001Trustee meeting for November 25th, 2025. If everyone can stand, say the pledge of allegiance and a moment of silence. >> I pledge algiance 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. Okay. >> All right. Hello everybody. Uh Beli >> here >> and Melissa here. >> Good evening everyone. Tonight under commendations we have uh two commendations. The first one I would like to start with um Andy Yakovic if you don't mind standing. Um I am really pleased. If you do not know Andy, you need to know Andy. Um Andy has helped this district um five times way back when they did the remmonstrance on the middle school and he has helped us with four referendums which
002is no small task and um Andy has served as the chair. He is tireless. Um I don't know what we would do without him as the pack chair. Uh Andy's kids graduated from Hanover when Andy >> 2016 >> and and he still does it and it it's hard work and it's so greatly appreciated. And I asked him once I said why do you do this? You don't even have kids in the system anymore. And he said because education is so important. handover was good to my kids and because it's so important um for community and home values. So Andy, on behalf of myself and the entire board, um I have a gift for you. I'd like to just say thank you so much. AND >> do you have anything you want to say? Oh, it's
003been it's I've been doing this a while. I'm four for five. Um, so I I just first off, I'd like to congratulate the board. It's always hard to basically go in early on a referendum. You had two years left to do that. Um, we went in early in 2020. I think that was the right decision. I think this was the right decision. Um, with SEA1, I'm hearing up to 100 school districts might be doing referendums. So, that that's going to be quite the quite the battle there. Um, I'd like to thank Mary and Adam. Obviously, they helped with with everything with the pack and and guiding us there. Three other people I'd like to mention. Um, Lori Meich, who was in finance and helped us with all of that. Um, and then Heather Dauer and
004Becky Delgado. Although I didn't have co per se, they basically rose to the occasion and they were they became my co-oos on all of that. We had about 60 people that volunteered for the pack. So this is never a oneperson thing. This is always a, you know, a community effort. And so for that, I'm grateful to the community. Again, I I do this because education was important to me. The district was very good to my kids. But my all the kids in the district now deserve the same opportunities my kids had. And too many people sometimes when they're when their kids are gone, they look at this and say, "I'm done." And so I' I've stayed true to that. So, but thank you. Again, I think relief is the one thing that we got out
005of this one more than anything. Um, some people are probably not happy that I've done this five times. I did I did quick math and I think it comes to about $150 million. >> Oh, wow. >> That we've done from building the middle school and and uh you know, with everything that we've done with these facilities. So, but again, thank you. I'm I'm happy happy to serve the district. >> Thank you, ANDY. PERFECT. Thank you. >> Thanks, Andy. Um, tonight, uh, our second commendation is is to for our six outstanding handovers got talent artists chosen for the administrative awards for first quarter. Mrs. Chambers, would you take >> Thank you. I'm Mrs. Chambers. I am the art teacher over at Lake Elementary. And um before I start, I always like to say that um we
006have a wonderful art program in handover, which is so great that we could lean on each other and have um such great talent in our community. We when we select the student, we do look at art obviously, but we then look at the child and how they are a role model in our school as well. And I feel like we always pick somebody that is not only just really good at art, but is one that, you know, is good all around, great role model, there for other kids, helps the teachers, you know, and I think that's why I love our staff that we that I also have to mention that it's great that he was saying that he still comes back even though kids his kids are no longer. If you look at our board,
007we have a lot of us like that and that speaks volumes for handover that a lot of us still stick around to make handover so great um even though our kids have gone through here, my own kids um as well. So I just had to touch on that. Um, this student that I picked, um, I have been making him wait since kindergarten, but he blew me away when I knew him in kindergarten. But, um, I love his personality. He is, um, if I could tell any, I'm going to age myself. My little Ed McMahon. Um, my Johnny Carson. He likes to come up and chat with me during art and he just gets it like the adult humor. And um I am going to mention his adorable dimple because it is um but and it's
