001Giovani >> special presentation. >> Uh, she needed to move to the next meeting. Wait till I see her something a game. >> Now I'm waiting two months. >> Like high school kids. They don't recognize >> doesn't [Music] play sixth grade football. >> Why did he do that? >> I could really use you set eyes. [Music] You can all stand for the pledge of >> allegiance. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all sign awesome We have a special presentation ABM bond phase 2 overview. So you'll probably just have to put my laptop up there and let them get the remote know where it is. >> It's okay. >> Got it. But it is not
002>> giving me the option of this. >> Wait, it's funny because you had something else connected, didn't you? not to AirPlay. >> Yeah, >> yours was all on AirPlay. >> We were watching something from the TV, not from Air. >> Hey, are they on the same network? >> I have no idea. >> It's actually on Kim's computer, Robbie. So, >> yeah. >> Okay. >> How do you check that? >> Well, if they're on Kim's computer, it's probably the same network would be my guess. >> When you have to AirPlay, if it's not the same network, it won't connect. I mean, it let us here, but >> if that would go away as I can see. [Music] I just want to come up with a trial run. >> Okay, that's fine. >> You want to do?
003>> Yep. >> All right. I am going to let you use the down to help. two and then I'll just work off a kit. How's that? >> So, right there's my thanks for inviting us again tonight. Um I'm just going to go through just have a few slides. Um probably recall from last year me being here for the first phase of our capital projects looking solar at the high school. These were some of the additional projects that were identified in the early stages but yet just didn't have a c a capability and a capacity to be able to do more. Um working with administration we were able to identify several more projects and the ones you see tonight are going to be the ones that are very top priorities. So, uh, just real quickly put
004a quick agenda in there about budget challenges, what the scope of work's going to be in phase two, how we'll fund it, and then what's next after that. So, everybody knows about Senate Bill One by now, right? So, put the handcuffs on people and really put the um restrictions on all municipalities, but heavily on schools. And I think Mr. Morgan was quoted saying is going to cost this district about $900,000 in the next three years. So it really makes you then refocus on how do we provide the best quality education and still take care of our facilities at the same time. So we think we've probably come up with a way for us to be able to do that. But there are a couple other things that are happening too that are sort of out
005of your control. the old student enrollment situation where the birth rates just aren't what they were at one time and so they're not having as many new kindergarters coming in as what we were expecting. Uh increased operational costs, but those things never go down. You say whether it's utilities, whether it's cost of construction, whether it's cost of just buying products and supplies, it never goes down. And then the fact that the referendum didn't pass also because that was going to be a little bit of a savior to all the budgets because we able to have some additional revenue. So I know I worked with Kim Robbie and several other people in the district to find out how can we maybe overcome some of these things and they were well on the way. I think I
006told you guys before I'm a retired school uh assistant superintendent out of Michigan. I dealt with this for like 20 years. So I understand that every year you get thrown a different curveball and some of the things you have no control over like the state decides to change something usually mid year for you or before you have a chance to do that but so you can control the things that you can control. I know a couple things they looked at were grade level realignments, all the operational expenses, try to implement some of those implemental savings as far as cost savings. You do have the option, I know Kim's worked very closely with your council and also the financial advisors to say staying within our current tax levels and within our current assessments, we have some
007capacity just based on property values to issue another geo bond, which is, you know, a way to do that. And you know the geo bonds are restricted just to capital improvements. Can't use them for salaries. You can't use them for other things. Just for capital improvements. And then leveraging that ITC money. Even though the president's new legislation is going to limit that in the future, we think there's a possibility we can get one more round of the inflation reduction act money. You're supposed to be getting the check, I think, in January. Does that sound right, Kim? Okay. And if we get this project completed by June of 26, we can get another round of it. So it's additional funds that you weren't really expecting. So phase two goes like this. It includes new bus garage
008on the high school site, more solar on the elementary building, building envelope improvements, and the replacement of the 1994 chiller that's at the junior senior high school. It's very close, if not at the very end of its useful life. And we said, how are we going to go about doing that? We talked earlier about the geo bond. We we will definitely reduce capital outlay going forward by doing these things. We'll reduce annual utility expenses as well. We'll eliminate the lease for the bus garage so you won't have to pay that anymore. And we'll have a long-term strategy in place um to address utility costs because I think on the pages I show there that um the solar array on the elementary basically because of the size and also because of what it spends uh will
