001the citizen participation. This meeting is a business business meeting of the board of education held in public. 30 minutes will be allotted to residents of the school district and staff to give the board the opportunity to listen to citizens. Remarks will be limited to three minutes and to one appearance, thus allowing for maximum number of participants in the allotted time frame in which citizens are to speak to issues. The board will not respond to comments at this time, but you will receive a response to any questions from the district superintendent and/or [clears throat] a member of the board of education within a reasonable amount of time after this meeting. Additionally, members of our community may contact individual board members to engage in dialogue about the school matters. During this public comment period, we ask that
002speakers refrain from using profanity and speakers who violate this rule may be asked to leave. We do have one signed up tonight and it looks like it's TJ Maxwell. You can >> there. >> You can stand right here at this table in front of us. You can stand in the middle of the aisle. You can stand at the podium. It's >> your comfort level. >> Stand right here. >> Good evening everyone. [laughter] Um I would like to preface my comments by stating I know many of you. My comments are by no means personal, only professional. It was a difficult season for the middle school girls basketball team. The head coach was unfamiliar with the sport and did not put any effort into building relationships with the players or the parents. The assistant coach, however, was
003amazing. Also unfamiliar with the sport, but she did interact with their players and parents. I feel that anyone could be a good coach, even if you don't know the sport, but you have to be positive, supportive, and willing to learn. It was obvious throughout the season that this was a scrambled hire. A reliable source that is currently employed with the district said that him coaching this team was a condition of his hiring. That's what makes this so frustrating. A qualified candidate was re recommended to this board. He interviewed with the current middle school principal, current head coach of the girls team, and the former athletic director. They were and still are supportive of him. When his potential employment was postponed pending possibility of additional applicants, the support on social media by the parents of the
004girls on this team was overwhelmingly supportive of this candidate being hired. Obviously, the board did not have any additional candidates and did not have these student athletes best interest in mind, evidenced by the hiring of a person with no experience and no desire to be positive or develop relationships. I preface my comments purpose purposefully and I mean them. We will never know why the more qualified person was not hired for this job due to closed session, but it is apparent that the decision not to hire the qualified candidate was due to personal reasons. I implore you, if a qualified individual applies for a job in this district and there are no other qualified candidates, please hire them. These decisions should not be affected by personal feelings. If they are, only the students suffer. Please keep
005the best interests of the students at the forefront of your decisions and I thank you for your time. Thank you. Next up we have consent agenda. You do [clears throat] have a list of items in your consent agenda packet. Um, if anyone needs clarification on anything, we can pull it. Otherwise, we do need a motion to approve. >> Motion by Chris Bell, seconded by Caitlyn Mace, that the consent agenda items be approved as presented. All those in favor? >> Yes. >> Opposed? Seven. Yes. >> Okay. We can move into financial statement for the November build. Um, there are a couple of different check runs. Again, if you have any additional questions, we can pull any item. Otherwise, we do need a motion to pay the November. [clears throat] >> Second. >> Motion by Roger Bridgeman,
006seconded by Sherry Shudy to approve the financial statement and action on the November bills as presented. All those in favor? >> Opposed? >> Six yes, one abstain. Can I ask a question real quick? Um, I don't know how the board feels the appropriateness of me approving anything to the sheriff's office. Just an opinion on that. It doesn't benefit me financially um directly, but just curious what the board thinks on that if I should abstain or pull that out or how we can to do that. >> You can always abstain just to be safe. >> Okay. Yeah. All right. Thank you. >> You're welcome. We can move on into our administrative reports. Um, first step board and committee reports. >> We have a late October meeting. [clears throat] Mayor was >> Yeah. Okay. Holy cow. It's
007a little bit of a blur. >> Okay. Any board and committee reports? You have anything on your end? >> Great. Building principal reports. Um, we can move on. Let's start in elementary. >> Okay. Tess, can you give us just a couple of highlights, some positives in your >> Yeah. So, I have three things that I was going to mention. I know I'm a chatter, but I'll be quick. Um, so we have been working closely with RPDC um out of Rala with um our advanced tiers for PBIS. Uh that's been going really well. Um fairly smoothly. We did send some teachers off for some advanced years professional development. We've tried to divide it up to where we're only sending four, five, at most six out at a time. So that because we all know stuffs are
008hard to find, but that's really rich PD that's beneficial to us, but it's hard to get that after school hours. So that's going well there. Um, [clears throat] a lot of the professional development workshops are focusing on like identifying the function of the behavior or like where the academic gap is at with the student. Um, and so we're working through that. I do want to give a huge shout out. Our Veterans Day [clears throat] program was phenomenal. Um, >> I don't know if [clears throat] you heard from the community or if any of you were able to make it to it. When they all are out there in the bleachers, everyone kind of runs together. So, I I wasn't able to see who all was able to make it, but it was a phenomenal program.
009Um, Mrs. Martin went above and beyond. Uh, they had after school craft nights and so they had posters and handmade cards and bookmarks made for any veterans that attended. Um, we had students that had solo singing parts which like give me chills because it was just very moving to see that and extremely brave for a fourth grade student to get up there and do that. And so it was it was awesome. Just it was great. And I can't talk highly enough of um our music teacher, she's doing great. We've had two programs now and they're just going really well. Um, and then my last thing, parents as teachers. I brought this up during our admin meeting. I feel like, um, she's kind of like a one-man band. I mean, she's not kind of, she's definitely
010a one-man band and kind of on her own. And she's one of our building goals. And so, I just wanted to highlight on, um, we don't touch base nearly as often um, as many would probably think because she's out in the community making her impact and she's in home doing visits. But when I do catch her in her office or she catches me in mine and we meet, um we kind of catch up on what she's going through. And she's currently working on um she's signed up for classes. She's going to get car seat certification. And I think that'll be really good for our district, especially with like having school carnival and block party and these events to where she attends [clears throat] those and advertises her parents' teachers program anyway. But then that's a
011free service that she can offer as well. Um, and I kind of joke that I remember coming home with my first child and like car seats can be very complicated. Like we think we have it figured out, but they just keep getting smarter than us and there's more bits and pieces to it. Um, so she's doing a great job there. She's highly involved with her families. When I do go into her room, you'll see little um projects everywhere that she has laid out so that she can kind of have them in an assembly line and get them all gathered to take into the home. So, she's doing awesome and we're very, very grateful for her. So, those are my three things. Good job. Thank you so much. Absolutely. Middle school. >> Yes, we are trying
012to push through to Thanksgiving break. Um we had our veterans in um last Thursday and they set up in the library and the students from social studies classes get to go through and visit with them and hear some stories and see artifacts and memorabilia. And I think that's always neat because it's that living history that you know can't be replaced. Um, so we enjoy always enjoy when they're able to be with us. Um, right now we're um holding who's the biggest turkey contest. Um, our t uh students can purchase turkey feathers for a quarter and then we're doing it by grade level special area office and whoever has the most turkey feathers by Monday um will bowl for a frozen turkey um at our assembly um on Tuesday. and I'll use a little Cornish hen
013to to bowl and whoever knocks over the most pins is going to get an actual frozen dirty. >> Cool. >> Um and so we're doing that right now. And um we're just really pleased with our discipline numbers right now. You know, in October [clears throat] we typically start to see an uptick of behaviors because that honeymoon period's over um and everybody's getting settled in. But uh we are doing really good with that with our a ratio of negative to positive behaviors. So, um, we've given out 67 positive office referrals so far this year and the kids really like those cuz they get recognized, they get a star, um, and, uh, they get to pick out a candy bar or something from my office and we take their picture. So, yeah. So, >> one thing I
014wanted to say about the middle school, I had a gentleman that came to that event um, that is a friend of ours. He he they're not from around here, but he moved they moved here uh, a couple years ago. Um he he called um and told us that um he had went to that um he had never been to one. He was very he he served for several years, but he was very anti-military. He wouldn't talk about it. He wouldn't discuss it. He wouldn't go to anything that was military. Um he had even told his wife he didn't want the service when his time came. Um very much so. And u my niece had talked to them and invited him. >> Um well, he came. he was there that day and um he has done
015nothing but talked about that and I think it was kind of a almost a life-changing event for him to be able to discuss that and talk to the kids in a manner where he felt like it was helpful and useful and informational. >> Um >> and so he he said, "I really would love for you to pass along that." um that was that was very much a a program that meant more to him probably than anything in a long time. Um and that he felt very connected and um and he said the kids were so respectful and so kind and everybody was just very generous. He said um and and he had been to some volleyball games but never to nothing in our in our building in our school. Um, and so he was very
016impressed with everybody's behavior and and the kindness that those kids were showing and respect that they were showing. Um, and he said to make sure we pass that along. So I told him that I would do that. So >> yeah. Well, hopefully he'll join us in the future again. >> Yes. That's what I told him. I said, "You need to keep going to those." >> Yes, for sure. Yes. Yeah. Because you can't replace that history, >> right? And it's just a chance for our kids to show how appreciative we are of them because they're so removed from that, which is a good thing, but at the same time, you know, it's just different when you're >> And he said some of the questions were unbelievably amazing that those kids come up with in middle school.
