001I pledge allegiance 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 here except for Joy along with members of administration and the public. Did you all get a chance to sign in? Thank you. Public comment is reserved for items that are not on the agenda. It 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 to 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
002speak, the chair shall limit an individual's time to three minutes. Does anyone wish to speak tonight? Um, I'm gonna stand up. Um, I just want to make it clear before I start that I'm what I'm addressing was the newspaper article back in April which was for last year's test scores. So that would be 23 24. So it is not what we're getting passed out today. Okay. Okay. I would like to address the April newspaper. article that discussed the test force for Philipsburg schools. Like many other parents and members of the community, I was both disappointed and concerned after reading the article. Student performance on these tests was classified into four levels. Novice, approaching proficiency, proficient, and advanced. Our K through 12 are 50% novice in math, 30% novice in reading, and 28% novice in science.
003At the novice level, the student has not met the achievement standards and needs substantial improvement to demonstrate knowledge and skills needed for success. After reading the article, I went to the OPI website and discovered that only 16% of our K through2 students are proficient in math. 36% proficient in reading and 22% proficient in science. I also discovered that these proficiency numbers have been declining the last few years. In fact, math proficiency dropped from 36% to just 16% in the last two years. Our district falls well below the state average in all three areas. Another deeply concerning statistic I came across is that only 25% of students are considered college or career ready after attending Fulsburg schools. I am here tonight to ask what is the plan for improvement right now? Regardless of the tests being
004used, regardless of the current state of the building or staffing, what is the district's plan to raise student proficiency? How will our kids get the instructional hours they need to succeed? Will the district implement or enforce a homework policy? How are we going to close the gap between the grades students are receiving and the grade level level at which they are performing? These questions deserve a clear answer or answers for the sake of our children and the future of our school. Thank you for your time and attention. And then I also have graphs. So to add to the pile, um this one just what I found on the OP website. It's just it just shows clearly the decline in the last few years. So I thought that was um relevant. And then here's a couple
005others. So I do have a a couple things to pass out, too. So there you go. Thank you. Yep. Thank you. So the board will take your advice, your concerns, and we will be in touch. Does anyone else wish to speak? All right. Thank you. Go ahead. You go. I just kind of had a question because I know that there were just a couple parents that have some questions that we just respectfully wanted answers to and we we requested a parent meeting and that wasn't you know that was declined and then we were told that we would be on the agenda and then we're not. So I was just kind of confused about that and I kind of wanted to bring that up because the last that I was informed was that we would be
006on the agenda with question and then you know we saw the agenda and we weren't so wanted to bring that to light a little bit and understand that a little better. Yeah. So Tom and I talked about it um and in order for us to be able to be prepared for your questions and to be able to confer with all the board members. I think Tom asked Holly to bring it to the uh public comment portion first so that we can then take your concerns and make sure that we properly address it and give you all the that. But it gives us a chance to all be involved versus just Tom and not just me. So we can all hear all of your concerns first and then we can all address it together. That makes
007sense. I just didn't there was no followup I guess with that. It was just we were on the agenda and then we weren't. So I just didn't I just wasn't sure why or why I wasn't told or why we weren't told. So that was just my Yeah. Sorry. We should have sent email. That's okay. Just wanted to address it. Thank you. 194 I think I spoke with colleague and I did not remember to call that's okay just wanted to you know not during public we can't it's not supposed to be for discussion but we can afterwards if anybody wants to talk to us individually afterwards we can do that for sure any yeah um the article in the paper back to that the fire alarms quoted as not [Music] And I just wanted to see
008if there's fix or an answer or my works. I feel like yours works. They work. They're in the life and like we're in the process of figuring out like the idea is like hey when they go out they're going and they were put in 1987. So they're going out. Sometimes they work sometimes they don't. But when they don't work we get fixed and we get home like they're working right now. It's not like they're not working because the article did say that they were working out of it wasn't in line with the state law. So, and it's tough when you talk to you're quoted and then you don't get to edit your own quotes. Okay. Yeah. And we're working on Monday we have industries here looking at all our stuff. On Tuesday we have Apollo.
009So, let's see that we'll about that when we get to the reports because some of that's [Music] anyone else not to cut you off. Thank you for the graduation thing. It was really hard day but we made it through. Um the tree is beautiful. If you notice, I planted some flowers out there. Um, and number three, we have um, as far as for the kitchen stuff, we have two beef donations um, that will be coming either in September or October. So, that'll help with our kitchen budget. Yay. And we've been reworking the kitchen. So, the floor is waxed. The cooler looks brand new. And have a few other little things to tweak out, but we'll be up in and starts the summer food program. Any other public comment? All right. Next item on the agenda
010is the approving the minutes from our last meeting. Any comments or questions? All those in favor? Any opposed? All right. Motion passes. Uh, next item on the agenda is the elementary principle report. Does anybody have any? We'll start with board and then we can ask com. So, first the elementary principal report. Does anybody have any questions on that one or maybe anything you wanted to add? Did you see I had to ask permission? Did you see that? Yeah, I have to too. Maybe that says just email it. Yeah. Were you able to see? I think I just it's the only that has the permission asking. I didn't get any requests though. Yeah, I was. Sorry about that. I saw it when I was on like Does have any questions on the report? I got it.
011Okay. Is yours the one with your face? That's my personal. Um, a couple of things I just wanted to point out. We had all the field trips on here. PTO for helping fund those. Um, and then we got the retirement letter from resation from Tommy. So, I wanted to thank her for all of her years and service to our kids at the school. We'll miss her next year. And also wanted to thank the Masons again for the vice for books program. It's great to have the community support. Did you guys have any questions? All right. Um, the superintendent report. Are you kind of thinking the same thing for books? Like so we'll have first reading in August but final Yes. by September, October. I think well you take three readings you can do it too.
