001I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. like to welcome you all to our regularly scheduled board meeting of the Laurel Public School District. We'll begin with public comment. Public participation is encouraged in the Laurel School District. All meetings of the board will be open to the public except as provided by law. Scheduled meetings of the board may be recorded. Audience members may address the board during public comment for non-aggenda interests or during discussion of the relevant printed agenda item. Your attendance is welcomed. If you plan to speak to the board, please look over the information on the agenda, then complete the public comment section in on the other side of these cards
002located in the back and hand them to Superintendent Torres or myself. Public participation is a right that carries certain responsibilities such as informing oneself in advance of the issues being discussed, voluntarily being as brief and gerine as possible, not unduly repeating remarks others or you have already made, and showing respect at all times for the rights and opinions of others, whether citizens, board members, school district employees, or students. We do have two uh public comments. We'll just go in the order that they were received. So uh first, Elizabeth Gil, please. >> Yes. >> Yeah, I'll do it. Y Thank you. >> You don't need to run. >> It's already on. Yep. >> All right. Elizabeth Gil, do I have to see my address also? >> My address. >> Okay. Awesome. Um, sorry I kind of
003uh spaced that today was the board meeting and then rushed here. Um, I am here representing myself um and also uh the Laurel Care organization um in the various capacities that I serve there. Um I wanted to request that the school board reconsider um legal action against the state of Montana um regarding the forensic mental health facility. Um and my reason is I I have a couple and am I timed? Is this a timed one? >> It is three about 3 minutes timely. Yes. the the first um so Laura we have our own attorney that we have retained and we will be addressing um a spec I don't want to like go into details like on the public record but we have like our own specific area that we as an organization um can kind
004of leverage that is different from what the school board and the school district can We also have another attorney who just on principle um is uh has is now decided to kind of go after the board of investments on their First Amendment's violations and the way that they've uh treated the community um because of the proof that it's just there on the record um that those laws have been broken and violated multiple times. I think um that the school board has a unique position that they can leverage and uh and the district. And the reason that I want you guys to so badly is because I I think that backing down when you couldn't like regardless of price when you could do the right thing um is the wrong uh it's the wrong gosh I
005can't think of the word. Um I just don't think that's the example we want to set for the children going through the school district. I I think that we as a community should say, "Hey, you know, like this this is a a tough situation and um it will be challenging and it could take a while, but these are, you know, hard work and perseverance if that's how you you know even pronounce that. Um that's kind of the example we want to set for all children, right? And and you guys and our community like we we're in a right here. Um, I've spent hours and hours and sleepless nights like going over this. Um, and I while I realized that I believe it was um, you know, a huge amount of money about 50 grand that
006uh, the attorneys on your side were wanting for a retainer, I think that there are less expensive options. Um, I am not the one that is in charge of the legal side of Laurel Care, but I I know that our attorney um had other options that could benefit Laurel and uh you all whoever's in charge of that, right, at a smaller expense. And then even expense aside, I believe after reviewing the future effects, um I think that our schools stand to lose far more than 50 grand or 100 grand or 200 grand, however much it costs to have, you know, to stand up for ourselves. Um, and when we win, I believe that we could be awarded far more than what the expense is. You know, there's uh property taxes at stake um more families
007and more fil more children that could move into these residential areas. And I um I'll I'll wrap it up quick. I find it on a personal note outside of Laurel Care, I am like incredibly offended by the way that the state has treated our schools. Um it's my first year having children attend that West Elementary. I have two kids there and it is an incredible school. I've worked at schools. I've worked with teachers and Laurel's really lucky to have the staff that they have. Um they are, you can just tell, you know, um you walk through the schools, there's so much pride in everything down every single hallway. Uh my children love it there. I think it's impressive. Um, I think it's a standard that other school districts could really, I don't know, kind of
008could be a good jumping off point, you know, or that they could strive to meet. Um, and I and I love that. And then, you know, the money that has gone into it that I think it was a pretty massive bond, like 65 million or something. I'm I'm not sure the exact numbers, but to have the community have that money go into the schools and to build the incredible thing that you guys have built and then to have the state come in and um like kind of just not care. Um I I hate that. It makes me angry. Um but I'm trying to be more professional in the things that I say and how I say them. So I guess that would be my request. Uh, I just don't I don't want to quit. I
009I don't want to I don't want our world our community to back down because I I know we're right. And if it's put in front of the right person, if we get the right judge who says laws matter and right and wrong matter and good faith matters, like I I know we'll win and I know that we'll get back everything plus what we put into it. And thank you for your time. >> Appreciate it. Thank you. All right, M. Pickkins. Don't worry, I'm still starting to talk. Some people have been working on it. Um, I am Lisa Pickkins, a UA LUA certified co-president. And last week I had the opportunity to go to Helena and um speak in front of the school funding inter interim commission and also listen to um what was one of
010their last work sessions um dealing with school funding. And it's actually a really hopeful picture for me because they there seems to be an understanding that the current formula is broken um but they're going to be moving into a new stage. So, as July starts, they'll start to prepare recommendations for the legislature as far as what um school funding might look like. And from those recommendations, um bills will be sent to the legislature as far as what um needs to change to make it so that our school funding is able to support schools that are innovative and can continue to do the best for students in Montana. So, I just want to encourage everybody to reach out to those members of the commission now um and to the actual legislators as um we move into
011the coming year because there's still time to make a difference and help them to understand the challenges that our schools face. And the best things that have happened in Montana as far as schools go happened when all of the groups, all your stakeholders are working together. That's how our retirement system was saved. That's how the health insurance trust was passed. And those things are what's best for students because when we have schools that are sustainable, students can learn more. So if you have time, I would ask that you reach out to those members of the commission, especially Lee Deming because he is um from Laurel and just share your own experiences and then once it moves past that point to recommendations and to actual um actually into the next year that we continue to let
012them know what we need as schools um to support our students so they can all be successful. >> That's it. >> Thank you. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks for going there to Helena too. >> Appreciate that for the board's information. Devin also attended as Madame members is the technology group. He's he's involved in that. You hand those down to Mrs. Gman's you. Is there any other public comment for items which are not on the agenda hearing? None. Then we'll move on to past presentations which we have none today to correspondence. And again um so appreciative of these organizations who come and are willing to help uh supplement and enhance the experience of our students here in the district. So thank you again to uh these donors for their various donations. It's appreciated. We'll move
013next then to the consent agenda. Do I have a motion? >> I'll move to approve the consent agenda. >> A motion by Jenny to approve the consent agenda. Is there a second? >> Second by Noel. Any more discussion on that audience discussion? Hearing none, we'll move to vote on the motion to approve the consent agenda by Jenny, seconded by Noel. All in favor say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries. >> Next items into our action. Action item A, administrative support. We hire. We'll finally get this done. Couple months. Wait a minute. Do I have a motion? I'll move to approve the rehiring of Lindsay McNeely as the district's HR specialist for 2627 school year. >> Motion to approve the rehiring of Lindsay McNeely by Donnie. Is there a second? >> I'll second. >>
014Second by Rand. Any board discussion? Audience discussion hearing? None. will move to vote on the motion by Donnie to approve the administrative support rehire as described. Seconded by Ray Lynn. All in favor say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? Just note that. Yeah, >> I abstain. >> Jenny abstained. That motion carries. >> Finally. >> About two months. >> Finally. Got to love. She was getting nervous, guys. She She We were going up towards the end there. She's getting a little nervous. Got to love the procedural rules, right? >> Is what it is. We got to follow. >> Action item B. LMS Special Needs Aid L. Castellano pending background check. Do I have a motion? >> Motion to approve the hiring of LMS special needs aid El Castellano pending background check. A motion by Kayla to
015approve action item B. Is there a second? >> Seconded by Vanessa. Any board discussion? >> Audience discussion hearing? None. We'll move to vote on the motion uh to approve action item B, the LMS special needs aid L Castellano pending background check by Kayla, seconded by Vanessa. All in favor say I. >> I. Any opposed? Motion carries. Action item C, LHS wrestling head coach and courier pending background check. Do I have a motion? >> Motion to approve LHS wrestling head coach. Courier pending background check. >> Great. Have a motion by Noel to approve action item C. Is there a second? >> Seconded by Jenny. Any board discussion? Audience discussion? Hearing none, we'll move to vote on the motion to approve action item C, the LHS wrestling head coach N Courier pending background check. Motion was by
016Noel, seconded by Jenny. All in favor say I. >> I. Any opposed? Motion carries. Action item D, LMS cross country coach B. >> Good luck with this one. >> Clavadasher. >> Cladasher. >> Clavadasher. I was close. Clavadasher pending background check. Do I have a motion? >> I move to approve LMS cross country coach B. Clavadasher pending background check. >> A motion by Jenny to approve action item D. Is there a second? >> I'll second. >> Seconded by Ray Lynn. Any board discussion? Audience discussion. Hearing none, we'll move to vote on the motion action for action item D, the LMS cross country coach beam clavadasher pending background check by Jenny, seconded by Raymond. All in favor say I. I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries. Action item E. Before we make an action or a motion on
017this, just uh to look at the recommendation real fast that uh we're also making sure that he can uh get his class 5 provisional license as well. That's still in the mix. We thought it would be done, but it's not quite done. Um so it would be pending background check and the completion of the class 5 provisional license. >> Oh, I see that here too. >> Does that make sense? >> Yeah. Is everyone aware of the class five and what it does? Can you explain that maybe a little? >> Yeah, I sure can. So, if we have a teacher, uh, you know, let's say I'm a history teacher, which I was, and then u um they would like me to go over and teach some math classes. So, hey, would you be think about go
018back getting your math your math teaching degree? I'd say, yeah, I could do that. I'll need a couple years, but I've always thought about that. Well, um, I go ahead and apply for a class 5. So, I'm able to go in and start teaching math right away. And then I have three years to finish and get a certification in math. If I don't complete it in that three years, then then I then I lose that job. I can't teach math anymore. Um, so I can continue to teach my previous uh areas. So, uh, we have a number of teachers on class 5 throughout the district. There's years where we've had eight or nine at any one time in the district and uh we've had some this year as well. So sometimes they'll go back and
019get a second a degree or a third degree or a or an endorsement and that's really what it is. Teachers are allowed to use that one time in their career and then if they use it any more than one time in their entire career then they have to get special permission from the state superintendent. So, uh, it happens. We just want everyone to know when we hire somebody, we'll tell you that they might be an American board certified teacher. We talked about ABC teachers. Some of you have heard that terminology before. That's they're on a class five. An example, they're getting what their program is. They're going through the American Board certification to get it. This guy's not. He's getting his he has a master's in education and he's getting his finishing up his I
020think a graduate. Uh is there anyone out there that Charlotte? He's a graduate of Laurel >> and uh and this I guess he really blew him away at their interview. Is that correct? That's >> Yeah, he was pretty impressive. Um many times we we find individuals who have military background. Um, so he's kind of a non-traditional teacher. Um, but his military background is in music. So he has a ton of music experience, just not in the K12 realm, but he's um performed and conducted and uh directed, written curriculum and instruction for music. So he actually has a ton of music background and is just working on getting his endorsement. He was actually one of the music adjudicators at state festival here in >> in Montana this this last year. >> So >> yeah, very impressive
021and in incredibly enthusiastic. So we we want that and need that in our music programs. Um >> and we could just see him lighten up the kids. So we were pretty impressed. >> Good choice. >> Big shoes to fill with our loss of our Mr. Cross. >> And Mr. cross had big shoes to fill and did a great job. So, >> yeah. >> Um >> I think I think the SC >> good. Yeah, our music program has been so nice to see it kind of grow in the last few years and I'd hate to see that little flowering uh diminish. So, it's great to hear these coming enthusiastic because I think that's like the number one thing for kids to stay engaged in is going to be an enthusiasm and a love for music. So,
022great. Any other questions on anything about this hiring? Great. Well, we would uh entertain a motion on that action. >> I'll move to approve the hiring of Larry Collins as high school middle school band director pending successful background check and completion of the class 5B provisional licensing. >> A motion to approve action item E by Donnie. Is there a second? Seconded by Kayla any other discussion by the board. Discussion by the audience hearing none. We'll move to vote on the motion to approve action item E the high school middle school band teacher L. Collins pending a background check and successful completion of a class 5. That was done by Donnie and seconded by Kayla. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. One thing I'd like to point out just before we move
023on for the new trustees. Um uh and Donnie asked the question well too just before you'll notice that under the consent agenda there was also personnel hirings and then we had these ones individually and that's because we made a hiring determination that we would like to hire them but they have not completed the background check yet because it just hasn't come back yet. So instead of allowing those to be approved in consent, uh we move them out of that so we can individually and expressly approve them pending, right? >> Uh this background, >> you could wait till background checks have been completed, but at this time of year obviously that's going to be another uh 3 weeks. Well, what happened at 3 weeks? They get hired by other people. So uh we need to jump
024on these and that's why we do that. And then if something came back crazy in the background check, that would protect the board and the district from hey background check didn't come back proper. So the board didn't approve that. >> Yeah. So it gives us a caveat to sort of >> operate and it gives it the administration some more leeway and hiring quality people when we find them. So, I just want to make that clarification in case you were wondering or see that because you'll see it from us from time to time that there'll be a separation of ones that have already passed and those will just be consent and then there will be times where we have uh them set up like this. So, in case you wonder in the future action item F,
025the 2026 27 school year handbooks. I think it would be appropriate to discuss before motion. So I'd like to start with discussion on number one, the LHS student handbook. So some of this did get discussed last time as everyone know. So uh you know please the big thing was obviously some of the cell phone discussion we had probably took quite a bit of time. uh that's gone through and and I we sent those out to you, but they're all sorts of changes they made to try to match up with the policies that uh we currently have. That's I put on discussion down there. But >> anything um within this sort of these amendments and changes and clarifications have happened since the last meeting. Is there anything that we would like to see added, changed, amended,
026corrected? One of the things that I uh and I'm gonna was gonna find go down and find it and I did bring it up to the administration uh and Mr. Russell uh who made the edit and that was on the cell phones. I'm sorry. I'm just getting down to it. U page 20. Oh, hold on. >> 25. >> No, it's on it's on the where they give you the penalties. >> You know, it's on the grid. I think it's like >> it's a few times. >> So, I'm I'm close. But what what one of the things it's just a little common thing, but it's sometimes the wording does matter in these cases, so you don't want to blow anything up. But whenever we have uh oh it's on page 20 56 56 so go down
027to 56 that's uh the third box on that page talks about electronic cell phone violation talks about um first offense student conference um device returned at the end of the day. second offense is parent pickup device and they added at the end of the day and the reason they added that this is their logic. The reason they added that was uh to to make it a little less intrusive. I mean I've had parents and again this isn't a bash to parents but it just sometimes it's it's it gets frustrating for a principal but the parent will come and say hey here to pick up my kids's phone. Yeah, no problem. Here's Johnny's phone. and they'll hand them the phone, then they'll walk out the hallway and hand it to Johnny. And again, that's the right.
