001Very good evening. Like to call this special meeting to order six. Serve the pledge of allegiance. Aliance to the flag of the United States of America to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay. the floor. We approve the agenda. There's a couple things we wanted to change. Uh just the order and that would be taking the item D potential FCC license sale and inserting it in between A and B was the one change we had. And then did you have something? Yes. Let me get to the budget. Okay. Okay. Um, so that's the the change on the action items just inserting D in between A and B. So, can I get a motion to approve the agenda for the night? I'll make a motion
002to approve the agenda. Second. I'll second. All in favor? All right. Okay. Item A, approve resignation of Marilyn Stzman, EL teacher effective June 12, May 325 more to say on that one. I was just we had heard rumor that she was looking at another job closer to home and that's what happened. So she was commuting from St. Peters. All right. Um, can I have a motion approve the restoration of Marilyn Silken? I'll make that motion. I'll second it. All in favor? All right. Okay. Item D, potential FCC license sale. Yeah, just wanted to update people. I didn't know if we'd have any formal offer at this stage, but I just wanted to keep people aware. Um, I think all board members know that the district has had an FCC license that was applied for back
003in the early 90s. Ron Schwanberg uh applied for it after a engineering firm reached out and said, you know, you guys are doing a lot with technology. You should have an FCC license. and we've had this license and never used it ourselves directly, but instead uh uh have been leasing it out to different telecom companies. If first was a company called Clear Wire and then Sprint acquired them and then T-Mobile acquired Sprint. So, right now we have a lease with T-Mobile uh that goes out to 2042 and right now we're actually getting $855 a month and then that goes up about $28 a month. Each year it goes up by a little bit. So, at the end of this lease, we're getting about um little little over $1,000 a month for it. So, so, uh,
004we had a email in late May, uh, from T-Mobile saying, uh, we would like to buy out the lease if you're interested. And, uh, so I sent back a response and said, "Yeah, we we'd at least consider it. What What are you offering?" Um, and in the meantime actually reached out to the law firm that helped the district get our FCC license back in the in in the '9s and uh have been working with them because they they have assisted districts going through the same process. Uh anyway, uh T-Mobile came out with a uh let me back up. If we if you calculate out our payments to the end of 2042, it' be about 20 $25,000, something like that. Um, T-Mobile came back with an initial offer of $200,000 and we have countered several times
005and we now have we believe where we're at and I don't even want to say a number yet, but it's definitely more than 200,000 and it's more than 225. Um, but they they would be ready to take it to their board for formal approval in July. Um, and that's why I don't want to say a number because it may not be a solid number yet. Um, but a recommendation of our attorney is that that's a fair price for this license, which I again state we've never utilized it ourselves. We've utilized it by leasing it out to other other folks. So, and this is on a a a radio tower north of Mano. Um, so it's not even within our school district boundaries. So, um, anyway, um, we should know, the board should know a formal
006offer by your u July board meeting, I believe. Um, memorize dates, right? the 21st I think was the regular board meeting in July. So I just wanted to bring you up to date on that. Um and there's the new you know I guess I'd like a general feeling um about whether committing to the sale or not. I mean because that's the debate. Do you do you hang on to it and hope there's something more at the end of the rainbow at the end of this lease or do you take this money up front and utilize that for whatever program? So Wayne, what's your thoughts? uh very grateful that Ron Swamberg had the intuition to sign on for this. U we knew it had existed for a long time and it is something that does not
007serve our area. T-Mobile at the time offered o over the years they've offered different incentives for us on top of those monthly payments. They were going to give us some hot spots once. Um, but they were useless because the data service for that company didn't exist in our area. Uh, we're not using it as a school district. And this is this could be a really nice shot in the arm for the school district financially. Um, depending on how administration feels they want to move forward with that. But it's Kelly's had some good conversations with um legal representation on how to pursue it. I think it's a good opportunity for the board. So we technically own what bandwidth or channels. I believe it's believe it's uh the call letters are like WLX687 687 kind of memorized
008now and there are four uh band four channels on that bandwidth and uh it's it's valuable it's a valuable commodity for the people that are doing that are utilizing that spectrum of which we are not. So it's an asset just companies uh cell phone companies are and I I can't speak as to who has the right of way to make that offer to us but right now T-Mobile is they bought out Sprint years back and T-Mobile is a company that has interest in it and I think we're being offered a a fair price and T-Mobile's the lease holder until 2042. Mhm. So, what would it take for this to to fall apart, go away where we don't even have power anymore or mobile gets bought out? Do they still have the lease at that point
009or lawyers write that away? They would sort of have an obligation. Well, yeah, I would too. But just playing a little devil's advocate just Yeah. Maybe a comment kind of in the direction you're going. Legal council said these used to be a little more lucrative because you had competing telos. Now that's market has shrunk. So you know when the mobile viral sprint there goes one more level of competition. Um, so that's why it was his recommendation that yeah, you're getting a fair price for it. Okay. And we don't think that at the end of two that there will be any it'll just the lease will be done. No buyout of any sort. That's hard to say far out as it is, but um when if it were to be renewed or however they were to
010go. Who knows if that particular spectrum is going to have value at that point. It it's hard to say. Technology changes, right? But for the position that we're in right now, this isn't something that it doesn't come around often. You don't see schools having an asset like this too often. So really can't say enough positive things about the intuition that Bron Swamberg had. I think going back to 95 I guess 74 95 and he he knew it was something special and he said just keep your eyes on this and hold on to it. Um, and now because of changes, I think they took place during COVID. Um, but it allows entities such as schools to take advantage of selling that asset. And I don't know how many schools are in that position, but the legal
