March 2026 chool Board Meeting

001All right, I'll call this meeting to order. I pledge algiance 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. All right, we have all members of the board accounted for with Joy joining us on Zoom as well as administrators and members of the public. Please remember to sign in if anybody hasn't. First up is public comment. Public comment is reserved for items that are on the or that are not on the agenda. If you have a public comment about items on the agenda, please wait for that item. Uh, public comment is for members of the public to give input on public matters, not personal issues. To avoid violations of privacy, a member of the public wishing

002to address the board will not be allowed to make comments about any student, staff member, or member of the public during his or her designated time to speak. To maintain order and allow everyone the opportunity to speak, the chair shall limit an individual's time to 3 minutes. Does anyone wish to speak at this time? use my phone for timer. >> Hi there. Is this on? Do I need to use this for Zoom? Tim, is it on? >> Got it. Okay, I'll speak loud later. >> So, you do want me to speak into it? Okay. Hello. My name is Trish Shriber and I am a legislative candidate for House District 76, which includes Granite County. And I am not going to campaign at your meeting. I'm just here to introduce myself and to say that I

003look forward to learning more about your school and your work and thank you for your service. to start this. I wanted to say we've been trying to reach you about your car's extended warranty, but I skip that part. Um I just this past weekend, um students participated in an art show. Uh we've been doing an after school program for the past eight weeks and it went really well. We had support from the school and the community showed up as well. So, thank you for that. And I just want to thank uh the local businesses who donated so we were able to raise money and continue to do more clubs like that in the future. Um as of this year as we're getting close to the year, I can only do so much as one person,

004but if anyone has any ideas on things that we can do to bring the students and the community together and kind of get them more out, it's always appreciated and you're welcome to email me. Um, and secondly, I just want to put it out there, something to keep your eyes out for. Uh, in the works is a talent show. Uh, I've been talking with Charlie from the theater and we're hoping to open it up for all K through2 students and then I've been speaking with a teacher over in Drummond. So, we're hoping to not only do Philipsburg, but Drummond as well. I'm just trying to figure out a date that works best for everyone where our schedules kind of align. So, yeah, that's that's it. Just something to look forward to. >> Thank you. >>

005Anyone else? Okay. All right. Earlier this year, I attended the Montana Principles Conference and Dr. Shane Naderman presented a keynote entitled fight, flight or facilitate. This keynote resonate resonated deeply with what has happened these past few months in Philipsburg. Culture is built or broken by how schools respond. When the community was promised that after 3 years an analysis of the effectiveness of the 4day would occur, many of us took that seriously. Unfortunately, the school went into fight mode by telling both staff and students that there were haters who were trying to take away the 4day. As we have heard and read over and over again, that is simply not true. Concern about significant drops in scores should not make one labeled as a hater. Dr. Naterman shared costs that occur when schools go into fight

006mode. Retraction and disengagement, high turnover, new staff, feedback fear, and psychological safety collapse. This in turn increases anxiety. When anxiety increases, performance decreases. We have seen some, if not all of these costs. The district also went into flight mode by choosing to ignore and not acknowledge true challenges that have sprung up these past 3 years. The costs of responding through flight mode are passive aggressiveness, silos and clicks, low morale, erosion of trust, and psychological safety. Again, anxiety is increased, and when anxiety increases, performance goes down. Again, we have seen some, if not all, of these costs these past few months. Can you imagine how much farther along we would be if instead of focusing on the so-called haters, a plan would have been developed to work on the challenges. There has to be a movement

007away from fight and flight and towards facilitation. Only then will we see true progress. Reacting usually leads to regret, but facilitation leads to connection. Being concerned about significant drops in test scores does not equate lack of support. Attending strategic planning meetings doesn't necessarily constitute support, especially when those who did attend were told that they were there only to observe. Support naturally comes with true collaboration. The people who should be at the strategic planning meetings are your staff, for they're the ones who have to see that the plan is comes to fruition. If any of you were able to attend Saturday's art show at the museum, there was an incredible show of community support. And many thanks to Caitlyn and John for stepping up. That was truly amazing. In closing, remember that the best decisions are

008rooted in thoughtful reflection. I hope that you will be able to listen to input from all sides to make the best decisions for our students. As I said last month, school improvement is hard work. We have smart teachers and I will also add smart students who know how to do this work and they do want higher expectations. I hope you make sure they have the time to accomplish this. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else? I just want to speak really quickly. I'm Kira. Um my kids go to school here. I just would really like to um ask both the school board and administration. I've been here now the last several months. There's a lot of back and forth. There's a lot of people talking past each other. Public comment turns into parents, teachers, everybody else

009talking to you guys. You're not allowed to respond. Then you guys are talking to the public. We're not allowed to ask questions. So there's no opportunity to have a conversation. And so I was really disappointed last month when the answer was we're not going to have a conversation. We're going to make decisions without that. And I think as parents, as community members, as teachers, people all want these kids to succeed. But we can't do that if we're not doing what we ask our kids to do, which is listen to other opinions, have a conversation. So that would be my ask. All right. Anyone else? >> Yeah, I actually had it. So, I don't know if you want me to >> I guess. Yeah. Or if I wait. I didn't know cuz I was told that

010I can speak publicly have public comment. >> Are you parent member or a parent? Cuz you can't be both at the meeting. You have to be a board member. >> Yeah. So maybe maybe I will um hold off and wait and then make that that clearer I guess um at the onset okay >> of the next month's meeting. >> Um maybe that would be better protocol for that and it was just merely on the aspects of kindness. So >> um but maybe I'll do that if that's better. Okay. All right. Uh moving on to our next agenda item would be approve the minutes from our February board meeting. I approve the regular minutes from February 20 10 2020. We have a second. >> Any comments or questions from the board? All those in favor? I

011I >> Any opposed? >> Thanks, Joy. >> All right, motion passes. Next item would be our uh correspondence, recognition, delegation, and administrative reports. Tom, is there anything you wanted to start with? >> Uh just our student numbers. Um, highlighted student numbers right now, uh, 37 in the high school. We have one student that's in the job core that we can count. So, we have 38 overall. Um, and that's actually wrong cuz we had a student leave and is homeschooling just as of Friday. So, we have 36 present in the high school currently and with 29 in the elementary. So, there's our totals. We have one ESSA student that we also count and that pays through the um sped ed. So that gets our numbers up to 151 total or well 150 but our numbers are

012small. That's just what I want to put up. Uh I know we're sharing prom with Drummond and with us sharing prom they have about 74 or so I thought I remember. So they're double what we have. And if school's based off A&B, A and B is your money. If Drummond has double, they can afford double the curriculums, double the teachers, double the fund. Um, with these numbers, Linda's in the audience. You've been here for a really long time, Linda. What's is this the smallest you've ever seen? >> The smallest we've ever seen it. Well, I do. So >> we have a uh huge increase in people moving into PEIRD, but the numbers and the data is showing that we have a enrollment that is going the opposite direction. And a lot of districts, we were

013just kind of talking before, are getting cuts, huge cuts due to enrollment losses. We're lucky. we're we we're not going to have a loss, but we're not going to get any money either. So, it's just I think 2 3 years of buttoning down the hatches and trying to get through and then our elementary numbers do look good. We have 17 in our kindergarten right now and after 2 or 3 years this will rebound and our numbers will go back up. Um, but just for a couple years, I think everybody needs to know that these are our numbers. And this is why it is tough with funding and buying extra curriculums or buying extra interventions. We try to seek to find the free interventions cuz we can't afford the I Ready, the LL, the extra stuff