028They can do that. And so I I said, if you soon as you pick pick up at the end of the day, I said, "What if a I said, I understand your logic why you're frustrated." But I said, "So if a parent comes in uh at uh lunch, are you going to tell them no, you can't pick up your kids' phone, come back later? Is that is that the route we're going to go?" I said, "I'm not sure that's a healthy approach." Yeah. Um I I said I said, "What if a parent works all afternoon?" So they say, "I can be there in the morning. Is anyone there at 8:00?" "Sure." "Okay, I don't work till 9:00, so I'll come by at 8 and get my kids' phone." "Nope. Sorry. You got to come after
029school." That just doesn't make any sense to me, you know. And and again, not to be a jerk to the to the administration or I understand why they put it in there, but we had that discussion today. And um I I just don't I just don't feel like that it's probably something that I would want you guys to approve. Uh and again, I I totally get why they want to do it, sure. But I'm just not sure it's it's a healthy relationship builder to start telling people that. And again, they mean well on it. They really do. But I don't know my thoughts on it and I'm and I'm I could have just taken it out without telling you guys, but I thought at least I you deserve the right for me to tell you
030why my logic was. So, we did have a conversation back and forth and that conversation is in there. If you want to click on the little at the end of the day, it'll bring up the conversation on the right. Um, and those were my comments. I just told him to I told them to play the concept forward. If the parent comes in at lunch where we refuse to give them the phone, I said just play that concept forward. Wording matters. >> So why the sort of leniency on the third offense for electronic device use? >> Say that one more time. >> The leniency on the third offense. >> Great questions. I I I'm going to again giving you my philosophy as a high school principal and as a superintendent. I tend to treat cell phone
031violations the same way I would treat any violation of not listening. It's a not listening violation. Please put away your cell phone, Miss Grade. Um and then I turn around and you're still on your cell phone. To me, that's the same as uh please get out of your book and open to page 10. And she's like, "No, I'm not going to do that. I'm just going to sit there." Well, I you know, Kayla, would you please bring out your you know, get out your book and turn your page 10? We're going to go ahead and do our assignment. No, I'm not going to do that. Well, that that would be the same as saying, I'm not going to get I'm going to not going to pay attention to my cell phone. Mr. Mr. um Lorash,
032would you please, you know, I don't want you to run in the hallway. Please don't run the hallway. Oh, sorry, Mr. Torx. And then as soon as I turn to walk down the hall, Chris takes off running again. We don't really have a running problem, do we? we have a listening problem. And so I I really stress that when we do these that that uh they really become a listening problem. You know, if we have a dress code violation, has the kid listened to the dress code? No. Well, a second offense there is a 3 days detention, then they have ISS potentially with more dress code violations. I do feel like that u that those probably aren't enough as well. And again, not trying to undermine our admin, but I'm certainly not. But I just
033feel like it's uh and and one of the worries that they have that Dr. Bye made abundantly clear to those of you that made the last meeting was uh she's very worried because they she doesn't want to hold the reins on the horse so tight that it starts bucking. She wants to give enough rain and feel like, hey, we're trying here as an admin. we're trying to work with you guys on this big ask uh by the school board. So, I think that's a lot of it uh is is they're trying to say, "Hey, this is this is what we're want to do." But at some point, um even if we put in there that it's maybe detention, parent picks up the phone and then there's the potential that the phone's not allowed on campus
034anymore. I mean, how many times do I have to ask you not to bring your phone or to not have your phone out? Then eventually phones aren't allowed on campus. And that's what I would do as a principal. Phone's not allowed on campus. Now if I saw your phone, you start getting suspended. So there's But again, we can already do that even with this wording because that's an insubordination. You didn't listen to what I said, Vanessa. Therefore, you're going to get suspended. I'd ask you to do something. You ignore it. That's not what we do. We can't do that. Otherwise, that's chaos rings. So we can already do that. We don't have to have that in here, but I like the idea that detention and the phone's no longer allowed on campus. Something like that.
035Uh yeah, cuz I just think I don't everybody's thoughts on that. >> I have a lot of thoughts on this issue. >> Speak up. >> As a parent, as a human being, obviously phones are like our generation's issue, right? or especially the kids is and like it's an addiction all the things I watched back the meeting and I'm like nodding my head the whole time to almost everything that everyone says but as the teacher's perspective I also agreed with a lot of what Dr. Bington said because the practicality and the everyday is going to be in intense focused on this and like do I see their phone in their pocket? Do I see it in there? What? You know, like is it there? I don't know. You know, it's not being used or I mean
036someone has I mean I have talked to people someone had three phones this year. They would turn in one and then have two in their pockets. Like it's just far be like the addiction is beyond what we can I think even understand. So >> it's like a conundrum, but it's like the problem is so much larger than even what we can do in school. So what can we do and what can our staff actually do, you know, and get on board with, I think is what's hard for me. And so I I do see now that they can have it at lunch. I think that is giving a little bit of both. you know, like not taking it away at lunch, I think would have been a like a losing battle um if they were
037couldn't have it at lunch. So, I saw that that was changed in here now compared to the last meeting conversation. But anyway, where I was going with that, I don't know anymore. I just think that this is going to be a hard >> Mhm. >> like and obviously what they were already doing was hard and they all had the cookies or the numbered pocket holders, right? And they all had to hand them in, you know, at the beginning of class. And then you can enforce that that if someone has three phones, like how do how would you as a teacher monitor how many phones someone has, you know, or the or the glasses or the watches or the like to just be on the lookout that in the hallway walking around while trying to run
038your classroom like that is I think I just think that's a big ask. Not that it isn't a word. Like again, the addiction is an issue, >> but I don't know. >> Yeah, >> medium there. >> Um I I do like the addition of lunch. That does soften the blow. However, I still think that even though it's hard, I think it's the right thing to do. And if we continue the the progress we've made at the middle school and just make it, it's going to be tough this year. I'm not going to I'm not denying it. I think this is still if you see it in the class especially if it's out maybe if I see the outline in your pocket that might be one thing but especially if it's out just take it and
039if the parent Mr. to work. I agree. Soften it up so the parent can get it. As a parent, I understand. But if the parent has to come and get two or three phones a day to like maybe that will help if parents sick of it and be like, "Dude, you can just survive until tomorrow and when I can get to it, I can get to it." Right? So, I'm I appreciate the changes that Dr. Bington and Mr. Russell have made and I I agree with this. I do think we should make the pickup parent at any time and I do like how it is available at lunch so that the kids can still um get on it at lunch. They're high schoolers. We do need to to accept the fact that they are going
040to get some agency, you know. So um as it is written with the change of parental pickup at any time, I would I'm happy with how it's presented. What if it was at the end of the day of the current day? So, say you get your phone taken away at 9:30, they can come get it at the end of the day or tomorrow. You know, like you can't pick it up before the end of the day today. But if you have to, you can't get it, then you don't get it till tomorrow. >> I don't know. Is that too much? I see what you're saying. >> Most parents, hey, we got a parent here. Come on over to the monkey. Now, granted, her kids are a little small for cell phone. >> I have a
041a 15-year-old on Thursday. She uh does not attend here, um but I I have also worked in the high schools and buildings. Um and I I have like a a different perspective, I think. Um as a parent and having worked, um I I view high schoolers as almost adults. You know, the whole point is that they need to be learning how to um be responsible for their own behavior. And I disagree wholly um with the school having to be the bad guy and say, "We are going to take your personal property from you." Um, I I don't think it's their job and I kind of think it uh creates a like a negative relationship between the students and the staff. And I I I wouldn't recommend it. I I think that um I I apologize.
042I was like writing an email at the beginning, so I don't even know the the whole rules, right? But um I I disagree with a just seeing the outline of a phone in a pocket being a violation. I I you don't know what you know kids have going on. Like maybe they have a family member in the hospital and they want to be able to like check a text. Maybe they're kids that um are always done with their work early and they have straight A's and then a teacher wants to say like, "Hey, if you want to throw in some headphones while you're reading or drawing while everyone else is catching up on work, they are a part of the way people live life now." And I I wonder if maybe you guys have um
043and I don't know if it exists, but like maybe there's firewall options, you know, with with my daughter, she has uh we set limits on her phone, and after a certain point of the night, like she can't even unlock her phone to do anything other than say like, "I'm gonna call mom or I'm gonna call dad." Um but I have seen last year um or a couple years back when El was going to Ben Steel, there were teachers who respected the children as as human beings, you know, that were going to make mistakes and there are kids that are capable of having their phone and not disrespecting staff. But then there's students that they don't expect anyone no matter what the rule is, whether it's a a cell phone rule or any other. And sometimes
044the parents at home don't care either. And I guess I don't know the the remedy for that. Um but I I don't know. Um it's hard. there. I think that students do better when they have like healthier relationships and are, you know, given the same respect that the staff uh expects to receive. You know, it >> just kind of goes both ways. And like I said, when when I was in Ben Steel, they had a rule that um came out of nowhere. It didn't come out of nowhere. um one of the students had taken like a Snapchat of the principal um and then shared that and the principal didn't like it. Um there had been an incident of you know bullying which is huge um on socials and stuff and and that's where my like
045I don't know can you guys block those? Can you block them from being able to access data? Yeah. No, >> we don't. We have no control over that >> unless we put a scrambler in the school building. Then no cell phone. >> And scramblers aren't legal. >> Yeah. >> And then they're not safe because now we can't communicate in emergency situations because they're scramblers. >> Yeah. I I think socials are the biggest thing. Um. >> Mhm. >> And it's it's not like the cell phone, but it's it's the social media access and the way that uh >> it's not the phone, it's the use. >> Yeah. Absolutely. >> Yeah. And I and I think a couple things like we hold we want our our staff to not have their phones out during the day that
046they're working >> just like when you go to a job, you know. >> I mean I Yeah. My my staff uh we have a specific cell phone policy that says it's not out. >> You know, we we deal with sensitive information. it's not out like we'll fire you. Yeah. So, >> uh the expectation actually in in the world is you need to be able to control your usage. >> Um and there are places where cell phones are not permitted uh including workplaces. And so this is actually more of a setup towards that. And also we have an obligation to educate the students and not allow them to have this sort of like brain rock device. I mean that's the term now, right? I mean that's really that's just brain rocket, >> right? And so it's
047not incumbent on like we need to we need to do our job I feel to keep those students on track and not they don't need the brain part of it. That's not what we're here to to help them manage. We're here to educate them and and that is not part of it. Yeah. and and and if they come out of this school district continuing that sort of inability to control their phone usage, they will get terminated from employers like me >> because they can't. They don't know how to control it. So, we're trying to help. It's like they can't enable an addiction. How do you address it? >> I wonder can enable it >> like the cuz the real world, right, won't take like your boss is going to take your phone, but they won't
048fire you. you know, >> I think it's too >> like they I don't know maybe maybe there can be a uh if I don't know it it's also hard to kind of like say that they should lose points in a class or receive a zero for a day. >> Never punish grades because of discipline. >> Grades don't go together. I mean that's tough because if they show up to class which is their job that's why I tell my daughter that's your job I mean she has a real job now but always until this year you know that has been her job she it is her job to get do her schoolwork be respectful like do everything that you need to do and if she isn't fulfilling her duties in class you know and if you're
049not following the rules I don't that's a tough one I mean I don't envy you guys I know it sucks you know because it's it's not fair for the >> it's not the good kid that's the problem and that's a I'll tell you as a mom but as the board it's not it's not the we have a giant number of kids where it's not an issue hey put your phones away put them up in the you know we have little pockets yeah >> and a lot of kids go up and do that but we have a unfortunately it's not a five or 10% it's a 30 40% type thing that have a problem and and they're they're they have a moment they're on their phone >> do You guys get a lot of um angry
050parents when you take away the children's >> I'd have to I'd have to not a ton. No. Um your your original comment I don't and I don't I do feel important to say something like this. Schools deal with property confiscation all the time. We don't keep things. We return them. But if you're if you're taking a a some sort of a device you have and it's a first grader, your daughter's a little child, she's over there monkeying with something, she might get the pen taken away and that's her pen. It's her property. Tough squad. You can get it back at the end of the day when I'm I'll return it to you. Come get it before you go get on the bus. I'll give it back to you. But you got You can't be doing
051those types of things. Your hat playing with your hat and throwing your hat at your friends. your tax can get taken away. >> Is there a suspension like you were saying was like maybe the repercussions like are not >> um >> harsh enough. Yeah. Like like in affect the gra does keep talking about that a little bit here. So the philosophy is that we hit them with a big enough hammer. We have to get a bigger hammer. that works with some kids and then we have prison systems full of people that the bigger hammer didn't work. >> So all those are arguments. >> Yeah. Good luck. I was just uh I just wanted to give like my >> take on it, but >> yeah. Um have fun. >> Anthony Fes, elementary principal. Uh, just to
052Kayla's point from an administrative hat, um, it is super irritating and I know that you stated this earlier, that's my experience as a middle school principal. When you take the phone and it's the kid's second offense, first offense, right, we're going to give it to the kid at the end of the day. I don't know what this matrix look like. I didn't look ahead of time. I apologize. But the second time, then we take it and a parent has to come get it. and we take it at 10:00 a.m. parent comes at noon, turns around and gives it to the kid. Now that kid feels like they won and they're going to continue to use it again. So to her point in saying that we want it till the end of the day or the
053next day any time that makes it so that we as a team, right, the parent and the school have a unified measure to say you don't get to violate that that rule twice in one day. That's my two bits. >> Yeah. But again, and that was an issue. Sure, that might happen, but now you have an issue. Now you haven't listened twice in one day. And now I'm we're automatically starting to suspend kids. You know, >> I I'm I'm suspending people because I just told you to put away your phone. You just pulled it out two minutes later. You're really not listening. I mean, that's an arrogant in-your-face. I don't care what the rule is kind of a behavior. >> Yeah. And I I I have I have a bigger hammer for that. But >>
054I I do think that if the parent turns around and gives it to them and incites them to do it again, >> then do it again. Now you're going to go home, your mom can deal with you for the rest of the day. >> Yeah. Because now we're going to do >> So you're you're you're right. They may feel like they won something and that's fine. It's an inconvenience. Where where I where I found it's the most effective is when the parent is very frustrated that they had to leave work. And some parents are dumb enough to leave work. And no offense to the parents out there of the mic here, but uh I I if you you would have never gotten my mom to leave work to come to the school to get my
055phone had it been a thing. My mom would still be laughing if I had asked her to do that when I was 16 years old. >> You could argue though that a night without their phone is the worst punishment of all. >> Right. This is this is one of those things where the parent may come and get it because they they do whatever the kid tells them to do. >> That may happen, but you're fine, you've got a little victory that might happen. But when you turn around and uh uh use it again that that day, I mean, now now we're I'm we're I'm suspending it. And that's something they've got to be hard on that stuff. And and most of the kids are going to fall in line, as we're going to see here
056in a moment, but uh uh but it's it's those those could be issues, short-term issues, but I'm not about winning those little battles like that. Otherwise, you're never going to win as a principal because then again, it's a power control issue and not about discipline. It's it's I got to always have the power and power and power. And that doesn't work in in a high school. You you'll you'll fall apart if that's what it's about. >> Yeah. >> Just take your name for the record if you would. >> I'm on um how does like like if you guys take their phones, how can you guys keep it till the next day? because how about if like something's going on that's really bad and like their parents are in the hospital and their parents can't come
057pick him up for them >> and there there are going to be those extreme cases and we understand that we'll always work with people but here I'm going to say one more thing that I've told 100 kids in my career as a principal if it's that important that you have your phone and and it's that important because of something that's going on in your life then you better follow the rules if it's thatant important that you have your phone, then you can't be flippant with your phone at other times during the day. I need my phone after school, Mr. Torx, because I have to call my little brother in the middle school and tell him where I'm going to pick him up. That's super important. So, let's go get you. Let's go get you can
058go call from my phone or from my office phone. But if it's that important, then the parent needs to be able to look and mom needs Noel mom needs to Mrs. used to say, "Sweetheart, you need to follow all the rules cuz it's important that you have your phone cuz I need to be able to contact you after school. Therefore, you need to follow the rules all day." It's important that mom point that out to you. I'm sorry. Go ahead. >> No, but like how about the parent can't come pick it up at all and then like it's just sitting there for a whole year? How does that make it fair for the kid? >> I've had parents pick him up at basketball games. I've had parents come in. I get to work at 7:00.