011representation that that Kelly is working with right now has that experience. And it it's it's a a good opportunity at school. based on the value in the board packet. I think it's good opportunity too since it's all for everyone and we're not using it anyhow. Well, that really helped. Well, we did talk a little bit about it. That's a fair point. That's why we want to just drill down a little bit. But, uh, and we don't know if you hold it for another year. gain a,000 bucks to try to sell next year this table this offer on the table anymore. It's it's hard to say and I it would be interesting to look at this conversation in 2042, right? Um, you know, it would have been interesting to buy Bitcoin in 2000, whatever. But but
012this is real dollars right now. That's the appealing thing, right? We don't need the crystal ball to see what's going to bring in 2032 or even next year. But there's some tease me cross my eyes doubt it. Maybe a little research maybe on again from my end I'm looking into a few things as well just for my own personal it's fascinating. Yeah. Knowledge real knowledge of it. Yeah. Again, the the offer that we have as a district is from the representative who needs to take it back to her governing body, whatever that is, get approval, but this is what she does. So, I don't expect that it's going to be a problem, but this what we have right now isn't a formal offer that we could add on that, right? But yeah, it's it seems
013very lucrative. So it depends if it goes through the way we think it it will kind of curious because others say it has value now the T-Mobile there would be down the line somewhere don't just wonder what exactly is there purpose to pay out for these bandwidth something that's new now meant to be utilized in some fashion um I I don't know that they have anything new that's going on there right now. They're I think they're just trying to consolidate these leases that they have across the country and and just simplify their their books and get these leases off and just buy the licenses. So, and that in speaking with this attorney, he's helped several school districts through this process where they have it and other governmental entities that happened to have an FCC license
014through someone's vision 40 years ago. Um, so I don't know that they have any new technologies. I think they're already using it um for some of their cell phone transmission. But that's the question. Yeah. Is is the thing valuable more valuable in 2042 or is it obsolete? Question is why is it valuable now? Yeah. Yeah. Why is it valuable now? And talked about simplifying but I wonder is that much simpler to spend a lot of money on their part and maybe it is on their part and eliminate the leases. I would think in terms of making money cheaper that way. So, it's got to be something to right like how much is it worth to Verizon? Oh, we can't find out more years. That's the problem. I'm gonna ask them. Yeah. Well, I'm curious. I'm
015gonna dive into just a little bit. It's team team's rates. Anybody yourself for now anybody have any further take the money and run George solid be done with it. Well, it's uh definitely interesting for sure. So, more to come on it. Just one one last comment on it. We we talked a little bit at FFL committee about it and uh Alan Alan Bird was listening in on the meeting as well. Um but we, you know, somebody asked, well, where does that money go when it comes into the district? it it would really be unassigned. Um but um you know we we talked about this this came about because of a technology initiative years ago and that perhaps the board would look to assign that to the strategic planning account which would be used to update
016our technology our Chromebooks on which would kind of do a third a year is our is our hope to do anyway. Um so anyway but it's but in reality we can put it in any piggy bank we right we see correct appropriate right financially okay that's it we'll move on to item B approved fiscal year 2526 budgets so I think we'll start with a motion Yes. I would like to introduce a motion to terminate the teaching and learning individual and replace that with a mentorship program. I think that the stipens that are put out would be well spent using tenure and capable teachers to support or encourage whatever it might take new teachers etc. And at far far less cost and then approve the budget. Pardon? And then approve the budget with that. Yes. That's
017your that's your whole motion, right? Yes. Okay, I'll second that. Okay, so now that's one second. We can discuss it further, right? Kind of taking notes tonight here. So many teaching and learning and replace with the mentorship program. Yes. How long would it take to hire somebody to fill that position or how would you find go about finding somebody to fill that position? What position were to put that program in? How long would it take to even put a program like this together? Well, they had right up until this last year or so. So, I understand. So, veteran staff would be mentors who are new staff. Yeah. Got $300 a year back. I think we have to listen to administration, what they said about hiring teachers and what they recommend. They're in them rooms every
018day and I don't think you're listening to what they're saying. They're saying they need that teaching and learning coordinator to hire teachers and keep things going the right direction. And I think it's been brought up time and time again by Dr. Smith and our principal that that position is very valuable. and we're sitting here at a table and making that decision, but we're not in the rooms and in buildings every day to see what's needed and we're being told by people that are that position is very valuable. So, I think that's not a smart move. I think some of the teachers are already have a full plate much less give them a stipen to mentor somebody on top of it. because that sometimes can be a job all by itself. We're having trouble hiring teachers
019already and then you throw more load on and take the teaching learning coordinator out of there. I don't think that's that's not that's not good. Test scores are not up where they belong. Now you're trying to go some cheap route, save some money. Long term, it's not saving anything. It's going to hurt. It's pretty common. I mean, when you go to a new role, you typically have a mentor, somebody that, you know, guides you along and brings you up to speed. Did you hear what she said? The principal the other day, when she hires a teacher, that's one of the things they ask. Do they have help? Do they have a teaching and learning coordinator? And if you don't have one, you're probably going to lose some teachers that are applying for jobs. You're going
020to walk and we're already short. I think if they have a mentorship program in place, it would be comfortable to the last probably quite one way and the other. But in the last year, we had teaching and learning coordinators that cost all said about $200,000. and principal Jacine if I recall correctly at the last meeting said that um this was a training period for them this year. Now next year we're trying to get there. She had a $200,000 training period. Now you can you can certainly disagree with that's why I brought the motion take it to a vote and go forward. But I wanted to go on record saying this. I think uh everybody has some good thoughts for sure. So that is a good thought in my opinion. I don't think right now with
