they all have small group rooms, a new media desk, collaborative space and space to secure your book collection, although it looks a little different in every building just because of where your existing walls are. So you can see that here we have a floor plan as well as one of those axonometric drawings as well. - [Paul] Lincoln's exciting project. We at that project had a
092little bit more critical mass to work with with the scale of the addition and so we're able to connect into the building in a different way and correct some things that could have been better, so in addition to the gymnasium and the media center renovation, we're also improving the loading dock and I think you'll see in some of these renderings that the cafeteria is gonna be a nicer space too, we're almost turning that cafeteria a little bit into a commons and it will be another way to sort of orient and circulate in the building. We also look with each one of these projects at how do we make the new design blendin' with the existing building? In each case we have examined the buildings and we've worked with that core group that we assembled to
093try to come up with an answer to that question for each one. I will caution that the colors that are in these are a good guess at where we're going, but they have not been fully vetted by the facilities committee or the sites, so there may be some changes in the color as we go forward. In of these cases with the media center, as you see us bring projects across the district forward, we're really looking to turn the media centers into what the district is now calling learning commons and take some of the emphasis and put it towards small group collaboration and other multi-function things that can't happen or struggled to happen in a regular classroom. So that diagram on the left you'll see happen again, and again, we're identifying small group spaces within each
094of these designs, so that's what the circles represent. The right just starts to show you a little bit of the floor pattern and coloring that are going in there, but I think that shows better in the render. So this is in the main hallway and we're looking at the connection into the new learning common. So again, you might think of those as media centers, but there's a rebrand going on to be the learning commons. This is kind of at the Northern end of that so it goes into the circulation desk on the inside there. And now we've just stepped through the new main door, you can see that we have a new circulation desk and a conference room there so that's a theme that you'll see a lot in the design going forward, it's making
095multi-use spaces that help break out and foster small group work. And then as you can see in this case, it's very transparent, so it allows a lot of supervision, it'll give you some privacy and the ability to have some acoustic control for small discussions, but also a lot of supervision. This is another interesting part of the design. As we cut through into the existing hallway to connect the new gym space, what we're doing is actually opening up what is now the end of the media center learning commons, and so this is if you looking back into that space. And then this is if you have that main hallway, so this is a semi-public hallway for events or after-school things, but also a great another connection that goes between the cafeteria and the rest of the
096school. And then a shot of inside the gym. Again, that's a full sized basketball court. It does not have built in bleachers, but it's a nice facility and there's enough margin around the edge that you can have some chairs in that for community events. And then here's a preliminary concept for the cafeteria. So this is the Lincoln cafeteria. We're redoing the mechanical system as part of our improvements. And then we're cutting through the wall and a couple of places, so one, what we're looking at on the end wall is where the stages now, and that's being turned into that multipurpose room itself pointed out and not on the left, those doors go through to the new addition and so those can be opened. And again, it's gonna allow for a lot of different ways to
097circulate within the building and hope solves some of the congestion that I think happens in the main hallway. And finally, this is a view from that multipurpose from looking back out towards the cafeteria. So, at the elementary level, multipurpose or a flex lab really can embody a lot of things, you might think of it kind of like an art room, but just a place with a hard surface floors, some access to water and electricity that allows you to do kind of just different things and break out from classroom space. - [Sal] Next, we'll go onto Matoska and you'll see some theme here as many of the projects have common overlap. The scope at Matoska is to renovate the media center, we will be creating a freezer and EL room, an extended day office and an
098additional specialist room. And then again, proposed in the future to have new media center and classroom furniture. The schedule for Matoska is very similar to Lincoln, so we worked with the core planning group in April and May, brought their guiding principles and criteria to you in our May update. And we did user groups with the site based planning teams over the summer and into early fall. The bid opening is coming up this week on October 1st. And again, construction starting yet this fall to open and fall of 2021, renovation to happen during summer 2021. So here's a final plan diagram for Matoska, to orient you, the main entries at the upper left hand side of this and that large volume, just to the right of that is the gym that was added there, I believe
099in 2013. So the color again, indicates areas of impact. So you can see, right, when you walk in near the main entry, there are some spaces that are being reconfigured to allow for a true freezer to be added to the building, that will be right across from the kitchen. And then the space is right next to it will be used for the school psychologist and an extended day office. And then a room across the hall as an extended day storage room. If we keep going down that hallway and take a right, the learning commons is right at the end of the hallway. So that is being renovated with all the same principles and key tenants that we just talked about at Lincoln, including their own maker-space. And then if we go down the main hallway,
100there's a special education space about midway down the hallway, it's a former first grade classroom, so that's a missing space. And then you can see on the other side of the hallway, there's a specialist classroom, that again is a former first grade classroom. So this group in particular chose when the specialist spaces needed to be added, they thought that the square footage that came with those would be best used to create another grade level pod, similar to what you have at fifth grade. So you can see in the blue there, that's a two classroom and flexible space addition, so that all four classrooms of a given grade can have that same environment. We'll zoom into that in another slide. And then last but not least, we have some small group and support spaces like a
101sensory room, you can see in green there. This is just a zoom in of that storage freezer and extended day renovation. Again, gray walls indicate existing walls and black indicate new or impacted spaces. So we've got the freezer, the social worker and psych office, the extended day office in extended day storage. Here are some diagrams of the renovate learning commons in Matoska, so we can see in there, 3D is a little bit easier to see, the space does have a small former computer lab at the back so that will be expanded and renovated to serve as a flexible lab, we've got some small group spaces in storage along the Northern part, and then again, the main part of the media center, are learning commons being dedicated towards that collaborative space. - [Paul] And again, with
