5/13/26 Board of Education Meeting

001Uh good evening everyone. Uh adequate notice has been given. So if we could all stand for the pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> Well who's going to make the motion on agenda? How How are we supposed to keep going? >> Do you want Do you want to take >> No, we'll I move to approve. >> We'll get it going here. >> The agenda is posted. >> Second. >> All right. Uh motion has been made. All those in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? Great. Uh agenda has been adopted. All right. recognizing our own and I will take the lead here and I'm thrilled to recognize our own because ladies and gentlemen tonight we

002recognize someone here in the room who is a state champion sitting here with us and not in you know a casual participation trophy sort of way. No, this is a person who placed first in public forum debate at the Misha class one state tournament this year. first in the state, which means somewhere across Missouri, there are still students replaying arguments in their head, thinking, "Wait, how did she do that?" Now, for anyone unfamiliar with public forum debate, and I had to research this a little bit myself, it essentially requires students to research complex issues, think critically under pressure, communicate clearly, anticipate counterarguments, and stay composed while doing all of it. In other words, exactly the sort of skills that become mildly terrifying when possessed by someone still in high school. and exactly the type of

003person we seek at the board table with us. But naturally, this person does not stop there. This year, she also served as Missouri's representative on the National Coalition Against Censorship, advocating for intellectual freedom, freedom, and student voice on a national level. She is also a member of Congressman Wesley Bell's Youth Council, helping bring the perspective of young people into important civic conversations. And this summer, she will participate in the St. Louis changemakers program working alongside other student leaders to develop projects focused on creating a better future for the St. Louis region. At this point, this is less of a student resume and more of a LinkedIn profile that causes adults to quietly reconsider their own productivity. Of course, I am talking about Nina Storius. But as impressive as all those accomplishments are, and there are

004probably many more that I am not aware of, what we are especially grateful for tonight is Nah's service as student representative to the board of education. Throughout the year, Nina brought intel uh intelligence, poise, perspective, and certainly a lot of energy to this board. She represented students with honesty and maturity, asked important questions, and consistently reminded us of real experiences of the students we serve. The role of student rep is not always easy. It requires balancing leadership with humility, advocacy with diplomacy, and confidence with empathy, not to mention excellent time management skills. Nina managed all of that with a with remarkable grace. So, Nenah, thank you for your leadership, your voice, your service, and the example you have set for students across the district. We are incredibly proud of you and are excited to see

005what comes next. So, please join me in recognizing Nina Storius. All right. >> Thank you. Uh joining Nina tonight is Manu McDonald who will join us as a student rep to the board next year. And Manu, I've um just met you tonight, but I've heard great things. there was a a pretty, you know, a lengthy process for this role that you went through and thanks to Chris and Leo for leading that for us and we're excited to work with you next year. >> Yeah. I mean, I'm really excited. >> Great. We welcome you. >> All right. Do we have any public comment? No public comment. All right, then we'll keep moving. All right, superintendent communications. >> Thank you. Thank you. Good evening, everyone. So, we're going to start off with teacher appreciation week, which was

006last week. So, we celebrated all of our teachers across all of our schools. It was a fun-filled week with lots of treats and lots of activities across each of the um buildings. And one of the things that I wanted to make sure that I highlight was also thank our PTO's because in all the buildings our PTO's really went above and beyond in making sure that our teachers feel valued and that we are very grateful for them. So thank you to all the educators and our PTOs for the continued support and partnership. Also one of the highlights from last week was the Mayfair award. So hopefully if any of you got to attend and thank you for the bo to the board for all of you being at the Mayfair which was a wonderful event and

007it was a time where we honored all of our service award recipients and our retirees. So it's one of my favorite times of the year and it's just a nice feel-good evening. So that was a great event and um I appreciate everyone's support in being there. Next, speaking of amazing districts, it is I am proud to share that the school district of Clayton has been recognized as a 2026 culture excellence and industry award winner through the top workplaces and bucket list. The district received eight honors which are highlighted on the screen and these recognitions span AC areas including employee well-being, professional development, innovation, and so much more. These accolades are especially meaningful because they are based on feedback directly from our employees and we had more than 280 employees who did the assessment and completed

008the survey. So, it's especially meaningful to us for that and we're incredibly proud of everyone and all the work that's occurring in the district. So, I just want to thank everybody and continue to engage our employees and make sure this is a wonderful school district for everybody to attend and be a part of. So, congratulations to everyone on that. Next, speaking of top workplaces, the summer is coming pretty soon and that does not mean we stop learning. We are a learning institute. And speaking of that, I want to thank the teaching and learning department for putting together what we have amazing plans for the summer. In terms of our summer institutes, we have over 50 summer institutes that are being offered that are led by our staff and other individuals and our teachers sign up

009for this and we will later on in August I'll provide a report of how many teachers um went to the summer institutes and what all that we learned about some of the topics that I got a glimpse of included um mindfulness they there was wellness there was tier 2 instruction technology sessions you name it we have it. It's over 50 sessions this summer that our teachers will get to be a part of. So, thank you again for everyone who's planned it and for everyone who I know has signed up to present at those. And then finally, or almost finally, we have the next two weeks are busy and exciting weeks ahead for us. We have graduation coming up next week. We have eighth grade promotion coming up. Our elementary schools do all the field days.

010And I know our family center also has fun activities planned. So, the next two weeks always fly by. And believe it or not, tomorrow is our last day for our seniors. And the week after is the last, no, is it the week after? May 29th is the last day of school for our students. So, time is flying and we're just excited to finish off the year strong and it's been another great year in Clayton, 100%. And then lastly, tonight we have three board presentations that we will be hearing. Dr. Gargano and Mr. Daniel Henderson will be giving us a fine arts curriculum update and then Dr. Garganigo and Lauren de Riggney is going to be also giving us a library update and then we will have John Brazil give us a preliminary budget and of

011course as we know that the June meeting is when when we adopt the final budget. So with that I am it is my honor to hand it off to Nina for the very last time because we don't have our student reps attend the June meeting. we just that's a small gift that we could give you. Um it is summer officially for them. So Nina, it is my honor to hand it off to you and I truly just want to echo everything um Jason said that thank you for all that you have done. You have been an outstanding outstanding board representative. So thank you. >> Thank you. >> I really can't believe this is my last meeting. This has been an amazing year. So thank you guys all so much. Um, I'm very sad that this

012year has come to an end, but just because we are nearing the final weeks does not mean that Clayton students have slowed down at all. In fact, this final stretch always seems to motivate and inspire students across all of our schools, and it's been wonderful to see. So, let's touch on a few of the awesome things that Clayton students are continuing to do even into May. First, I'd like to shout out freshman Natalie Young. She's been hard at work at bringing an important initiative to our attention. Since the beginning of this year, she's been meeting with teachers and wellness center leaders to discuss mental health and how Clayton can improve our already very impressive practices surrounding emotional wellness. She met with both Dr. Patel and I to tell us about her ideas for improvements. And

013suffice it to say, she has done an absolutely wonderful job in coming up with an idea and taking purposeful action to make tangible change. And she's just getting started. So, big shout out to freshman Natalie. I can't wait to see what she'll do. Um, second, across all of our schools, like Dr. Patel talked about end of the year celebrations are well on their way. On May 2nd, Glenidge held their annual strawberry festival, which was very fun. And on May 5th, Clayton's Asian Student Association wrapped up a great year with a cultural celebration night, which I wasn't able to attend, but I heard was a lot of fun and had a lot of good food. Um, and those are just a few of the fun things that Clayton is doing to end the year with a

014bang. But as we celebrate the end of a great year, it's also important to look back and reflect on all we have accomplished. I think it's safe to say that one of the community's biggest accomplishments was the passing of Prop O. The amount of work that the community members, including teachers, parents, and students, who I'm especially proud of, put into spreading the word and making things happen was remarkable. From the earliest briefings and informational videos in September to the day spent canvasing with my fellow students in April, the passing of this referendum was truly a testament to the commitment and dedication of our town. And I am honored and proud to be part of the board that made that happen. So, thank you guys. And speaking of commitment and dedication, I couldn't be happier to

015pass a torch to somebody who truly embodies these traits. I work with Manu in speech and debate and law review, and I can't imagine someone more fitting for this role. He is hardworking, friendly, and a perfect advocate for Clayton students, and I know he'll do great things. So, as I wrap up my final update as student rep, I want I want to say thank you to the administration, faculty, and especially the students for allowing me to serve in this role. It's been an incredible experience to work with this community and I am proud of what we accomplished together. I'm excited to see what happened next and I know the future is in great hands. Thank you. >> Great. Thank you for that. Um, okay. We will now go to the fine arts curriculum presentation. Good

016evening. Um, I will start off by introducing Daniel Henderson as um, our fine arts coordinator. And one of the things that I publicly want to say about Daniel is he's done an amazing job of bringing multiple disciplines together under one umbrella. And I think those of you who are on the board before and know that our last board report had a lot of goals um we've gotten to a place where we're very unified um as a department. So I just want to publicly thank him um for that work. I'm going to let him introduce um the members of his team that are here um just so that we can publicly shout them out um for their work and contribution and then we'll get started. >> All right. So tonight um we have a number of

017the fine arts team here and uh if you just raise your hand when I call out your name. Adam Vampelt teaches general music at Captain Elementary. Uh Tiffany Markwart, there she is. Art at Captain. Carolyn Day is our orchestra teacher at Widown Middle School. Alyssa Overman is our director of bands at CHS and Widown Middle School. Mallerie Duncan is our theater teacher at CHS and also helps out at White Down. And Cammy Shiovarin is art at CHS. and Beth Williams is art of Marramck. So, thank you guys for all being here tonight. YEAH. Uh and before I really dive in, I just want to say a few thank yous. Um first to Melena for your guidance and encouragement and especially the demystification of the self-study uh process for a new coordinator. Uh I came in

018right as we started and I was uh extremely nervous about it and you just helped me sail right through. So thank you very much for that. Um to the whole fine arts team um you know they're a group of skilled and talented uh artists and teachers. But in the last two years we've done a lot of work and I've gotten to see them as um thinkers and as dreamers. and it's been um a wonderful time working with them and um to a person I found them to be devoted to this work and interested and vulnerable. So um I just want to thank them publicly for their work. Um and finally I'd like to thank the board and Dr. Patel for your continued and ongoing support of the arts here in Clayton. Um we have a

019lot of very vibrant uh programs and we really appreciate what you uh do to support that. So thank you. >> All right. >> So just to get us grounded in our work before we start, um our profile of a graduate and our CIP, our strategic plan are the things that ground us um within our work. And I think you'll see breadcrumbs and evidence of that in the work that the fine arts department has done and the goals that they have chosen um to set for themselves to study for the next several years. >> Great. Um our main disciplines of the fine arts are music, theater and visual arts. Um and we start in our elementary schools with the shirt offerings um for all grades in um visual art and general music. So each student gets