021the amount of new teachers that aren't tenure yet is the reason for the teaching learning coordinator. And everything I've kind of been told is maybe after next year once serve his tenure then your idea I think would definitely work where you have the mentorship program go back the way it was. We can retain our teachers and they've been here for a long time then it should be simple. We should be able to do that day in and day out. Well, our test score our test scores are going sideways at best. That's not a good indicator. Well, it's not just the test scores. is is are our principal going to be able to do their um evaluations the evaluations like they're supposed to. I mean, they're already stretched trying to keep everything else on track. Then
022you're going to throw 50 evaluations on them. They're already doing something. So them because they're teaching learning coordinates only in the middle school, high school. It's not in the elementary. No. So, but whatever for the high school, but also our um what do we call them? Our non-tenure teachers. I think a lot of them are here on a three-year visa. So, we have one year, we have next year, and then they go they can be here for five up to five and then we renew. Um yeah, I'll just I I just want to clear like not all of our teachers will be tenured after next year, but but we're we have a an inordinate number of non-tenure teachers right now. It's close to 50% which is very unusual. That is going to improve each year
023we move forward if we can stop the change over that keeps occurring here. Um um so there's certainly been value with those teaching and learning coordinators in in dealing with the high number that we have. Uh just for the record, our as a non-tenure teacher, our principles or or an administrator, a licensed administrator is required to do three official evaluations during the course of the year. And um and that is a timeconsuming process. Um it's scheduling it. It's going in observing that class and then it's writing up the report and then meeting with the teacher after that. So how many teachers would that be? So this year at the high school um we had probably 12 at least at high school that had to be evaluated three times and and then and your teachers are
024evaluated once every three years. So we do have some of them but not near even number and those often as tickets and it's it's more than if I'm wrong just the it's not only evaluations it's helping right coaching them right through understanding the state curriculum that they all may not know because a lot of them go internationally right so uh Kenny's plan would work once everybody has been here and is established down the road like it used to when I say I don't know about you. Um, so here's my opinion is so I I from people I trust on both sides, I've heard we don't need them. I've heard we need them to the point and I trust all the people on both sides that I heard it from. So my stance from the beginning
025was let's get rid of the one meet in the middle keep one for another year and then next year it gets evaluated very heavily and our score is one ideally we would right um and I think our new superintendent was at FFLRP meeting and said the same kind of echo the same thought process. Um so Dr. meant the same thing. So that's my my opinion was meet in the middle of this year and then next year definitely evaluate it again. I mean it's already under a microscope. We know um I don't I think what you were saying it should work um all my ideas. Um and I I think it's something that needs to be addressed and go back to the way because it was that long ago that's how we did it. But we
026also have more teachers here that have been here for quite a while that all recently last last couple years as well that made that process go around just one way or the other. Yep. So, we already ran through the second motion, so it's just a vote, right? Correct. on approving the budget with it a stipulation or made a motion to terminate teaching and learning coordinator and replace with a mentorship program and approve the budget reflective of that. What does that mean? Were you thinking a $100,000 reduction in expenses with that? Right. It's kind of what we've mentioned. Yes. Are any of the votes tonight roll call votes or are they chair can always call for a roll call if he desires but nothing's a resolution tonight. We just call for a vote to yes approve.
027Yep. So you got the motion and all in favor? Okay. Y so it's already a motion. So, just all in favor of y uh Mr. Breees's uh change to uh terminate one teaching learning coordinator and replace with the mentorship program and reduce the budget for 2526 down by approximately $100,000. So all in favor everybody document. Okay. And then now we can go back to approving fiscal year 256 budget as it stands. Which do we want to run through that one more time or because you guys did make a little more headway this week. Yeah. I um yeah, I will admit I struggled trying to get this see if I can get this up here right the right screen here. But uh while you're pulling that up, have we seen test scores increase from this last
028year to know if there's any value? No, I I would it's really we've seen some preliminary results, but we don't have results from the spring tests. We've normally seen the results in mid August. Um normally come out right before the state fair that we we get them a little before the state fair. Um, but I would say in our preliminary results, it's it's been a mix across the board, but that would be very premature to make any overall comments on where we're supposed to say to say in September, we could really scrutinize. Yeah, we'll have the official results normally, right? Mid August. I mean, yeah, it's what they call an embargo. Yeah, we get them usually early August and they're embargoed and I know at the state fair you normally have results available. People go
029to the department of ad booth. So yeah, want just visit about this before we go on um and ask for any motion here. I I struggled with how to present this and this is what we had. Um this is what we had last last month. Um so this first part really hasn't changed anything. Um and that that results in a deficit of 8085,000 $85,000. Um, we did talk a little at FFLRP committee about about this as well as the the building budget. Uh, and as I mentioned, uh, Superintendent Berg was there as well. Um, and I will reiterate and and I Superintendent Berg also commented the same thing. This budget has a ton of assumptions in it. Our biggest one is enrollment. Believe we're conservative of that. We have an assumption in for what's going
