DCPS Board Meeting 3/11/26

001Correct. You're right. I'll go ahead and call to order the regular board meeting for the Davis Public School Board of Education. If everybody will please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. I 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 There is an open meeting statement on the south wall of the board room. All board members by all means attendance. Um moving on to staff and student involvement. Our two student board members submitted their board reports. Is there anything to add from Nope. Thank you both for sending on the app. They're all encompassing, so I appreciate that. I have not received any public forum. We'll move on to consent agenda. Approved minutes of the previous

002meetings. Are there any additions or corrections to the minutes? The three three separate meetings. I saw. Okay. If there aren't any corrections, I will move on to claims against the district. Uh for the most part a typical month. The one big claim I would highlight is the student Chromebooks. Those would be the ninth grade Chromebooks. We were advised to start ordering early from our technology supplier due to at the time the tariffs that were in place and then now just with the crisis in the Middle East, the the supply chain could get interrupted and so we had actually started this process uh a little bit early, so we did get ninth grade Chromebooks in already, so I'm happy about that. So uh the price difference wasn't much different than last year unlike some of the

003memory stuff that Adams has been ordering instead price on some of the sources that has tripled and twice. So we haven't seen it yet on the bigger ticket items yet, but we have this year already started making those purchases now so that we can uh make sure we get them here in time and ready to go for all of our students. So other than that uh so so other claims I guess I'd bring to your attention unless you have a sticker bushed in. Um The one other comment I would make is you will see a bigger than normal uh natural gas bill next month. We had gotten a warning uh maybe a month or six weeks ago that uh natural gas prices were increasing across the country significantly because of some of the cold spells

004and so we just got in the last day or two uh what our bill's going to be for next month. To give you a comparison, last year the bill was just over 8,000 and uh and so for that same time period, which we'll pay next month, 13,000. A $5,000 difference from one year to the next uh just because the price has jumped that much across the country on natural gas, so And with that we get Would it be against the law if you were were in jeopardy of We are. >> We are We are part of Yes. Okay, so that's even with our group purchase across the state. It's it When other states have cold spells, we still pay the price. And so just so you know, next month you'll see about $5,000 more than

005normal uh price tag on our natural gas. It will not so worry about that sticker shock before it happens next month. Are there any questions about the claims? Um the ESU bill Yeah. It's kind of a phenomenal lump sum. That's our standard bill. Monthly? Yeah, we remember our contract is about 1.1 or 1.2 million. So that's a normal month. When you're sending 14 um sped students to the ESU every day between life skills and behavioral programs and then they also do all of our early childhood special ed, so they come and work with all of our preschool. And so yeah, about 90,000 a a month is a pretty pretty typical bill from the ESU. Great. If there aren't any other questions, then we'll move on to financial reports. We did get a big tax draw

006in this month, so the general fund looks real healthy right now. Um over $6 million in there, but that's good because of the next couple months I'll be asking you for some pretty large transfers from the general fund to the depreciation fund if we decide to move forward with some of the HVAC projects, which you know, I'll be encouraging you to do and so we would follow that money into the depreciation fund and have it sitting there then. So if we decide to do the HVAC project at the elementary and or the high school, all the money would be sitting there and so uh so luckily we'll be in good enough shape to be able to do that. In terms of the monthly expenditure report, I mean spent 47 just over 47% of the general

007fund budget. We're 7 months in with five to go. Um real similar in terms of the percent of the general fund budget we spent this year compared to last year is real similar. Uh they were both at about 47 and a half percent. Uh maybe you look at the general fund balance comparison. Uh we are starting to uh ask teachers to put in their requisitions for next school year like we do every year in March and so I would say in the next 6 weeks we'll probably approve somewhere between 200 and 225 purchase orders uh so that teachers get everything they need for next school year, get it here um in May or maybe even mid-April, get it inventory, get it put away and so they're all good to go um before they leave for

008the summer. So you'll see start seeing some more significant bills whether it's through Amazon, School Specialty Inks, Quill, or Amazon, main companies that teachers like to use, Oriental Trading for stickers. You can see pretty popular. Um depreciation fund um I did get a hold of the um transportation committee and let them know we did have a transmission go out in a vehicle, so we did trade one in and purchase a new one this last month and then shuffled some vehicles around. You'll see that purchase there in the depreciation fund and then I did list out for you the different projects that have been approved and are in the works for this summer. So the Bellwood HVAC back project, sixth grade classroom and media center over there with some cabinets and bookcases and stuff. The elementary

009that'll be the reading room and the library there in the the high school. Uh both the choir room and the band rooms. You can see see those expenses for the summer that we've had on our summer project list the last 2 years and so that's already in the works, but I thought you might want to see uh what those costs are. So uh like I said, all of that's in the works and takes several months for furniture to get here, so that's all in in progress. Thought you might want to see that. Um employee benefit fund, we're in good shape there like I tell you every month. That's really employees' money, not ours. Uh activity fund is sitting in good shape. Uh we're just over 400,000 in there. Uh lunch fund, uh the expenses are

010here yet, but I will let you know uh that we did have a dishwasher go out in Bellwood and that's about an $18,000 expense to get a new commercial grade dishwasher. So they got it installed and they use it today, Peggy? We used it. All right. They were supposed to come yesterday afternoon and hook the chemicals up to it and then cuz we've been out six >> Six to eight. We were thinking at least six. Yeah, so we've been using paper plates, Styrofoam plates, and whatever and so We had to teach the kids not to throw their stuff away while we were away again. Yeah. >> [laughter] >> We relearned that skill today cuz we've been dumping Just dumping everything. Yeah. No. You'll see that large expense come out. >> They're like, these trays are

011so heavy. >> [laughter] >> So uh so you'll see that expense. We did get some more beef from Terry Pap and see and so we and um the claims this month were 58,000, but like I said, that's without the dishwasher in there. So you'll see a significant jump next month. No activity in the bond fund since we haven't had a bond since my arrival. Building fund, haven't had uh any activity in there either uh for a while. We can we could see um except for one purchase. Excuse me, we did take care of um the last lease purchase payment. That did That did come out uh in February and so um I will now work with Kutak [cough and clears throat] Rock and DA Davidson um to then get the uh the building and the

012land it sits on back in the school's name. We do a lease purchase. You know, the land it sits on and the building is actually sitting in that lease purchase. Well, now we'll use we'll have to use an attorney to put it back in the school's name cuz we purchased it. So it will take a little bit of paperwork, nothing big there, but we'll get that officially done here in the next month or two. Q C Pap, we have a payment, interest payment in June. Otherwise, nothing else there. And student fees, we haven't had any activity in there since we took care of FFA and FCCLA dues a few months ago. But glad to answer any question you have on any of those uh funds. Any questions? The Yeah. Then I'll put um I'll move

013You're moving? Second moving. I move to um approve consent agenda items for group one of group three. Second. You may vote to vote by say yes if you vote by Marcus. Justin. Yes. Casey. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Um board committee reports? None. Uh workshop conference? No problem. Nexa is next week. Um I think they're signing up for that. But I will be going down Thursday morning. Great. Come back. >> the dates of Nexa? What's that? What are the dates? >> Thursday, Friday. I know. But I think it's 18th 18th and 20th. Yeah. I'm going to go down Thursday morning and come back Thursday Okay, right after. That's fine. I guess when it Something. Great flight. Why don't I have you to drive down with me? It's fine. Yeah, no. Um administrative reports? Did I do

014the review or anything there? Nothing today. Okay. Um we got a text during the little kids basketball tournament that people were using the parking, the new parking. Oh. Yep. So >> You know anything? It So that was good. Good. To randomly get a text from somebody. Yeah, they sent us a picture of all the cars in the parking lot. Yes, it's the new new parking. So It is being used. >> Yeah, it was very good to see. Good deal. Um do any other um administrators have anything else to add to their report? That's all I have. Me, too. What's up? I just would like if anybody is available tomorrow, you guys are welcome to come to Bellwood. Um we are June and school right now as we speak is being converted into a science center.

015Um our PTO hired Edgerton Explorit Center to come out for the day of um and our stage is a big blow-up planetarium. And um the entire gym is full of tables for exploration. There'll be demos and labs. Our cafeteria tables are in the art room to make all this work. We're doing a sack lunch, but So from 8:05 to 3:20 tomorrow, the kids will be doing different science experiments all day. Um they'll be taking a 45-minute lunch. And so our PTO has invested over $2,000 to make this happen and have been saving money for 2 years. So Um so you're welcome to stop in and um it'll be great. So the PTO is setting up now with them and it'll be a great day. The kids are super excited. Sounds really cool. So if Peggy

016sneaks out, just know I told her it's fine to do something as they're setting up tonight. If she needed to sneak out to go ahead and do that. So if you see her leave, that's why. Second. So >> Thanks. It It'll be really cool. The kids are It's some of our kids that don't get experiences like that are super excited. Yeah. Well, yeah. Um are there any questions from the board on any of that? Any other administrative thoughts? Um I I did want to point out I there was for me a lot of um cool, exciting things. I really appreciate Mrs. Athey's Mrs. Athey's report and everything that about the homework policy and um the family handbook and just some of the things that you're working with on um United School Improvement team or with

017NTSS and stuff like that. Um there was really some some things that are just moving us forward and just helping us be more communicative with parents and getting everybody on the same page and their student and the school and I particularly um liked helping families be more involved in the schedule and scheduling them and throughout their high school years just because um that has been something where it's just like all you know, you want to be involved in your child's where their path and that's not something that um well, I have been able to do. And so I look forward to to being a part of that. >> So with that, that's really exciting stuff. So thank you for putting that in there and just keeping us abreast of what you guys are doing. Um

018All right, if there's nothing else to add, then um we'll move on to discussion and action items. Discuss considering to take action on early graduation requests. We have two requests that Mr. Fish brought to me, uh Haley Farmer and Reese Slaninger. They're both requesting to graduate at Christmas next year. And so the board did do that. Just official board approval. And so Mrs. Athey, do you have anything to add to those requests? No, I think they're they're both doing it for the right reasons. I make a motion. Second. All right, moved by Casey, seconded by Marcus to approve the early graduation requests. Justin. >> Yes. Must done. Yes. Marcus. >> Yes. I vote yes. Casey. Yes. All right, discuss current legislation. Daniel, let me take one pass down. This is where the agenda comes to

019a screeching halt for a while. >> [laughter] >> Daniel, this is light reading. Sleep sleep tonight. Insurance times. So you would put coffee on the Did everybody get one or did I short Did you look at this? We're good. Thanks. Two of those agenda item I kind of already attached for you guys um information that NASB, your professional organization sent out to you some of the legislation that they were keeping an eye on and either they were supporting or not supporting, etc. I um given you some information that NYSSBA had sent out, the Rural Schools Association. I'd sent you just a little bit of information from NCSBA, but coincidentally today I went to the GR conference, the government relations conference in Lake George. And so what I just handed out to you was the handout