020an hour of instruction uh every week all six years of elementary school. Uh in fourth grade we begin our first um uh specialized instrument offering with strings in fourth grade which goes into fifth grade and on. Um and we also offer a chorus before school in our elementary schools. Uh as we move to the middle school, students are able to take elective visual arts classes, theater classes, and this is where we start our music ensemble classes, the big band orchestra choir classes. Um, at CHF's we expand even more and we have um many opportunities to study, including specialized art pathways uh and non-performing music classes. Um, in our secondary schools, we offer over 60 distinct courses between Wound and the high school for students to choose from. Um, and it's worth noting that our high

021school students need a fine arts credit to graduate. So, Great. Um, our work is guided by the National Core Arts Standards and the Missouri Arts Learning Standards. Um, the National Core Arts Standards, um, our anchor standards are creating, performing, presenting, producing, responding, and connecting. Um, and as we began our self-study last year, we evaluated our curriculum against a number of things. We against our strategic plan, our profile of a graduate, our commitment to equity and um our department also looked at our enduring understandings and we decided we didn't really have an authentic connection to those enduring understandings. Um out of the 25 fine arts teachers, I think 21 of us are new in the last 10 years. So most of us weren't here the last time they were updated. Um, so we took this opportunity

022to um create new enduring understandings that better reflect who we are and what we believe. And we took the opportunity to align those um with the National Core Arts Standards. There we go. Um, by grounding our curriculum in these standards and by refining our enduring understandings to align with them, we're ensuring that the fine arts in Clayton are not just a series of projects and performances, concerts, but a pathway for our students to global citizenship, critical thinking, and creative thinking. Over the last five years since our last board review, we've had a few um a few changes to our curriculum as we evolved to better meet the needs of our students. Uh it I'll just go through these very quickly. At WY Down, um speech and debate and tech theater were previously only an eighth

023grade class. Now they've been open to seventh grade. And if a student has a um a special interest in one of those classes, they can take it again because of our rotating curriculum. So um it kind of starts a pathway for those students who are interested in those things. Um, at the high school, uh, CHS band has transitioned to an auditionbased placement for the top band, which, um, kind of mirrors how we do our orchestra. The CHS musical theater class, uh, used to be tied to our spring musical, and now it's been moved into the school day so that students who are not involved in that musical can still take the class. Um, and our chamber choir has restructured to be a 10th uh through 12th grade ensemble. Um visual arts, we replaced our general

024art one through four with specific pathways. So drawing and painting and ceramics and sculpture. So if a student has a specific interest, they can lean that direction and uh have a a specific adventure. Uh and finally, uh we refined our digital media and sorry digital photography and media curriculum. Um as we move forward and technology changes, we're adapting to to uh kind of come up to modern technology and uses. So those are our changes in the last few years for our goals. Um we knew that for our first goal that we wanted to um affirm our belief in equity and belonging. And um this goal is really more more than just representation, but we're trying to create a culturally responsive community. By intentionally removing barriers to access and honoring diverse artistic voices, we ensure that

025every student finds a home in our arts program where they feel seen, heard, and valued. For our second goal, um we knew that we wanted to be in the um the area of empowered learning because we feel like the arts are the perfect place for empowered learning. Um in fact, when empowered learning surfaced, we were like, "Yeah, that's us. That's what we're doing. We're there." Um but we want to lean in even more. Um, and by fostering an environment where students take the lead in their own artistic growth, we give them the tools to express themselves with purpose and humility. Our aim is for students to leave our schools with the confidence to navigate the complex world through their own unique and creative lens. And finally, uh, in our third goal, we wanted to embrace

026the idea of process over product. um in a world that demands immediate perfection and social media um kind of image that's perfect all of the time. We're asking our students to lean into the process and to get messy and to realize that the work is what it's about and not just the end result. So wi with these goals uh we are ensuring that the fine arts department isn't just teaching our students skills but that we're also helping shape character and the future of our students as we look at how we will be better. As we ensure belonging for our students and we empower our learners to lean into the work, um we also think about the Wii on this slide because I think the initial thought is we is in the fine arts staff but

027I really feel that the Wii includes our students and our schools and our communities. Um as these skills create better human beings which radiates everywhere. So um as we move forward sorry into our next steps um as we look at our next steps this is how we are going to take our philosophy and our goals and our lofty ideas and bring them into reality. Um, as we look at our new processes that we want to put into place, as we audit old processes and materials, we want to ensure that we're able to follow through with these goals. And um, and these are some of the ways that we intend to do that. Um, as I wrap up here, I just want to take um a moment of privilege just to say that I'm really honored

028to represent this staff that is um excited to do this work and not content to stay where we are, but determined to move forward in our practices and in our structures to better serve our students in our fine arts classrooms. So, thank you. >> Great. Sorry. Thank you. Um, any questions? >> I move to approve the fine arts review goals. >> All right. >> The district written fine arts curriculum and the financials as outlined in the report. >> Great. All those in favor? >> Any opposed? All right. >> Did I talk to Okay, whatever it is. Who has questions? Yeah. Great. Okay, great. Hi. Um, so thank you. It's, uh, was great to see all the work and really the intentionality and thought that has gone into the curriculum planning. So, um, well done. And

029I think, you know, the fine arts have always been a strong suit of the district. So I think um I have complete faith that that will continue. Um I just one well the movement of some of the performing groups into the school day um like the uh chamber or chamber orchestra right that used to be an afterchool program and then moving into is that um I I think that's great for making it more accessible to people in the school day. Um I guess have you seen any challenges with um then the scheduling right like it competing with other classes or like students not being able to work some of those things. I know that's one one example. >> Um with that example I'd say no because um before it was in the school day a

030student would be in eighth grade orchestra and then participate in chamber after school. When chamber moved into the school day, they were no longer in eighth grade orchestra. They were just Okay, so that's worked out, >> right? So their schedule didn't have an impact because all students who were in the that group were already enrolled in an in the day orchestra class. >> Okay, great. Awesome. Yeah, I think it's great job. >> Thank you for the presentation. Um, I think I've been to about three, four of your events the collectively in the last week and I'm missing one. I'm missing one here tonight to be here. >> Uh, but uh um I know you guys do a great job and I really appreciate the work you do. I have a question. It's somewhat related to

031Erin's actually. It's just about how we manage the time. you know, the people who want to really get devoted to one of these things put in. So, you know, you've moved some of these after hours activities into the day. If somebody if you have a student who's very interested in putting in extra time or really becoming devoted to an instrument or something, have you thought about ways to um you know to facilitate that or or find that extra time during the school day uh for that student? So, I think there are some structures that are um in place like our greyhound time at the high school and we're about to move to I believe it's wind time at um the middle school and I know that our teachers are excited about having that opportunity to

032work with students um you know while they're already in the building and there um we also have teachers who come before and stay after school of course to help with that. Um but the commitment is real and we understand that you know I'm asking a student as an orchestra teacher to commit to orchestra for seventh 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th grade in in um an environment where there are a lot of options and so um you know we face that I think every year both at the middle school and the high school where we have students who want to do a lot of things um and I keep asking them to do the same thing over and over again. So this is a reality that that we encounter. Um and I say to students all

033of the time, you know, sometimes you have to make a choice and some choices are difficult. And when we're in a place like Clayton that has so many really cool options for them, sometimes the the choices are really hard and I acknowledge that. >> Um thank you so much for being here. It's um pleasure to see all of you here too. >> Um >> aren't they great? >> They're fantastic. They're fantastic. It's great. I I mean I look this part of um what we do for our students, this part of um you know, fine arts is is an absolute joy for me to have witnessed. Um but it's it's not just a joy for me to I I what I've enjoyed is um that I watch students enjoying it so much. you their faces. I

034mean, even after like coming out of one of your classes, I can tell their mood is better. >> I just can't. It's just it it does what it does for our students mind and body um is bigger than we are really aware of. Um but it's real and um I couldn't be more proud of being part of a district that sees it that way and that has such a strong leader and Mr. Henderson and all of you guys. So, I'm I'm just thrilled with what you all do and I'm going to be here supporting you 100% for as long as I can. Um, let me see what my thoughts and questions were. I I wanted to point out something that I hadn't heard you say ever before that I think is brilliant where you're saying

035I'm sure you've said other BRILLIANT >> but what in particular tonight I heard you say you prioritize prioritize process over product >> and the first thing that I thought of when I said when you said that was wow that's a really good thing for every single one of our teachers in every discipline to do. >> And it's probably not as as like innate or like um socialized for some of our other disciplines to do that maybe because it's about a certain grade and a certain percentage and a certain number of points. Um, but man, isn't that a way to really, in my eyes, be ready for the future, which is going to really prioritize for these for our students as they get out into the world, being able to adapt and and continue to process

036and change over time because the product in a lot of ways is going to keep changing and their role in their work is going to keep changing, right? So, I really appreciate that and I think that's something that I um think could be a really powerful thing for you to continue to speak about, you know, not just be doing it in practice, but to really say to them that's this is what we're doing, guys. This process is the learning. It's not about whether you get it perfect on, you know, whatever competition you go to or not. It's it's really in the in the journey. And I think that's a beautiful thing. So big time um excited about that for our students. Um so thank you for that. Um and then the one question I'll ask

037is at the high school level um what are the numbers on the folks that um students that if they're going to go into some post-secary or you know college or that go into the arts of any kind. Do we have numbers on that? And I just wonder how much they've changed if we are tracking that um over time. And then I then secondarily, do we know how our college counselors are doing at really supporting that effort, especially because I'm assuming it's a pretty smallish number compared to other, you know, liberal arts types of colleges, you know? So, I just, you know, how are we making sure that um those students that do end up wanting to go into fine arts after high school are really supported to the best of our ability? >> Yeah, that's

038I I don't know that information. Um I'd be interested in it. Okay. Um but certainly I think that our students who are intending to go into the arts end up leaning on their fine arts teachers for guidance um because it is quite specialized. Um >> you know if you if you have a student who's auditioning for Giuliard >> you know it's a very different situation than if they're applying to you know traditional university. Um >> yes very >> very >> I mean and for those parents to support them it's just very different vastly >> and so I think um typically that that advice that guidance um a lot of it comes from our classroom teachers >> um because most of us have traveled down that path or at least are aware of what's required >>

039um because the process is just entirely different. You know the joke is Jiuliard doesn't care about your essay. >> Yeah. >> Or if you can tie your shoes, >> right? They just want to hear you play the piano. >> That's right. >> And so, you know, and and that's not a typical sort of journey for our students. >> Exactly. Not at all. >> Um, but in my time here, um, and I'll just speak to orchestr. I've had kids who, uh, from our program have gone to Giuliard, have gone to Colbert, have gone to the best, um, conservatories. And it is a different process, you know, and in those cases um, you know, I was talking to those students a lot about their auditions about >> their preparation and about what the future looked like. >>