102all of the learning commons, we're looking to try to help create flexible space that doesn't pin you in necessarily with hard walls where necessary, but does provide some subdivision of space within there. So, and we do that with different design elements. So here's a view that is looking just as you're walking into the learning commons, so that door will be in the same spot that it is now basically in there. But we are rebuilding the main circulation desk, 'cause you come in rearranging all of the furniture in there, including the bookshelves and then adding some new lighting and some ceiling elements that again, help to define important spaces. So here you can see some, we call them clouds, but those ceiling pieces that hang over important spots like the circulation desk. And again, moving farther
103into the space, we are rearranging how those offices are cut into that space now, and it's gonna open up that room and make it a lot more flexible that way they will get tucked to the side. You can see we have more small group spaces in there to help foster collaboration. And then on the left, you can see we're cutting a new or creating a new opening into what is now called the orchestra room, but it's gonna be turned into a real multipurpose room, going forward. So it becomes again, kind of like a maker-space, but will also serve the needs of orchestra and other things within the building. And there's a view inside that room. So you, again, it's a similar set of kind of kit of parts that we had before. Some access to
104water, access to electricity and flexibility that allows you to do lots of different things in that space. And in the classroom wing, this is an interesting story of meeting with stakeholders, so as you remember at every project, we have a core group that's consists of teachers, parents, and administrators that help us figure out how best to design the building. So we are meeting all of the scope that was promised in the referendum. In this case, they actually, as Sal pointed out before, came up with a better idea than we had anticipated before to join together with other classrooms. So in this case, those two first grade classrooms are also getting some openings cut into that flex space. So we ended up getting for pace four rooms on kind of a classroom pod where we didn't
105anticipate that originally. This is a view going into that pod then. So this door kind of faces the fifth grade area that's right behind us on there, so you can see we're creating some features there. This is inside that flex area again, so that pod is its own secure zone, inside there, we create more transparency so that we can foster more collaboration between classrooms. So on the right, you can see that glass that looks into that first classroom and allows them to flow out to that flex space. Another view of that flex area. One other thing you'll notice is there's not a lot locker and coat hooks space out here. We're creating a locker area near the entry to this zone here, and that allows them to have a lot more flexibility and a lot
106less clutter in the learning environment and also to flex out of the classrooms and not have to be tripping over boots and coats and different things that end up on the floor. And that was Matoska - [Sal] All right, now we'll move to Vadnais Heights. The project skull here again, media center or learning commons renovation, as well as some renovation to create space for extended day and orchestra, we also need to add a freezer at this building and the future new media centering classroom furniture and followed essentially the exact same schedule as Lincoln and Matoska. So here's the plan diagram. This is a split level building, so this is kind of the lower end main level floor. The learning commons is over on the right hand side and then on the lower level down by
107the cafeteria is where we are adding the freezer. It has to take over some existing storage space, so there's actually an addition to replace that storage space. We have a couple of zoom in diagrams on the next slides. So here you can see the learning commons diagram, so the entrance to the hallway is shown right here, so that will be opened up. We've got a couple of small group and office spaces on both the South side and the North side of varying sizes, as well as a space for the book collection and additional quiet reading zone and the same collaborative, both small and large group space here. - [Paul] And we included those pictures on this slide just to remind people a little bit of the flavor of that building has got a very bold
108color scheme going on in there. And so we're building on some of that as we do our renovations. This is another view of the entry into the learning commons, so in a number of cases that the sites have chosen to make that entry an opening. So there's not going to be a door on the learning commons itself. We provide other ways to secure things within there when you wanna use that as a community space. But the goal is to make it open and inviting and welcome people into that space. Here's a view inside. So this is kind of the main area, and we're looking at a number of features around the edge. Towards the left side there that is the circulation desk, so that'll be rebuilt kind of in the middle of the space to
109be a hub. On the right side, you can see we have a couple of conference rooms and again, they're flexible, they're meant to be open and used for small group collaboration. They do have some glass on there, so that allows some acoustic control but also a great deal of visibility. In the foreground of the picture, you can see what we've done has been able to clear really most of the furniture out of there so that we can just put flexible furniture in that main area. We are also putting cord reels in the ceiling, which are those things that you see hanging down. So there's gonna be a lot of flexibility to pull down chords and use things like glue guns, and all that kind of stuff in the center of the space to really turn
110that into a multi-use space. And then in the background, and we'll show you some closeups of that, we've kind of concentrated the books back in the corner back there, and also incorporated some small group space on that area. This is if you from inside, one of the conference room areas in there. And then this is a view of that book room in the back. So you can see, obviously we have all the books fit in there and we're accommodating the full library that each of the schools has. On the far end of that, you can see we started to create a little bit of a small group space and this is another one where you can see, we didn't actually build walls, but by doing softening and lighting, we can kind of subdivide a space
111in a very flexible way. And there's an example of how you can do a little bit, some simple moves can create all of center group space. So a built-in bench and some furniture that can gather around that under a window can make a great little space for collaboration. - [Sal] And then lastly on the phase one elementary school projects is Willow Lane, but certainly not least. So scope at Willow Lane's a media center renovation, creation of freezer and orchestra space in the proposed future media center and classroom furniture. And the bid opening for this project is on October 8th. So again, coming up in the next couple of weeks. Here's a final plan diagram for Willow Lane. So the main entry and main office on the bottom of this image or the South part of