012So I just I'm I really want to try this one more year where we put them out, we do the first reading at the August 12 meeting, we get them out, we get them online September meeting, they get the second reading, and then October third, I think we get more eyes on it than just our eyes because even just like parents tonight, if they see something and they say, "Hey, this is what's in your handbook. It's not finalized. We want to bring it back to the board." It just basically we made instead of 10 eyes, hopefully 100 eyes I think in the small community I think everybody would be willing to do that and help us out. And what we're trying to do this year is split them instead of having a big one big
013one 52 pages have an elementary one and have a junior high school one and then hopefully keep them both like 20 30 pages. I mean back the forms but hopefully they're a little bit more informative for school. That way we're not 52 pages for kid either money. Hopefully we clean them up. But that's my plan. I'd like to keep doing that. This year was like that's stupid. Next year let's do June August because we don't have July either. So or we do it at the end of the year. Go ahead. Any questions? So, in your report, you mention um senior prank day. Yes. The clean up. What the heck? What happened, guys? I'm over it now. Took me some while to take deep breath. Um I don't know. I just I I think if we
014went back and made some prep work on positive and fun games and hopefully like not lost the time because we did have the other kids in here till 10:30, you know, and it's still even at the senior came back right away, it's still there's that loss of learning and like it's it's one thing to get hammered on scores, but I say it out loud and everything and then it's like it's okay to have that and I get it does get like well we've always done that. we get to do that stuff and it's like well I'm going on how we're trying to make things better here and if we just allow that that's not going to make it better because we are losing construction time and I'm trying my best to like count that but
015maybe we we don't take the fun away it's just how can we still have fun and positive way and still keep the school operating as normal and you know we have 7 class by 8 in the morning I'm happy times because I I mean teachers I see teachers upset. I had one teacher ask me if they just done no there has to be and we got to fix it. I think we can pretty easily change the school. That's not common. That's the first time I've ever seen like I've been a lot of pranks and extreme before you say not to the extreme. Yeah. Oh, I think that they did like taped up the keyboards or hidden stuff, but I don't think they as far as I remember like Yeah. I think I I think that's
016like we can't like non destructive destructive like it's over. I think a really good focus on is like how do we shift from something that is taking instructional time and upsetting staff members to something that's right positive and like culture like prospector titan building like I think you know focusing on that is is something that's important and I think dissecting this instance specifically like there's a lot of things that we could say it should have would have right I think the point is of like there's like a senior breakfast opportunity that they do and then maybe they can go, you know, do something else. Um or Yeah. Right. Um so I think that that's a very like valid point of like how can we channel this energy into something that's maybe a little bit more
017um positive, right? That's the hopes because I think even when I called them I was like I was pretty ticked off. Everybody knows that he was really what happens, you know, I think he came up to like he seen it. He seen the teacher's faces. I mean, it goes back to work. I had one parent teller, male teacher, hey, this isn't that big of a deal. You need to calm down. And the male teacher returned like this is my place of work and I'm a professional. If this happened in your place of work, you'd be upset. It's not When I asked the students, I said, "When you go on campuses, would we do this or next year?" Was absolutely not. We should all care about the school to where we don't do anything that could
018hurt it. And they didn't heard it, but it's just like if we let things go when it does happen, um, then we're have an issue. And I know I talked to another parent who said even with the TV and stuff, kids jump in the back of trucks and go and everything, right? What happens when have a truck roll over and somebody died and then all of a sudden it's like hey when did we see the warning signs and not say something about it like you know even spraying kids with water like you know I'm not too happy about getting sprayed with water I get it I get it like this it's shaping up to go the wrong direction so how do we re look at this and do it so people are safe kids are
019probably safe and just still have that positive energy like do we get one of those cars and smash like get that energy out there and then it's the prank. I don't know what you guys think like I knowing that class and obviously having a personal investment in it. I know that none of those kids were malicious. I know that it was 18y olds who have been that way since kindergarten where they feed off of each other. they had access to the school and it escalated as it does numerous times before with that class. I mean, I know that it wasn't malicious. I think the focus and I would agree is like how can we channel it into something that's productive and positive, right? And I apologize really stressful for me with graduation and different things
020going on, stuff like that. It's like, you know, it's like the one thing that breaks the back like I can't take it anymore. really hard times that like if pranks maybe the first week of school like take that was awesome this at the end of the year it's like oh I mean I think there's a lot of things that we could go back and probably say like hey these are things that we can change right maybe enlisting the class advisor next year to help us challenge the kids to possibly unfortunately everybody was Tell me how they're going to want up that one. I even have to kinder your kindergarten son say, "Wait till you see my prank." Yeah. So, like I said, if I call in sick the day that happens, it's mental health day.
021I'm going to walk in. No, heart can't take it. I'm not sick. I guess I'm surprised that it doesn't sound like any of them had any kind of turn off but they recognize what they're doing above and beyond that that could be said about humans in groups doing all sorts of things, Unfortunately, that became a danger. Actually, I did hear that there were some girls cleaning up after some of the messes. They didn't really see all the messes because some of them got cleaned up. So I think that people maybe some of the people did know that some things were going too far. My daughter's class did it and then one student had a full like panic attack and emot [Music] um we talked about and I don't know if you've had a chance to
022tell everyone else but about the um make industries and Apollo opportunity app. So it just kind of hit our sock industries is an engineering company and what they do is they tie in with retired superintendent and Apollo did the same thing. It was funny because came Monday and Bob and I went and hung out with them for about an hour and a half got the whole spiel about what they could do for the districts and then the very Paul walked in and night are two different companies, but I'm hands down 100% in love with Paul Industries. I think they're the company that we put our time and money and effort cooperation with. They have a vision of a long-term plan for this district. And when they came in, they said, "See that building over there?