040Awesome. >> So I I think that those students tend to gravitate towards us for those questions because >> we have some knowledge. >> Those are the areas of expertise that you have whereas the college counselors may not have as much. >> Yeah. And we love having those conversations. I bet. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Yeah. Yeah. just an area for us to make sure that we are continuing to do what we can in those college advisor, you know, roles to really support these kids and knowing because a lot of this work for them, you know, I know technically with with it it starts as a freshman no matter where what college or after, you know, into, you know, community work or whatever you're going to do starts. But, you know, your portfolio starts really young. So

041for these kids knowing that yeah as what you're doing as a freshman and as a sophomore can then be put into a portfolio which is what you'll need if you want to go to you know just understanding that from the very beginning of their high school career is probably a a good advantage for them you know because if they don't if they don't realize that till junior year then they might you know that's a little bit of an opportunity loss potentially. I that's just my thought on it because again it is so different in terms of what you need going in and saying here here's what I have. It's not about what you know your basic grades in your other classes. >> Does that make all sense? Okay, great. Thanks, guys. >> Um, I just

042want to say it says so much about each of you as teachers and leaders in our district that you are here. There's so many of you here. It says so much about you, Mr. Henderson, what kind of leader you are to them. And I just want to say thank you so much to all of you. Um, you mentioned that at the high school we have a required like two semesters of fine arts. What is the state requirement? >> I think it's the same. >> It's the same. >> Okay. Thank you. Um, so you spoke a lot in your presentation about goal one, a place for everyone. Um, and I wonder if you could just uh be like clear here about some of the things you're doing to encourage a diverse group of students to enroll

043in the fine arts or to take an interest in this. >> Sure. >> Because there's so much you're doing and I want everyone to hear. Um, I think one of the the most exciting things about being a music teacher here, uh, one of the most cost prohibitive things about the arts is just getting an instrument and um, the rental fee. I mean, if you rent a bass, it's like a car payment essentially. So, but here in the district, we Yeah, you know, that's right. Um and so here in the district we have a scholarship instrument fund for any student or family that um that has need um we offer that to them free of charge. Um and and I think one of the things um that we need to do better is just to make

044sure that our messaging and our um publicizing that is everywhere because I I do fear that we have people who families who say we can't do that without even looking into it. So, you know, we're committed to having um a statement on all of our program information that says, you know, there's going to be, you know, you don't need to incur a cost for this. Um so, we're doing that. Um we're also Sorry. >> Do we have it in the course descriptions in the middle school and high school course booklets? That would be a great place. >> That is a that is a great idea. No, I would say like when we send home um join strings or join band to make sure that the message is on there that students can do this without

045incurring um a cost. >> I think we should put it in our course. >> Yeah, I think that's a great idea. >> Yeah. Um so we're doing that. We're also um you know trying to to encourage more students to join for example um kind of late start points. We we run into this and with fourth grade um strings starts at 7:30 in the morning which is um a heavy lift for a lot of families for various reasons but encouraging students to join in fifth grade and you and we have a process in fifth grade strings where we get those kids caught up and then fold them in to the fifth grade class but you know as late as sixth grade you know we're trying to uh encourage as many students as possible to enjoy these

046opportunities. Um, you know, I know that at the high school our choir program is uh has been exploding and that's because Brian Parish is out there grabbing any kid who walks by in the hall and saying, "I think you can sing, you know." So, so I think a um you know, you know, we're we're kind of embracing a go find the kids model and and more than just let them come to us and um because we love to see a reflection of our whole student body and our groups for sure. Thank you. The last one up here, you talk about the leadership structures and in your, you know, 20page document to us, you talked about that. If you could just share that here about some of the things you're intentionally creating. >> Sure. um that

047came out uh of discussion mainly of uh high school music teachers because we we see our our colleagues at the middle school like Carolyn has um uses student leadership all through her classes and so we wanted to put down um a desire for our high school music classes to lean into those roles as well. some of the things we've identified um jobs such as equipment managers, music librarians, social media managers, which could be really exciting, um and concert event promotion from students just to help uh let them take some ownership over not just the product, but also the procedure of how we put it all together and how we present it. So, you wrote in an email to to me to one of my questions or maybe Melena did, but I think it came from

048you. >> Okay. >> And I just wanted to read it because it's really beautiful when I asked about leadership. You said, "By scaling these leadership experiences from the middle school to the high school, we ensure that our students are consistently challenged to develop communication skills, initiative, and humility." I just want to say thank you so much. >> Well, sure. I mean, that sounds happy to do it. happy to write it. uh you know, one of the things that we talked a lot about in this uh process was how do we teach humility to students and um because I think traditionally what what we find and not all the time certainly is you have students who are are very skilled and who rise to the top and how do we instead of feed an ego instill

049a sense of humility and leadership in those students and um because I think we all have those people in our life that we can think of who are really good at something and knew it. And um and we've also had people who are really good at something and use that skill to lift other people up and that is one of our goals really. Thank you. All right. Um I'll add my thanks as well. I thought it was a great presentation and I really appreciate the direction where that this group is is headed. Um, a lot of my just a couple comments that really stem off of what Chris was saying. You know, this is an area, fine arts is an area where we increase our commit our connection between students in the school, right? And

050I've seen this in lots of different school settings, elementary through high school, where you have a lost kid who has that one thing that that kid does uh well or has confidence in and it just can just change the educational pathway of that kid. And so, um, I appreciate the go find a kid and get that kid connected. I appreciate all that. I I will also say, and I agree that the process is more important than the product. I will say the product matters, you know, and that's where a lot of that uh confidence comes from. And I've just seen over the course of time um, uh, why I'm even caring doesn't really matter, but I've seen over the course of time like an increase in kids. I personally just tend to look at more

051like what we're doing in the music program. But more kids making their all-state band or competing at an all-state level or the orchestra going and performing at MMEA. Like these things matter. They matter for our district. They instill pride in our community. And so, you know, thank you for not only caring about the process, but putting a product out there, you know, theater, you know, art, you know, like whatever it is that really that really matters to these kids. So, I thank you for that. Um, I do have one question. what what is electronic music? >> So, electronic music um essentially it's a a music composition course where we use um digital tools, computers, MIDI, keyboards to uh allow students to create um we have a m a great music lab in the high school

052um underneath the m it's on the the drama wing area. Yeah. >> Um and We have three different levels. Um, electronic music one, two, and advanced. Um, but it it's a great class for students who don't think they're musicians who want to create music because there are tools beyond um typical composition with staff paper and you know your main instruments. So, and with their digital tools, I mean it's amazing what you can do with I mean a phone these days, you know, create music. Um, and so when they're given the time and the the space to do it, I mean, a lot of what they create is very interesting. >> Okay. >> The the name might be a little outdated at this point, electronic music. Cuz when I hear that, >> I I think of

053my dad switched on Bach Records from when I was a kid. >> You know, that that's what I think of. But essentially, it's music composition with digital tools. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Sure. >> No, that's okay. Go for it. ideas related to that though sorry Jason it's what I'm going to say right now is that electronic music has been offered in colleges for years and year 25 year 30 years and now to the idea that we have it in this high school I didn't know and um I'm just thrilled that um I mean I just I do see that you know our district takes classes that you maybe sometimes you only see in those higher education we are offering them here like gender exactly you know stuff like that so I'm really excited to

054see that you have that and it's even at three different it's not just one class that's beyond Yeah. Yeah. And have those students go to Washi and watch some of those electronic music um presentations that they have to do for those classes. They are fantastic. So we have Washi right here that has a million resources around what you guys are doing that you can go and have them see college students doing this kind of stuff. It's just you know they're right down the road. >> Great. Um, and then just last thing, just a comment because this is just sort of a thing I think a lot about, but you know, we we're just in a community that's so philanthropic, particularly on arts and culture organizations. And when I think about really what we're doing for

055our kids in this area, a lot of times it's just teaching them to love the arts in general, right? For those for those kids that just may not go to Giuliard. And so, you know, and you know, I you you talk about this a little bit in the report and I and I appreciate acknowledge it. I would just say as much as we can find connections even you know like the social media manager and stuff like that connect them to the slams and the jazz Jazz you and Jazz St. Louis like those programs throughout the community like all day long you know that's great stuff. >> Well thank you. Yeah I think the the students who go into into the arts that's wonderful but students who love the arts that's the goal I really think.

056Um, last year I went to a symphony concert and I ran into three former students at the same concert who'd all graduated from here and happened to be at the same symphony concert. I thought that's it. You that's amazing that >> that because they, you know, they fueled their their love of music here primarily um and now they're consumers of art and supporters. So, >> that is um a wonderful goal that I think we're working very hard at. >> Great. >> Okay, Nina, do you have any questions or >> um I just had Yeah, one really quick question. So, I thought it was super interesting how you guys talked about the rotating curriculum for a few of the middle school classes so kids could continue to take them. Does that also happen at the high

057school with any of the fine art electives? >> Um, so a number of our electives are quenced um you know like ceramics sculpture you one then two >> but like orchestra band and choir >> every year we're doing different things in the same class so you know the um the repertoire changes every year so you're having a new experience even though you're in the same class >> amazing thank you >> Sure okay I think now we're ready to vote yes All right. Um, so, uh, all those in favor of appro approving the, uh, fine arts curriculum self-study. >> I Any opposed? All right. Thank you. >> You're not coming in June. Oh, that's right. Yeah. Yeah. >> I'm just trying to figure out how to run a meeting just to start. I'll get to that

058next. >> Okay. Ready? >> Yeah, we're ready. Library. >> Um, so I'd like to introduce Lauren Digny to you. She is our library coordinator. Um, she is retiring at the end of this year. Um, and so Tombo weeks, >> she's not excited, right? Um this is her last harrah coming to the table. >> I know how to have fun. >> Um Tom Bober will be taking over as library coordinator. Um and I I just want to publicly thank Lauren. Um we have sort of always um moved in the same circles, but the past two years um as she's been coordinator, we've really gotten to know each other well. Um working together side by side with the self-study and everything. and I just really admire her steady leadership um her commitment to the professional learning for

059her team um and really the the seriousness with which she takes library um curriculum and like the thinking of the presence of the library within the the school. So I just want to say that publicly. I'm going to let her introduce um her team who's here um and then um I'll just get us reggrounded and then just hand it over. Um so reggrounding us in in the um profile of the graduate and our CESIP to make sure that those are the things and again you're going to see a lot of breadcrumbs of that in the work that that Lauren and her team have done. Okay. I'll let you introduce yourself. >> All right. Well, I think I have Celeste Gillette here from Marramac or Marramac librarian. So thank you for representing us. We are a