009take about 90% of that off the grid. So you'll be able to do 90% of your utility or your electric spend just from the solar and then like I said leverage the ITC money you get. So, we're here this evening presenting all of this. Went through this already with Mr. Morgan and Kim several occasions looking at this to uh basically align the contract with the federal legislation. You know, we've got the winter to deal with, but we think we can get it started, get everything completed in the spring, meet the deadline for June as well. That would require us to start probably in November with the design process. A lot of engineering has to take place, a lot of, you know, drawings and things like that to be done and then over the construction schedule
010to try to get everything done prior to that gym date. So, that's where we are. Skip will show you a couple more things. Robbie, you've seen these. One thing he asked me to do was to provide a savings assessment so far on the high school junior high um savings. In the first column to the left, it has last year's July 24 consumption. The next column has July 25 adjusted for degree days. So, you know, hotter days, whatever you have to adjust for it. And then the very third one shows actually what you consumed versus what you should have consumed without solar. Shows that the solar produced about 51 almost 52,000 kilowatts and saved the district about 8,500 bucks just in July. So it was a good investment for you. Uh the next couple slides I
011talked to you about the elementary school and we're showing it would be able to handle with the uh solar there as well. It currently has a a load of about 232,000 KW and with the solar on it, it would only consume about 21,000 KW. So about 90% of that could come offline off grid. You'd be producing that yourself. And then the next couple pictures are just a couple of renderings of the bus garage floor as well. build that right on site back here by >> what's that area called right there where >> it's named after somebody's tire what's the gentleman's name >> no they call it something like that I I forget somebody's barn always >> Charlie that's it right there it's Charlie's building so in a nutshell that's it um we want to make
012sure we informed the board of everything Robbie Kim, did I miss anything? >> Okay, >> thank you very much. >> Sorry about the technology. >> As far as do any of the board members have any questions about some of those projects? Do you have budgets for them all laid out? >> Say that again, Jason. >> Do you have individual budget budgets for each one of those laid out like the cost of the chiller, the cost of the bus garage? >> Will we see that before October? I would assume that's when we'll get a little bit more information. Okay. There are no other questions. We can move on to the budget hearing. We'll open at 5:11. I had a meeting with the DGF on the 8th. Um they did look everything over for our 2026 budget.
013Um we had a few little things to change. Um one being the date that you will see on the form three that you guys all have. That was our original October date. I thought that was I thought I was going to have to beg and plead for us to have a special session, but we were able to get that date changed. Um, nothing that you'll see here on the form three has changed since my presentation last month. Um what they suggest suggested with our enrollment still fluctuating at this time is to go ahead and leave our budget as you see on the form three now and do an additional appropriation depending on where things land up enrollment wise. Um as of this morning or this afternoon whenever I looked we were at 1113. So I
014think that's two students higher than I reported at the last uh board meeting. So, we might have a little bit more than we're expecting in the um education fund, but we will deal with that as it comes. Any questions from the board? Okay. meeting closed at 5 to 12 pm. >> Just so the board is where on in October is when we have our official count day. Um and that's when it'll be set how much money we get uh per student from the education fund. So um we have until October to hold on to kids or get more kids or lose kids as they transfer out. So, I think the transferring out is probably coming to an end. If they're here, they're they're going to stay here for a while. Um, there probably a kid
015here or there. So, it won't let it it shouldn't fluctuate a whole lot, I would think, from from that number. Maybe a student or two. Why do we have to approve a budget for having some students? that >> why do we have to approve a budget before we know how much we're getting paid? >> Seems kind of backwards. >> Great question. We should I think that gets brought up to legislators quite a bit. >> With that, moving on to consent items. Uh, approval of minutes from the August 18th regular session meeting. Approval of the August 8th and August 25th payroll and claims from August 19th through September 15th. Personnel acceptance of resignation of Tabitha Thompson, Cene paraprofessional. Amy Young, transportation director. recommendation to hire Morgan Kaufman as junior senior high part-time paraprofessional, Rachel Betts as