023That's beauty. We're going to restore that thing. We're going to write grants for you. We're going to figure out how to get that thing because nobody else has what you guys have." But the day before the guy said, "You're probably going to have to knock that over my money." So, you can we switch um and Apollo they're what they're going to do for us is they're going to bring team engineers here into like we're doing this do it I was like I this is what I'm waiting for and so they're like we're going to come in a bunch of engineers we're go through your schools we're go through crawl spaces basement go and we're going to make a list of fims and if you have say 20 f these are like things that need to
024get done in the next 8 to 10 years from what you guys want firearms like we want firearms and we want lights guys if we can switch over lights and then save the money and then all of a sudden the money's going back in the curriculum we know what we're going to do um we can start winning here but it's going to take a plan and they're even like you know it's not going to happen by fall or next year it's going to be slow play and it's going to take time but we're going to start with those engineers coming in get that list of them they're going to come and talk to you guys the superendent they hired was a ex naval captain. and he was in the Navy for 20 years. When he
025got out so he said, "Well, you know, facilities shar like the old school and he end up suing the state for $28 million and helping that school." And he's like, "I'm going to write for you. That's why I'm here." He's like, "With fire alarm, that's what we'll get in. That's what you guys want. I'll get a fire safety grant and we'll get these things cranked out and get you guys And then just what do we start checking out next? Is it the lights? Is it the boilers? Is it the foundation? Is it the brick work at the elementary school? Um is it the the windows? Like we have a few different windows and all that in or out. They had a whole list. It went on and on and on. They're great. We're going to
026keep that relationship. So we start hearing name. And the coolest thing too is like they're the ones that hold the get the general contractors and I'll talk about it and us like they'll put out the bids. They do it all. You share the information with us and then because they have a huge company they're like we will get electricians because we bet you here you guys struggle to get electricians but boy like they're like well Washington people work and they'll be here like sweet. So we got a plan um it's we think it's going to be a good relationship you know it's kind of like a honeymoon phase you know conversations signed promising news for us. So that's that's those two groups. That's amazing. Yeah. Yeah. Energy efficient lighting windows. Yeah. Because as soon as
027we start flipping this where we're making money and then all of a sudden we're sitting here like we have $4,000 with it, you know, whatever we got. Um, it just helps us start and if we don't have the facilities, we can't teach the kids. We got to put these next 8 to 10 years into our facilities so these facilities can last the next 50 years for kids after this next couple generations. So, we got to focus on facilities and that's the goal. to roll right into that. Our e-ray just kind of finish up our 801 technologies that rewire our schools. They just finished yesterday with elementary. If you look at that white box right there, you see the two they put three drops in every room. This room got six drops of double, but they
028did outstanding work. They did in two weeks. Um went through all ceilings, went through both tech rooms. I put a picture of our new tech room. If anybody was ever in there before, they would have seen a huge server tray right in the middle of the entire room and see how everything's hooked up in the corner. Now our internet is so much faster now. Like internet's flying because it was just kind of pieced together before and now it's all just clean together. this this company they're also helping too because um like our pages he just quoted me today and he said he can redo our pages for 4200 bucks each brand new he thinks he can put well here's the case he can put he thinks he can put a line in between the two
029schools so I can talk to your school from here to my school from there so if I had a fire for a lockown so there's things that are happening and it's just been taking right people and right connections and like that connection came from K12 or our tech people it's just it's kind of falling together and it's working out for the better. Um so that's our technology in a nutshell. Um our enrollment I'll hit some things as we go down our enrollment projectedly is kind of going down at the high school level um 7th through 12th grade. We do have a couple kids uh I know enroll at Dr. one extra other than the normal ones and then we're getting some home school stuff going on where you know previously you'll talk about how parents
030homes school kids they get money I don't know if parents heard that think there's money because there's not rejected that you don't get money for homeschooling students like the legislators hold that so I'm worried parents heard that sometimes might go through there's going to be paycheck there's not um we we do have just a couple but we always back and even around that 70 mark high school. But as you see like our numbers are earned. Middle school seventh grade. Our high schools senior class will be eight next year, juniors 13, sophomores 11, freshman eight. So our high schools and where that affects is like sports teams, right? And playing kids up, different things like that. And that's just where we're going to be for the next couple years until unless we get a bunch of
031kids moving. Um I kind of hate infrastructure with everything we did. here helping for the summer with some rebuilding the rooms and whatnot have time. And Jordan and Jason, they're working on the rooms. That's why we're not down in right now for rewax floors. So, all that stuff's coming together for full um instruction. Our attendance from the last four till I went till May 30th because I didn't count the finals days of school. That's where we were sitting for attendance. Um it does go lower that last kids kind of peter out and kind of go and I don't know what it did to our I did move our seniors to the 30th even though they didn't get marked that week or anything but I should I just seen that now I wonder if that would
032change our senior attendance um but yeah that's where our attendance was for that one um we did a PD kind of try to do more of a like positive motivator for the end of the year like hey we're super excited for next year to talk about some for next year, what's going on? And then we did the handbook. We broke into schools, separated the handbook, started working on handbooks, and that's how we spent that day. Um, we wrapped up our mask and our ESPback testing. I think we did pretty good in my eyes for what it is. Nobody loves masks. Even when I go to my superintendent means like every superintendent, it's like, "This is horrible. You're either a red, yellow, or green. What's that tell us? How how can I make my school better
033if I'm red, green, or yellow? This is what the state's given us. We as superintendents I say we because when I go to kick back and say there has to be a better way. Um this is the way we have right now and we're in it for next year or two. What they did do us this year is they said we had to do four tests next year. They're saying we only got to do three so that it's not four windows in. So it is what it is. If I could take it away maybe we could. campus state. We do, but the problem is we can only go over beginning year, middle year, and the end of the year. I did go around to my teachers and for me did so was my teacher. So,
034it's like your dad because he did both English and math. Next year I have doing math and I have doing English for next year because I'm separating schedule a little bit. I'm sure they'll want that again next year for science. I I did call Ericson today was like hey you know I do have I want to talk. What are you guys doing over there for assessments? I don't have anything. I don't have any extra math or high or anything. It's tough because once you get kids in tracks and you're in there, they're you already know they're going to al geometry and they got to do those to get your graduation requirements and if they get those done, they're going to online. But unless you have teachers that do advanced math and stuff um and you're
035just tracking my grades, he goes, "Let me call my buddies and call California back and forth." And I'm still looking for a program to assess kids and I I would put in N 10th grade probably 11th grade ACT 12th grade mainly our higher kids that go up we put them on that Montana road and we're looking at eder to an ed ready and ed ready is what we're hoping to use in our advisory classes it can preparing students for the ACT test, which I'm going to get into here a little bit because I got some stuff. Um because it basically to make an analogy, you might just go to a state football game and say, "Okay, I'm ready to play." And then you lose and everybody says, "Well, how should you practice?" Well, I didn't