030to happen with uh negotiations. We have assumptions of what's going to happen with special ed expenses. All there's there's a lot of assumptions in there that can change throughout the course of the year. So about the only thing I can tell you for certain is that your end of the year budget deficit at the end of next school year will not be $85,49 in public. There's just too many moving parts to this problem. So, I was directed to go back and try to find some additional savings and I really struggled um and I came up with a few here. um and and talk to principles and then talk to Superintendent Berg coming in and he you know he's coming in and doesn't know the district as well as principles and I do but so we
031had a special ed pair resign last last uh meeting. Um we could say we're not going to hire right now. There's that position is in the book. we could say we're not going to hire that. That would probably be a fairly disingenuous statement because if a kiddo shows up in the fall that needs special ed, we are required, we could be required by their IEP to hire somebody as a one-on-one. So, so that's a tough one, but we could say that um we implemented this year. It had been discussed for a while. We implemented a what's it's called absence management software that um that I had used in another district as well. Um so was familiar with it and the value of that system in a larger district is it it has an automated caller
032system and an online system for your subs. So if if um Kelly the math teacher knew he was going to well knew he was going to be sick the next day and it's 3 4:00 in the afternoon the day before I put into the system that I'm going to be absent tomorrow the system would automatically reach out to our sublist and say this spot is open. we just don't have enough subs to utilize that system. Um and uh so if the real value we weren't getting out of that system and there are no cost items to track absences through our region system and we're going to do that instead. So that's $5500. Um, on the flip side, somebody said, "Well, why don't we add 10 pupil units to to our enrollment?" That that could adjust
033it as well. Um, and then I had on here we could reverse the plan on bus lease and do nothing with bus, which would save you 24,000 this year. Um, I did share the overall expenditures that we've seen with repair and I I'm not recommending that. I'm just saying that's an option, but I I don't think it's a good one right now. Um, and if you did if you did all three of these, we'd have a deficit budget of 39,384. Uh, and if you added five watoms at that point, you'd have a budget to the good of 1983. So, you've got a myriad different options within there, too. Going with the original this deficit and know there's a lot of there's a lot of adjustments to be made in that um or to do some
034of these individually. Just one other option. In the previous assumptions, we had a stipen for AI, right? Yeah, that was okay. So, what what are we currently using AI to do? Um, the AI is being used by different staff at this point. Um there is still work to be done on that. So the the stipen basically um we paid an overload for that position to continue to work with teachers to use AI. Um and our goal is that teachers would be comfortable enough with AI to use it to assist them in lesson plan. Um, let me just for example, as as a math teacher, I could say, um, as a middle school, 8th grade math teacher, uh, develop a lesson plan for teaching. Um, I think look to an old math teacher. Give me an
035example here. Great. Yeah. Um uh give me a lesson plan for factoring polomial equations and and that meets that aligns with the state standards and provide a a an alternative lesson for student with disability something like that. And AI will actually help do that if we can get people comfortable enough to utilize. So wait, the Chromebooks that the students have, do they each have like an AI bot as well that they can if they're at home doing their homework and they're struggling with an equation or something be assigned to them through the course that they take. So within schooly if they are taking a course that has the AI bot integrated into that course it's available to them. Okay. Um AI platforms there's numerous AI platforms and you guys probably heard many other names right
036now and they're all becoming more and more studentfriendly. Um currently Google has just made some adaptations to their AI bot which is called Gemini. uh they're making it more and more educational um where it's able to be utilized by students with guard rails in place. And once again, this brings us back to some terminology within the AI world. Guard rails. Where does it run off the rails? Where does it where can we keep things where they are streamlined to the content that they're working on in the classroom? Um, it's it's fascinating listening to all the different whenever you're watching television or you're asking kids about AI, it's no secret that the students are utilizing AI in any possible way that they can. May it be um we we need to make sure that digital citizenship
037along with AI that they go hand in hand because whatever your intent is, what you plan on doing with AI, if if you have intent that would be frowned upon and you're trying to use AI in a manner that there's more and more tools to find that as well where like like a plagiarism, it will determine if something's been plagiarized. But now there are tools out out there that also help teachers determine if AI has been the main catalyst behind their A+ in English, whatever. Um, but the whole perspective of using AI, we we still are in the infancy of where where this is all going to go. The tool itself has become more and more prevalent. I'm trying not to ramble on again here, but it's become more and more prevalent. Um, and you're
038just going to see it blossom and bloom, and we need to be there to make sure that we keep the whole digital citizenship uh concept in perspective because it it would be real easy for people to go off the rails without that proper guidance. I know Ryan Jacobson's put a lot of work into understanding and and figuring out which way to go with it. Um I don't want to use the word massage, but you can you can adapt the AI that you're using the bots and it it's really a fascinating concept. I don't want to speak on Ryan's behalf. feel like I'm repeating myself from previous meetings, but it's uh so many aspects that AI comes into play with and and Ryan helps, Mr. Jacobson helps on many different fronts when it comes to technology
039in what is digital citizenship? What is digital citizenship? Basically, what is uh citizenship? It it's kind of nice having that question thrown at me because digital citizenship is basically how do you how do you treat your neighbor? How do you treat those in authority over you? How do you treat people that you don't actually face to face? Are you a keyboard warrior? Somebody that's going to say something that's inappropriate? Somebody that's going to say something that is going to have repercussions. Um you want to treat people online. Uh you want to take care of yourself online. your repres your reputation just as you would as if you were meeting somebody face to face and uh as I don't want to say science fiction but digital citizenship almost sounds like a novelty term and by no