014with this many students and enable to offer the students everything we want to continue to offer. Um, so we just got to find where we make the cuts and still offer everything we can so that our students get the most they can. But that would that would be what I'd highlight. Student numbers. Um, positive note though, want to hit the bus. >> We had a hookup. Uh likely um Gold Creek is liquidizing their school and so nobody that there was an article in the paper for a month I guess and nobody bit and we offered 500 bucks and we're getting Gold Creek's bus with you know very I think they had 8,000 mi on it. So the tires are probably worth 500 bucks. >> Yeah. So we'll have the bus. That's kind of a positive

015for the month. Um, attendance took a crack with illnesses this month. We had a lot of illnesses, so attendance did get hit pretty hard these last few weeks. Um, so our attendance is going down. Behavior, not much for behaviors. Got a couple cell phones this last month. Um, we did have our spelling be second place winner, Hug Benson. We had our um, seventh day group put on dance. That was fun. And then we had uh Officer Ryan Even come in and do a social media cell phone safety talk which was excellent. And we hit um fifth and sixth grade and 7th through 12th. And then upcoming on the 24th of March, we have a Michael Don coming in and he's going to talk about tobacco. He's going to hit Anaconda Deer Lodge Drummond and in

016with us. It'll be the 24th, Tuesday the 24th from 2:15 till 3:45 at the end of the day. So, if any community members want to come and see that, uh, we'll have that here in the gym. And then we're in April and a quarter used break and acts in April and all kinds of fun stuff. >> Does the board have any questions? >> Have there been any preliminary, Catherine, on on budgets from >> Yeah, we just received our preliminary budget. We're receiving about $8,000 more than we did for this year. >> Any other questions? >> Yeah. Is that the terminal school count? >> Yeah, it's on their three-year A and B average that the OPI does. So, how are we getting more less kids? Well, we got more for this year based off of the

017average that they put together, but for next year when you add in all the other stuff we're we're kind of staying didn't really change that much >> and the count days are October or February. So, a lot of kids that we got when they we can count them and then if they move out we already counted them. >> Any other questions? All right. Um any PTO R booster club updates? >> I forgot to hit um Bridge Health. So must is dissolving and so we're going with Bridge Health is funded um through the state and will help us uh make that transition from Must to Bridge Health. It's kind of our only option that works for us. So we'll make that change. Um we got to let them know by the end of the week that

018we're going to them. >> Mhm. So, we're going to call tomorrow and say, "Yep, we're signing up with you guys." So, it'll be bridge help instead of must. >> Is must the insurance plan? >> Yes. >> So, is there been any is there a big jump in that? >> No, actually, it'll be a little bit less. Premiums will go down a little bit less. It was the best option out of the other options that were available. >> Yeah. >> And um yeah, so the 13th is the deadline to sign up. Initially, we didn't go with it because there was a stipulation in there that if you um if you decided to opt out later, you still had claims, they would you would be the school would be responsible for any claims past the opt out

019date. And so that got changed with the state. It actually got changed. So that's not a thing anymore. And um and so now it's gotten all the big schools have gotten on it as well. So it's it's a more viable option. >> Mhm. >> Great. >> And then for PTO, um I asked Miss Bey what the fill in was and they helped out with the art show this last weekend. That was how they contributed this month. >> Okay. In booster club, did you get a few new members? >> No. Okay. I think wants to do it. >> I think Mandy left the checkbook with you. >> Going to open my name on the count. I'll be back with her. >> Okay. Brandy Morales mentioned at the track last night that she was going to be

020a member. So, yeah. Okay. Uh, moving on. Our next item is financials. Does anybody have any questions on Catherine's report or Catherine? Anything you wanted to point out? >> Mhm. >> Are we on track for spending down by the end of the year? Like >> Yeah. I saw the amount from cash on hand to cash and I wondered is that just something you do when if you run an expense or something that you know that you need to cover. Is it quite when when you decide to move cash on hand to zero and out of cash on hand and into a different account? when I What do you mean? So, I don't transfer money out anywhere. I mean, if there's claims to be paid, but like those lists the expenditures and what's remaining. I'm not

021sure. We have no major upcoming construction. We have to finish up the wall that we've been working on for a couple years trying to get the high school all secured. Um, we called it a squirrel cage once we get the doors in. That project will be finished. Um, I know we're working on getting a section of the boiler finished at the high school here, but there's no major construction planned other than maintenance and upkeep and one boiler down still. >> Yep. That section. >> Joy, did you have any financial questions? I do not know. Okay. Did you find it? >> Okay. >> All right. Do we have a motion to approve the financials? The board of trustees of school district number one moves to approve payroll warrants 64101 through 64128. Direct deposits 83818 through 838.

022claims 17922 through 17995 and visa 260 and67. Does the board have any comments or questions? All right. All those in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? All right. Motion passes. No. All right. Moving on to our items for action. Item A. So in our packets, we have a copy of the proposed calendar that has the days, the times. It's got the PI plan in there. for the whole year. I saw a mistake in March um March 13th with the outdoor classroom. It should be March 12th. >> Thank you. >> This Friday is March 13th and the follow same. you decided to go to 3/4 days, six 3/4 days instead of four half days. >> Yeah. So on this schedule, um my recommendation is the board approves the 2026 27 school board calendar here school calendar.

023So these green days um this would be homecoming October 2nd. This would be Halloween, the day before uh Thanksgiving, the day before Christmas, and then the end of the first semester and the end of second semester. Um this year when we did half days, we got out at noon and it didn't quite work because your elementary kids, you're trying to feed at like 10:00 in the morning and then get your high school kids in by 11:00 and the buses roll at noon. It was kind of just a waste of time. And so this time we'd go through fifth period. So we'd eat lunch normal time, high school would eat normal time, and then fifth period would start over here, and you'd have that whole specials period for the elementary, and then release would be at

024133, buses would roll about 145 on those days. So that is um kind of the fix on those days. The two outdoor days, the p start on 17th. Um, kindergarten wants to start right with 24th with everybody. So, kindergarten will start early and we won't wait a week or anything with them. Um, yeah, this alliance with Drummonds, they graduate May 16th, so we would graduate May 23rd. We have five PR piers. >> Uh we are three and then the two in October which is at me or M self admin and then the parent teacher conference will be November 5th. Um after that we're going to switch it next year and try an end of the year barbecue like we've done in the past on the 26th. We're figuring the end of the year barbecue might

025help because we can do um student supply lists at both the high school and the elementary and do almost like an open house and then at the high school they can also get their schedules for the next year and then that way when we go to summer everybody's kind of ready and then we're ready for that next year going right in. The blue dates are legacy photo dates. Um, we're going to have Legacy Photo come October 7th and then can hit uh volleyball pictures and Titan football pictures and then the retake day for and I'll hit student pictures on the 7th and then the retake day for students will be December 2nd and then we can hit boys and girls basketball and in January we can hit girls junior high basketball and then in May

026May 5th we can hit track and tennis and that gives us legacy photo for um pictures. >> What's the aces and pieces training? >> So, Deb Robinson from Grand County Health, she has a contact Pam, what did I say? >> Hannah from Hannah and she hooked me up and I just got her and I said, "Let's do that." So, um ACES is trauma. It's based off like your childhood trauma and then paces the positive side. I've only ever done the the trauma side. I've never got to see the positive paces. So, I was excited to see what this is. And um that's going to be Tuesday, August 18th. We'll do that training. It's 4-hour training and then we'll take like a 1-hour dinner break and then we'll have open house from 5 to 7:00. >>

027Mhm. And Monday the 17th will be like our basics. Come back expectations. We'll have our tech people here to talk about internet safety. Probably had our bloodborne pathogens, suicide, um all that the nittyritty that we got to get through for the district. On the 19th, I'd like to find a retreat and do like a staff retreat kind of like we did this year where we went to Ron Clark in Missoula. That was a really good way to kick off the year, get everybody excited for teaching. So, I'd like to find something like that if I can. Um, so if anybody knows of anything, shoot it my way. >> The last calendar I had, you know, just a little over an hour and 1.9 something emergency plan >> and a little less this year. >> Did