036practice at all. Just show up. That's what we're basically doing. And it's nobody's fault. Now we know we need to practice with ACT test and we should start in seventh grade and start building these kids up. If Ed Ready is a tool we can use to do that and Fiser class tool to do that. That's what we can do and we can build these kids up over those years so that when they take that three and a half hour test they don't give up and to say and I'm done. Like they they can do it and compete. But we need to train for it because we can't compete if we don't Just like that. And it's nobody's fault. Just we're learning as we go with new staff. This is why consistency keeping things rolling is
037the best we learn for future. Are you also like Harper actually was going to buy with his personal money for every student like I'm just going to pay for this. you can't work on one thing for us. We're going to do this. Like that's where we're at. We're working on it. Um so we we worked out scores too. So if everybody looks up here for we have data from 2020 2021. This previous for me as superintendent before the board we are at 18 and then this year we're up at 19. So we were going to 18 and bumped up 19 this year. I'm not stay at 19 back on 18 or go 17 next year. But this is kind of a nice one that this year are above. Um what Wade knows is when he
038goes conferences and stuff too, they'll say your scores are um dependent on your zip code. Say you go to Montana, we know you're probably in that 17 range. Say you go to Paul, California, you might be 30s, right? Zip codes. Here's our averages. Um, what we've talked about here since my evaluation is like this stuff could be put down too no different than like a Titanion or prospector stuff. It's like these are our ACT scores. This is where we're sitting right next. And it's tough because like we don't know if ACT is getting a lot of attention anymore or SAT, but we say it's not worth anything or it's another because if we say it's not worth anything then the kids are going to say well they don't think it's worth anything we should think
039this is it this is the bomb this is what we want to do we should prepare for seventh grade and we should see our scores um up as high as we can get them by training for so then if you take I just did ACT online comparison you know, it's online. Do you believe it? I don't know. But average scores in are right there for each. And then go right down Montana. Connecticut, New Hampshire, the highest and California. Montana was rated 19, I believe, 19.3. So I mean, if we could get let's just say 21 22 23 That's the average people might see that and then we are putting something like this downtown on the banner and when we create these tours in the summer people in the summer or we have website like hey
040we want to get our kids into a higher education school and this is a place that can do its win. Tom this is our score and what we've done. So this was this year last year. Oh yeah. This is what we have in California 26. California but they do. So maybe they're training for the test. And I know we're not and I I know it because Yeah, we are. And we never Well, and I think it's I think it's I would caution just training for the test as opposed to like the holistic, right? Like what else are we asking in terms of like expectation instruction? Like I I it's one thing getting through a curriculum, but like are kids getting standards, right? Like and I I think I would just really like to see like
041a holistic, you know, like bumping up of expectation and you're speaking my language because that's my dual credit classes because I have real credit. I know and I'm a parent through the day. I don't know why I'm getting into those dual credit courses because for one it saves me money and saves him money in the long run. Saves time in college but a dual credit class here compared to what we know is we want the teachers here, right? And we want teachers that can teach credit classes here and we're working to that, right? But having online and then a college thing in front of instructor. Hopefully it just marries up to go. I I want to see like tests to do it and say, "Hey, are you ready for it?" Let's just not sign up
042because it saves everybody money. It's happy. Like, are you ready for it? And like we did have a student almost right here on failing the class and then you fail, you go into probation going to college. I don't see that. That one set up for fail college. And it was like who's that on that on that student or is it on us because we don't have the right mentorship or counseling like after school. So it does wait that's I couldn't yeah I can't download that so I couldn't email it because um there is no report without kids names. Thank you for that. Sorry. Well, I was looking I guess I'm going back to address and um I was kind of disappointed because you know science is so important and there was a time when we
043were aligning the state and I look at these scores and I think Mediocre. What was mediocre? Why? And then I went actually I went through all of mag and again that was my opinion. You know nothing was really good. And if you're mediocre to get you above that is tough. I spent a lot of time today thinking about that and I got online and I did some more reading which you know maybe talk about it but I'm really not happy with these scores and I don't mean that just to blame you know the teachers you guys have worked your tails off getting you know things going all the different things you've done and then that's the result even the all the other test that you so that's one thing about uh this mediocrity is the
044answer is not in a new curriculum. The answer is you know my question was do all the teachers of the new teachers do they understand the state standards perfectly and know what those mean? A lot of the new teachers, you know, they're coming, they're trying to, you know, get their feet under. And so that's like a thing, but um you know, they have to know those state standards exactly. And then they have to look at what they're teaching and be able to uh well, my example from years ago was I spent a lot of time for science changing like um you know different you know things about maybe we did the moon and the bases of the moon and all these things and I remember the test was all about earth science rocks I never
045got to rocks because I was unprepared I mean I hadn't you know it was my own you know fault but there that needs to be done so that is in our strategic plan year one under instruction is mapping the curriculum to the state standards. Okay. Good. Okay. Well, and I think the other thing I like for a curriculum review tool. So, it's one thing to say that we have a new curriculum and we're getting through it. It's another we're reviewing that and seeing if it's effective and aligning with the standards that we Right. And I don't do we have a curriculum review tool like because we do have new curriculum. Great time, right? We're in second year super kids now. First year. Yeah, second year. So now like is it meeting our needs? Is it
046what we thought it was? Are we pacing ourselves with the 4 day week? Like what are we getting through? I mean now is maybe a good time to do this. Yeah. The teachers need that's so important that they do that. And it's a three school what's coming to my mind like he talked at when we brought this stuff up. remembers talking about this like it's hard because our buy when we see kids doesn't matter what we need this so we need the incentive so if there's a computer and you're taking a test and so you know it's hard again teachers want something parents want something students want something how do we make it all work together and how do we give incentives to students to want to try and get hard and do well and
047how do we make teachers well parents and teachers aren't the same thing everybody they should I mean parents it's not separate like the parents want the kids to be performing at least in the proficiency and I'm sure the teachers do too like that's not different and what we're thinking is if we could figure out a way to incentivize you guys did really good like the kids that do well. Sure. You are incentivized by this or this. That's why you want to do well and it will help. That's what I think that's great. And also I'm wondering too if there's looking at like kids that are honorable and if they're not proficient if we need to take a look at like how like their grades, right? Because that's an incentive too. Like that that's wanting me