112the drawing. You can see on the left hand side, just off the cafeteria, there's some rearrangement happening to create a dedicated freezer and some dedicated storage for extended day as well while still accommodating your paper storage, with the main focus of the project being in the learning commons. So that's really at the heart of the school there, there's an addition proposed there to get it to be of the same square footage and have the same features as all the other buildings. There's a, again, a flexible lab that will also serve the needs for orchestra right off the learning commons and a couple of small group rooms, we'll zoom in on that. So here we can get a little bit closer. The learning commons here is right off the hallway and the core group there chose
113to open it up to make that as inviting as possible. It's really at the intersection of the, kind of the common part of the building and the rest of the academic space. That orchestra flex room is connected to the rest of the learning commons by an operable wall. So it can flex out and use a larger space, also have subdivision when needed. There's two small group spaces or conference rooms at the back left side. And then again, with it having an addition, there'll be a significant amount of natural daylight that will come into the space on the North and East corners there. And then here's a zoom in of the other scope of the project. So I'm taking over a space to create a dedicated freezer and then some rearrangement of actually existing space to
114be more efficient while still accommodating all of your storage and office needs. - [Paul] And again, with the design concept of this learning commons is to try to create flexible multi-use spaces and small group spaces within there. So this a view looking from the main hallway in. We are trying to build on, again, the color palette within the building, so we're finding colors that are within the building and using those again, the renderings don't come out perfect and actually everybody's screen probably looks like a different color. So if you really want to see the colors, we need to show you some samples and we can arrange that if the board is interested. But we're using that blue color that we find in the building, along with some orange that is painted in the hallway to
115create sort of an archway into that space. This one again is intended to be, it is really open. So that space will be open during the school day and allow great flow in and out. Within the space, you can see we're creating a lot of different functionality within there so to the left, it's showing that operable wall to the orchestra room open so that you can see how that becomes one big space when that happens, when orchestra happens, they can close that wall. In the middle is kind of a breakout space for research and itinerant staff, so there's a couple computer stations there. And then in the foreground is that multi-use space, which is similar to the multi-use spaces that we've been talking about in the other buildings. Now we've turned to the right just
116a little bit, you can see, we have some of the book collection up there that blue space in the middle is the circulation desk. So that's really positioned in the middle of the space, so it has a great view of all the things that are going on there. And then as we move out again, we're seeing more of the books space out there, but within that, creating some great little small collaborative spaces to make the space multi-flexible, multi-functional. And now we're standing in the corner by the windows we just saw, we have the circulation desk on the left. The orchestra room, it's showing the door closed through the middle of the picture there and then on the right, are some of those conference rooms again, to create a lot of flexibility. (speaking faintly) - [Paul]
117Yeah, we had a long discussion with the group about that. So this is another one of the features that we developed with the core group, in discussion with them. This plan actually went through a lot of iterations, trying to find the best way to help make it multi-functional for them. So they answered your question is it's pretty darn good, it's not soundproof. And they really felt like even with that compromise, that was gonna give them a lot better functionality to be able to open that up. - [Sal] All right, now we'll go into the new transportation and maintenance facility, which is recommended to award bids tonight. So the project scope, it's a new facility to support transportation operations, including office space maintenance space and bus and it should probably also say van parking. So we
118worked with the core planning group in April and May and did user groups really over the summer, the bid opening was just a few days ago on September 17th and bidding or a construction is intended to start yet this fall and open in July of 2021. Really the critical path for this is to try to get those operations off of the North campus site to allow construction to happen at the high school. And I should just say, that's a site plan on the right hand side there. So Fenway Boulevard is on the left or the Western part of the image. Buses will come and go from that Northern curb cut. There's the staff and driver parking on the west side of the side or the left side. We'll show you a floor plan of the
119building on the next slide, but all of the vehicle and bus parking is towards the back of the site, if you're on the East side, and that will be fully enclosed by a fence. Here's a floor plan of the building. So on the left hand side is the office space. So you walk into a vestibule and drivers can immediately take a left and go into the driver's room, which really serves as kind of a check in or lounge space between their routes. Or you could keep going straight into the reception and open work area, which has a couple of private offices and a conference room right off of it, as well as some storage and electrical closet and bathrooms. I should also say right off the driver's room, there's an area for driver's shoes, the
120restroom before they go out for their driving routes. And then there's a door down the middle of the hallway, which really separates office from the maintenance functions. Now on the side, we're in the maintenance base. So there's four full maintenance bays here so buses can either drive all the way through or come and go from either side. There's receiving area entire storage. Then there's a space for lockers and a bathroom for the maintenance workers and a custodial closet and electrical closet, a shop area. So doing some maintenance, work, some storage, and then last but not least the compressed lubricants room on the very South or bottom of the page. And then you can see a staircase, that says staircase up to mezzanine. Up in the mezzanine is a mechanical space, as well as some additional
121storage. On the right hand side, there's a couple aspects of the projects that were alternates. So there's an alternate wash bay and its associated mechanical spaces, this small space to the right of that. And then last but not least the trash and recycling space. - [Paul] And those are another example of a meeting with stakeholders. They are good idea, they're things that you might wanna do in the future, but I believe tonight the recommendation is not to award those alternatives, so it wouldn't contain the wash bay. - [Sal] Correct. - [Paul] For a design concept, we looked for some ways to kind of make this a little bit more interesting building and got a little bit fascinated with the idea of machines and the buses and the work that they do in the building. So