040means um is it a novelty term. It's something that has repercussions and uh we want to make sure we hold our students to the highest standards on how they conduct themselves online along with our staff. Um, anybody that is online should be practicing to digital citizenship skills u cyber bullying and things like that. Absolutely. Cyber bullying is one of the main things. Yeah. And make sure that the kids aren't picking on each other in a way that teachers can't see but are affecting the students. Right. And there's so many things that come into play with that too. social media. Yeah, I I don't want to diverge too much from what you guys main objectives are here tonight, but digital citizenship, we honestly could implement that and and it is discussed in general in the classrooms,
041but I think it would be great to have a digital citizenship, you know, if you were to incorporate that with the world of AI, incorporate that with any digital skills that we were doing. and have our kids be the the leaders when it comes to digital citizenship uh forward. It's it's a very important topic. The reason why I asked is because I saw an article that talked about AI and the use of AI. It's it's not a brain developing activity to use AI. So, no, not a brain developing. So when you say I do you know for all of your work you're not expanding your knowledge in a sense of like I completely understand what I am doing and I can contribute to this to my role in society you know when you use AI
042for everything it just it's not it doesn't develop your learning knowledge of you say hey Chad TBT take this and write this paper or do this assignment for or things like that. So that's why I asked to what level are we using AI in our schools because it's a I would go back to pen and paper. I mean and yeah well and you're right AI in and of itself does not develop your mind and your capacity for a particular problem. Um, and that's really the reason we need to teach our teachers how to effectively use it because we know students are going to be out there using teachers how to teach lessons that they won't be able students won't be able to utilize AI to so we can truly evaluate learning. Okay? And our students
043need to learn about AI because AI can be much more effective if you do understand enough to ask it the right question to do the problem or solve the issue that you're doing. Don't those bots do that? Like they won't give you the answer. They will tell you how to arrive at the answer. What Kelly said is is very true. A lot of it depends on the question that you ask. If you're very direct with the intent and what you're looking for, you can have very good conversation as if you were talking to a highle college professor to get the answers that you're looking for. Now, the understanding and the concepts behind all of that, um, yeah, that that's going to take work from the student yet. Um, but as far as AI being, by
044no means are we looking at it as a detriment right now. We don't want our kids to graduate from GFW and not have been introduced to the opportunities that AI offers as opposed to carrying a blind eye to it and letting them fly solo down uncharted paths. Well, the rest of the world is using it and going to be using it more every year. So, we have to stay somewhat engaged with it and have our students prepared because you get out in the real job world, they're going to be using AI. You know, we've had a lot of times leaders say whoever controls AI controls the world. Pay attention. It will take your thoughts and polish them. It will definitely take your thoughts, your concepts, and it will polish them into something that is uh
045respected and will be taken seriously. If if you have a hard time conveying that um if you have a hard time conveying professional dialogue, it will take that and put it into a professional dialogue for you. But there's there's a lot of opportunities. There's there's articles that come out daily and both Ryan and myself I know we have an AI article archive that we keep everything in there and it's it's fascinating to see how it's how fast it's full but to Emily's point. So I'm an old math teach and in the day I would assign the odd what 1 through 25 they're due tomorrow and I want to see your work em um if I did that today would take a kid three minutes to do that assignment now that them doing that if they
046actually read through the answers will maybe help them understand how to do that but now as a teacher I need to adjust and I should because 40 years later I need to update. Um, but they're going to have to do more of that in class with their f, you know, with their computers closed, whatever. So they can show that they understand, not AI understands that concept is the re yeah reality is that AI would do those in in less than a minute each. Um so our teachers need to adjust the way they um you know and this happened 15 years ago with um with language arts teach especially senior level language arts teachers that were having larger term papers due. Um people were pulling papers off the internet like crazy. So, we had to put
047in uh what they were called, but it was software that all all literary assignments were turned in via Google Docs or Word, so they could be run through a Yeah. Yeah. Uh the word's escaping me here, but uh it's part of guardrails, isn't it? That kind of Yeah. PL plagiarism check or basic said um and so we're constantly evolving and trying to keep one step ahead of kids and and Mark is right every day more and more people are using AI for more and more tasks. You see the CEOs of Google, Amazon, Walmart between robots and AI. A lot of these big factories are like the big where else Walmart put up Mano. There's going to not be a lot of people in there. It's going to be all robots and AI going to be
048there's like three, four levels and it's going to be all AI controlled with robots doing stuff. Well, in the speed toy, I'm only saying two. So, I I try to one thing that I really enjoy is uh standup comedy, magic. Well, one of there's a new release that I just watched. It's called Magic Lover and it's on Netflix. And this this magician pulls a student up onto the stage and the student is probably 10, 11, 12 years old and he puts him on the spot just having a general discussion with this student about AI. And uh he says, "So how many students in your class are using AI to cheat?" And the student said, "Oh, everybody's trying to use AI to cheat." And then he said, "Well, are you listing off, you know, and and
049the kids started listing off all these names, these first names of kids in his class?" And that's the stuff that we are up against. So, we are trying to use guard rails. We are trying to use the tools we have to guide these students using digital citizenship on how to use AI productively that is not going to be a detriment to them in the long run because if they abuse it they're going to end up finding dead ends but they could also use it in a way that would not be as selfserving and help the greater good. So, so to confirm that's what the AI coordinator is doing is what setting up those you call them guard rails that helping. Yeah. And it's it's not maybe as easily accessible for students to cheat to cheat.