060small group so there's not very many of us to start with. Um, and then I also wanted to thank Molina, of course, it's she kind of gave me the confidence as a very introverted surprise surprise book nerd that I could do this leadership role and I have really enjoyed it. So, um, and then of course over the many years the board I just feel like it's it's um, not always a given that the board is going to support library. So, that's something that we've always had and that I very much appreciate and um and I think all of us that you um make sure we have the funding for books and um the spaces that we need for our kids to get good um library, you know, uh help and books and all kinds of

061good things. So, I've never doubted that the board would support us. Yeah. Um okay. So when we were thinking about our enduring understandings and you think about school libraries, um we always want them to want them to be places where students can get access of course to fantastic books to the tools they need for um you know expanding their academics um uh finding good reliable information um and supporting that um drive you know to always seek out good information wherever they are. Um and um you know one of my favorite kind of sayings is like if you can't travel read a you know a good book. So I I hope that our kids take that with them you know going forward that like you can always think about the world through a book and experience

062people um and yourself and learn a lot uh from books. So hopefully going out into the world with that knowledge and to always seek that um through books and through good sources and um hopefully that they learn that a lot from um being in school libraries. Um so when we were thinking about our standards which we adopted from the Missouri Association of School Libraries um of course reading engagement is always at the core of who we are um and that we hope that our students in um their uh seeking of new information and in pursuing good books. um we engage them in that and of course that should always be something that we're looking at at considering how we can build on that. um again with information literacy like when I started here we still

063had the card catalog so like thinking about the things that they have had to experience um in all these years of of moving into the vast world of online you know things something tangible um thing how they can access information still that feels you know like they can trust it and that um they have the sources they need um so that of course is always something we want to look at and how we can build on that and so we chose that as Well, and then media literacy when you think about all the things that have um you know come into the world and AI I don't even want to talk about but um uh so thinking about media literacy and how that kind of um they can create and respond to media and to

064um engage into in it where they're critically thinking is always important to us. Um so our goals um we really from our um teaching and learning advisory committee, we felt like there was a lot of um uh families who wanted more information about how they can, you know, um get their students engaged and their kids at home. And also we realized they didn't maybe know all of the library resources that were available to them. Um and so we thought that we could help families um you know in that engagement and how maybe we could better um communicate at home with uh you know the programs that are happening at school um and in the library and ways that they could um you know engage with their students beyond the classroom um and school community. Uh,

065and then kind of what I was talking about, um, when I was saying tangible, uh, information, I just when I think about how many community resources are available out there that are, you know, staffed by professional experts, so all of our museums and our nonprofits and our agencies, just when you think about around St. Louis, you know, like WashU is near us, the botanical gardens, the history museum, the art museum, all of those places have resources and sources that are reliable and um you know are they're eager to help and to give that resource to us and also have people staff that are helping K12. So um kind of looking back at how we might um better engage with them and bring them into our schools. um and we've always used them, but like going

066back and kind of um really seeking out the new information and ways that they're um reaching K12. And then um we really, you know, this is kind of media literacy is expanding right before our eyes and uh it is also something that Desi and Missouri Association of School Librarians is working on um having more uh concrete ways that that's K12. What are our um ways of teaching that? So we really need to kind of strengthen that as well. So how will we be better? Um we are hoping that families become more engaged that they know more about uh what we're doing and we realize that um like we often would post things in the principal newsletter and that gets buried. So how would we better um you know serve them by having maybe our own

067newsletters or we really thought about how um we haven't used open um the opening night and um and like parent teacher conference meetings to maybe have some of those times where we could meet with um or do some programming. Um and then um really starting to reach out to the organizations and and gather the their resources and how we can use them in our schools. and then um how to partner with and collaborate with uh all of our teachers in teaching media literacy. Um so we're hoping that that expands. Um so our next steps we have partnered with the family center and that has really been going ongoing for the last two years of um creating these kits which are now ready and they're fantastic I think. And so one of the things that came

068out of the um uh learning Um some of those meetings we had is that uh how could we maybe engage with family center at a very young age and get those kids uh reading and and partnering with school libraries and then um just really participating more in PD regarding media literacy so that we um are learning and are able to um have those meetings with our teachers and expand that teaching around media literacy. And then we would like to create some kind of um database of the community organization resources. so that staff always knows that those are available and also using them more in our classes and in our programming. >> Great. All right. So, can I get a motion to bring this to the floor? >> I move to approve the library review goals

069and the financials as outlined in the report. >> Second. >> Okay. Who has questions? >> I guess I can start. >> Let it rip. Yeah, thanks. Um, thanks so much for the presentation, the reports. I especially, um, appreciated the partnership with the family center. That seems like such a great idea and I'm glad to hear that that's going well and ongoing as well. Um, and I know that the author visits at the elementary school, I saw those continuing as well. Well, it's at I think all schools. Yeah. Yeah. So, um, I know those were always a highlight. Um so I guess my questions are um just thinking more about um how we can support goal one um objectives two and three at the middle and high school levels the really encouraging the um sort of

070the I don't have the exact terminology right in front of me in front right now but the the engagement with the re you know families and students as readers um and just because it seems like those might be times when library usage tails off in the traditional sense um with those students um and just you know I know there's a lot of competition for student time and attention right and books don't win as much as maybe we would like so um I was just curious if you had any other um specific ideas or programs or things that um might help reach those reluctant readers ers or overextended readers um to kind of pull them back in. >> Yeah, I think it is. It gets harder when they're teenagers because they have so much going on

071and they have so many activities and sports and things like that. Um I think that anytime that uh six through 12 that you can make something fun around reading, it still draws them in. They're still kids at heart. So those like book ba battles um you know we do like book relays at school where you read a book and hand it on to someone else. I've tried that. So any kind of fun um activity. I also really feel like with um uh reluctant readers you know the making sure that they know all the books any book that they want to read is a is a good book to read. Like you know graphic novels, comics, all those things are still reading and they're still you know a great choice. Um, so some of that is

072advertisement. You know, how you um kind of get that across to everyone that that is still very much reading. Um, and then some things that we've tried uh is, you know, always having a free little library or giving books away when we weed. Um, and that kids love that. You know, that means they're they're not held accountable for bringing it back. You know, that they can have that book. Um, and we still also do that. that we've made sure over the past few years that we take away like if you have lost book you know of course we're going to try to get them back but we're not going to hold that to you know to you in the end um and then as far as engaging parents um at that level I think even

073with the newsletter idea giving I just simple ideas like um and we've talked to our staff about this too um you know like sharing what you're reading with your kids like or saying hey I'm going to the library today come with me you know or what are you reading what do you I need a new book. What do you suggest I read? So all those little tiny things and then also like tying you know curriculum like hey the sophomores are doing a whole project on um on uh you know turning points in American history and tying that into did you know this is going on at the history museum. Maybe you could go with them there. So it doesn't have to be complicated. I think that simple things like curriculum tie in like juniors who

074are doing an author project read that author with you know a book of that author. So, some of those just ideas um in our newsletter like, "Hey, you know, here's some tie-ins for freshman or uh sophomores or juniors." Same thing that could happen at the middle school level. >> Yeah, thank you. And I know it gets rather amorphous once they hit middle school and high school, like what what is happening? >> I mean, I've thought about book kits, too, but you know, you have to have the the uh teenage buy in. Maybe the parent might want to get the foot kit and make some food on a meal on the weekend. But yeah, >> uh thank you so much for the presentation and for the work you guys do all the time. Um I'll introduce

075my question with a story from two hours ago. I I do I'm a lawyer. I I was writing a legal brief and I needed a citation for a dictionary definition of a term. I was like, on the way to the meeting, I'll just drop by the library and look in there. And then I walked in and they said, we don't have dictionaries anymore. It's all online. So that introduces my question, which is how do you think about this change that's happening in the world? How does you how do you guys think about that and the role of libraries? Does it I think it differs by level. Um and how do you think about the value of the traditional paper book? Well, I think we get to see firsthand that kids still really value a book

076like especially when I'm working with um you know classes and research and they're trying to weed through all the even the you know the databases that have reliable sources but then when you like hand them a book it's kind of like a relief like oh there's a whole chapter on what I'm wanting to you know present as part of my thesis and argument and um so I do think that they are very um aware aware of the dangers of not necessarily dangers but um in being sure that they're critically um thinking about their sources and um and I hear them talk about it all the time and I know that they're doing a good job at the elementary level too like about you know what's fake news, what's real news. Um so just introducing some

077of those things and making them aware you know that that uh that everything that they're going to see isn't real. Um so I yeah very cautious about it all. Um but also hopeful. Um so and I think you know some of the things that we're seeing about like removing phones from classroom is a great way to start like and that gives them the idea like oh yeah I guess you know there are things that are basic that were good to start with and to just go back to those. Yeah. Thank you so much. Um the question I want to ask here is about media literacy misinformation and these you know AI large language mo um what are they called large language models let's call them modules um I asked this question and you said that

078you all get PD each year you go to annual conferences and you get PD on especially these large language models um how can we as a board or a district >> continue to support those efforts? I mean this is something that is changing every day and so I imagine there's new learning to be done every day. So like I is how can we support you in getting more of that? And then do you currently if you're the ones getting this training or this PD teach this to our other teachers to our content teachers so that they can learn this information. >> I know they also get some PD in this but >> that's my question. Yeah, I think it's been so overwhelming that we're all kind of like trying to grasp it. And so um

079yeah, I mean funding for PD, which has always been, you know, amazing at Clayton um helps us to go to those types of uh sessions that are really geared towards like how do we do this K12 and um you know having those committees at each school looking at it is important too. Um, I think also the like Luke has a a subcommittee of the technology committee that's studying this and really thinking through like what is the professional learning plan for us moving forward because I don't think the librarians need to be the people responsible for the lift. >> Um, I think it's a much broader lift. Um, and so I think as that group continues to work, we'll lay out sort of a better plan for us that's a more ongoing plan. because it's not

080going away. >> Sorry, Pam. >> Well, I mean, I guess if we run out of water. >> And then is your hope then that this plan from the tech committee will be formalized at next year at the presentation? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Yeah. Mine um was is about media literacy too and like you just said it's not just the librarians because that's what I was you know when you say we need to do this districtwide what that does that doesn't just mean every building you know going you know family center through high school it also means department all the in individual departments >> so what I mean again you and I have talked about this Molina you know what how do you envision us getting um our kids you If we're saying we're providing media

081literacy, is it in each indiv individual class or is it a pull out that you know is specific about me? What are your envisioning for the next five years? Because like you said, this is going to have to be ongoing and it's going to have to be a a new major push, you know, given it's, you know, where we are with technology and AI, >> right? And um so the sort of the middle part of your question of like a pull out versus yeah an embedded um I I think we have a collective philosophy right now that in order for things to work for us so technology seal >> um media literacy it has to be embedded. Okay. >> Um so like the idea of having a standalone media literacy thing is not going to

082get us where we need to go. It's like the the kids need to practice the the skill in the the learning process that they're engaged in. So as we're researching what are the things that we introduce. >> So the the really it comes down to this idea of partnerships between departments. Yeah. >> And the part of this is sort of our philosophy of like when we went to a model of humanities going through review at the same time, STEM going through review at the same time. It was like where are the places where we can share some of the load and some of the work. So coming out of you all approving the goals then becomes the conversation between Mark and Julie and now Tom to really think through what does that look like in

083in humanities classes like that's an easy place for it to fit um because that's where a lot of research and those types of things happen. So where it could look like a scope and sequence that's around media literacy embedded in like what's the research project that's happening in particular class or something like that. So it it could be idiosyncratic at times to the course but I think overall it has to be sort of a collective package of what's the experience for children >> K through 12 preK is not really doing research so like but kindergarters are let's keep it and so like how do we help even kindergarteners to understand like what's a what's a reliable source or something like that. >> Yeah. Okay. And so what how do you envision this being rolled out

084over time? I mean like I like we said it's it's such a big lift, >> right? I I think some of it is we have to build it first. Some of it is like what are what are sort of the small pockets that we can put in in place where we we know something's going to happen. So research project is happening. Let's just embed it right there to begin with and then expand over time. So it feels a little less like a linear approach to things and more about where are these experiences that are assured experiences within the curriculum already and how can we partner the the departments within that and then build off of that. So it feels a little like concentric circles to me as opposed to like >> Yeah. >> parallel lines.

