001September 8th, 2025 meeting of the school board. Everyone, please rise for the pledge. [Music] 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. >> Anyone sign up tonight? Do we have any signups tonight for public comment? Just out of curiosity. No. Okay. Um, thank you everyone for coming tonight. Pact house obviously. Uh, I'd like to start with 2.01 student recognition. >> Thank you. All right. Good evening everyone. My name is Carrie Storm and I am really proud to be here to represent the K through4 elementary schools and our administrators as we honor students receiving the Empower Award. The Empower Award is based on Trojans who demonstrate exemplary growth or achievement. This is demonstrated by
002resilience and excellence in the pursuit of academic success. Every spring, our second and third graders take an important reading assessment called the IRA test. This assessment measures students foundational reading skills on Indiana academic standards through grade three. Tonight, we are very proud to be honoring our current third and fourth grade students throughout the district for achieving a perfect score on their ILE assessment last year. Those students are fourth graders Fiona Heheim of Brummit Elementary, Connor Brinkman and Winter Visena of Liberty Elementary, and Jackson McLaren and Tula Riley of Yoast Elementary. We also have third graders Oliver White of Bailey Elementary, Alexis Sutton of Brummit Elementary, Adeline Hiscox, Carter Hawkman, Lauraai Mitchell and Lana Phelps of Jackson Elementary, Tessa Muller, Carter Owensby and Jonathan Rean of Liberty Elementary, and Violet Kz and Quinn Heapner Gibson of
003Yoast Elementary. We are so proud of these accomplishments and we look forward to seeing these students continue to develop in future years. Congratulations to all of them. [Applause] So students, if you could make your way this way with your certificates, >> we would appreciate it. Moving on to our second section of student recognition. We'd like to congratulate We'd like to first congratulate the Chesterton High School varsity boys track team on another successful season that culminated in a DAC sectional and regional championship along with some individual accolades for meddling at the state finals. Congratulations to Owen Edund for being named allconerence and to the following athletes for being named allconference and placing the state finals. Nolan Johnston second in the high jump. Uh Kieran uh Barnwall fifth in the 110 meter hurdles. Aaron Resto, Carl Wisneski,
004Nathan Vaughn, and Lewis Rafen. Seventh in the 4x400 relays. Uh, coaches are Brian Nalawag, Phil Long, Tom Mohler, Ruke Elli uh, Ellie Eiser, Tom Wish, Chris Richardson, and Chris Hol. I know that many of our track athletes are being recognized tonight were seniors last spring and are no longer here. Uh, I also know Coach Nwag is coaching tonight uh, flag football game. U, but at this time, I would ask that individual team members and coaches that have been able to make it tonight come forward for recognition. [Applause] So, I'd like to congratulate Chester High School girls track athlete Kennedy Bradley for winning two individual state medals at the IHSA 2025 state track competition. Kangi ran to a second place finish in the 100 meter dash and a fifth place finish in the 200 meter dash.
005At this time, I would like to ask Kennedy and her coach, Coach M, come forward for recognition. So, my understanding is no one is here from tennis tonight, but I would like to congratulate the girls tennis team and coaches Tom Boore and Scott Garrison for a successful season that culminated in an IHSAA sectional championship this past spring. Um, and given nobody's here, I'd like to congratulate him. So, congratulations. Spared me a lot of misprononunciation I'm about to make up for. So, the uh, girls varsity softball team, congratulations to the girls varsity softball team for a successful season that culminated in IHSAA sectional championship this past spring. Uh, similar to our prior groups, a number of the girls are unable to join us tonight as they were seniors in the spring and are now out of
006town. At this time, I would ask that individual team members and coaches to come forward for recognition. Morgan Darnell, Alexa Franco, Olivia Milton, Cadence Ford, Ava Vagner, Lila Miller, Amelia uh Dipmar, Kylie Feifer, Payton Churup, Madison Nichols, Hannah Florian, Savannah Dyer, Lily Sebeck, Claire Dipmier, Riley Henry, Alexa Smith, Claire Swisse, and Julianne Pitman. Coaches are Aaron Cochran, Lexi Benco, Wally McCormack, Rich Ley, and Alina Mecc. Congratulations, guys. I did my best. We'd like to congratulate the Chesterton Music Program, which finished the 2024 2025 school year strong while adding an exciting distinction for its students and staff. The Julian School Corporation was named among the best communities for music education in the country by the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation. This year, 18 school districts in Indiana were awarded this recognition. This is the first
007year that the Duelan School Corporation has been included on this list. The award recognizes and celebrates outstanding efforts by students, teachers, parents, administrators, and community leaders who have made music education part of a well-rounded education. Designations are made to districts that demonstrate an exceptionally high commitment to access to music education. At this time, I would like to invite our Dulan School Corporation Director of Music Education, Vince Cizy, and others who are already forward for recognition. All right, I will move on our agenda with 3.01 2024 2025 doing school student performance. >> Thank you. The last time that I had a chance to speak with the board about student performance from 24-25 was in mid June and we just had some preliminary results in on um student performance throughout the the school corporation. Um like to