059I've met them out in the parking lot at 6:55 with their phone all >> It's not fair to the kid for you guys to keep their phone for as long as you guys want because like the parent probably can't come pick it up at the time you want, but like still the parent needs to have their phone back. That's not fair to the kids or the parents cuz the parents are still paying for the phone. So you're kind of talking about a really really extreme case and it and we call that an anecdote and we can't govern any society or organization off of anecdote. So the extreme cases on either side you can't we work with those extreme cases. What we try to work for is the most common case which is the parent can
060probably pick it up at the end of the day or the beginning of the next. That's what will happen 97% of the time. The 3% you're talking about is when someone like Mr. Tory or Dr. Vine kid will work with the parents to get >> I've even and I'm not saying this is something our administrators will do. I'm not saying this but I've even had some parents who were in such dire straits that they've said I I don't get off work till 9:00. I said you know what here's my home address. I'll I'll meet you outside 9:30 outside my house. I've done that. will work with people on these things. >> Yeah. >> But how about like the off-campus thing? If you have like a kid driving, like my sister drives, and you have her
061driving and she needs a cell phone to call my mom cuz like how something happens bad happens and like then there's no reason how she can call my mom. >> So, it's important to follow it's important for your big sister to follow the rule though. So, she has her cell phones. But how could you guys like make it be off campus? >> No, she can have it off campus. Yeah, on the That's her job. Off campus at lunch. She can have the phone. Just not during school. So, not during >> instructional >> geometry and not during PE and not during the phone has to be out. So, that's a very good question. >> So, I'm going to piggy back on Autumn and play double a thoughts because we're talking about like if we see somebody's
062pocket or something. So, I hope I don't offend anybody, but I'm just going to put it out there cuz I believe in just being honest and upfront. We've had concerns where it said that bullying's not addressed across the board effectively. So, we have concerns with that. Vanessa last meeting said we have concerns with dress code not being followed effectively. I've had incidents after reading through the manual where I found out that administration and a teacher were supposed to call me on an incident that happened during the school year. never happened. If we can't do that right, how are we going to put such a stringent policy for one in place and for two, we're trying to model behaviors for students. If we can't even put in place what's in the book, how can we add
063more rules and expect them to follow it? So, I think we need to be really careful in how we outline things so that we're successful and yet we don't have another tick in the box where we're not getting good results or we have that consensus behind us. Um, and then my other question is she brought up a really good point about uh kids and so it's not as black and white because we have seniors that are 18 year old 18 years old. >> So, you know, in most cases you got a senior, they pay for their own phone. What are we going to do? They going to come pick it up? Their parents still going to come pick it up cuz legally they could sign themselves out if they're 18. And then lastly, well, not
064lastly, I got two more points. We've got, you know, students that have certain accommodations with their 504s. Um, they can be on a heart monitor or something like that. So, you know, you could have it in your pocket, not take it out. But yet, if we go where it's totally out of sight, out of mind, everybody's going to know, oh, I see Autumn over there wearing or having her phone and not getting stopped. That's to me kind of divulging that. And then lastly, um, with the mentoring, I know when Autumn and I were talking about this, I mean, if we're putting this in place for the kids and we're saying that we should follow this in suit for staff that are teaching them and modeling them. Um, I think with free time, it also needs
065to come across that, you know, you don't play Candy Crush when you're sitting in a room as a sub and, um, candle out and and things like that. So, I just think we need to not hurry and jump. We need to have something very concise as we put things together because it's not as flat and white as it seems in my opinion. >> Yeah. I go ahead again. >> If it came to a medical thing, like you said, a 504, you'd have to have it in an IEP. And I think that's very rare to have in an IEP or a 504. But I have to agree with Right. And I have to agree with, you know, cell phones in the school during instruction time because we're trying to set kids up to be successful. >>
066Like you said, at work, you can't have your phone, so why should you have it in school? How how did we grow up? We didn't have cell phones. Guess what? Less bullying, less everything else. It's like, you know what? Sorry kids, follow the rules. You know, then then this would have been a problem if you would have followed the rules to begin with. >> Yeah. You know >> I think to Noel's point if about like the pocket phone in the pocket I think we should clearly define like phone is taken when is being like if it's out being used instead of seen in a pocket like we should probably define that >> saying so and so doesn't like me and one rule goes for one person and it doesn't form that we've heard we've heard
067that theme from >> and I agree with that but at the same time then Everybody needs to be on the same page. The teacher, the principal, the board. Like they said last meeting that it has to be the board. Take >> don't agree with you either cuz I do I mean education is super important to me. So I'm not saying that. I just don't want to set it up where there's more strife for somebody who's a teacher or something that's going to back, you know, backfire. I want it to be successful. And to be successful, I think we need to >> use clear language. But it so like right now it just says leave cell phones, headphones, earbuds, smart wearables in our walker or automobile during a school day. >> And I and I actually
068>> So >> I like how simple that is. >> So if you see that to me is if I see it in a pocket, I can take >> correct. Corre, thousand% correct. >> Unless it's been an IP5, >> right? >> Yes. Which is correct. Which would >> because those are rules that I 504 rules. There's a ton of those exceptions in the world, >> right? that that's normal in a teacher. >> But like and >> this is this is when it gets >> if I'm a teacher and I see it in some boy's back pocket and I say I see your phone. Mommy's going to come. Why are you looking at my pocket? Like or vice versa switch the gender. That just puts me as a teacher I think in an uncomfortable situation. One of
069the things that this was a practical application of it u and anyone else who's been a principal can jump off and talk about this but essentially in my last high school we came it came down to just we just don't see it >> right >> if it's just never seen >> I don't care if you take it out to check the time >> right >> just I just don't see it long as I never see it it's never going to be an issue. Um where where I see it's going to probably be an issue the way it's currently if we go with that statement uh is is the um between classes >> or in the bathroom >> because yeah if you adopt what you're saying it's like well it's in his back pocket I'm not
070going to >> we do have a microcosm this already because in the middle school we're we're already have this >> right >> rule >> it's even more so But less kids have cell phones. They're more compliant in general. They're not near to adulthood. There's a lot of reasons it works better there than it does. >> Right. But where do all of our discipline I mean >> I'm just trying to make I want our policy to be good that if we're going to make our teachers do this, we need to back them up in how we write it. >> And right now I think it's vague >> is what I'm trying to say. is if okay I'm again against like I think they're an issue and I fought this battle hard for years and before we
071had any rules and so like I just want our language like if they're just we only leave them in the locker I think there's how I interpret that as a teacher there's some open interpretation there >> go ahead J >> how would it be less vague if it was it's okay to have invisible in your pocket. >> Well, I'm just saying that I understand. I was just trying to say like like right now I'm the phone is seen like we can just say something like like right now it just says leave it in the locker like what if it's left in the pocket then I don't know about it. >> You know what I mean? Or I can see it on one person but I can't see it on the other >> because of what
072they're wearing. >> Extra at all this I think I know what you're saying. I think I know what you're saying. Here's what I would say to that. >> It's not about like, oh, I wonder if that kid is wearing big old jeos. Those are coming back now, right? Wearing a big old elephant pants and it's shoved down in a pocket you can put a pizza box in. That is not the teacher's concern because they can't detect that. But if it's sitting inside a cowboy kid Wrangler's 504s is you can that's and you can see it now you've seen it. So it's really like that is it in the locker? No. So it's violated the policy. So anything that's other than in the locker and we become aware of it. It's just like I can go
073I can drive from here to Boseman and drive 160 m hour if I want and if I don't get caught by the cop it's still wrong. But I didn't get caught. So it's but if the c if a highway patrol happens to come by and I'm going 160 I'm probably going to jail. >> So it's kind of the same principle I think of like okay if I see it then and if kids are going to get sneaky about hiding it then I guess that's their their empowerment until they get caught. There's not a there's not a to use your uh Porsche example that you just gave. Um if there's never a defense to a policeman, well, you know, other people were passing me at 150. They were passing me, so I know people are going
074faster. >> So, if you can't if you didn't catch them, it's not fair to catch me. And I think I think you got to get rid of that mentality. If you can't catch everybody, then it's a bad rule. >> Yeah, >> that's truly not what I'm saying. Okay. But um I just think that >> I don't know. I just see the holes. >> Enforcement requires the administration to hold the teachers accountable. >> Well, and >> that's what it will take. Okay. >> That in in my belief, right? And the teachers have to want to the teachers have to do that too and understand that. So where is the counter effect if the teacher lets it slide? Right. So teacher sees it. >> That's all I was trying to start a conversation. I kind of got
075>> I'm not jumping on you. >> No, I'm just Is there a word you think might be better? >> Yeah. And that's what I was just trying to think is like and like to me it's just leave them in the or is like if we see a cell phone it goes and granted that's on page 56. I'm looking at like 25 I think. But like if a cell phone is visible >> what is visitor? I mean outside >> if it's if it's I don't know out >> see you know kids >> and then you would >> sorry I got to get up there and speak so I have a daughter that just graduated senior right she is highly addicted to her cell phone all the things the social media that's how her and her friends
076all communicate I mean they even have like a senior group chat a group chat for is blah blah blah. All the things all on Snapchat, whatever. She knew exactly which classes she did not have her phone out in and which ones she could. And she would text me during the day and I'd say, "What period are you in right now?" It's like I had a list of people that I was just like, "Okay, well that teacher's doesn't mind the kids having something." So basically what I'm saying is I don't think there was anything wrong with how the policy probably was in the beginning. I think you hit the nail. I mean we if the expectation is from the beginning that the cell phone's not out during instruction or whatever it is that the teacher has
077set for that time, then the kids need to follow that. Why is it that this mixture of students all know that in these classes they can't have their cell phone out but then they learn the ones that they can't. So, it really becomes getting the staff all on the same page and and how we're going to follow throughout the school day. Um, >> for sure. >> I also agree with Kayla. I I think if it's if we're going to say something, it needs to be like it's physically out and so you can see it >> because there we don't have leazison or security patrolling hallways. We don't have all these extra things that other bigger schools have to help manage that. And it would be really hard for for teachers to have to do that.
078And also the admin, I mean, there's two administrators plus, you know, Andrew. So, I feel like if we're going to go that far, or you could think of it the other way, and I think this is like where you guys are thinking is these kids are learning in the middle school setting certain standards. So, it's going to be really rough for the next like 3 years, but then you slowly start to pick off and then eventually we could have the same scope across. But it's I do agree it'll be really really hard to try to monitor. >> I Yeah, I think the incoming freshman aren't going to have you tell my daughter because the expectation is the same. >> Yeah, whatever. like >> she I already told her that we were doing this and she
079was like, "Well, that's kind of a bummer." But like >> she doesn't have any other expectation in school, right? And so I think it's going to be like, "Oh man, I was kind of looking forward to having it, but then if we're enforcing the same rule, >> yeah, the freshman, the sophomores, the juniors, and the seniors, the seniors are going to be the ones who are like clap like, "Wait a minute." >> Oh, for sure. >> But you know what? If they know from the beginning, like I said, my daughter was a senior this year. >> They know who they can and cannot get away with stuff. >> Which is why, like you said, like what has to happen is a consequence to the teacher if they >> Yeah. Everybody has to have the same
080expectation or else it doesn't work. it will still not work with you. Because if and if Kayla and I are both teachers and I'm like >> bulldoging it and then and she's, you know, like, okay, well, if it's out, you know, cuz we do this is staff want to build relationships with kids. So there there are people that say, "Hey, you know, like just make sure it's not out and I can't see it." Well, guess what? That spreads like wildfire to all the other kids. So then everybody learns like, "Okay, this teacher is really cool. They do this." But like I said, even the classes that she had where you couldn't have cell phones out, those weren't her favorite teachers. So it it doesn't it doesn't equate to like that person's mean, we don't like
081them, and we're revoling. It's literally from the beginning what they expect and we're all following it whether it's in the pocket or in the locker. I just think manage management wise it will be really hard to do the whole piece of life if it if we don't say it's clear like it's out and we see it. >> Yeah. So I did change um just one of the comments on page uh 17 under technology use. I just took one of the expectation areas and changed it but I would propose the change potentially. I just said uh uh cell phones, headphones, earbuds or smartwatch wearables should never be seen in class or in the hallway. >> Okay, my question. >> I think that's is that kind of more >> pretty cut and dry. Yeah, Vanessa, go ahead.