028you have to use that at all? >> Uh, no. Yeah. And the idea was if we do have it like a snow day, we make it up on a Friday during April or May when there's no snow. >> And how about the um outdoor classrooms you have scheduled? Two of them, I think. >> Good. >> And this next one's Friday. >> Yep. This Friday we'll go back up to Discovery. We got snow. Snow's good up there right now. It's supposed to snow this week. probably as long the windows, you know, winds dies down to the museum. >> Yeah. And then museum the Rockies for the second group. So, we were banking on doing the planetarium, but I guess they don't do the planetarium on Friday. So, we'll just do the dinosaur show and then um

029I don't know what else they're going to do. I know we'll go through the dinosaurs. >> There's a computer museum over there right by it. We do that. The butterfly insectarian was really good though. You know, Miss Wley and there was even an article in paper about it how great it was getting kids out. Try to do more of that stuff. Do do the teachers feel that you got through your curriculum adequately with the time or amount of hours that you had this year. Did you struggle with any of it? the hours. I mean, no, >> I I think personally just with all a few days behind, but I would say where where I'm at personally is pretty where I compared it to where it was last year, it's right two lessons behind. But for

030me, I put more into mass testing this year. So, it's definitely I it's definitely doable in that in the 4 day, I would say. Um, I teach to know. would definitely be but yeah I would say able to complete with the title as >> so you've had a chance to look at this calendar too right this year calendar yes >> you seem to think that it's agreeable for your >> so we did two calendar committees for two weeks I sent it out probably the week like 3 weeks before sent to all staff said that look at it for changes that's how we came up with kind of certain dates on there and even like shady We said, "Hey, let's start our first day." So, we did one committee meeting over here, one committee meeting at

031the elementary. And um that's how we do it. >> And you typically stay to the spring break around Easter, which seems to fall early in March next year. >> March. Yeah. >> And then it gets tough cuz you have a group like I did throw in um prom is a yellow date there the 10th because you're trying to stay away from shock and tennis on Fridays and Saturdays. But March, you can't go too early for prom either because there's a lot of like music festivals and whatnot in March. And then the closeup trips and so we're trying to lock down prom date for both drummen and us where you can stick with the ranch off trip. This year prom is going to be April 24th. >> Did you say you're trying to stay away from

032tracking tennis on Fridays and Saturdays? just with prom cuz we don't want to miss a good track meeting. We have to or you have a question back. >> So, we got to have a motion first and then >> I'd like to say something. >> Yeah, me. Okay. About calendar. >> I'm in such a turmoil. uh because I've listened to, you know, what everybody has said and read and what everybody has written. I know the struggles, you know, and with Tom and everyone getting this data out, setting up the calendar, and I mean, this took a lot of work and a lot of thought, but I can't get away from my own real feelings of I think I believe in 5 days. And so I think I think most of you kind of maybe knew that.

033And as we get to voting and you guys out there, um, this is a real struggle because of finances and teacher availability. And I guess I was feeling I would betray myself if I was wholeheartedly 100% full reported cuz I'm not. I'm I'm an oldfashioned girl, I guess. And and so as we go about the actual vote, I just wanted to put that out there cuz I recognize all the struggles that went into this. But in my heart, I just believe that even though we've crammed all this in, that a 5day more relaxed schedule with more chances for repetitive practice, practice, practice is better for the student. I just wanted to say that for you guys too. So let me know be surprised how that >> I think when you speak to the work like

034initially on the 5day we did have like four ski days you know and and different things in there and that's why we try to comb through it and say okay how can we button down the hatches on certain things and tighten things up and make it so that if we're on the 4 day it's bell-to- bell teaching and where can where can we keep adapting to make this work for us and work for our teachers and work for our students. So it I think we do a good job at adapting and learning each year. I know when we first were going through this process and we went to Albertton was one of the first schools and they said they were on like year nine of the 4A and they said every year has been different

035because we've adapted every year and we're still trying to figure out how we want it just to be perfect. And I think that's how we are. We're kind of coming into that adapting and figuring out what works for us and what doesn't, what can take and go. Um, but I'm a firm believer in it because I'm the one at the end of the day trying to hire people and find people. And I know what it's like out there in the trenches trying to get teachers and trying to motivate them and get them to come to our community. And I know when we look in our community and we see house prices, $495,000. That's what Jeff Abbott over here across the street offered us for house $495,000. Clayton Smith sold for what? 325. And I know

036you know Tim Allen's down there. He has one about $400,000 too. Count Drummond teacher coming in making 43,000 $42,000 a year and then they have a a mortgage of 2500 bucks and their checks only 3,300 um causes a real issue. And then if we do get some housing units brought in here again it's going to add to it. Who's in charge of that? Who gets them? How do we figure that out? I mean I said it again. And I think Bob McGuire said it last time, you know, on the weekends, we don't go from teacher to tenant and running that whole mess cuz I I don't want to do it. If there's a dispute, I don't want to be at a house at 2:00 a.m. after where the white front closes. I'm trying to keep

037the teacher in line. Just doesn't sound like something I want to be doing. And I know Bob doesn't want to be fixing toilets or, you know, figuring that out. We had um like Puritan Cleaning from Missoula come and give us a bid on cleaning our schools cuz really trying to think outside the box on how to save money and how to get uh efficient. And the bid they put in for the quote was $10,000 like $300 a month to have the outside agency come contract for cleaning. I mean, we're looking at every side of the onion to make this work. And like that's why I said from the get-go, we look at our student numbers, right? And we see what we can do. And it's it's working right now. The model is if we can

038steal from Drummond, Missoula, and Aonda and get people here, why wouldn't we? If we can steal from anywhere else that come in, if we can grow our own here in the community, like if there's pairs that want to grow into teachers, um, we're going to try it. We're try to turn every stone over and keep people here and do everything we can to keep education going on. Um when I called all the schools and um the majority of them are all 4A again the superintendents will say you know for the young kids it's tough. Is it what's best for kids? We don't think so. But then you get into that 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th. Is it what's best for kids? Definitely. Most definitely. Yes. Because of the sports and being away and

039the age groups and the attendance that we've seen since co. So it's like a a 180 from the young kids to the older kids and trying to find this and mirror it together and make the best of it and to say okay how do we make the best of what we are cuz if we don't staffing is a real issue and that's the one thing I brought up at the strategic plans the last couple years like it's a glass onion and you take out a couple key players it could all fall apart and then we're really going to be in which a lot of us are already pulling double triple shift like right now superintendent, principal, elementary principal, counselor, those are the four big ones I teeter totter on um right down to helping with

040athletics if I can. And you know that's five jobs under one title and all of us do it. Every one of us. We all have multiple hats we're wearing, trying to keep the ship afloat, trying to keep the kids positive and trying to keep the moral up so that we don't go down. >> Okay. So, we have a recommendation. We can continue having conversations, but if we have a motion, we make a motion in a second. Then we have our time for board comment and then public comment. So, is there anyone on the board ready to make a motion? Okay. The board of trusteesburg school district under one moves to approve the 2026 2027 calendar. Okay. Do we have a second? >> I second that. >> Okay. And so now, does the board have any

041other questions or comments you want to make on the calendar? >> Yeah. So, I appreciate hearing from staff. I think that's great. And I think a piece of it is getting through the curriculum, but also another component is mastery, right? Um, and it's it's that balance. And I think one of the things I've I've never been against the 4day um because why would you be, right? Like there's a lot of really great benefits. I think the thing I want to throw out there is, and I appreciate you saying this, Mr. Gates, um, how can we make it work and be the best, right? And I think with that comes then collaboration with community members, um, and listening to concerns and then also really authentically looking at like what is working and what is not working