020that was shared with all of us that were in attendance today. So I'll try to fly through um some of this legislation cuz this is the most current. It's hot off the press as of today. Um I'll I'll go through it fairly quickly, but there's something you want me to go back to or you have a question, fire away. But I'll just kind of start on the first page uh 1219. Um that would limit our um tax growth to 2% plus real growth. I think this last year that was maybe a quarter of a percent. So it'd be somewhere in that 2.25 to 2.5%. So it would limit Um I don't think this is gaining a lot of traction right now. There's a lot of cities and counties that are pushing back on the legislature

021with this. And so I don't think it's going to go, but you never know. There are some uh discussions behind the scenes being had, things like can people handle [clears throat] two and a half instead of 2% plus real growth. And those types of things. And so this is one we'll obviously want to keep an eye on. Uh 12 That was 1219. 653 um was signed into law. And it had two components. The two things are not related at all, but you can see at this point in the legislature what happened is somebody wants to get something across the finish line, so they'll work with another senator to add their bill as an amendment to their bill. And then together they get passed. Okay? And that's kind of what happened here. 653 is an option

022enrollment bill which says if you take one kid from a family, you have to take them all. So for example, you've already accepted a third grader and now they have a kindergartner that they want to opt in, you have to automatically take them regardless of the cost to your district. So even if they're special ed and it's a $100,000 a year cost to your district, it doesn't matter. Once you've taken a student from from that family, uh you have to take them in. And there's And once they're optioned in, They're optioned in. It's cute. And then correct me if I'm wrong, a family could be if two separate households get together, then That has not been determined yet. >> [laughter] >> The rumor I heard is that >> Well, that could be, but we won't

023know until the attorneys have a chance to process everything that's in the weeds. Cuz what does a sibling mean? Two. Now does This doesn't include preschool, though. No. Oops. But what it did include and what we have been asking for is the [clears throat] ability and we don't do it very often, but we now will have the ability to suspend a kindergartner, first or second grader next year um when there's violent behavior. You know, right now we can't do that. And it's not like we do that all the time, but there is that occasional need where we need to have another two of our two. When does that become like in force of it? Like when can August. Yes. Okay. I didn't Yes, I will tell you that a principal in the state thought it

024went into effect March 4th I don't know. for this year and already suspended the student is now is on leave. Oh, shoot. Because they didn't quite understand how when laws going to affect how that works. And so this does not go into effect until next school year. In fact, you can see there it says 90 days after the legislature >> Oh, yeah, I see that. They and they adjourn in April and then you got to wait 90 days and then it becomes code effective. So retirement legislation. I think I had mentioned this before. Right now there's a 180 day sit out period and during that 180 days retired teachers can only work in in your district or any combination of districts eight times a month. So they can sub eight times. Administrators have been asking

025for a change on this and so this was a compromise that did that I think will pass it's on final reading. They can't do anything for 120 days. However, after the 120 days it's unlimited. They can work for you as many days out of the month as they want. So >> June, July, August. So it'll as soon as September Actually we'd have to get through September. June, July, August and September we had to to get to the 120 days. But then basically come October 1st it's a free for all. We can have that retired teacher sub every day if you want. Or they can sub in any combination of districts every day. So that's kind of the compromise. Right now it's 180 days and they work eight days a month. This will be 120 can't

026do anything but then after that it's unlimited. And so so I think that'll be a good thing. >> [cough] [clears throat] >> 820 isn't a big issue other than it just when they make changes in the retirement contributions it'll now go into effect with the same calendar as our budget September 1st instead of July 1st. Which just makes bookkeepers a little happier. is the third grade retention bill. I don't think that this is going to get enough traction to pass. There are several amendments being added to it right now including amendment that would say instead of just automatically you have to be retained in third grade schools would have the option of meeting with the teacher, the parent, the principal and that group would get to decide if that really in the best interest of

027the kid or it wouldn't be just an automatic if you don't pass the state test you're automatically retained in third grade. And so they're trying to make it a little more workable for schools but I'm not sure even with all the amendments it's going to pass but just know you know, that's a big deal. Well, I I would say too on this particular one it's very frustrating for me when they refer back to the Mississippi miracle. That their reading scores have been raised so much because of the law like this that they passed in Mississippi. I was like that's because they were so low. We are not necessarily in that boat. So to compare us to somebody whose reading score to us so low they're just so I think it's an unfair comparison and they're

028trying to [cough and clears throat] push this narrative that this is something that we need. >> If that was an automatic so like what's that look like for us? Not good. That's what I'm curious. Was that good? Question. There could be a year where we would need an extra third grade teacher and maybe one less fourth grade but maybe not. It might be one of the in between or Not even necessarily mean our school but just schools in general. >> Yeah, but it's only in the school our size. Yeah, I see what you mean. Well, and you know I've heard different rumors like is special ed going to be an exemption? Is it not? You know, some of the things in that which would would change some things depending how that goes but um you

029know, I just know some kids that would be really detrimental to Well, the thing I get concerned about too is schools like Bellwood where you have one teacher per grade not two and so it's like okay we're holding kids back so then do we now the next year have a three four class because we don't have you know, enough kids necessarily. It'd just be really really weird too. Then to navigate all of that enrollment. I mean the good thing is I mean plus minus but now the state came out that we all have to use Dibbles yeah, eighth edition. So it would be and we have been using it so our teachers are used to doing that but if you're using that one measure to decide like that's scary. So we'll keep an eye on

030that 937. I'll let you read the first part of that on page two yourself. The only part of it I'll draw your attention to us page three 937. This is one of those package bills where they've basically have taken four or five or six bills and bolted it into one. The two pieces of this that probably gives schools the most heartburn 1146. Basically parents could call in and basically any excuse could be given as an excused absence with no doctor's note. And so you can imagine every school is going to have some families that abuse the ability to just call your kid in and say they're not going to be here today and give any reason and not require any kind of doctor's notes or anything. So The interesting thing it was amended then to

031add in documentation. But now the person who introduced the bill is now intro introduced the bill motion where she doesn't like the amendment that was added to her bill. What what's her reasoning for Well, she gave a couple examples of where a school district had turned a kid in to the county attorney for truancy knowing full well they'd been in a car accident or had a major kidney you know, health issue and so sometimes it happens once or twice and then they assume all 245 schools are all doing the non scenario that two would have medical exactly. And they wouldn't be a problem with truancy anyway. They get a note from the doctor and it'd be done deal worried. So exactly. And the other part of it is 1243. This would allow any home schooled

032student to participate in any extracurricular of their choice and not have to take one class. So they can be home schooled all day come play football. Is this the one that you're talking about where they play football for us and then go to Seward and play volleyball and then There's this literally on they did realize and they did amend that you have to make an exception for FFA because the charter the national level you're required to be in an A class to be in FFA. So if you see they did make that amendment but that was just for FFA. But it doesn't take care of any of the rest of it. So those are just a couple parts of that new bill that you know, >> But home schools and extracurricular activities So here are

033the >> [laughter] >> Not [clears throat] much to say on the the high school equivalency or the 529 and then the 529 plan increases from 10,000 to 20,000 a year. Moving on page four 940. This is the food additives and the the dye where app would be okay next year but the year after the 2027-28 school year all of those six color dyes that are listed would be you couldn't have serve food in your cafeteria that contain any of those dyes. And so So if you're subscribed to the federal food food program I Well, there's already some legislation at the federal level Canada needs to do that and so schools are going to already have to adjust at the federal level and and so >> I should know like with the you know, how our

034program works if that's And so for example though right now you couldn't serve a Fairbury brand hot dog. It would have to be a red dye. That's just my the quickest easiest example I can give you is you can't wouldn't be able to serve that hot dog cuz it's got red dye. >> Just take the red dye out of it. You know, so And then the last piece of that the human relations training trying to get rid of the requirement for the human relations training in order to get your teaching certificate. And there's a about a 50/50 split on whether that's a good idea. So doesn't give me heartburn one way or the other but I just know that all of those items along with some of them I skipped over cuz they weren't real

035critical to Davenport City public schools are all in that one bill now. So just know that. Um Let's see. Talk [clears throat] about 575 in a little bit. Minimum wage doesn't pertain to us anyway and so I'm going to kind of skip over some of the minimum wage stuff. Schools are always exempt from that which people don't realize. 292CA there'd be two different there'd be a fair market value and a taxable market value on property. They told us today it's not going anywhere even though it's been prioritized it's held up in committee and it's not going to go anywhere. That was a Uh, had done that and I think maybe real prop prop 13. Yeah. Um, 730. Um, if this one gets to the floor, this is going to take everything to a screeching halt.

036Um, this is the designations of restrooms and locker rooms based on uh uh, male and female. And so um you can see even coming out of the committee it was a 5-3 vote. If this one gets to the floor, um, all other discussions will come to a screeching halt. I'm not saying it should or shouldn't. I'm just kind of giving you the the facts. Uh, 966 um, it's got over a million-dollar price tag and basically um kids that are getting reduced lunches um, would get free lunches and the state would make up the reimbursement cost. He originally didn't talk about the budget the last couple of days that they're in Yeah, I'm not sure where you're going to get the 1.2 million you when you you know, when you've got such a deficit right now,

037but we obviously would have um some families that would benefit from this. You know, we the kids I probably worry about the most are the [snorts] right or are the kids that are at the reduced lunch or just barely above the reduced lunch and are paying full price. You know, at least with the free lunch, yes, I'm still concerned about them being in poverty, but at least I know we're feeding them breakfast and lunch every day and it's costing them nothing. It's that next group in there that are getting reduced or just barely missing out on reduced. Those are probably the families that probably struggle you know, with with food the months. And so so if this could help another group of our families that I would love this, but I don't know where the

038money's going to come from, but I think it's uh good on the legislature to at least have the conversation and I would fully support our families. Um, 596 would give us the ability to uh, advertise our meetings uh, digitally and not have to have them posted in a newspaper that nobody reads anymore. And so it'd be nice to all the to do everything electronically and so that's what 596 is. Um Moving down, since there are already a website Yes, there is. It's why not use that? Yeah, but I think you have to ask the paper to post them. >> already do it for us every month. >> Yeah. But yes, there's already a a digital website available that they're paying you. So it wouldn't be that big of a change. Um not going to go

039into 901 at all. You can read that for yourself. It's not doesn't have a lot of legs. Uh 803 is where we thought 1219 um, would would land and uh and Gilleran said no, 1219 will be stand still. Uh, that's that 2% cap plus real growth. So uh The next one, 468. Um, when I first read it, I didn't think it would affect schools at all cuz I was just looking at the percentages on the next page on page seven and then it said, well, school districts are still going to get 60% of the motor vehicle tax. So what do we care, you know, in terms of the change at the city and and county level? But then I had to reread it. The fee that the county charges to collect those motor vehicle taxes

040from us goes from 1% to 2%. So they get an extra percentage right off the top before we get our 60%. And so we would in in that case get less. Cuz they're going to take you know, really twice as much as they are now cuz they're going from 1% to 2%. It's not a 1% increase, it's sort of the real dollars you're you're doubling their fees. And so so that's there. Uh um if a student is sped and their IEP requires them to be transported even if they're an option student, you'd have to figure out transportation for them. Uh, but luckily that bill is amended to only include OPS. So I'm guessing that means somebody's mad at OPS. And I've also figured out how difficult that would be in rural schools and small schools.

