001Grayson Boon, a fifth grader. Grayson's teachers cons consistently consistently describe him as a respectful, resilient, and someone who demonstrates great perseverance. He approaches his learning with a positive attitude and continues to work hard even when faced with challenges. He treats others with kindness and respects respect and sets a great example for his peers in and out of the classroom. Um, we have a student and this was uh we have a student that's on crutches and Grayson was so helpful. He would go in every day and get his uh lunch out of the office and take it to the cafeteria for him and was just exhibiting these excellent traits of kindness. And so I'm very proud of the young leader he is becoming and what he represents the values that we strive to build in our
002students at Medy Jordan Elementary. So, please join me in recognizing Grayson Boo. >> Thank you, Grayson. Would you please lead us in the pledge stand? >> I pledge allegiance >> to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. And while we're standing, dear Father, thank you for this day. Help us as we make decisions regarding the school that we will be wise and a good steward of the job that you've given us to do. In Jesus name I pray. Amen. >> Amen. The first item on the agenda is to adopt the next agenda. If you've had a chance to look at it, >> I'll make a motion agenda. >> We do have a motion in this
003to adopt the agenda as it is. Mr. Fine. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. Pender. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Miss Fine. >> Yes. >> Mr. >> Yes, ma'am. The second item on the agenda is the u presentation and approval of the minutes of the last meeting. >> I'll make a motion to approve the minutes of the last meeting. >> Mr. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. Pender. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Miss the next item is the review of the monthly reports. Has everybody had a chance to look at them? Did you Did you have a chance to finish? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Okay. I do have a motion to approve the u the bills. >> I second it. >> Mr. >> Yes, ma'am. Mr. Pender. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Miss, >> yes. >> Mr. Yes, ma'am. >>
004Mr. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Okay, we're down to new business. The first item is the bars, the request for approval of the budget adjustment requests. Madame President, members of the board, I have um several bars. I'll start with the first one. It is for the adv fund. This is to adjust line items from between electricity to basically the insurance premium and the maintenance salaries. The next one is for HB33. This is to adjust in the budget line items to insurance premiums. The next one is for the PILT fund. It's collection of property taxes received in December. I failed to put this in the initial budget. So basically this is just putting it into the budget so we can um allocate that. The next one is 40M is for the operation fund. This one is for
005327,000 and mostly this is for payroll. The insurance a lot of people took advantage of this and so our insurance premiums went up in January and so we've had to move funds and I usually have funds in electricity or general supplies and that gets moved to where we need it in the budget. The next one is 41m. This is also for operations but this is within the 200 which is our support services, our maintenance and our central services. And this is also um basically insurance I'm adjusting there. The next one is for our operations and this one is in um our food services and that is $330. It was a little small items for payroll. The next one 43N this is for the adrenaline items by $6,500. The next one 44N this is the go
006debt fund. This is the defa the bond fees payment in the fall. I didn't budget for that. So, I had to allocate um money to our bond pay, our bond payment. So, it's in our budget. And so, OBMS can see that. Everything we do, OBM has to see that we're doing it in our budget as well. The next one is for SB9 state fund. Um it's a start state March M state match capital outlay award of $56,553. This is a state much f fund to the SB9 which is our tax collections. This can be used for capital improvements and maintenance and upgrade of school facilities. So this is money we just got in that I put in to start so we can use it for budget. The next one is for our title one state
007fund. Again they did a final allocation for our title one. This is a federal grant for schools with lowincome students and we're going to use these funds for our summer school. With that, I stand for questions. >> A second. >> I have a motion in a second. Mr. >> Mr. >> Yes. Mr. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Okay. The next item on the agenda is um consideration of and approval of a resolution authorizing the sale of school bonds, establishing procedures for the sale and delivery of the bonds and authorizing other matters related to the issuance of the bonds. >> So Brad Angst is here um to brief us on this. So Brad, I'll turn it over to you. >> Yeah, good evening madam chair, members of the board. Good to be
008with you. Brads with Steeple Public Finance who serve as the school district's bond advisor, financial advisor. Uh so we're back with you here. Uh voters approved uh $35 million of of bonds at the last election. Uh we're here to do the first issuance. We recommended 10 million for this time. Um that's enough and working with staff to get through the year until next year. Um and by doing a portion of it instead of the whole amount um at once, you save quite a bit of interest cost every year um uh by holding you know if you're issuing bonds for money that you couldn't use until a couple years down the road. So um so just here this evening to um go through a couple things. I provided a presentation but this is probably more just