017He he just was beside himself that they would have such indepth questions about history. >> Good. >> So, good job. >> Thank you. >> High school. >> Uh, things are going well. Um, we had our veterans assembly. Um, a big shout out to Miss Miller, Jessica Miller. Uh, she's the one that kind of has taken that over and um, put it all together and uh, it went well. And afterwards, we got to visit with some of the the veterans and talk with them and uh, choir, band, perform, and it was just a great overall day. Um, with that, uh, mo options. Uh, we just had last week two more graduates. Uh, so we graduated four so far since the beginning of the school year. >> Um, I think Mr. B is doing a fantastic job
018with those kids and, uh, we got them through and they graduated. Um, and then I'm impressed with our advisory and the difference that it's seems to be making and I think our numbers are showing that. Um, and uh, you know, with the uh, interventions trying to get kids and students to get their grades up, get their work turned in and stuff, I think it's working and so that's a positive. >> So to highlight that, yes, your numbers show um, what is it? >> 172 and we've dropped to 102. And obviously you have a different cohort of kids, but still we've made an improvement. And additionally, the improvement in your out of school suspension numbers is huge. >> Again, different group of kids, but whatever we are doing to try to reach those kids within the
019building, it's clear that it's working. So, I appreciate that from you, from all of your staff. So, the high school is doing a great job. Thank you. Did anybody else Did somebody else wanted to say something? You did. >> Oh, no. I was going to Yep. Just kind of reiterate. They've done a nice job even with the PBIS. Wildcat tracks and everything. It's just a collection of doing a lot of little things, but making some big cultural changes in the high school, which I think's welcomed and doing well. >> Awesome. Thank you. Uh special education report. She is not here. If you have questions, please email Miss Vicki. Um student rep report. I'm not sure that even if Allison was here that she could add anything to her report and I say that in a
020good way. >> She is very very thorough and I really appreciate that. Great job. >> I love it. >> So I mean you could I think there's a daily >> you miss something your own fault. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> We can again skip over the assistant soup report and let's go into the superintendent report. >> Yep. Uh so to add to mind yesterday met with and worked with some state senators and reps. Uh we've got legislative session coming back into play here in just a little over a month and a half. So it's good to stay in contact with them to build a report and help guide uh some of the changes uh coming coming uh towards us in public education. So really good meeting there at that union and uh just good folks
021to work with them but need to stay plugged in with them and even as teachers or parents or whomever just stay stay in contact with your reps and keep keep working with them for benefit of public kids. So they're open to ideas uh but just sometimes if we don't reach out and share they don't know. So >> okay let's move into unfinished business. Let's get a 2526 budget update. And as [clears throat] additionally, we also have some um budget amendments that need to y >> up tonight. >> So, we're very similar to this time last year with uh receiving revenues uh year to date at uh 23.8% and our current expenditures are 69.7%. So, uh on track there and we do have some uh budget amendments and that's just after the board approves the budget.
022There's always changes. So, it's a it's a breathing document that that continually changes, but the to keep it as accurate as possible going into the new fiscal year, we just ask the board approve of the the changes to reflect that and keep us going. >> So, there is a list of budget amendments in your packet. Uh, we do need a motion to approve those. >> So, move second. Motion by Sherry Shudy, seconded by Tammy Palmer, that the budget amendments be approved as presented. All those in favor? >> Yes. Opposed? >> Seven. Yes. [clears throat] >> Additionally, under unfinished business, we have some policies and regulations that we need to approve. This is the first of many. Um, as I said last month, you're going to be seeing multiple policies hit your packet for the next
023several months. Um there was at least one policy that there was a it it was about the 4 day school week and the the calendar hours. Um and it said that we would make up days on a Friday that has been reflected to say Monday. >> Um so I wanted to point that out. >> Um >> and then there was some old verbiage on regulation 2920. Um, and that was um [clears throat] there was some old information on there as far as coaching u specifications like it said that you needed to have a Missouri state teaching certificate and that does not go along with Misha. So just so you guys know that has been adjusted as well. Um I think those were the biggest changes. >> Correct. >> So and I did read those line
024by line comparing old to new. Um, >> you're welcome. >> I had a question and I don't remember which one it was about it was the one about the um cardiac >> is that new? >> It is bill 68 that requires that. >> Okay. >> And there there'll be other um policies and regulations with requirement from that. >> Okay. So essentially we got uh three years worth of policy updates and just this year from the active legislative session and then in November I just got this week another set of policies. So there's really about four years worth of >> traditional policies and regulations to do the active legisl legislative session. So that's why we're going to chunk them into about four >> pieces throughout the year. So >> Gotcha. Appreciate that. >> You're welcome. [laughter]
025It's a lot. So, thank you. Thank you [clears throat] for your time for those uh reading through them and and asking questions because there's a lot of information here. >> Yeah, >> a lot. >> Okay. Any questions on on these updates? >> I need a motion. >> I'll make a motion. >> Second it. [laughter] >> Motion by Tammy Palmer, seconded by Adam Carnell to approve and adopt the following policies and regulations. policies 1210, 1450, 2200, 2210, 2600, 2920, and regulations 2200, 2673, and 2920 as presented. All those in favor? >> Opposed? [clears throat] >> Seven yes. >> All right. Next up, we need to discuss um the bond language. [clears throat] The ballot the ballot language technically. Um additionally, we would probably also like to attach a name to this. Um so, you know, you've
026had I guess this would be the second month that you have been able to see this ballot language. Um there's nothing in it that really sticks out to me. I think it's pretty cut and dry as to what we are asking. Um there are some potential proposition names listed in here as well. Uh obviously we can discuss that just to kind of give my two cents. I personally I like proposition kids because it's staying in line with kids. I think beam I don't really think of a school district whenever I think proposition beam. um care. I think like the letters that go or the the words that go along with care. I mean, yeah, it's talking about education, but it's I don't know if it's necessarily I think you could kind of put that with
027anything, not necessarily just a school district. So, um >> that's just kind of my my opinion. I wasn't fond of kids because that kind of leads to none of the things that we're asking for is directly related to kids. It's all I mean it is in a way but it's all building and lighting in the parking lot and renovations and that doesn't really kind of reflect kids so much as it does improvements and it does help kids but >> I mean you have to make improvements to have your for your kids. I know, but I think the building's for your kids. It's not for your adults necessarily. >> I know, but I think it's kind of more for building improvements instead of it doesn't >> I don't know. That's just my thoughts on that one.