041Um, if there's some small school you get a lot of option kids, so um just deals with uh, professional organizations having access to your teachers' emails. Uh, so that they can potentially join that organization. So it'd be like uh right now NEA or NSEA sends stuff to teachers about joining, you know, them for uh, professional liability. There's other groups out there that offer similar liability coverage and it just means those other organizations would have the same access to your teachers as NSEA. There's really nothing. It's not costing us anything. Uh, 1034 is uh, really a bill um, for ICE. And basically ICE could not come into your school without a judicial warrant. That's already a federal law that's in place, but they're also wanting to make it state law. Federal law trumps state law anyway,

042um, but this would just give a a second layer of coverage to uh uh schools that we could say unless if you have a judicial warrant you're not coming in to stake a claim. Um, let's see. 1217 is up and out friend. Not concerned there. 765 was one that we were concerned about. It was going to say that you had to get at least 50.1% of your voters to turn out to vote for any school bond. Not that you needed 50% of the votes to pass. You had to get 50.1% of all registered voters >> We ever in your dis No. No. You're not going to get that. And so um I think they said in the last 20 years not one school bond were passed in the state of Nebraska if that was the

043threshold they had to meet. Um Luckily uh, 765 has not been prioritized and it they haven't even voted it out of committees. So um, 1112 was a bill that would have had a common grading uh, scale again across all schools in the state, public and private. And uh the private schools had no interest in being part of that. We didn't either and uh, so that's not going to happen so we killed it. 1188's an interesting one basically saying school districts you know, we can't own any real estate that a foreign adversary would have interest in. I don't know of what real estate property a school district would own that a foreign adversary would have interest in. And I might be a facetious. I truly What's a foreign adversary? China. Another country. True. Russia. Like if

044you answer if you're asked around. Yeah, but that >> [snorts] >> Yeah. Like jointly? Yeah, basically. >> I guess. So I'm not even sure who that, you know, who they're worried about. I It can't be David City. Yeah. Um So anyway uh, 1224 this one got added into 937. This was basically if a family is under investigation by HHS during that investigation time, the parents couldn't come in and withdraw their kid from school cuz I'm going to home school them. And so Unfortunately, there are some families that once they're under investigation, they want to fly under the radar. And so this would not allow them to do that. I I think this is actually uh, will help keep kids safer. To actually think it's a pretty good bill. So um, so yeah, so that's 1224.

045Um The last one here or last couple, 575. Uh, this is an interesting one. It was presented as they're just going to move up the postcard pink postcard dates up earlier. But the rationale being if we have the pink postcard meetings in August and a week later school boards approve their budgets and taxes, that's way too late in the process to even you know, make a change. And so this was presented as a bill we'll just move that up to July so that there's a clearer time frame between public input and in September when boards approve their budgets. Well, there's a couple of things. We don't get our certified valuations until August 20. So our potential tax levy would be an estimate at this July meeting because valuations, they're not moving the certification date up

046at all. They'll just give us an estimate, which means our tax levy is an estimate also. And so I'm not sure I understand the intent, but but people are going to be mad if tax levy isn't what we present in July when it changes in September when we get the actual numbers 20th of August. But the other kicker is and it wasn't presented this way, it caps your tax asking at the same amount as the previous year. I was at the board as a 2/3 majority vote. So you can't increase that at all. Tax asking. Correct. So if you ask for 10 million this year, come September you can only ask for 10 million. The only way to go over that is that we'd have to have a board meeting and 2/3 of the board

047would have to vote to go above that. So there's no movement on pay scale. Well, I don't know about Well, actually you're already too late because you've already you've already done it. You've already negotiated for next year. And so this is an interesting one. Just as a side note and I'm just giving you a warning in case of this happens, it says that the meeting would have to be between July 14th and July 24th. Just know I'm on vacation those 10 days. >> [laughter] >> So which means one of you would be the one that Pete Postar meeting giving our presentation. So not saying you can't, I'm just saying I don't plan to cancel my airfare and trip. When I saw that I just smirked today. Like that was great timing on my part. So

048anyway, I'm just giving you a heads up. I don't know So you got to keep an eye on that one start that one. I don't know if you're going to thumb wrestle on who gets to give the presentation. Maybe you make the new guys do it. He's not here. The last two 1071 the appropriations bill, just know that sped reimbursement, which is everybody talked about it 80%. It's actually closer to 78%. 80% was actually the ceiling on that not the floor. >> [snorts] >> That was based off like 23-24 data. And so just know it's looking like an 18.4 million dollar reduction in state aid reimbursement being dispersed to schools. So you're going to be more like at 78% and then the next year about 76%. So it's going to go down like my rough

049estimate is about 2% a year. So we can no longer count on 80% sped reimbursement because the dollars aren't going to increase meaning they're going to go down. And so as our sped keeps growing >> keeps growing, just know the reimbursement percentage is going to be going down. And so this is kind of what I warned you guys about a couple years ago. You know, when you know, the state promises x amount of money, well, there isn't enough money to be spread around, everybody takes a little bit of a cut and that's exactly why you have to have a little extra money in your general fund for exactly this kind of stuff. When you have a 4 million dollar sped budget and now you're not going to get the 80% reimbursement. That's a significant amount

050in the school district our size with the amount of sped population we have. And so that's why you keep extra money in the general fund to not hurt kids and programs and have the money to keep doing what's best for kids. So I just shared that with you and then 1072, they were talking about that today on the floor. That's the cash transfers basically where they're taking money from some accounts and putting it into the general fund that all balanced by year. So that was going on all day today. So those are the bills. I know it took a long time that I just wanted to highlight. It's fresh off the press. Like I said, I just heard this info today. I was in Lincoln from 8 to 1. And uh I'll try to answer

051questions for you. I'm not an expert on legislation, but I can do my best to either answer or find an answer for you. There's anything else you need or or want. Can you remind me again how many days left in session? Like 42 It's a 60 day session. I would say about 20. Just about 19. Yeah, I'd say today was I think day 40 or 41. Thank you. I mean from today it sounded like the budget was going to take up Does anybody have any questions? On that two go back to that 1071 you know it's carried the reimbursement. So the original bill didn't state a percentage or allocated dollar amounts. Yeah. Yeah, so 42 of the year. According to the year and so in that year it was 80%. Correct. I just want to

052make sure I understood that. Yeah. Yep and there and in the packet I gave you guys ahead of time the attorneys um we can't sleep later night Sunday March 8th misconception about sped reimbursement. They had one of the school law attorneys explain that sped reimbursement in a lot more detail and I concluded that in your your packet that explains it a lot better I see. The book simple. [clears throat] All right, any other questions? Like so, okay. Now we'll move on to 8.3 discuss long range facility Very negative. No. I'm going to take it out of there. In regards to sorry yeah, sorry 8.2.1 discuss those consecutive action on updated that board policies. Yep. I didn't take these to the the first board of the policy committee because these came straight from our school attorney.

053Next year annual report has to include a computer science and technology education status report. That's a new every school has to teach at the high school computer course and so we basically just have to give an update on how that's going in our annual report. And I can I'll help you with that. I gave you both the current and the um update there. It changes the threshold when a project's over 144,000 you have to involve um the state board of engineers and architects. Anything above 144,000 they just changed the dollar amount. we have to have an anaphylaxis policy by this summer and then include it in our student handbook and so I submitted that to you. And that forbids in contracts anything above 136,000 on a building project that has to be bid out. And

054then the last policy I did send to the policy committee ahead of time 5105 is a new one. We discussed at our January work session about adding the use of wand. So if we were for example concerned about student having a vape on them, obviously we can't do a search but we could do a wand and this would allow us the ability to do that and this is something that would go into effect um for fourth quarter if you guys are putting it in. Do we have the do we have a we have a wand device out there? No, we haven't purchased the wand. So we're waiting on whether or not the board would approve this. Are there any questions about policy 7010? I don't. No, I didn't have any concerns about the the student

055searches and that works. So doubt is a black and white deal. I think it's a good idea. Yeah. Okay. Then I'll entertain a motion to approve the updated and the new board policies as presented. >> So moved. Second. >> Okay. Moved by Donnie, seconded by Marcus. I vote yes. Dustin? Yes. Marcus? Yes. Donnie? Yes. Casey? Yes. All right. Now we'll discuss the long range facility. Yep I've already done my talk and you also heard me talk a lot tonight and so you guys had started submitting a list of questions so that we can continue on this conversation and so Mr. Hermelbracht did the vast majority of the work for tonight in terms of answering questions about gym space and use and then Mrs. Etho also added in some things on you know, the academic side

056of that and or some of the uses for us. Yes. Please do. Yeah, there's nothing in here that is confidential or secretive and so and the board is welcome to have or the community is welcome to have a copy. Angie, did you get a copy? I do now. Could you maybe take a couple more I did not get one. I'll get you one. Okay. Okay, I just want to make sure we had enough first. payment. Yeah. We had a stock pile down here at the field. Okay. And so So Mr. Olubro can kind of go through these four or five pages and uh you know, you can send his questions his way. Um but I think you'll find maybe some of this information useful as we continue having our our conversation. In the next month

057we can continue the conversation even more based on the dialogues tonight. So Mr. Olubro gets All right. Again, some more light reading. I will let you know I've read through this thing I don't know 100 and some times. I had other people read through it. And I can still think of things to add every time I I read it and go, "Oh yeah, that a So it it's definitely been a fluid document. Um pretty much kind of presenting what we have, the issues with what we have, and what a new space creates. It's kind of the summary of everything. Um you know, obviously I'm going to go back to our the Facebook post like, "These kids don't even go out for anything anymore." Well, we have 306 kids in this building. We have 204 of