042and what do we need to add, right? What do we need to shift? What do we need to take away? and being open and willing to have that communication and those conversations in a very like constructive way, right? Like how can we keep and maintain this schedule that really checks a lot of boxes while also like shifting or adding things that then also check other boxes like student achievement or standards mastery or those kinds of things, right? Um, and I think that that's where some of that work comes in and opening up and facilitating that that connection with the community and all the stakeholders that are involved and taking that feedback back, right? So, um, that's something that I would just throw out there for next year in terms of as we're moving forward with

043this, like if that's what we're going to say, let's make this be the best calendar that works for everybody, then let's like let's do that. Let's actually have the actions behind it that then propel us to that place rather than just like talking about it. That's my stencil. I have some more okay to add. Um I didn't know we were going to do this or I would have said that. Um, so yes, uh, to everything you said, Jen, and then and I was thinking, you know, Sue, you know, reading your accounts here and, um, listening to Mrs. con um the nature of the board meeting is really difficult because it does not allow for the back and forth that we all want for many reasons and a lot of it is you know kind of

044a so things don't get out of hand. We as the board before I was even here, we we started the strategic plan as an in an effort to get things rolling make community connection and have input from community and staff. That didn't quite work out like we thought and I don't know why. People signed up but then there was no follow through. Uh they didn't come. They they didn't put it at all. I know I had a certain list of uh community members who had volunteered to be on the committee. I was on it. It never happened. They they never came. They never showed up. So if the board the board is kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place, you know, that was one I thought really good way to reach out

045and hear each other. and um you know made progress. But as it turned out, it's really just the board making a plan and the teachers I guess probably put in some input. I'm not really even sure. So So it's back on us. Okay. So it's not that we don't want the community. We're not trying to be secretive. We're trying to do the very best we can, but we don't have consistent input. For one thing, we've had people show come to a meeting with some really legitimate things and um leave and then they do never come back to hear the followup of what they wanted to talk about. We can't always talk about what we want to talk about at this moment in time. As you've probably figured out, you bring something up to us today.

046We didn't listen to you. But that doesn't mean it's the end of that topic. It just means at this particular meeting, we can't get into it. You know, we can't really have it has to get on the actual agenda. So, I think it's frustrating. You know, I feel like uh we're a little bit we're not trying, you know, to have this fight or flight haters stuff. And I don't understand I don't understand a lot of it. I I think we're really honestly and I think you are too really trying to get along. So, and what I'm trying to say actually is it's it's frustrating. It's absolutely frustrating to have this desire to make the school absolutely great. Lots of different opinions, feeling like you're trying to do, you know, your best and yet still not

047being able to make it work. And I don't have the answer. Uh I don't but I do feel it's very frustrating and I know every board member up here we don't hate anybody. Uh some people uh on this team here get a lot of letters bashing them. I haven't but I try to stay incognito. um you know so I think we need your help for one thing is putting the haters you know correcting them as far as trust goes I know these guys I trust them I've taught here many years and other places also many years and you get trust from communication right so making it a point to show up to board meetings even if you don't have anything to say, just so you can report out to the community what the board is

048actually doing or talking about. And being a lot of you are advocates of the school, but you may not necessarily realize the importance and us too of our words and what we say in the community. I I'm frustrated and I'm like, you know, like I said, it's a tough job nowadays. You teachers, you got it tough. I recognize your struggles and everything. So, I'm not sure how to end this thing on. I just >> on a positive note, I do want to say like I we have two past seniors that graduated last year and one of them just got a job offer at $179,000. Another one got it uh over $80,000. And that's CTE, that's welding. And we have students that are just killing it with the CTE and the trades. We have students that

049are also going collegebound. We have a lot of success stories coming out of the school and so you know I think it needs to be more what's the positive needs to get kept and we try we try with the new app that we have and we try with all the stuff like putting it out the app's able to put it on Facebook and the live feed and everything and we try to say what's the positive stuff going on and we try try try and really good our kids are doing really good the opportunities are there what we've done is we've been able to continue to give the students the same opportunities, but without the money, you can't offer it the exact same way, but you can still offer the opportunity. It's still there. I mean,

050when you take a teacher pay scale and you go all the way over a mast's plus 30 and you come all the way down or a master's plus 9, cuz you need nine master credits to teach a dual credit class. If you go masters plus nine and you have six year 19 teachers all there plus some other ones in the elementary that are curriculum, your district can't afford that off 35 kids. When you only have 35 kids in your high school, and I know that's just the high school, but when we only have 151 total, we can't have every teacher have a masters plus nine teaching college credits. We have to be a high school first. Once we're a high school, if we can afford to push, we'll do it. But we're utilizing MTDA because

051it's free. You can get six credits from Helena College for free, from the M for free, and from Bosezeman and all over for free. And yes, everybody's acknowledging an in-person master credit teacher would be best. That's what would work. It's in person. Nobody's saying that wouldn't be the best case scenario, but we can't afford it with the amount of students we have. So don't kill the messenger. It's we need more kids and that's where we're at right now. We can't afford it. And then like I threw this up here too to show like this is our high school schedule. And what gets tough is when you have small students and you put them into the classes and then you try to give electives to give a little bit extra to the kids. they're stuck maybe

052in a core class and they can't even be put in an elective class or if you have a sweet elective class you dream up like small engines and you have Mark Brets helping out to fund it and do all these really cool things with the relationships we have but then we only have one or two kids going into it. That's all we have cuz we don't have the numbers. And it's it's not that we're not trying things trying to be innovative and trying to like offer everything we can. It just when you only have 35 kids, you can't have this many teachers and have kids in every class either. It gets really, really hard. And like I said, 2 years and it'll rebound and we get some more numbers and then we start coming back.

053But it's going to have to be a realistic, honest, this is where we're at. We got two years ahead of us. Just plan for it. And that's very open. It's what it is. I don't know how to say that. And I think we're doing a lot of positive stuff though because I think there's a lot of kids doing a lot of really cool stuff and our sports teams are doing really good. Football cranked it. Basketball did amazing. I'm happy with them. Tracks coming up in tennis will do well again. Teachers are doing amazing. Teachers are trying to step up. There's teachers that are going to take on some extra duties and classes going into next year. And so we're just going to stay the course and keep trying to make it better, which I think

054we did. I think since the day I walked in here, if you can leave it better than you found it, you did a good job. And like looking around right now, I see pictures on the wall. I see carpet. I see buses. I see fence that doesn't need to be stained every year cuz it's painted. I see cell phone holders where cell phones are stuck in. And you don't have to, you know, worry about cell phones. I see boilers that are working efficiently. I see a lot of maintenance stuff that's been fixed up. So, >> yeah. And I think all of that's awesome. And I think the piece I really want to add on that is student achievement and expectations. Like all of that is so amazing. And saying student achievement and expectations doesn't take

055away from any of that in any way, shape or form. And I think personal motive is right like I have a kiddo can't read. And that that is a thing for us, right? And so that is a place where I'm going to be invested is wanting, you know, my own child to to flourish and be successful. And so I think that that's that is the piece of looking at this calendar of like making sure that we're doing due diligence in all of those areas in all of them. Yeah. And and when we do say things, it doesn't detract from all the amazing positive things that are happening because those are really fantastic and great. That's awesome. Marie, you have anything? >> Yeah. I I just wanted to talk about the number of kids we have,