085>> I see what you mean. But being able to then say, you know, on like we do with all of our curriculum, here's where these assured things come in. Here's where in our media literacy, this is what we're getting in in these particular maybe it's not even great, but you know, key stage one, whatever it is, right? >> You know, that's I think that's really powerful for parents to know, you know, that that's um you're being real explicit about what they're learning in these areas. And I think one of the places that we need to be better and the teaching and learning advisory council kind of reminds us of this all the time is the what our communication out to like the the parent facing communication around the work that we're doing. So like I

086I think we do a very good job on the teacher facing stuff but a and the community generally trusts us with with what we're doing but I don't think we're doing a very good job on the parent facing side from a curriculum lens. So it's so they they as a group continue to remind us of um like what this could look like for parents to like if we understand why you're doing this then then we know how to support it and and we know what the conversation at home can look like. So since that's been a theme um all of the coordinators are thinking about so then what does that look like? So Lauren's team thinking about just like what does the communication from library look like and what are the ways that the communication

087from library doesn't just become a communication from library like it could be Julie and Lauri Lauren you know tagging together to talk about like an experience to together or something. >> Great. Yeah. Thank you. >> Okay. That's great. Um so let's uh All right. So then all those in favor of approving the library goals and the financials outlined in the report say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? Great. >> Thank you. Yeah. >> Congratulations. >> Yes. All right. Next up, our preliminary 2627 budget from Mr. Brazil. Good evening everyone. It's my uh privilege and duty to present a budget to you. Um before I do that, um as you know, I'm ending my career here soon and I'll be passing the Clayton baton to Matt Norid. Matt's in the audience here tonight to uh hear

088this. Uh he has been uh kept apprised of the budget to date and has offered some commentary back to me. So we've um included that those considerations in our presentation. Um we budget because we're required to by law. Uh, but more than just filling out numbers on a piece of paper, we do it so we can know where our money or tell where our money is supposed to go rather than later wonder where it went. So, um, that's what we're here to do tonight is talk about a proposed budget for next year. And I've got a little few slide decks to show you. Um, and we'll talk through this. I'll start out with a bit of a heads up about this because this budget intentionally looks a little different than budgets you've seen in recent

089years. There's a couple major differences. One, results from Propo. Um, we'll be issuing debt, new debt, and we'll have some major spending on our facilities as a result. And secondly, we're shifting about $5 million of property tax revenue from fund one to fund four to enable some of those budget funded capital improvement projects. And as a result, you'll see fund balances in fund one decline. That's intentional. It's, you know, after growing it a number of years, we're able to uh purposefully spend it uh as planned. um role. You know, the budget is an important thing uh and it's really for the board. It's really establishing a policy for the district of how money will be spent in the next fiscal year. Um I say this every year, but that budgets are have a lot of

090numbers, but they're really not about numbers. I mean, it's really about the programming that we want, the plans we want, the goals we want to achieve this next year. and hopefully beyond the numbers we're able to see those objectives fulfilled. The cycle of our budget is year round. It's, you know, our fiscal year starts in July one, but uh we prepare a budget before that date and adopt it. But beyond just the preparation of the budget, we manage that budget all year long for the budget that's been adopted as well as prepare for the next budget that will be prepared. Um these are some of the uh components of that effort. Um and again it's a year-round activity for the business office. This budget is balanced as it's presented to you and and you know

091by law balanced means that we're not spending more than the revenues we reasonably anticipate to receive plus any fund balances we have. So it's not that just about the revenue piece. It also includes fund balances. So even if fund balances are going down, the budget is technically still balanced under the law. Um we have reasonably adjusted our revenues. We expect some growth in property tax revenue. This is not a reassessment year. Uh but nevertheless, there is new construction and we do expect some small growth. Um we think we've reasonably estimated our expenditures. Um, we have some debt, existing general obligation debt that will pay down to almost $7 million and that will fully be paid off in March of 2029. Same with our fund for lease purchase debt, uh, which is not that significant, but

092it'll also pay off in March of 2029. Later this year, we expect to issue the first trunch of bonds. Voters approved 135 million. We'll be issuing bonds to match both the cash flow and cost needs of the projects. And that will probably happen over three tanches. Uh one later this year, one the following fiscal year, and one the third fiscal year. Um we've had we've begun conversations about that. Uh and I would anticipate it most likely being this fall. Um and again the budget continues to support the programmings and operations of the district at the levels that we've become accustomed to and expect. We'd like to tie our budget to our strategic goals. And while this is not a comprehensive list of how we connect to those goals, these are some of the uh more

093current or planned activities uh connections that we see with the budget. These are for goal one where we seek to ensure that all learners feel safe and valued. Then we have some for goal two where we help learners grow. And finally in goal three grow in head and heart. Um again this is not a comprehensive list. These are just some examples that we pulled out of the budget. Um because we have multiple elementary schools, uh we're required by law to distribute and support them equitably. And so we have sought to do that with these budgets. And we reflect on that every year when we complete a year and review the spending that took place and seek to make adjustments to make sure we're remaining equitable. I'm going to show you um some snapshots both without

094with and without propo. So the without purpose is so that it's comparative to prior years and you can see how that may be changing. Then with propo you can see the some bigger numbers come into play. We're expecting about uh just over $83 million of revenue uh to come in. The vast majority of that comes from local sources. The beauty of that is that it's raised locally and spent locally and that we're not reliant on the state or other entities for our funding. Um when I look at all funds and how that has changed over time, um these are the numbers. Uh you can see the change in percentage there. It cost you though that when it changes from actual to budget, that's a bit of a change from apples to oranges. And the we

095typically, you know, set our budgets in a way that we're they're achievable or attainable. And uh so we hope to our revenue budgets come in slightly better than they show and we hope our expenditure come in slightly lower than they show. But I've also included one for our operating funds. And you can see here that the operating funds, particularly fund one, we're moving revenue. We're taking revenue that normally would be put into fund one, and we're moving it over to our capital improvement fund, fund four. And it shows a decline here. It's not that the overall revenue is declining, but that fund is being reduced. When I add in the prop O, uh you can see the numbers jump. Uh and you'll see it right there in fund four. Uh that other revenue line there

096just before the total um 47 million. So I said an earlier slide, $45 million of bonds. So bonds will be sold with a or we anticipate with a 5% coupon, which is slightly better than market. It's what investors expect when they buy. What that'll do is it'll generate a premium. And so we'll sell $45 million of bonds. We'll receive more than $45 million into our bank account. Right now, we're programming that as $47 million. The value of that is that we need to reimburse ourselves for some of the costs we've been incurring. and we're able to reach back all the way into December of last year and reimburse ourselves. Being that these bonds will not be sold till fall from January, last January through September, we'll want to reimburse ourselves and those funds will then

097be used for some of those budget funded capital projects. So, we'll recover mostly those consulting fees that we've incurred. That still will leave 45 million for spending on the projects. Here's an expenditure snapshot without propo uh and it's at 91 million. It's greater than the revenue that we just talked about because uh you can see under our capital outlay we've got a number of budget funded projects uh that we're planning uh the bridge campus uh the um down middle school field uh the ADZAC field improvements um the performing arts center improvements at the high school all of those will be budget funded and we've included funing here for those history of that. Um, now what I did pull out of here is I pulled out those um those capital improvements just to make it more

098comparable yeartoear. So you don't see quite the increase but there as I go back to that last slide you'll see that we're actually 91 million in spending and about 10 million almost 10 million of that I pulled out of here just to make a comparative ex uh graph here I throw in um oh just if we look at just strictly the operating funds you can see the kind of adjustment we're seeing here some growth around 4.8% 8% anticipated when I put propo in there um that capital outlay jumps up to 40 $56 million and 45 million of that are those Propo debtf funed projects. Here's what happens with our fund balances. Um we'll still be strong overall at 45 million next June 30 of 27. Uh but you can see that by moving that revenue

099out of fund one, we're lowering the fund balances and seeing it decline. Uh we're currently been around uh in the mid60s as far as a operating funds percentage of fund balance. Um we have policy at 25%. I myself my personal preference is 35% but we'll still be uh in the high 50s uh next year even with this reduction. So we'll be in a still in a very safe and strong position. Here's a graph that shows fund balance history in dollars. Uh the blue bar being total funds and the orange bar being our operating funds. And you can see that we're having that decrease due to purposeful spending on these capital projects. I also put in a slide to show the percentage of fund balance and this is just strictly operating fund balance. We don't do

100all the funds in this share because because the state has us on a cash basis reporting model. When we spend money in fund four to build something and then we pay the debt back in fund three, it would be double counted. So for that reason and just for comparison purposes across school districts in Missouri, we really only look at funds one and two. And if you look at the state reporting model and ASBRs that we submit, there's a percentage there and it's only referring to funds one and two and it's comparable across all districts. We do have general obligation debt currently at 22 million. Again, we'll extinguish that debt in March 29. We will be issuing new debt over the next three years and uh in two or more tranches, probably three tranches. Uh whether

101we issue all 135 million will depend on the bids that come in on the projects we currently have programmed. Any unspent Propo funds can be used in the future presumably for Marramac. uh when that project comes online, we do expect to keep the debt levy uh unchanged at 51 cents per $100 assessed valuation. Um and all of our projections now, which are conservative, uh certainly support our ability to do that and keep that unchanged. These are our total cost for uh propo projects. The three that we have planned, Glenn Ridge, the high school CT edition and Gayfield complex. Um there's a cost of construction there and soft cost at the top plus three types of contingency. BSI developed these numbers and they were shared with us in February. Um it'll be this fall before well

102it'll be August really when we develop the next set of numbers. Uh and we'll see to what extent they change. Um hopefully not much. Um hopefully we'll start to have more clarity around the contingency numbers that are here and eventually these projects will be bid and we'll be establishing a guaranteed not to exceed price or maximum price when with BSI as they are serving in a construction manager at risk role for us. These are those budget funded projects. Uh these will not all be funded in one year. uh the high school performing arts center, Aztec field improvements and wide down field improvements. Um these are total cost and only part of these costs are programmed into uh the current or the proposed budget. Some highlights in the budget uh and I've just grabbed those ones

103that uh have a value greater than half a million dollars. Um, but I've programmed 28 million for Glen Ridge, uh, 8 million for the high school CTE wing, 9 million for the Gayfield project bridge campus at three and a half million, uh, one and a half million for W down. Again, I'm putting partial behind these because I expect them to span more than one fiscal year. um some other generalized uh capital improvement programs through the facilities department technology devices. I should have put partial behind that. That is installment one of three installments on the Apple device purchases that you approved recently. Um that'll come in July of this year and the two subsequent Julies. Um and then our technology improvement plan which is managed by the tech department and our expansion of security camera systems.