058them that are signed up for a sport. Um [snorts] and another 141 kids that are involved in some type of activity. Our kids are involved. Um so the thought that that our kids aren't going to gain from any of these things is just silly. You know, that's just nonsense. That's somebody that's never been in this building um from from a where from someplace else. Um So I'm going to kind of just run through the current gym. So the main gym, the big gym in question, is right now our gym was built in 1985. Um it's currently one of the oldest gyms in our area, about a 60-70 mile radius, that is still used as the main competition gym. Um the only other gym that's currently older in our area is Bishop Neumann in York. But

059when York built theirs, they built their giant when they built theirs. Um in the document there's actually the date of all of the schools in our area when they were built. Um every other school that currently has an older gym than us uh has already passed bonds to build uh a new competition gym. Our gym currently does meet the minimum standards for court size. Um so it it meets regulation for court size. However, it does not meet the new standards uh needed space between the floor and the bleachers. Uh recommendation is 6 to 10 ft. Ours is sitting at 3 ft and 4 ft on each side. Um and 6 ft on the end lines. Um I pointed it out to Mr. Craft the one game. Um ours is one of the only gyms in

060the state that you have to walk across the gym to get to the other side. There's not a hallway or anything. So if you're going to have any access or mobility issues, you stall the game to get to the other side. Or we're asking them to cross a stage. Again, mobility issues, we're asking them to get up on the stage or stop the game so they can get to the other side. When they get to the other side, they either have to walk in front of the scorers' table, both teams, or go up the one set of bleachers that they have access to and then walk across the top to get to the middle. Again, all those things aren't fun to do in the middle of a game. Um So I mean those are those

061are the easy you know, issues that that are easy to point out. The other thing is ADA compliance. Right now we're asking anybody in a wheelchair to sit in our main hall, our main walkways. If we had have to have an emergency exit and we have somebody in a wheelchair, they are they're right in the middle of that that walkway cuz there's no way around them cuz everyone's coming down the same ways. Um obviously with the limited space, you know, then you stop if you've been to our places with cheerleaders, um we really don't have a good place to go with them. I have a question on the ADA thing. Um What what do new gyms have for ADA compliance for wheelchairs? Like section knocked out of the bleachers type of deal? >> Most of

062them are far enough back from the court that allows the walkway. Okay. You know, I and that's where that 6 to 10 ft. But a lot of them do have the big notch. Ours have a a little notch in there, but that doesn't meet the ADA requirements. Okay. Thank you. I'll I'll say I'm just was on practice court very little amount of time and I went to a couple basketball games and I felt like hurry hurry hurry go get and then like okay, well, there's the front row's taken. I got to go up a couple stairs and I'm slow and so it just was like I'm in the way and I was I'm I'm sure it wasn't a deal to anybody else, but I felt like I needed to be there. >> I said on

063our home sideline where there's 3 ft, I don't know how you walk with crutches >> You know. during the game. You can't cuz you're going to stop the Yeah, you wait for a break and then And we don't know when that break's going to happen. You know, you have to wait for a time out cuz even a dead ball is a probably enough time to get to where you need to be. Yeah. Um I kind of handed the spectator. Like I said, I've read this so many times I already have to look at it and speak. Um so you know, with that being said, our our main gym is used for other things. Um play production, uh you know, volleyball, basketball, speech, blood drive, music concert, everything. So pretty much when something goes on in

064our gym during the school day, our school day shuts down. Um because also when we built that that gym is built is there's no passage from the school to the commons without going through the gym. So when we're hosting play production, >> [snorts] >> um which is an all day thing and that gym gets shut off for 40 minutes at a time, kids are walking outside to get to the new commons. Yeah, and and now you're propping open I mean, you're running into propping open doors, um which is again, you're running into security issues. Um and we have hosted play production during the school. You know. Um Uh currently our weight training with just with the one class, I'm going to kind of get into um We uh again, you have one gym space. We

065offer try to offer three different PE classes. That doesn't always work. Um because typically they're trying to share warm up space cuz you have a middle school class and a weightlifting class. Currently our weightlifting class to do any type of warm up have to use the gym or they're going out into a hallway um to try to find that extra space. Um so one class is always interrupting the other throughout the school day. Our PE teachers are awesome, they're great, they just learn to try to incorporate uh with each other, but they necessary I don't really think they should have to. You know, they should be able to have their own uh middle school PE class should be able to have a middle school PE class without trying to incorporate the weightlifting class and and

066their what they're trying to do. Um Currently we're losing the gym about eight to time eight to 10 times a year we lose it complete. Um for again, music concerts, weeks of graduation, uh anytime we're setting up early, um like if I have to set up for if we're doing a 4:30 basketball game, I'm sneaking in there probably about 3:00 or even 2:30 to start setting up, which means I'm taking away from from a PE class. You know, if they're they're choosing use a PE class. Um just so cuz teams are showing up at 3:30 for a 4:30 game. Same way at the elementary. Um Again, then you're you're just dealing with the bumping back of these practices. Um David City Elementary, I think the David City Elementary is good for what it's what we

067use it for as as as a practice facility. Um it's not big enough to hold a to hold a varsity competition. We We do hold our varsity volleyball tournament over there. Um but otherwise that's about the only thing we can get over there. Um And those are actually where our second biggest locker room there back too. Um pretty much whenever time we hold, that's where most of our middle school games are held. When we hold a game at the elementary, our high school teams are displaced cuz they have no place else to practice. So they either have practice in the morning or they practice together. They have no other no other way. Um when they go in the morning, they displace every other group that goes in the morning um such as FFA, um cheer

068and dance, speech, all those they okay, they're the mornings and now you're you're taking away their space and you're taking away somebody's sponsor time away because their kids typically walk to school, but now they're going in the morning. So again, you have this it's that competition for kids enhanced. Just because there's only again one gym that we can use. Auditorium, auditorium, scares me. Um, we do end up hosting a couple games down there a year. Um, just if we're running if we're running games in the big gym or in the elementary to get it used for a varsity competition. Um, it's either I have to say no, I have to give up every middle school game, you know, that I have a conflict with or I have to change a high school game to say,

069"Yeah, we'll go back to your place because I have a conflict with the middle school." Um, and people don't like giving up their home game. Um, but that those are my only options a lot of the time because there is no on the everyone says, "You just find a new date." There's there's no new dates to find. Um, finding a new date between two schools, everybody's calendar's full unless we can play on Sundays. Um, probably the big thing that we use the auditorium for is middle school practices. Um, and that is our football visitor's locker room. That's the locker room they use and I'll get into that issue here a little bit. Um, currently it's adequate for for what they use it for. Um, you know, the H back is a little shaky. I'm told

070that they're trying to upgrade it if they can get the funds, but otherwise heat in the winters, yeah. And when it's hot, I've been down there. Um, okay. I don't I mean, I This is cold. You know, I coached down there for years. It it did its purpose and that was about it. I wouldn't say it was great. I mean, the floor is old. The floor is all beat up and finished. Um, you're really at the the town's mercy um, on that. And they're great to work with. I have nothing but but good things to say about Bill and Nate. They they do a great job with what they have done. Those are tight. Yes. And if we lose that auditorium and I don't know what the plan is. I if we would ever lose

071access to that auditorium, one, I don't know where I'm going with football teams to change because we do not have a locker room space big enough without putting them I'd have to put them in the elementary gym, which means my volleyball team's probably not having practice that day in the elementary because teams show up about 4:30. I don't know why up early, but they show up early. As for our middle school practices, they would end up having to come back here, which now you're back to early and late practices and where does that put you? I have no idea. I don't know where our time slot is for that. You know, if we would lose complete access if they say, "Hey, no, you can't use that old we're we're done putting money into this." Um,

072and We do lose access to it a few times anytime somebody rents the basement of the of the auditorium or there's a funeral dinner or election or whatever, our middle school ended up not practicing on those days. And so even on the days we have it rented, we get kicked out if somebody else decides to use the basement. So even on the times we have it reserved, there days you get kicked out. And well, I I guess and I would like to just make a something I thought about because I heard it from a couple of different people that it's not the public school's responsibility to take care of the youth programs. And I would argue it is. It feeds directly [clears throat] into our programs and I think the minute you start to say,

073"Not my problem." then you're it becomes a problem real quickly. And so I think of a public school as a community school and something we know, we have a lot of offerings for a lot of and you know, the point is is trying to build a sense of community and if that means that we have a place to go for our our parents that have young children who are coaching or I mean, you want to sustain that. That's what sustains everything else as it goes forward. So I don't buy into that it's not the school's responsibility. I think that we're one of the partners. I don't think it's completely on us. I think we're I think we're a partner in that in that situation. So I think it just it behooves us to be a

074partner in creating spaces for them. our young kids. >> And building our programs. Yeah, I mean, I 150% of it because the changing dynamic the last 20 years is you're going to move to a town you want and you're going to have raise your family there. You want a baseball program for your kids to play in. You want a volleyball program for your kids to play in. You want a swimming pool for your kids to go in the summer. Those are all things that grow your community. And so if you're not playing a part in it, you're exactly right. It doesn't have to be our 100% responsibility, but it definitely is our responsibility because responsibility not only to the school, but to the town and the community that we live in because but if we

075want to attract people here to grow your base and all those great things economically, you're not doing it without maintaining those. Yeah, exactly. Investing in the kids right here. So, yeah. Yeah. Sorry. I just wanted to stress that because you Feel free to interject whenever. Yeah. Um, so that's kind of the summary of kind of the new gym. Um, and then you got I put in the the survey results, you know, that I don't know what page it is. I mean, two, three. Starting at back of page three. We skipped page four yet. Just keep turning. If can you address at all or I don't know, maybe you're going to, but at one point you had said something about how your touring districts, you know, when you're communicating and trying to put the schedule together

076that more and more people are wanting to do the varsity, JV, and middle school on the same day so everybody's going to same location. So, like how have those discussions been and how does that impact? Oh, we can't do that. >> [laughter] >> We tried it once and we were at the auditorium. I mean, I mean, that's that's our Like like we can't we can't we can't do that. Would we be able to or With with the new facility, yes, cuz we could run JV, varsity in the new gym. So we could run pretty much our high school events in this building. We could run our middle school in the other gym. So yes. So that that opens up scheduling and what I can schedule and even what I can double up on to run

077a middle school and a high school event at the same time. I can do that without sending a team down to the auditorium. But would you say majority of schools are willing to do that? >> of school a lot of your smaller schools, not so much your B's and your but your D's and your C's, they they like the idea of putting their community in one spot instead of middle schools going to Milford and high schools going here. They're like, "Hey, cuz most of the a lot of new schools going up and they have the ability to throw in three gyms. So like, "Hey, can we just send them all to one location?" And then now our community is supporting And it's not as nice like Mike's, but first experience in this football middle school