009in case questions pop up. Um you know please report we're able to keep your your mill levy steady. It does not take an increase to uh get the this bond issuance done. So 1.7 on the debt service mill levy. Um and you know that's that's provided because you'll continue to to pay off your debt so quickly. Not only um are you issuing debt with a short final maturity, but you'll make been making prepayments almost every year. So, um, because you've paid off those old bonds, you're able to layer this this one on without any additional, uh, tax increase. Um, you know, again, the numbers, uh, for oil and gas are just, you know, y'all are obviously extremely blessed. Uh, the residents, uh, the residential properties within units only pay 1% of of the total uh,
010property tax payments to the debt service. Um, I I have not seen any other district with with those type of numbers that I work with. Oil and gas over 90% of that. So, um, congrats there. And, um, be be happy to answer any questions you have specifically on the transaction. We're moving towards locking in interest rates in early April. Then we'll close and provide uh, funding in May after we go through the AG's sign off. Um rates continue to hold pretty steady. There's been some volatility with with the uh Iran war and then obviously oil and gas here this week has got some things um moving. There's a little bit of volatility, but in the grand scheme tax exempt rates MUN uh municipal bond rates are still uh in the 3 to 4% range. So
011much much lower cost um and interest rates than you can get on private type business. Any questions? And I think maybe I'm joined by y'all's by bond council. That's fine. >> Just a comment. >> Yes, sir. >> Uh we had that $1.2 billion bond for road infrastructure. only 87 million came to Southeast. But I brought your name up. >> Okay. >> Because I wish the state would have the knowledge >> because you've done a great job for us. Just looking at not taking all the money out one time. You're >> you're saving us money by doing that. So I appreciate you've always done. >> Yeah. Appreciate it. >> Make a motion. >> Second. >> We have a motion. Second to approve. >> Mr. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. Pender. Yes, ma'am. >> Miss. >> Yes,
012Mr. Davis. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. >> Yes. >> Item C on the agenda is a request of approval for a quote with construction incorporated to demolish and remove the home located at um 1008th Street in the amount of 46,000. So, this is the uh home that is directly across from the old Langston gym where we're eventually going to build the new administration building. Um, there is a very there the reports in there there's a very small amount of asbestous. Um, so there there is a little bit of asbestous removal. It has to do with where they removed some flooring in the hot water heater cabinet and didn't bother to clean it up. They just And so I correct me if I'm wrong. It's the glue. That's the asbestous. >> So, there's asbestous glue, but
013it it'll be that's going to be relatively cheap. So, um the idea is that we start on that July 1st. However, if the property is vacated before July 1st, we will start it as soon as the property is vacated. >> So, we have a teacher living there now. >> Currently, we have the uh school counselor um at the elementary and middle school who lives in there. um he has resigned or or is retiring at the end of the year. Um due to his um lease agreement, he has until the 30th of June to be out. Um but if for some reason he's out before that, then we'll move on it before that. >> Uh Dr. Cleveland, >> any other questions or comments? >> Do I hear a motion? I second. >> Yes. >> Item D.
014A request of approval of approval, not reapproval, approval of a quote from GWC Construction Incorporated to demolish remove the O Langston gym in the amount of 1,53,000. Oh, yeah. >> That's right. >> $120. >> So, um I don't know if you guys remember, we brought in um James back in maybe like September or October of last year and and they told us $1.8 million to remove the gym. The funny thing is they were going to hire this guy to remove the gym. U now there is a substantial amount of asbestous removal in that as you guys are well aware. Um and so that does drive the cost of this up there. But um this is this million dollar is part of the $2.5 million or $2.3 million that we incurred from or got from the
015city through the state to develop the early childhood learning center. Um we used a million dollars to hire the the architect and and so this pretty much zeros out that balance uh between these these two expenditures for that. And when we're done, I have I have preliminary blueprints for the early childhood learning center. If you'd like to see it, >> long as it don't come back on us, >> I'll make a motion to approve. >> Mr. Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. Pender. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Item E, request approval of a proposal from master to renovate the middle school band room in the amount of $58,422. >> So, um we are going to be repurposing the band room which through some high techch um in investigation. We discovered that it is a band
016room in name only. It does not have any soundproofing in it whatsoever. Um I could talk to you just like this through the door, through the wall. Um and and while we have a hope that we can bring the band room back, we have a real band room at the high school and we walk kids over from the middle school to do art and do shop and to do PE uh and some of them to do math and Spanish. It would be no different when we get a band to walk them over to do band as well. Um, but one of the things that we need is an area to run our new nursing program through, which I believe we're going to have some exciting news on here shortly. Um, about our nursing program. So,
017this is removing the carpet, putting down a a floor in case, you know, they spill fake blood or whatever because they got to do that. Uh, putting in a new sink and some more cabinetry. Um, and making it where it is a um a room that can be used by our students. Any questions? >> Motion approved. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. Pender. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Yes, >> Mr. D. >> Yes, ma'am. >> And Mr. >> Yes, ma'am. Item F, a request of approval of a quote from Thomas to build the college outdoor recreation center at the corner of 16th and K in the amount of 964,621. >> So just real quick, this is where the current Lenon gym sits. This is where the covered outdoor facility is going to and that is completely covered.