122we looked at the form of the building and the pieces that we had to work with. and then also looked at the materials. So we're using a fairly economical material, precast concrete panels, and that is something the city of Hugo actually has a pretty in depth set of guidelines, architectural guidelines for what you can build in this zoning district. So that's one of the materials that works well for that. And then on the right, you can see some of the ideas or the pieces of engines and pulleys and gears that are integral to making a bus operate. As we looked at the building, then we looked at a couple of different ways do that. So the part on the front here that looks like brick on there, that is the human part of it. It's
123made to look like a nice, friendly, welcoming building. That's obviously where the office staff is and all the bus drivers will cycle through there during their day. And then on the backside, we're using that precast concrete and you can get a glimpse of it here, applying some of the fun patterns and forms that we saw in those motor images. And then so this would be the view looking out to Fenway or from Fenway, you can see that we're decorating that precast box with some of those fun mechanical things and giving the building a little bit of life so that it doesn't just look like a concrete box. And then finally a view of the new reception area. So we've stepped inside and worked closely with the district on branding, and this is a little preview
124of what some of those things might look like going forward. And again, continue that gear theme in there just again, to tie it into the outside of the building. And then I think Tim and Molly Lee are gonna talk. - [Sal] Well, cool Roger, maybe while he's coming, any questions so far? - [Mullin] Any questions, Dr. Newmaster? (Newmaster talking indistinctly) your mic, Dr Newmaster. - [Newmaster] I'm really impressed and things look wonderful, and I'm glad that our plans are moving forward. I was especially pleased to see the expanded media centers in all of the elementary schools. And I just wanna note that the American Library Association, in 2010 is the group that decided on the name of the learning commons. And that specifically talks about a particular place that we're creating the ability to do
125all sorts of things. Our strategic action teams, you know, supported this, the board approved the media centers expanding, and I am truly hoping this is the beginning of a new era where we re-institute a strong elementary media program. 'Cause we're missing that and it's a specific positive variable in achieving an abatement or reducing the gaps, the achievement gap, the opportunity gap. And this looks like a new era. So I'm hoping that will fulfill this, that we can utilize some of the state of Minnesota's workshops that they offer to create the team that works in it. And I guess my only question is, as you discussed the group that was the team from each school, did you have a media specialist involved from the district, I, there are no elementary media specialists now, but did you
126have someone? - [Sal] Yep, we had some representation from the secondary team, as well as I said, like the teaching and learning, I think Molly Lee, some instructional coaches or principal reps, and then some media specialists, yes. - [Newmaster] Well, that's good because the book rooms are great, but remember and I asked this when you presented the last time before this wonderful vision was developed, it's not just books even five years ago when I was there, I mean, we had the digitized audio books which are bigger all the time. You've got all sorts of different formats. So you don't wanna just look at static bookshelves and I know at this time you said, you'd make sure there was display and storage for all kinds of media. And is there a place lastly, in each so
127that you can have maybe not a green screen, but someplace where you can do film work? - [Sal] Yeah, the groups were really invigorated by those ideas too, I think the flexible or maker-lab, they all kind of call them different multipurpose labs where one of the main activities they thought of doing in those or those small group rooms as well, which is some of the reason they wanted the ability to have some acoustic privacy. So I'm not exactly sure how they'll do it in each building, but it certainly entered the conversation at all of them. - [Newmaster] I know in each media center often there are shows whether it's a student productions or whatever, so hopefully everybody's got a screen of some type now that they've been developed differently, it'll come magically out of the
128ceiling or something. - [Paul] Yeah it had a couple other nods too, flexibility and adaptability, the furniture, the bookshelves that you're seeing in there would be all new and there'll be on rollers, - Cool - on wheels so it gives them more flexibility to arrange them and, or switch them out in the future if different kinds of media happen or the collection grows- - [Newmaster] Just a modern book card. - [Paul] Yep. And then we didn't point it out much, but you can see it in this one, the conference room back there, kind of in the center of the frame that the wall is green. So in, I think in all cases they asked for that. So one of the conference rooms has two walls that are green to provide a green space. - [Newmaster]
129All right, for film projects. Super, thank you. - [Sal] Yeah, thanks for your comments. - [Mullin] Other questions, comments? Mr. Chapman. - [Chapman] First off, I wanna say that this is very visually pleasing. I mean, I really liked the aesthetics of what you've come up with as far as concepts and also functionality. It seems like just some wonderful ideas. That said they're the risk manager in me (laughs) has to wonder a little bit in terms of, from a, you know, in this era of school security that we're in, where we can be faced with lockdowns and unauthorized intruders and that type of thing, I have to wonder in terms of like these learning commons, where there's no doors and in like at Willow, there's the one room where it's looks like a bank of windows
130almost from floor ceiling in a corner there, and I'm just wondering what kind of input that is taking place or what kind of considerations are taking place from a risk standpoint with regard to these options and ideas that are being put forth. - [Paul] Sure, so those are obviously conversations we take very seriously. As we've discussed before Sal and I, and much of our office, all we do is schools, K-12 schools. So we certainly understand that the topic. What we're seeing is a little bit of a shift from the idea that a closed concrete box is the best place for kids, and to this idea of more flexibility. However, every single one of these has a lockdown plan. So while you see some glass in some areas, that means that in another spot we've provided
131some hardening so that that area can be secured. In many cases, what we're doing is providing a button basically that lacks down some doors farther out, so that that learning zone or that learning community we're becoming learning studios at the high school in the new elementary. That area is secured onto itself and then it has hiding spots within it. So we're providing what we think is very similar functionality for lockdown. It just looks a little bit differently and it gives you the ability again, to have a little bit more open and collaborative environment. - [Sal] I was gonna point out at Willow Lane in particular, there's the ability to take advantage of these doors that go across the hallway on both levels here, so you can lock off this entire wing, which does allow for