082>> Um and >> and then we'll we'll get to you. Okay. I'm sorry. There's a lot of bullying going on here. >> It says admin admin administration may permit teachers to offer cell phone use on casetoase basis for educator educational purposes only. That's another question that we want to ask. Has anybody got to that >> but Vanessa, you're 100% right. So what's your opinion? >> I think no because you they have laptops. They have Chromebooks. What do they need a cell phone for? >> Right. Correct. >> I we had I had the exact same question and and uh we had a long conversation about this and we came up with what I would think would be a couple of legitimate and I'm going to use my son as an example. taught a uh a a
083video and uh editing class and he got uh uh up in his in Broadview and he got to his video editing class and um he said, "All right, we're going to um well, we're not supposed to use our cell phones." And he enforced the rule, but he said, "We're going to go outside. Use your cell phone to shoot some video cuz we don't have any cameras. We just But that's the class, right?" So, they went out and they shot some videos and they said, "All right, I want you to go ahead and email them to yourself. We're going to go back in, open them up, put your phones back in the when the in the pockets when we get in the class, and then we're going to edit these videos. You saved them in a
084certain format." Yeah, we did. Okay. And so, they went back inside and then they edited those films and and the other option was, "Well, I don't know how else to get films, you know." So, he asked me my opinion on it. I just said, "Well, just make sure your principal knows and your superintendent knows and and ask them for permission to use in these sets and then tell them how you're going to do it. That's the best you can do." That's the only thing I could really come up with, but I agree with Vanessa. >> It kind of contradicts yourself. >> I don't think you I think the principal then has to say, >> I'm only going to give exceptions in those types of settings. It's not going to be one of those, hey, can
085they have them out because it's Christmas break tomorrow. >> Yeah. >> Hey, can they have them out? It's the last day of school. >> Yeah. >> No, if it wasn't if it wasn't if it wasn't allowed the fifth day of school, it shouldn't be allowed over the day before Christmas break and it shouldn't be allowed uh the the day before uh last day of school. >> The rules or the rules. >> I think we just need to have specific exemptions agree >> and I don't know how that specific exemptions. We talked about that a little bit. I I agree with I'd rather take it out. I just think it's contradicting. >> So my daughter took a photography class in middle school. She couldn't use her phone. >> She had to have a camera or she
086couldn't take the class. >> And that's how it should be. If if you're offering educational courses to where they need these special things, then don't offer them. If you don't want it in the school is all I'm saying like >> take pictures or or provide kind of a weird likey provide artist or provide you. >> We'll add a comment here. Public comment. Okay. So, like it's not fair that teachers can have their phones out because I've had multiple teachers have their phones out during class. >> Yeah, they should. Should I agree then on personal devices and it's not fair and like high schoolers can't even have their phone out when they're done with their schoolwork. >> Yeah. >> And it's just not fair to them. Like they should be able to still have it with
087this, >> right? No. No. I mean, teachers should not have No, the teacher should not have >> It's not fair. >> And I know life isn't fair. >> Yeah. Not fair. >> But still, it's not fair that teachers can have personal devices app while they're teaching a class and they're distracted on personal devices >> and they should not. >> Yep. >> Period. No one's saying that they should and their their policy is already written that they should not. >> Okay. So, you guys should enforce that, too. >> Correct. That's what we're talking about. So, yeah. Thank you though for the comment. Yeah. Come on up. >> Hi. >> I just wanted to um add a little bit to what Christina said because I learned Oh, I'm Debb. Thank you. Um >> so I just think
088this is outrageous, but they actually have spreadsheets. They do a lot of data collection on all teachers and they have spreadsheets of who is easier to grade with, who does more tests. They get to pick and choose their their teachers, including things like um who takes away phones and that kind of stuff. So just with a lot of professional little they have a lot of time on their hands and they have a lot of professional data collectors in each class. But I just thought that was interesting. >> They write down what you say too. >> They do. Yeah. And they'll like have quotes lists of quotes. >> You really got to get get a life. >> It's actually pretty entertaining. >> Yeah. Sometimes. >> Wow. I never even considered that. >> Charlie um director for
089curriculum and instruction. And I just wanted to add in that um I agree with a lot of the different things that have been said here tonight. And I'm just kind of wondering like the purpose. Um I think one of the big things is what Mrs. Peterson said regarding the enforcement of the handbook. And we could sit here for another 3 hours trying to get every single person in this room to agree on every single piece of this. and I'm not sure that we would ever even get there. Um, so we are we're all going to have different opinions. Um, ultimately, yes, it's the board's decision to make a motion on accepting the handbook as presented or with the minor changes. But if we sit here and try to words smmith this handbook to make sure
090that every single trustee agrees on it so that it's a unanimous vote, we're going to be here forever. And I'm not really sure if that's the the purpose or the goal that we're after. Um I think that the policy and the owness of the policy on the board is later on in discussion. Um, and I think that that could be words smmiththed again to make it a little clearer on what reinforcement and support the board is going to provide for administration. As a former high school and middle school administrator myself, um, the enforcement piece, um, the collective unity of the entire staff behind the rules is key. That's key and that's going to be the hard part for the high school administration. But I don't know if we're here to make everybody agree or if
091we're here to look at the handbook as presented and then take a vote on it. >> Yeah, I think we're just trying to determine how I think that that Kayla had a good point about the clarity sort of clarifying. Actually, I think that wording is nice and clear that I just Yeah, you want to modify it. So, I think part of this discussion is some of that really. Go ahead. I just had one modification to that. If we're going to let them have their cell phones over lunch, could they be in the hallway over lunch? Should we say like outside of the lunch period? >> I I would suggest I would suggest and I understand that logic. I would suggest no. I would suggest that for that 45 minutes they may use them in the
092lunchroom. They, you know, that they walk sitting out in the lobby on a bench. They go outside. That's just a time where you're around lunchtime. >> Yeah. >> Lunch time. Chris is at the bank. You're on lunch time. You can use your cell phone at your lunch. >> From your desk and then lunch. >> Just a thought. And then maybe this is listed somewhere for like bathroom. But should we say bathrooms too? >> That there's a rule against that. >> You should have locker rooms is already >> that's written in there. I'm not I don't >> It's already spelled out. It's in here too. who I think is cold places. Yeah, >> cuz I was like that's obviously >> but I I agree with I think what everybody's saying too and I think we all
093do is that the administration starting with the superintendent and I'm saying this in a public meeting from the superintendent down the enforcement of this is required. So I think maybe like under no uncertain terms like this is the will of this board should it pass. I think the majority of us feel that there's not there's the time has come to enforce partly what we've already established as a cell phone policy and maybe enhance it and give it some more teeth and that the board's not going to tolerate a teacher not enforcing uh the will this will this policy these guidelines. So that starts with the superintendent that goes down to the building level admin who then has to make accountability m you know measures in place for their staff which is the teachers and aids
094and other pe other um people working within the building. So, you're right. We could have the just this the most perfectly crafted and words smmith policy and guidelines where we all walk out of here like going, "Man, you can't get any better than that." And then this all it takes is one teacher at the middle the high school and go, "Eh, you know what? That's still dumb." And I'm going to be insubordinate and go against it. And if we allow that to happen, then the student's spreadsheet's going to go, "Oh, yeah, Mr. or Mrs. So and so man, you can still use that. They're the safe haven in the high school. They're the ones that won't let it. That's what will happen. >> Can't have that and we can't have it. We won't tolerate it.
095So I guess there's there's there's our opinion from the board. I would I if you have a different one, you certainly can't express it now. But I believe that we all have that opinion that if we're going to do it, we have to enforce it and this board will have no tolerance for people who don't. So >> Deb, did you have something? >> I have something else. Yes. So page 24. Um, if you go there, I pulled it up up there, too. It's kind of small for the screen, but it's talking about the access badge replacement. Um, I actually asked to change the language, and Melissa changed it to something else, but it what I asked. So the way it works is for every time you get a your first badge replacement is free. After
096that, it's $5 and then it keeps adding on $5 till you're at $25. Um, and we just took the language from the thing that they signed and put it on there. Um, but she changed it. So that's the first is $5, second badge is $10, third is 15. But I've taken all that out. >> Do you want it to go up to 25 is what you're saying? >> Yeah, but also the second badge placement isn't $10. Second badge placement is $5. >> So it's just wrong, too. >> Oh, you're saying that's on what they they already signed. Correct. >> So then they should just mirror the document they >> Yeah, that's not my language. >> So So on that number three, Devin, the the the I'm going to highlight a section here. This is what
097you wanted to say right there. >> Uh yes. >> So you want that. So you want this what what she has right here in this uh uh this the second part of the line. If a badge is lost or damaged, the first replacement is free. >> Correct. Second subsequent reprints. >> Yeah, subsequent reprints are >> so I'm just I'm just going to do something. >> Well, I think you said second you said second reprint is 10. That's probably where she took that from. >> Oh, did I? >> So, second reprint you're saying should be five. So, it was 515. >> Oh, yeah. I didn't say that. >> Subsequent reprints. >> All right. So, I'm going to >> You just change the original $10. >> I think that makes sense. >> Yeah. But I guess then
098I would I the second is 10 is correct cuz I pulled that off the thing. >> So it's directly off the >> Yeah. >> So the second badge is 10. The third is 15. >> So subsequent reprints incur a fee that is increased by $5 each time. It's capped at $25. Eg. Second reprint is 10. Third is 15. Fourth is 20. >> That is all correct. >> Yeah. >> So I I can go ahead. >> It's not the second badge. The first reprint would be the second badge. Yeah, that's why he put in their second reprint. That's how he >> Let's just go with Devon's original language. >> Makes sense to me. >> Just your original. >> All right. So, I would take out You should be able to see I just take took out
099that >> and then I would go ahead and and and then go ahead and reject this. >> So, it looks like that. >> Yep. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Thank you guys. >> Thanks. Can I make a motion? >> You certainly can't. >> I move to approve the LHS student handbook as it is currently presented. >> Can I ask for a point of clarity? >> Sure. >> Would it be with the edits that because there's there the edit that Matt made on that one page I did make is multip multiply repeated. So you're saying with that edit sort of repeated >> after the discussion >> and then I did add something to address I think the board's concern about the the uh Vanessa's point on administration. I did add the word temporarily permit teachers to
100offer cell phone use because often times if I come down and say hey I really have to I got to go out and shoot these videos. I don't have 20 video cameras. I have two. Can I have them shoot a video today and then we're going to come in and send it to ourselves and edit it like I used my example of my son. Yeah, you may do that today. They're not going to be doing that every day and just suddenly I can use cell phones in that class. Now I think we got to be very careful that those aren't that those are very temporary approvals >> and they don't become permanent. Yes, I did add the word temporary on page 25 in that cellular phones uh on number seven, which is not up there,
101but it's on here. >> Do we say they need approval by administration? >> That does say administration on administration temporarily permit teachers to offer cell phone use on a case- by case basis for educational purposes only. It's >> just because I can't see around the podium. Do we have either of the high school principles here? >> No. >> So are these guys, but they're here. >> They got reasons to be here. So, we have a motion on the table by Jenny to approve the high school board or the high school handbook, student handbook with the edits per this discussion. I capture that what you're thinking. >> Is there a second to that? >> I will second that motion. >> Seconded by Ray Lynn. Any further discussion by the board? I would just ask once this
102is all cleaned up. Can it be put on the board agenda as an information item if we're approving it tonight? Just because I'd like to see make sure Yeah. that it all the points because there's so much stuff. Yeah. So there's maybe the cleaned up version in a in a information items um coming back soon to the >> Yeah, we could we could do that. So um maybe maybe it might be it might be the first meeting in December. Just not because I can't go through and accept all these and >> you mean like December. >> I said December. >> I was like uh how about August? >> August. Thank you. before school starts hopefully. >> Yes. >> Let's get them down the road a little way. Then we'll change everything on. >> No, no,
103no. August. Um, if we things I want to make sure the principles are here at that meeting. I just >> I get it done tomorrow. >> Yeah. >> Uh, we want them there because it's it it would have been helpful to have the principles here tonight. >> I mean, it's a big part of governing their school. So, I wish they would have been here, but um okay, so those two kind of things. Any other comments or concerns, questions from the board? >> Yes, don super struggling to keep up with the changes. So, we're not saying the part about they must be se if they're seen >> then they're taken away. >> Yes, that's what it's saying. is there because that's not really the way. >> So, it's I don't even know what page this is.
10411. >> I think there's just it has to be updated. >> Yeah, it's in multiple spots. So, Matt's going to go through and change that. >> I thought I did like five or six of them here, but uh like on page 16 for example, cell phones, headphones, earbuds, and wear smart wearables should never be seen in class or in the hallway. >> I guess I'm on page 25. Okay, let me get down to 225 then. That's why I wanted it to come back because I think it there's >> number seven here. >> All right, that's probably why I didn't get to then. >> Yep. I'll make sure that >> Okay. All right. >> We're saying the okay times maybe we say devices may be used during the lunch period in the lunchroom. >> I was
105going to >> I I don't have a problem wherever they go. I I I I don't personally. >> Yeah. I mean I guess a question about lunchtime. Is there never any activities that go on during lunchtime that >> they shouldn't have phones there while they're doing that? >> Clubs and stuff. Yeah. But >> so it's okay to hang out on your phone while you're attending a club that's trying to >> I mean it's fully that's fully voluntary action. >> If you have a FFA club advisor, they may not allow it. >> Yeah, they're probably not a very effective club if they're all staring at their phones. So >> yeah, probably don't have >> So I'm going to I'm going to highlight number seven. There's going to be one. I'm not approving that fun. >> No.
106>> Brain rock club. >> Brain club. >> We're not going to approve that one. >> That's what their cars are for. >> They can have brain rock car. >> And then the last question I would have then is u uh on those that penalty days, do we want to take out at the end of the day or leave it? I'm fine either way. But if it says end of the day, then I'm going to expect them to enforce end of the day. If a parent comes in at 2:20 and wants it, I'll know they have set different hours. Is that what we're saying? >> I do see Kayla's point on that. >> And Bethany made the same one. I mean, I I do see the point of that. >> I just think too if we're
107going to like I guess if we add the suspension, that's important then, but we should add that then. Sorry, I don't know where. What page is that? Uh 56. >> I want more teeth in the >> Yeah. >> That's my other thing is if >> my parent doesn't care coming to get it, then it's not working. >> You already added that back in, didn't you? >> Detention issue of the days. I never felt like that was totally resolved. >> I don't know. What does anyone else think? >> I do think taking that out is probably if you're going to leave the ISS in because then that's like to your point, Matt, like they take it and literally give it right back to them and the kid in the afternoon is like on it again. >>
108We're going to suspend them. You know what? I could suspend them or put them right in detention. That's the defense. work. We say they can parent pick up and then they have to sign something that they are not getting it back. I don't I you can't do that anyway. >> Well, you can look would you please return this to your child uh tonight when they get home and please talk to them about >> that's what I would always say. Please talk to them about um yeah just just proper use at school >> and if they do give it back to the kid right away like you said that becomes third offense doesn't there's no space of time between this. The third events could be the same day or >> five months from now. So >>
109take it out of the day. I I I would be probably in favor of it. It because the third offense consequence is more defined as detention or ISS. It's pretty much not like a leeway in that. >> I would be more apt to letting it come off. That's just my thought. >> Okay. >> I support that as well. >> Everyone feel okay with that? >> Good. >> We can see how this year goes and reress it next year. >> You just have to be serious as a heart attack about about enforcement from the board not giving leeway and from the administration down, from the superintendent down has to have that commitment. So, we made a couple more changes. Jenny, would you >> Yes. I >> We don't even have a second yet on that motion.