078football yeah, as and playing middle school football. As soon as he gets over the JV starts, you know, and so you can get to Kettle And some of it has to do with transportation because you're running out of bus drivers and we can't go to I can get a middle school and a JV team going one direction and the varsity follow. And so I'm only sending two buses instead of three buses. You know, so or even one bus and a van and so the other reason for your smaller school districts doing that is they're running out of bus drivers. And I'm just thinking about that to piggyback off of it's not our problem the youth. A lot of our kids aren't going to benefit from this. Yeah. Maybe will. Maybe Orion. So it is for

079the future. Yes. >> It is for the young our youth. What one thing I want you to note on the survey, I want you to look at Centennial. They have already approved a third competition gym. Uh, with 1,200 seats. So that will go on the work. That is the reason they are [clears throat] currently hosting our conference tournament. Um, for basketball. Cuz they're actually going to be able to put 14 games through that thing and and I can't even have a problem with those. I want to clarify what Nathan earlier when you talked about the new gyms, like the schools that are all building new, you made a a statement, you know, can the like would they they either built or passed a bond. They have to say some of these if they found funding

080to do it. It wasn't a sorry bond because I know there's I know for sure of at least one here that didn't do a bond. So it is a they had funding to I just wanted to clarify that. It wasn't all bonds. So yes. Thank you. Yeah, so they're not exactly bonds. And I think the the schedule got a little bit more complex now that we've added girls wrestling. Who would be able so being able to find nights or a gym to host here. So like this year I know we hosted one of our girls wrestling meets at East Bolton. Did we not? Mhm. Yeah. Well, I feel like programs are only going to grow especially with UNL getting flag football, who knows for girls, you know, like that's a whole 'nother Mhm. I don't

081know. I just it's only grandma. I I thought Brian's gym analysis here was Yeah. pretty You can just kind of see where we're at. It was pretty eye-opening cuz I didn't you know, I mean I know but I don't analyze it a lot and I thought that was a handy and I know it took him some time to put that together. So thank you for it Stacy for doing that. I thought that was pretty enlightening for me. Um so kind of get into what what a new gym does. You know, we kind of this is kind of we kind of talked about some of the new things. Um It it does create a modern space, you know, that is more compliant and more friendly. Um I am a you know, when we built this weight

082room, I mean pretty much I heard those rumors too that we don't know if any of our kids use it. Why do we even need it? We can't keep kids out of it. We can't add enough class periods. Kids like new things. You know, you know, that that does create a spark when you get to walk in and like oh I get to play here. You know, that that is a deal. You can't measure it but it is a deal. You know, to have a modern facility for our kids to walk into it. Well, it's also teacher equipment too. Oh and you tell them teachers and the the thing that lights their eyes up more than anything they see is that weight room and they're like wow. I mean that's what I mean it it

083matters and they'll comment that they would they should see the new science rooms and like oh these are great. I mean it matters when I walk you know, perspective teachers around that might be in a gym. Um as for option you know, the way we would operate, you know, we're eliminating split locations. You know, for supervision trying to supervise an elementary gym hosting and in here I put on about 5 miles in a night. And I'm not even joking the trip the amount of trips I go through. I'm glad we have nice weather most days. Um it's going to cut down on liability issues because the fact that we haven't had somebody get hurt on that trip back and forth or get you know, from tracking in on wet floors from tracking in back and

084forth. I'm surprised we haven't ran into an issue already. Um So I know I mean that's those are things that that disappear in a hurry if you don't have everybody going outside to go back and forth between gyms. Um as for increased flexibility for schedules, um Mrs. Athol will get into that later. Um and it allow again allows us to host those JV varsity competitions. Um again with operations the biggest thing is securing two two sites at the end of the night. Um when we have people at the elementary and people in here, that's two more two more that's two places that I have to make sure doors are all locked at the end of the night. You know, and sometimes I don't need to stay over there as long as I need to. So

085we have another admin that stays a little later to to help with those things. Um But the big thing is is you're cleaning two sites. You're securing two sites um and you're supervising two sites that are a block away from each other. Um There are times where I'm in here and I'm getting called across the street because we have shot clock issues. You know, there I can only be in so many places. So I spend a lot of time running back and Um and that's more of my problem but that would be something that that would fix anybody's supervision stuff. Sorry. Can I ask another question and that kind of goes back to that survey thing? I I think I asked this last time. What defines a competition gym and is that under the new

086requirements? So like if we were to have a bigger gym, would our current gym be still considered a competition gym? >> Our com our the way that it is labeled as you can fit seating on both sides of the gym. So you have two sides of seating. So one of the capacity you have seating capacity then you know. That you can all a true considered true two competition gym. Yes, we would that would be considered you know, But the elementary we can seat on one side. >> Yes, and it's less than 500. Gotcha. So Thank you. So even where Centennial's is going to go seating on their additional gym is going to go seating on one side but the seating on one side is going to hold 400. You know, so it's I I know

087I was going to say there's you know, there are a lot of things about obviously about basketball or just the capacity but just in reference to you know, the reports that were given and even your report that was given today for our meeting with our speech team hosting one of the largest speech meets in the state and if you walked into that gym on that Saturday, it was like you couldn't get through people >> The gym was it was It was absolutely packed and we have some nice facilities where we could use all of the rooms but all the kids are in that one space and when you have you know, 400 and some kids all packed in there with all their stuff, that's just another way that we're using that gym and it's gets

088built up pretty quickly. And that kind of goes you know, you know, an additional gym provides for those things and I kind of get into speech and and activity specific and all of it. But again it allows us to get our gym into a modern status with the correct or the recommended width, you know, the 6 to 10 foot sidelines um that helps the safety, helps with ADA. This helps with overall viewing um of competition. Um so you know, what does it allow us to do? It definitely allows us to host more wrestling weight sounds and I'm going to be honest like when we host our big wrestling, I think Donnie brought it up last time. Our the bigger schools don't want to come to anymore because we're not big enough. Um I had another

089school reach out, one of our bigger schools uh reach out to me today and said they weren't coming back. They said they loved the tournament but yeah, they're not coming back and a lot of that is is people like comfort when they're at places. They like space. Especially when it's a all day. Yes, and we we host probably, you know, I we host a very good tournament. Our our we had no hiccups in our tournament. But when they can go to a gym and not have everybody right on top of them the entire time, that is a deal. And just with the rules and stuff like so I have last time I know we're good to go. We're good to go. Uh 8 10 year or whatever. Yeah, for it is every year it's more

090and more clean. I actually I hear it I guess the complaints >> They want that 4 foot 6 foot gap. >> Yeah, the gaps there and that makes sense based on current rules. So Yep. And a place for the teams to warm up. If you had a second gym, you'd have the competition in one gym and the other gym is where the team camps could be and they have a place to warm up. And you have matches in between rounds. We don't have that. Your options are unlimited when it comes to those things. >> hallway. You know, I even think like with our volleyball tournament, we could put them both in this gym instead of one in a small gym. Um and and like even with our varsity volleyball tournament um those were top teams

091in the state that are still choosing to come here. You know, it's cuz we run an added we run pretty good tournaments. But at some point do they look and say hey, you know, we want to go to a bigger facility. I don't um I will let Stacy kind of take these kind of the next school things and then I'll jump back on to the activity. Great. So some of the additional uses that we talked about were um this year we had a career fair, first career fair. We were not able to host it in this in the school uh for two reasons. One because we would have had to stop our PE classes and if we had another gym, we would actually be able to host it in there. And if it was large

092enough, then we could actually host all of the career vendors that we had. So um that would be nice to have that here. It would be nice to have that accessibility in a college recruitment component. It would we could grow that. Um eliminate the need to take students off campus for career exploration opportunities. Um and community use for events. So Christmas I thought about uh summer programming, youth events, practices, adult teams, some other things that we could fit in there. Uh school day instructional benefits. He's kind of gone through a lot of those already but really it spans our PE curriculum. So right now we can really only run a middle school PE and then a weight lifting because we just don't have the capacity. There is one period that we have to overlap because

093we have one lifetime sports class and it's it's crazy in that gym. It's not it's not exactly if you're in that class, you know, it's not a really great class to be in. I they do the best they can with it but they have to split out at some points into the hallway. Um We would also be able to do things other than strength and fitness. Not all kids want to take that class. Not all kids want to take weight training all the way through school. It's a great class but we wouldn't have to run it seven periods a day. Um phase instruction, we could do theory mechanics combined with activity-based learning. We could have the integration of modern fitness technology for heart rate monitoring. Um, I think of Worm and his machines that he

094runs for testing um speed and agility. I mean, he would be able to do that in the gym instead of in the hallway. Um, avoiding disruption of the library and cafeteria during testing or large events. And uh because with our cafeteria, of course, they have to walk through a PE class to get to class, and that happens twice. Um, speech one act, normal practice times would be nice for them every once in a while. It would be nice to share that gym space so they could actually not be practicing till late at night all the time. Um, Mr. Oakander's amazing, but you know, we don't want to always have Mr. Oakander, so we want to make sure we have accessibility for all teachers. Um, career and technical learning opportunities like broadcast journalism and live stream

095production. You could have those things in the EE gym possibly if that were that were something to be decided to put in there. Uh and we already have a journalism pathway, so that would just contribute to that. Um, event management and operations coursework and student internships. That just builds on some of other programs that we have. Um, and a lot of that goes over the same stuff, but one of the things that we talked about is we really cannot accommodate our PE teachers have a common plan right now. There's just no way to build it all in and have accessibility in our gym. So, as we're trying to build in TSS and our triple Cs, our health tees, we're going to have to figure out something creative for them because they're not going to be

096able to have a common plan. So, this would allow us to be able to have a common plan cuz they could use the two gyms. Do you want me to do our stage play production? Yeah, I can keep going. It doesn't matter. I guess we can kind of piggyback. You know, what currently right now, most of you know that we currently have a with an additional gym, that stage becomes for play production, choir. It it becomes its purpose. Um, currently we have a set of bleachers sitting up there year-round that Jared that Mr. Oakander has to work around year-round. Um, if we think it's going to be a bigger crowd and we want to put our students up there, he has to remove his entire set, put it in the back, so we can pull

097out those bleachers for our students to sit on. You know, just the fact that that even though we're not so-called building a theater, Mr. Oakander's getting his space and he doesn't have to share it with anybody. Um, and he can set up his his set, he can leave it up there. He can leave his practice things and not worry about kids going up there. You know, it becomes his own space for him to utilize it and and not share. Um, and I think that's the biggest thing. And right now, we currently have a coach that's willing to come in at 6:00 in the morning and stay at 9:00 at night to work around all these extra schedules. I don't know if we're always going to have that person that's willing to start a practice at