104Um last year, this past year, we installed them in the high school and the middle school. Uh this will expand it into the family center and Captain Elementary. We're going to hold off on the other two elementaryaries because they're going to be into construction. Uh there should have been a budget document with your agenda. It's this 30 or 40 page document here. And these are the components in that document. Um there's a couple budget summaries, different views, uh expanded detail of expenditures and revenues and comparisons to prior years along with greater detail on our capital improvement plan. Um, this is a preliminary version. Uh, there will be some minor changes to it. We continue to examine some of the requests and refine them. Uh, we know that there's some numbers that have been left out,

105but at this point, I think they're uh in the five figure range. I don't think they'll extend into six figures. So, we'll be making those adjustments and corrections here uh before we present the final proposal to you. Uh it is my belief this supports the goals of the district uh that our financial health remains strong and that we will again achieve a AAA bond rating from S&P when we seek it this fall on the Propo bonds. Um year after year we continue to have excellent financial audit results uh that demonstrate the work uh that we do is is up to public expectations. Um I'm happy to take any questions. I know I've had some email questions. I hope I've answered those questions adequately. Um if I haven't, please press me harder and uh but I'll

106be happy to answer any questions you have. >> Great. Thank you. Who has questions? I don't know because it's not an action. I got a couple things. Um, you you may have explained this in in a meeting already once, but I thought it might be good to say it here, too, because you showed the $45 million in fund four on a previous slide. Would you just talk about um the arrangement? And I know you've described to me to, you know, maintain the u integrity of the commitments we've made on on on that money uh to make sure that it goes to the things we promised to go to. >> Uh Mr. Nord and I recently met with um our representative from Piper Sand Sandler who's the investment bank that will be issuing these bonds. His

107name's Todd and we talked to it through it with him. We'll be having conversations with others. Obviously, there's interest in working with Clayton. Um the team over at MOAT, who has some of our investments now, uh is wanting to schedule those meetings as well. Uh our intention is to uh keep those dollars segregated from our other funds. Uh we co-mingle generally our funds and keep them separate in our accounting records. But these will be physically separated for a couple reasons. one to uh preserve the integrity of where those funds go so that we can uh report them that those results out to the public and secondly uh the potential for arbitrage that occurs uh and the reporting that goes with that. So just easier to have a third party help us with all those arbitrage

108issues. So we'll not be co-mingling these dollars with our general funds. And then one more, maybe we do this every year, but I don't think it hurts to do it. When we look at that reserve number and the reserve percentage, um, that's a snapshot on is it June 30? >> June 30, >> right? And so how do you how would you suggest that someone looking at that number think about that at the low point of the year? So how should you think about our real money in the bank when you look at that reserve number? Our cash flow model uh is that um we reach a peak of uh cash in generally February um right after property tax has been paid and they've been transferred from the county to us in December, January, February and

109we'll hit a peak of cash. We don't get any other large cash inflows the rest of the year and so our cash spins down all the way to November 30. Around Thanksgiving we hit a low point and there has to be enough money in the bank on June 30 for us to get past November 30. Um so you're right, it's a snapshot in time at June 30. uh if that number is below 35% we're going to be running out of cash in November. So while that that number may seem high to some people um other districts have very different cash flow models. If you're have heavy state support, you're getting a check every month and you're you can probably be closer to you can be below 20% in June and still have no trouble getting

110past November. This district has a model that has to have greater reserves in June to clear November. So if we're at if 35% is going to be running pretty low by the end of the year, then the 50 50 55% whatever you're showing here at the low point of the year is something more like a 15 20%. Yes sir. >> Reserve. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Still a safe point and you know things happen that you don't expect. This past year is a good example. The city I mean the St. county installed new software systems and there everything they've been doing has been running 30 days late this year. So, uh they collect the taxes and transmit them to us and those all been running on a delayed basis. A good reason to have plenty

111of cash of fund balance to be able to clear that change or that that that risk. Um I just want to say thank you for answering some of my questions via email and in the slides too. Um my main one just for anybody who was looking at the budget the 40 pages at home um was around the uh decrease in the operating revenue in fund one. So thank you for making that clear that that is um that fund transfer over to fund four for those capital expenditures and why we're doing that. So, um >> there's two ways that we can move money and um one is by reallocating revenue. The other was through a direct transfer. >> Transfers from fund one to fund four have limits on >> and the amount that we need to

112transfer is greater than that limit. So, we're transferring it by reallocating revenue. Got it. >> Differently, transfers from fund one to fund two don't hit limits. So, we often use transfers that way. I was learning that simultaneously my board training webinar and looking at the budget last night. So yeah, this was like how I was trying to do my homework. Um so thank you. I appreciate um making that clear. Um and then also the points about the fund balance and um where that where that good number is to not just end the fiscal year but get us through um till that next >> bulis comes in. So thanks >> um I would this chart that's on your PowerPoint I think it's page 19 of the fund balance in June June 30th. I would love it

113if we could see that like the November 30th version of that. >> Okay, >> that would be nice for my brain. Thank you. Um, you one of the slides you talked about the technology improvement plan for 675,000 as one of the expenditures. Can you tell us more about what that is? That was separate from the devices and separate from security cameras. the technology improvement plan. Uh for many years now, this district has had uh two plans. One is a they call it CIP or capital improvement plan. And you see that number at a million53,000 there. And those are plans, cycle plans that the facilities department uses to replace roofs, HVAC, asphalt parking lots, paint, you know, paint stripes on parking lots, all those different uh needs uh that they've programmed in a secular way. Similarly,

114we have a transport uh technology improvement plan or often called a tip for our technology program and uh that department has its programmed expenditures. Uh we actually allocate it out by building but it deals with um you know upgrading our Wi-Fi system or replacing servers or switches or whatever is needed in their regular cyclical replacement cycle. So, uh, it's been that same number for several years now. Um, they also make other requests, uh, on top of that that we don't consider part of the tip, but, um, I we can get you more detail on that if you need it. We can certainly supply that. >> You know me. >> We'll get it for you. >> Thank you. >> Um, okay. So, I just want to clarify what you said to make sure I get it.

115the transfer of funds from one to four, there's a maximum limit on that. And so we did a little or you're planning a little over five million and that's the maximum. And so in order to get the rest that we need for the budget funded projects, that's going to come from a reallocation of revenue. >> No, the five million was a reallocation of revenue. We we're not making a transfer of fund balance. We're making a reallocation. >> Just a reallocation. So the that's uh that was five million 5.0 whatever million sorry let me try to find it on here so I can use numbers on page 24 it's called budget funded facility improvements you have a total of the 10.43 43, >> right? >> The couple after that >> there was >> um and then

116plus the bridge campus. >> Correct. But those we're going to put part of the bridge campus will be funded in this budget. Part of those other projects will be funded and they'll all extend it into subsequent years. >> Okay. So it's not the full amount of the budget funded projects we anticipated is only let's say a half to a third >> correct >> of it. Okay. >> Thank you. >> We're the reallocation of revenue is around $5 million from fund one to fund four. Fund four already had other revenue to support capital projects. And so we're able to uh in addition to the Prop O money, we're able to have about $11 million of projects there. Some of those are technology, some of those are furniture, some of those are uh camera systems, all those

117things that are listed there. But partials on those B budget funded things we advertised in Prop O as uh are included in that number. Thank you. >> Right. Any other questions? >> Okay. >> No motion needed. Uh this will be back in front of you next meeting. >> All right. And we will we will sing your accolades at that last meeting. So we look forward to that. Yeah. Okay. Moving on to policies now. Melina Halime is over. >> All right. Yep. >> Yep. We got a motion. >> I move to approve policy 2A, instructional material or maybe IA, sorry, instructional materials with the recommended changes. All those both awake and in favor say hi. >> I kind of a little bit high. >> Was there any I waited. That's why I waited a minute. >>

118Any any comments? Pam, are you kidding? Should I go around and ask everyone else if they have a comment or you want to just go ahead and do what I was going to do? >> Yeah. All those in favor? >> Any opposed? All right. It passes. >> I move to approve policy I instructional media centers school libraries with the recommended changes. >> Second. >> All right. Any comments? All those in favor? Any opposed? That passes. 7.3. >> I move to approve regulation I C-R1 instructional media centers, school libraries selection and reconsideration of materials to be rescended. >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> Any opposed? Great. Okay. Now, the assessment plan. >> Um, I move to approve the assessment plan as submitted. >> Second. >> Any comments? >> Okay. Okay. So, I had I

119had a few I can't believe no one else has questions. Okay. Um so my main question um to you Molina was um how do we continue to seek the balance of mandatory statewide testing in addition to our optional district testing with or balance that with time teaching. And um so as I said this as a board member I love the data to show us how we're doing. As like a person and a parent I don't love all of the testing. And so I just wanted you to speak a little bit um to that. Like one example I gave was the PSAT. >> Um I really just don't understand why we need to spend time doing that. The 89 PSAT. Yeah. So when we ma the um the PSAT example when like the history of that

120is we used to give the ACT sequence and we gave the explore the plan and the ACT and it provided data and information for us. When we shifted to SAT being the district chosen um test because for accreditation purposes we really need to either give the ACT or the SAT. Um the when ACT changed their sequence we weren't particularly happy with the assessment. So we changed to the SAT sequence. When we did that, we wanted an experience at the high school because we have very few data points for children at the high school. Um we have many more data points at the time when we made the decision. We have many more data points for children across like K8. Um at this point because of the addition of STAR um across the high school and