028I like Proposition Wildcats. It's the best. >> That's fair. >> I was with you with proposition kids. I'm like kids too. >> It explains the acronym explains what's >> keep district schools. That's what I like it is that it has that [clears throat] >> tag on it >> because it's going to be the playground bathroom. [clears throat] >> Yeah, the playground is I forgot about playground part. I was just thinking about the >> the restrooms and which is good for the kids, but I don't know. I was kid thinking about the building part of it. >> Right. Right. >> I get what you're saying about the acronym, but the definition of it. >> Yeah, that's why I said the definition is good, but that people are going to think about kids, not the acronym. The
029acronym is perfect. Does anyone have any um discussion as far as like the ballot language goes >> or >> um is there a I can't recall if you could put bold lettering in the ballot language. >> So I had this vetted out by LJ Hart who has a legal team as well because they're the ones responsible for the bonds that get pulled off to fund this. Uh this was their recommendation. Uh while you could bold, they recommended to leave it as is. So did have that discussion highlighted. Okay. >> And so some schools will do it. They prefer not to do it just to make sure everything's approved for legal to not skew anything for their investors. So um because because they've got uh $8.5 million at stake as well. So less investment. >> I
030I appreciate that. Um, when I go to vote, outside of knowing, being, you know, knowledgeable, a lot of language is difficult to understand. This is not difficult to understand. This is very clear. I think for just about anybody that's going to go vote, you know exactly what um money for. >> You can read a lot of different >> I can read this and understand that I don't need to be an attorney. >> All of them you don't know to say yes or no. >> Yes. You appreciate that it's not very. And then if we do our our job properly, then they'll know that we've already got vetted out and I can see exactly what they're voting for. So I think >> I do like the idea of highlighting >> because I think that is one
031of the biggest >> that's the key of it. >> It is. >> So I wonder why they [clears throat] say not. >> Well, so I I can share. So So part of that is a tax continuation. So some people try to make the argument that it's a continued tax or if their assessment goes up they're paying more but it's due to their assessed valuation over time >> which just naturally happens percentage. >> So you kind of get into these different >> philosophical disputes. So for them they prefer to just keep it clean and not try to emphasize and that'll be something I'd be glad to explain to anybody as well is about a tax continuation and just be upfront transfer with everyone. So that that's the rationale for it. Just keep it clean [clears throat]
032and and want to be as upfront as possible without it's kind of misleading. So >> any other questions about ballot language? >> No. >> I'll make motion acceptable members. >> I'll second for the ballot language >> with the name >> the name of what? >> Proposition. Seconded. Correct. Motion by Adam Carnell, seconded by Roger Bridgemond to approve the bond language as presented to be placed on the April 7th, 2026 general municipal election with the name of Proposition Kids. All those in favor? >> Yes. >> Opposed? Seven yes. Okay, let's move into new business. [clears throat] Next up, we need to set our board reorganization meeting date. I know it's a little bit in advance, but the purpose [clears throat] of that is just for anybody that chooses to run um in the upcoming election. There
033will be three board seats that are open. Um whoever chooses to run, they can kind of put it on their calendar just, you know, in advance and know if they can clear that date off of their schedule. >> So, um Angela >> April. >> So, usually it takes about seven days to get the certified election results. So, I would say the Wednesday the 15th or the 16th should be ideal. >> Okay. And do you want to do that before this regular meeting or No, [clears throat] >> because the 16th would be that our third do our third meeting and then just go straight into our >> Yeah, because the same it' be our third. It'd be the third Thursday as normal. It's up to whoever's making the motion. >> I'll do it. >> The You
034mean to have the regular meeting organization 16th at 5:00 and then >> 5:30? >> Probably scheduling our normal board meeting for the same day at 6:00. >> I think we did it at 5:30. >> That's really early for bills. >> Is it? >> But Dr. Davidson, >> yeah, that's kind of an odd month. It's got >> a lot of Thursdays. Five Thursdays in that month. Yes. >> Yeah. That may need to be separate because uh that that has to be the reorganization has to be done >> prior to and in that certain time. >> So you want to do the 16th for the reorganization meeting. I'll make the motion that we do the 16th for the reorganization meeting. What time? >> 5:00 p.m. 5:30 p.m. >> 5:30 5:30 >> 5:30 p.m. second. >> Thanks. >>
035It is a window popping up >> and then the probably the board regular board meeting will be the 23rd. >> Yeah, >> that would also give us any spring hires opportunity for that as well. Motion by Roger Bridgemond, seconded by Caitlyn Mace to set the board reorganization meeting for Thursday, April 16th, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. All those in favor? >> Yes. >> Opposed. Next up, we need to discuss the Laura Bush Foundation grant. Um, looks like it would um provide some funding for our libraries. Um, if it is awarded, it looks like it's a $5,000 grant. We would use it to purchase books uh for the high school library. Do you have any additional information to add about this grant? >> I do not. I think it's just a good opportunity to uh kind of
036enrich our selection there at the high school. So, books uh four grand, five grand sounds like a lot of money, but it goes pretty quick. Buy buy books. So, yep. >> Okay. I'll make a motion that we move the Bush Foundation grant. >> Motion [clears throat] by Roger Bridgeman, seconded by Chris Bell to approve the Laura Bush Foundation grant as presented. All those in favor opposed? >> Seven yes. >> All right, let's move into discussing co-oping football with the Stillville R3 School District for the 2627 season. Yeah. So, I think we have a a pretty exciting opportunity here. Um, I always look at student numbers and projections, you know, two years out, three years out, kind of see where we're where we're at. Uh, just kind of looking at our lower lower enrollment and lower
037participation in sports. Uh, and with football included in that as well, had reached out to the Steelville superintendent back in September. Kind of had some conversations see if they were open to it, uh, which they were. And then as our season um unfolded, we we saw that there's definitely a need to have uh some uh co-oping opportunity with another school to be able to have a competitive football program. Um so they uh have sent out some surveys uh to see what their interest is and that that's provided in the packet. Um but to kind of kind of go back and look at these numbers for our high school, uh this year we have 391 students, but then we have 35 of those are virtual. So that drops it down to 356. And then we have
038roughly 44 students in U or 46 students in RTI. Um so that drops it down to 312 their half day. And then this year [clears throat] we're going to graduate about 112 seniors and we're going to roll in 68 um eighth graders and the freshman. So then that drops it down to 312. Um, and so I'm sorry, drops it down to about the 266 and we take out four ECC students. So about 262 is NC full-time. So uh I think sometimes people think we've got 4 or 500 kids physically in that building and and we we really don't and even next year it's going to be even lower. So So just a a good opportunity uh to to co-op with Steelville. So, they've got some numbers there um that has some uh interest uh with
039uh nine eighth graders, um 10 9th graders, uh two 10th graders, and one 11th grader, and those will all be be older next year, uh which is a a good group of students there. So right now just kind of a gentleman's agreement with them asking the board to co-op [clears throat] with Steelville for the 26th 27th school year and they would provide one assistant coach uh from their district and pay that stipen and then per student would pay uh or athlete would pay $225 per year just for equipment uh and uniform refreshes and upgrades. And then next year we can reevaluate that and see how that goes. And if the board would like to do a 4-year um approval that we can do a long term. So >> we'll co-oping with them change our class.
040>> It it will go from a two to a 3A upper 3A but it still should be pretty competitive with probably our >> returning school districts would be class. >> I'll let Mr. >> What school districts would be in the class three? >> Um so class three is St. James Owensville. Um, >> we've been there before. >> Yeah, we were we were class we were class three last year and then we dropped class 2 this year. Uh, Salem was class three. So, those those schools in the area, >> but you know, >> are we in a conference? >> Some type of football. >> Well, not really. >> What's that? >> Uh, aren't we in some type of a football conference? >> Yes, we're in a quad county conference uh >> with Pville and St. Vincent.