110Was a real >> second. >> Oh, yeah. You did second it. Sorry. I apologize. >> The motion was stated as we've discussed and I agree with all those. >> So, you would as amended. >> Changes. >> Okay. From the discussion now. >> From the discussion. Correct. >> Second. >> Great. Any other discussion? This is a will be a big change for our school, but I think a good change. Anything else? Audience? Anything else? Then hearing none, we'll move to vote on the motion by Jenny to approve the 2026 27 draft LHS student handbook with the proposed changes as a result of today's discussion. A request has been made to return the finished version of this handbook um in its completed form the first meeting in August and that was seconded by Ray. All in favor
111say I. >> Oh yeah. >> Question. Could we throughout the year since Kayla brought up uh looking at it at the next time we look at handbooks, could we have like reports with data and infractions and to see how that is going? >> I'm a big data person so they could a horrible idea. >> Yeah. And it's tracked obviously because we have to track it. >> Student board member representative thing. >> Yeah, that'd be findable infinite campus 25. I want to make sure that rainbow paragraph on page 25 is match. So yes, so let's let's complete our motion and vote. Um we'll just recomplete the action. Uh any more discussion by board audience? Hearing none, we'll move to vote on the motion by Jenny to approve the 2026-27 LHS student handbook with amendments and changes
112from today's discussion. Also with an instruction to return the completed version of this handbook to the August board meeting as an information item for board review. That was seconded by Ray Lynn. All in favor say I. >> I. Any opposed? Motion carries. Thank you everyone. Robust discussion. That's what makes things better. So appreciate everyone's input and thoughts on that. Thank you. Action item F sub 2 LHS student activities handbook. Is there any discussion or items that need to be amended from the previous discussion in this in this handbook? You'll see on there is the athletic budget discussion. Some of the notes from Andrew and he would be more than happy to talk to you a little bit about that. I know one of the biggest things in there we talked about was obviously the changes
113in uh >> meals. So he was going to present um and just give you guys an opportunity to to see some of the data that district operations can be looked at and what he was looking at for his reasoning behind proposing it. Could you bring up A? Yeah, there's the letter A under number two. I'm sorry, under number two. Under F2A. There you go. So, I'll put this um together just real quick. Um, this was a spreadsheet that I presented at uh, district operations um, of just activity fees per sport, what we brought in the gate, then the money in money out and really only tracked lodging officials tournament fees and then um, meals. Um, so as you look at it, the money at the very bottom is kind of a a scary difference. Um,
114few things to consider uh that we didn't track in there. Um, we get quarterly checks from NFHS for those subscriptions. They go back into our activities. >> How much of those generally change that? >> Our fall one is fairly big. Um, I believe it was around like 6,000 this year. Um, basically we get a check if somebody buys a NFHS streaming subscription fee and they subscribe to Laurel High School, then we get a kickback on that subscription. Um, and it happens throughout quarterly throughout the year. Um, spring is usually smaller cuz you're not watching as many NFHS. Um, winter's usually pretty big as well. Um the other thing that gets um put in there is when we qualify for tournaments um if the tournament has made some money, we'll get a postseason tournament. Um we'll
115get a kickback in that gate receipts for that tournament. Um those get put in there and help with our costs as well. >> Those are relatively minimal in the tournament. Um, another thing that gets added in towards the very end of the year is our um, GoFan uh, family passes or season passes. Um, that gets added in at the very end of the year when we close out the school year. Uh, we sold about close to $5,000 in family passes or season passes through Goof Fan strictly to Laurel High School, Laurel Public Schools. So there's a lot in there, money coming in that um offsets that. Um if you look later in the board packet, you can see our that our accounts in uh high school athletics. And then also the other one that we
116use a little bit is our tournament funds. They are healthy as as of this meeting. >> So go ahead. Go ahead. Sorry. So we did come out net positive last year with all the items that you know >> very >> in in my opinion very slightly positive. >> I like to have a little bit of addition and didn't have too much of that this year. >> Sorry guys. >> Oh no that's okay. Yeah, I was just going to kind of ask the a similar question but related to so cutting the meals from the 31 what will the regular season cut of meals do to that number? >> I would say regular season meals we could easily it would be 85% of that number >> easily. >> So we're going to so more than in half
117we're going to cut the thing down to like Yeah, you look at you look at the wrestling amount, the meals were 4,000. Um that's I mean every trip is overnight. Um our postseason last year we went to Lockwood and um state and based on how our meals are structured now, we didn't pay for um meals at divisionals or state. So that's strictly wrestling alone is only regular season meals. So we're talking going from 31 grand down to like eight grand, six grand. So that helps even what is so then the $5 per year. So $25 over the next five years increase in and that's per official, right? >> Per official. So >> per game. >> What are we paying right now? >> Per official. for it's different per sport. >> What's the average would you
118say? >> Um I'd say the average is 75 $85. >> So I moved somewhere between 100 105 110 y >> by the end of this volley of increase. >> Correct. >> Is there any talk about at the state level or divisional level about ticket prices? That's something >> because we don't control that, right? Well, we control it, but it's more of a a school agreement that everyone's going to charge the same, so I don't get yelled at for charging more at this school and they're less. And >> so, it's kind of a >> we we talked about it at class A meetings. Um, it was kind of kind of like where we're at, you know, this school likes where we're at, things like that. >> No one wants to charge >> and no one. I
119strictly brought up from a basketball standpoint, if you're a double-header basketball, if you're able to watch two varsity games per night, it should be 10 and eight. >> No question. $10 for adult, $8 for a student >> cuz you're you're getting to watch right now for eight and six. >> Yeah. >> Um, how did that go? >> That would be helpful. >> How did that go? >> They they agreed with it. That's a 20% increase in >> is that going >> we're going to discuss from an eastern a point of view discuss it at our August meeting right away in August 25. >> See if that will go through. So eight and six for a normal contest. 10 and six if it's a double comp 10 and eight. >> And we play basketball. We tend
120to try to do doubling, right? Just for transportation purposes for both schools. >> Well, I decided to try to get fancy this year and do something a little different and it didn't work out. So all of our games next year are double headers. Yes. >> So that's all 25 games are double headers next So basketball increase potentially a 25% increase at the gate for that potentially. Um so in the end sorry if anyone else has question please but like cut me off. >> De if we could go to the next slide. Um, so this is what I'm proposing um along with their activity fee is they're going to do a SNAP mobile fundraiser as part of their activity fee at the high school level. And we've kind of triled this with a bunch of different
121sports and overall um this is what we've raised and those have gone into just those sport accounts. We did eight sports this year and we raised $78,000 over $78,000. I think what's really cool is the map of America right there. You can see that uh the big dots, you know, right around Yellowstone County and right around Laurel, but the amount of dots across the country that also donated into our school programs. I mean, there's one dot in Alaska. So, um, pretty cool to see. It does, you know, fundra quite a bit for in our town and stuff, but, um, across the country, people are also donating, which is very, very cool. >> Yeah. >> How does it work then? So, if like I'm a volleyball player, does the money that I fund raise go to
122the volleyball team or? >> Uh, last year it did. Yes. So now what it would do is if you're a volleyball player, you could still do the specific sport one. They could still set one up, but you're going to do one for Laurel Athletics. Okay? >> And that money is going to go right into our athletic accounts from that fundraiser that you do. And you only have to do, say you did volleyball, basketball, and track and field, you only have to do one for the whole year. So, what was the net draw on the general fund last year for sports? >> Oh boy, that's a big number. >> General fund. >> I've asked that at one point. Uh, >> I haven't asked Crystal, but I asked our her predecessor and it is a big six-digit
123number. >> It's a six-digit number. >> It is. >> Yeah. So when you're showing this, it's kind of like the outflows is really just from like conducting business basically. >> But then buses and bus gas and hotels is a lot of money. No, I mean that's >> that's not here. >> It's salaries. >> Well, lodging is in here. We spent 70. It's a it's a six-digit number. So from the general fund, you're looking at all the bus costs, all all that gas, travel, and then all of your salaries and stuff. >> Yeah. So I don't know if that is completely number two, >> right? I would say you're probably draw. Um how much of this 71,000 was for tournament related travel and how much of it was regular season would you say? >> Um you
124look at tournament um volleyball made divisionals. Well, we had football playoff game we hosted here. Um volleyball made it to divisionals and state. So they had >> state cost >> quite a bit of costs. um cross country they had um a lot of your lodging costs so where your lodging costs are are pretty high you know volleyball 11,000 uh cross country they had to go all the way to Missoula um for their state um speech drum and debate was all the way in Hamilton >> wrestling's a little bit of an eye hopper >> uh wrestling that is strictly regular season >> regular regular season building >> and they're two day meets, right? Most of our wrestling tournaments are are two-day meets in Sydney, Bosezeman, Great Falls. Um, >> extra travel inside that number or is
125that strictly like what we need to qualify for state or these tournaments and that's the one we're going to or are we kind of >> are we sending kids to extra like like even like a golf tournament, are we sending kids to extra more than they need for those? >> No. No. Um those are those are our regular season big meets and where we're getting the big >> competition. We did talk about scheduling and making sure that if there's something closer that is an option, you know, hey, we really want to go up and go to that Libby tournament, uh pre, you know, kickoff tournament. We've been invited up to Libby. I know the coach there. We get to see the western teams. Yeah. But there's one in Lockwood >> that we've been invited to
126as well. Go to Lockwood. Yeah. >> Um, and I he and I have talked about that that we just need to make those hard decisions that are it stinks sometimes and they want to go to Libby or they want to go to Hamilton or something. >> Yeah. >> But we we just need to go to Lockwood or we just need to go to Glasgow and and we just we're not going to make as long trips if we can help it. >> And I get the class A dilemma too, right? There's far fewer of us than there are C's and B's. I mean, the our little our little Carbon counties, you know, they have a like a whole district to themselves, right? So, it's I get that it's easier for them to kind of do that
127travel than we are, but man, that is a giant number. >> Wrestling wrestling gives you the ouch for sure. >> Yeah. Well, just the whole thing in general. 71 G's for just for lodging. And that doesn't include the bus fuel, bus driver, coaches, or anything inside this. >> If I put in the 720 code for junior high and high school for the year, you're at 140,000 for junior high and 420,000 for $600,000. I told you a big six-digit number. >> Oh, that's hurtful. >> Are you guys exhausting all of your sponsorship opportunities for travel? Like are we before we even start out the year saying like hey CHS or this whoever is the railroad like hey like you know will you sponsor this sport in totality for travel >> just make sure you come up
128to the mic we just want I know but this it's a public meeting we have to have in >> that doesn't get picked up >> it doesn't get picked up so we would we would need you to come to that >> you want me to say it again >> if you would want to say it again if you want to say, "Yeah, it's public pains and public meetings." I promise. That's >> understood. Um, I am curious if the school district is exhausting all of the possible uh sponsorships that are available, whether they are um obvious ones or ones that you have to just go out and ask for from some of the larger uh corporations and say, you know, hey, we are spending this much money like this is how much we spent last year
129on this. Would you be willing to sponsor like the lodging and meal costs for wrestling? Like can you commit to that for the next year and then just send them send them the invoices, you know? Um I mean there's so many people and companies that have money, you know, like I'm just wondering if there's more that could be done. >> Andrew will know better. Um, we could def we could definitely expand on it and stuff. What gets really tricky when you're asking, you know, we spent this amount of money um and you're asking companies to cover that is we have Ridgeway settlement and then Title 9 as well. And in the state of Montana, it gets really tricky when you take a lump sum of money and put it, for example, you take the lump
130sum of money and put it in football. then I have to divide that money out into also a female sport as well because of Ridgeway Title Nine in the state of Montana. So that gets it gets really tricky, but we could do a a better job of um asking for some some help in some big sponsorship items. >> Could you could you call it like locomotive athletics and do it that way? That be so it just goes into the the the pot or cuz you know Tyler Lane stuff better than me. Would it be like >> somebody gave us 100 grand? >> Yep. >> For local sports. >> It could and go to football and 10 go to volleyball. >> Well, it could just be spread out proportionally. >> That's what I wantly. Yeah. It
131couldn't be done. >> So it it would still have to be proportionate even if they just dropped a hundred in there. >> Yeah. >> Well, it has to have the same impact. So if if you cover a wrestling $16,000 lodging and then you cover volleyball's $11,000 the money's different >> but it's 100% of their lodging or travel cost whatever it mean so you you that does meet Title N as long as you've made it the cost is similar doesn't have to be similar necessarily the impact has to be similar >> correct uh you know uniforms in volleyball they may pay $80 for set of uniforms and volleyball But football uniforms are $225. >> So, but they each got a new set of uniforms, but the cost is a little different, but the impact was the
132same on the sport. >> Yeah. >> So, I'm going to say when I first came here, I was shocked. So, my son graduated from DA school and that was six or eight years ago. So, when he did sports in those schools that are neighboring towns like football, we had to go out and he had to get a sponsor for football. We had to sell these cards for $300. Then when my daughter, who now attends here, was in wrestling at her previous school, it was you went out and you had to find a business sponsor. You had to pay your activity fee. Mills weren't covered. Parents actually had a signup sheet where I covered three meals first part of the season for the whole girls team um just to keep cost down. And so when we
133came here, I was like, "What do you mean it's only this amount?" So, I think the snap mold was a good start, but I think there's a lot of other things that we might be able to do as well to come up with ideas to cut costs. And some parents really like doing that stuff, you know. >> Yeah. >> And I I think you can't it's careful because I think we couldn't start like we couldn't like double our activity fee in a year. I think that just bec you're messing with norms, you know, and so you got to kind of control how you and I think maybe some of the steps we're taking like, okay, now we're going to have to cover meals. That's going to save us 30,000 bucks. We're going to have to,
134you know, it's a small dent. That's 5% of the 600 that we spent, but it's it's a start in that direction. Um, now would you say when you say 600 is that net of this 100 110 or whatever that got dredged in from from Gates and other things >> and sponsor the sponsorships we have go into that number to try to figure out and if you can't answer this tonight Chris that's okay cuz like I'm like totally throwing you >> that's a hard one to answer I don't but I come up with it >> cuz I wonder what the net you know what I'm saying draw on the general fund is so in other words what is sports brings into us through sponsorships, feebased, skates, all that stuff. >> And then >> it's still a
135big still I'm sure it's huge. >> It's still netting a big six six-digit number out. >> And would you reason that would you reason that like use of our athletic facilities but for tournaments by other school districts? Does that contribute toward is that how we view it as contributing toward own athletics or is it we just put in the general funding go like this is just an other >> goes to the building fund where yeah we get rental fees and things that goes towards repairs and fixing the three or the four lights that are out g we use some of that money to help repair facilities but it's it's kind of a drop in the bucket in reality it's not a >> giant number trying to wrap our head around the net The only revenues
