001I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you all for getting started and welcome back. From spring break, some of us look tanner than others. And I am very jealous of that. Um so let's call the order. Are there any modifications to the agenda? Hearing none. Um can I I would like to entertain a motion for approval of the agenda. So moved. Second. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. Opposed same sign. Abstentions? Motion carried. Any visitors or comments from the audience? Anybody? You there? Um No presentations at this moment. No discussion items. Um entertaining a motion for approval of the minutes from the March 2nd, 2026 meeting. I
002move to approve. Is there a second to approve the minutes? Second. It's been moved and seconded to approve the minutes from March 2nd, 2026. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. Opposed same sign. Abstentions? Motion carried. Um consent agenda, for those of our regular attenders, so Jenny. Um We are changing up and all consent agenda items are being brought to the front and in the consent agenda tonight we've got separations, appointments, and transfers, as well as uh field trip and a professional meeting. So is there a motion to approve the consent agenda? So moved. I propose that we uh sorry, I move that we uh approve the consent agenda. Is there a second? I'll second. It's been moved and seconded to approve the consent agenda items. All those in favor signify by saying
003I. I. Opposed same sign. Uh abstentions? Motion carried. Moving on to our action needed items. There is We have the recommendation to approve the updated contract between Brown County Schools and Future Jump Calling for our afternoon custodial services at Brown County Middle School and Brown County High School. Is there a motion to approve [clears throat] the recommendation? So moved. Second. I'll second. All those in favor of approving the recommendation to update the contract between Brown County School and Future Jump Calling for PM custodial services at Brown County Middle School and High School signify by saying I. I. Opposed same sign. Abstentions? Motion carried. Our superintendent's report. Uh I feel like we've got a couple of things here tonight um and I'm going to lead with Mr. Steel. Um he's going to give um some updates
004on the facilities um and construction across the district. Um so I'm going to pull it up. Yeah, so as she's pulling that up, we have quite a bit already going on across the district. Um obviously we have our athletics project um that's still scheduled to kick off April 1. There's really no big pictures [clears throat] to share with you. It looks exactly the same as it has. Um so just know that that's still in the works. We have a meeting tomorrow, pre-construction meeting to kick that off. Um but as far as our other buildings, we do have quite a bit of construction already started and then we did a lot of construction uh over spring break. So uh just wanted to go through, kind of talk about each building and kind of what's happening in
005each building. So jump to the next one. So commons bathroom, as you noticed on your way in, these are open. We're not 100% complete. I would say we're about 95. Uh just some touch-up finishes that need to happen, but it was really important for us to turn these restrooms over so that we could claim the 100 hall bathrooms uh to get started on them and we really wanted to do that demo work to those restrooms over spring break while students were not here. So we're okay with where we stand currently with the commons. I think Sarah would admit like they look amazing. They look so good. Kids were so excited this morning. There was they just couldn't wait to go in and see. So Mr. Foster and I were standing out there by about 7:30
006this morning and kids were can we go in now? Can we go in now? And it was like they were we were giving tours. Like they just wanted to come through. So they did such a good job today. The first thing the girls noticed was our full-length mirror was missing. So but they were installing it after school today. So that was the one thing. They said "Where's the full-length mirror?" But it is it is now there. So they'll be pleasantly surprised in the morning. But the bathrooms look great. Um so this is this is a a picture of the commons. I don't know if you want to switch to the next one. This is what the 100 hall bathrooms currently look like. Um that's a lot of demo. Yeah, so the whole wall comes out,
007you know, they've already they did a massive amount of work over spring break. Uh one of the things that we did, we knew that we were going to run into, which is going to take some timing, we have to have a safety corridor built uh temporary. What was in front of the commons, we had to do that in the hallway to separate construction from students. Um wasn't as big of a deal in the commons, right? Cuz you have tons of space. And as we found out at the middle school a year ago or for 2 years ago when we were doing our office right now and now at the high school, right when you take another section out of that hallway, that hallway gets pretty small. Students will figure it out, right? They'll start going