008start tonight's presentation. I will be brief but start with our youngest students and finish with our high school students. So starting small and then getting bigger as we go. And uh as we recognize students here tonight, our third grade uh I read students with with perfect scores like to start talking about our our I read uh early literacy exam performance. And I believe that you're seeing this 5-year trend line going from 88% to 95% that this improvement is due to a balanced approach of not only phonics instruction where students are learning to read but also with comprehension instruction as well in which students are are reading to learn. You'll see that our iid performance as it relates to our league of comparables there again at 88 or approximately 88% in 2021 to 95 uh here
009in 2025 it's moving us from the bottom of our league of comparables you know they're toward towards the top and I know that um you know as we think about state averages we think about some of our local local districts and making comparisons we've talked a lot about this league of comparables and you're seeing them listed there at the bottom of the screen Um, and want to talk just a little bit more about that because you might be seeing a couple of new uh new names in this. And for the first time since 2019, we have introduced two new districts to the league. Um, and you know, really that that's just designed to make sure that we're able to compare apples to apples, if you will. And when we're looking for our for our league
010counterparts, we're not just looking to compare to the state average or maybe our neighbors here in in Porter County, but the things that we'll be looking for other suburban districts, districts with comparable free and reduced lunch sizes, a large high school with at least 1500 students, high-erforming districts, and then the fifth thing that we look for is those that have operating referendum support. So, it's not to say that all of these districts have all five of th those criteria, but most of them have at least four or five. And um found that this has been a uh a beneficial concept for us just to again make sure that we're comparing to to districts that look like us. But then also when we see uh a corporation that might be doing really well at something, it
011gives us somebody that we can we can point to and get in contact with and look to collaborate on best practice. Special shout out to Jackson Elementary School. 100% passing on I read. So, anyone here still from Jackson? Great work. We then shift to our iLearn. And our iLearn is the state exam that every third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade student takes every year in both English language arts and math. And this chart that you're looking at is a combined pass score on English language arts and math. And you'll see we're highlighted there in maroon, eighth in the state. This is the second year in a row that we've been in the top 10. And you'll also see here in looking at this one, we are number one in Northwest Indiana uh ahead
012of some of our league counterparts, Monster Varezo, Crown Point, and Lake Central. Also want to highlight some grade level or uh school-based iLearn results. Here we're taking a look at our seventh grade ELA. Um, you'll see Dunan designated with the star in 2021 with a 47% pass rate up to 62 and a half here in 25. But the thing that, you know, you'll notice here is that even though in 2025 our pass percentage might have decreased a bit, our standing in the league actually increased. So sometimes there's some variance with the test and how uh students performed throughout the state on that test. So, here's an example of that pass percentage actually going down, but really relative to our uh counterparts throughout the state, our students actually performed a little bit better. Math I learn
013at Yoast Elementary from 44% pass rate in 2021 up to 71 in 2025. Great job by uh our fourth grade at MA fourth grade math at Yoast. And here's sixth grade at Westchester. a similar trend line 46 and a half to 71% o over a 5-year period. Just really some exemplars um grade levels and courses throughout the district. Here we move to high school and take a look at our graduation rate. Our graduation rate as of Friday afternoon, and I say as of Friday afternoon because you're thinking those students already graduated, right? Well, by state reporting, we still have until the end of September to get a student graduating in the 2025 cohort over the line. Uh we still have approximately two weeks to go. And right now, our graduation rate or percentage is sitting
014at 99.1%. That's an all-time high for CHS. You can see where where the trend line um you know is pointing in that direction. We don't have league data or state data on that because again that that um deadline is still here in late September. but very very happy with um uh the work that our our teachers, our counselors, and our principles have done on this graduation rate. And a special shout out to Christy Jarka, Terry Chesvich, and Chris Richardson, and our Rise Academy staff for the great work that they're doing at the alternative school. Look at our college and career level programming at at CHS. In this past school year, we had 11,144 college credits or industry credentials earned by students. If we just equate that to a $250 out-ofpocket expense for families, that equates
015to $2.8 million in savings for Dunland families. So, really doing a a great job with our college and career level programming at CHS. Here we're taking a look at one of the new metrics that's been introduced in recent years. uh relative to new diploma requirements and that's student performance on the SAT. All 11th grade students take the math and ELA sections of the SAT. Here our scores are depicted versus league high schools. And as you can see, while we did show improvement in 2025, this will be an area targeted for growth moving forward. So we look at some 25 26 goals. Um, and I I think you know what what do we attribute some of that success to? I think that we have great teachers with a clear focus on skill development with our students.