041>> So, you plan on staying in that then? Yeah, the we weren't doing anything about adjusting the conference. >> So, they're in the four rivers and we looked at that last year, but they have four big schools, four small schools, and so right now they're not willing to adjust that, which is fine. >> Um, but we >> I was talking about the conference that the conference that we were in this year was is that I we're still staying. >> Yes. Yes. >> Are those different classes in that conference? >> Um, Pville is a class 4 school. Um, Hercuanium is class three. Uh, Bis, which co-oped with, uh, Hancock. They're class 4 due to the co-op, uh, size. Um, uh, St. Vincent is they're a private school. They're class they're class two or class three. They
042might be class three with their, uh, uh, championship point uh, added on, but all those schools are, you know, roughly that size. So, that would give an opportunity um like having St. James Owens and Salem those are closer school districts. I mean, we are driving at minimum an hour. >> We spent football season driving >> well, right? >> Join co-oping and and going up to class three that wouldn't necessarily change our schedule with our conference schools. >> You know, Pville would Pville and St. Vincent or um yeah, St. Vincent both being in Perryville. They would still be in our uh on our schedule because they're still in our conference. Um, we are adjusting our our schedule next year. We're not going to Kabool. We picked up St. James. >> Clever again, are we? >> We're
043not going to Clever. Yes. Yes. [clears throat] We're not going to clever. We picked up St. James week, too, instead of Clever. >> So, um, you know, we've And then we uh dropped St. um Pas, which is in Fesus, and we picked up another school. It's called Pleasant Hope. It's It's kind of uh it's not any closer really, but it's down 44. and we are a lot more on a a similar competitive level. So, uh you know that that'll be a more competitive game for us. Um but then outside of that, we're going to keep Lynn and then those are three non-conference and everybody else is would be a conference school. >> Something else we'd stay Cuba Wildcats. So, yes, which is a discussion sometimes. >> Oh, yeah. School. I just like what are they
044wear [laughter] >> and going for wilder [laughter] >> I didn't know um talking to coach Kase about this like in the um in the locker room it says Cuba Wildcats and he was thinking about doing something to try and make the kids from Skoville feel welcome coming in maybe change it to say Crawford for county Wildcats, uh, you know, in the locker room. Uh, we talked about possibly for those, uh, Steelville kids getting a decal they can put on the back of their helmet, a cardinal decal. Um, on the bumper right here at the front of the face mask, all the Redell helmets, it's a white bumper and it says Ryell and red. Um, we were thinking about taking a decal and putting it over the Ryell where it be white. Maybe it say Cards
045or Cardinals right there. from a distance, nobody would ever know, but all those kids coming up from Steelville would know and just kind of help them feel incorporated [clears throat] and and integrated into into the team. So, that's some little things that we've thought about. >> Steel bus, they'll be >> they would for practices, >> they'd be responsible for transportation and that's where if they provide a assistant coach would help because they could commute with them and then they need to do anything logistical, they've got some on their campus to take care of [clears throat] that. >> Okay, >> that's a school. I think uh and in talking to mission I think we've got everything vetted out takes board approval on both still's excited about it and I think they meet tonight being approved. >>
046Good questions. Any additional questions? >> No ma'am. Any motion to approve it? >> The motion. >> Is that time for that? >> Tammy. Yes. >> Motion by Caitlyn May, seconded by Tammy Palmer to approve co-oping football with Siville R3 School District for the 2026 27 season. >> All those in favor? >> Yes. >> Opposed? Seven yes. Okay. Next up, uh there's there's some more NC policies and regulations in your packet. Um once again, take this month to review them, read them, just, you know, enjoy it and we will come back next month to approve those. Again, just same caveat as last month. If you have questions, Dr. Davidson really likes to get like seven to 10 text messages in a row asking questions. Yeah, I was gonna opt out of that group text that was
047just two people. [laughter] Me and >> I thought he was gonna silence me. So, >> no, it's good. Please do ask questions though. Uh cuz sometimes I it's good for me to verify because I catch errors from professionals outside of our district to say it nicely and and follow up with them too when they say, "Oh, thank you. Somebody read the policy." So, um it it does not hurt to ask questions. So, >> okay. Uh, next item for new business. We need to review some soccer information. So, uh, last month we did table this discussion. we were short three board members I believe and I thought just uh well Roger actually made the motion to table it but um I totally agreed with his with that motion because I think to have a productive conversation
048you know we need your board here. So now that all of our board is here we can go ahead and start having a discussion regarding soccer. Mr. Oaken Boose has put some information together in our packet. Um, and I will let Davidson, [clears throat] Mr. Oken kind of just start giving us some information here. >> Yep. I'll go ahead and defer to Mr. Open. [laughter] We gathered a lot of information, so I'll follow. >> Yeah, I'll follow up with anything that's >> that's called delegation. >> Any other additional information? Um, first I would uh I'd like to thank the board for asking me to look into this uh on behalf of our community. Um, and uh, let me start just by going over the questions that I asked. I sent this questionnaire out to our
049eighth graders, our ninth graders, uh, 10th and 11th graders. Those are the ones who be coming back to high school next year. Um, first thing I asked obviously if you know male or female. So because we have soccer as a gender uh gendered sport and then um I asked what their current grade level was so we can just determine uh number of students interested in participation. I asked them after that uh if they participated in athletics whether it be at a community level or a school level. If they said no, they did not participate in athletics. I just had them go straight to the final question that stated if Cuba High School were to uh were to sponsor a soccer program, would they be interested in playing? If they answered yes to the question that
050they did participate in athletics, whether it be the community or the school that I asked, got into things a little bit more uh detail about which sports they currently participate in or which sports they have participated in in the past. Um then I went ahead and asked them if they were interested in playing soccer if Cuba had a soccer program. After that I then asked and made aware that it would be a commitment that would they be willing to commit to practicing daily after school until 6:00 p.m. as well as participating in summer and offseason workouts. Um and then uh you know so I did that for boys and girls as far as to get information about what sports they were currently involved in and what sports may cause conflict. So looking at those results
051see here on the girls side. So, we had a total of 105 girls fill out the survey and um we had let's see we had 48 girls say that they were interested. We had uh of those 48 girls 16 were currently not an athlete or involved in athletics. So going from not being an athlete to trying to commit to soccer at a competitive level, that that's a big jump going from not participating anything to that. Um, we had uh let's see, 38 of the 48 that uh said they would be interested, said that they would commit to the offseason uh extra work and uh and that the practice daily practice would not bother them. Of the 48, only nine had soccer experience. So, you know, the number the 48 number out of 105 looks good,
052but then when you start looking at nine having soccer experience when there's 11 on a field at one time, >> then, you know, that kind of starts to >> really look a lot more bleak. Um, girls that have played of the 48 that played soccer only, there's only three of them, which means that there's a lot of girls playing other sports. Um and I had here there's two different sets of of statistics for con uh playing conflicting sports. Currently uh soccer is girls soccer is played in the spring. >> Okay. We have one girls sport in the spring and that is uh track. So of the 48 that said that they'd be interested in playing soccer, 13 of them run track. So that's 27% of those interested would do that. which means if they're going
053to run track and play soccer, they're going to do a sport. We don't have 20. We don't have 13 students in the high school that do a sport and we have like three or four. >> Um, so dual sporting is something that's not not very common. So those 13 girls more than likely most of them are going to play soccer or most of them are going to are going to run track. So, we can take of that 48, 13 of them, if they all stay with track, then there's 13 gone. Um, or that's 13 girls that are taken from our track program that are now playing soccer. Um the second set of numbers for that is including girls that play softball because softball we we've had a um program that is struggled to be competitive
054and everything and there's an option of playing softball in the spring. It's it's something that you know is in the back of my mind. We can make a decision on that at any time. But I also just wanted to put those numbers out because if we wanted to try and uh solidify a program that we already have, we need to consider that as well. Um, of the 48 girls that said that they were interested in playing soccer, we had 24 that either ran track or played softball. So that's half of the girls who said that they were interested if we were to move softball to try and solidify that program so that maybe the girls that play volleyball would be able to play softball and get spread some of those athletes around. Now half of