056151 total. And you could look at that as a negative way as like we're losing students or you downsizing, decreasing, whatever. Or you could spin that and look at it positively. 151 to how many teachers we have. You think that with the amount of teachers and staff we have, we should know every kid their um abilities and disabilities and we should be able to, you know, go through the grades knowing that, working on it, fixing it. And so I I would like to turn this number number into a positive thing for our school and focus more on the kids needs and um abilities and foster that and and as they go through the grades. And so we need to do that for the kids. I think however we do that if we do that with

057this calendar and um 5 day 4 day I don't know but I think if we work together with the teachers and the parents cuz the parents do have a hand in this as well we you guys can put all the effort you want the kids between whatever it is 3:45 and 4 and they go home and you know the parents don't do their part then we all have a hand in this So, um, that's all I want. Okay. But I also wanted to see if he's been back there waiting. >> I know. Sorry. Let me just give Joy an opportunity. Joy, is there anything that you wanted to say? >> No, I'm okay. Thank you. >> Okay. Thanks. All right. Public comments. Come on up. >> Okay. So, how you doing? I'm Ryan Watkins. Work

058for the town. I got four kids in the school. Well, I had four kids. One graduated. Uh, I've got a senior, 10th grader, eighth grader. Now, just seeing the calendar for the first time, okay, something that's bothered me, I've been in three different school districts. I've been in Colorado school districts, Washington school districts. This is by far is the best school district I've been in with my kids. But something that always bothers me is federal holidays. If we're taking a Friday off, why can't we take Veterans Day off? Why can't we take Columbus Day off or whatever they want to call it now, President's Day? We always have our kids on those days. Now, me being a dis uh uh 100% disabled dad, okay, served in Iraq, my kids know Veterans Day is their option.

059They get to stay home. I don't care, okay? Because that is my day with my kids. So that was about the calendar. Then the other thing that I was you guys were talking about financials and stuff with the the teachers and stuff as a community member. I see you you got this financial stuff. Okay. I went to school for uh what was it? Finance stuff. Okay. and you can't pay the teachers, but we can put two new walls up. Okay, we have uh a door system with a camera on it right in the front doors, but that wasn't good enough. We had to put another lock on the next door. Then we had to put a whole wall up with another lock on it. Okay, now we're putting another wall up facing the gym. Okay,

060so I don't understand. We're talking financials. We don't have enough money to pay the teachers yet we're putting projects in that wouldn't we want to pay the teachers more or provide stuff for the athletic parts? I I would think that would be something that would be more mindset because I mean me if I'm looking at you know stuff going in and the teachers go we ain't get paid enough. You probably could take what the projects that don't need to be done and separate that between the teachers and I guarantee a teacher would be like, you know, I got 50 cent raise this year. Be a little better. Might be able to keep teachers a little longer. And trust me, I understand. I had to pay 685,000 for my house when I moved here 3 years

061ago. And I do not like the mortgage payment. So, I agree with you. Okay, that's all I want to say. All right. Is there anyone else? So, so I spoke at the last meeting. Um, and I really wish I could have conveyed this at that meeting. I was a little nervous when I was talking, but I work here every day. I am in every single elementary classroom every day. I have students I check on and work with every day. I'm over here at the high school working with students. And the one thing I notice, and this isn't it's every day may not be the same class, but I hear happiness. I hear laughter. I hear classes. I Well, I walk into classes and our amazing teachers are making them breakfast because it's a special day.

062Our teachers go above and beyond. And I see that every day when I walk through these hallways. And I'm actually very proud to work here because I work with an amazing group of people. Every I I don't think I've met someone that I haven't liked. And the students are absolutely wonderful and amazing. I have yet to meet a student that is a problem child. We don't have problem children. We just have different children and they all have different needs and different ones and education, academic levels. I think our affordable week is accommodating that and I think also it's accommodating teachers and helping us keep teachers. Um I personally like 40 week I have ranch so it helps me get ranch stuff done and I get to see my daughter who graduated from here and I'm

063very proud of her. Her graduating class like Mr. Heat said um they're doing amazing things. She's got a track scholarship. she's got good grades and a lot of those kids did that and they came from here and that 4 day week I think helped them as adults because they could have jobs and they could have sports and they have more time for sleep and more time for homework. The younger students I think probably could benefit from the 5day week. I think that's better consistency for them. But as Mr. said, "We have to do what works." And right now, the 4day works. And I see it every day when I walk through the hallways and I'm greeting kids and talking to them and seeing their smiles and hearing their laughter and joking with them. Or if

064they are upset, we can take a few minutes to, you know, I had a a student crying today and we were able to take a step aside and take a walk and take a breather and I got him back into class. So, you know, when when we're talking 14 weeks, yes, we're bell to bell, but we can we also have that time to where we can really accomodate each of these students. And we do know each of them. I know every student by name except maybe some of the kindergarteners. There's a lot of them and that's a good thing. I know where they're at. I know what they need. I know what um academics and it's it's a great great feeling because like I said at the last board meeting, I didn't have that with

065my two kids, my school kids, because their classes were so big. And I have to say, like I said last time, Philips Square is extraordinary. And I wish more kids could have this type of education. And we'll get there. We'll get our numbers back up. I really do believe that people are going to find Philipsburg. I don't want people to find Philipsburg. I like Phil the way it is, but we'll get people here and we'll get more students and we will rebound. But I think as far as like right now, I think our for anyone else can ask questions. So, is the total hours on this calendar 180? and cap or 100,81.5. Okay. And just as a side note, um the Montana code annotated does say it's 1,080 instructional hours. And so that's where I

066get a little, you know, upset when it's so hard to get through the curriculum and get mastery. And then when we count days that really aren't instructional days as instructional days, I just I just don't see the problem of going a little over 1080 because we we have days that aren't really instruction. And that's okay. We don't want to take those away. God, I was working when I was a kid. You love Halloween. We love the Christmas days. We love all that. You don't want to take it away. But when we're so tight and just want to stay in that 1080 and we really are supposed to be turning in 180 instructional hours, maybe we should act. >> So where did you say um sir that we looked something annotated? You want to have annotated

067the the law that says that we have to have it says 180 instruction. So just to clarify when I took this superintendent job there was 1,087 hours 7 hours over when I came in we were only 7 hours over on a 5-day week. We had enough time for one day if we needed it for an emergency snow day. How it works is CDA, collective bargaining agreement. If we go to ask for more hours, we're going to have to give teachers more money. And if we don't have the money to give, it makes it very difficult. And so if we went into negotiations this year and said we're going to jump this up to 1,120 hours again that comes into levy which comes into the 685 house just went up for taxes for everybody. We've always

068tried to not run levies. When I came in again we hadn't had a levy since 2012. Right, Linda? >> Yeah, we gave her back because we found money. And the idea is not to tax the community members because none of us want our taxes to go up any higher than they're already at. So all this is very tricky and it's what do you do? But again like I said when I came in there was only 1,87 7 hours over. So I'll own this. When we went to the 4A and I created the 4A calendar, it was at like 182 183. So, we went down 5 hours. But also, by doing this now 4 years, I also know that when we have a snow day or let's say we don't have a snow day, we know

069we're going to get 3 ft of snow. If people, and I'm saying all of us in this building, teachers, students, and know that we have 7 hours to spare, the first thing that gets asked, well, we got hours to spare. Let's take a snow day. Let's take it cuz we got hours to spare. And that's the ask they ask of the superintendent. Hey, it snowed a lot. Let's take a snow day cuz we got those extra hours. We're not using them for instruction. We're using them for snow days. And so going to this, the one pro I found from it is saying, "We don't have any hours. You're coming to school. Show up." And they say, "Well, what if what if we take the day, then what?" And I say, "Well, if we take the