018Um Drew, I'll let you talk about the the covering that's going to go over that if you don't mind. >> Okay. So, Madam Chair, members of the board, it's a metal frame and then it's tension stretch PVC that goes across the scout across the top. It's rated for 105 mph winds. It's 12 pounds per square foot as far as the weight that can be put on it. And it's got a 25 year warranty on it. And uh what it allows is is for the area to breathe. You'll get the sunlight in, you'll get the natural air in, and it'll still be covered and protect the kids from the sun. >> And it will keep out rain up into about monsoon. We got a rain like that, we got bigger problems. But uh but it's, you
019know, a drizzle, a normal rain. Um it it is it is a mesh, but it it is tight enough of a mesh that it doesn't let it through unless it's just absolutely overwhelmed. So um allows things to breathe and uh provides shade, provides protection from the sun. Um and and gives our kids and our community uh and and there's kind of a a mockup of it on the last page of that. Gives our community and our kids, you know, somewhere to go in in the summertime. that's covered, you know. Um, and it it was interesting to me and my wife when she first got here, she's like, "How come everybody comes out at 8:30?" And I'm like, "Cuz at noon it's 110° that time." And and so hopefully it it it gives uh, you know,
020it's a way that we are can continue to give back to the community, but it also gives our kids it's going to be great for PE. You know, there's no gym at the middle school. Um, but it gives us more options and it's covered. Um, and and I'm big on getting kids outside. I think we we put kids inside too much. So, this is another opportunity to get them out there. >> Is it similar to the covers that we have on the playground? >> No, it is similar to the covers we're going to probably start putting around on our playground. Uh, no, those are um >> those were good in theory. >> Yeah. I I don't think they're I I the sun just murders them here and it's Yeah. So, um >> when would they
021start on this project? >> So, the the ordering of the building would start right away. Um they would they would mobilize in April and be able to so the process once they do the geotech and everything on the ground, they'll pour the pad. The pad has to cure for 30 days. And in those 30 days, that's whenever the the building's being built. And once it gets here, it all goes together. >> Okay. So, it's kind of >> it's going to be very fast. >> If we started in August, it I mean in April, it would be done by the end of August 1st of September. >> Any other questions? >> Can I ask a question? >> Will there is Will there be Why do you know if I'm >> Who who are you asking? >>
022Ask Drew. Will there be lighting? Will there be light? >> So, we will we will come in. It's not included in the bid, but there will be lighting >> and and our next thing on here is going to lead to that. So, we are going to have lighting and um but we are going to cut that lighting off in during the school year about 9:30 just because we don't want to encourage, you know, we might go 10 in the summer, but nothing happens after 10. >> That is true. What color is a tarp going to be? Blue. >> Blue and yellow. >> Just ask. >> And there is So if you guys like a lot of indoor track teams, you see the bubbles like like the um what was the stadium? >> Bad Cowboys. >>
023no, it's the Los Angeles Ramsadium. >> That That's what we're talking about with the cover. Now, if we get a red, it'll it'll fade, but it's not going to it's not going to tear up, but it'll be white. As long as it's not blue or yellow, >> Mr. Mr. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Miss. >> Yes. >> Mr. D. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. Adam G. A request approval of a quote from Take Branch Auto Group to purchase a 36 Dodge Ram 1500 truck in the amount of $57,000 $371. >> No, it seems like we're buying a lot of vehicles. This one comes with very good news. So, this truck is going to be for Mr. Reynolds. His his job has kind of changed over the last couple years to more of an administrative role, especially
024with everything that we have going. But the better news is his truck is going to an electrician. We have hired a full-time electrician uh here at UNICE schools uh who starts on Monday the 16th. So, just coming a week from today. And I'm not going to I I'll tell you when we're not recording how much money he's going to save us. But his salary plus this truck times a couple numbers, it's going to save us a lot of money. It's going to free us up what we can do. Um, so it's and it's actually the electric the electrician that we hired is the one who worked for Kirk Meyer that did all of our wiring already. So there's no learning curve. He's going to hit the ground running. Now what he doesn't know is we've
025been saving stuff for about three months. >> Oh, he's already signed it. So that's that's why the the purchase of a new vehicle is is necessary. But um >> this is >> for the for the timing of everything that's happening and the quickness that we can get it. Yes. >> You're all stocking something else. I had one Dodge in my life and I'll never have another one. >> I rolled one on a test drive. >> It's a great story. >> It's a good story when we're not recording. >> All the money we're saving, we could probably buy like a Chevy or a Ford >> you're probably well I don't know about Ford, but um >> it doesn't matter to me one way or the other. Drew doesn't like to ride his bike though. >> Okay.