0988:00 at night or 7:00 at night. You know, they might say, "Hey, I'm only if I don't get to start till 6:00, I'm only going to 6:30." Mhm. You know, because, you know, with that additional gym space, these practices can move a whole quicker and he can start a a play production practice after school. So, again, you know, Mr. O has has been great. Um, but I don't know if we're always going to have a Mr. O that's willing to put in 16-hour days. Not just Mr. Oakander, but the students Well, the students that have to Exactly. Exactly. 100 100%. You know, and I think the amount of students is slowly coming down just because they they like to go home. You know, Well, it's a big demand. It is a big demand to be

099here from 6:00 in the morning until You know, if these kids are coming in doing a morning practice and doing an after-school practice or whatever, you know, it it's it's demanding. You know, our our our kids are troopers. And they do a lot and our kids are committed. Um, you know, how does that affect, you know, we kind of talked about youth programming. You know, I think an additional gym provides just earlier practice time. And ideally, uh with the third gym, some of those like you could almost start some of those youth practices right after school. If not, move them down to the auditory and they can go down to the auditory after school. You know, so I I think that's a big deal. Um, and again, it's it's that wow factor walking in and

100kids wanting to play there. Um, again, you know, this week, you know, I have 70 kids out for track. Where do you Where do you want me to if this snow storm comes through or I don't know where I'm I'm even trying to do something safely in the school with 70 kids out for track because and then middle school I think tried to go to the elementary today. You know, that was the plan of this morning. It kind of changed cuz it got better as the day went. You know, when we get stuck indoors, you know, having that additional gym space, especially a larger gym space that we can actually accommodate some of those things is a big deal. All right, I'll pick you to count the ball with cross country. Oh, 100%. Exactly. Needing

101to run indoors when there's volleyball going on and there's really no space for them to be. You know, exactly. They they don't have a space. Mhm. No, and that's 100%. So, thank you for that. Um, and again, like with golf at the you know, like today, you know, they ended up canceling. I think they probably canceled too soon. I think they probably would have been okay. But, go on with the trip. Um, but just I did again having that additional space, you know, gym space to when you can't get on the You know, you can get on the track, but you can't get on the golf course, an additional space to to to work some indoor stuff. Um, I guess any questions before I go back to the other thing The other things that are

102pretty cut and dry, but anything about the gym? All right, additional locker rooms. Um, I think this is just as much as a need as as a gym. Currently, our middle school locker room that we have, um, there's currently 80 80 square feet of changing space in each of those gym the locker rooms. So, you imagine Oh, yeah. There's 80 80 square feet. So, it's 8 by 10 area is what they get and I'm putting teams in there. You know, of 12 and 15 people. So, put about 10 people inside this here and that's what we're asking teams to change in. Um, when we have our wrestling tournament, um, we're putting 20 people, 30 people in that space. Just trying to disperse them between We're throwing 50 not quite 50. We're throwing We throw about

10325 into the middle school and throw about 30 into the into the main ones, into the high school. The high school ones are great. But, when I say 80, you know, 80 square feet, that's the reason I can't bring a football team to change in there because that's a set of shoulder pads and a person that that's taking up 80 square feet. So, um, so obviously that those are they're just not big enough. You know, they're they're good enough for our middle school, but when we start trying to host different teams, um, and we're trying to host our holiday tournament, sometimes that becomes a juggling effect of trying to space out like, "Okay, you got to be out in like 10 minutes cuz the next team's coming in cuz I don't have another space for

104you." Um, well, in most of like back in the olden days, you know, you can okay, you're both teams can go into the same locker room. You know, you don't do that anymore. You know, you don't have your boys team and your girls team, you know, I don't want to say sharing cuz they're not really sharing, but they're they're both using the same space at different times. Um, so you you have to get creative there. Uh this year we ended up putting a team actually in a classroom in it to change. You know, just cuz I was out of locker room. So, and that because I had four different teams that were there and and I wasn't going to kick my wrestling team out of their locker room for practice. So, [snorts] um, um, as

105for So, pretty much, you know, so that that's our locker room issues. Um, you know, I guess probably the big issue that we had this year, again with girls wrestling, is girls wrestling practice was getting out about 5:30, 5:45 at the same time Sam was wanting to go into the locker room and talk to the teams. Well, so either the wrestling girls have to get out of practice early so they can shower or they have to wait until the game starts or Sam doesn't get to go into the locker. You know, it's it's just kind of one of those is like they there's no place else for them to them to go. You know, so they you know, was definitely do you get out early? Do you stay late? You know, you couldn't just enter

106practice. You know, one time the girls were actually in their showering and Sam Sam went to go he didn't go in and he's like, "You know, I can't go in there cuz the girls are showering." So, he didn't even get to go talk to his team uh for the the pregame talk because the high school girl the wrestling team kind of snuck in there before he could before that talk. So, I mean that's you know, and that happened two three times where we had to make sure that somebody was going in early or staying late. Um officials facilities. Um I'll be honest, I'm embarrassed when I have officials come and I have to put them in our Right now, our our officials go into our coaches office in our boys locker room. Um so, they

107are sharing that space with our team. They are they're in an office by themselves, but technically my coaches are in that office after school and then I'm saying, "Here, here's three more dudes. Six of you, okay? Hey, can I get you anything?" Yeah, and and and it's you know, you're asking you know, people to share a small space that is shared with our high school students. You know, you know, there is a shower in there, but that to me that's I don't know. I I I don't know if I neces- I don't know if it's appropriate. Um you know, for that and currently you know, when I have officials come to the elementary gym, they use the storage room as a changing. So, I don't even have a place over there um for them to

108change. You know, obviously if we build a gym, we put in the fish um um a place for officials. Um you know, that problem solved. But, I do I do believe that we need to have their own space. When we hosted our girls tournament, um so, we had girls in every single locker room and then I had four male officials. And I kind of looked at Linsley and I said, "This is a problem cuz I don't know where I'm going to have them go." And we ended up putting um in in the conference room as their space cuz obviously I couldn't give them another room or I could give them a bathroom and they're like, "No, conference room's cool." But, to shower they would have to go use the the the one down on the

109sped one. That would have been their only shower that they would have access to. Same thing happens if we have like two men and one woman official. We have three game officials. Where are they going to be at halftime? They can't all go in the boys locker. You know, and so we end up having to put them in a classroom or something cuz they don't want to go in a separate locker cuz the whole point is to be able to talk about how the first half will happen, what they need to look for for the second half. So, we put them in a classroom, you're getting a lot more clean officials uh officiating basketball and also you know, at least if they're in separate room, they can go in there together. Obviously, they can't shower

110together, but they can at least have their pregame and halftime conference together if they had their space, but we we don't have the space here. Um so, and that kind of takes me down to the wrestling room. Um I kind of put the the Right now, we're sitting with 86 boys out for wrestle or uh 86 boys, you know, 86 boys and girls wrestlers. Um we're sitting with club we're sitting around right around 80 kids out for club wrestling. And I kind of broke down those numbers kind of their practice times. Currently, the boys room is a 70 by 45 room. Um they run about 45 to 50 boys in there to December and then January, February that number goes down cuz their middle school high school goes together, that number goes down to about

11125 in that big space. Um female the Currently, our girls they're currently sharing that room with the cheer and dance room. Um having a daughter that kind of took her access to mop that, she constantly reminded me how much she hates glitter cuz she would have to mop it up during eighth period. She's like, "Stop telling them to use glitter cuz it doesn't clean." Um so, so I mean cuz you're you're sharing that space. So, and I hear about it about twice a week about when they would redo their posters and Yeah. So, >> But, it's so pretty. You [laughter] know, yeah. So, and again that room space is a 31 by 40. Um again, we started the season off with 30 girls, ended the season with 25. Um very con- condensed space in there.

112Um middle school at cafeteria. Um we've kind of talked about that. The biggest thing is is they're having to set up and and tear down. Um you know, the tables roll off the mat then put it all back for the next person. Again, that is a uh a growing program. You know, like I said, we ended up you know, just 16 of our own girls in that room. Stop. Um but again, they're they're having to get creative with partners and groups and and all those things. You know, where the boys are currently being able to to coach middle school and high school in that same room, our girls have to stay separated cuz I don't have the space that they can do that. You know, that they can share some of that instruction high school

113boys. Yeah, and share some of those coaches. Um currently right now, the way our setup is cuz the boys have all the removable mats in their room, if I host a girls event or a middle school event, my boys lose their practice. Yeah, I have no place for them to go. You know, they could if it's before Christmas, there's no way I'm fitting 40 boys upstairs. Or if I'm doing a middle school practice or if I'm doing a middle school, you know, and the girls are using that room, I don't know where my the high school make it work. You know, they they do their thing, but right now those boys are going to lose. They lose practice time because that's where all the mats are. Um the girls is is an old Nebraska mat

114up there that it it's secured down. You're not getting that out. You drag it out to the floor. So, all of the the scout mats are down in that blue gym. So, pretty much whenever we're hosting, we're losing. Having two separate rooms definitely allows practice to still happen and you can still hold competitions. Well, again, I think that reduces late night practices. You know, and I also think that it continues to grow the program with the investment. Am I almost done? Uh I am done. All right, told you. Well, as I'm listening to you talk, I'm amazed that you've you know, what's done. You and Mr. Linsley making sure that you put people in different places and schedule all that. That's a lot of work. That's a lot of extra work is what it is.

115Um and these are good problems to have. Having increased numbers in wrestling and girls wrestling and things that we're doing. Um and it's the same thing with FCS. Right now, uh Mr. Martinez is a popular guy. The program is popular. And so, we have a growing number of kids that want to be in culinary. I don't blame them. It's a great class. But, we do not have the space for them. So, we end up having to cut students um because we simply don't have the stations for them to do the labs. So, right now it's really limited to 12 workstations and it's really not even that's really being generous saying 12 workstations. We fit we fit [laughter and clears throat] 12 kids into one station, quite frankly. It is a kitchen. And so, there's a

116large block station where all the kids gather around and primarily what happens is the teacher teaches, he demonstrates the lab, he tries to include them in what he can, but they really don't have a full culinary two experience. It's just not a possible thing. They don't have the space. So, um it's really a challenge for him because Reya's classroom and his lab are separated. So, for him to actually be able to conduct a lab, have people clean up, and have them doing something in the other room, he has to kind of stand in the hallway area and observe them while he's doing it, which is almost an impossible task to ask the teacher to do. He can't even get involved with the kids over here without leaving these kids alone. Um limited capacity, we went

117over that. Um accessibility issues, the door is really not being up to really pass any ADA inspection. So, it's not set up for some of our kids that may benefit from that program. We just can't we can't fit them in there and and accommodate them. And that's that's a problem. Uh so, we limit our hands-on learning. We limit who can be in that class. We limit numbers. And we don't have the storage or the areas for um storing some of our food, some of our supplies. So, a lot of it has to lay out on the counter, Um it doesn't really look like a professional kitchen like it should. Uh So, the benefits of a new FCS FCS room are all those things. Um Kelly, and uh being able to accommodate more kids, quite frankly.