136that we receive go into this spreadsheet that they're showing that that Andrew has put together. >> Everything out of the general fund is just >> there is no revenue that offsets it. It's just our >> maximum budget that we >> cost business and cost of athletics. >> They're important parts of our school, but they cost a lot of money. >> They're very Yeah. to go back to the fundraiser. So, if say I'm a football player and I get one donation, but then or maybe it's wrestling, I get one $20 donation or whatever, but then I'm a I don't know who's the least like a baseball or someone and I get like 45 donations and raise a ton of money, but my team doesn't spend nearly as much as the other team, you know, like >>
137it's gonna happen. >> Yeah. you know, it it some people are very eager to go out. >> Um, as I was looking at um, you know, some of the I can I have Snap Insights, so I can manage all these teams and click on them and stuff. Um, I saw one family do, you know, $25 to softball, $25 to cheerleading, $25 to band, 25. I mean, they just they've got, you know, three people probably put their name down and they just boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. >> Um, >> but yeah, some people are going to be eager to Yeah. I'll I'll donate right away. Um, some people Yeah, they'll get the minimum is you got to get 10 names. >> Okay. You just got to send like 10 emails. >> Send 10 emails, 10 text
138messages. >> Um, I'm not going to keep Billy out because those 10 people didn't donate anything. Um, and I'm not going to reward Julie because she got >> raised $500. >> Okay. >> No, I get that. >> Providing an option to help these costs. >> We don't want it to be a interference to them participating. >> Oh, for sure. No, >> Andrew. But you're talking about where you can see they donated to cheer, they donated to softball. You're saying the required um fundraiser is just going to be Laurel Activities and then each sport could have their own fundraiser if they would like. >> Yeah. >> Okay. So, the required one would be to Laurel High School Activities. >> Correct. >> Okay. Just clarify. Thank you. >> Y >> that is a giant number though and
139I don't want that to to scare anybody because that's every school. It's not us. I mean classy schools are some of them are you know 150 grand of their general funds are doing that that's a big chunk of them but I think activities are super important in schools and >> agree and I think it's a great part of the experience and it's really unique to schools in the United States more so than uh talk talk to a foreign exchange student and that's the first thing they'll talk about is wow it's >> their high schools are a lot Yeah. >> So, that's kind of the big change in my handbooks. Um, it's in the student activities handbook, but then also in the coach's handbook. Um, it spells out what we've um paid for meals in the
140past, what's been approved. So, I kept that. I took the regular season stuff out, but added those meal amounts for the postseason. um and still follow our normal procedures of paying for meals in the postseason. So that's in the coach's handbook. In the middle school activities handbook, we don't pay for meals, so nothing's in there really too much of a change. Um but the big one would be the meals in the student activities and then also the coach's handbook. Cool. I would love to see a net or we can figure it and I know it's not I know what you're saying about budget whatever but in my head trying to figure out and what are we getting from sponsorships from this spreadsheet uh other donations that kind of stuff um to figure out okay we're
141bringing in 200,000 in rel athletic related activities and we're sending out 600 that just helps me in my head you know figure out. Oh, okay. Well, really, we're spend in the absence of raising all of that. We're, you know, we're spending 400 other instead of 600. Even though 600 shows in the general ledger, there's monies elsewhere. Is that making sense to anybody else? Okay. I just want to see what it looks like for real. And then cuz then that way we understand like, oh wow, maybe we could if we raised another hundred in sponsorship or through this this donation, this general bank donation or or whatever, you know, then that brings that number from three 400 down to 300 because it frees up another 100 in the general fund in one way or another as
142it flows through. So I'd love to see something like that. Good discussion. That was that's a there's a lot there. That's very eye opening. >> We had lengthy discussion at class A meetings last week. Um there's a lot of schools. We were bouncing tons of ideas off of each other of just you know it's it's not just just us, you know, Hard was talking to me about, okay, what do you guys do? You know, uh Fergus and a lot of the class schools are like, wait, what do we do? because their their travel is even more than ours. >> We're pretty lucky with our travel. >> Yeah, >> we get the advantage of being, you know, near the state tournament and near we hosted state track. >> Uh that does help us when we have
143to put two full buses of kids to go to track somewhere. That is expensive. >> Yeah. >> By hosting state track, it's, you know, a pain. It's a lot of work for the people and Andrew's crew and and all the people who volunteer, but boy, it saves us a lot of money from a travel standpoint. >> Yeah, it's helpful. >> Any other questions on that? >> All right. Well, we do have a motion on the table, which is item F sub2, LHS student activities handbook. Is there a motion? >> I have a question real quick. Are they Are we paying for the three meals or how does that work? >> I'm seeing the prices down here. You got breakfast at 9:00, lunch at 11:00, and dinner at 14. >> So, postseason. >> Okay. >> Maybe
144just postseason. >> So, when we do pay for meals, you know, taking the kids to state for 3 days, we're going to pay for those. >> I'll make a motion to approve the LHS student activities handbook. So, a motion by Kayla to approve action item F sub 2, the LHS student handbook activity handbook, seconded by any other board discussion on that audience discussion. Hearing none, we'll move to vote on the motion by Kayla to approve the LHS student activities handbook, seconded by Noel. All in favor say I. I. >> Any opposed? That carries. Thanks, Andrew. I know it's a lot of it's a lot of work. >> Thank you. >> Uh LMS student activities handbook, which is action item F sub3. >> Any discussion on that? >> Do we have a motion? >> I move
145that we approve the LMS student activities handbook as presetted. >> There's a motion to approve action item F sub3, the LMS student activities handbook by Ray Lynn. Is there a second? Second. >> Seconded by Jenny. Any other discussion? Audience discussion? Hearing? None. We'll move to vote on the motion by Raylin to approve action item F sub3, the LMS student activities handbook, seconded by Jenny. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. Action item F sub4, the coach's handbook. discussion or a motion. >> Make a motion to approve the coaches handbook. >> A motion to approve uh FUB4, the coach's handbook by Kayla. Is there a second? >> Seconded by Noel. Any board discussion? Audience discussion? Hearing none, we'll move to vote on the motion by Kayla to approve action item F sub4, the
146coach's handbook, seconded by Noel. All in favor say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? >> Great. Motion carries. >> Thank you all. Sure. >> Chair, do you mind calling a recess for 5 minutes while you >> Absolutely. Recess for five. We'll return 805. Let's do the rest of these agenda items. Action item GE policy review second reading policy 6410. Do I have a motion? >> I'll move to approve second reading of policy 6410 evaluation of administrative staff. Motion to approve action item B by Donnie. Is there a second? >> I will second. >> Seconded by Jenny. Any other board for discussion? Audience discussion? Hearing? None. We'll move to vote on the motion by Donnie to approve action item G the policy review second reading for six uh policy 6410 evaluation of administrative staff. Seconded by
147Jenny. All in favor say I. >> I. Any opposed? Motion approved. Action item H, the 202627 MTSBA renewal recommendation. Do I have a motion? >> I'll move to approve the renewal of the MTSBA um membership and other dues for 2627. >> I'll second that. >> We have a motion. Yes, Donna. So, I didn't mean to put admin on the spot like this, but I didn't get an opportunity to send an email today, but do you happen to know how much of an increase that was from previous year? >> No, but I bet I could find out just by looking at last year's agenda because it was June and we did it last year. And I guess while you're looking at that, can I just make a request that when these renewals come up, you include
148in the recommendation in the comparison >> cuz I'm going to ask it on the rest of them, too. So, you might as well keep them up. >> Mr. Mr. Tor, while you're looking that up, can you just give an overview of what MTSBA provides for the district? >> For sure. >> The membership. >> So MTSBA stands for the Montana School Boards Association and they provide numerous services. So, first and foremost, they uh help us with policy updates and they help house our policies and that's their system that we have our policies on on our website and they'll send us updates as laws change on policies, what needs to be changed right away, what are suggested changes, what are required changes. Um, so that that's a that's a a big thing for us and we do
149appreciate what they do there. They also give us some legal assistance. Um, for example, I might send them a question. Hey, we have this HR issue. How do you interpret this policy? I send them a question every few weeks about something. They'll send me an answer back. They'll give you an hour's worth on any particular subject uh at no cost as well. The cost is within our dues. Anything outside of that hour, then they start charging you by the hour. or if it's a bigger thing like that, I tend to use felt Martin in Billings for the bigger issues. But for questions, um Crystal will email them. I'll email them. I've even had a few administrators email them. Uh just so we can we can get some questions answered. Uh they also provide uh u
150oh legislative um what do you call it there when they um >> Lobbying. Thank you. They'll actually they help provide lobbying for schools at the legislative level. Um and and they you know part of that is represent you know fee would be to represent school districts and they represent us through school funding issues through in fact they've helped write a lot of the laws uh that have gotten passed for school funding issues. Um boy what are some other things they might do? They help uh all they do trainings. Uh they'll come down and do trainings for uh the board. Um uh I've just drawn a blank as to other things they do, but it's a great group to belong to. Um, you know, as as far as a board goes, that's it's a you know,
151they broke from the National School Board Association a couple years ago. So, we don't belong to that. We belong to statement. So, it's a great program, Frank. So hopefully for the new trustees when you were elected to your positions, you should have received emails from school boards association >> welcoming you as new trustees and providing >> send your names in. I did but >> all >> I'll check on that. >> You'll know when you're in. They send a lot >> seven a day. It's there's a lot of good stuff and there's good stuff. I don't mean to it's just there's a lot of information coming at you. >> No, I'm just saying you'll see. You'll see. >> Oh, yeah. You can't miss it if you're open. I'll I'll check on that for everybody to make
152sure they're being on that. >> And then to answer your question last year was $12,710. Oh, >> so it's like three. Cool. 400. >> Yeah. >> $395. >> They do provide a fair bit of value to us as a district. >> All the other ones too >> on the learning. I would say it's like you see how valuable it is on that. >> Something that you'll realize too like and you'll say that like when the MTSBA makes a recommendation, we obviously have the latitude to amend any policy that comes through to tailor it to the district. So it's not like we are like in lock step with them. So if there's something that comes up that's odd that we don't like we want to change or there's options that they've suggested, we can take all
153or none of those things. So >> and we have quite a few >> we we have different choices. >> But it's a nice super nice like bedrock sort of like hey here's the base level to get your juices thinking you know you're moving. So >> I think we've even helped them come. We we have actually >> we've been the t test case in a few situations and we've sent questions into them that well two weeks later we get back some even more changes and they're all based off the questions we asked. >> Yeah. So >> yeah, >> they're good too. >> Yeah, they're they're good. So any other discussion on NTSBA? You'll get to know them a lot more. So, we've got a um an inside track with NTSBA this year. So, uh with Donnie,
154so she'll be representing not only our district, but >> all of region 9 region, Big Horn County, Carbon County, Stillwater, and Yellowstone, I believe. >> Yeah. So, she'll be a a good voice for us and and uh this region and our school district this year. So, it's awesome. Congrats. >> Thank you. >> So, it would behoove us to renew it. Just >> so we do have a motion by Donnie to approve. Oh, audience, is there anything? Sorry, I got ahead of myself. We have a motion then to approve action item H, the 2026 MTSBA renewal. And that was seconded by myself. All in favor say I. >> I. Any opposed? >> Motion carries. Action item I 202627 MQEC which is the Montana Quality Educator Coalition, right? >> Did I get that right? >> I believe
155so. >> Renewal for this year educator. Yeah. >> Education or educator? Education. >> Education. Education. >> Yeah. Education. >> Uh renewal for 2026 27. Is there a motion? I move to approve the 2627 MQC renewal induced for next year this year. >> Yeah. Any other discussion? >> Don, >> I'd like to piggy back off of to Jenny's former request about maybe telling the new trustees what this group does for us. This is uh mostly a lobbying group and as is MEA and MA does something a little more we'll talk about here with the co-op but um MQC I mean we use them mostly as a lobbying group. It's also much lower cost. They don't provide they answer any questions you had if you call them but uh um we don't take part in anything really
156other than the lobbying portion >> not actively involved with them or anything we have a motion we don't have a second yet >> seconded by Vanessa thank you any other board discussion on that so our lobbying group basically Okay, >> I guess I since I made the last statement, >> there's been no change this year like 2500 last year. >> So, same. Any audience discussion or questions? Hearing none, we'll move to vote on the motion by Jenny to approve action item I, the 2627 MQC renewal, seconded by Vanessa. All in favor say I. I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries. Action item J, which is the Montana Montana Rural Education Alliance. Did I get that right? Right. >> Education Association. >> Association. Sorry, not alliance. I apologize. >> Education. >> Association. Uh, renewal for this school
157year. Do I have a motion or do we want discuss? We want to explain it first. Should we explain first? >> Well, I did have a question, so please explain. >> Yeah, go ahead, Matt. Here's a elevator pitch on this one. Uh, very similar to MQC. They they're again a lobbying group or a pro- education group that we belong to. They they are very active uh in other aspects as well. Uh they also are the group that that helps us uh I don't want to say it. They have there's like a they help collect a list. Larry Crowder is the the head guy there and they help uh with a list of different organizations and businesses that uh are pre-approved and pre-bid. So, we might have a oh, let's say uh uh our our our
158project over at the high school for the uh parking lot. Well, we could have taken that and had taken that out to bid, but there's someone who belongs to their co-op um through this group that helps us um um go to some of those companies while having go through a large bid process that might take a month or something or or month and a half and they and they they help with some of that stuff. So, but mostly it's a lot like MQC. So, um, again, the costs are a little bit lower. >> So, I guess my question is why, so they have MEA and MCS on here. Why are we not doing the MEA membership and just the MCS? Do we not qualify as a rural school? Is that why? >> It's a size
159issue. Go ahead. And I think we could be long if we wanted to, but really MA came into existence as an MTSBA sort of organization to represent smaller school districts. >> So they really do have a focus on the the B's and C's district. So >> the big advantage to a school our size is belong to the purchasing co-op because the food contract. And it helps with like food service and and other purchasing. >> Yeah, we've used it a number of times >> since I've used the co-op a number of times for smaller projects around the district that we don't $8,000 threshold. Ah, we got to go bid that. It's going to take this and that. Well, we can go to the co-op and we can go ahead and uh well, they have this company
160or that. And sometimes they don't have anybody that does that work. Well, that's uh can't do it or we don't like that work that they've done. So, we go a different route and we do the fifth process. But, it helps with smaller jobs like that. >> Okay. Helps the big ones too. We do our filter through them. >> Yeah. Yeah, we did. We did >> has been through that co-op. >> Yep. >> That filter from that for the high school football field that was over half million dollars. Yeah. >> Any questions on that? Any further questions? Okay. Well, we would take a motion. >> I move that we accept the MA renewal recommendation for 26 27. >> GI a motion by Ray to approve the MA renewal for the 202627 year. Is there a second?
161>> I'll second it. >> Seconded by Noel. Yeah, it is MSG. I miss I both on there. Any other board discussion, audience discussion call? >> Hearing none, I move we uh will move to vote on the motion by Ray Lynn to approve action item J the 2026 27 MRA renewal. Seconded by Noel. All in favor say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? >> Motion carries. >> Can I just throw one more comment in Chris? >> Yes. So that Crystal can confirm that there was no increase in that. >> I couldn't find it in >> there's no increase. It was 1,200. It's been 1,200 for a long time. Okay. >> Action item K the 2010 26 27 MSGIA. >> This one I can't remember. >> Montana something. General insurance. Whatever. Whatever. >> Schools insurance. >> Insurance.