026Do I hear your a motion in a second on this one? >> Motion, Mr. >> No. On a moment. >> That's my first not unanimous vote. It's hilarious. >> Okay. Item H. Let's see if we can get back to um it's a request of approval of the state bilingual multicultural education program funding application. >> Um it's it's uh the same thing that we have to do every year. It's hilarious. have to do every year. And in fact, if you look at page three, um it literally is no changes in course codes. Basically, it's just saying the same as the year before. Uh but this is something that we have to do every year. Um the only um bilingual multi-educational program that we or multicultural education program that we have in UNICE is Spanish. Um and
027and so um Like I said, this is just something that has to get done year in and year out. >> I I have a question. Yes, ma'am. >> Nothing to do with the current thing. So, >> does that have to do with dodges? >> No, it has to do with language groups. So, is there is there a a cut off point that you is there a beginning point where you the school is obligated to offer bilingual plans for that language group? So let's say let's say a whole colony of Korean children come in. Do what is the school's responsibility to offer language help? >> So um it is our job to educate students. Um we would need to figure something out. >> So there I didn't know if there was a legal uh number >>
028there. There is an ethical obligation. Um, and and I I I would say if there was one, we would have to figure out something to do. Um, I'm not I mean there may be a law, but it to me if if it's one, we got to figure it out. What whatever that may look like. I um so if you're recruiting Korean teachers, please stop. But no, I we we have a duty to um to educate our students and you know, we make uh We make accommodation. I use my daughter. My daughter's the only, you know, like she has very specific things that she needs in school. We make those accommodations for her. We would do the same for a student that spoke a lang like we would we would do what we need to do
029to figure it out. that earlier on when we were putting the highest facility in Lovington because Lovington schools would have take those um Venezuelan kids and educate. Now we had a Spanish teacher that that dialect was different. So there's some form and I thought it was in iPad or laptop that did translation for them so that it would get it back into their language even though uh Joe was going to be speaking in Spanish would actually translate the difference to their diale Cambodian and he is trying to get um visas for his family. So I don't I don't know what all the children are, but I just wonder. >> We will figure it out because I think there was a lawsuit a couple years ago the state and I think it was Zoom or who
030was that group. >> They suing the state because they didn't have enough books in their language, native language school >> that actually started the >> the Native American education >> programs, right? >> So I'm pretty sure that's they put that in there. have to pick up those laws and vote from there. See what we have Martinez. >> Martinez. Yes, sir. >> Motion second. >> We have a motion in a second. >> Mr. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. Pender. >> Yes, ma'am. >> M. >> Yes. Mr. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. >> Yes, ma'am. >> And item I a request of approval to issue a RFP for school. Auditor services for school district audit for the school years 2025 2026 through 2028 2029. >> So we are out of time with our previous auditor. So now
031we have to have a request for proposal. So that's all this is. Uh and then once we get the request then we'll bring you know the contract to have you guys approved. Right now, we're just uh requesting the ability to look for a new auditor. >> Motion approved. Second motion, >> Mr. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Yes. >> Mr. Mr. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Uh, I'm going to let Mr. Richards go because or Mr. Richard go because he has another board meeting that he needs to attend real quick. So, he's going to give us a quick remote. >> Okay. Um, I want to let y'all know um, Madam President, distinguished members of the board. Thank you. Um I want to let you all know that uh we have a plan in place to roll out a
032system in which UNICE students will have juniors and seniors will have an option of participating in programs in JA as well as students from JA here. So um this next coming school year we're going to roll out three programs in each district. Um the the available programs in Java will be welding, culinary and oil and gas. In UNICE we are going to offer students from JA juniors and seniors FFA and we are rolling out a digital technology pathway and we are going to roll out a nursing pathway. Um and that that's something that I'm really excited about. I think it can be one of the um the flagship programs at Ununas High School. Um and And hopefully we're looking to give seniors in the nursing program CMA certification along with labbotomy and EKG 12 lead
033EKG certifications within that one year. They will at least have opportunity to sit for those tests. Um what that junior year looks like. We're hoping, we're working with the JC to provide not only as many dual credit possibilities across UniS High School as possible, but um we're working to see if we can give dual credit for courses during their junior year and kind of shrink down the length of um the nursing program at NMJC if students continue uh choose to continue there. Um so that's one thing we're looking at. We're also working with the NMJC. We're kind of growing that partnership with them and and um looking at new ways to collaborate. Um, like I said, we're going to offer dual credit as much as possible on one side and the other, um, thing is
034we're working with workforce development, and they're looking into certain things to where seniors who are particularly head straight to workforce after high school. Um, and some of our programs may have an opportunity to spend the last week or two of their senior year on campus at the NMJC, stay in the dorms, participate in programs, maybe get get additional um, learning certifications there. So, um, in particular, I think, um, one thing that we've trying to nail down a few logistics on, but, um, we're hoping that, um, seniors in our oil and gas program from units from gel, um, if they have a desire to go into, um, like lease operating, MJC offers a two-eek lease operator school, um, they'll stay there at the dorms. They get PEC certification, which is industrywide safety certification. H2S um certification