118We right now have 28 kids signed up for intro to foods. We have foods one, we have 26 kids signed up. And for foods two, we have 18. Right now, we're not going to be able to accommodate those kids. So, we're going to have to cut some of those classes to some of those kids. Do we want to do that? Absolutely not. If we could actually put 18 to 20 kids in that room, we would do it. So, um the capacity's there, the kids want to do it, and um it with more workstations and more space, we could actually provide that. What is the max Rachelle, that on what? Yeah, that's what I thought. It's pretty tight with 12. Oh, it is. Tight with five. I'm surprised he makes that work. But he does make

119it work. Yeah. I mean, even the pictures of the pizza that they I mean, you can see it. If you walk down to that kitchen, you won't I'm saying, if you go into the kitchen and you just look at it, I mean, there's something stuffed in every greasy wall, looking cranny down there, so you know He's doing the best he can with the space. There's just not enough covered space, so. Yeah. He's trying to expand and try to do different things, and we're to the point where I Stop. We We can't do it. You I This would be really great, and really beneficial, but we have no space for you to do that. We don't even have the space for that cart. We have to find a space for that cart right now. It'd be

120really great to have a space to store that cart, so. For their um for their bites and brews. Bites and brews, yeah. So, I guess any questions for Well, and I'll just You guys had asked how the elementary would use it, and so um I don't know if there'd be any time slots left after we said >> [laughter] >> But wishful thinking, um obviously, indoor recess, Dr. Dinker had talked about that last time. Um if if it works with the extra classes that you would be adding and all that. Um But I thought about you had addressed the the athletic um clubs, you know, basketball, volleyball, and then even the little dance things that they do. But then I thought, you know, our it would be a nice space for our health teacher, Mrs. Rubik,

121to work with our health kids. Um she right now is using the art room on days that Lori's not in there, and it's tight. Um but if they want to do big projects where they're doing like robotics or you know, other STEM projects, um that would be a nice space for them to go on their health days to use that space. Um I thought about Mr. King could use it for practicing with concerts, and you got to depending on I don't know where concerts would be. Would they still be at the gym? an additional gym is you would still run your concerts off the stage if that's where you want it, it wouldn't interfere with the PE classes cuz they could still go on in the gym. You wouldn't shut down our building for a

122day. It would help out cuz we do we do take up the gym to practice during the day for the um both concerts, the the Christmas and the spring. Um you know, and then I just threw out just some other ones like, you know, family nights and and other community engagement events. Um If kids wanted to like, I think about um fifth grade had done their wax museum, and just things like that. Um there's always things if it was a beautiful. Um and then I was thinking about our junior mates program that we have our high school kids, and they're kind of locked in right now with the time that they can come. I think because of scheduling. Um you know, having that flex space, maybe that would give some flexibility where kids could meet

123at different times that worked better in the high school kids' schedule, and they'd have a space maybe to go use um and play in the gym. Um you know, if kids I have a very small sensory room right now in the elementary. You know, if kids wanted to take a walking break with a para and go in the gym and mess around and get burn some energy, they can't really do that right now when when PE classes are going on. So, it would be another place for um movement breaks or for sensory use. And then I just thought, you know, professional for staff. You know, maybe they would have to break out into for professional development use um when we have our PD days. Um it's another room to all meet in cuz we're always

124looking for big rooms and and um And then even like maybe we could get a wellness program going for our staff in terms of let's meet and walk together in the morning or after school or whatever those openings might be, but I think it's going to be booked solid. So, those are my ideas. Well, I think you had mentioned it too in your report at the last music concert that we had that uh bleachers were packed. There was like no extra seating. no extra space. Um in there, so that would open up a lot more space. Yeah, we ended up having people standing, and I was kind of embarrassed. We thought, "Ooh, we should put down it I mean, there's it's not a lot of room in there, so. Or for example, thank you just

125reminded me, you know, I I borrowed the high school gym for our awards ceremony. And that displaces you know, that yes, they can go back over to our gym and do that, but Yep. So, it would just gain another space or something like that. I think we have like eight days or something PE can't do it. So, running for a best tally is The FCS room that also be the hospitality room when we host the event. You know, I don't know if you've ever seen like Gilford's Centennial's or hospitality rooms or FCS rooms, but they're kind of like what these guys talked about. Most of them have six stoves and six workstations, so you can put three and four kids at each one. I would say it's maybe about 50% bigger than this room. Williams

126Because you have an actual kitchen space, you have a separate classroom to base, and then it's got room enough to put tables in there as well. So, if you're hosting an event where you're going to feed 50 coaches, 50, 60 coaches, and bus drivers, and workers, you can do that. So, it's not just used for FCS classroom, but when you're hosting events to use for rallies as well. We currently use the board Yeah, the board room or the band room on the band room behind the stage, so. But then that's at that page. We use this for speeches cuz people sit in here all day. Cut her. I really don't want something to spill on the carpet. Then talk to Dr. Dinker. I got some pictures here. The reason we don't have chairs. >> [laughter]

127>> So, ever since I started Exactly. That was a lot of really good information. Sorry, I'm I'm having a little long-winded. No. Great. There are also some lot of things that um a lot of questions that I had that were answered and just some um some good information other than questions that I had. I don't know um you know, what other questions might get spurred. Just kind of got to digest everything that you know, and just kind of maybe go through this again. Um you know, our own time and kind of think. And I would say, you know, to the board, you know, as again, you know, as you're thinking as you're going through this or you're you're you're you're at any time going back to that Google Doc and just kind of putting those

128questions back in there, and I don't know if we want to try to keep track of and maybe you guys know which you have I've answered this question, and then like as we add new, just keep track of which ones are new and which ones are the old ones, but I'm Yeah, I guess it's just a lot. Like I said, I I continually add to this document probably daily. You know, just I'll get thinking and be like, "Oh, yeah." You know, so. I've started a file, too, just for you know, the board members. Um Like all the emails that we've gotten from the public, they can change that. I've just been saving them into a file, and I want to print them eventually and just have a folder to just go back to, you know,

129the different comments and suggestions and concerns. I don't know, it's just helpful for me them all together rather than trying to scroll through my email and find them. Those are That's a really good idea cuz I scroll. I was trying to trying to make it That's a good idea, but I'm glad that you mentioned because we've had We've had several people on reach out to the board and um give us you know, access our emails on the website, and so I just want to encourage everybody to do that um to continue to do that because that's really helpful, and sometimes things are brought up that I didn't think about, or just really good questions, and then also questions that we can also place on that Google Doc, and then hopefully get some answers to as

130well. And And just so you guys know, after tonight's meeting, I will scan Mr. Fromer Doc's document, and I'll add it as a PDF to this correct voting memo. That would be good. So, that way it's open to the public, so if anybody watches the board meeting after tonight's meeting, they would also have access to this PDF. So, I'll be able to upload it tomorrow, so people would have access to that, too, just so they can kind of follow along a little bit, maybe. Is there a link you could put on the website other than in our board agenda at activity facility >> facility, wait and updates. Yeah, I I could visit. >> So, you don't have to dig deep into Yeah, I could visit with Mr. Abbott guy and see what makes sense on

131our on our website. Yeah, I mean this is video could have like could be scamming or it's actually a lot of good stuff in here that Yeah, it's good. Yeah, I'll visit with Mr. Abbott guy and so link it to it. Yeah, social So, then if you're going to attach a link, I'm going to at least write what as it was provided. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I can uh Yeah, probably also upload a link on social media as well with you. Yeah, >> [clears throat] >> I can't like 12 >> I'll work with you guys. You probably I don't know. Yeah, we can do everything like that. as many places where people can access I found one. I'm going to try to fix that [laughter] type of Yeah. I saw one. And like Mr. Martinez, you

132know, I'd like to have a conversation with him. Yeah. And and I and I told him I would and say if you could design your quote dream FCS room, what are some things that the flooring and admin needs to consider? Cuz obviously he's the one that's going to use it and bust down my wall. And I think even the same way with the whether it's the locker rooms, the wrestling room, the bonus space, talking to the coaches Yeah, I was just going to say the coaches would be the main ones. You guys are the ones that use the space, what are some of the things that are most critical for you to have the most functional space for your program. Or like she said they've seen something somewhere else that things for having that was

133fantastic. Frank It would be nice if Cole could go visit a few of them again schools too just to be like, oh. And I did ask this, you know, I did ask North Putnam and Sentinels to go there. It's two I've been to that send me pictures, square footage, and drawings of those just as a starting place. And I think you're exactly right. If you're in a gym or an FCS room that our coaches or FCS teachers says, you know what, I heard or I've seen this one and it's fantastic. We go visit it. Yeah. Well, take some pictures, ask for diagrams and And at some point you know, depending on how this plays itself out, you as board member, we may want to do something similar to it. You know, down the road we

134we hear that this FCS room is fantastic and whether it's the whole board or the three member of the facilities committee going to a a place or two is, you know, in the same way with the gym space or whatever. If we get to that point. Right. I I I think there's nothing wrong with doing that. Um it's worth it. So, speaking of that, so we're Ned March right now. Um I mean prior to this meeting you had talked about, you know, community meetings we can you know string kind of ish what whatever we're thinking. What's everybody thinking along what lines of next steps? We I mean obviously we're not done talking about our board table and there's still questions. I'm going to still going to be talking about it, but um what are people

135thinking about when's the right time or when do we feel like I don't know the answer of when you feel comfortable because you need to have something to present like these are our ideas, but then you also don't want to wait super long before you start getting info from our community here. So, I don't know what everybody thinks about the timeline of things. Then it's up. Yeah. Which I think I think I think getting this this is a ton of information that will answer a lot of questions. That's it. Getting this out is important. Right. You need to see the document. presenter Yeah, you probably didn't spill it. You have to have a Well, well, this will be good information to people to hear in the community. You'll have chance to let them ask questions

136or voice and put And that was only if you will think about it and we'll get into the details, I guess, on what's it look like if you do? Right. Yeah. It'll be good. key I would I guess then I would discuss this. I'm keeping it. I think you said it well. Do you think it's if we don't know Yeah, I mean I agree. I think this is a would be a great start for our community meeting. Um getting what's out here. I mean I don't think that it's simply not enough just to say it's in this meeting recorded in our website and then we're going to post to a PDF of it. Like I think that you have to you know, host a meeting and deliver the information in in person. >> Yeah. Yeah,

137yeah. And that's good to hear it because also like a couple of emails that we've gotten they're it's it's good to have and suggestions but they live it. And you know, you don't want to take away from that. Like I don't know. I just sometimes feel like spend a week planning and putting the puzzle pieces together and figuring out a schedule and doing all the things and then come back and rewrite your email or you know it I don't know. We don't live it. They live it. And so when we hear it from them I I just feel like there's way more of a need than I even thought we needed. You know, cuz I don't live it. And my kids won't benefit. It's the future. Can dear cooperate in the district or have a

138good meeting? However, we got to meet routine for all of them. I understand. My recommendation if you want to do something similar to that and you can take it or leave it, would be maybe you have an hour special board meeting before the regular board. Um you know, you have a community engagement meeting from 6:00 to 7:00 or whatever and then you have the board meeting from at 7:00 >> We've done that before. And have it on the same night, but just so you can at least end it. end it Not to take away from No, I know because there will be more than one, but >> Correct. But I think maybe the initial one here is the hour initial >> Yeah. You know, we're going to do a 30-minute presentation and 30-minute Q&A. Yeah.