016CELC part-time childare worker, Amber Spencer as Cene para profofessional. Additional fall athletic coaches, Kendall Roert, junior high cross country head coach. Desiree Berdett, junior high cheer head coach. Brody Morgan, junior high football assistant coach. Drake Wright, junior high football assistant coach. Jared Wright, junior high football assistant coach. May I have a motion? >> I'll make a motion. >> Second. >> Ryan. All in favor? >> I >> opposed. Passes 5-0. recommendation to approve a preliminary bond resolution. May I have a motion? >> I'll make a motion. >> Jared, I'll take yours. Brian, second. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I >> oppose. Passes 5-0. >> And just to note in there, Kim, correct me if I'm wrong. Oh, working with Baker Tilly. Um, with that resolution, our tax rate will stay uh stay the same
017at I think it's at 80 81 cents right now. 80 81 cents. It will not affect our tax rate. So, we had some debt falling off and so that will take that so we can continue to upkeep our facilities. >> Before we go on to these next two motions, can we get some explanations on what these are? reimburse the expenditures in the supplemental plan where we'll talk about all those. >> I can go ahead. >> So the declaration to um reimburse expenditures that also goes along with the bond Jason and that's just giving us like it's kind of ensuring that we will make payments but it's also giving us the flexibility that if we have some soft costs before we actually have the bond sale we can roll those into the bond premiums. Okay. >>
018And then the supplemental pay is new uh for legislature this year. So um they have given board superintendent um the I guess the ability um or several which is in that resolution. I don't have it in front of me. Um for several things of to be able to pay teachers in hard to find areas um for competitive pay all those things. So um it used to be you can just take it. Now you have to have a resolution because it takes from the ed fund um and it can't be negotiated at that. So that money is taken out of the negotiations. So where we had set it I think that resolution says $10,000 to be set aside. Um that way we have things where if we need to try to compete with another school for
019a teacher if we're losing one, we have a little cash that we can do. If it's in a high need area there like three different stipulations on I think it's in the resolution in front of you of what those things are. >> You feel like that's enough money? >> Yeah, because up until this year we haven't used any of it. we will be using some this year but um if it's not we'll have to come back to the table next year due to all over I mean you have to do it every year anyway so okay thank you >> okay recommendation to approve a declaration of official intent to reimburse expenditures may I have a motion >> I'll make a motion >> second >> all in favor >> I >> opposed passes 50 recommendation to
020approve a resolution to establish supplemental pay. May I have a motion? >> Second. >> I'll second. >> All in favor? >> I >> post. Passes 5-0. Recommendation to approve obsoleting items. Junior senior high weeded library books. From what I gathered, these are books that are a certain date old, not necessarily anything else other than age. >> These are books that are >> fairly old and or haven't been checked out in years. >> Thank you. And then recommendation to approve. May I have a motion? >> I'll second. >> All in favor? >> I >> opposed. Passes 5-0. recommendation to approve first reading of Neiola policy repeals. May I have a motion? >> So before you before you vote on these are just the repeals that we were with Niola a couple years ago kind of right
021before I took over. We switched to ISBA policies. Um and these are just repealing those Mola ones. So we can put the ISBA. Um, really there's not a whole lot of I mean Jared and Brian can tell you there's not a lot of language difference in any of them. Just a couple words here and there and it's just replacing the NEOLA policies with the ISBA policies. >> Uh, recommendation to approve the first reading of Neola policy repeals. May I have a motion? >> I'll make a motion. >> Second. >> A second. >> All in favor? I >> I >> opposed. Passes 5-0. Recommendation to approve first reading of ISBA policies. May I have a motion? >> Second. >> I'll second. >> All in favor? I >> I >> oppos passes 5-0. >> And again, those
022policies are they're just the ones replacing the Neola ones. They're not there's nothing new. It's just the ISBA's version of them. Recommendation to approve overnight and or out ofstate field trips. Varsity girls basketball to GNN retreat in Cold Water, Michigan. October 23rd through 24th. FFA to National Horse Judging Contest in Columbus, Ohio. October 13th through 16. FFA to National Meets Judging Qualifier in Manhattan, Kansas. October 18th through the 23rd. FFA to National Convention in Indianapolis. October 30th through November 1st. FFA to livestock judging fall contest in Galva, Illinois. November 6th through November 7th. FFA to state forestry crops and entomology contest at Purdue. December 12th through the 13th. FFA to livestock judging national qualifier in Denver, Colorado. January 5th through January 11th. And these uh most of the FFA ones um they fund raise to