008around the other way. Um these poor kids at these lockers, Sarah, found out real quick. Yeah, I'm going to re- I'm going to re-home them or offer to re-home them to our middle hallway by the library. We do have extra lockers there. So I have about 25 kids to meet with tomorrow just because it's so awkward. They're trying to open their locker and once they step back to actually look in their locker, like it is a very tight one way there against that wall. I'm also going to redirect and met with some of the PE folks this afternoon and since it's coming into spring and I think we're going to have some nice weather, they're going to depart all classes from the gym doors outside and just come in the front doors like our Eagle
009kids do in preschool program kiddos do so that they won't be flooding out of there cuz that's about 55 kids a period coming out of the gym directly into that space, too. So I think once we get some flow going, it'll be okay. It'll have to well, the kids worked out at the end of the week, but It'll take a while, but um you know, what what's nice, spring break came at a perfect time to get the really loud demo work done and I'll say uh Performance Services is really really good at working around the kids' schedule, right? Like they're not doing this demo during the day. They're in our most of our buildings uh doing construction work, but they're they're very aware of what's going on and if they are doing something, we ran
010into it over at the ESC where they were doing some construction um we said something to them and they shut it down while we were working over there. So 100 hall bathrooms, these will have the exact same finishes as the commons bathroom. So this is what they will look like when they are done. Um minus the boys, a few less urinals than what I currently have. Um so looking forward to that. Uh the rest of this work was all work that was supposed to be happening this summer uh but with Performance Services is very grateful for Sarah and the high school for allowing them to get a head start for summer work. So they were able to open up a couple science rooms that they could get started in and room 525, which is that
011classroom right before you go into the gym. Uh so that's what these classrooms look they were also gutted over spring break. If you remember, this would be our phase of HVAC work that is coming from the auxiliary gym, weight room, uh main gym, up the science corridor, and then down that science hall. That'll be the last phase in that building will be able to be uh controlled from computer computer as well. How were you able to do that? I mean, did everybody fit in the other rooms you have? So the one [snorts] was a special ed room, he relocated. One was a Eagle seminar room and they relocated that one as well. Now like we don't have any extra They were they were like "Hey, can we get a third one?" I was like "No.
012We'll give you two and we'll give you 525 um and then they'll get these. So their goal is that they'll get these flipped over before the end of the school year. Um and then if anybody just needs to go into these rooms and then we'll start in the other science rooms. And you'll do those during the summer? Yeah. So, this is what the auxiliary gym currently looks like. So, outside kind of in that bowl area between the high school auxiliary gym and the walk that goes around is kind of that bowl area. That's where the new HVAC massive unit will sit that will feed the air into all of these new spaces. So, there there are two big units on either side of auxiliary gym. There's another look at that one. They are getting started
013on removing and getting that down. It will go back with one system with a pipe down the middle that will feed the whole gym. Auxiliary gym, and then it'll also come in up above, and there'll be four trucks that go down the middle. Kind of throughout the the main gym. We worked with them. We told them that they could have half the gym, but we needed the half of the gym that had the drop-down batting cage in case we get inclement weather and softball baseball needs to come inside. We wanted to make sure that they could still come in and hit and do some indoors. So, we kind of worked with them. So, that's the core. This is why it it's kind of weirdly sectioned off like this. Eventually, they'll need to touch all of
014it uh this summer because all the lighting will get updated as well to LED lighting. So, one thing to remember is anytime a ceiling comes down, we always go back with new lighting. Like, it's just cost effective. That's the time to do it. So, anytime uh we do HVAC work, the grid all when the grid comes down, LED lights go back up. So, it'll be the same with our gym. Uh just some updates at Van Buren. Some of these have been like kind of it's been a project that's going probably the longest because we'll do a little bit when we are able to get to a spot uh kind of throughout the time, right? So, we knew that we switched over to propane. We got rid of fuel oil. So, those propane things are now
015on the south end of the building. We were able to update the boilers, the Cleaver-Brooks boilers before winter. So, that project is already underway. Uh they a lot of the work that they did over winter break was up above the ceiling getting water lines ran in preparation for this summer. This summer is when Van Buren all the ceilings in Van Buren will get gutted, right? So, it'll be like the middle school was last year. All the ceilings come down. All new HVAC in all the classrooms. Um This is the steel that they did over spring break. So, they brought in telehandler, lifted and got all the steel work done. That is where the new main unit will sit up on the roof. Uh so, one of the Yes. So, one of the things they found