121everything as part of the reading success plans and that Senate bill and everything like that, I think we could reconsider what that looks like. The other reason we gave PSAT 89 was the PSAT 10 um factors into um like national merit and those kinds of things. And so we wanted to give children an experience of being able to take that test once before it counted um towards national merit and that kind of stuff. So it's it's a different kind of test than what they're used to to taking. And so we wanted to give them that experience to sort of maximize the opportunity for children um to learn that. I feel like we could have that conversation again with Dan um to really think through now that some other things have changed. Is that still where

122we want to go? >> I would like for you to have that conversation. Thank you. Um, okay. The final page of that document of financials, if you could please just summarize um how much we spend on statemandated testing versus the district optional testing. >> Yeah. So, the the way that I worked this out, so I replied to Pam's request about that and it's um 60% state and 40% district. and the 60% state. The way that I worked that out um is what I counted is the things that factor into accreditation. So I factored SAT in there but not the rest of the PSAT sequence. Um I factored in all um the MAP GLA, so the MAP grade level assessments and the EOCC's. Um STAR because of the tie to the Senate bill. Um and I

123think that's every uh those are all the things that we factored in as state required um because they factor in that way. So that's about 60% of the budget and then the 40% of the budget is like NWA and those other things that we've decided that we want those data points um for us. Panorama also factors into that. So, just to go off of what Pam was saying, um, about the 89 PSAT, >> how will you assess? I mean, you said you'll talk to Dan about that. I can see it being very valuable for the reason that you shared, but I also understand why Pam wants us to consider whether or not it is valuable. But who will you get involved in terms of deciding that? Are there will you ask um students, teachers who

124will um you know and parents how will you what what goes on when you're trying to make those kinds of decisions because I'm sure they'll there's probably a wide range of opinion around parents you know thinking that hey that's a good idea to practice or some that think we have too many. So how do you go about that? >> In the past we have not involved students and parents in that decision. We've made an educational decision. So, we've involved um generally it's coordinators and administrators making that decision based off of what they need the data for and and >> okay, >> that type of stuff. If if the board wants us to think more broadly than that, >> I think we could consider that. I think it's going to be exactly what you said. We're

125going to come with a mishmash of of information that probably isn't going to inform us. >> And so, ultimately, we've made decisions about assessments, district chosen assessments. we've made those decisions at an educator level. >> Okay. >> Um >> Okay. If that's the way you've done it, you know, I don't I'm not trying to say we should do it differently. I just wondered. >> Yeah. >> I had the same question >> because because I just wonder how many parents if you changed it suddenly would say, "Wait a minute." That kind of thing. So I don't again when we know we might get some push back from parents sometimes we think should we have involved them in the but I understand why you're saying you don't. So yeah, tough one. The the one thing that I

126will say about the the PSAT is it's one day. Um, exactly. It's not it's not taking a tremendous amount of instructional time. And the high school has scheduled like we call it test Palooa, but it's like the high the high school has scheduled it in a way that we're sort of doing multiple things all on one day. Yeah. Um and and so that to me like if if I was making the like a recommendation on that, I don't think I would make a recommendation to say that I feel like that's creating so much of a distraction to instructional time that we take it away because I do think like we believe really strongly in everyone having access to an assessment that could qualify them for national merit as opposed to making a decision about who

127we think should take that assessment. um that was an equity decision that we made a while ago and so setting kids up for potentially more success for that by exposing them to that in ninth grade felt to us like a really solid decision from an equity lens. >> Yeah. >> Great. >> Oh, go. >> Okay. No, I was just gonna add I was just curious if our student representatives had any perspective, but um also it just this seems like a opportunity um for stu, you know, it's a test that is potentially for their benefit, right? You know, in terms of getting that practice and whatnot. So, I that's Yeah, I don't I don't know. Can they >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Do you do you have anything to add? I don't want to put you

128on the spot, but I want if you had >> so just to clarify like the question is you take the PSAT 10 which qualifi can qualify for national merit and then obviously in 11th grade the one in ninth grade is for practice for the 10. So >> yeah, I would say definitely and I think this is probably the general consensus. I'm sure Manu can give a little bit of word too, but I think the issue would be like less of like distraction from ed from instructional time because I agree it's only like a day. it's not taking up that much time and more just like distraction in general because I remember the only thing I remember about taking the PSAT in 9th grade was that the day that the scores came out it was like

129I don't like think I learned anything because everyone was like what'd you get what'd you get like oh how do you get your score like my password's not working it was a whole big thing and I remember at the time being like oh my gosh like I just turned like what I just turned 15 or I was I was like I'm 14 years old like I'm not taking the SAT for another like three years like what am I doing freaking about freaking out about my score here and so I do think I definitely think that um like the like PSAT 10 is very valuable because it also gives people an idea of whether they'd like to take the SAT or ACT, but I just don't think in ninth grade it's as big of a it's

130it's too big of a deal and it's it doesn't need to be that big of a deal, especially for how much like distraction and kind of disruption it caused and like even anxiety. Like my sister's asking me about it and she's graduating eighth grade in two weeks. I'm like, Susette, you don't need to worry about this yet, but she's already like heard about it and stuff, so I I don't think it's necessary. But yeah. Yeah, I do see the value in in taking the PSAT 89 uh because it is it is a good practice for the PSAT 10 and uh the National Merit. Um and I just really thought that because it's seen as something important when it's really not, uh it's really just practice, uh we should have more it should be promoted as

131something that's just practice and there shouldn't have to be students really worrying about it as much. That's great. >> Thank you both. >> Yeah, thank you and thanks Aaron for asking. >> All right, any other questions? >> All right, so then um assessment plan. All those in favor of adopting the assessment plan as presented say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? All right, moving on to professional learning. Turn the page. I move to approve the district professional learning plan for the 2026 to 27 school year as submitted. >> Second. >> Does anyone have any questions and or comments? >> Okay. >> Um Okay. So you we you we have this mentorship program >> and I had asked um is it a PTTE, you know, do the veteran teachers who mentor our new teachers get paid

132and you said yes. >> Um could you just talk a little bit about the program and what the changes that you envision because you said there's some changes upcoming about that mentorship program. >> Yeah. So I'm going to have Robin come up to because Robin runs the program currently. Um, so I'll have her come up to talk about what currently is happening with the program. >> Is this your last board meeting, Robin? >> It is. >> Yay. Um, many more in the future though. Uh, so currently we have a really strong belief that training of our mentors is just as important as what they do for our new teachers because whenever a mentor works with a new staff member, they get just as much out of that interaction. So we have an entire mentor training

133program. We start at the beginning of the year. So while new teachers are in new teacher orientation, we give them the mentor checklist. So they're looking at the things that they might do with their mentor. And then whenever then I take the mentors and we do some training around how to work with new teachers and a lot of that training involves things like how do you coach in the classroom, how do you observe? We did um scenarios and problem solving conversations. We had mentors support each other with like pass a problem. They would tell each other like, "Hey, here's something obviously keeping it confidential. Here's something that I'm working with with my new teacher. Can you all help me problem solve around that?" So, we would spend our mentor meetings throughout the year problem solving

134around that. Mentors keep all of their data in kickup. So, they have to meet monthly with their mentee and then they monitor all of that. I give that data to building leaders so that they know what the mentor and mentee pairs are talking about. We also talk about that data in our meetings and then I would sit with them at times throughout the year in their meetings just to talk with them about um some things that they were experiencing as mentor and mentee pairs. So we tried to make it side by side with the coaching that we do of our new teachers helping our mentors see how they can also coach the new teachers. We also go through a text together uh lots of things that are part of that training. >> And how many

135years can a new teacher be a part of be a mentee? So all all new teachers, anyone new to the district has a mentor for the first year. Anyone who's new to teaching has a mentor for two years. >> Can they continue in that if they want? Is there an optional for second year in the district or something? >> So the it shifts a little bit to who is providing support to them. So like at the elementary level, the instructional coordinators are pro providing support. We're also with Cameron providing support depending on what year um somebody is in their like if you're in year three you come back to us you like there's a lot of different opportunities. It looks different than a peer mentor. >> Anyone else say that I'm just really impressed with

136everything we do in this area. You know, I just like I think those awards that you know um Nisha pointed out, the fact that you know, professional learning is part of that. I just um I think it's so important and I just want to shout out to you guys for all the work that you do that that it's obviously being recognized and you know obviously our teachers are really benefiting from because you know we've got this all these great things happening in our schools. So I really appreciate what you guys do. It's incredibly important. So >> well that's a lot for Robin because Robin carries the heavy lift of all professional learning within the district. >> Well you've done a fantastic job. We'll miss you very much. >> It's my favorite thing ever. >> A

137miss. Thank you. Okay, >> I think we should get Ra. >> OH, all right. Uh, and we'll send her off on a good note. Hopefully, this vote goes well. So, all those all those in favor of approving the district professional learning plan for next school year as submitted, say, "I." >> I. >> Any oppose? >> Then we wish you well, Robin. Thank you. Yes. Uh, all right. Last from Elena this evening, the uh AMI plan. >> A move to approve the School District of Clayton AMI alternative methods of instruction plan for the 202627 school year as submitted. >> Second. >> God damn it. Sorry. All right. Does anyone else have any comments about uh or questions about the >> Yeah. >> Hold on. You're good. >> I do have some things to say. >> Well,

138this is >> this is your shot. Oh, I'll go. Mine's >> just sitting there waiting. Let's >> um Um sorry guys. Sorry. I I apologize. Um this seems like really tricky to do with um I love that you're of course we're making sure that we are trying to rely more on paper and pencil >> but it's tricky, you know, then how do you make sure it gets all turned in? you know, because we can't say every student has you reliable access to internet, etc. So, we're trying to have them do paper and pencil and it if those things aren't collected, then it doesn't even count as you did it. So, what's the you know what I'm saying? In order for that attendance to actually count, those things have to be collected. Just I'm I'm just

139asking, you know, what the process is for is that a you know, it seems like a heavy lift maybe. I don't know. You tell me. >> Yeah. So, there's a there's a there's a lag time. So the attendance isn't counted for like up to a week afterwards. If so, if we were to put this in place, the assignments that would be deployed to the students, they would have time >> um to get that back. So if they didn't come, it's not like they come back in the building and they have to hand the teacher something, there's a little bit of lag time for them to be able to do it. >> The the way that we wrote this plan is is really intended to be that um an assumption that families that a student may

140not have access to internet, to Wi-Fi, etc. Um and we know that like at the elementary level they likely wouldn't have access to their district device, right? >> Um and so nothing would happen um sort of reliant on a device that that we would be focusing more on continuation. So basically no new learning taking place during that time, but continuation and practice of skills um during that time. So the the way that it would be communicated would be through the families of sort of here's what's expected. it at the secondary level that would include communication to the to the student also, right? Um, and then some expectation of like you could expect at the elementary level that's going to be about reading because the like we continue to say that we want children to read