055the girls who said they were interested in soccer would have a conflict. So, um, there's all kinds of possible potential problems with having a sustainable program as far as numbers on the girl side there. Um, when we're looking at the boys, we had 82 boys reply to the survey. Of those 82, 35 said that they were interested. Of those 35, 16 are currently not an athlete. So again, same thing when we talked about the girls going from not participation at all to practicing every day after school and summer workouts. That that's 46% of the people uh who said they were interested have never are not athletes. Um of those 35, 32 of them said that they would be willing to commit to offseason. Um of those 35 boys, only eight have soccer experience. Again, there's
05611 on the field at one time. Um, of those 35, only two of them play soccer as in their only sport. So, again, we're talking about multisport athletes. Um, playing conflicting sports. Boys, uh, soccer is in the fall, so you're talking about football and cross country. 11 of the 35 would have a conflict. Um, and soccer is you have to learn your uh, teammates. it it's a much more team sport than what cross country is. Um it would be ve it would be easy to probably do a sport in soccer and cross country or football and cross country but like if we had a football player and a soccer player that would be very very difficult and again um you know 11 31%. So when you look at 35 35 uh boys playing, if all
057Levidoms stay with their current sport, now you're down to 24. Um and that's just as interested and not necessarily who is actually going to show up day one for practice. Um so there's some of those numbers as far as participation. Um, when it comes to costs associated with this, uh, this next spreadsheet kind of says what a fixed cost is. Um, I tried to go through and, um, like what we would need to do to get things started off, uniforms, scrimmage vests. Obviously, those things wouldn't be a a yearly cost, but a lot of the things here like uh practice balls. Um there there's going to be items that are going to have to be bought or purchased on the rotation. Um there's yearly costs over here when we talk about field paint, uh head
058coach salary, assistant coach salary, um officials for the games, travel, and uh I tried to include an estimate on number of miles for travel for our buses for reimbursement for administration. Um and then the last column there is our field cost. Currently, our football field is not adequate for soccer. Um, the crown in the football field is way too drastic for soccer. Soccer with the ball have, you know, kicking it, you can't have a ball start to go up the hill and then turn on its own when you're trying to pass to someone else across the field. Um, the current football field as it's laid out, a football field is 53 and a3 uh yards wide. The minimum requirements or recommendations by Misha is a 65 yard wide center field anywhere from 65 to 80
059yards. So we would need to gain about six yards on each side on each sideline. Very um rough estimate. I walked it off. If we were to expand each sideline by six yards, that sideline would be on or within inches of the drainage system that we have on the side of the field that handles water and put takes water away. So, not only will we have to take the crown out, we would have to go through and redo the entire sprinkler system on the the football field. Um, because the last thing we want to do is redo a football field and have a 30-y old sprinkler system two years after spending money on a football field. Now we have to dig up parts of it to replace the spring bear system. Then we also have
060to take the drainage system and we have to cap off the drains we have move those closer to the track so that we can widen the usable playing surface. So there's a lot there's a lot of issues that we have to do to uh the football field in order to make that soccer ready. Uh in addition to changing from a uh bermuda grass to a fescue or a a cool weather grass. um and talking to the guys from Hillerman and this this cost is on in your yearly cost as well. Hillerman can come out and they can redo it and res it and it will look great. Fescue the first year if we don't continue to stay on it and treat it. They said within five years the Bermuda even though it is they cut
061it out and they take the first couple inches of sod, the Bermuda will come back. It will be a completely Bermuda field within five years. So every month there's a there's a monthly treatment that the field is going to have to take in order to keep the Bermuda down and and keep that back so that it's straight fescue. Um so that is a cost that will be you know essentially forever. Um, so all in all, the number that you see was roughly about $225,000ish whenever you incorporate redoing the field, the yearly cost, the fixed cost um of having that program. Now, that does not include anything about where they practice because on the football field, if you have a JB football game on Monday night and you have a soccer game on a Tuesday or
062a Thursday or both and then possibly a football game on Friday, that grass field cannot sustain that in practices. So, the soccer team's going to have to practice somewhere. The football team can't practice on it with it being used. the soccer team can't practice on it. Right now, we don't have any place for them to practice, for the soccer team to practice. Uh the the where a football field practices up there um next to the baseball field that just got redone and everything, that's not even a standard uh regulation size football field, you know, um with the size of the soccer field and and how they have to go do you would we would need to find a place that is large enough near regulation for soccer. >> Yeah. And something kind of thinking about
063with the capital projects and just looking at space. One of the projects is removing that old admin building. Uh so it may not look like it, but uh I've walked around several times there. There's quite a bit of room over there, so it could be something kind of on good faith if we wanted to look at a two or threeear plan. Uh we get the bond passed, remain the old admin building. There's a space out there that could be a nice soccer field if that's a direction the board wants to look at. It's more of a two or threeear plan. Um, and we could work with uh um people in the community with soccer and then if there's donors or stuff like that. Um, because it's going to we're probably going to be in a
064quarter of a million dollars to half a million dollars honestly by the time you get a practice area, a nice soccer field and if you want to add lights. So, a little bit bigger commitment than I think people realize, but um could be an option too for that. But there there is good space and kind of have a sports complex because you would have the restrooms for the baseball field, concession stands there depending on where you put that location or you can use the football concessions or restrooms [clears throat] there just kind of depending on what what it looks like. So there's some opportunities but I think there needs to be quite a bit more forethought put into this and some planning, you know, if that's something the board wants to entertain >> and just
065an idea. And in addition, if you go and you build a place that is a regulation size soccer field up there for them to practice on, then you need to start looking at football and making sure that you provide them with a regulation size practice facility as well because right now they're the where they practice is they they can't get a full width of a football field where they practice and it's definitely not a full length of a football field. So, um, you know, and hopefully if with, uh, us approving to co-op with Steelville, you know, it sounded like their numbers were in the, you know, in the 20s as far as being interested, we hopefully we can get to a point where we might have the varsity practicing on one side and the JV
066practicing on on a separate side where we would need that space on a football field, you know, to do that. So, um, you know, I have concerns with how the numbers as far as participation is going to work out. I have concerns on the cost involved with starting a program, not being 100% convinced that it will be sustainable with numbers and and student interest and then having to fix the uh the problem of where where do we practice um in the springtime? Obviously, pra uh football doesn't practice in the springtime. So, where football practices people might think it's available, but that's where our our discus uh practice and our our discus is thrown. So, we can't have people practicing track throwing disc on top of people playing, you know, playing soccer. So, that that's an
067issue in the spring as well. Um, so there are a lot of in my opinion there are a lot of concerns and um I would I would like to address and try to address taking care of programs that we currently have and sponsor before we go into trying to take a bite out of introducing something new that we're not necessarily convinced will be sustainable. >> I appreciate you bringing all of this to us. There's a lot and I loved your um >> your Google doc and your survey that you did with the kids that >> that was good. >> That was really um eye opening. Um I guess [clears throat] my only question that I have is and this is probably more for Dr. Davidson than you. Um, how is it that we can have
068a golf team that goes to the golf course to practice, but can we have a soccer team that goes to the Hood Park to practice? Can we do that or is it because that's private and Hood Park is city? >> So, you can, but that's not a regulation size field. >> Can I Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Like at at Hood at Hood Park where the current football cuz I I went out there while they had the football lines painted. >> Wait a I'm asking is football and soccer. I'm talking soccer. >> Yeah. >> Right. But to on the on the football field cuz the the two where they practice soccer and had all that set up that is >> that's smaller than a foot football field. Yeah. It it's nowhere near regulation, >> but would they