016out was uh they had their standoff metal things made, and they got up there and cut their first hole into the ceiling, and there was a lot more insulation than what was expected. So, their metal standoffs were short, so then they had to have them fabricated and two-day ship to them uh to keep them on schedule. So, all the plate metal steel is ready to go for the unit to be dropped in as soon as summer hits. Is there an opportunity like I just think about where those those tanks are? Like is there a way to make that look any better? Um well, we could like we could do a windscreen would probably be the easiest. Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Something like that. There's like green something green Yeah. Just when it's like
017some landscaping and flowers like there's Um the one thing we have to be careful of is that this takes on water when the creek floods. Um So, that'll be the area that will get water. Raised up from the water? It is. So, if you see the concrete pad like around it, when when I even when I was there, we've had water come across the grass and goes into the driveway. Yeah, it kind of keeps going south, and then it'll kind of catch up with the creek before it goes along with the creek bottom. Uh But, that's not But, yes. But, I mean certainly something to take a look at. So, that's not a problem with the propane tanks that if the water comes through there Well, we hope it doesn't get that high. But, water
018does some crazy things. Gavin, do you have a Generac generator down there? Uh Van Buren does not. Okay. Okay. No. Uh high school has one in the back for our server. Central office has one. Does Sprecher have one? I think Sprecher might. But, that's a good question cuz generators are something that we're taking a look at across the district. Uh EEC. So, when you walk in right the EEC, everything to the right there's a lot of construction happening over here that over there. Uh so, this is you know the work that Debbie's doing with the grants that she's securing and bringing infant child care to the district or to the community, actually. So, this is you know, we talked about these construction temporary walls. This is the one over there. So, this is where our
019uh preschool has to walk down now. They are using it to paint and decorate on, and it is it's really cute if you have a chance to walk over there. Um So, all the construction's happening on the other side of that door. Um Big update over there is we've got So, we went through our first round of construction, got our permitting, got our inspection was done last week. So, now we can cover everything back up. So, all of our plumbing that we cut out of the ground was inspected. Um all the new layouts cuz they're adding bathrooms. They're adding a little health clinic. Uh this was a bathroom here going to their laundry room with the little shower area wash off in the back. So, that that's kind of the whole wing side of the
020wing towards of the EEC. So, the other side was already renovated, and now flipping sides of the hallway. >> [clears throat] >> Yeah. How many kids have picked on them and painted on the walls? I don't know. Sorry, that's where my brain went. I think so. Let's push next, and there's no next slide. Oh. Do you have um can you just talk us through the athletic the the turf project and Yeah, so >> out there. Yeah, so we have we have a construction meeting coming up right now picking like we just got our submittals sent back to us today about picking the finishing touches inside uh press box getting those colors and everything. Um We are are still scheduled April 1. We are expecting them to be here, and they will start uh with temporary
021getting the temporary fencing and everything put up. What I have worked out with them is the ability to keep football on campus all summer long. So, working with them to create a safety corridor where all football players will be able to kind of go down along the tennis courts, um cross over their construction uh entrance, and they'll have signage and speed bumps, and then they will actually uh man have somebody there the time that we are sending kids out and bringing kids back across. Um and then we're also going to put a like port-a-potty toilet out there for football players so nobody has to come up back up to use the restroom. So, players will not be allowed to cross um come and go. They'll go down as a group, come back as a group
022for any summer conditioning workout that's um happening. So, yeah. >> the track how are the track teams being moved once construction starts? Yeah, so we're using the ESC. We're using the main gym. Uh auxiliary the both gyms over there. There's a spot behind there as well. There's a pad an asphalt pad back there where I know they're going to be doing um hurdle work out there, high jump. We're going to see about potentially moving pole vault up there as well. Um if we can get a pole vault pit safely into the ground up there. Uh we're looking at long jump going back behind the ESC in that kind of old intermediate playground. So, um Sprints? will be here just as I think we'll go to Eagle Park a lot. That sounds complicated. Just a summer.
