0012026 meeting of the school board. Stand for the pledge. Moment of silence. 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. All right, Mr. KMA, we have roll call, please. >> Here we go. Bi >> here. >> Verdan >> here. >> Pascal is absent. Kusma's here. Melissa here. You have a quum for >> We have no administrative reports tonight. Oh my gosh. It's okay. I'm sorry. It's okay. >> Go ahead, >> Mr. Okay. What? Can I get a motion to approve the agenda? >> I'll make a motion to approve the agenda. >> Questions, discussion? >> No. Call for a vote. >> Yes. >> For Dan, >> yes. Kosma, >> yes. Alissa, >> yes.
002>> You have four to zero. >> We still have no reports for this evening. >> All right, school board. Any reports? >> All right, moving on. Uh, several first readings for board policy. First policy is revised policy 2221 on mandatory curriculum. This is revised to reflect changes made to Indiana law in regard to instruction on human sexuality in uh specifically outlining um talking about abstinence and monogous relationships and how to avoid pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Are there any questions on that? Second policy is board policy 2410 audio video and digital recording of meetings. This is revised to incorporate changes mandated by Indiana code which prohibits school corporations from adopting a policy otherwise preventing a parent from recording a meeting. So if a parent says they want to record a meeting, that's allowed. um we
003ask that they tell us and we too then record the meeting and then it becomes part of the students educational record but that's audio only. The next policy is revised policy on reproductive health and family planning and human sexuality instruction. This has been revised to incorporate the changes made to Indiana code and update terminology. Talks about instruction from grades 4 through 12 on abstinence, monogous relationships. There any questions on that? And those uh any materials on human sexuality have to be made available to greedy. The next policy for revision is board policy 2416, student privacy and parental access to information. This policy has been revised to reflect changes to instruction on human sexuality to ensure compliance and to correct punctuation. Specific items in this policy relate to surveys. Can't give students surveys without getting parent
004permission. If we do a survey, we have to allow parents to see the survey which we are currently doing. And the other item on this policy is in relation to pronouns um or identifying a student by a different title or word. Uh the corporation must notify at least one parent if the student is a minor and request that permission be given to identify the student by that pronoun or different name. Are there any questions on that? Next revised policy is 2461, recording of IEP team meetings and case conferences. This is similar to the one I read earlier, except with the distinction is IEPs. Parents are able to videotape those as well. There any questions on that? Next policy is revised policy 2623 on student assessment. This is revised to incorporate changes made to House Enrolled
005Act 1499, the addition of Senate enrolled 358 and the addition of House Enrolled Act 1634 on math education. It specifically deals with not retaining students if they are proficient in grade three math on iLearn. And a K through2 beginning the next this next school year. All K through2 students must have a universal math screener. Are there any questions on that? Lots of changes. Revised policy 3220.02. The supplemental payments for teachers has been man revised to incorporate the amendments made by Senate enrolled act which means a superintendent can authorize a supplemental payment in excess of the salary if a teacher is in a hard to fill area. for example, if they have a literacy endorsement, if they uh teach an AP or dual credit course, if they're a CTE teacher, and that supplemental payment is not
006subject to collective bargaining. The last policy for tonight is revised policy 5517 on anti-harassment. This makes revisions to reflect changes made to personnel who will serve as the compliance officers next year. An anti-harassment is being revised to omit the parenthetical that in reads including gender status, sexual orientation and/or gender identity due to the current interpretation of title 9 by the US Department of Education. However, please be aware that in the state of Indiana, we remain subject to the precedent decided by the seventh circuit court of appeals in which the right of transgender students to have access to the restroom of their identified gender is permissible. So, it's two conflicting opinions, one by the Department of Education and one by the federal circuit court. Other questions on this? I I do have a question on that
007one. Um I understand now you said that they want to exclude including gender status, sexual orientation andor gender identity. Are they also excluding the word sex? So it would be okay to harass somebody based on their sex or is that still going to be included in just those subasses taken out? The only harassment terms are race, color, national origin, religion, disability, military status, ancestry, or genetic information. Those are protected classes by federal law. However, the other three >> So you're you can now sexually harass somebody. >> No. based on sex is not you cannot you cannot harass. Oh, I see what you're saying about the word. >> Yeah, because we're taking sex out. >> We're taking the word sex out of it >> as a protected class. Aren't we going back to our last week?