016Our principles are providing support, removing barriers for teachers and ensuring accountability along the way. And again, as we look at goals for 2526, these are measurable, but they don't speak necessarily to the strategies that we'll use to get there to to achieve these goals. And I I can say that each teacher, principal, director, assistant principal, you name it, have strategies outlined in their individual goals or their team goals, their grade level goals that they are certainly aware of and that they have developed strategies to ensure that we get to this goal attainment. So lot to celebrate. Um looking forward to giving this presentation and uh open it up for any questions. I don't have a question as much as a comment I guess. Um, since Dr. Pettit was hired, the board has set one of
017his goals as increasing our student performance in these various tests. Um, as you know, the met the metrics by which we're judged. And, uh, it's worked and it's it's worked not just because of Dr. repetitive leadership obviously, but uh building leadership, teacher leadership, and to make all of that happen took money and took a commitment from the community to build this curriculum is not cheap. Uh it takes a lot of coaches, takes a lot of extra work and a lot of money. And without our public approving the referendum, it's something we would not have seen either. So seeing us move into that number one position in Northwest Indiana is not something I thought uh when I on the board I'd see. Um I knew we could do it. And uh congratulations Dr. Pettit to you
018and all your your your employees and teachers. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thanks. >> Nobody signed up for patron participation tonight. So section five, consent agenda. I'll entertain a motion. Make a motion to >> I'll make a motion to accept the consent agenda as presented. >> I'll second. >> Have a first and a second. Any discussion? >> All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? >> I will abstain from this vote. >> 6.01 Chester High School Marine Biology School Program, Summer 26. Good evening. Tonight I'm here on behalf of the Department of Teaching and Learning as well as Chesterton High School to request board approval for the annual marine biology scuba class. This course has been offered at CHS for over 20 years now. In this unique experience, students will travel to
019a marine research lab facility in Keargo, Florida, where they will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in all things under the sea. At the Marine Resource Development Foundation, students will work with instructors, graduate schools, doctoral students, and marine researchers. They will study life indigenous to the Florida Keys reef system, which includes corals, fish, turtles, sharks, and seaggrass. Students will receive one semester of life science credit and a lifetime scuba diving certification. At this time, we respectfully request your consideration for the approval of the CHS marine biology summer experience. >> Thank you. I'll entertain a motion. >> Sure. >> Um, as an advanced uh certified scuba diver and a an emergency response certified diver, uh, scuba has been an important part of my life for many years. I think this is a fantastic program for the
020kids, especially going to Kargo, which is one of the most beautiful reefs in the world. Uh, one thing that makes it beautiful is is it's shallow. It's typically around 25 ft deep, which provides the students great opportunity for a very colorful, very rich uh environment for for life and uh a beautiful reef. So, I I think it's a fantastic program. I'm I'm happy that we have it. Thank you. I'll entertain a motion to approve renewal of the program. >> A first. >> I'd like to make a motion to approve. >> I'll second. >> I have a first and a second. Any further discussion? All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? >> Thank you. 6.02 Chester High School trailbound class summer of 2026. Additionally, the Department of Teaching and Learning and Chesterton
021High School request the board's approval for the annual CHS Trailbound Summer Program. The Trailbound Summer Program has been offered at CHS for the past 25 years. In this unique experience, students will have an opportunity to participate in the Trailbound Summer Program, which is an experiential history class that travels to our nation's historic sites each summer to learn the importance of our country's history. Trailbound also incorporates wilderness backpacking to introduce our students to the beauty and natural wonder of our national parks and wilderness areas. The Trailbound learning opportunity aims to inspire curiosity, lifelong learning, and an appreciation for history in our students. This year's Trailbound trip will take place in June and will take students to a variety of significant historical sites following the history of Abraham Lincoln as they travel to Kentucky, Southern Indiana, Springfield,
022Illinois, and Chicago, Illinois. Upon completion, students participating in this opportunity will earn one semester of social studies elective credit. At this time, we respectfully request your consideration for the approval of the CHS social studies trailbound summer excursion. >> I'll entertain a motion on approval of the Trailbound class. >> I'll make a motion to approve the CHS trailbound class for summer of 2026. >> I'll second. >> First and a second. Any discussion? All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? >> Thank you. >> Thanks, Donna. >> Thank you. >> 6.03. Permission to advertise the 2026 budget, 2026 to 2028 capital projects and asset plan and the 2026 to 2030 bus replacement plan. >> Thank you. This is the annual request to advertise the budget, CPF, and bus replacement plans. Advertising is achieved by