035on the front end. Um the last two days are spent on mock interviews with industry partners. Um a lot of the graduates from that lease operator school are hired right out the door. So I think that that that you know working with the JC on kind of outside the box thinking like that. I think it's going to provide opportunities for students that um haven't had in the past and I'm really excited about it. and I'll ask you for questions if you have any questions. >> Good job. >> Thank you, sir. Don't get a ticket. >> Just just so people know, um when we had this I had this crazy idea and I was like, "Hey, Bridget, we got to figure out what we can do to start." And and back then it was CNA, uh
036which is a certified nurses assistant because that's all I knew. And I said, "Look into what we can do for this." And it has grown into so much more. Um and it's um it's interesting because you think here oil and gas oil and gas the number one requested program in unis and the number one requested program in gist nursing the number one growth industry in job markets in the United States is in the medical field. Um and so we're giving um our students not only an opportunity to leave high school in oil and gas or with certificates, we're letting we're giving them the opportunity to leave with medical certificates. Um, Bridget today was telling us that a a CMA, which is just the what we're going to get the seniors next year, um, can start
037at the at the the Lee County, whatever hospital. I I forget what it is, but anyways, they start at like 21, $22 an hour. Um, but they have a leg up if they decide to go into the nursing program because they're already certified. our junior kids. The hope is that once they go through the junior program and the senior program that we've shaved a year off of their time at the junior college and then they are done within a year of going there. So, um I mean it it it's crazy to think that we're going to have the ability to um send kids out into the workforce, not to work at McDonald's or wherever with a high school diploma, but you know, go in and work in these, you know, industries where they have these
038certifications that they earned in high school. So, it's it's uh it's rolling fast and it's going to be very cool. So, with that, Miss Robinson. >> Yes, >> Madam Chairman, distinguished members of the board. Uh we are enrollment is 164. Uh this last week we had uh Lisa Cho from the AIS came and she worked with all of us and I'll tell you what I it was really it was really good listening to her watching what they do in the classrooms and all. I mean I see what they do it it's not like it's a show. I mean because they've done it before and then when she does it she reiterates what to do. She modeled for our teachers and they debriefed and they discuss you know what they could do differently. And I'll tell
039you what just it's really a good thing and I appreciate the fact that you know you're helping our teachers with that. Uh, we started our remediation with us using our PLC program. And I'll tell you what, it was kind of scary getting started because I was really afraid that I wanted to be a winner all the time, do everything the right way. And I'll tell you, we've taken some bumps and bruises, but I'll tell you what, I hand it off to the teachers and they've done a great job. You watch them every six every what what three weeks we go ahead and we put on on the big screen, right? List where our new kids are, where they're rotating to, and we get our our groups of remediation. we pass it out on Tuesdays and
040Thursday that they do remediation and it's been really successful. So, I really appreciate that. Uh sport-wise, basketball's concluded. Everything's over with for us. Uh we started our spring sports. Our cheer state is March 21st in Albuquerque. They start early in the morning. They'll be done by like noon. And our powerlifting will be April 10th and April 11th for our state. Uh I also brought two two teachers to come to talk. I don't know if that'll be at the end. Is that Mr. H at the end? But, uh, I'll tell you what, like I said, it is all them. I mean, they to start off with, I really feel like I had about four teachers kind of like, you know, yeah, this is all right or whatever, but I really think they've all bought in. And
041the fact that you see them buying in and it's just it's exciting to watch because I really feel like our kids will show growth from this and I think we'll show it in the data and I'll let them I'll let them speak. So, but I appreciate you guys giving the opportunity to go to that summit because they are using what they've learned. So, with that, I stand for questions. Okay, let let the real ones suck. Okay, >> I'm gonna go first. Um, Madam Chairman, members of the board, we want to say thank you to Mr. Hatch, our principal, um, everybody involved getting us to Phoenix. Um, we say we truly appreciate it, but like we genuinely appreciate it. The knowledge that we gained there. Um, when I say it was a work trip, it was
042a work trip getting on that shuttle and getting there at 8:00 a.m. and we worked till 4:30 daily taking in everything. Every morning we started with a keynote speaker. Very inspiring. It wasn't just a dog and pony show is what I would call it. I mean it was somebody who truly motivated us. Um I think by day two I was like is it time to go home and start putting this to work um in our everyday? Um a lot of it was things that we in the middle school have already started with our um intervention classes. Um I'm a data nerd of everything I do. Um, I'm already starting to collect data from just getting back and what I've um implemented in my classroom. Um, you want to go to play off what Terrence said,