050That's that is the one thing that the guardrails program we are using we can fine-tune that and yes it it if they're working on something in economics class it it is catered to the economics concept of what they are doing um they can't take that economics bot plug in their English 101 course say write the paper in their bot for their economics class because it's going to keep them on path with what they're working on class if they go rogue and they start using other chat bots that are out there. And when I say that there's it's not just dozens and dozens anymore, it's I don't know if you can keep up with the amount of them that there are. Um but that is something that we have to monitor as a school and we
051need to stay ahead of that and to make sure that the students are um they're on the right track because they're they're just going to reach dead ends and we don't want that. We want them to be use their brain like what Emily was say community oriented greater good students individuals community members protecting them from themselves is what you're trying to do. Yes. Yes. why I wanted to add more to that stipen than than take it away just because I think AI in general just especially to like Gen X and whatever has really gotten a bad rap because of that because of the chat GTP and because of the the ways that kids can cheat and so taking away their cell phones during the day helps. They don't have an unregulated way to do that.
052class. It's so the position and the stipen that we're using is to help protect the kids and make sure that they're learning. Yeah. I I'd really like if this is a deeper dive you would like to take, I think it would be great to have Mr. Jacobson. I'm I'm talking I feel like I'm talking out of turn, but I worked I work very closely with Ryan. I know he's presented on AI to the local region. Uh he tries to stay a breast and on top of all of the ISTY standards that are out there. Um Isty is a national technology uh organization that we base a lot of what we do off of. Uh but it's a great discussion to be had. Many of the things that we do go hand in hand. So it's
053been great having Mr. Jacobson work in that regard. I would like to but I think for right now in this discussion taking that stipen away would be detrimental to the students and I think it helps the teachers a lot too with helping with different ways to teach. they're not getting across to the kids one way. They can ask it to help them teach it a different way. Not all students learn the same. So, um, another thing since the budget is built on assumptions, wouldn't the FCC license sale also be an assumption that we can build into this? Yeah. So then it wouldn't be a deficit. I know the the brunt of that should go into into the technology the strategic planning to be used for technology and especially if something comes up. Um, but I
054think and really you could increase the site for that out of that technology portion that goes in there. But I think since it's it's up a fair amount from where we started when we started going back and forth with them, I don't think it would be out of line to throw $85,000 towards this budget and this balance using part of what we get from that FCC license. Well, I think the issue is we haven't solar. So I don't but the entire budget is built on assumptions. Well I I I agree but it would pay people anybody want to make this that zero budget too right? So we can make a zero budget. Does it really mean nothing a month completely different? So no and this is really just a plan. I mean this is this
055is a plan. This is something we have to do and have to approve by the end of this month saying this is our plan for the school year. It's going to be tweaked and changed a little bit by October when we have actual make it real. Yep. And when we have the actual head count and everything else. So, I I'd like to make a motion to approve the 2526 budget with the dropping of the $5,500 that, as you said, we don't we don't utilize it like we should be. Right. Right. So, that's the only adjustment. Yep. With making that adjustment and then approving the budget. I'll second it. So, we're just dropping $5,500 from the 85. Yep. Yeah. Knowing that there's a lot of potential to come. Yeah. But through open education. Well, and I
056think I mean obviously there's things that come up even in personal lives that you don't expect, but the things that we're looking at for changes to these assumptions all seem extremely positive. Agreed. You know, we've been extremely conservative with student headcount so that in my opinion, it can only go up because it's less less than what we budgeted last year. And I do not disagree at all with that. Okay. Well, so there was a second so we can vote on it, right? Is there any more discussion? Emily, anything further? Good. All in favor? Political question. Um, okay then. Okay, then that's a general fund. We have these others that so we have the these other funds and I can hand out this sheet for so you see them here. Um and the know that the
057general fund is off. Sorry. Um, we got food service and community service, construction fund, debt service fund, custodial funds. Um, just so everybody's aware, we have a a separate fund that is a scholarship fund that was set up that's uh got a little over 500,000 in it and the interest is given out each year for scholarships. And then we have student activities which are now are officially rolled into the school district audit and funds. So, we need to approve a budget. Um, postemployment irrevocable trust and then uh post-employment debt service. Actually, we don't have to approve a budget because we paid that off this past year. So, nothing for that one. But, but the others are all here. Um, obviously a large deficit in construction fund. What it Lindsay's estimate for the interest that would