132some more transparency beyond that lockdown zone. So it's really about moving it from being the classroom wall itself, to being some other location. So it's really just a change in location and it's not a loss. And the core groups did talk about that pretty extensively, especially anytime we talk about where to put glass, so it was certainly hotly debated. - [Chapman] Okay, out of curiosity, those like that particular room that I'm talking about at Willow there that has the windows from floors to ceiling, is there going to be any type of tinting on the outside where you can basically look out from within, but not so much from outside in, anything, any considerations along those lines- - [Sal] For the exterior windows? - [Chapman] Correct, yeah. - [Paul] We've talked about that at several of
133the sites, I don't remember exactly the conversation at Willow, that is not something that you have in most of your windows. So most of the schools don't have that already. I have not found many districts that look for that functionality to try to block that. The other thing that's really important to understand is there is no such thing as one way glass, so you can't provide that all the time. What really happens is you mirror the glass in whichever site is brighter, is the side that you can't see from. So what happens in the evening, then you either have to draw the blindness or you can see what's going on inside. So I would say that's not something that we've taken on in this round of projects. - [Chapman] Okay, all right, thank you. -
134[Sal] Of course. - [Mullin] Dr. Newmaster. - [Newmaster] Just seconding Kim's question about lockdown, 'cause I remember doing that often. Media centers have always been an open place and I know I had seven doors into the North campus media center and that was a quick run when we had lockdown. But there also the fire, I mean the tornado drills and things like that, so I'm assuming every place has a spot that you can squish kids together for our mandatory tornado drills or whatever. - [Sal] And we've been working with Tim Walden, Kevin Clacker, and your district's hired security contractor to North and kind of collaborating to make sure that those things are happening. - [Newmaster] And last but not least, as we all think about ventilation. I'm assuming you're blowing through these things and exchanging
135air like crazy? - [Sal] That in the renovated areas, yes, mostly we do have to upgrade mechanical, Paul mentioned in particular like at Lincoln, we do have to upgrade the mechanical at the cafeteria as we will disrupt where the unit is. In many cases, your elementary school is actually was upgraded relatively recently, you guys have been keeping up with maintenance pretty well. So I would say where we are touching it, we are improving it, although you've done a lot of improvements as a district. - [Newmaster] Oh I'm just thinking of North Campus, the older one- - North campus in, yes lots of new mechanical North Campus. We've a big update for that, I would mention it our next one, but good question. - [Newmaster] Thank you, it all looks great and hopeful. - [Sal] Thank
136you. - [Mullin] Other questions, Ms Thompson. - [Thompson] Yeah, I was very pleased with everything you provided and it's very detailed and I appreciated it all. I guess my one question is these freezers that we're installing in the schools, are they noisy for me at Matoska, we're putting a freezer that'll butt up to where the social worker and the psychology remorse and we just want to make sure that it wouldn't be something that would be a distraction to whatever services are being provided in that room, I had a question about the why we were calling them learning commons, so thank you for giving me that information, Marge. But yeah, I did see that and kind of was just wanted to make sure that that wouldn't be anything that would cause a distraction. - [Sal] Sure,
137yeah. So the noisy part of a freezer cooler is usually the compressing unit, compressor. So we are actually gonna put those up on the roof instead of where they might typically go right above the ceiling. So right above the ceiling, they are quite loud, but putting them on the roof should avoid that. And then they are heavily insulated spaces. So we should be able to avoid any distraction. I should also say I can bring up the planning again, but in most cases they actually have a double wall built. So the freezer has its own wall and then another wall right on the other side of it to help with that, of course. - [Mullin] Other questions, comments. - [Paul] Okay, thank you. - [Mullin] I think we are moving to South Campus, the gym? -
138[Sal] You go. - [Raj] Yeah, I'll share a little bit about the South Campus gym. That's one project, we worked with a different firm and MLA Architects is a firm that has worked on many White Bear Lake construction projects over the years, and they took on this project for us. Recall that South Campus is gonna be occupied by Sunrise Park Middle School in 2024. And the gym addition is necessary because there's quite a bit more fiat hours for a middle school than there are for high school. So we needed to build the gym as part of the referendum. And we decided, because we have such a shortage of gym space at the secondary level that we would do this project sooner rather than later. So the gym is facing the stadium and it provides an
139opportunity for us to create restroom access for the stadium too is something that any of you who have been to the stadium really will appreciate it. So we'll redo the entrance to the stadium a little bit, and that will allow people to flow in and out of this building during evening games to access restrooms. So as you enter the west entrance, it's labeled there, to your right where you see the light colored brick is where the restrooms will be. It will be a gathering space between that and the gym to your left. It's a two-station gymnasium and the bids will open for that October 6th. This one did get delayed a little bit because of the new storm shelter requirement. We initially had designed this as a storm shelter and it became really cost prohibitive
140to put a storm shelter on a gym. And we ended up deciding to, we worked with the city to get permission to schedule that in phase two, with the classroom addition to South Campus, that's gonna be bumped up in order for us to get both projects done. So September, 2021, the new gym will be available. As you enter the gym, it'll look something like that. The wall to your left as you're walking in is the gym in that area that's rounded, we'll have a storage space in there and to the right, are the restrooms. As I said, it's a two-station gym, otherwise a pretty basic jam. It does have windows on the east and the, oh excuse me on the north and the west side, which will provide some natural lighting the space. (speaking indistinctly)
141There are not bleachers in there. We do have some drawn there, but we decided not to have bleachers. Once we had to downsized this space due to the storm shelter requirement, we took the breach of project out. So there will be room for if there's Community Ed. games there on a Saturday, you'll be able to do chairs. If we could get temporary movable bleachers, we could put on the side for let's say a JV or a B Squad game. But there won't be bleachers built into the project. Any questions on the South Campus gym? - [Mullin] Dr Newmaster. - [Newmaster] Just one real practical one is I'm looking at all of these huge new, wonderful spaces and this one is gonna be inaction soon. Are we supporting our custodians, I mean, they're doing all this