048to to work harder and So yeah, I think it's very complex and reviewing and reflecting on it for sure and it's been something we like we switched our honor roll our hot roll was 3.5 before we switched it to 3.8 or higher because for one it's like high should be right at that four point and then for two it's like it was it's hard to see when you have 40 kids on high honor roll and two on honor roll and you know there's It's like we have 40 kids. Well, not when you're 16% proficient in math. There's no way or 33% proficient in reading or 22 in science. Like how that doesn't like that doesn't it's a huge flywheel. So you find things like two years ago called me and said, "Hey Tom, do you
049realize your eighth graders don't have history?" We'll fix that. We did like all the other stuff we see once gets brought up, we fix or we find a way to fix or plan fix it. Well, and I'm hoping that's why we spent all this time creating the strategic plan and setting up our goals and having the action plans because we can then put all of this into place. And what our role needs to be is in beginning of August, we take our strategic plan, we sit down and we break down what we said we were going to do in that first year and we figure out how we do it and we give ourselves deadlines throughout the entire year so that we can make sure that this whole plan is what is driving us to
050get better to get the results to match all the goals that we said we were going to do in the plan. that should be the driving factor that's going to solve these problems, that's going to do all these big goals that we put in the plan. That's why it's here. That's what it's for. So, I'm just thinking about instruction to state. So, I'm assuming the committee is the committee or so What after the results of our committee involvement that we've had, I think as a board, the most effective way to make it happen is we have a working group meeting like we did when we started the strategic planning. We look at all of our goals in the action plans for year one and say these are all the things that we said we were
051going to do and map it out across the year and looking at our budget, what we have money for, what we can do, what we can't do, creating a action plan for our year and then we take that to the committees and say, "Okay, you are on our instruction committee. This is what has to happen this year. Help us make it happen." We have to be the ones driving it, but we obviously can't be the ones doing it. Yeah. See, that's trying to think of so where can the actual teachers get involved in and that'll have to come with these guys helping us with the committees as well. So, yeah, because obviously that's the most I think not overwhelm if we don't make it so crazy how we go. We need something that's like one,
052two, three, check. We did make a new list. One, two, three. Check. We did it. If we make something that's like I mean I don't get scared. And I'm just being honest like why did I do that? It's tedious. It's very tedious. curriculum and state standards. We have a lot of irons in the fire. And I think that plan, our action plan is good because we broke it down into really good categories like going back to infrastructure. You know, if we put all our eggs in the basket, we might forget. We still got building care. We still got staffing issues to take care of. We still got culture I want to keep because it does take all these firing on all cylinders and I don't want I don't want to say one is less important
053than the other but I want to make sure everything gets its its time and it's fair amount of time and I along with you guys always have to make sure that we're checking the balance and making sure so we get it done. So this is kind of my own personal story. Um when I was the principal over there I tried to I had these teachers that wanted me to map the math curriculum with the state. Who would have thought I asked them to jump off? I got so how are we going to do it? When do we have time? I mean, it was it was amazing. The wind and um at that time, you know, we got out on Friday at 2:00. Matthew, were you Yeah. Yeah. So maybe um I wanted to have this
054planning meeting on Friday at 2:00. Well, another teacher kept telling me, you know, you can't ask the teachers to do that. And I'm like, yes, I can. You know, they might I'm not asking them every Friday. And so really my point is the belly and and how to teachers how to give you that in inward something that you're going to do this because you know it's important the culture right to the culture and that's what like so you guys can help spread it. It's awesome you guys are here because you guys see this like this was built off that plan. If you look what the superintendent report infrastructure that's one thing we talk about next thing instruction next three staffing and cultures there's four staffing infrastructure instruction culture. So there's our four model all our
055reports of what we're talking about every month about these and how we're hitting them. It just builds and hits the five year plan and then to throw a layer on top of it in five years they come back or later say did you guys do your job see later find something else that can do this so these are these are this is new it's all part of the strategic plan that we've been working on this whole year so those are our four goal areas okay and then we broke down objectives under each of those four areas and then there's action plans year 1 2 3 four and five has been happening. No to this. No, I mean that's the way they structuring the report so that we talk about these areas. But we are tonight
056when we're finally voting on the strategic plan to adopt it and it'll go active July 1 so that we can then build out next year's goals and plans. I see it. I see. I think as parents we are worried about the culture as well. We're worried that you know uh for our children. We're learning for the students like the culture that uh is being created is we feel like making the kids um you know they don't have much homework. They don't they're proficiency isn't there. Like they're going to school four days a week. like they don't I thought when we were doing a 4 day a week I thought they didn't have homework on Fridays or something. I feel like that culture is what we're really concerned about. It's a big issue and we did
057open it up so if any parents want to join any of the committees anyone is welcome. So it's not just for us and for the staff. Anyone is welcome to join any of the committees. We put out a strategic plan also to give parent input and co community input. So everybody's had a chance to look at what we want to do and make sure that it aligns with what they're feeling. Um it's been hard. We haven't had a lot of involvement. So we are pushing forward with the best that we can and what we have. But um if anybody wants to join those especially as we're starting to break down those action plans and what can we do next year that's going to be where we're really starting to achieve those goals. I think that's
058where Connie is Right? Like that has to come from for the instruction part. It can't come from a parent. That has to come from the teachers and the administration, right? Like I can't tell the teachers what to do differently or the administration. I I you know that's not something that there's the other areas. There's the culture committee, the infrastructure community. Um we had a couple parents that are in the construction world and they were interested but kind of dropped out. So I there's it definitely is not everything across the board for everybody, but maybe there's niches that people can fill. So about how do you get more parents involved for positive stuff because they sure want to be involved for negative, but how do you get them to to come in to do this? And
059I know some of this stuff, you know, um I did prayer work over in elementary a couple years ago. I had to go back to class with I was like, I have no idea how to show you how to do this the way that you're supposed to do it this way. Because I learned old school, you know, that's a huge problem. That's why when kids don't pull out of the classroom because unfortunately when they're getting pulled out, it's they're whoever they're going with doesn't know what they're doing. What are we doing? You know, that's a that's another big problem. Yeah. That's I just How do you get parents more involved? you know, to to be here. And like I say, they a lot of them want to come in, they want to point out and
060finger point, but they're not here to try to help get to where they need to be. So, how because it can't be all on the teachers, it can't be all on on, you know, the board and everybody else. I think in my opinion, parents have to take initiative to move forward, too. That's just my opinion. I'm a parent, too, you know. Well, I think I think it's I think there's um space there for parents involvement and also what is the underlying like I hear you in terms of the negativity but what's the underlying current in that and tapping into that right so like I think that's concern and care about kids and we want our schools like it is the hub of the community and we shouldn't be mediocre right We should have high expectations.