023Do you guys have any other questions for Mr. Seal? I'm good. Thank you. I would like to turn your attention to finance for us for the month of February. So, we're always looking at the month that we just had. You have the fund report that I won't pull up here, but you you have that as you get for every month. And then you also have an education sheet that looks like operations. Tonight we will only go through operations. But you have the same sheet that's up here on the screen for operations. And so a few of of the notes what I I really appreciate Megan being able to do is this little blurb that's way over here to the right and it kind of gives you just a really quick look at a few of
024the different categories. Admin operations overall it's down by 3,000. Bank fees are up by 700 which um you know, it's it's never good to to go up, but bank fees are some of those fees that like there's not a way to save money on bank fees. It it is what it is. Um bus contractors are up 3,000. Technology's down. Transportation as a whole is down and then utilities are down by that much. I think so like if you remember from the from the last two months that we've been able to share this this data with you. It's really really hard. Like you you can't compare December to January to February to March, right? Like we have different expenses, bills come at different times. And and so there's a lot of overlap and a a lot
025of nuances that go into it, but it is really good to see hey you spend this much each month and and here are some things that stand out. January we had a really large credit in the operations that we had to pay pay something for the bond up front and then we got reimbursed from that. So, there was a large credit in January. If we didn't have that credit in January it would have been about 520. Right? Which is which is right on. So, just important to know it's nuances like that. We did not have a school resource officer fee this month. We are sup Ideally that that happens three times a year at approximately $12,000 each time. Again, I think that it's ideal to have that come up three times a year, but we're
026working with different organizations to be able to get that done three times a year. So, it's dependent on on on some other people and and programming. Maintenance is up 25,000. That's a big one. That's that's the one that we get into the weeds with to try to look at specific bills. From different months and try to do some comparisons and and see. So, just know that we're always looking at that one. Overall some of the large expenses in in maintenance for the month of February covered lots of repairs and service across the district for the boiler systems. Professional services is anything about professional services can cover a lot of different things. We have anything from attorney fees in there to organization fees, things like that. This one this month is when we paid the annual
027fee for our front line our student data tracking software. So, that's up. Quite a bit when you see that total. And then it is good to look from month to month, but it's also good to see hey in in February of 2025 how much did we spend versus February of 2026 and our operation expenses decreased by about 15,000. So, yeah. That's that's really good. Again, here we're still trying to figure out the best way we want to be able to to categorize some of these things to to be really clear and really simple. So, this looks a little bit different each month until we kind of figure it out. I think the biggest change here is this operations salary and benefits. You know, there's one way to look at it when you lump every salary
028into it and then you kind of get lost of of who's who and and how much do we pay in personnel for technology or central office or transportation. And so Megan pulled those out separately which which has been really good data for us to look at. You will also see with the education fund that that's in your packet just to take a really quick look. Comparing February 2026 to February 2025. Education expenses were up by about 24,000. Now, when you see that when you hear that it's like oh my gosh it's 24,000 that we're up, but I honestly think it's pretty incredible after the the raises that we were able to give to teachers and to staff members this year across all employee groups to be up to increase costs only by 24,000. I I
029think we are in a really really good spot and makes me proud of the decisions that we've made and the things that that we have been able to do for our people. So, just just something to know. Is this one monthly? What we're looking at and Yes. Yeah. Do you have any questions about the finance? Good job. Thank you. On utilities when you say it's down 3,000 is that just because it's not winter anymore? Or less heat? I don't know if there's any reason. It could be a lot different things. I mean you're thinking gas, you're thinking water, you're thinking electricity. Oh right. So, that's all of them. Yeah. For every bill. Yeah. For the district. Usually when you see one go down then another one >> [laughter] >> Right? So, when we come into
030summer the gas goes down, but electricity goes up. Right. But I just wondered cuz you know, we're talking a lot about utility bills around. So, to say that it went down at all was I'm good. And then just a few updates. First had a great time welcoming back the district today after spring break. So, just excited to get around to all of the schools this week and and see some kids and some staff. The high school restrooms is awesome to see. I too I was here for a little bit and just to hear kids come out and they were they were in the boys. I was so excited that the boys noticed and were like it's so nice and had a few kids come up to me just seeing him in the hallway and and