058gain during this fiscal year is one and a half and we're going to spend 32 and that's anybody's guess you know exactly how much we're going to spend. So you see a $30 million deficit know that we have money to pay for that here. Um community service is a deficit again. Um, I will say that's one we need to be looking at in the future of how to uh how to rain that one in. And then food service. I want to point out um we're we've been spending down fund balance the last or this past year. We spent $150,000 dying equipment. And then this year in the expenditures, we have $250,000 that are going toward equipment for the new new building. And uh again, we were we were directed to spend down fund balance because
059we were beyond the allowable level. And uh even after this deficit of 236 projected, we're going to have over 200,000 in fund balance for food service. So that that account is doing well. So and that's about where the state wants us is between that 150 to 250. Correct. Yep. And does the new contract for CISO get paid out? Yes. Yes. And that's figured into this current expenditures. We had up to 40,000 through CES. The uh student activities that's like activity buses, football, basketball. No, it's more it's more like like the FFA funds are in there. Um uh if we would have a National Honor Society might do a fundraiser and buy some things, that's in there. So, it's the student groups per se. Um, where does that Camp Courage thing is that a separate fund
060that's Yeah. When FFA raises money for Camp Courage, it goes into their account, but it's dedicated to, you know, they're writing a check to Camp Courage as a flow through. Yeah. Y, but that would be part of this overall student activities. And I pick on FFA right away because they're probably the largest organization as far as money in and money out on these activities. Otherwise, it could be a softball group, whatever. But I mean, it's student organizations. Why does that roll through us or this budget? So, it it has to now. Yeah. Um it used to and I don't probably 10 maybe already 15 years ago um it we were required to bring that into the audit because I think that tended to be an area that didn't have a lot of oversight in school
061districts. So um but we really had no say. Um the auditors always look for um minutes of Yeah, I'll pick on FFA minutes of an FFA meeting where they had a motion to spend this money for Camp Courage. Um so it's got to be student directed as far as raising money and spending money out of it. Well, most of those are all taxexempt organizations. Yep. Yep. So I would ask for a motion just to move these other fund expenditures and revenue and then we would I'll make the motion I'll second it but we do each one individually or just we can do them as a group. We have one more piece of discussion. You talked about community service and you said that that probably needs to be ranked in a little. Yeah, I know that
062there's a lot of activities that go through there. Do you have things in mind? Um, no, just just that needs to be looked at. um community service used to have a lot of um federal programs that were coming in there, different grants and things that were perhaps supporting things and that those have dried up, hence the negative number there. Um so I I think it's just something district needs to keep an eye on as we move forward. So that continually has a negative balance on it and we know that. So where is that pulling cash from them? Well, they've been spending fund balance there too. Um general funds. Um no, they they've been spending their fund balance and then if there is a deficit, it would come from the general fund. But right now they
063still have a balance, right? So they have money saved. Well, we have to start scrutinizing. Yeah. Yep. And they start that as early as right away. And Superintendent Bird comes out of the community at background. He'll be the person reviewing that. We know what they have for balance. We don't really go through that one through the general. Yeah. I don't have that right now. So what is community service to is my community add and restore or yeah so it has to reserved accounts learning readiness and then early childhood family. So there's some direct funding for them. We had talked to before it's a negative but it's that's how we get students with GFW. So quite often one or both of those are sometimes in the negative but but it's our marketing to young families and
064young students and we want them to participate in that program and then hopefully join our kindergarten. And then it's the overall community education programs the the quarterly booklets that come out for a trip to China. heartbees are good enough to raised a little bit. Well, that's probably something that has to be looked at. Normally, those trips are self sustain. You know, if they a lot of times we'll pull off with sibling niece on a trip to the Chan and Dinner Theater for a show and normally those things break even because you're charging the cost of transportation and a ticket. But those are all the things that we'll have to look at as we move forward. But those are the kind of thinking. Oh, and the the other thing that's in there is uh aid to
065non-public schools. So, uh, we received funding on behalf of PLS and Starland, Starland Colony, um, for textbook aid, counseling aid, and, uh, and health services. And the parochial schools can either, um, decline that or participate. um ELS I know it takes textbook and nursing service I don't think they do the counseling don't quote me on that but if they sign up for it the money comes to us and then they have to submit bills to us and then Starland Colony does submit for textbook so we get so much from the state that was something that was discussed at the legislature this year whether the state was going to stop funding those non-public schools and that ultimately didn't go anywhere. So, it's will continue into the future. That's all my questions. All great questions. Mark questions.