069be able to fix it for that? I mean, I don't think there's even enough space there to change it and >> and fall soccer league soccer. So, they're not going to be able they have to use that space for ball league. Yeah, that's where >> at one time. Wasn't that an option? >> Didn't they bring that to us as an option? >> It is. They may have, but [clears throat] >> I think it's been >> Yeah. So, soccer is like they currently just have put like 10,000 or they're in the process of putting a lot of money into their fields. their fields go um so like you've got the walking path and slide along their parking lot or their their fields run >> uh whatever they run this way. >> Even if you were to
070flip all of that to get one regulation size soccer field, there's still not enough room there. And then you're you're messing up what do they have like five or six go in and totally >> where where the where the little bitty kids play that that field like the football field sits this way and then where they practice where they have soccer goes this this direction perpendicular to that >> and there they have a whole bunch of those small fields there >> that that place where they are that is not even a full regulation size >> on the football field which is the largest space there. If I were to walk the e the the six yards on one side where they have the stands, I'm about 3 in from the concrete uh platform where the
071stands are. >> And that one's kind of >> Yeah. Yeah. And and the the field falls off. The grass is not like that field would have to be redone as far as grass and everything. When I walked the six yards on the other side, the entire scoreboard would be play would be on the playing field. So the scoreboard would have to come down. The the I-beam's holding it, the footing of the >> I don't even Yeah, I don't that's not even a >> that's not even a thing. Like we [clears throat] don't even need to keep going down a road about using the youth football field because that's >> it's more about soccer. >> That makes all sense. >> Yeah. >> So I'm sorry. >> No, no, no. That's okay. I have to say that
072that that facility there it just it wouldn't serve >> because I was just under the understanding that we could go over there and practice at one time. I thought this game got I didn't realize it was >> they're doing the best with what they have which is great to give those kids opportunity but just to be mission regulation and really do it. >> We really would have to have it on campus but it's a lot bigger cost than I think otherwise >> um because I have been in districts where they try to >> um do things at other places that they don't own and then you get into who's going to do the maintenance, who's paying for what and it gets very expensive very quick. I I also did want to throw out I did
073make a call to Burn Jones which does turf fields and you know just a turf field you know you would be able to take the football and soccer being played on it but that is without coming out he said just kind of ballpark would be a million dollars. Um, now that sound that and that sounds like a lot, but whenever you talk about maintenance and it is a lot, but but when whenever you talk about the maintenance over 10 or 12, 15 years of a grass field >> and when you start looking at over that time, it you'd be surprised that kind of >> equals out. >> It doesn't equal out, but the the numbers on taking care of a grass field are a lot larger than what you would expect. >> I can hear
074you. Can you hear me? >> Oh, hi Ken. We we're we're in one agenda item. If we have just maybe three more minutes, we'll be ready for you. >> I'll mute this real quick. >> Um just a quick question. How long was the questionnaire available for students to respond to? >> I had a questionnaire up for Well, it's actually it's still live. I never did lock it, [laughter] but um okay. I before I went back and started crunching the numbers, it was up for a week and I mentioned at lunchtime multiple times at our lunch and I know I sent a message to Miss Shoemaker for them to announce their eighth grade to look at it. So, um I had it up for about a week before I I pulled the numbers. >> So, I
075do have one other question. I know that your survey um Oh, I'm on the wrong slide here. So, the survey um basically asks uh would you be interested in playing? Is there a way? And I mean I think that I I'm just going to say I think that this is more of a two to three if soccer was to come into our school. I think this is more of a longer term. This is not a next school year. This could be a two to three year thing. But I would be interested to see a survey that is more geared to not necessarily saying would you be interested, but will you play? >> are you going to play? >> Will you commit? >> Because I mean, I've kind of used this example. I might be interested
076in doing something on Friday, but when Friday comes around, I'm probably going to be tired and I'm not going to be interested anymore, right? >> Or my friend, I might hear my friend do it. But if you ask me, are you going? >> And >> that's my answer is going to be yes or no, not maybe. So I mean we on our on your football survey, there was a wasn't there an interest or a an >> will play and a maybe column. I think that was still still >> but still >> right >> still in our pack >> and yes and and as as adults and that are more about commitment and understand that commitment you know that is a significant difference but whenever we look at what coach Kase had in the uh spring
077of last year he had his meeting and he was asked the kids that had attended the meeting will you be playing will you be here and he had 52 people for the football team that said yes. And when it came down to it, he wasn't asking might you be interested. He was saying, you know, will you commit? And we had went from 52 to 24. So, you know, we understand the that difference as far as commitment as adults, but you know, when it comes down to seventh, eighth, ninth grade kids, I don't know if that >> difference in that verbiage is as definite. >> Um, but I mean, we can always we can always go back and and look at something like that. I think what it would show us though, too, is just what
078you said, what if we only have 10 that say yes, we would. That means five are going to do that. >> You know, I mean, it might give us a a better number at least. We know it will not be the number that commit to it. It'll be less than that, but 100%. >> And so, if there's 15 of them, then all right, we know we're going to have seven or eight. If there's 30, maybe we get 15. >> Explore co-oping at other districts, you know, in this two or three plan. >> Looking at other school districts, if they would co-op, if they have spaces available, where are these practices? >> Yeah. Well, if they would say kids can say yes right now, but you know, depending on and you go back and you say,
079"Oh, well, >> you're you won't be able to play basketball. You'll be able to >> It's not going to be the number. >> It's going to be less than the number we get." >> Yeah. St. James, >> but if that number's low to start with and we know it's going to be less, then they make make a decision for it. I would really like to see us be able to offer it at some point in time because I do feel like we have >> a a group of kids out there that are falling through and not having that opportunity to play their sport. Um, >> I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hide. >> No, I just would like to be able to see us offer soccer at some point in time because I feel like
080>> So, will we be able to create a committee with maybe community members and staff here? Mhm. >> A board member or two if they're willing >> kind of explore the possibility of that two or three year plan and what it would take. >> Yeah, you could have a really >> we're just not prepared to do it next year. >> Without having the facilities to do it the Yeah, it's and the financial side of it. I don't know what I don't Oh, yeah. I don't know how the financial financials to create the facilities and to to absorb a quart million dollars a year, >> right? >> I know at one time null said that he would they would be willing to help out with financials, but I I mean we cannot commit to that either,
081but having a committee I'm sure that they would be willing to be on your research. >> Yeah, I am definitely interested in exploring the opportunity. >> Absolutely. I I do agree with you that we have kids that would play soccer. I think yes, we can say, well, we have football for boys, but you know what? [clears throat] Not every boy plays football and not every boy's going to. Um, and so, and not every girl's going to play volleyball, and not every girl's going to play softball. So, yes, there are kids out there. I don't want us to be close-minded and say, "Oh, nope, we're not doing it because, you know, we only have a couple with experience or whatever." I do think we need to stay open-minded. >> I look at Crocker. If they can
082have it, we can. [laughter] >> Well, I think it just needs to be more of a two to threeyear plan. It just can't be a knee-jerk reaction and say, "Let's throw soccer into our school district next year." >> Look, look at that, Tammy. How many of those have football? And how many of those have all the other sports too? I mean, is that their big sport? Is that their >> Yeah. The only thing I one thing I want to say which I think I've talked to Ryan [clears throat] about this a little bit. My concern right now is our numbers >> and our numbers are going to drop >> in the you know amount of students in school and I don't want to see other I would like to I I would rather see us
083work on getting those pulled back up before we start with another completely new program. >> You say numbers like sports numbers. Is that what >> Kid numbers. Yeah. participant numbers, you know, football. >> Oh, participant numbers. Yes. Yeah. You know, football's won. >> As he said, >> we Well, we dropped our JV season because we didn't have enough. >> Well, and I mean, I agree with you. >> You're losing 48 kids next year. >> Yeah, that's what I said. You know, we're losing some. We're going to gain some, but not as many as what we're losing. And then you look at all the numbers, the percentages of uh the kids will actually be here. >> I agree with you. I don't I just don't think that that should be our only motivating factor because like