162There it is. Yep. MSGIA renewal >> workman's comp. This is where we get our workman's comp. >> I would I would move and I guess maybe I should start with a question first. >> That that credit if and it's a regular credit that we get. >> We can choose to use it at any time. So we can bank it for when the world falls apart or we can use it >> year when we have a giant protested tax. And it would be nice to see >> if we have a big workman's comp claim and then next year that there's a a jump in our rates, then we could use that credit to help lower that jump in the rates. That's a big advantage for the useful. >> Typically, if you've taken it as a credit
163against their premium, but >> there are other things you can do with it, Chris, right? You can >> that's what we truly know. more >> some heavy position in our general fund where we were like, man, I don't know what to do with this money. I think we know what to do with 37 grand, >> but because we're using it to knock down the MSGIA fee, uh that's like the fee >> saving it in the general fund. That's what you're doing. >> Yeah. So, I would move that we approve action item K um while applying the credit fully to the current year premium. >> Seconded by Donnie. Any other discussion by the board? Audience discussion? Hearing none, we'll move to vote on the motion by myself to approve the 2627 MSGIA contract with the premium
164uh the credit fully applied to the current year premium seconded by Donnie. All in favor say I. >> I any opposed? >> Motion carries. Action item L MS PIP I forget this is a new Property liability insurance. >> I'm sorry. Property liability carrier >> recommendation. Do I have a motion? >> Do we want to discuss this a little bit? >> Like this tax bill. This is a nice tax bill for you. >> Yeah. >> Insurance bill. Your insurance. >> We will this and it's a sort of a side note and it's somewhat relevant. We will get a refund partial on this when if and when the building sells the admin building. >> Overall, it went down about $11,000. If you apples to apples, but because we're insuring another building, we're still insuring the old admin
165building. It's actually a little higher. But when we sell the admin building, they'll credit us back that amount. uh let's say it takes 2 months to close and the credit is 10 months 10 months of of covering the admin building square footage that we'll get that credited back to us. So we don't technically know when that's going to sell or if it's going to sell. So they they are charging us cuz that starts July 1st. >> Yeah. >> But we will get a bit of a credit back and they didn't want to quote me exactly how much but we will get a credit back off of that for the added mill. >> Yeah. Um, so he said if you would have not had the ad building on there, he said it would actually gone down
166a little bit. So with that was to apples comparison. So that was good. We didn't have a lot of claims last year. >> Uh, and this covers like vehicles, buses, property liability issues that we have on that property. So I'll probably go and emissions board >> pardon >> board coverage of emissions. Yeah. Yep. Any other questions or anything, comments, questions on that coverage or anything? Okay, I take a motion. >> Make a motion to approve the MSPIP recommendation. >> Motion by Kayla to approve the MS Plyip uh proposal for uh school insurance. Is there a second? I have a second. >> Seconded by Jenny. Any other discussion? Audience discussion? Hearing none, we'll move to vote on the motion on the table to approve action item L, the MSL, MSPIP recommendation for the 2627 year by
167Kayla, seconded by Jenny. All in favor say I. >> I. Any opposed? >> Motion carries. Action item M, HR staff salary changes. >> Okay. With the uh the cutting of our HR director, it puts a little bit of pressure on multiple roles and that's really what the next two action items are about mostly. Uh and I'll give you just some examples. Um so I I put more pressure on our remaining HR staff who are support staff members. They're not directors. They'll be taking over helping with increased responsibility and communication with administrators. Uh increase collab collaboration coordination of hiring with the administrators. But all that was done through the HR uh director at the time. responsibilities for coordinating with the union and uh issues with the U CBAs. They'll help with that training and meeting that
168was all organized by uh Mrs. Pollock and now that they'll have to take on a a certain training role and do some things that they weren't doing before uh and just take on a little bigger role within HR. They're not going to have to take over all of the duties. some of the director type duties have been spread out, but they're going to take on a lot of little more independence duties as well. Um, take on more duties responsible for identifying and implementing laws and regulations that pertain to HR and payroll. That was done solely by our uh director in the past. Uh, responsibility for new hires and bringing in new people. Uh, again, I I'm putting some extra duties on them as well. And there's some other things too. staff letters and staff communications.
169They'll have more responsibilities in housing, some of that. Uh FMLA responsibilities, uh wellness coordinator responsibilities, things that the director was doing. That's just a starter list. And and I know it's a stress for them. And you know, take-home pay of, you know, 150 bucks a month isn't necessarily change that stress, but it's something that Crystal and I were able to to do for those uh uh in two, this would be for two staff members uh in our HR room, our HR specialist, generalist, and our uh uh payroll clerk. So, they they're taking on a lot of those things, and they they're in with me. We're we're meeting um you know they used to have their obviously their HR meetings. I'm meeting with them numerous times per week and we're going over questions and and I'm
170telling all right that's an example of something you need to make sure those letters are housed with you. Well, Peggy always did those. Yep. I know. But you're going to make sure those copies of those letters are housed. You bring them into me and I will quickly make the edits that we need to make for this particular situation. and then you'll go back and and remmanage those letters and then send them out. Well, that's something they didn't have to do before. So, just there's some added duties I'm putting on them. Uh, and they won't increase their days, but they've increased their stress a little bit. So, I'm proposing a $2,500 to their uh their individual salary slashwages and um and that'll that'll start July 1st. Any questions on that? >> I'll make a motion to
171approve the salary increase for the two HR staff members. >> A motion by Donnie to approve um action item M. >> seconded by Ray Lynn. Any other discussion? Audience discussion hearing? None. We'll move to vote on the motion by Donnie to approve action item M the HR staff salary changes seconded by Railin. All in favor say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries. Action item N curriculum director and student services director contract extensions. So these aren't uh direct raises to like a salary per se. There are extend we'll be paying them more but it's based on more days. So they currently are on 214day contracts. Um they're both in charge of their respective summer school programs, extended school year, ESY through special ed and our summer school jump start program uh K1 and two.
172Um those programs go into July and their contracts uh are are completed now or will be completed in the next day. So uh one of the things that they they do is they stay on extra time and work extra time. Um I'm also assigning them some duties as u title n coordinator director of hiring uh for the curriculum director and title 9 will go to student services along with the adult the adult staff 504s as well as other activities and other uh duties that we'll be assigning them and they're willing to take those on. But one thing that does take is that takes time. Again, working with Crystal, we've worked it out where we can add 20 calendar, excuse me, 20 work days to their contracts. So, they'll become 234day uh contracted administrators. Uh that'll
173increase their pay obviously by their current daily rate of pay will be added 20 days to that contract. So, this is what I propose uh to combat the loss of our HR director. Um the cost um will be right around for both individuals for the year um I sent all that to you right around in the low 20s I believe for for total >> for if I remember right wasn't it Crystal the cost of the district >> think >> something like that. Yeah. So that's what B we we figured in benefits obviously you have to figure it in yourself and then one of the things this does is they'll come in and they'll say well I worked you know you you wanted me in here and worked on this thing in July you know this
174is a problem that happens with both these ladies and then I'm like okay I can't pay you but hey uh you know you can take a couple of the trade days later and uh and that's hard because during the year to take out more days while here when kids are here. It's it's difficult as well. So, sometimes they don't even use up all their trade days. Um, and that's not a way I really want to do business. I'd rather say, "Hey, here's your here's your uh time." They'll work an additional four weeks basically. Uh, and that will all be summer and that would start July 1st as well. >> Any other discussion or questions on that? >> Donnie, yes. I have more of a concern for their well-being because typically I've always seen 225 as
175a maximum full-time contract. This only leaves them with 26 days off in a year. That's holidays, vacation days. That that's just my concern that we're going to work them into the ground. That's already happening for me. I'm just going to say like um >> it is a lot and I know like in the last few years like especially I can speak for just my department but um a lot of the things that I do in the summer and then taking on without the nursing director um I have to do immunization checks in the summer. I've picked up those extra pieces and you know I I know that everyone works from home. That's just normal. It's it's part of the job. Um but there are pieces that we need to really be involved in and it's
176really hard to then take time during the year. Like Mr. Mr. Torque said, I I think I only took a couple days, but um and I done that because, you know, I love my job and I want to do what's best for kids and the programs. Um but it is a lot of work. So, I just want to say I understand all that and I super appreciate it and you should be compensated for it. I just don't want to see us burn them out. >> And I do understand that. I've talked to both these ladies prior to this and we I said, you know, >> can can you do this in 5 days, 10 days? Well, heck, I need them 10 more just to get through summer school. Um, you know, so there there's just
177a lot of things we do. And with these added duties, I just think that's I think it's not only a little more appropriate to pay them this, but they're already working a lot of these days already. And with the way the budget is right this moment, we're going to be able to do this. Uh it's not to say we don't hold the cards down the road as a as a board that and as a as administrative group that we can look at them and say, "All right, I next year I got to cut you back 5 days or hey, you know, I'm at 260 as an example. So 260 we're asking uh I'm asking to move these up ladies up to 234." uh at one time uh and I think it was I don't know
178the year and Charlotte may or may not know the year but when Charlotte took this job uh just a few short years ago she was uh her position I should say was at a 240 and then when she took the position uh and the job was a 240 job in my opinion and we could go 240 I would but um she was cut to 214 and asked to do the same work as the her predecessor did at 240. So, she's and probably honestly is doing more things than what she did when she started this job. >> And uh I I looked right at her and and I'd love to give her 240 and have her work. And yeah, that gives her about a month off, you know. Uh this gives them that five weeks off.
179And uh I I I wish it was a little bit easier. Yeah. And it's holidays, too. and and uh you know they'll they'll still get their Christmas time and things, but they'll be in here working in Christmas over Christmas. I mean um it it's something that I'll I'll stay in close contact with these ladies and and maybe maybe it has to be adjusted. Maybe maybe it's a you know next year it's a 229 or 220 or something. I I have no problem looking at this and adjusting this over time, but I feel like this is and they feel like this is really where they needed to be right now. If >> again, sorry, you guys can speak. Go ahead. >> You you took my thunder. >> I'm sorry about that. >> No, I was just
180going to add that when when I was hired in as the curriculum director 10 years ago, it was a 240 position at that time. I accepted the position as a 240 position thinking I was going into a 240 position at that time and then it was changed and it was um cut back to a 214. And I would advocate very strongly that I do a lot more than I did 10 years ago. Um our our district just has a lot more going on and every single curriculum item that I bring into this district has some kind of tech component that I have to learn. um the standards are changing every 3 to 5 years and that means you remap everything and you re-evaluate everything um and I do that by myself. I I am a
181department of one and so to have the adequate time to be able to get everything done. I have um OPI reports that are all due in June, but they're all due in June the same time I'm trying to get summer school up and running. And the same time I'm also trying to plan and prepare for new teach orientation in the fall. So to be able to spread some of those projects out over the summer would be really helpful and really beneficial to my department of me. Great. Any other questions or comments on that? We would take a motion on action item N. I move that we approve the curriculum director and student services director contract extensions um as laid out in the recommendation. >> So, a motion to approve action item N as constituted. Is
182there a second? >> Seconded. Vanessa, is that you? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Seconded by Vanessa. Any other board discussion? Audience discussion. Thank you ladies for all you're doing. I appreciate you letting us use and abuse you for every these years and recognition of your your work. So thank you for letting us do that. So we will move to a motion to approve action item N by Reyn as constituted. Seconded by Vanessa all in favor say I. >> I. Any opposed? >> Motion carries. Action item O meal price recommendation. Do I have a motion? I'll move to approve the mail price recommendation for school year 2526. >> Motion 26 27 motion to approve action item meal price increases for 26 27. Is there by Donnie? Is there a second? >> A second. >> Second by Noel.
183Any other board discussion? >> Yes. can. So, I know you had help from the food service contractor to come up with these rates. I just am leared that we're going to survive at only a $25,000 per year increase. >> It's a worry that Crystal and I have as well. So, >> another concern, too. Yeah. So going with the new uh food service provider um they're one of their I guess in their proposal they add an increased cost per meal uh and this brings us um obviously closer to to that but it is a massive worry that we have uh and Crystal and I have dug a we're starting to dig in a little bit more to the food service from this last couple years. Um, we probably two years ago, maybe three years ago, I
184remember sitting in the office with Mrs. Jones and the auditor had called us and said, "Hey, you have too much money sitting in food service. You need to be buying some equipment. Do you have anything you buy? We don't like money sitting in food service like that." So, we bought a few little pieces of equipment. It wasn't anything major. And then for for whatever reason, and I I'll be honest with you, I don't understand it. Over the last two years, we've taken a massive hit in our uh food service. And it's not because we've hired a bunch of extra people or we have the same numbers. In fact, we've even gone down FTE, I believe, in food service in the last couple years. Um uh and we're we're we're underwater in some of those areas.