043yes, thank you for the opportunity for us to further our professional growth um as educators. While we were at the summit, we had the chance to attend several sessions and we kind of just want to brief over those uh what we brought back to our classrooms. Um one of the most impactful uh aspects of the summit was the authors were there. We got to directly uh learn from the authors like some of the books that we were provided by the district um um and it drives our district uh PLC's and interventions. Some of the sessions that we attended were all in digging deeper into PLC's the science of reading uh classroom instruction networks the four pearls of effective interventions those are some of the sessions we attended attended um as we move forward we now
044have a pathway that we understand we know what we're doing now we understand um guiding our intervention starting um by using four critical questions in our PLC's those four questions are what do we expect students to learn? How do we know they are learning it? How do we respond when kids don't learn? And how do we respond when they have already learned? That's our starting point. Uh lastly, we wanted to share three quotes in particular that stood out to our team um as we continue to develop our intervention plan. Um the first one was discuss what we can control. We are focusing our energy on instructional decisions that we make every day within our four walls. The next one is kids learn more when adults learn more. >> Yeah, we know that our growth is
045the quickest way to improve student outcomes. Last, to understand the road ahead, ask those are coming back. Um, it is it is exciting to see that our schools are on the right track for helping every student reach their full potential. While we are proud of our progress, we we're humble enough to know that there's always room to learn and we are inspired to help um every student um we're inspired to give every student exactly what they need and deserve academically. And thank you all guys for sending us. >> So, one of the one of the big things and I' I've said this a lot in here um it's about empowering the we have to be better and giving them the tools and um >> you know the fact that we have the ability to send
046people places to learn and to do things and we sent a group last year and so this is the the the follow-up group but really they um they come back and they bring back what they learned and um it it creates a fire and we're starting to see the benefit of that when we're starting to look at our test scores now and so it's real it's real exciting where we're headed. >> Um and and so thank you to to these ladies. I what did we send? Nine nine people, something like that. Um, and so, uh, you know, just just the opportunities that we have to make our district better. And and I I've said it in here before and it's it's part of the push to do this this CTE program with JAL is like
047our kids shouldn't get um it shouldn't be less than because of where they live. Um, and so we're blessed here. And so I don't want kids to leave Ununice and hope to be successful. Um, or be successful in spite of the fact that they're from UNICE. I want kids to be successful because they have the opportunity to go through our school system and to get better in our school system. And it starts with making our teachers better. And you know, it's um it's easy to say, "Hey, give it to everybody or whatever." But we have good people here. We just need to invest in them and and give them some time and some grace so that our kids can be more than because they grew up in Unice, not less than. And so that's that's
048the whole goal and that's the whole push. So with that, Jenny, do you have anything? >> Well, I can or cannot. Madame President, members, distinguished members of the board. Um, current enrollment at Medi Jordan is 361 students, which is uh plus two from last month. Um, I'm going to just kind of PLC Summit was at the bottom of my list, but since we're already talking about it, so I was fortunate to attend. Um, Robbie would have told me she was bringing teachers, I would have brought some of my No, I'm just kidding. Um, I don't think I could have summed it up any better than what they did. Um, it was a fantastic opportunity. If I could have cloned myself, I think we would have been able to attend. I mean, you had to choose.
049And I mean, choosing which session you were going to attend was hard because they were all very fruitful. Um, so of course the idea of the PLC is for educators to commit to working together to ensure higher levels of learning for every student. >> Um, and working collaborative collaboratively is more fruitful than working alone. And that is the whole idea of the PLC's. And um, I too kind of took a few of the, you know, sayings and major things. So, you know, and they said it, kids learn more when adults learn more. Um, PLC is a noun but also a verb. The noun form is school and the verb form is collaboration. Uh, change is the gateway to improvement. When we fail to plan, the plan will fail. And for me as um a new
050leader as principal at the Medy Jordan Elementary School, it is um I'm excited to start this process with my staff. Um I we were we were headed there and um you know things happened but you know what is my question to me is what is my first next start and my first next stop? And so all of that is going to um help. And when you got the teacher buy in, more than anything, it's it's not the administrator leading the PLC, it's the teachers leading the PLC. So I thank you as well as allowing me to go and and collaborate with the the elementary teachers, the middle school teachers, and the high school teachers that attended. So thank you for that. Um I have AIS on my report as well. Lisa Cho has done wonderful
051things with our with our teachers and um great feedback for us as administrators. And the only other thing that I have is uh our Scholastic Bookf Fair wrapped up. U Miss Mendoza does excellent work as far as pushing that out to our students and our community. And on family night, we had well over a hundred visitors there at the Medy Jordan Library. And I didn't know this, but I do now. um through Scholastic. Miss Mendoza is actually one of the top sellers in this area. So, she does really well. And with that, I stand for questions. >> Thank you. >> Uh AIS is an organization that um we got turned on to through the CPS sixear study. uh and its main focus or its focus here is in math, but it is an organization that