084I said, there are definitely I mean >> I have a child that he'll never play football. Would he play soccer? I don't know. Maybe. Yeah. But he's never going to play football, >> right? Well, and I understand that, but there's also kids that said they would double sport. I know some parents that will not let their kids double sport, >> too. You know, you you got >> Yeah. >> And plus your grades, right? I'm just saying I just don't like I that can't be our only >> No, that's not that's not what I was saying. But I think that's one thing we have to really look at. I think we have to to continue to work on the sports activities we have now. Make sure our numbers are up. And then also, you know, yeah,
085it's going to take a lot of money. >> It is. Absolutely. >> So, yeah, but if you do this in a, you know, a three two three to five year plan, you know, maybe we can get that going. I do appreciate football. Thank you for bringal and there is >> and and and there is one thing I do want to I do want to add >> having a new a new administration team and myself and Mr. Klutz and Mr. Fman uh you know only having one year experience at the school >> for it'd be a perfect opportunity for kids to want to come up to us and present ideas. I have had, you know, I'm I'm at lunch every day. I've had one student come up to me and ask me about a soccer program
086and say tell me that they wish we had soccer. So I one student in the high school all year. >> Well, I mean, >> I can look at it two ways. They might be nervous about coming up to new people >> and that's Yeah, that no I I understand that. I'm just saying, you know, >> in the grand scheme of things, I I had I I have one person, but with that said, too, if you have one come up and they're nervous about it is they're only 10. >> Nine are nervous. You know what I mean? >> And also to throw it out there, I think it's really good to have a conversation like this. Um because I there's also misinformation. >> Go figure. Um the misinformation is, oh, Cuba, they're they're throwing out or
087they're going to gain soccer and they're getting rid of football. They're just getting rid of football. Here we are. And and there are kids in this high school right now that are saying that >> and I don't know what [clears throat] adults are driving that that thought process. I believe that there are adults that are driving that thought process, but we need to be mindful about that as well. And so having open conversations like this, I mean, I don't know that there's one board member out here that has ever said or would ever say, "Yep, we're getting rid of football because we're bringing in soccer." That's not what this is about. It's about just looking at a potential opportunity to give kids more options. >> Absolutely. >> So, to kind of recap, I think we'll
088reach out to some community members, see if they're interested, and then the board can form a three-person board committee if those members are interested and I'll be a part of that as well to work with them >> to try to see where we're at and what we can do logistically. >> You'll understand the financials. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yep. No, not a problem, >> Mr. Oaken Foose. Again, I just want to say thank you. >> Amazing. >> That's good info. >> And it's good to review it every little bit. >> Absolutely. >> Okay. >> Let's move on. I think we have Mr. Kitten Schulz waiting for us to give us an audit report. >> I just want him to get Did he fall asleep? >> He might. >> Okay. All right. >> So, the speaker is
089here. >> The microphone >> or microphone. I'm sorry. >> Well, I was hearing him out here a while ago. >> Hold on. >> Yes, we can hear you. >> Give me a second. >> Volume. >> Crank up the volume. Crank up the volume. >> Was that you or was that? >> Oh, Roger over here. Wait for this to come on. I can set it up so everybody in the room can hear. >> I can hold it up. >> Sure. >> All right. You want to say something now? >> Ken, are you with us? >> Yes. >> Great. >> Can you hear me? >> We can hear you. >> Can see you. >> Ken, you're on a a screen as well, so everybody can see you. >> The jumbotron. >> Yeah, you are. [laughter] >> I
090haven't been on there since I won the Super Bowl. [laughter] >> Are you ready for me to go? We're ready. >> Okay. Well, thank you for having me. You're the fifth of five tonight >> and uh appreciate you uh getting me in. Um basically there's uh it's a 50 plus page report and I'm just going to do some highlights of some specific pages and items I want to discuss. Um, basically on pages 1 through three is the independent auditor's report which basically states that your financial statements uh are fairly stated in accordance with the cash basis of accounting. Cash basis of accounting is uh what we call checkbook accounting in which you uh record revenues when uh you make deposits into your bank account and you uh record uh dispersements when you write checks and
091uh basically it's different than uh what we call full acral accounting of financial statements in which you uh set up receivables and payables for uh [clears throat] funds and dispersements. ments that haven't been but should be made in this specific fiscal year. So congratulations on getting what we call considered to be a clean auditor's report. Um page 13 and 14 uh is a comparison of receipts and dispersements for the last two years. Page 13 is uh the 2025 year and 20 24 is on page 14. And you'll see that uh revenues collected over the two years dropped 400 4,480,000 and 25 over 24. And of course, most of that drop is 4,264,000 because of the final runoff of SR2 and SR3 funds from the pandemic uh relief that was received for school districts. Um and
092of course that money was well spent. So it's unfortunately it's no longer around. However, uh overall also on that page you'll see that uh operating teacher the operating fund which is the general fund and special revenue fund which is your teachers fund. In 2025, it was a negative $164,000 dispersements over receipts, which means you were in the red. And in 2024, you were in the black by $4,693,000 uh profit in terms of excess receipts over dispersements. >> Uh we'd like to go to page 20 and 21. that shows uh your debt since you are cash basis financial statements. Debt is not recorded on the financial statements because that's an acrruel item. On the note five on page 20 and 21, you'll see that uh your debt is down to just two two notes. you paid
093off your series 2013 general obligation bonds uh in 2025 down to zero in 2017 you now have 2,890,000 to begin paying off and in 20 and also you have a finance purchase agreement with First State Community Bank that's uh got one year left in 2025 26 fiscal year to pay that one off. uh and you'll see the maturities in the middle of page 21 as to when those uh obligations are due um for the financial statements. Uh the other thing to look at on page 21 is your uh what we call your legal debt margin. How much money can the district borrow if it needed to uh [clears throat] through general obligation bonds? And you'll see that that number is $21,731,000. Uh like ticket page uh 30 and 31. Those are the pension plan disclosures.
094Uh again, since you're cash basis and uh not li full of cool, these liabilities aren't recorded on the books, but they're still legitimate liabilities that are due at some point in time down the road. And you'll see that uh on page 30 here's excuse me on I'd like to go to page 29. I guess it is. Yeah, page 29. is the PSRS uh plan which is your teachers plan for pensions and on page 30 is your non-classified uh teacher or non-teer plan as well. You'll see at the top of the third column proportion share of the net pension liability at the end of 63024 is estimated to be 7 million 670,000 on um the PSRS plan and 87,000 on the Pierers plan on page 30 which that tells you that uh there's basically 800 $8,477,000
095worth of [clears throat] uh liability out there. If everyone to retire at once, we'd have to come up with $8.4 million. Uh obviously that doesn't happen. But uh these are legitimate liabilities and the best estimate by actuaries as to what funds may have come up come up down the road for people that have uh served the district over the years. The other thing to note on this uh two schedules is the fiduciary net position as a percentage of total pension liability. And you'll see it's 88.26 and 88.96 for the two pension plans which is very good out of the 50 states. Uh Missouri's pension plans rate in the top 10%. So, uh, that's very good and it's, uh, much better than the state of Illinois where it's like 40%. So, uh, that's good news. Uh,
096page 31 and 32 is your sources of revenue collected by source. And that just gives you a comparison of 2025 versus 2024. And you'll see that uh your local revenues are up $105,000 over the year before. Your county revenues are down 26,000. State revenues are down 42,000. Your um federal revenues on page 32, as we noted before, is down 4,526,000. And you [clears throat] can see that big fat SR3 money 4,243,000 that we got to take advantage of and now it's gone long term. The last page I like to talk about is at the very back and uh it's fun or page 52 and that gives you an idea of kind of a 10-year look back for the district and some key numbers and ratios and what's been happening uh over the years and where
097you stand today. uh looking back for and going forward you'll see the total fund balances at 15,92812 at 2025. If you look back at 2016 we basically have doubled the 2016 fund balance. So that's good um uh it's good part of uh fis being fiscally responsible by the boards over the last 10 years to double that fund balance. Uh your total receipts are 16 million and you'll see that it peaked in 2022 and 2023 when the money started coming in. it's going to go down, but uh it will be more comparative to the pre2021 years. Uh and you'll see that those years were 14 74 146 and now it's 16 to 571 to 2025 receipts collected over dispersements. Again, that just depends on what year it is and who spends money uh for what purpose.