061It should be a place where people want to come and they feel a part of and that's parents included, right? So, I think that there's definitely opportunities to maybe ask more questions and approach people with curiosity and really get to the root of of what's going on, right? What if you have PTO or booster club? The PTO has like three members right now. Yes. Wow. That really It's me and two and that is like oh that just makes me curious to think that the school being the hub of the community but I think it's shifted. I think it's not I think the brewery [Music] but I don't know why have lost that that interest or something. But that's a great that's a great point that I don't know why. Like we should be tapping into
062that and understanding and trying to figure out the why. Well, I was hoping parents uh just talking, inviting uh your friends and stuff. You probably did. Well, they were dismissed or or I know some of the the parents tonight that they were um didn't feel like um they were going to get a response and they were feeling dismissed. So So that is part of understanding how the board works because that's what happened. That's that's how it happens though. The public comment what we did and we listened to them. We're not even allowed to ask questions and and so then they left and I felt bad that they left because they're losing this but just understanding how a board works and it doesn't seem logical to me that that is the structure. Speaking of which, I
063want to hit two things and then we principal. Um I want to give credit we had some amazing athletics and we had a student break class draft record. So shout out and finisher. We had Grayson and Avery Rich go to safer ten. So some boys were boys are due. Um we repainted we moved the tea back into a G and repainted it with our sophomores and juniors. We did highway clean up. We did some fun things at the end of the year. Our seniors accumulated $112,000 worth of scholarships this year. Like we kicked butt our I forgot to put on the dual credit. We had a bunch of dual credit courses attain like more than we've had in a while again. I mean, we did have a bunch, but we're kind of getting back learning
064how to get this stuff back up there and we're doing a great job. So, to end on a good note, we are doing good things that are working and we're getting our our feet underneath us. Um, staffing, uh, Shay Rose, kindergarten, Chase Davis is fifth grade, Tommy for 13 years of service. Mike Rose did not sign his contract. back surgery. Totally understandable. Sounds like Brian Ford is going to put in looking for substitutes activity bus drivers. You know, I as of right now we're fully staffed. First time since I've been here, right? I don't think we miss anybody. So, you know, I've been groggy for a little bit and there's turnover like I looked at the board again. Jen hired me, right? Said people change turnover. Margie wasn't here. She was after so things there's
065a lot of turnover for a lot of reasons. A lot of people like Sarah J like different I know it gets crazy but we're all here. We're making things better. Um, I did put up the calendar too for everybody to see that like it's all the way out for events that I got so far. So, unless something new pops up there. All right. Um, we do have a space on the agenda for PTO and booster updates. If you guys have any updates, we volley also the girls volleyball just today. So I didn't have that and then PTO did a ton of um especially over the last month they did like the field trips you can able to cover all the elementary field trips. The sixth grade did a ceremony moving on to the other school
066which was really really great job by Kaitlyn. She just it was super cute and so we gave her some funds for like the snacks. Um, and then we have our fourth annual 5050 at the car show for rally days. Um, and there was some other thing Chris just the ice cream. Sorry, the ice cream. Yeah, ice cream. So, nothing for the high school in there, but we didn't get any requests. So, um, that's what we did this year or the year. Yeah. So, thank you. Okay. Unless there's anything else, we move on to financials. They have questions. direct we have a second. Any comments or questions? Um, Catherine, I wanted to ask just really quickly about the lunch budget. I didn't see the secret. How did we end up with that? Um, if you go
067to the PS1 budget versus actual spending. Oh, okay. And then also at the bottom of the report to 25. Oh, there it is. Okay. I have like a little notation about it. Okay. What we're planning on doing. Would you like me to read it? Sure. Okay. So, I'm just reading from the as noted on the PSD1 budget versus actual spending report, the 212 fund food fund remains in deficit. This negative balance cannot be reported in the TFS which is um trusty financial summary that I do before we do the budget in August. So to address this some oneonone pair of professional payroll expenses will be reclassified from fund 2011 to fund 213 created capacity in the fund 2011 fund to observe the deficit in the 212. Additional funding has been allocated in the 2011 fund
068for the 2025 2026 school year to support continued participation and the community eligibility provision C program. Regular meetings of administration and kitchen staff have been established to monitor monthly expenditures budget and explore the use of available food and equipment grants as well as local food sources sourcing strategies to help reduce overall food costs. At the conclusion of the 2025 2026 school year, administration and kitchen staff will evaluate the viability and long-term sustainability of the C program for this year. Great. Thank you. We do think that we can get above green. So there's things tweaks that we did this year that we can change next year that will get us right there. Just like two beef. Any other questions? Right. All those in favor? Any opposed? Moving down to the items for action. Item A Okay.