008>> If you look at the policy, it says the board shall vig vigorously enforce its prohibition against unlawful harassment that is based on race, color, national origin, sex, and then in parentheses it says gender status, sexual orientation, and gender identity. >> And that's what the line is true. So sex is highlighted on what you shared earlier. So wasn't sure if that was excluded or if that was So that is still there. We're just getting rid of what's in the parenthesis. >> Yes. >> And then some other any somebody else can make the determination on what that means. We're not making them. Okay. That's very different. >> So the DOE that's federal, >> the US Department of Education >> federal, right? Hence us. But then we have the seventh circuit federal court. So there's two conflicting
009federal >> well the federal court is over >> over >> everybody. >> That's why our attorney said she is going to uh because it's so murky. Um, and the Office of Civil Rights says we need to follow the US Department of Education, but the seventh circuit applies to Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin, which says we have to allow transgender students to use the bathroom to which they identify with. So, because it's murky, there's two different opinions, >> right? >> Uh, Mrs. Barnes is going to do a risk a risk analysis so that the board is aware of potential concerns for either or I think until the Supreme Court because the Supreme Court is going to eventually rule on this until they decide I don't think we >> can change anything that the federal >> but I
010mean I understand the board of education is making that determination now so that when the Supreme Court they assume will overturn it and that will become law. Is there I'm sure there a long-term plan >> and but also circuit is in appeal right now. So >> is it >> that's >> well that's what I'm saying. It's eventually going to get to the law >> just so I say until then >> why open ourselves up to >> you have the option also of saying we're not going to revise this policy at all and we're going to keep the one that was last revised on September 26th of 2023. as my personal opinion if we're keeping sex as one of the protected class but just doing away with what's in parenthesis personally I'm okay with that because
011sex is or your gender right um and the other is left for anybody's interpretation that's not mine that can be somebody else's beyond above my ability but We'll have to figure out what that what our lawyer says. >> Yeah, I didn't and my apologies. I did not highlight the word sex when I sent. >> Yeah, see it's not highlighted. It's not it's not struck through either. So, but that was my only concern is that I mean it is a protected federally protected class. >> Okay. Thank you. >> And that is the end of the policies that will be brought back for the next meeting. Under action items tonight, request approval to change the by bimonthly board meetings to monthly meetings to be held the second Tuesday of every month beginning in April of this year.
012That requires formal board action. >> I'll make a motion on that. >> I'll make a motion to change by monthly board meetings to monthly meetings. >> All right. discussion. What are your guys' thoughts on this? >> Um, I don't have any concerns as long as we stay in communication. >> I did a little bit of research. It's very common to do monthly meetings unless you're a newer school or you have lots of problems. >> So, I was here when they were monthly and when they got switched to twice a month. Um the reason for that is was a different administration and this administration I think has been excellent about keeping us informed on things. Uh there aren't last minute changes to the agenda or things that were given the day before to vote on the
013next day which is what was happening. And so we said, "Okay, we're gonna try to pull the reinss a little bit." Hence, we went to two meetings. You know, like anything, there's peaks and valleys and we've got times when things are quiet. Those times are good, we're happy. And then there's times when it feels like, oh my god, what more could happen this month? Um, I am absolutely willing to give this a try, >> right? It's still open. I can change it >> because you guys have been fantastic with us. I don't feel like oh they didn't tell us that. Um I would like to maybe do this for a little while and then talk about it again. Make sure everybody's still comfortable with our >> involvement. Kind of reserve the right to switch it
014back. But >> I don't see any reason why this wouldn't work with who we have in place now. the this would go into effect for we still have a meeting next Tuesday but it would go into effect for our April meeting which the board would have to revise the board meeting calendar. Um and that'll give the board April, May, a couple of months June before school ends to decide do we like this, do we not like this? Um the one thing with board policy is what was done in the past was board policy was shared at the one meeting and then the board didn't vote on it until the second month. >> Okay. So you have that option or you have the option of myself or when Phil takes over he could send the policy
015to you in advance you can review it and then Phil has the option of saying um is the board okay with waving the first reading and you just approve or say I want this one tabled >> right we could always pull out anyone that we feel we need more discussion on >> I like the first readings because it gives us a chance to ask questions. It puts it out there, >> right? Yeah. Before we vote, it puts it out to the public before we vote on it. I agree. They should have a chance to see what we'll be voting on versus where this is. >> It doesn't happen often, but every now and then we get some feedback. >> Yeah. >> Um that's just a little side note that I like the first readings. >>
016It's a good point. >> Um but >> yeah. Yeah, I'm good. I said we we do this see how we all feel about it and if we need to change it back we can. >> Anything else? >> Good. All right. Call for a vote. >> All right. Valky, >> yes. >> Verdan, >> yes. >> Koosma, yes. Felisa, >> yes. >> Board is voted 40 to approve. >> Thank you. >> Our final action item tonight. I'd like to request acceptance of the following donations. Letter A, a donation in the amount of $30 to the Jane Ball Tree Huggers Club from the Peterson family. Letter B, a donation in the amount of $25 to the Jane Ball Tree Huggers Club from the Huff family. And letter C, a donation in the amount of $100 to the Jane
017Ball Tree Huggers Club from Rick Larson Wrestling Club. This will require a formal court action. >> I'll make a motion to approve the three different donations. >> I'll second. >> Any questions? >> The Tree Hikers Club is getting some money. >> Yeah. Somebody's gonna be giving some hugs, I guess, or something. >> All right, Mr. Koosma. >> Yes. >> Verdan, >> yes. >> KMA, >> yes. Velisa, >> yes. Or is 40 to approve. >> All right. Nobody's signed up. You guys want to say anything? >> No. >> Board, anything? >> No, sir. I would uh I'd like to say, you know, it's no secret that, you know, we had the little fire incident over the weekend at the high school and uh I I think the response was was excellent. Fire department was quick. Mr.
018Goff was right on top of it. Mr. O'Donnell, thank you for getting there so fast and again keeping us all informed on the status where we were all along the way. Thank you. Appreciate it. That's all I wanted to say. >> I'm glad everybody was safe and nobody was hurt and that the damage wasn't worse. >> All right. Motion to adjurnn. >> I'll make a motion to adjurnn. All in favor say.