142extra work, but I'm looking at this with more flowing in and out and more space, hopefully we've cloned at least one of the guys down there. - [Raj] Yeah, there will have to be adjustments to cleaning spaces and what's cleaned- - [Newmaster] We have got more kids, but we're gonna have a lot more spaces to clean well? - [Raj] Yeah, for sure. - [Newmaster] Thanks. - [Mullin] Dr. Arcand. - [Arcand] I just have one question, are you putting in standards for poles so you can put volleyball in there? - [Raj] I don't recall if we put standards in we did, okay, yup. - [Arcand] Thank you. - [Mullin] Other questions, comments? Okay, thank you all very much, we really appreciate the update. - [Raj] Okay, thank you. - [Mullin] We will now move into our
143first operational item C1, which is the action on the transportation facility bits, Mr. Wald. - [Wald] Yes, so you just heard some really exciting information about the new projects that are coming. One of our projects recently just went to bid and we closed the bids and with us tonight are Jason Peterson and Mr. Rob Gemelke from Kraus-Anderson who are gonna walk through a summary of the bidding process and then describe what the winning bids are. And then we'll ask for your recommendation would be for you to approve the bids as recommended, turn over Krauss-Anderson. Welcome. - [Jason] Thank you. Thank you board chair Mullin, superintendent Kazmierczak, members of the board. I thank you for having us here tonight. As we get started on this, we've talked a little bit and you've seen some pictures of
144the upcoming projects. We went out to bid and receive bids for one of the six first phase projects. So tonight we'll be here to ask you for approval, providing a recommendation to bids to be accepted for that, excuse me, for the transportation building. And in the next two to three weeks, we'll have received bids on the first phase on the balance of the five projects for the first phase and here in sequential meetings moving forward. So with me is Rob Gemelke he'll be the project manager at the transportation building and he'll be reviewing the bids with you today. - [Rob] Good evening. I'm Rob Gemelke the project manager for the new maintenance facility project. And tonight we are presenting to you a recommendation for award of contracts that we bid out on September 17th. We
145received 183 bids for 26 different work scopes. If you do the Math, that's about seven bids per work scope, which is very, very good. In my 20 plus years, I've not had that much of a response on a bid project. Of the 26 scopes we're recommending award of 25 contracts, we did have one combined low bid. We've reviewed the bids with all the low bidders, interviewed them personally and went through their bids to make sure that they had all the items in the work scope that was required and that we could recommend their contract for award. So tonight we are recommending 25 contracts and they total $ 5, 242,696 and 81 cents. This is within the budget for this project and it does include alternate number two, which adds the diesel exhaust fluid and washer
146fluid to the compressed fluid distribution system. So that is added on to the project. - [Mullin] Excuse me, can you repeat that number please? - [Rob] It is $ 5, 242,696 and 81 cents. - [Mullin] It's a different number that I have in my packet, so I'm just want to make sure that the record reflects the correct number. I have $ 5, 242,607 and 81 cents. - [Rob] Tim, I'm assuming it's the number in the letter? - [Wald] Correct. - [Rob] So we'll modify that recommend an action to reflect the number that's in the letter. - [Mullin] Did you got it Jessica, or do you need him to repeat it? (Jessica responding faintly) Okay. Is there anything further on the recommendation? - [Rob] Ah , no. - [Mullin] You've heard the recommended action, is there
147a motion to approve the recommended action? - [Newmaster] So moved. - [Mullin] A motion by Dr. Newmaster, is there a second? - [Ellison] Second. - [Mullin] A second by Ms. Ellison, any discussion regarding the recommended action? Ms. Thompson? - [Thompson] I guess I have a question on a couple of them. One of my, you said that you interviewed them all, there's victory in cleanin' one says that they can, and you have faith that they'll be able to fulfill their, they just seem to have their bid was, I mean, I know it's on a smaller number compared to all the other bids, but their percentage in difference to the other bidders on the project was much more? - [Rob] That was a concern of mine as well, I did interview the gal. She is a small
148business minority on business. I did go through the scope of work with her, she said that she had included all the items. So and she did say she did prevailing wage, so I don't know that I can really say that she has prepared some good. - [Thompson] Okay, that one just kind of stood out to me the difference in the amount that they were bidding. And, then I don't know much about a lot of the companies, I researched all of them, the Northern Lights Steel Fabrication, that company is that to be, I found some stuff that they had dissolved their company in 2017, so I just wanted to make sure that they would be, you know, I don't know why they dissolved it, it doesn't give you that information, but something must've happened and they
149reopened and they just drafted the inc part of their company name, so I just want to make sure that, you know, they also made you, you know, you interviewed them and they feel that they can- - [Rob] I've done projects with them before and they are a good contractor. - [Jason] We work within other districts as well with them since 2017 and have had successful projects we them. - [Thompson] Okay, I just, you know that how, I'm not sure who the question would go to, or if it's something that you guys would answer for it'd be more something than that maybe Mr. Wald or Dr. Kazmierczak would answer. I have mentioned in the past how I know we always pick the low bidder, and I personally don't think that's always necessarily the right decision to
150make. And then researching the companies that all bid on it, we have turned down community companies, White Bear Lake companies that are small businesses that work here within our community, that I would imagine employee people in our district who would have voted for it. We have turned down women-owned companies we've turned down, mom-and-pop shops, you go to their website, they are a small company owned by a husband and wife team who live fairly close to our community, Native American woman-owned business turned down a Vadnais Heights company that, you know, they one of them are, you know, T.A. Schifsky and Son they were on the high end, a lot higher than the other companies, but they are also a very small White Bear Lake resident-owned business. And I know they have family members who graduated out
151of our school district. Just, I guess, more comments than anything as to some of the discussions we've had in the past and ensuring that we are, you know, supporting our community members that own businesses here are mom-and-pop shops that are definitely gonna come out higher on the bidding because they are smaller companies. So they need to charge more because they don't have that bigger business coming in. So it's more of a comment, I guess, just to kind of say that sometimes, you know, the little bidder isn't always, you know, the one who maybe should be awarded the work and I'm not sure how that process could ever be changed, but it is just something that I was kind of going through all of them. And I was very impressed with the amount of bids that