023posting the budget form three and the plans to both the Department of Local Government Finance and the Dunland websites. Electronic posting is the statutory format that replaced traditional newspaper advertising approximately 10 years ago. The public hearing will be held on October 6, 2025, at which time the public has the right to comment on the budget, tax rates, tax levies, CPS, and bus replacement FL plans following the formal presentation to the board. The adoption of the the budget rates, levies, and plans will occur at the special board meeting scheduled for October 20th, 2025. For this meeting only tonight, we need your permission to post the budget and that posting will occur on September 25th, 2025. >> Thank you. I'll entertain a motion to approve the posting of the various budgets. >> I'll make a motion. >>
024I'll second. >> First and a second. Any more discussion? All in favor, please say I. >> I. Any opposed? >> Thank you. >> 6.0 04 first reading policy 2131 policy 2340 6111 6116151 8451 7300 7310 7455 8405 and 8510. Thank you. The administration respectfully requests your approval to revise or replace the following board policies 2131. These policies are being combined into a single policy that has incorporated the Indiana Department of Education's goals for students to graduate from high school in the state as expectations for the corporation students. Policy 2131 version one is being rescended while policy 2131 version two is being revised. The revised policy will now be policy 2131 and there will not be two versions. 2340. This policy has been revised significantly to address separately field trips, extracurricular and co-curricular trips, overnight travel,
025other corporation sponsored trips and trips not sponsored by the corporation and transportation on these trips. 5462. This policy has been revised to add an option for retaking a class to allow students who earn a grade below a B as in boy to retake the class and earn credit hours towards a seal on the new Indiana high school diploma. 611. This policy has been revised to require the corporation to bring its accounts into an auditable condition within 90 days if the corporation is declared to be unawited by the Indiana State Board of Accounts because it failed to reconcile accounts, records, files, or reports. 6116. This policy has been revised to require that any anticipated employee compensation amounts, including hourly costs and or stipens, be approved by the board before they are incurred. 6151. This policy has
026been revised to address outstanding stale data checks and insufficient fund checks. 7300. This policy has been revised to ensure compliance with amendments to Indiana code sections resulting from Senate enroll 270 and Senate enroll 391. 7310. This technical correction has been made to add the drafting note advising the board to use the same amount in this policy as was used in board policy 7450. 7455. This policy has been revised to explain the cost included in a capital asset and to cross reference policy 7310 and policy 7450 when settling the threshold for capitalizing assets to ensure consistency in board policy. 8121. This policy has been revised to be consistent with the background check requirements of all other board policies. 8405. This policy has been revised to incorporate the requirements of Indiana code 16-41-21.2 two for child care
027facilities and preschools water testing for lead. 8451. This policy has been revised to incorporate terminology changes in the use of the term parasitic in infestation and incorporate provisions for managing bed bug infestations. 8510. This policy has been revised to ensure compliance with current federal laws and regulations regarding nutrition and include the non-discrimination provisions required by federal laws and regulations. >> Thank you, Robert. I'll entertain a motion to approve on first reading the A4 stated policy sections. >> I'll make a motion to accept policies on first reading. >> Second. >> First and a second. Any further discussion? >> All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? Thank you. Approval on second reading policy 3120, 4120, 5330, 5540, 5540.02, O2 7430 7440.01 8120 8330 8400 8640 and 9160. Thank you. The administration respectfully request
028your approval to add revise or resend the following board policies 3120 and 4120. These policies have been revised to clarify the options in the anti-epotism provision. Additional revisions were made to the section on employment of volunteer firefighters 5330. This policy has been revised to add definitions, a section on administering non-prescript non-prescription drugs, staff administration of drugs and treatment, student possession of medication, student possession of rescue inhalers, and state law limitations on requiring staff to administer drugs and immunity for the same. 5540. This policy applies to interactions with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and how they interact on school grounds. 5540.02 formally included as part of policy 5540. This new policy spec specifically addresses the role played by governmental agencies other than law enforcement agencies and the DCS such as the office of civil