098And you'll see that uh uh we uh have kind of up and down years and uh we have money coming in for different obligation bonds etc. So kind of hard to look at that other than to know that uh your fund balances and your receipts collected over dispersements did get uh higher in 2022, 2023 and 2024. You can see that uh almost uh over $8 million or close to $8 million was received for those four years. Long-term debt outstanding, you see at 2,890 and 449,236. And over the last 10 years, you've been paying it down to taking care of the long-term debt obligations. So now you're at 2.9 million which as you can see you were as high as 8.2 million 9 years ago in 2017. Your S assess valuation uh which tells you locally
099how much support you're getting and you'll see that it's used to be at 117 million now it's up to 153 million uh in the 10-year period of time. the uh adjusted levies have stayed consistently the same numbers over the last 10 years. >> Your AD 88A eligible pupil number is and your September resident membership number is 1178. Over the 10 years, you've seen a decline about 21 to 23% of your attendance [clears throat] or kids attending the district. So that's not unusual for the state of Missouri to see uh where less and less people are living in the Missouri rural districts. Um but it is higher than what I've seen. I've typically seen more like 10 to 15% rather than a 20% drop over the same period of time. The last number is the ASDR's
100operating fund balance expenditure ratio, which is what Jesse looks at to uh judge how healthy a district is and whether or not uh actually whether or not you're uh accumulating more taxes than you should um as a district. You'll see that your number is 78.68% 68% which uh over the last two years has been the highest it's ever been. Um and of course it creeped up at 2022 through 2025 when the uh pandemic money came in from the feds. Uh I've seen that uh it's starts tailing off now now that that money has gone away. However, uh that's still a healthy balance for the district 78.68. Um, I'm seeing most of the districts are hitting in the 60 to 70% range and it's going to be hard to hold that. Um, although they're probably going
101to stay better than they did in the uh pre-an preandemic years in which you're looking at uh you guys were in the high30s and uh low 40s. So, I think he may settle in the low 70s to uh 60 range long term as we go forward. What Jesse thinks a long long-term ratio should be as a healthy district is 16%. which is 16 to 17% which calculates out to be about uh 6 weeks worth of cash flow available in your bank account to uh make ends meet. Um I disagree with that. I believe it's more like a threemonth >> uh ratio because uh you get into months of because revenues don't come in um consistently spending and you have months like uh October, November in which very little money is coming in. You have to
102uh uh make [clears throat] those payments things like uh your audit bill. I was already approved earlier today. [laughter] >> Got lucky. >> I did get lucky there. But uh [clears throat] but um I think that 33% you guys are well above that long term. So um congratulations on being fiscally responsible as a board and uh and as a management [clears throat] of the district as well. I'm willing to entertain any questions you have. >> Thank you, Ken, for a very detailed report. Um, I am not I'm seeing a lot of like heads going back and forth that they don't have questions. Uh, because you gave us a thorough report, so we appreciate that. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Well, thank you very much and thanks for your patience for waiting for me. >> Yeah. Thank
103you, Ken. And have a happy Thanksgiving. saying to you, "Good luck, turkey hunter, deer, honey." >> Oh, yeah. Thank you. >> If you don't use get it with the rifle, you can always use your pickup truck. [laughter] >> That is true. That is true. Well, thank you, sir. We We appreciate working with you. >> All right. Bye. >> We must be walked out. >> Oh, yeah. Okay. >> All right. Um, so I know that there's not any questions because nobody asked our auditor. So, uh, there we do have two motions um, as part of our part of our audit report. The first is we need to approve the 25 the fiscal year 25 audit report. >> Make your motion. >> I'll second. >> Motion by Tammy Palmer, seconded by Roger Bridgemond that the fiscal year
1042025 audit report be approved as presented. All those in favor? >> Opposed? >> Seven yes. >> And secondly, we need a motion to approve the 2425 ASBR report. >> So move. Second >> motion by Sher Shy, seconded by Tammy Palmer, that the 202425 ASBR report be approved as presented. All those in favor? >> Yes. >> Opposed? >> Seven. Yes. Okay. You have something to say. Okay. Uh let's move [clears throat] on. Item 13, Board of Education proposed agenda items. There is none. Number 14, resident agenda items. There are none. We need to approve our next board meeting. >> I'm out. I'm out December 25th. I get Peter. >> Same. >> Who we put on? >> Uh the third Thursday is the 18th. I'm not available that you >> It's kind of a lonely night because
105of the way Christmas fall. >> Oh yeah. >> Pretty early to do anyway, but still early though. >> Was there anything big impressing? Yeah, that's okay for me to miss. >> We'll have the insurance to approve Christmas party. >> Oh, same Christmas party. >> Well, I know what time you start at six. >> Put your ugly sweater on over your >> We'll have our insurance to approve and then the board policies essentially unless anything else comes up. So, Right. >> What are you going to me? >> I I [laughter] don't want to roar the side. >> Thank you. Appreciate it. >> So hopefully more business uh approval. >> That's fine. It'll be six years likely. >> Chris be here. >> I will be there. Yeah. >> The week before I'm out. >> You'll be here.
106>> Week before is way too early. >> Oh yeah. And the week after is gonna be going everywhere all over. >> Thursday. >> Sorry. I mean, I like y'all, but no, we didn't have >> I'll make a motion to the 18th at whatever time. >> I'll second that motion. >> Motion by Caitlyn May, seconded by Roger Bridgemond to schedule the regular December board meeting on Thursday, December 18th, 2025 at 6 PM with close session to follow. All those in favor? >> Yes. Opposed? Seven. Yes. >> But put five on your calendar >> for dinner, right? >> Yeah. >> Mhm. >> You were supposed to say that. >> Yes. Thank you for that. >> I got you. >> I do. So, uh, just to, uh, share some good news. I have confirmation with the Stillville superintendent
107that they also approved their co-op on their end. So, it looks like we'll be co-oping for the uh 26 27th school year with still built in. >> I confirmed with another board member there. He said that he will not be wearing all cap clothing, but [laughter] >> tell him we appreciate that. >> Well, sewing a shirt in half like she has a sweatshirt that has cute little hands. >> There you go. >> So, exciting news. I think it'll be a benefit for >> way to share that right away. Yeah. Wait, what's Facebook? >> I appreciate it. I was literally going to text the superintendent. He'll go and ask. So, >> yeah. Hey, you heard it here first. >> Yes. Yes. It's going to be heard >> in the cubicle >> 100%. I'm using wild cards.
108>> Wild. [laughter] I like it. >> Wild. Awesome. Um, anything else for open session other than a motion to go into close? >> Motion second and third. >> You guys are slow. >> Roger. >> You can pick anybody because everybody by Roger Bridgeman, seconded by Tammy Palmer to go into close session in accordance with the provisions of section 610.021 subsection 13613 and 14 of the revised statutes of Missouri. in order to discuss personnel after a 10-minute recess. Roger. >> Yes. >> Adam, >> yes. >> Caitlyn, >> yes. >> Tammy, >> yes. >> Sherry, >> yes. >> Chris, >> yes. >> Jennifer, >> yes. >> Seven, yes.