031commenting on it how much they loved it. So, that's that's exciting and happy for them. Um The the Eagle Eye magazine is officially out. So, yeah. They will >> [laughter] >> Do we know that kid? I I think he's awesome. He's not a kid either. >> [laughter] >> Um So, super super excited. Morgan has worked really really hard and just really proud to show it off. So, we will get copies out to the buildings and to the businesses in town and get it up on Parent Square so all of our families can see it digitally and it's already on the website. So, if you get a chance take a look at that. In my superintendent update in the magazine is about the parent engagement survey that is coming out. So, that will be released by
032School Perceptions through an email to all parents. All staff as well. So, there will be if staff happen to be parents they will get two surveys. Highly encourage them to take both. Um and that that will come from School Perceptions on March 30th. It will be open through April 17th for people to be able to take it. And then they of course analyze the data and send it back to us and we'll do a presentation and a report on it. But I encourage please tell your friends and and family to to complete that survey for us. It helps It will be a final stage of us finalizing our priority plan. As you know the board we had a few sessions on adjusting the priority plan. Right now that that is in the hands of the
033leadership team and we're taking the board's feedback and and trying to make our adjustments and break those smart goals. And so the last step is to get the staff and the the parents survey back so we can ensure that their input is in the priority plan. Um so looking forward to that. Um >> [snorts] >> and then I just want to celebrate. Uh first of all, received an email over spring break. Um three separate emails because all three of our elementary schools are invited to the state house um to celebrate their performance on I read from 2025. Um and so this is when when Helmsburg got the one 100% on I read um Mrs. Werner and I were able to go down and celebrate and I just think it's really amazing that all three elementary
034schools get to come um together in April to do that. So really excited for them. Um and then our kids are I think back from Portugal this week. >> I They have landed in DC. So I did get an update from Mrs. Speece before I got here. Um but they're not their ETA back in Indy is about midnight tonight. So I think we'll have out of the 14 a lot of She said the kids are still they're winning they're ready to come back to school. Like they're excited. So I have a feeling someone will be straggling in late but um so yeah, they're they're back in the states and safe and sound there but have one more flight into Indy tonight. So excited to hear. Pictures looked in pretty incredible. Um an opportunity for them.
035So And then uh our invention convention the state competition was uh not this past Saturday the Saturday before um at the uh state museum in Indianapolis and Van Buren and Spring Creek who both participate in it did amazingly well. I think Van Buren had first They had a first place overall and a third place overall. And then Spring Creek had a second place overall and a tie for third. And a tie for third. Like that's the whole state. That's pretty awesome, isn't it? Um Yeah, so >> [applause] >> we now we need to get busy fundraising because we've we've never gotten the opportunity I think to send that many kids and their families to be able to go to the national. >> And seven of the kids had honorable mentions and so they're also invited
036to go to national. Yeah. Yeah, so pretty cool. Um and it's I also it's worthy to say that it's not that Helmsburg does not participate well they don't participate in this invention convention but they do something a little bit different. Um and so we'll invite Mrs. Salwan and and have her do a presentation too and um she's got some really really incredible things going on um with their stem courses too. And we are also from each elementary school I think one or two of the kids that make it have made it um are going to be on site for the TED event um with their project so they can be in the lobby and and be a part of the the blueprints and breakthrough theme and then um Mr. McFall is also bringing his um
037anatomy table to the event and having some kids be there to be able to interact with the public um with the big fun incredible table. I like that. Can you remind us what the date is on TEDx? May 16th. I went to Van Buren invention convention and I was blown away. I mean I I just wanted to hang out there all day. >> [laughter] >> It was really It was really neat. I was I was shocked. And Van Buren is um they're in their final stages for STEM certification for the Department of Ed. Um there's an article in the the magazine about it so just just really excited about that and um middle school will be next. That's my update. Awesome. Any questions? Uh claims. The claims one is correct. Um is there a motion
038to accept the claims as presented? I move to approve the recommendation for the claims as presented. Is there a second? I'll second. It's been moved and seconded to approve the claims for I forgot which day is March 23rd 2026. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Aye. Opposed same sign. Abstentions? Motion carried. Is there a motion to adjourn the meeting for the evening? So moved. Second. Second. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed same sign.