066Anything further, George? I'm good. Uh, so we have a second. So we ready? Anything else? No. All in favor? Okay. Now we move on the last. Y um is a motion to review a change order approval process and amount. Um yeah, um yeah, at the last meeting we there was action to lower the change order amount to 25,000 and uh I I mean it was brought up at the meeting and I I guess I hadn't really had time to think about what the consequences of that action would be. And while while it is true that by and large um change orders have rapidly decreased and I signed a few today I think the largest one was $9,900 otherwise it's 2500 um there is a potential that we're trying to get this building fixed are ready
067to go and we could have a cleaning order easily over 25,000 and um then we need to call a special meeting to get that approved and move forward. That's what I'm concerned about. We're now two months away from getting that building and is this potentially going to delay and uh um I'm okay if you'd want to lower it back to the original 50,000. I don't know that anything would certainly come in over that. I don't I don't know. I'm just I'm just nervous about something coming in over 25 and then any day delay at this stage is going to have an impact. Who does the deciding on this now? When you leave July one, Allan takes over. Are you both still into that? Cuz we're welling you ultimate. I mean ultimately he has to sign
068off. He has to sign off. He has to sign off but I will be watching guide him. [Music] Yes. Um, so yeah, and and we get that stuff after Carl Anderson has reviewed it and and vetted any prices that contractors have provided. So I brought it up just I think everybody was here for my explanation on why. What's uh I mean we okay with 15 25 because I would I would counter with if Carl Anderson sees something coming up they now know that they need a few three extra days you know if we have to have a special meeting but you know 25 grand we want to have a special meeting every three days no um I I don't I don't know if we want to go less than you know by more than 50
069though I don't think I would probably call it maybe weekly. We could end up having a meeting for a month or so. Could we increase it to 50 and anything over 25 we get an email? Yeah. Well, came up again. Russ, what was the reason why you said 25? Because you felt like that was an appropriate amount. Um, I guess no special reason. It's just that 25 is a nice uh round figure and it's it's half of what we had. There shouldn't really be anything left. And I think a lot of things that could be left could very well be under 50. But you start getting, you know, a bunch of 30 $40,000 change orders, they could eat away at your continuity in a heartbeat. be extra careful with I do want to clarify one
070thing because you said it here too and that's what I what we originally set to go $50,000 anything over that and we moved them to a 100 um because of and mainly time you and you said and that was very accurate the lead time on some of that equipment you know if we Um, so, um, I'm okay going back to the what was originally there, $50,000. And I think and again, I have no problem communic or Mr. Bird will send an email. But, uh, doesn't the FRB sees all that every month or kind of see everything? Oh, that's after the fact. Kind of after the fact. Yeah. We're not sending them as our cap or anything. I don't think there's anything that's hasn't been ordered. If it hasn't, it's because we have we we made
071a change, right? So, I'm not worried about lead times at this point. I'm worried about them. Um, seeing that we have a pretty healthy contingency, but I disagree. You know, when you say that Carl Anderson, I'm saying I'm just saying the project in general. Yeah. And I I just disagree with that. I mean, um, yeah, number one, Krauss Anderson wants us to end up with contingency because that means they're going to give a good recommendation. I agree. And these contractors have been I think really good about I mean if there's a proposal I've had several calls back from Krauss Anderson saying can you clarify this because if you do this it's going to cost you 5,000 more versus they could do it this way but you want to make sure you're right. So they're questioning
072the contractors quite often as they as they should. Yep. Um, you know, so if it's 50 and we start seeing a whole bunch of changes of some that are under 50 more than normal, then we know that we have to locate again. But it shouldn't be a delay and it's just a message that we are we're getting near the finish line and we want contingency. I think that message has already been received. um we've said a few remarks to but I I'm just worried about pop up and then we got to get together um yeah I would say with 25 because like you said we want contingency left so it has to be reviewed by the board but again I don't do this every day but that and that's why I like 25 because then
073if it has to come through the board. But if we slow everything down, we could have profit. Were we necessary? We're we're saying rolling is building up September one to approve it over 25 or could you send out an email to the board saying this is what this can came in at 35,000 yes or no from the board on an email question versus well that's technically a board and that's why I I'm nervous about doing that it's a serial board meeting. Yeah, it's just not all board. Can we just add a priority update? Well, yeah, but again, can't approve anything. No, with that, but if there's a pattern, yeah, it will establish a pattern. So, and that's what the concern is, right? And like Yeah. But if there's something that's over 25 and we have
074to do a special meeting that has to be announced three days ahead of time and like it would be on Friday and there's going to be a lot of rain on Monday. We're not going to be able to get to that meeting fast enough and then it's going to rain and then it'll be postponed for longer. I think everything's enclosed with roofs right now, but they're doing an awful lot of dirt work inside. I'm I'm not worried about inside right now. I'm more worried because I've done the outside stuff down that doesn't stop raining and looking at our forecast this week. No worry about it. I really like large savings accounts. So that's why I was Well, no. And I think it's at the end of the day it's going to be pretty healthy. I
075just, you know, maybe just take back to where we started and say, "Hey, they are watching it. you're not going to be able to uh spend at will on quick easy change orders because they haven't had to approve it as a whole for anything under $100,000 for the last 10 months. Yeah. And if we start seeing a trend of a lot of them coming at the end, you know, because there is such a thing as um some of these uh contractors may be sitting on a whole bunch and they just haven't turned them in yet either, which is not a good practice, but it is something that happens. Um, we're like, "Oh, sorry, Carl Sanderson. You know, we incurred all these costs. We just wait for the end of the project to let you know
076about it because it sounds that happens." Yeah. You know, Yeah. George just asked, "Does money ever come back into the contingency?" So, in some cases, if if there's a change made, it means contractor A pays 5,000, but now contractor B doesn't have to do their work and we get 2500 back. So, there's occasionally things like that and but it's certainly much more that goes out of contingency that's coming back. Well, and there's a few credits that are come back too, right? Some energy credits or Right. We haven't yeah calculated anything related to that and that'll be at the end that'll be down the road might be close to here before you see any of that and I think that rough map was like 85 grand or does that have to go back in the building
077fund back in the general fund? I was wondering about that it can go anywhere. Yeah, it's utility rebates. Y well yeah and one for certain pumps and yeah things like that certain power equipment so that might be something for next year. Well I make a motion we bring them back down to $50,000 and keep an eye on it. I'll second discussion. I'm okay with the 50. Like I said, start getting control. We can change it again. They told me and they know we're watching people watching it. Pl Anderson and we'll and I can certainly email the board if there's something over 25. And in reality, there really shouldn't be hardly anything anymore. No, that's that's right. I'm just worried about we're on a tight time table the way it was. Well, if it's not worried
078about how somebody screwed up, so Right. You must turn on. Uh I believe that's our list. So motion motion. I'll second that. One in favor. I always forget Randy Young.