152came in for all the projects that was wonderful to see all of the interested companies in the work but just something I wanted to kind of mention and wanted to just the victory one cleaning company was kind of a little red flag and you know, her website was, but it is also the smaller so that you did interview her and you feel confident she can perform the job. That's good to know. - [Rob] Yeah and I will tell you that company did do some cleaning for us down at the Vikings T.C.O. Museum and some of the hotel work over there so- - [Thompson] Great, that's good to know. - [Rob] There is some experience with us. - [Thompson] That's good and everybody has to start somewhere, so that is good, so thank you. - [Jason]
153Ms. Thompson I also wanna say that our policy has the lowest responsible bidder, so it's not necessarily always the lowest bidder, it's the re the responsible bidder, which gives the flexibility to be able to look at the bids making sure that they're responsible for the PEC's. And if there's a correction there, Dr. Kazmierczak, Mr. Wald, please make it but that's my understanding of the policy. - [Kazmiercak] Nope, that's correct. - [Thompson] Okay, thank you. - [Mullin] I have some questions, prevailing wage on all these projects? - [Rob] Correct. - [Mullin] And everybody who always understand that there's prevailing wage? - Yes. - [Mullin] And in the past, this group has talked about making sure that everybody, especially when the vote came up about making sure that everybody understands, the worker understands that there's prevailing wage,
154so is there a plan to keep record of all the workers that are onsite? - [Jason] Yeah, so we talked about that. I think that maybe one of the last board meetings about posting the prevailing wage and the job trailers, which we do. Tracking the number of employees that are on our job site, and then we can request certified payroll as needed, or as periodic checks are all checks to make sure that there are paying people those wages. So those are some of the things that we put in place on other projects that it went prevailing wage, opposed to a P.L.A.R and open shop. So those revisions will take place for all these projects. - [Mullin] So then Kay will then take over the enforcement of that prevailing wage? - [Jason] Well, as your construction,
155we'll work with Tim and Wayne to make sure that those are in place, if it comes down to a legal issue that would come back to your council at that point, but we'll track and monitor and make sure that those companies are aware and that they are paying that as far as disciplinary actions, if they have to get kicked off the site for that, we will work with your administration to do that. - [Mullin] So, from my understanding that at our meeting in April, there was a conversation around a vote or a policy that was gonna be created for prevailing wages, has that policy been created? I mean, looking at you- - [Kazmierczak] A policy? - [Mullin] It was my understanding that there was gonna be, it was part of the piece on the recommendation
156for prevailing wage, that we were going to have a policy towards prevailing wage. - [Kazmierczak] Okay, I don't believe we have a policy for prevailing wage. Prevailing wage was included in the bid specs and the explanation is that it will be enforced, correct? We don't have a written policy on prevailing wage. If we need to go back and create such a thing, we can certainly do that. - [Mullin] Well, I think we need to have a policy towards enforcement, right? We need to be able to indicate that if you do not meet the standard of prevailing wage, that these are the actions that are gonna be taking accordingly for that standard. - [Kazmierczak] Okay. - [Mullin] So you're saying that you'll collect the payroll, you'll collect the information so that the board, if indicated that
157someone has a concern around prevailing wage, that it can be adequately managed and that it will be handled as such? - [Jason] Correct, and we've seen things as backpay to contract to employees, it's a range of things that we've seen take place with contractors that haven't had been part of it and brought forward to do it. My only kinda of was if it gets to a point where we're gonna terminate that contract, we would do do so with communication and with your council. - [Mullin] Okay, so can you tell the board how that process would work? If you have a contractor, Jason, excuse me, Mr. Peterson, if there's a contractor that is not meeting prevailing wage, can you tell us how that process is going to work so that we know so it's, it's up
158front and out front? - [Jason] Yeah, so when we go through the process, once we start receiving the applications and stuff, we'll request certified payroll to ensure that they are paying that. If they're not that's, I guess I've never had it why they've not, one time they've had to go back and do backpay. But if they refuse, did, I mean, because of the contract where the contract is written, they can't really refuse to do it without termination of their contract, which we would work with your council to work through that process of terminating their contract. That language, I don't know that I can to recite that for you verbatim, but it's a lengthy description in the contract of what that legal action can be if the district decides to terminate those contracts. - [Mullin] Okay,
159are there any other questions regarding the recommended action? Ms. Ellison? - [Ellison] I'm looking back in the board meeting minutes and I can provide perhaps some context to the discussion we had about prevailing wage. We voted as a board to require prevailing wage, but we did not vote as a board to create a policy. - [Mullin] So I would encourage us then to go back and listen to the tapes, because I do remember asking something about a policy towards prevailing wage, I believe it came from me, so I would just encourage to go back and listen to the tapes. I know it was just back here in April, so I'm sure that they're available. - [Jason] I would just add too and I know this was an aspect of the contracts that have labor provided
160within their contract, I think it was roughly 82% of the contracts that are being approved tonight to union contractors. - [Mullin] Okay, this isn't a union or non-union issue my issue is more about making sure that the workers are getting prevailing wage and that that wage is being enforced, that's what my whole issue is. - [Jason] Yup understand. - [Mullin] That's what I'm just trying to make sure that upfront, that that information is there that to make sure that all the workers that come to work on our projects that are getting taxpayer dollars, that are getting the prevailing wage for the county associated with where the project is. So I appreciate you saying that, but truth is that that's what my 100% objective is. - [Jason] Yeah, I know and I wasn't saying to say
161that other than the fact that the prevailing wage is in line with that, and it's the question usually comes up for those that aren't, if they're paying prevailing wage, so. - [Mullin] Ms. Beloyed. - [Beloyed] So just for clarification, so each contract with each one of these betters has a prevailing wage language in their contract? - [Jason] Yes. - [Beloyed] Okay, thank you. - [Mullin] Are there questions, comments, concerns? With that you've heard the recommended action, this will require a roll call vote. - [Ellison] Mullin. - [Mullin] Aye. - [Ellison] Newmaster. - [Newmaster] Aye. - [Ellison] Thompson. - [Thompson] Aye. - [Ellison] Arcand. - [Arcand] Aye. - Beloyed. - Aye. - [Ellison] Chapman. - [Chapman] Aye. - [Ellison] Ellison, aye. - [Mullin] And the motion passes, thank you very much. - Thank you. - [Mullin]