185And uh it's a it's a worry that Crystal and I have gone through and we're going to got an outside person coming in tomorrow to take a look at it and and uh just to try to figure out exactly something doesn't seem right and and we're not sure exact I I'm not sure exactly where I put my finger on it. I don't speak for Crystal on that, but she understands it a little better than I do. But um we're we're both worried about it currently. So, um I I mean I think if you raised it $2 a meal, I I just that's just a that's a big ask in my opinion. So I to answer your question is I I'm worried. My other concern is, and I stated this when we went with this vendor
186because we knew it was going to cost us more, is that the only way we were going to come out whole or even close to whole was if we started replacing through attrition, making new hires employees of the food service contractor. But we just approved another food service worker tonight. Are we not going to move in that direction? That's the only way we're going to get out of this hole. >> That may be something we have to look for in the future. Um the RFP, the wording in the RFP uh said that they would remain our employees. Um but I think moving forward we have to we have to look at that as as a distinct option. And that's not because we want to, you know, run down employees, but they may they may be
187able to pay them a little bit better. Of course, it would adjust the contract every time uh as as people moved over, and they have stated that they're willing to work with us um over the coming years if we so choose. Uh they they they work it both ways in schools, but I I'm with Donnie. I don't know exactly how it would work out, but I think that may be one of our best options because right now I'm worried about. So, Crystal, do you have any input on this or >> Yeah, because it'll we won't have to pay the retirement for the um >> and so that'll cut a significant cost. Um I do know that they said we'd have to alter our contract with them every year to start rolling over employees over. So,
188might be somewhere to start. Would we have to anticipate how many we were going to move over or could it kind of be like >> I think that we could probably change the contract wording to probably state all new employees or all new employees, you know. So So >> from a certain date, >> yeah, I think I think Oh, and then current employees would have an option and it would be a process over I don't know how many years that would be, but a few years. >> Could we just migrate them all now? Could we work it out with that? It's not part of the RFP right now, >> but I mean if we work the contract, can we just migrate them existing employees to them? I mean, obviously they have the election to hire
189them, >> right? The RFP though we can't right now. I think that would have to be a future item. >> Is this on an annual or we three like a three or five or >> uh it's it's on a it's on a uh good >> multiple year. Yeah, it's multiple year. But what it I mean obviously there's food cost changes and things that change and so there's always some changes to the contract. So maybe something next year as we talk about the update, we could just say hey what does the option look like to roll to just uh rotate all the staff to your staff now or other option would be all new employees and we do it. >> Some of the worries you have too is let's say you have a staff member that's
190been there for 15 years and uh she's put in 15 years in PDS the state retirement system for for uh public employees. >> That's fair enough. Then you turn around and say, "Oh, oh, by the way, we're moving you over there. Okay, I'm not going to need my full P, but I'm not going to be fully vested. >> I'm not going to be So, so I think anything you do has to be a >> step process." >> Um, >> that makes sense. >> Yeah. And I think again, the way the RFP was was presented, that's was presented as we would keep the staff. But down the road, I think that's something we have to look at. >> Yeah. by down the road then in the upcoming years. >> So I guess for this board you
191just need to be aware this price increase does not equal budget neutral. So we'll be looking at when we review the budget you know results we're going to see that the food service budget is negative and that'll come from your district basically right. So, >> yes, go ahead. >> All right. Uh, Lisa Pickkins, certified co-president LUA. Um, I have two things. First of all, we would have to look at that classified contract to move those employees. And I think the retirement is probably the biggest piece where that challenge would happen. Um but secondly, this isn't like a unique laurel issue. Even just at that um meeting that I attended, it was one of the things that was mentioned is almost all school food service programs are no longer self- sustaining. like there's probably I don't
192know but basically everybody is in kind of the same situation where they aren't able to pay for food service with what's generated from food service. >> Yeah. >> You'd have to raise prices to the point and maybe it wouldn't be like $12 a meal but but it wouldn't be it wouldn't be 350. It might be you know $475 or 510 or something like that. It would be a >> and maybe if you raise them high enough you could encourage people to actually complete your free and reduced lunch applications but probably but that's like >> one of the things is that it's not >> reverses though the >> everybody >> they're not going to reverse you know the the high rate in its own would pay either. But I think you're right. I after talking about
193it, attrition seems to be the only way that can really do any kind of migration. >> Yeah, I don't think Yeah, that >> you would never want to do that to somebody who's been putting in and then >> but you may have and again I don't speak for SF. They may come in and say, I'm just making this up. They may pay what if they pay 28 bucks an hour and have better way better benefits. I mean that they may want to move over. I have no idea. >> Interesting. >> So, I'll check on them. >> Yeah, we did have a motion in a second. It was motioned by Donnie, correct? >> And seconded by Noel. Any other board discussion? This will be one we just have to keep an eye on. It's a tricky
194one. Any uh audience discussion? Hearing none, we'll move to vote on the motion by Donnie to approve action item O, the mill price increase for 202627 year. Seconded by Noel. All in favor say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? >> Motion carries. >> I'll have Julie my secretary shield changing in all the handbooks to make sure they're the same. >> Great. Action item P kindergarten roundup screening date adjustment. Have a motion. I'll make a motion to approve the kindergarten roundup screening date adjustment. >> Have a motion by Vanessa to approve the kindergarten roundup screening date. Is there a second? >> Seconded by Kayla. Any board discussion. >> So, is my understanding that the kindergarteners would have an additional day off school to achieve it? >> Um, yep. They'll take that day off and then they
195would go to school on the day that was scheduled or not. Yeah. So they don't gain a day, they just >> they just swap day. >> Swap a day. >> So it's just swap. >> So it's not an additional day off, it's a swap day. One thing that our illustrious elementary principal had never gone through was kindergarten roundup. This is her first year. So it was already scheduled uh from our previous administration to to have kindergarten roundup towards the end of the year. And it looked great on paper. turns out really really crazy with a lot of other things going on. So, she asked me if she could come in and uh move it earlier in the day, then they would go to school on that day and we'll change the calendar, get it changed
196on the website, do all that kind of stuff. Um, so you're approving kind of a calendar change and moving that kindergarten roundup day to another day and they'll go to school on the current kindergarten roundup day that's scheduled. >> Perfect. >> Okay, good. Any other discussion, audience? Hearing none, we'll move to vote on the motion to approve action item P, kindergarten roundup screen date adjustment by Railen. >> Yes. >> Seconded by Kayla. I thought that was all in favor say I. I. Any opposed? >> Motion carries. Action item Q, superintendent auction authority. Um, this is mostly just to push uh we originally approved him to go down up to 50,000. Um, I asked Matt to put together what he thought would be fair. In my humble opinion, I think we should just let him sell
197the building and not give give a floor to it. Um, because obviously he doesn't control the auction result, right? So, and it's the consensus. It was at least the consensus of the previous board that we just want that building gone. >> It would like some money for it. >> We will get some we will get some sum of money and we have to remember that we've already received what $120,000 in earnest money for that building. So we have to bear that in mind as part of of of uh disposing of it. So my recommendation um would be that we just allow him full authority to sell the bill and keep the board informed. >> Moved a motion. This is Donnie accepts my >> second by Jenny. >> Yeah, we just want it gone. >> Get
198it. We have a any discussion more on that audience hearing? None. We'll move to vote on the motion by Donnie to amend the recommendation for superintendent auction authority to uh just include uh his discretion to sell the building um on behalf of the school district. Um negotiate terms there too. um and keep the board informed. And that was seconded by Jenny. All in favor say I. >> I. Any opposed? Motion carries. >> You guys saw the auction set. >> I'm excited. >> That big auction thing with a QR code. >> Yeah. >> So excited. >> So I put that up so everyone can see it. action item R, fiscal year end transfer authorization. Do I have a motion? >> Want to discuss what this is? Have Crystal just tell us what this is. So, >>
199I'll make the motion then we can have discussion. >> Yeah. Okay. Go ahead, Donnie. I move to accept the resolution for transfer of funds with one minor change that it's not transfer revenue it's transfer of expense >> there. >> Sorry Crystal I guess change here. >> So a motion by Donnie with a small amendment to change the word revenue to expense >> till I'll second that. and board discussion. So just a brief kind of like why do we do this every year? >> So um it's really bad to close out your year negative kind of frown and so what we'll do is we'll recode expenses to take those funds that are currently negative. Um, so like the general fund, um, high school and elementary, the food fund, um, and then if anything else surprises us,
200um, we will recode expenses and put them to the multi- district. >> So, it kind of takes away from our rainy day fund as it were, which is the inner district fund. >> So, we try not to touch it. Some years we contribute to it, some years we take away. this here we're taking away basic is that kind of the gist of it. So that's how that interlocal builds up is that it is from years of of plenty so to speak we build it up and then in years of famine we have to use it. So this is a year of famine with the protests and things like that. So yes I got to change my old motion. So, Crystal up in the Oh, no. They're both there. Never mind. The food service fund is
201listed. Can you tell us what that balance is currently sitting at? >> Currently at this exact second 16905631. >> Oh my gosh. >> And that's why we want to dig into it and find out just what's going on. Something's not right. just on the >> Yeah, that's what they're going to look at. >> And just for new trustees to know, this isn't that we have a negative cash balance in funds. We're limited in law by our expenditure budgets also. And so if you're you can't go over budget. So if you've overspent, you got to move those expenses somewhere else. So that's part of what this all is. kind of love. >> We're not like the federal government where you just go into, you know, you borrow something and then you go into more more debt.
202We don't do that. >> Yeah. >> So, you didn't need to amend anything. >> I didn't need to amend it. I >> So, the motion is second, Dan. Any other board discussion or questions on this process? Any audience discussion on that hearing? Hearing none, we'll move to vote on the motion by Donnie to approve the fiscal year end transfer with the amendment changing the word revenue to expense. Seconded by myself all in favor say I. >> I. Any opposed? The motion carries. Option S or not option. Sorry, it is 9:00. Motion action action item S July 1st invoice recommendation. Is there a motion to that act to that action item? >> I move to give Mr. Tor's authority to sign off on bills that are due prior to July 13th. >> Motion to approve action
203item S as stated. Is there a second? >> Second. seconded by Donnie. Any other board discussion on that or questions? If I understand right, this is because of the kind of the gap. It's like a gap moment between funding and >> like the end of the auto budget started a new budget. >> Yeah, we got Yeah, we got to pay things prior to the next board meeting, right? >> So, you're just giving authority to This is every year thing. This happens every year. Yeah, >> you're just giving authority to pay things for you to sign off on things that >> Y get it paid for the budget end of the budget year. >> Yep. >> Any other discussion or questions? >> Audience hearing? None. We'll move to vote on the motion uh by who did
204that? Penny to approve action item as the July 1st invoice recommendation seconded by Donnie. All in favor say I. >> I. Any opposed? A motion carries. We'll move briefly through these. Um there's not much here today by superintendent report resignations. Yeah. Information items, financial reports, high school activities, middle school activities, protested taxes, the bane of our existence. Oh, that's not written on there. Did I say that? >> No, it is. >> The bane of our existence. >> We'll move down then into the discussion items. I may if it's at if the board is okay with it, it may suspend D and E. We will revisit if I mean they're in discussion. We'll bring them back for discussion next week or next meeting >> if that's all right. So, a is just committee assignments. Um I've
205received some we've received some requests. Um we just want to talk about it tonight out loud. um where it's feeling like they would feel most useful and best served. Um so I'll just open that up for most of this is for new trustees because the existing trustees have agreed to remain in their fortunately we had one in each. >> So they agreed to remain in those positions. So just the we're going to hash it out with the three of you where you'd like to serve on a committee. >> You can put me wherever I care. >> Okay. if that makes it easier. >> Well, I mean I I sent you my first choice was leadership and learning, but I'm not sure if others I mean I >> No one else claimed leadership and you guys
206where I wanted to be. >> Yeah, you were uh capital planning capital planning and then the wall was just >> that worked out really well. >> Okay. I just wanted to make sure that there wasn't any other conversation or question about that. So, we just wanted to sort of finish that up and that that will be the >> those will be the assignments then >> get you tuned in to those meetings >> they we don't have them during the summer so you'll have a little bit of a respit of the extra meetings that we'll get you on those he'll get you invites and and get you started and again as a reminder those are usually not they're always held through Zoom so you don't need to feel compelled to come to the building >> let
207us know through opposite person is >> I'm yours. >> So yeah, and then >> you're capital planning and leadership and learning. >> That worked out kind of fun. >> It is kind of odd. All right. Well, >> meant to be meant to be. >> So, yeah. So, so you'll start seeing emails come in for the those calendaring things >> Starting in August and uh yeah, they're they're great. And sometimes the meetings can be moderate, sometimes they can be >> Yeah, they can be 15 minutes, they can be an hour. So, uh if you have a specific I guess we should probably say if you're having a we need to adjust time. Generally, we try to do them over a lunch hour. >> Um probably generally traditionally leadership and learning the last year's been at one.
208The other two have been at 12 new. >> Yeah. >> So if it works for you or if it does not work for you time wise if you'd let us know so we can maybe try to work on >> um uh district operations are usually just one Monday a month. >> Okay. >> Uh >> leadership and learning are on Thursdays. They're twice >> and they're twice a month and capital planning is I want to say the other the opposite Thursday and it's been either once or twice a month it hasn't needed sometimes when we're not building as much stuff as much stuff going on. It might just be once a month. >> Yeah. >> So if Monday's not good for you and noon's not good for you. >> I don't think I have any meetings.
209We can send out an organizational email just to those individual folks and say, "Hey, >> these are my great >> that that we can send out and say, "Hey, is this work? If not, please give us an alternate dates and we'll try to see if that works for the rest of the community." Yeah. >> Okay, that's great. Um, and then the next thing uh is board training dates. We'd like to get this on the calendar. It'll be uh facilitated by um we have Bel so our attorney will facilitate that. I've uh I'm waiting on a couple of uh uh training dates that that I don't want to conflict with, but the board training dates uh usually it's a 2hour session generally that's what it's been kind of an intro session >> is that uh and
210we and I talked to Chris about this but we usually just do kind of a kind of the board 101 stuff. We talk a lot about communication. They'll answer questions. They like you guys bringing tons of questions and hard scenarios for them. They like that. So, um >> I don't think they think it was great. I wasn't even there. It was great. >> Yeah. So, uh I I'm waiting on a couple things. I have about four or five respective dates that I'll send you here. I'll try to do it this week even. Uh, and then you can just say, you know, these are the dates that work. And then what I do is I look at everyone's emails. I'm like, oh, this date, everyone seems to work for everybody on that date. So then you'll
211just send me your good dates. Uh, yeah, these work. These three dates work for me. Um, normally we have it in the evening. Is that still okay with everybody? Sometimes we'll do kind of a 5 to 7 or a 6 to 8 and it'll be opposite of we won't do it on a board meeting night. And I'm trying to pick Mondays because that's kind of when people are free. But what I could do is I'll throw a couple Thursdays and Tuesday type things in there as well. So I'm trying to avoid a few other things too that I'm waiting on here. And so I don't want that to be a conflict with just a few individuals that'll be doing. >> Do we know which attorney yet? >> No, but if I was betting any money,
212it would be Niles and and potentially Jeff and Niles. But um We had that boat last night. >> Yeah, we did. >> I thought we did. >> If it's if it's done in the evenings where it gets a little dark, then NY's into town to drive Jeff. >> So, um maybe both of them. Uh and if it's Larry, then we got to plan on like a 5 hours. >> Yeah, you do. >> So, yeah, we'll get those out. It's a it's very valuable um and helpful. So, and the first one's you might not have a lot of questions. So, current report try to bring some. Please bring whatever you I mean there's no obscure question. >> I learn something every year. They're always >> Yeah. I mean and then you know that we'll try to
213do this more periodically if this you know we had this the previous board was intact for a decent amount of time and so we had gone through a couple and they get more valuable the long you've been in it because now you've seen some scenarios and been able to think of some things >> especially if there's things that come up legally that might be like oh that's an interesting something from the Supreme Court that would be interesting to add to a training >> that would affect schools to do that. I would like them to discuss things like um closed meeting laws, open meeting laws, uh communication. Those are some of the things we try to kind of 101 stuff. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> So, great. Um then the last thing here, um we tried to
214put this together previous board to just kind of give it a little send off. Um it just the timing of it didn't work out so well. Um, so we'd like to move um, we're moving towards having strategic planning I think in August. >> We still like to do August. Yeah. >> Yeah. So we'd like to do a strategic plan in August. We'll throw some dates out there for you on that >> with the admin. So that that really limits me because there's a lot going on and I just haven't >> been able to look at the overall calendar, but I will and try to I can't interfere with new teacher orientation. I can't interfere with uh, you know, trainings that student services is doing. So it it gets a pretty tight in August, but I'll
215try to at least throw out a couple dates because that's more of an afternoon thing where we want to involve admin. This gives you it give you five or six weeks to make sure you have the date off. Maybe maybe longer. >> Um but it would be kind of a one to five type train. Yeah, >> it' be a week day and it's not something that we need a quorum of the of the board there. We would appreciate everyone there as much as possible. >> Be there if you can. >> Um yeah, but it's going to be a be there if you can. We'll we'll try to accommodate as many calendars as we can, but we are not it's not one of those um like oh one person can't go, we're going to stop the
216whole thing. So, um, yeah, we're we're it's I would even say it's it's it's a review, yes, but it's also a going to be a good long discussion, I think, about strategic priorities and and how how everything's going. So, >> administration. >> Yes. And we want to make sure that the the building admins are there of course and all of our our highle district admin is all going to be there so that we can have a really good discussion as a group. So it's not just a review where we get told it's happening. This is going to be a discussion as a team, the board as a team with the admin as a team. Like we're all one team um looking at this. So, just to preface what this is going to be like, that's
217why we didn't want to just reduce it to like a board report because we could have them give us a strategic review at a board meeting. We've done that before. This is more of a let's look at it. Let's talk about it. Let's see where we're at. So, yeah. Okay. Well, we won't have we will just suspend DNA and we'll move to future discussion items. Are there any besides DE? >> Besides D, are there any other items on an agenda that we need to add here in the future, near future? >> Yes, Donnie. >> This actually isn't an item for future discussion items. It's actually a future agenda item. >> Um, we had the email come from MTSBA about the electronic ballot from the annual meeting. There's numerous topics that the board is supposed to
218act on and then take the vote. the votes due by July 31st. So if we can do one >> the next one at the very latest >> first one July 1 would be awesome. >> Yeah. So first meeting in July I want to bring that. I haven't seen that. I wanted to >> have you seen it or not? I think I saw it. >> I can forward the email to >> I think I saw it too. anyone forward to everybody just in case it >> will I will do that because um there besides the ballot there's also the annual meeting booklet attached and that talks about all the things we're going to vote. So >> okay >> thank you from Deborah Silk if you're looking in your email remember I have some >> Yep. I
219got it right here. >> Anything else? >> Perfect. Thank you. >> All right. As always, bring them to me. Email me, email Matt, Jenny and I, and we'll make sure that those uh get on future the next available meeting. And like to to Donny's point, it doesn't just so you know, it doesn't have to be just discussion. I know it says future discussion items, but if there's an action you think we missed or is coming up that maybe you don't think we have on our radar, bring that kind of stuff up, too. So, this is about agenda items, not just discussion. So, just to be clear. So, anything that's on your mind that you would like to bring up or think we need to make a motion on or move on, bring this to us.
220Great. We're journed.