070day, we're making it up on a Friday in April or May, and nobody wants to take the snow day. They show up and come to school." So, if anything, it helped get people to come and instruction to continue. So, I think it actually did help us in a way, but I go back, we can add more hours, but then it's going to be a negotiating thing and money can possibly live. That's how it works. >> Yep. I I understand that. But then that also leads to the question then why the significant drop? And that's where that's where we have to get into the other things. And so let's save that for our strategic plan because I think that what I'm saying is it does have to do with the hours because when we had 1,080

071hours spread across 5 days the scores were here and then when we spread 1 hours this way the scores went down. So we can't ignore that. I mean we we I know everyone loves the 4 day. I do too. Um, but it's also that important piece where we've got to remember that that is why we're here. Okay. And I have to let everybody have a chance. So, Kira, did you something you want to say? So, I actually really appreciate that, Mr. Gates. That's the first time that I've heard anybody own the fact that the 4day school week is not the best for the young kids. That we recognize that, that it's a strategic plan to get teachers here, which I think is important. You can't teach kids without teachers. I get it. Um I think

072we all understand that the 4day is kind of a bygone conclusion that we're going to have a 4-day school week. My ask of teachers, of administration is to come to a meeting with a plan about how are you going to improve the scores within that 4-day school week. Not defend the 4-day school week. not defend decisions that have already happened, but say we get it. We own it. It's not where we want it to be. The bare minimum of a state score should never be our goal. And so defending that is probably not the best plan. But I don't believe for one second that my second grader learns anything after 1:00. And so we've got to come up with a plan. And I ask of the board and of teachers would be to present a

073plan within the 4-day school week to say how are we going to help the grade school kids who are the ones with the lowest scores who are the ones that we all recognize are not helped by the 4day school weekend. >> Hi, if you guys don't know me, uh my name is Kendra Watkins. I'm a senior here at Krina High School and I've been here for the past 3 years. So I came here I moved from Washington after my freshman year of high school. I came from a school that was a 5day week. I've come from Colorado Washington school districts by far me personally. I have excelled here. I struggled really badly and like co hit and all that. my grades just tanked and with the 5day school week I struggled really hard because my

074graduating class at the time was 200 people and so the teachers there I mean they're just trying to go through the curriculum I didn't I was able to master anything and so with the 4day school week coming here and I mean my classes eight kids were all very close we're going to be most likely all of us will be still talking after high school compared to my old school where a lot of of us would have just gone our own ways. And so with that, I've been able to not only excel, but also master all the stuff within the curriculum and learn more and have more time to do what I like to do. And I like getting out of school on like around almost 4 cuz then I don't feel like I have my

075day wasted. It's like my old school people would get out at 2:15 and I feel like there was nothing else to do for the rest of the day. And then with the Friday, Saturday, Sunday off, I'm I'm able to go to work, learn more, even go on trips. And so with that, that has helped me a lot. Not only for me, but also my classmates who may not like school as much, but even with them, they still they still try. They still put in the work, get the effort, and like the teachers a lot, and I just want to say good teachers because they put in a lot of time towards us students. And with that, we're able to go above and beyond within our class or our subject. But I feel like one thing

076I do miss here is the community part. And so with that, I mean, I play high school sports. I help with a lot of stuff when I can. A lot of community service, especially this year, seeing the community not show up for our school, it was kind of buming to me. And so, like when, for example, some of the basketball games, it was home games. They would be post on the Facebook, post on the Instagram of the high school being like, "This is what the time the games are. Please come and support. and here's our weight team having the stands packed and ours is empty and it just kind of felt bunny with that. So I feel like if anything our community can show up more. So that also feels like they can have more

077of a save within the school cuz it's like you're showing support for the school. You're trying to help with the school to do better. But when the school not when the community is not showing up for the school, it just feels like we're not together as I mean Psburg itself. And so that's one thing I wish for the community is just more support towards our students and not just dropping your kid off at school and picking them up, but trying to have them go into clubs, go into help with the school and do more. That's all I got to say. >> I was going to add just one more thing, but I mean we we are trying to put interventions in place like they're there and we are using them. We showed last time at

078the last board meeting how you know we take the mass and then we go to the individual teachers. You don't have team teachers cuz they're not really split. You got a seventh grade English teacher or a seventh grade math teacher. You just need to go to the teacher and say, "Well, you're doing different." You go to a third grade teacher, you look at your test, you say, "Okay, how do we how do we fix you in your classroom to get your test scores? You're missing the vision. We need a hammer division." And that's how it works. And we're putting this stuff into place with the things that we can do with the staff that we have. It's not like we're not trying. We're we're looking at everything. We're calling every resource we have. And we're

079also trying to keep motivated cuz the burnout factor is real and it's high with teachers as we've shared with the shortage of 1500 teachers. You know, all the other stuff coming out. It's there's no nobody here in this room that wants to see a student fail. I think everybody needs to agree upon that. We all want to see students succeed. We want to see scores go through the roof. And we all want to win. And I think, you know, I try more than anybody. Sometimes I think in my own head I'm trying really hard. Maybe it it's different for other people, but I'm trying to make sure that this school stays together, the team. That's why we have what it means to be a prospector. And one of them is we have each other's back

080no matter what. We stick together and you know what? We always have a smile on our face cuz we're trying to win. It's tough, but tough gets going and we're getting get through it. >> Is there any other public? Okay, come on. Come on. I just want to do you want to come use the mic so that No. >> Well, for the recording otherwise you won't be on the recording. >> I just want to say the liar right here. You did a real good job and but um but it was sad the audience there wasn't very a lot of folks there. So it is sad. I agree. But my um Miss Dr. con said most everything I wanted to say. So, I'm not going to take your time. But the that's the thing that is

081bothering me the most too is that um little kids in the elementary the younger they start learning, isn't that why we have um Head Start and preschool and all that kind of stuff because they just they just absorb everything when they're that age? And it gets easier as they get older for them to do that. And I I'm I'm proud of my my the senior that belongs to my family is doing awesome this year in college. Everything's going good there. I don't have a problem with any of that. But I am worried about our scores. And I I don't really hear a plan. So that's what I wanted to say. I think there should be a plan besides just talking to a certain teacher about this one or that one. I think there should be

082some kind of plan and maybe um some to come in and help with that plan if you need it. I I mean maybe we need some help to make a plan to make the scores go up in the elementary. And it's really important because if you don't learn that when you're little, you're in trouble when you get to high school. And these kids, I have to say, most of them went to an elementary school that did not have low scores. the ones that graduated last year. So, you know, that's something to think about. And I don't want to have a five day week either. They got me spoiled on 4 day week for sure. So, I like it and it's really nice. So, if we can do that, I'm all for it, but I think

083we need to get it going, get a plan. >> So, that's exactly what I wanted to talk about. >> And and that's all. Thank you. Yes. they're kind of tagging on too. So it just dawned on me like we are making this plan and we asked for help with this strategic plan but our strategic plan is well I'll tell you I'll tell you an example. One of the parts of this plan was um provide training and differentiated instruction. We don't we don't do that. We don't do that. We don't do your mapping. We don't look at your books. We don't tell you what to do. Your teachers have to do that. I mean, I'm not really fear, but I'm saying this out of my own experience of sitting down. Okay, so nobody here seems to

084know their math facts. So, what are we going to do about it? So, we made a plan right there in the building. It had nothing to do with the school board. We made the plan. This is what we do. We do a a rotation of, you know, math facts and, you know, just different things. Okay. The reading, what do we do? The teachers have to make the plan and carry it out. We don't do that. We tell you what we want. We want a 75% of students by up by one grade level. That's what we want. the teachers and that makes the principles sorry act they're accountable to do that. So when I hear we need a plan we need a plan. We do need a plan for that but it's not us that made