141every day. It could be about math games, but it's all about stuff that they would generally have access to in a typical household. >> Okay. >> Um, to be able to do it the we would very sparingly use this um >> Exactly. Um be because I I think we can all agree that like our best teaching and learning happens in our spaces. Um but there are instances like I I think it's always a good idea for us to have this on file with Desi. Um so if we have a tornado or something like that, we have a plan. The the plan um this is sort of loosely defined so that we could more clearly define at the time what would be the expectations. So if you look at that tornado a year ago, yeah, the

142you you can see evidence of this with within that, but more of it is is like the thinking of like what do we need to do now in response to something? So like that that WOW model from the from is not exactly this. >> Okay. >> It has some components of this. >> Okay. >> Um but it I think it's always a good idea for us to have one on file with Desi. >> Yeah. Okay. Thanks. Anyone else? Then all those in favor of approving the school district's AMI plan for next school year estimated say I. >> Any opposed? >> Great. I think >> Thank you. I think you're done. >> Okay. I move to approve consent agenda items 9.2 through 9.4. >> I second. >> All right. Any comments? All those in favor. >>

143Any opposed? All right. Thank you for that. Moving on to board communications. Does anyone have any um meetings in the past couple weeks? Chris, go ahead. >> Um thank you very much. This has been a lovely meeting. I promise you I've been very present and enjoyed all of it. I do. Um, we've been doing some great work, even though you can't tell by my responses to when I'm supposed to say a second. Um, my, uh, report out is about the safety committee meeting that we had on the Monday the 4th. And, um, Ben was supposed to have been there. He could not be there. He couldn't be here tonight either. So, I will cover it for both of us. Um, at that meeting, Mike Parkinson went over many of the new updates that have happened

144um, this entire school year because technically we hadn't met with him since September. So, we got to hear about a number of things that have been happening. So many fantastic things. I won't go into every single one of them, but um, one of the great ones was that the Clayton um, the center of Clayton now has cameras all set up. Um, and that's a huge improvement and glad that we got that um, figured out. Now our SRO there has a much better, you know, um, ability to see what's going on there and the same system that we have at CHS. So, it's much better. Um, what else? Mike said that they've been working on building emergency action plans. So, each building has a specific emergency action plan. He's been working that since he came in

145and started in this role and those were now completed and will be rolled out in the fall, which is great. um number of other things. One of the things that Luke first did was those flip charts that we have at every single doorway of of the building. Um Mike is going to be looking at those this summer and making sure that those are completely updated and renewed, etc. to um make sure we have those available. Um the other two major things we talked about um one was um an update on strategics. Not only did we look at um the numbers for this year on in every building, how many three button pushes we had plus every eight how many eight button pushes we had which was zero until the day after this meeting. So I'll

146get to that in one second. But our three button push numbers we we went through those and looked at >> Could you maybe just define or explain the difference between >> and that's very helpful. Thank you for the that. Um, with Cintix, our threeb button push is for any emergency where a teacher needs some sort of assistance from the other resources in the building who also get um notified when that those three buttons on the Stiggics bags are are pushed. Um, that could be a medical emergency, a behavior, um, a what are all the other ones? something that's not um an intruder um but anything that needs assistance from other people besides that one teacher that is not an an intruder um an alert eight push pushing that button eight times is the only reason

147we ever push it um is for an intruder that's the only difference that one of is for many other types of things that need response variety eight is just for the intruders so um up until this point this year uh up until this meeting. This day of this meeting, we hadn't had anyone in that have an eight button push, but yes, that very next day on the 5th of May, there was an accidental eight button push at CHS. And so I'll talk about that after I finish my report out about that meeting that was on the 4th. Um so yeah, we talked a lot about the numbers of CGI. We also talked about um some updates that Stigics has now, which is that those people that are responding to if you're one of the people

148in that building, let's say captain that gets the alert that there's been three button push, there are five people that that respond to that, an SRO, a counselor, there's um the principal, you know, and now Stiggics has new has added to their software the ability for those folks to respond on there in a way that allows the people outside of that building such as Dr. Patel and Mike Parkinson to know a little bit more about the what's happening. Right now, Dr. Patel and Mike really only know that it's been pushed. But now, because of this upgrade, they'll be able to look on there and see that that um you know, Patrick or whatever principal has actually arrived at that se I'm here or um we you know, or it's a behavior issue or it's a

149medical issue. there's just that little bit of information now that they can type into their phone so that there isn't such a lag time between um what what the people on the ground know and what Mike Parkinson and Dr. Patel know. Um so that's an a great new thing that we have um that he'll be making sure to train and show show all the responders how to use that on their device. Um the other thing we talked about is very important um work that we're going to be doing ongoing next year in the committee which is working on our standard response protocol. Um so there's all these terms in safety um but really that just means you know what we do in any sort of major emergency. Um right now we use what's called the

150four E which is what we train our kids in at the very beginning of every year. Um, and we're going to just be looking at ways that we can um, assess whether or not those procedures are what we want to continue to use. If so, why, if not, why. We're going to have, you know, a subcommittee within the safety committee that will really evaluate that um, critically and make sure that we're using what we think is best for our specific district and each of one of our um, grade levels, you know. So, um, yeah, I'm excited for them to do that work and to make sure that when we start rolling out, whatever we decide to go with, whatever the committee decides when we roll it out, we're going to, um, have some better communication

151around it, I think, because of this work, which I think is all very important. Um, so that's exciting. And again, that'll be going on into next year. Um, so I'll get now to saying, you know, as Ben and I are the the representatives of of the board on that safety committee, we just wanted to make sure to say that, yeah, we want to acknowledge that this accidental push of eight eight pushes um, which is an intruder push did happen, although we did not have an intruder. And in saying that, we want to talk about both um, the fact that we, you know, it's an it's a really tough thing for our students to go to. through. It's a tough thing for our parents to go through. It's a It's a thing that as a committee

152and certainly Mike, Dr. Patel, we've had many conversations about making sure that these accidental pushes don't happen. And I was really, as a committee, we were very proud to see that that hadn't happened um up until that point because Mike has done an incredible job of training our teachers on how to properly wear the badges, where you can and can't put them so that you don't accidentally press them more than three times um when you're not trying to. In this particular case, it was that a a a teacher that did press it but didn't really realize they were, you know, they were trying to, you know, press it just three times, but it was really being clicked more than that. So, there are many ways that these things can be activated accidentally. But every time

153that happens, you know, obviously we are we have done a good job of avoiding it happening. It's only happened this one time. And when it does happen, you know, we do a debrief and we sit down and we talk about how that happened and how we can improve so that next time it, you know, we can mitigate that, you know, from happening again. So, we did that. Um, Ben and I and Mike and um John sat down with Dr. Patel and we talked about this incident. And what was great about that us talking about it is we got to point out that I got to hear and was very happy from, you know, that Mike was able to say that what happened at CHS that day. And I'm be happy to hear from you guys

154too, was that um the teachers and the students really followed protocol just exactly how we trained them to do from what we saw and what we heard. And that's a really good thing to see. Of course, we didn't want an accidental push to happen, but the fact that it did um and at least it allowed us to see, you know, that our students and our staff um are really um capable of handling those situations. um and they did, you know, the proper protocol is a really good thing to know and um so that felt really good and that's that was a positive out of something um like this that again is um something we don't we want to avoid. The other thing I will say I wrote down another hold on um oh the other

155I think really good positive that came out of us meeting to talk about this um is is that we realized that you know now that there has been three um accidental pushes in the course of of our strategic lifespan that we've had this badge. Um we we are really thinking about how these accidental pushes impact our kids. And um what we decided as a group is that we really want to make sure that you know in this particular instance students had to come back into the school and continue their learning. And for those students that found out very quickly that it was false, you know, that's that's already a tough thing to do. But it some of the students who were outside of the building didn't get to find out that quickly. you know, they

156were in the thinking that this was a real intruder for a while. So, we've got a range of experiences happening with every one of our students and with every one of our teachers. And so, um, we decided that it really makes much more sense to instead of just sort of getting back into learning and acting as though that didn't happen, instead taking some time to really acknowledge what happened in every single classroom. And we're going to have um Jen Mchuan Mcuin, right? Mchuan um work on that or the social worker in the wellness center to really help devise something that teachers could then say um like have at their disposal to be able to sort of lead a a bit of a just a debrief and a a minute to just sort of reflect and

157have let students have you know a short amount of time to you know get back into a place of feeling okay and making you know that teacher then can make sure that everyone's in a in an okay place and um I just think that that's a nice thing that came out of this is that we recognize that we don't just want to act like it didn't happen. Um, instead we do the opposite. We we say this did happen and we sort of check in with our students and make sure that everything's going okay and if if they need further support, we know that there's lots of further support. Um, but um I'm glad to that we are being so proactive and and um thinking about the support that students need um because of our times

158in general, the fact that we even need these badges. But yes, certainly of course when an accidental push goes. Um so yeah, I think those are really um positive things that I'm happy to see us do and I think that it'll they'll help the students and we you know if you guys want to give any feedback about this right now, you can. And if you don't, you don't have to. I don't want to put any on the spot. But yeah, I mean I I just I want to um I it's really important for us as a board to be really respectful of the way this is impacting us as students. You know, we didn't have this when we went to school. you do. We We haven't been there. You are. Um so yeah, I um

159we want to be as supportive and really understand what to do for you as we can. >> I was I was sick unfortunately today. I mean maybe fortunately because I didn't have to experience it, but I know Manu was here and he talked a lot about it with the principal advisory club last Thursday. >> Great. >> Yeah. So really this is uh should be a main point of focus because not not only because um it's a potential traumatizing experience for the students but because it creates some a sort of desensitization. >> Exactly. >> Uh in kind of like a boy you cried wolf situation. >> Exactly. >> We talked about this a lot in the in the principal advisory council meeting. >> Um so >> like we've had this problem uh many times in in

160past years. Um, and students are starting to think that every time it happens, it's just not real. And I that that happened uh with in this past week, like >> half the kids in my class uh didn't believe it. Even I in the back of my head didn't even fully register. Yeah. >> That it was happening. And uh even though I helped barricade and everything, it >> didn't really, >> you know, click. Um >> and so in the in the principal advisory council meeting, uh we discussed some solutions. So, >> okay. >> Really the most prominent one was uh including maybe uh an audio cue on the on the button clicks like maybe maybe when you click it three times it will it will say you have called emergency services or uh something like that

161uh just to help the the teachers when they're panicking like >> I hear what you're saying. Yeah, that's that was really the >> Yeah. >> most important thing. >> Looking for ways to help the user use it in a proper way. >> Yeah. If that's if that's possible. >> Yeah, that's Yeah, I think Strategics, the actual company also is looking for the I mean, this is an evolving company. It's newer and yeah, they're constantly looking for ways to make sure that this doesn't happen. Um, so yeah, I I love that thinking. Yeah, thank you. >> Great. >> Thanks, guys. >> Thanks, Chris. Anyone else? Okay. Well, then we are adjourned. Thanks everyone.