069My recommendation is that the board accepts to ratify the CD8 for the 2025 2026 school year between the district association. Um K hasn't got to see it yet, but it did come from the lawyer and we all agreed upon everything. So it should be 100% locked ready to roll your signature except for question. She made a sickly thing. We added sickly language and to make a vein and it's like a huge document. I'm thinking it should be in here. I don't know why it's separate or we attach it. Yeah. I wonder if she meant it to be an appendix because it is so long. Yeah. one year contract we're going to negotiate next year again with the way that stars act there was so much money a lot of this year and next year probably
070some more so I thought negotiations went really well I was really happy with how we worked together as a district for her factor of And then we'll have to negotiate the next year to get back on the two-year cycle. And then we can get on two-year cycle and have a year off first year. Does that mean none of the teachers get a raise? I'm just I don't know if I'm allowed to ask a question right now. Is that how that works? Steps and lanes would work, but you know, like if if that year it was locked in like, hey, you get 2% for these two years and then it's your steps and lanes. But it depends on how the negotiations go too. Sometimes um we've done a one% the first year and 2% the next
071year or if we do every year it three or just depends on how it goes. negotiations. Um, yeah, I don't see any mentioning here. Oh, here. So, there is the section of the sickly bank and that was just to clean up just we didn't really have a policy about how was administered and so we cleaned up the language in the contract and then this is the protocol and maybe since it's the protocol it doesn't need to be it was like how teachers donated by what time I'll let you look at it still like all the stuff that we talked about different parts here is the same and then there's maybe this is more part of the handbook or something And with this one% when the stars like teachers their first couple years 42 I started
072at 28. Well, start [Music] a teacher in June. If I do it in August, they get a whole week. Does [Music] that work for you? Oh yeah. So if at the end of the year they don't use theirto use and instead of $100 a day instead of 90. So you know some teachers walk a decent check. Well they get the You want to make this motion a change on section six. So school district for 256 school year. district teachers association. We have a second. Any comments or questions? And thank you guys again for being a part of negotiations and bring your crew to us. All right. All those in favor? Any opposed? Motion passes. Item B, approve those for K12 public school strategic plan for 202. My recommendation is the board approves those K12 public
073school plan for the 2025 20 30 years. We have a second any comments or questions? I know when we had to be a year for negotiations, we can't ask her over it too because her promised us keep it simple again. She said a lot of districts go crazy and fairly big and then they get too hard and then everybody's fighting with everybody about her two cents keep it keep it simple even some great I know one email I know parents that read it com. Well, I think maybe that's something like we look at it continu to shift or change or take away the last part of it is all about the annual review process, the plan revision procedures and our communication plan. And I think just being like really communicating that to the community might
074be beneficial and maybe that could reach people that hey you have an opportunity to be a part of this. I don't know. I mean knowing that that it's not like set in stone that this is something that like feedback is very much appreciated. parents but also staff. It would be really great the approval process is formal but there's opportunity. Any other comments or questions? All right. All those in favor? Any opposed? All right. Motion passes. Item C. purchase oft [Music] five minute talks about policy like something polic how you respond and usually it's pretty free but they also give updates and newsletters that are sent to me. They're just like a helpful resource there's a lot of education for us too webinars and conferences and if you guys ever want to attend that we do
075have some money for education so that's the same schools I forgot about that they do have There it is. Watch that. Yeah. MSBA. Any other comments or questions? Even though that's MTSBA office is our district. Can you give it up? Not yet. All right. All those in favor? I oppose. Okay. Item D contract long-term substitute teacher with this. Mr. Novak will be slated to continue his third year in our district. addition to our team. He's always willing to help out and it's like the Swiss Army has seen throughout the district over the past three years. He's helped as a kindergarten teacher counselor teach our teacher advisor teachers intervention teacher professionals. He fills in said Swiss Army kn our seventh grade online Spanish kind of instructor helper. He knows a little bit of Spanish dangerous. We're
076using Sarah's online Spanish team. We'll get some Spanish offers longterm teaching contract. So question do they get insurance? Do they get anything? They get offered. Yeah. And you got any sub that you make over 60 days or 30 days which one it is. You have to offer a longterm. So like we don't this is what we need and it's more of a supervisor. I can use it for any other comments or questions. All those in favor? Any opposed? All right. Item E. Contract to elementary secretary interventions. Miss has been serving district for the last year. She has worked as a long-term substant. Last year she served as the kindergarten teacher emergency license. What I'm recommending is that we offer a classified contract to be a six-hour elementary secretary and then in the afternoon an interventionist.
077Um there's a little bit of like future planning here. We were told that there was only 22 in the elementary kindergarten class. If you go over 20, you need a pair in there for an hour and a half for that three hours. Um when we had round up, we didn't have that many. We had 13. I think yeah 14 are there but 15 are enrolled and then we'll see wholes ready for this so that we follow the rules of the state and have somebody be in there as an classified position um she has been here so because it's not a new person to the district she's already done a proitionary because she did this her first year teacher really contract you know you're show up and do your job this was kind of saying Tommy
078which way we're going to go this is what direction we're going right now I think in the future it might just be a sixhour secretary too we're trying to figure out what's needed I'm interse talked to her last I think she can do it. She does a good job reading a great job. She's done a great job. So even I mean the lunches and then part of that job is taking care of the lunch putting information in the state of the Yes. Yeah. It was always a part came to the school. I mean, I did this exact job when I first came to work. I was I was the secretary from So yeah, I think I think there's actually less responsibility now that I have to do. So I think it can be done yet.