162We will now move to our second operational item and I apologize 'cause my glasses are fogging, certification of the 2020 pay 2021 property tax levy, Mr.Wald. - [Wald] Yeah, thank you chair Mullin. Each year, this is an annual agenda item and at the September work session, as we're required to certify to the county auditors of Anoka county, Ramsey and Washington, the districts preliminary levy for the PAYE for the following year's upcoming year's taxes. In this case, that's payable in 2021 for the '21-22 school year. Again, this is preliminary and so tonight you're just approving the preliminary and we recommend to the board annually to certify the maximum amount and that allows us to make sure we have it right for the December board meeting in which you'll certify the levy at the truth in taxation
163hearing. So tonight our recommendation to the board is to certify the maximum levy and we'll continue to work on that and have it for you at the December truth in taxation hearing. With me tonight is Andi Johnson, our controller, who you met at our last meeting, and Andi can walk through some specific members with you. Andi, thank you welcome. - [Andi] Good evening. I'll have you look at the first page included in the package it's a table from Ehlers and it shows the change in the levy. You'll see that the levy revenue goes from 55, 894,000, that's online six. That was last year's levy, we're going up to 57, 243,000, so an increase of approximately 1.4 million in total. That is a combination of general fund has an increased, the community service fund has a
164very small increase of about $37,000, but that service is the largest increase of about 7.4 million, that's due to the passage of the bond. And then there's a decrease in the OPEB levy, if you remember that fell off with the last levy, so there's kind of an offset there to the debt service fund. Going into tax impact, the calculation is based on an increase in the referendum market value of about 5.5% and then the increase in the net tax capacity of 6.6%. So what this does is this impact allows the property tax to be almost flat. So as our property tax base grows, as we have higher value property, the increase in the levy it gets spread out over more individuals or more property taxpayers. And so the impact actually goes down. So if you
165look on page two, you will see that the tax impact for a $300,000 home, for example, has a decrease of $76 per year. So as long as a house value stays stable, that that will be the impact. Now if their home value increases, then that will change, you know, according to what that value increases. So again, as Tim said, the recommended action is that you approve the maximum for tonight's meeting and then we'll have final numbers for you in December, any questions? - [Mullin] Thank you very much. Let's get a motion on the table to approve the action and then we'll open it up for discussion if that's okay. - [Andi] Thank you. - [Mullin] You've heard the recommended action, is there a motion to do approve the recommended action? - [Ellison] So moved. -
166[Mullin] Scott, I'm sorry was that a, you Ms. Ellison? Motion by Ms. Ellison, is there a second? - [Arcand] I second, - [Mullin] Second by Dr. Arcand. Any discussion regarding the recommended action? Hearing or seeing none, this will require a roll call vote. - [Ellison] Mullen. - [Mullin] Aye. - [Ellison] Newmaster. - [Newmaster] Aye. - [Ellison] Thompson. - [Thompson] Aye. - [Ellison] Arcand - [Arcand] Aye. - Beloyed. - Aye. - [Ellison] Chapman. - [Chapmna] Aye. - [Ellison] Ellison, aye. - [Mullin] Thank you very much in the motion passes. We will now move into our next operational item, I believe it's C3 on the revised agenda. And again, please excuse me my glasses are fogging. Action on the revised 10 year longterm facility maintenance plan, Dr, Wald, excuse me, Mr. Wald. - [Wald] Thank you chair
167Mullin. So each year we're required to submit to M.D. a board approved 10-year L.T.F.M plan by July 30th and at our July board meeting, you acted on that and approve the 10-year plan. It's not unusual for that plan to be adjusted during the fall and this year we're bringing an adjustment to the board in that amount may change as the district works to minimize or level the impact of property taxes. The 10-year plan that's before you today is very similar to what you've seen, it includes a pay as you go levy revenue of 6.152 million for fiscal year '22. That's where taxes payable in 2021. $3 million each in FYI, '23 and '24, and then an ongoing levy of 3.5 million in years five through 10. The documents for the M.D submittal are included in
168the board package. And so the recommendation is to approve the LTFM adjustment. - [Mullin] You've heard the recommended action, is there a motion to approve? - [Chapman] So moved. - [Mullin] There's been a motion by Mr. Chapman is there a second? - [Newmaster] Second. - [Mullin] Second by Dr. Newmaster, is there any discussion regarding the recommended action? Hearing or seeing none, this will require a roll call vote. - [Ellison] Mullen. - [Mullin] Aye - Newmaster. - Aye. - [Ellison] Thompson. - [Thompson] Aye. - Arcand. - Aye. - [Ellison] Beloyed. - [Beoyed] Aye. - [Ellison] Chapman. - [Chapman] Aye. - [Ellison] Ellison, aye. - [Mullin] And the motion passes, thank you very much. - [Wald] Thank you. - [Mullin] With that. We will move into our last operational item is action on the approval of the
169property purchase agreements. Mr. Wald does is this you- - [Kazmierczak] I'll take it and then Mr. Wald jumped in if need be even so before you tonight is, would be the approval of two properties, one we discussed at length in closed session, and then the other, you received some background information again that aligns with the other similar properties that we've purchased. And again, these are, as we work towards building that comprehensive nine through 12 high school, these properties are on that site. So with that, would you prefer that I read? - [Mullin] Well, either you are, if your glasses aren't fogging, you can read it if not, I will. - [Kazmierczak] I'll just take mine off and take a crack at it here. - Alright. - Okay, move to approve the purchase agreements for the
170properties described as PID, umber +1 430-221-20007 and PID number +1 430-221-30036, located in the city of White Bear Lake County of Ramsey, state of Minnesota, the board authorizes the superintendent and the assistant superintendent for finance and operations to sign all documents as necessary to acquire said properties. - [Mullin] You've heard the recommended action, is there a motion to adopt the recommended action? - [Arcand and Thompson] So moved. - [Arcand] Got it great. - [Mullin] How about a motion from Ms. Thompson, and we'll do a second from Dr. Arcand. Is there any discussion regarding the recommended action? Hearing are seeing none, this will require a roll call vote. - [Ellison] Mullen. - [Mullin] Aye - Newmaster. - Aye. - [Ellison] Thompson. - [Thompson] Aye. - Arcand. - Aye. - Beloyed. - Aye. - [Ellison] Chapman. -
171[Chapman] Aye. - [Ellison] Ellison, aye. - [Mullin] And the motion passes, thank you all very much. With that, unless you have anything else. Dr. Kazmierczak, - [Kazmierczak] No. - [Mullin] I will ask for a motion to adjourn. - [Arcand] Chair Mullen, I motion to adjourn. There's been a motion, is there a second? A motion by Dr, Arcand is there a second? - [Chapman] Second. - [Mullin] A second by Mr. Chapman, all those in favor, please say aye. - [All] Aye. - [Mullin] Opposed, same sign? We are adjourned.