008also great because his mom is in our little art community. Um so Will Baknowski is my selection. Come on up. Um and I have to speak his is the tree that's up in the left corner. It's one of my favorite art projects we do. where I teach the kids how to draw realistic trees and the kids I always tell them I doodle and draw trees all the time and he got so into it moment one and then his parents they had to go out of town and he was so worried and worked up about it so we made time for him to come in early to make sure he got it finished and then I thought you could just turn it in black and white he's like oh no I need to finish it so
009he put in extra time to get it to look like that so I even told him I said dude you're going to totally design my next tattoo. So, um I'm excited to also have his mom get to come up and present the next one because she works at HLA. So, we're going to stay up here. You get to stand up here and be awkward the whole time. We'll scoot off to the side for your mom's. Congrats. >> All right. Um I'm Mrs. Vaknowski. Um, I work at HLA the prek if anyone doesn't know what that is. Um, so technically I'm art, music, gym, recess, all of the things. So, um, I chose Nadia Py for this award. So cute. >> All right. Um, and I chose Nadia. She's one of the oldest preK students, which
010I can tell. um her personality, how she follows the rules. She's the leader in our classroom for sure. Um but she's very meticulous about her art, too. She wants it done a certain way, right? >> Yeah. Yeah. She likes it. She likes it to be very nice. Um so hers is the owl back there. Um so they did like fork painting, so some of them just like looked like big blobs, but hers looks like an apple. Um she really took her time on that. So, and she takes her time on all of her art projects. Um, and when I asked her if she does art at no home, she said no. So I said something to mom and mom said no. She makes messes all the time. So she does do art at home, too.
011But yeah, so she's a wonderful little girl. >> CONGRATULATIONS. >> All right, we'll have Jane Ball. >> Hi. Um, I'm Mrs. Oaken is the art teacher at Jane Ball and I am so excited to recognize DJ Calhoun this evening. DJ is um a very uh detailed artist in the classroom. Most of my students are like, "Are we done yet? This is so much." And DJ is just over there working on his own. And the other great quality about him is is he's so helpful with other students. If someone um is like, I don't know how to do this, he just hops in. He's like, let me help you. And so he's always my like little assistant. So I always appreciate that. So this is for you, BUD. Stay with us. >> All right. Red Seeders.
012>> Hi, I'm Mrs. Mikma. Uh I'm the art teacher at Red Seeders. I'm proud to recognize Eleanor Meredith as my administrative artist. >> Um, her art is the skulls in the back at the very bottom, the purple. >> Cool. >> Um, I picked her because I could tell from the very beginning when she started drawing that hers was very neat and she added her own twist on. She put dishes. Um, there's one upside down and it's holding a bunch of dishes. And that was the coolest skulls that I saw out of all of them. And she's always helpful in art. So, I knew that I had to pick HER middle school. Hi, my name is Sweetwood. I am the art teacher at the middle school and I chose Maggie Schultz as my artist. Um, HER
013ARTWORK her artwork is the symbol line bottom right where she split it up into seven sections and uh introduced each seven elements of art. I am proud to recognize you, Maggie, because not only are you helpful because you're in my home room all year. Um, but I've seen you help students at the table when they're struggling, especially when they're absent. So, I do appreciate that. And you just have this this eye for very detailed work. So, I am very proud to give this to you. Oh, you >> Well, is uh Lexus anyone Mr. Cody had picked an Alexis Bestie. Um, and I have her certificate, so I'll make sure. Do you want me to send it in? >> Okay. >> Uh, can I have all the students go stand by the HSC sign? >> Maggie,
014you don't have to. >> All right, everybody. Look here. You can pull up your sign so I can see them. Perfect. Three, two, one. Perfect. Great job, GUYS. PARENTS, this ends our uh period of commendations. Um, if you want to take a picture of your child's artwork, please feel free to do so. Uh, you are also welcome to leave or stay. I want to say thank you very much for coming. I want to say happy Thanksgiving and thank you for sharing your children. Oh yeah, >> I told her to tell you things. I'll tell >> you. want to go to >> put her underneath. You guys, >> thank you. Happy. >> Thank you guys so much. >> Thank you. >> Right. When it comes to comments and discussion relative to items on the agenda, we