052we intend to bring in to help focus on all of our core subjects because they are very targeted and and very good at at helping us to to produce better results. So, Drew, give us a quick update on our on our construction. >> Madam Chairman, members of the board, um greenhouse is on schedule. It should be completed on the 27th and turned over to us on the 30th. We've started phase two in the plumbing job in the high school. We started the demo of the auditorium, public bathrooms. Everything's demoed in the band hall. So, as soon as material comes in, they'll button that up and then we'll move over to to phase three. Um, now that basketball's over, we've we've started the punch list items on the arena, the the floor, um, the concession, the
053tap room, things like that started today. So, all of that punch list kind of put off for the basketball season is is being completed now and it'll be done by um by graduation. We've got the stage in that was ordered last board meeting. We're starting to put that together. We're going to have that put up so that we can look at it and if we need to add to take from whatever we need to do to to make it good for our kids and graduation. And other than that, planning the the new um early childhood learning center, we're we're making progress on that. We they bring stuff to us and we shoot it back with different ideas and it's going good and we're just moving forward with everything that we've been blessed with here for
054our kiddos. With that, I stand for questions. >> M Davis, >> chairman, members of the board. Uh we currently have 221 students at the high school. We actually lost a student this week and gained a student today. So we one comes in. I think we're going to get be getting a couple of extras as soon as we get records from them. So we're we're still looking at growing. One of the big things that uh and it due to Mr. patch and sometimes he says things I don't even know if he knows what he says or how how but it was like that that came across wrong but then I took a tidbit I took I took a tidbit bit bit of a conversation that we had and thought you know we how can we make
055things better and so we have started we're in week three of an attendance challenge because if kids aren't here they're definitely not learning and we need baseline data of what that attendance challenge looks like what attendance is. Uh statewide average attendance is around the 71 to 74%. We're generally higher than that, but we're still not good enough. So, wanting to see where where our problems lied in regards to uh attendance. Uh we are keeping that weekly attendance challenge. So, today started week three. A little mini uh blurb each week. This week it's presence builds progress. uh each week daily I put the put it on the board because it's visual. If they see what it is, it makes a difference. They know, you know, the ninth grade, 10th grade, 11th grade, what 12th grade, what
056their attendance was each day as on a daily attendance rate. The juniors have won two weeks in a row. So, we take the percentage and I had a big explanation because a group of sophomores said, "Well, we can never win because they have less kids than we do." But I had an discussion about percentage. Everybody has an equal chance to win. We've had some low days that we were at this in the 60s for a couple of the classes. We've had hit 91%. The juniors hit 91% one day last week. Our average overall has been in the 80s. And when they win, when their class wins the following Monday, I draw three from that class to get gift cards from the community. So, they get the first one gets a $25 gift card to Grindhouse.
057There's then there's a $15 gift card to bees and a $10 gift card to bees. In order to qualify that, they have to be in the class. And then they have to have uh had perfect attendance the week before. So, I do a randomizer. I look at number 15. Nope, they had parties or absences. I go I do it again until it takes about 10 students to get three that had perfect attendance just that week before. But it it seems to have some healthy competition going and presence builds progress. If they're not here, they can't learn. Uh the other um thing I've really been honing in on is we're getting ready for state testing and we have never had a short cycle assessment at the high school to let us know where we were. It
058was a hope and a prayer and that's how we approached the SAT. We were on a hope and a prayer. Yeah, they've done well. They're they've got good grades, but now we have data. So, we we've done the map testing at the beginning of the year. We had it at at the winter mark and really honing in and looking at the junior data at this point in time to see where we're going to stand hopefully when we get to that SAT in April. So, we will come back. Of course, it's not perfectly aligned and there's all sorts of factors to look into, but very hopeful with uh the 11th grade data, we had 83 that were proficient or advanced on the winter test in reading and language arts. They scored by three or four points
059higher than the national average on the reading and language arts test which MAP is a an aligned predictor of success on the SAT. So that gives me great hope. Uh in math we are at a 50% advanced or proficient just in that group. We've been at zero the last few years. So 15% is definitely growth. We had three advanced students score in math and five that were proficient. So, eight students in the in the junior cohort that scored on that MAP test, advanced or proficient. So, that gives us high hopes. The MAP also gives us specific standards or skills where they could use extra help as we're going through. I know Miss Hobbs and I have done a little work on apostrophes walking in and uh helping strengthen that grammar usage. And I would like
060us that one more thing about the eighth graders that we tested them on the map because we have 11 eighth graders that come over for algebra 1. Just wanted to see where they stood. Of those 11, zero scored in the red, which is the lowest band. We didn't have any score advanced, but we had, I think, two of those 11 proficient. Several more were just one point away. They scored higher as eighth graders in algebra one on average than our ninth graders in algebra 1 scored on average. So, we have a great group coming up based on what they're what they are doing and preparing them for. So, very excited about the future of our programs. And one of the big focuses that I've had uh that I started at the beginning of the year