023be able to go on these trips. So um they're hard at they're fundraising now. Uh the great thing is that our FFA is super successful. Uh the downside of it is is it costs money when you're super successful because you're going to state national parks. So they do a great job of trying to fund raise and help support themselves on those trips. May I have a motion? >> I'll make a motion. >> Second. >> I'll second. >> All in favor? >> I I >> opposed. Passes 5-0. Mr. Morgan. >> All right. Um, can't pull up my script or my uh agenda in front of me without losing you guys. So, um, we have a our work sessions coming up on the first one is on the 29th. Um, and then the next one I believe
024is November 3rd. Correct me if I'm wrong on that, Jamie. >> They'll start at five o'clock. Um, and we've never really done work sessions, so it'll be new for all of us. We'll have some procedures in place, but we're going to go look at um possibilities for Wolf Lake, what we do, what we do with that, if we stay there, if we leave, what are some options that go on it? some um alternative learning opportunities that we may have. So um we encourage anyone with ideas or um suggestions to come and and talk. Um there will be some ground rules to that which we'll lay out as it as it happens. But uh we're we need to start that process because like we said with with Senate Bill one, we are going to be losing
025more out of our operations and we've got to figure out a way to to uh offset that. So, uh any any good ideas will be listened to and we'll talk about and no decisions or votes will be made at those work sessions. They're clearly their their sole purpose is to take ideas, talk about them, start formulating a plan from there. Um, >> are those going to be here at the high school or at the corporate office? >> Yep. In this room? >> Yep. Uh, clearly I'm not there. I'm at the ISBA fall conference. Um, there have been some good sessions this morning already. uh honored this today, this morning had a great keynote speaker and then uh attended a conference on uh proving attendance um and how to work with families on that especially with
026some of the new legislation that came out with attendance. So that was interesting. And then also navigating which is kind of appropriate for tonight um navigating uh keeping your facilities upgraded and and running on a tight budget. So, those are some good sessions to go to. Um, I cannot tell who all's in there because I can only see Kim and Jamie. Uh, so if Mrs. Hoover is in there, Mrs. Hoover, want to go ahead for the high school? >> Sure. Um, you okay earlier obsolletating some books. Brandy Lay is our new librarian and she's doing a phenomenal job. Um, she has gone through the majority of the books in the library. She's cleared off a number of shelves by oxilating items and she's placed about $4,000 worth of books to cater to our fifth grade.
027So, um we're excited to get those titles in and she she has been wonderful in the library. Um so, we're glad for that. Our student enrollment as of this afternoon when we enrolled two new students today was at 7:14. Um and then actually got word today that we have another student coming. So, um, we're happy about our enrollment numbers. Um, dual credit is something that we've talked about in the past, but not recently. But just kind of an overview, we have 48 students enrolled through Fort Wayne for dual credit mathematics. We have over 190 students enrolled through IvyTech um, receiving dual credits. And then this year, this isn't the first year we did this last year, but doing a co-enrollment with a classroom here and um using connections through Indiana online. Our Spanish 34 students
028and our biology 2 students are getting dual credit as well. So, one of our teachers is instructing that and they also have an online portion. Um so, that's been good opportunities for our students. And then Laura Scott, the guidance department, also has our first 10 college campus bus trips planned for the year. Um, and students are signing up for those. So just getting kids exposed to opportunities. And sometimes that's walking on a campus to be able to say, "Yeah, this feels right." Or, "Heck no, this is gigantic. I couldn't navigate." So looking forward to those things, >> Mr. Mannon. Um yeah, just from a athletics standpoint, I think we've done some really good things um in partnership with EGO and EV sales and services that Brad, we're able to get a new sound system put
029out at football in the game on Friday. Sounds incredible. Um we hosted 39 home events so far this year and we've profited on the ball except for soccer basically four or five soccer games. Some of those we made we made good money on, but we've got some other things in the works that we're hoping up, you know, finalizing get going soon. But I feel like we've made some really good improvements and changes to our athletic department. So, I know it's kind of the bottom of financial everything that's going on, but I think the kids are getting excited with some of the things we're doing. We had a couple records that were broken on Friday game. Um, single season passing record and, uh, single season receiving. So, pretty good game. A lot of good things happen