029rights, state board of accounts and other similar governmental agencies and our relationships with school corporations. 7540. This policy has been revised to incorporate the requirements of Indiana code 164121.2 which was added in by house and road act 1138 uh dealing with the testing of drinking water for lead. 7440.01. This policy has been revised to add an option authorizing the use of smart sensor monitoring technology. 8120. This policy has been revised to be consistent with several other board policies, including the requirements to conduct background checks for volunteer coaches. 8330 policy has been revised to clarify the definition of direct directory information and to ensure that each option is delineated appropriately for the board to determine what information will be included within that definition. 8400. This is a technical correction to correct the cross reference to policy
030727 possession of firearms and weapons by visitors. 8640. Uh this policy has been revised significantly to address separately field trips, extracurricular, co-curricular overnight and other corporation sponsored trips not sponsored by the corporation and transportation on trips. As a result, this policy 8640 is no longer needed. and 9160. This policy has been revised to address live streaming by persons attending school events and to provide for allocation of tickets or cards that offer free or reduced admission to certain staff or community members as an optional provision. Thank you. I'll entertain a motion on second reading to approve all of the Air Force stated policies. >> I'll make a motion to accept the final readings. >> I'll second. >> First and a second. Any further discussion? All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? >>
031Thank you. Thank you, Robert. 7.01, patron participation. I don't think we had anybody sign up, so I'll go to 7.02, public relations. Take it away, Mrs. Martins. >> Good evening. 911 memorial at Chesterton High School. The Chesterton High School annual 911 memorial will again be on display in front of the Chesterton High School stadium along 11th Street beginning on Wednesday, September 10th after school. Each flag on display bears the name of a soul lost on September 11th, 2001 in the tragic attacks on America. The memorial will be on display through midm morning on Friday, September 12th. Chesterton High School homecoming. Chesterton High School will celebrate homecoming 2025 on Friday, September 12th. The homecoming parade will kick off at 5:00 p. a.m. followed by a home varsity football game versus Leaport at 7:30 p.m. The Chesterton
032High School homecoming parade will leave the south lot of the YMCA Healthy Living Campus, traveling east on Porter Avenue to South Calat Road, Calat A to Broadway, Broadway to 6th Street, ending back at the YMCA Healthy Living Campus. The homecoming court will participate in the parade and homecoming royalty will be crowned at halftime at the football game. >> Good evening. >> Thank you. >> 7.03. Dr. Pat. >> Nothing tonight. >> All right. I will entertain a motion to adjourn our public meeting. So moved. And sorry, let me get out of this portion. I'd like to call to order the public hearing to take public testimony on the following subjects of bargaining: teacher salaries, teacher wages, and teacher salary and wages. pages related to French benefits, including accident, sickness, health, dental, vision, life, disability, retirement benefits,
033and paid time off as permitted to be bargained for under Indiana code section 2029-6-4. Uh there is a time for public comment as indicated on the agenda. We'll start with uh section two, public hearing pursuant to Indiana code section 20 296-1 to take public testimony on 2.01 teacher salaries. >> Thank you. like to welcome everyone here for the public hearing. Thank you for attending. The purpose of the hearing is for the school corporation and the Dulan teachers association to take public testimony on the subjects of teacher bargaining. Topics including teacher salaries, teacher wages, teacher salary and wage related fringe benefits including accident sickness, health, dental, vision, life, disability, retirement benefits, and paid time off as permitted under Indiana code 20-29-6-4. This is not a question and answer session. Rather, this is an opportunity for the
034public to provide their input on the topics of teacher bargaining. At this time, I'd like to introduce Dunland Teacher Association co-president Bobby Hall to provide any additional information. Once Mrs. Hall has concluded her statement, if anyone would like to testify, then please come forward and present your testimony, one person at a time. Bobby, >> thank you. We're here tonight to let you know that open as our commitment is not only to secure a fair contract for our members but also to the learning conditions for students. This year our proposals will focus on the issues that directly affect our students classificated and talented teachers. So we want to keep our teachers who will continue to keep our district number one in the region. Teachers who are committed to quality of education. We know that our conditions
035are our students learn achieve together. Thank you very much. Thank you. At this time, if anyone else would like to testify, please come forward and present your testimony one person at a time. >> Okay. Thank you for attending the hearing today. And we are adjourned. Thank you.