085that plan. So if we want to do that kind of a meeting or whatever that's up to your your uh we did it we did it in uh meetings that we had staff meetings this is our problem what are we going to do about it and then we closely worked together did the old trial and error thing and I believe because we were invested in it as teachers And you know, it it did take more work, no doubt. You weren't there at 8 and leave at 4 or 3, right? >> But it was worth it as far as getting those scores up. I've been online looking at all kinds of stuff about what to do, what to do, and it's not entrepreneur that has to do it. It's I mean, we could do something, but

086the actual work or how has to be done in the school. So there and with the test scores, student numbers, I'm going to go back to student numbers. If we have 36 kids, let's just make it simple. You have two kids, one of them aces the test, one of them fails the test, your test scores as a whole district look one way. Now, if you have five or six kids in your school district and five of them pass it, one fails, your district as a whole looks better because you have more kids and more past it. Like when we're comparing us to Drummond, we're comparing ourselves. It's not apples and apples. We need to figure out what school out there has 35 kids. Is it St. Reges? Cuz they're talking about closing and going Superior

087right now. Is it Lincoln? I don't know. But when we start comparing apples to apples and not apples to oranges, there's that part of it, too. And then we had the reading grant with Sue and we're getting $234,000 a year that we could use for instructional coach and PDS and put it into our system. That when that sunseted, we weren't offered to put in for that grant yet. But if we find the grants, we get the money. We can do like more. We need the grants. We need the money. And Sue, if you want to write the grants, I'll surely take them. We'll put them in the district. If you write them, you do a good job. So, keep it going. Let's write a grant. >> You have to sustain the work. That's important. >>

088Okay. So, we sustain it, but then you got to sustain the staff, too. So, one thing too, I think I don't I've the the comparing of test scores, you know, I know that there's been a lot of talk about that. The thing that I lean into is looking at the individual classes and I'm going to speak personally again is looking at students who are on grade level and students who are not like I that that's where I really like dig in and because I have a personal again investment in one of those kids who's not on grade level and so I I mean that's what I would like to see is like when we're talking about this in student achievement like we're talking about kiddos who can read and can write on grade level. Like

089that's great what other schools are doing. And I think that that's fantastic and we can look at that and it it adds some conversation. But really what we should be focusing on is the fifth grade class and the number who are proficient and the number who are not proficient cuz each one of those numbers is a kiddo. Each one of those numbers is a kid that goes home at night with a mom to do spelling and can't spell words. and we have tears. And that's where I think that right like just really focusing on that like at our school what movement can we make for those kids. >> What I've said is we focus on that. We try >> like we're trying really really hard >> like and I think what is being said is

090that with our strategic plan what some parents are asking for is like that like seeing what that is like those are those really great things to put out there to the public of like you know our staff um spent 2 hours on instructional strategies to increase reading for all of our K through five and this is what we do right like that is that's what I think people are hearing and people ask for >> to be fair like with the public what I hear is I'll have public tell me where to put teachers. If you put this teacher in that class, they would be doing so much better. If you put this person in that class and it's tough because you want to hear concerns and you want to help, but the community doesn't stop

091building. >> So, I'm going to refocus here because we've got a lot going on and I know there's a lot to talk about. Um, so Kayla, do you have one more thing on the calendar? I just like to hear myself talk. Yeah. >> You've been that way since. >> Yeah. So, I didn't um I'm Miss Wley or Caitlyn Walkley. I graduated from here in 2019. And some of the teachers who are still here are board members were my teachers. Like, it's incredible to work alongside people who taught me. Like Tedra, um she was my sixth grade teacher and then she had her son when I was in sixth grade and I taught him last year. So, it's cool to see. Um, and I just wanted to comment. Um, like I said, I like to hear

092myself talk, but no, um, I agree with the community and I think we're all on the same page and I agree. I remember when I was in school, the community was huge. Everyone showed up and we stepped away from that. And I think it's cuz we all feel like no one likes each other, but we're all on the same page. Like, I love working here. I love going out in the community and I love I don't even know you and I love you. Like that's just that's just where I'm at. But I just wanted to share on the 4 day something that we do in my classroom and probably it's love to go to the strategic planning but in my classroom on the 4 day it is tough and that way in the program that

093we do is it's hard. Um, I will admit that there's a lot to it and our kids, students struggle with phonmic awareness, spelling, just the simple things. And, um, so what I've done in my classroom and what we've kind of pushed to do and fourth grade has started it and we're hoping to move it into fifth grade as well. I do two separate interventions in the morning. That's the first thing they do is reading intervention. Excuse the basics of fluency, um, vocabulary decoding. and then the same fourth grade does and they do it every week. It's all based on the same thing. Um, and we've also been collaborating with the fifth grade teacher who does grammar and connecting all of our spelling list. So, they see that in our classroom and grammar. So, it's not

094just they go home and and study it, they see it in ours. And we're hoping to kind of get more teachers involved. But, I I just wanted to share because my students have worked really hard and I'm extremely proud of them. I'm extremely proud of all of our students who show up and work hard. Um, for our progress report for the mast, I just wanted to show this cuz it's pretty exciting and I know we have our struggles. Um, for reading, this is progress. So, it's not current, it's not final. We'll kind of see how it goes at the end. So, this is compared to sixth grade across the rest of the state. For Montana, averages for English language arts. Average for sixth graders below are 48% and then near or 47 meets or exceeds

095is 5%. So there's three levels and then our class is is a small class. So the low is 50% and then year is 38 and meets or exceeds is 13 and two of them are advanced. So they're not only meeting it, they're exceeding it. So when when I do my intervention, it's not only helping the students who are behind, which I've already seen great progress and I'm incredibly proud of them and I think they all agree that you have had the basics to get to push them further. Um so for 13% um it's really exciting to see because they're all working hard and they see it in the classroom and they're trying. And then for a math um sixth grade again we are the Montana scan averages is 46% below near is 36% and meets

096or exceeds is 18. Now for our class in this uh for our math test what I've implemented in my classroom because they don't give you any study guides they just tell you the basics. What I've done is I create study guides. Students work on it at home for the week and the parents are super supportive and they do that in our small intervention. They get tired of it but I'm like we got to refresh. Um so did I already mention the Montana for this? >> Okay. So our class we are I'm yelling now 0% below. As of right now our progress report, there are zero students who are not meeting the needs of math. For near, we are 25% and the most exciting for me to exceed is 75%. So over half the students in

097sixth grade are meeting and exceeding what they are learning. They're mastering these skills in the classroom. And I think on the 4 day week it is it is tough to get all of it in with the curriculum and the wit and wisdom. But I I do believe having that extra intervention and pushing them has made that difference significantly because I I could argue 4 day and 5day you know because I I live in my parents house and if I didn't live in my mom's house she don't live with me trust me I'm but if I didn't live in my mom's house I couldn't afford to live here. So having that 4 day allows me to do my photography on the side as well, but I can also see how 5day is beneficial to push that

098extra. Um, but I I just wanted to point out that with the 4day week putting in that intervention and that extra work, even for students who don't need intervention, just having it and pushing them has really made the difference. And like I said, I'm extremely proud of them. And I'm hoping, you know, fourth grade is starting it and we're hoping to kind of push it into third grade as well. possible. >> That is that is what I would like to like to know. >> Yeah. >> That you're you're doing this kind of above and beyond and you recognize the need for it. I think uh I last year, you know, we looked at the math scores and we were seven points below Montana average overall for sixth grade. So, I kind of took it into