030in athletics and hopefully more good things to come soon >> and we got a win so that it feels good. >> I'm gonna jump in too. Also on Friday we had our day of caring. Um so it was our 10th annual day of caring and this year our fifth graders asked to join which is really cool. Um so the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth they go as a grade level. Um so they were all off campus and then we had 22 other groups that were either on campus helping outside inside the auditorium area or off campus um some of the local businesses areas not for profit. Um so that was a really good day and then um have our iLearn first I learn checkpoint is next week with our fifth through eighth graders and then
031like Sean said the CM digital academy is going really well. one of the other two new students. Well, one and then one said, "I'm going to go connection to Kathy." But after he saw what his sister was doing online, the mom called him today and said, "Hey, we want to go that route." So, that's great for a good start. >> And at the elementary, we are uh overly excited to be having a new swim set. The uh ancient one is now gone. Uh much safer. Um, and today I had to kick kids off because they wouldn't share. So, I literally had to put time limits on the swings. So, we're excited about that. It's much safer. Uh, we are happy to we also got two new students uh starting tomorrow Wednesday. Um, we're excited for
032those kids coming to us from uh Garrett. Uh, we are um getting ready for iLearn as well. I guess the biggest change for us is still uh accommodating second graders and their teachers and making sure they kind of figure out uh kind of what we do at the elementary and they're doing great. The teachers are doing great with the changes. Uh but you know, we've had a lot of new staff turnover. Our office staff is new and and is doing a good job and my new IAS are doing pair professionals doing a good job. teaching staff that we brought over is doing a good job. So, it's it's been uh it's been a good start to school, knock on wood, and uh we'll call it a win if we uh we keep making progress we
033are. I am pleased with the instruction I'm seeing in the classroom. Uh I'm going into every classroom just about every day. Uh I don't see a lot of uh disengagement, which for me is crucial. Kids working and for the most part it appears most of them are going to be All right. Mr. Tagert is actually driving the bus tonight for volleyball and uh I believe middle school soccer. So that's why he is not here. Um as you all know, he sent out a messenger this afternoon. They did go on a like alert lock down which basically they just kept all the kids inside and kept all the outdoor doors locked because there was a high-speed chase that went through uh Wolf Lake I believe. At no time were any of the kids in danger, but
034just out of an abundance of of caution, they went ahead and did that. Once they knew it was through and on, I believe it ended in bus go somewhere. >> 20, >> they went ahead and let everybody back out and had recess and everything was fine. So, there were there was communication sent out to all the primary parents about that. Um other than that we are if you hear any of the state switched over um from IIP and are integrating IEPs with powers school it has been um I think nothing short of a nightmare. Um they've had nothing but issues. I think I think I see Mr. Neper there in the background. he could tell you it has been complete I think disaster on the state's part and their rollover process and there's still ongoing
035problems just randomly teachers will be locked out of all their IEPs and they can't get it out or they can't get the them to transfer over so they're working through it I know he's been working on it um whenever it gets issues that come up working with the co-op so um we're still working through that was a state um thing that they did um and put out and it was not rolled out very well, put it that way. So, we're still working on that. And then, um Jamie, I don't know if you have anything on grants or uh >> anything. I can't see you. So, >> I'm back. >> Okay. >> Um we're in grant season writing everything. um on a webinar this afternoon. Um a current bill is looking to resend all of our
036title funding. So they have a decisions to make by the 30th. Um and hopefully that doesn't happen because that could take us down at least another 25% in what has already been reduced. Um so we're hoping that that does not happen. Um that's it. So just watching the numbers. >> Yep. I'm not sure who else is in there if there's anyone else that needs to talk. Okay. >> Maybe also that it's true that they can go backwards and reset and ask for money back. >> So it would be all for 2025 application. So like our title one is already submitted with an amount. If this approves, they will go back and take it. So if we've already been spending that it's on the corporation and with title one specifically, we do use it immediately because
037it's paying for staff. So if this would approve by the 30th, we we are out more. >> Correct. Well, we would get reimbursed. >> Yep. So that would then fall in would hurt us right that already saw a reduction of what 30,000 20 30,000. >> What's our total budget right now? >> Still around 2008. >> I think it was like 130. Yeah, it's significantly lower. >> Significantly lower. >> Yeah, >> that was removable all their title funding, right? So, three and four. >> Yeah. Three they're looking at going away with completely and two and four would be rescending at least like 25%. Which we're not spending out of either of those yet, but applications are due in a month. So, a big limbo there on what to do. Okay, I think that's all that I
038have for now. >> Any comments from the board? Meeting is adjourned at 5:34.