061were our preap and AP courses. We had never had those. I want to give as many opportunities to our top students as we do those interventions to our bottom students. So we are actively looking at growing our preap and our AP offerings uh as we move forward. So really in a school of 221, we've got like three schools going on in one. We're looking at our preap, our AP, and our dual credit off offerings for those students at the top. We're looking at intervention type programs for our students at the bottom, a career pathway. And I I don't like to call it just a workforce readiness, but it's a career pathway. So many people think CTE is just non-olbound students. Obviously, if we have nursing and other those other programs that we're putting in, those
062are equivalent to college brown rigorous programs that we're giving them opportunities, but opportunities to move into the workforce more quickly. And then the traditional pathway for those students that just some may go to college, some some may go straight to the workforce, but to borrow another phrase from from Mr. hatch where we're not just raising the bar, we're raising the floor. We don't want to just raise the ceiling. So, those are some exciting things going on at Unis High School. And with that, I will stand for questions. >> I'll insert one thing. We have high confidence in what's going to happen with the SAT because hope is not a strategy. We're doing all the things that we need to do to give those students the opportunity to be successful when that time comes. And they're
063they're showing you. So, our our confidence is high going into that. Um, and and it's it's it's going to be exciting. Miss Williams, do you have anything? >> Yes. >> Madame President, members of the board, the special education life skills groups both at Kaitton Middle School and uh Ununice High School were able to go on a field trip. Um, we've been trying to promote those field trips for them. They went to um Big Cheese and ordered pizza. I know Robbie went with them and um they also went to the fire department to um learn about safety and it was a very successful trip for those students and that um collaborative effort with those two groups has been very successful this year and I appreciate the support and letting them get to go on those field
064trips. It it really is a time for them to to learn about the cost of things, how to order things, and promote those life skills with those students. and it gives them opportunities to to socialize and and and go together. Um the special education department is researching DLE classrooms for next year. Um those are self-contained classrooms that are specific for intense learning for those students who um have a lower cognitive ability and have more severe needs. Um I have had some interest in other in teachers who are internal teachers here in UNUNICE who are expressing interest in teaching those classrooms. So, we are going out to other districts so they can observe the classrooms, how they're set up, the uh student teacher uh ratio, how they're um implementing visual schedules in those classrooms, um how
065they're using augmentative communication devices or whatever assisted technology those students might need. So, um we take a trip on Wednesday out to JAL because they do have DLE rooms there. Um, and then I'm making um arrangements for us to go out to Hobbs as well to look at those um support um classrooms there. Um, and I think that's um very good that we have um people here within our own district who have expressed interest. Um, I admire those teachers uh for coming forward with that. Um, we are also moving forward with the results of the gifted screenings in order to establish an identific identification process within the district for our gifted students. And so we finished our screening uh co through the Kogat and then we had a a group that went on and completed
066the entire Kogat and now um those students will go through a process and then also have their you know intellect tested and then we'll work on enhancement opportunities but that those programs are growing as well. So um it's good to report on that. And then um the special education department uh here in Ununice received 100% on their 120day count uh with no errors. So that's a celebration. >> Oh, with that I stand for questions. Sorry. >> I have one question. How many classrooms are you looking for for next level B? >> I'm looking at um one at the middle school level and one to two at the elementary level. Thank you. >> We got to judge the um ability to staff it and the need. >> Thank you. >> Um so real quick, um as
067you can see, we we're we're we're making big leaps. We're trying things that maybe, you know, you you hear this has never been done here before. This has never been done here. This is, you know, it's what we're trying to do. We're trying to make things better. Not that they were bad before, but we're just we're we owe it to our to our students to constantly try to get better. Um and and so um and I owe it to the staff to constantly try to get better as well. And so with that, um this is something that you guys approved last year with the budget and I just want to make sure you guys know so somebody tells you thank you, you're not surprised. So last year, if you remember, we uh gave a safety
068stipen um to our teachers. Um and so, uh when talking to several different board members, um you know, someone was like, "Well, this is a good idea. Is there any way, you know, so we put it in the budget? Um so we budgeted for it and when we put something in the budget, as long as there's money, we pay it, right?" Like it could be in the budget and then there's just not enough money. And at one point the state was talking about uh recouping $37 per unit value. And what that like one student might have three unit values, one student might have 10 unit values. Like it's a different one for each student. So it's not just $37 for each student. They didn't do that. Um and so as a result, we do have
069the ability to to pay the safety stipen. So we will be cutting those safety siphon checks tomorrow. And I just wanted to inform you guys that um Misty did a great job in buding and we can't afford to pay those. So, and Mr. Gos did a good job of fighting that they didn't take the money. >> And so, with that, if there's any questions, I will answer them. >> Make motion to journ. >> I second the motion. >> Mr. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Still under an hour.