015have nobody signed off. So, approval of agenda. Who would like to make a motion to approve the agenda? I'll make a motion to approve the agenda. I'll second it. Any comments or discussion? Roll call. >> Yes. >> Has >> Yes. Felisa, >> yes. Board is voted 5 to a >> under reports tonight. Administration has no um schoolboard reports. I do have a couple for both Cedar Lake Redevelopment Commission and St. John Redevelopment Commission. Um, both towns are discussing residential tiff at their next meetings. Cedar Lakes meeting is December 2nd at 6:30 p.m. at the Cedar Lake Town Hall. And the St. John one is at 6:00 p.m. on December 10th, Wednesday, December 10th. Uh we do need the community and teachers, staff, anybody to please come to these meetings and help us voice on how
016this would hurt the school district. Having residential tips pretty much mean the town gets the tax dollars from those properties, those developments, the school districts, libraries, township, county, they don't receive a penny. And even though they may say, "Well, subdivisions for 55 and older, you don't have kids there." We do. We bust kids in subdivisions that are 55 and older. Um, it doesn't necessarily mean nobody's living there that has school age kids. So, we need those tax funds and, um, we need to fight the residential tips. Um, St. John, I believe, already has two residential tips in the Hanover Township area. So, we need to kind of stop them continue approving those. We already stopped Cedar Lake once, but we got to fight to stop them again. So, anybody else have any then? Approval of
017consent agenda. Anybody want to make a motion? >> Make a motion to approve. >> I'll second comments or discussion. >> Roll call. >> Yes. >> Verdan, >> yes. >> Haskell. >> Yes. Melissa. >> Yes. For the final approval. >> Underformational tonight. We have um high school course changes for the 2627 school year. Mr. Mo. >> Oh yeah. Okay. Um you have uh a sheet in front of you that has the course changes. I'll just go very quickly. Um this will be brought back for formal approval in the next board meeting. Right. So the first is uh we have interactive media. We're just changing the pathway. We're replacing graphic design and layout with um interactive media. The teacher believes that the kids will be able to get four credentials instead of two and they'll be more
018marketable when they graduate from high school. We're adding two classes, kinesiology and human performance. That is the exercise science CT pathway we started this year. So, it's just an addition to those kids being able to take the next classes. Um, computing foundations for digital age, that's going to be a requirement for all new uh for all students in the new uh diploma. So, the 10th graders will start taking that next school year. Computer science um we are moving away from cyber security um and to more just computer science. uh the teacher feels like it's pigeon pulling kids and this will give them a broader range and more opportunities once they're um through the program. We've added a math lab for algebra 2. These are for students that are interested in attending college but may need
019a little extra help in algebra 2 to get through it. Um advanced uh science special topics which would be cons conservation science and oceanography. It's just additions to what we offer now, which is environmental science, which could be a little boring at times. So, this is maybe more high interest. And then German 3, our new German teacher will start her third year next year. So, this will just be those kids advancing to the next part. We're only getting rid of two classes, um, which I mentioned at top, and then the course changes. The speech class will be required for 10th graders. Um, but 11th and 12th graders next year will be able to take them as electives if they choose to. Um, we are also adding the Indiana College CP. So, starting next year, our
020juniors will be able to take dual credit classes and graduate with 30 credit hours when they graduate. According to state law, those have to be accepted by all colleges and universities in the state of Indiana. Um, and I think that's it. Any questions? >> Thank you for all of the I know you work hard with this. >> Indiana College Corps is going to save families a lot of money. Um, the second uhformational item tonight is in regard to the teacher appreciation grant. In years past, every teacher that received a rating of effective or highly effective received was eligible for TAG dollars. Um, unfortunately, that has changed this year and only 20% of uh district staff can receive TAG dollars. Uh so that creates a little bit of challenge because you have a lot of talented