099account of what can I do different this year? and you know AI is probably going to kill the world and you know whatever but it really has allowed me to create more resources that don't yet exist um in the sense of study guides and allowed me to do more um that follow the mass uh mass test and so that has been super grateful just having that shortener of like okay I did this and now just readjusting and I think parents have seen that I hope has has made that So, um, yeah, I just wanted to share. I know it's not the strategic planning, but I figured how how I worked, how I do it in the 4 day is possible, even though sometimes it's a lot. You've just solidified yourself as a member of the

100strategic plan FOR I would love to help. So, I'm calling you. Thank you guys. Thank you, Lind. So, That's a good segue actually into the point of this is probably the beginning of all of these conversations and we do have opportunity to join those in our committee meetings. So each of our board members are in charge of the committees that put together the strategic strategic plan and bring back the action plans to each one of them. So Jen is putting together the instructional committee that will be looking at our action plans and um putting those together. So we do need more members on that if anyone wants to join that committee. And then that committee will bring their information to our quarterly planning meetings. We also have a staffing committee, there's infrastructure committee and there's

101a culture committee. So if anybody wants to join any of those, uh talk to us and we can tell you who is in charge of each of those committees and you're welcome to join them as we continue our work in all of this. Um so thank you for all of your input and all of your information. Thank you board members for saying the time that we've done on all this review and to the staff for all the time you guys have put into this. Um I appreciate the whole effort that everybody has had. So at this point we have a motion. We have a second. Um and I'd like to call for a vote. So all those in favor of the calendar as presented say I. >> I. I. >> Any opposed? All right. Okay.

102Motion passes. All right. Thank you. All right. I'm leaving because I don't care about the rest of it. And last time I left the grand. >> All right. So, next item on the agenda, item B. >> Item B, resolution call for permissive levies. My recommendation is the board approves call for permissive levies for the public. permissive levies are the levies we do every year like transportation um tuition fee and that just stuff building reserve and um we got to put those out every year kind of look at what's coming in what we need and either raise them or lower them. >> Yeah. And I just did an estimation based off of the information I have now and um formulated what I perceive as a budget for the upcoming year for each one. And ultimately they

103won't be finalized. We won't know exact numbers until I get into the budget season in August. But it's it's just a a pretty good estimation of what it will look like. It looks like it's going down. >> Mhm. >> The tuition one would be the one we like. >> The tuition one staying like the same kind of like we're maintaining just in case there's some different sped things that potentially could come into next year. >> It looked like it went down most in like the vehicle depreciation or something. Was that because of >> some of it's just looking at like what are we using and like um like with the bus we were able to get that other bus. So like still m we were still maintaining that one. I don't have it right in

104front of me to look at it cuz it's not like um >> hanging reserve though. You know, you did have a >> a pre-plan like, hey, we're going to have to do something like roofing something. You could up permissive levy. >> Yeah, I did have the the building reserve cuz we did use some of that this year to do review things, you know. So, the gentleman left earlier. So, like there's certain things that you you have a fund like this the the wall and those doors, they're paid out of a completely different fund than teachers are paid out of. And there's some funds that you can't pay teachers out of them. You have to use it for other things. And so it's not as like as simple as you think. It's like, oh well, we

105got to use this money for something, so well, we'll try to do this. Or you have the technology fund that helps pay for different technology things. And then you have the general fund, which primarily pays for all of teacher salaries, though we also have schoolwide, the schoolwide grant, which helps pay for some um some salaries in there. And so there's just some different things that like the building stuff is not you couldn't just take that out and put it towards teachers unfortunately. You can't just meld it all together you know it's all broken up in different funding. So, I did raise that one because we have had some extra expenses in that one so far and and so that one went up a little bit. But transportation, that one went up just a tiny bit,

106but um some of that has to be that also includes salaries for like bus drivers, transportation directors, stuff like that. It also includes like the fuel and things. And so there's just some natural increases that occur. The bus depreciation, I just kind of basically kept it the same. uh tuition, it lowered just a tad, but it's more in relation to um really what was being spent out of there and then just trying to manage it so we're not increasing taxes on property and stuff. So just trying to keep everything reasonable. Any other questions for Catherine? Do we have a motion for item? The board of trustees with Psburg School District number one moves to approve the call for Miss Second. Any other comments or questions? Okay. All those in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed?

107All right. Motion passes. Item C, >> offer contract to junior high assistant track coach. My recommendation is the board offers a junior high assistant track coaching contract to Audrey Raki for the 2026 junior high track season. She was the only applicant. >> So moved. Second. >> Any comments or questions? Right. All those in favor? >> I. Any opposed? Motion passes. Item D, >> approve volunteer high school junior high track coaches. Uh my recommendation is the board approves the following. Volunteer high school junior high track coaches. grab them all together with junior high in case they go help with track meets for both. Brandon Harvey, he helps out with long distance. Dustin Hansen, he was the junior high track coach last year, but he wants to help out high school. And then Dustin Kelder also wants

108to help out with a little bit of um high school like throwing. >> So, they're just volunteering. >> Mhm. >> But then are they paying anybody? Is there >> volunteer? It's free, but it's just like a procedural >> just no not in the contract. It's more like this is formal like we're trying to do with subs. Even I am on the board. Just a formal, >> you know, and and it gives them a shout out too. It's kind of like to the public and everybody gets to see that Brandon Harvey's helping out, which is awesome. Dustin Hansen and Dustin Kelner cuz you can see like our two teachers here. Again, this is what I speak of where we all wear extra hats and working for free. >> Okay. So, the board of trustees of Hillsburg

109district 1 moves to approve the following as volunteer HSGH track coaches. Brandon Harvey, Justin Hansen, and Justin. I second. Any comments or questions? Right. All those in favor? I >> Any opposed? Motion passes. Okay. So, we have our next school board meeting on April 14th at 5:30 and then I wanted to see if we could schedule our next strategic planning session as well. I want to give you guys time if you have any committee meetings you want to say first. um if we can do something at like March 31st or April 7th if that's possible or if you guys need more time to fit in and we need to look at the end of April for like doing an actual committee meeting on August 7th and moving forward. It would be like the um not

110your individual committee but looking at the full Yeah. Okay. Mhm. >> Easter break runs the 2nd through the 7th, >> right? That's why I was trying not to get into it. But the night before is the week. What was the next 31st? >> The 31st of March I thought might be okay. Um so that cuz we'll have for our quarterly March would be kind of the end of the quarter. Then April, May, June would be our last quarter of this year's strategic plan since we're on the fiscal year. So if we can fit one in, we could do two in the fourth quarter if we needed to, but we need our third quarter meeting and then we need our fourth quarter meeting, which the fourth quarter should be towards the end of June when we've

111got financials and all that kind of stuff to look at. So the 31st looks good for me, too. Do we are you available March 31st for a strategic plan meeting? >> Um I'd have to check. I think I'm out of town, but I don't know 100%. I don't have my work calendar up right at the second. >> Okay. But I can let you know. >> All right. So, let's plan on the 31st for now and enjoy. When you get a chance, just let me know. >> Okay. I will. >> And then Wednesday the 1st will be parent teacher conferences, too. >> Okay. You guys want to pick a day for June? >> I know it's a ways out, but it would help, I think, but it goes pretty quick. >> Sure. Yeah. Do you guys

112know your calendars for June? Try to >> I will be out of town the 19th through the 28th. So, we could go either before or after that. >> What is the board meeting that? >> The 9th. Thank you. >> What about the 16th that before you go on your trip or does that work for you? >> Mhm. >> Joyce, let me know about June 16th as well. Does that work, Jen? >> Okay. 5:30. >> Yeah. Oh, you'll be off the board at that point. >> I see. I'll be done. >> Oh, all right. Thanks, Joy. Okay. Um, so we'll set the meeting for the 16th for our fourth quarter review of the strategic plan. Okay. And with that, I'll adjourn the meeting. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thanks, Joy. Yeah, a few boats.