139You know, give you an opportunity to express your concerns, your questions, whatever. That might help us gauge what you know concerns overwhelmed at that meeting and then we've got to do something Correct. Yeah. It gives you guys an idea of the pulse of the community. You're going to know after that hour. Yeah. You know, and then and that's just an initial But I think if you do it in a regular board meeting, you don't get the back and forth from like you could do the presentation, but even if you advertise it like we the Q&A can't happen during a regular business meeting. So, We get a special meeting. That that's just what I suggest. That would be That would be fine. I guess that's kind of my point is unless you're doing it in April,

140maybe, but probably on the same night as the regular meeting. Yeah. That And so that's what's the timing and ready to do that in April? Well, our issue meeting is in May, which in April. So, Let's kiss and make up. Don't know how I'm saying that. in April Yeah, I'm going to put whatever we're happy with then. I'm not saying that you can't have them in November, I guess, but I just want You can send one to each committee and they got Yeah, I I don't want people to think we're also having you know, like our facilities are going to be here. You know, and then Yeah, but there'll be more people to vote with then. It's true. Or do you have two? You have a community engagement meeting before the April board meeting in

141Bellwood and you have some more community engagement meeting in May here. Same. This one I I guess part of it is thinking that like to be able to have that meeting in our gym. I know. Yeah. Because Yeah, maybe. people come and they can see what they will have. Not that most people haven't been in it already, but I guess it's when you're talking about those things makes it exciting. Yeah, when you're talking about the baselines, when you're talking about the JDs, the facility What's that? And then you put them on the visitor sideline where a game is going on. I haven't checked into the coaches Part of that maybe is allowing the community to see the current FCS room, see the current middle school locker rooms, see the cheer dance room where we also

142try to have your old wrestling Yeah. I got you. You know, I mean I don't think that's all bad either because it's one thing to tell them about it, it's another when you see it for yourself. You do it at the very end or very beginning. Yeah, either on their way. You know, cuz I've sit here thinking the same thing. I didn't go to school here and nor have I worked in the building. I hadn't even been in some of these. You know, and so you know, maybe it's 5:30 to 6:00, we open up the facility for a half an hour for people to see the facilities and then at 6:00 we have the presentation and then 6:30 to 7:00 is the Q&A. You know, but I I I think having people the ability to

143see makes a difference. But in that case I kind of feel like you only do it then in May because I don't want then in May because I don't want people to get the information in April and then in May is when we're opening up. So you know Does that But then it that's kind of further down the road too. I don't know. I'll just do it in April? Before? I mean What what's that? >> Can you do it in April before you >> Oh our April meeting's in Belvidere. >> No, so we wouldn't get you wouldn't get the same. You have to do a separate. But we we just do a separate. You do a separate. Yeah, we just do it earlier so we can all get I could do like the Wednesday before

144something or we would have to do it more early. Yeah. How could we do it without I would say we would What about February? The April board That's true. We could do it in May. The The Belvidere meeting Is that not a board call sorry? No. I don't think we specifically state We just do two a year. You said twice a year though. We just say twice a year. >> So we can do that too. Have the April meeting here and then house. Okay. Yeah, that would be a good idea. That Wednesday that I'll put that on future action. >> What? Yeah, is that even an action item? We all are each going on that way or This is the most of all school That's before. How do we >> Yeah. We're still auction. You

145work I'm still thinking an hour before regular meeting or we need to do more time if it's going to be a two Yeah, I feel like what you say start Well, I mean you do do tours from 5:30 to 6:00 and then 6:00 to 6:30 is the presentation and then 6:30 to 7:00 is Q&A then have the regular board meeting at 7:30 so that way you get a little time to catch your breath and somebody hits you up after the meeting has a quick question or whatever you get time to at least catch your breath before the meeting ends at 7:30. You can serve us food. Yeah, we can. Yeah, I can put food in here. I'm kidding. Well, I can. I'm >> [laughter] >> kidding. That's a perfectly valid question. Yeah, I was I

146like to eat. >> [laughter] >> Don't like to be hungry. I'm kidding. I will bring my sandwich and put it in my bag. Okay. I had this. I think that that's I think it's already I think if you're ready I mean I feel like we've got enough enough information here and we know great Yeah, I mean it's just you the public ranks look the first wave of the Yeah. present here why would you talk about this? Right. Because that's what we all agreed to Yes. Yeah, I know you did a lot put this together but like I found it interesting your specific examples of like such and such a date we had to put somebody in a classroom. You know, if you can include more of that stuff the better. I would agree. Yeah, and

147like like you said like you're constantly updating. Like this doesn't have to be just on the way you present. Like it's whatever is up to that point. I wrote down all the stuff. And I I have that if you That would be nice. Yeah. Because all of that was You work at I'll give you access. I'm trying to sorry to share it with you. That's fine. I'm trying to And what is what we'll do is we'll put a PowerPoint presentation before we do a little bit of what I presented last month or whatever and then spend more time on this stuff. Mhm. Yeah. Okay. Okay, that's a good plan. I like that then. So I will put that on future Unless you unless we like looking at it you guys think that it needs to

148be a stand alone to too much on the plate of his. My only concern is I mean I think if they move the board meeting to 7:30 then I think we're okay but like my I just I want there to be I want there to be plenty of time for questions and stuff. If we go 5:30 to 6:00 you know, like you said unless we start at 5:00. I just don't want it I don't want people to feel rushed going through and I want them to be able to see everything and I want it that I don't think it'll be our only time. >> That's what I was saying. I think this is the [clears throat] initial >> Right. Yeah. Yeah. Right. People who Yeah. Okay. I think it's just an opportunity. And then it'll

149get people all talking You have to have people that Hey, I didn't believe you. Yeah. Yeah, I think yeah, I think we need to I think we need And this document getting out on the internet get people talking anything for sure. Yeah, I don't think we want to wait much longer. No. I don't think so. I think this is do it. Okay, well. And we'll get positive attention. Yeah, and yeah, as long as we have people that come forward that's doing it. It's normal blocks between sports seasons anyway. Yeah. >> [laughter] >> Speech is only once a week. Yeah. District speech is Monday and then he has nothing to do. Yeah. So plus his wife wants him busy anyway. So she would like to see him Yeah. >> [laughter] >> All right. >> As if

150you haven't put in enough hours so Okay, good. Well, thank you very much. This this was really good. Okay, so now we'll move on to discuss consider take action on the ESU 7 special education services contract. Yeah, I'm just asking you to approve the contract. You can see the contract is for just under a million dollars but I would also make sure you notice that we have three kids on the waiting list to to go to to Bridges to Center 7 and so each kid is about 44,000 plus the cost of a para and so I would anticipate the actual contract in August going over a million dollars. This is less than it last year. It ends a little bit. Yep. Yeah. And Derek, when will we know when they're going to be and not

151on the wait list? The next Wednesday is when they will they will meet. Um We'll create Hopefully in a month or so. Yeah, by then and then we'll get back to it. So they haven't even that hard of students yet. Okay, so we are in need of the service. You bet. Special education services contract. I will make the motion. All right, moved by Casey. I'll second. Uh to approve the ESU 7 special education services contract for next school years. Um Donnie? Yes. Yep. Yes. I vote yes Justin. Yes. >> Casey? Yes. Uh personnel discuss consider take action on staff resignations. We have two resignations to consider tonight. And Pelikan is in your Coburn High School English and uh Mr. Bader Elementary sped. Here. I'll I move to approve the staff resignations that were submitted. So

152I could or what? I pledge this. I'll second All right, moved by Stephanie seconded by Justin. Casey? Can we say no? Yes. Uh Justin? Yes. Donnie? Yes. Marcus? Yes. I vote yes. Uh and discuss consider take action on new teacher contracts. There's that one Carly gets David C. Elementary. I'll move to second. Try it. Okay. I'll move the motion to approve and second. All right, moved by Donnie seconded by Marcus to approve the contract as presented. Uh Donnie? Yes. Casey? Yes. Yes. Yes. Okay. And and can we end? Uh future discussion items obviously facilities and we will be back here next month. And we get all that information out to public on our special meeting prior to Yeah, and I would just remind you guys we do have a short special board meeting next Wednesday

153morning at 7:30 a.m. So that uh Blake can do the old and new board members and the official meeting. a board member. So that's week from today 7:30. And then Stephanie and I are going to start meeting with them nine right after that meeting and start doing some new new board member orientation you know like we did with the last two board members. Yep, and you're well anybody is welcome to come to those onboarding sessions too. Um and we just obviously can't have more than four eight so only one of That's fine actually so let me know. I have an appointment like in that day so I won't be able to So yeah, we're going to And and we will be meeting with Blake. Um our goal is to meet with him um at least

154once a month. Once a month for the at least the next six months. So yeah, just to get him up to speed on everything. Will he have an ASBI training that we all had the new or how does that work? I would encourage That won't happen till the Okay, till after the election. After the election. That's what I wondered. I didn't know. Yep. All right, with all of that then I'll entertain a motion to adjourn. So moved. Second. Moved by Marcus seconded by Donnie. All those in favor say I. All those opposed Daniel 7. Yep. Thanks everyone. Yes.