021teachers in this district and it's divisive. So um in keeping with that there's criteria that has to be met. We cannot identify more we can't identify more than 20% of eligible teachers which means of the names that were submitted and approved by the state that's only 31 teachers that'll be recognized this year. Um and certain criteria has to be met. There are three tiers. The first tier is a a lowest tier of a teacher is recognized with $3500 and they have to have documentation that shows that the kids drew a year on assessments. Uh teachers are eliminated from consideration if they do not have a roster of students. So any teacher that is PE, art, music, counselors, social workers, they are immediately taken out of the possibility of receiving those dollars. We all know it
022takes all teachers to help our kids across the finish line. Um the second tier is exemplary. That's a $5,000 stipen that's based on test results as well as if you're a mentor for a teacher. And then the third tier is the exemplary and that's $7500 and that is uh based on tests and if you're a mentor and if you teach in a high need subject area or a graphic geographically shortage area. We don't have geographic shortage areas. So there are three tiers. Uh we figured we had a committee of gosh was it five Mr. Mito? >> Yes teachers >> representation from each of the buildings all grade levels. So um what we are doing our process is going to be teachers are allowed to submit an application. The application has to be submitted by Sep
023January 9th. There are certain assessments that they are that are approved for them to use. They will submit their application to me by January 9th. Then we will have a random drawing on January 20th in this room with all of the committee members which is five. Um and Mr. Miko and myself. And do you want to explain how that process works? So, just to keep it uh fair and uh um what would you say? Um >> transparent. >> Yeah, transparent. Um the state's obviously trying to pit teachers against administration and cause friction. So, what we're going to do is choose the order of the the um schools. So, K2, Jane Ball, Lincoln will be linked together. Um, and so we'll pick out of a hat. If it's the middle school, they'll draw first. Then K2
024will draw second, whatever. And then it'll be like the NBA lottery draft where we'll go down to the end and then we'll come back. And basically, we'll have the 104,000 that was awarded to our district. And with each draw, we'll subtract that money and we'll keep going until we run out of funds. Um, we'll also instead of having names, we'll have numbers that correspond with teacher names. again just so there's no um chance of uh doing something that's above bar I guess. Thank you. So if we have 25 teachers apply and of the 25 they're all eligible they're all uh put into the random drawing but we will run out of money before we award 25 teachers. So those teachers will be given preferential um placement in future years. I fully anticipate this will change
025next year. Um the state is going to be pretty lax about what they accept this year, but they're going to tighten it up even more for subsequent years. So uh we I want to commend the committee. They were wonderful to work with and this was the fairest way we could come up with to recognize teachers but unfortunately it doesn't recognize every one of our teachers. >> It's sad that all the teachers in the state have to go through that. It is it just did they set the amounts? >> Yeah. Based on your based on your enrollment. So, somebody thought it was a good idea to say, "Forget that you're all highly effective and we're going to give you each $500. We're going to give one person $7,500 and think that the other ones aren't going
026to hate them." >> You're exactly right. >> Yeah. >> That's why we're using numbers. >> And then how do we get kids to go to college to become teachers? >> Well, it's not even a recognized uh Not a profession. >> Not a professional. >> So we don't have to pay professional licenses anymore, right? >> Sure. Sure. This was every time that I think things can't get more stupid, >> they somehow get more stupid. And the rationale for this was if all of the teachers were truly highly effective and effective then our scores would be higher than they are. Kids are not widgets. We can't expect them to perform on a dime and just on a bell curve alone. There are going to be failures and there are going to be pass rings of passage. Um