079Any other comments or questions? Second, right? All those in favor. Any opposed Font? So, Miss Tommy was also our summer cook. She took job starts Monday and so we didn't have any other applicants. There wasn't any interviews. It was basically ask if she will do it. She got a quick quick and Monday will be our summer food with help from online. Okay. All right. I move to offer contracts. Thank you for doing this. It's important for the summer program. Any comments or questions? All those in favor? I. Any opposed? All right. Item G, update for policy number 3630 students. Uh, this one's the cell phones and other electronic equipment. Um, This one we worked on before. Last year we changed it to where students could have cell phones only in fresh but not the cafeteria
080out cafeteria. That was up from this guy to this is the new language. Um I'll just get there guys. I am pretty passionate about figuring out our cell phones after this year. I know we were in the fall, we talked about fall and things happen. Um, what I don't like is I think what I seen was even like in a locker, it's an issue. So, what I want to do with this is cell phones are not allowed K through 12 during the instruction day. And how we're going to do that is we're going to have lock boxes in the main hall where students that bring them in, we'll put them in a lock box and that's where they'll stay till the end of the day. And then if they come late, they're tying there's another
081lock box and Shannon has when they sign in that lock box and they're tying I'm thinking back to try to help some issues. this back to hopefully help that up if that works. But the policy change is there's no homes K through 12 from during the instructional day unless approved by the district because they're doing things when we have our homecoming like the students go out put it on pictures like hey I want I want you to get your phone and you're going to take pictures so we can put them on our website like there's going to be instances where there's phones but then it's not put on teachers either another burden They're gone. And then the sophomores, juniors, and seniors are the ones that usually get a leave for lunch. And I think if
082they leave them in their cars and at lunch, if they get in their car and they leave and then check the messages and they're the older kids, I really don't care at that point because it's in their cars off campus. If it does lead into the school, I mean, there's policy where they can still get suspended, whatever. But what I've seen this year, um, where we have the messaging the student at home and we had lock down like it wouldn't matter if it was in the classroom because you got it happen if we said oh there way you can bring burns like unless we have control that stuff's going to happen every day the other thing that I really didn't like is when I went to investigate any kind of disciplinary issues students already had
083sent a mass text all their friends and they all had the same before I talk to the first kid. I cannot do my job as administrator when they have that power. If they have that power, I can't do my job. And so I need help to do my job. And that help I need is to take the phones away. And I know everybody's worried most people because it's they're dangerous. I think of cell phones just as dangerous as an AR16. I say that all the time. Like cell phones we know cause kids to commit suicide. We know that. Like we had our speaker come in. He talked about it. When kids say things to each other with text messages and social media like they're just as deadly and there's no driver's license for it. It's
084just a Christmas present. Here you go. And I think we're small enough that we can do this. I think a bigger school we might not get away with this. I get the wrong boxes everybody out policy and I like in this first one and they didn't say we get this one this one it's we can read students possession and use to sell their phones smartwatches or other electronic signaling devices on school grounds at school sponsor activities and while under supervision controls school district employees is a privilege school authorities reserve the right to restrict such devices during the school day. Students in grades K through 12 may use cellular phone, smartwatches, or other electronic signal devices on campus only before school starts and after the school day ends unless the school administrator specifically authorized the use
085of the device for a specific day, event, or time frame. This device must be kept out of sight and turned off during the instructional day, including time out of classrooms or call or pass. School officials including administrators, classroom teachers, substitutes, coaches and visiting personnel by administration may confiscate such devices when visibly noticed auditly noticed and or if the student or students are found to be using the technology inappropriately. Confiscated devices will only be returned to parent after 4 p.m. on the day of confiscation and the student will receive disciplinary action. Repeat unauthorized use of such devices will result in progressive disciplinary action. At no time will any student operate cell phone or other electronic device with video camera capabilities in the locker room, cafeteria, school, bus, car, or other location where such operation may violate
086the privacy or rights of another student. Furthermore, students in grades K through 12 are to use cellular phones, smartwatches, pagers or other electronic signaling devices on school grounds at school sponsor activities like field trips and while under supervision control of the school district employees at any time during instructional day. So that includes don't want to do that instructional day just like the day field trips. This is what the governor asked at the beginning of school last year and we decided we didn't want to go that far. We were going to try not to um with our flexibility, see what would work, but we ran into a lot of issues of kids still being on the phones in the classrooms during classroom time, policies not being followed. have to at this point. And I think this
087like I'm not saying it's fun, but I think it could help with instruction too because kids are very hard to catch phones or smartwatches like that paying attention to instruction. So the idea just like you walk in, drop it in the lock box in front of Shannon's office box and someone will be watching to make sure that they do cameras. The doors are ordered by end of summer there's going to be another door there and then those doors shut too during instruction day and those phones are outside that whole area if it if I could get everything before school starts. So just making sure that they're and I just I had I had I did this on volleyball and my coach and for sure had kids like burner dropping them into the um box. So
088I thought I had collected their cell phone and in fact I did not. So it was then where I had to like prove that it was their actual phone and then turn it in to the box. I think that we're small enough. Sure. Okay. So first you have one box through 12 next box that's managed back office back here just in case you guys get I use the safe but we'll have to have a couple And I think I'm pretty sure the student responsibility for him to have as well. And again, there's going to be it's not going to work. Awesome. So, next year we're probably say, "Hey, we're keep this here." But I think this is a good step get them out and when they get caught, I was I was saying I was
089supposed to reverse No suspension we can make sure you're here and then you know I don't get 10 days something they're clearly not following our policy work here somewhere else I like my kids on my 360 field trip I know exactly pull it in. So check out what if we bought smaller boxes and they didn't take them but they go in that lock box because you know there's a carrying thing and at that point it would be teacher responsibility but it's a lock box and then that way if they do come back later whatever I don't it's going to be something to learn but we also don't think it should be teachers responsibility to constantly be That's not that. Yeah, that's you're not I just think we need to very strongly communicate it across the
090community before school starts next year. Make sure parents are all aware and exactly what the plan is, how it's going to function, how it's going to operate, so they can prepare the kids for it and what are those policies at home with their family. So everybody knows the group really well. I told the kids the last couple years and I know they probably I just know this is what I want to do and they know nothing but I think they're like we burn kids. to the teachers too like all of us like it should be nobody should see us unless it's like the E3 app being in the emergency like realistically we shouldn't even me I try to go hide in the closet hide in my office phone I try not to walk up and
091down the hall on the phone I can yeah I think there's consistency I feel like after we talk about this at the board and the number of right Tik Toks that I saw on kids's accounts and classrooms that were like you know well wait like we had said the governor had said this we talked about a board meeting like you know let's be consistent and making sure that it's not one kid that oh that's fine you can have it right do we have a motion for the policy board of trustes Number one, accept the new language that cell phones and other electronic devices for grades K through 12 will not be without administration approval instruction. Any other comments or questions? I've been asking around saying we put them in their lockers. That's where they got
092to go. What about watches? That's smart watches. It's included because notifications is I've done it a few times from like parents, kids, different people. It's Cell phones are fun. They're fun. Smartatches are fun, but they need to be I thought we could teach kids how to use them, right? I don't think we're there yet. Designed to be addictive. All right. All those in favor? Any opposed? All right. Item H. So we need to accept out of district agreements but we got to do our close session. This is I just looked up we did last year even though this is here we're have to jump to vote close session talk about who they are and then come back [Music] office. Um, so we just need a motion to go into session so we can review the
093applications. I move to close session to review student. All those in favor. All right.