027so this is really unfortunate. through the their door every day. They just can't control >> that's exactly >> what they're coming to school. >> Well, and when they keep changing standardized testing >> and it's apparent that those tests are not sufficient, you can't use that as a benchmark, >> but that's what they want us to use. >> Thank you to the teachers that took their time to be on a committee to guarantee things probably won't get any more. And we were very attentive to that because we didn't it was really great that those teachers stepped forward and volunteered um to help but we didn't want them >> I don't know upsetting their peers >> right retaliation or something because they were the ones who decided yeah it puts everybody in a bad spot that's for
028sure. >> So that'll come back for board approval at the next meeting. The other item on that I'd like to share with you tonight and again I have to I have to thank the principles Mr. MSCO um all of the work that went into the student fees recommendation. Um as you know textbook rental is no longer required by state statute. However, districts are given latitude to charge for consumables and those are any materials that kids use during the school year that will have to be replenished the following year. So based on that, the principles were asked to determine the consumables that are used and the cost. So what we are proposing is that all K through2 students pay $40 per student. Third and fourth grade would pay $32 per student. Fifth grade would pay $26
029per student and sixth through eighth grade would pay $64 per student. Grades 9 through 12 you have in that packet. That's going to be contingent upon what classes they take in their schedule. So that will come back for board consideration and approval at the next meeting. Do you have any questions on that? >> I I personally don't. No. I mean, I know when my kids were at school, I paid fees for things. >> A lot more than that. >> Yeah. A lot more than that number. Way more than that number. But yeah, um think things cost money. Paper costs money. >> Markers, crayons, all >> everything. Yes. I mean, granted, I mean, like Red Seeders had a great group of parents that got tons of stuff donated and everything, but not every school has that.
030Not every kid has that. >> Not every teacher has that either. >> Thanks for being creative and finding a way to uh help out a little bit where the state keeps chopping and chopping at the funding. >> Thank you. Um, so all of that will come back at the December meeting. And those are all of theformational items tonight. Under action items, request approval of following board policies. Replacement policy 8500 on the food service program and revised policy 8510 on wellness. This requires formal board action. >> I'll make a motion to approve replacement policy 8500 and revise policy 8510. >> Second. Any comments or discussion? >> Roll call. >> Yes. >> Has >> Yes. Melissa, >> yes. 50 approve. >> Thank you. Request approval of revised policy 9150 on school visitors. Revised policy 9160 on public
031attendance at school. This requires formal board action. >> Anybody want to make a motion? I'll make a motion to approve revised policy 9150 and revised policy 9160. Anybody want a second? >> Kelsey. >> Comments or discussion? Roll call. >> Yes. >> For Dan, >> yes. >> Has >> yes. >> Kosma, >> yes. Melissa, >> yes. Or approve. >> Oh, I'm sorry. Next. Revised bylaw 0142 on election and eligibility to serve. Revised bylaw 0144.1 on compensation. Revised bylaw 0167.2 on executive session. These policy these bylaws require formal board action. >> Anybody want to make a motion? >> I'll make a motion to approve revised p uh bylaw 0142. Revised bylaw 0144.1 and revised bylaw 0167.2 Second >> comments or discussion? >> Roll call. >> Yes. >> Verdan, >> yes. >> Has >> yes. >> Kuzman, yes.
032>> Yes. By a mot to approve. >> Thank you. >> Our final action item tonight. I'd like to request approval of the following donations. Letter A, a donation of $25 to the H handover lunches of love program from Bob and Fran Justac. Letter B, a donation of $100 to the Hannover lunches of love program from the Fraternal Orders of Eagles Ladies Auxiliary. Letter C, a donation of $1,750 to the Hannover Central High School girls basketball team from the Hannover Junior Wildcats. And letter D, a donation of $100, 50 to the middle school and 50 to Red Cedars to the Hannover Lunches of Love program from the Dorian family. This will require formal board action. >> I'll make a motion to accept all the donations that Mr. M just read off. Anybody want a second? >>
033I'll second. >> Comments or discussion? >> Roll call. >> Bi. >> Yes. >> Perdan. >> Yes. >> Has >> Yes. Melissa, >> yes. 50 to approve. >> Nobody has signed up for comments relative to not on agenda. Any board members have any comments? >> Happy Thanksgiving. Good Thanksgiving long weekend. Hope everybody enjoys it. >> All right. Who would like to make a motion and join the meeting? >> Oh, I'll always make a motion. All of