001Thank you, Pastor Hayden. I'll move to call this meeting to order of October 27th, 2025, Hunting County Community Schools Board of Trustees. And roll call. Mrs. Gray. >> Mr. Allen >> here. >> Mr. Mlullen >> here. >> Mr. Meltchure >> here. >> Mr. Wall >> here. >> Mrs. Heim >> here. Mr. Carl >> here. >> Mrs. Miller >> here. >> Thank you. Mrs. Gray. Move on to A5. Revisions of the agenda. Mr. Trout. Do we have any revisions? >> Yes, we have one this evening. Uh Megan John's custodian substitute Flint Springs Elementary 102825. I'd like for to add that to our personnel report under G4. Thank you, Mr. Trout. I'll entertain a motion reference adding this revision. >> Motion to revise the agenda. >> Thank you, Mr. Melture. Is there a second? >> Second. >>
002Thank you, Mr. Wall. Any questions or comments before we vote? Hearing none, we will vote on the motion. motion passes 70. The agenda is revised. Move on to B1, public comment for visitors. If anyone would like to address the board, u please come up to the podium and uh state your name and you can speak to the board. No one coming forward, we'll move on to C1 HCCS technology interim director of technology job description. Mr. Trout. >> Yes. Uh in your board packet board, uh you have uh the job description uh for the interim director of technology. Just a reminder to you that our former uh technology director Mike Sumpter's last day with us was last Friday. We are incredibly grateful uh for all Mike has done with for us uh for the last few
003years. Um and in order for me to move forward today, um first of all, before I give you my recommendation for the interim director, I want you to see uh this job description. This mirrors what our regular uh direct tech director's job description would be with a few adjustments. And so I'm just seeking your approval of this job description. >> Thank you, Mr. Trout. I'll entertain a motion reference this. >> Motion to approve the interimm director of technology job description as presented. >> Thank you, Mr. Meltchure. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Miss. Any questions or comments before we vote? Hearing none, we'll vote on the motion. Motion passes 70. We'll move on to C2 interim director of technology. Mr. Trout. >> Yes. Um due to as I as I mentioned to
004you the resignation of Mr. Sumpter and the quick turnaround that we had. Um I appreciate your support in allowing me to post an interim tech director instead of our regular tech director's position. Um I offered this uh interview process to everyone on our current technology team uh three individuals uh came in and on the evening I believe is October the 16th uh interviewed for this position. Um it became uh crystal clear when we were debriefing um at the end of the meeting that we had a candidate um that we all agreed upon. I do want to say uh thank you to the other two candidates who did an is an outstanding job. It was a really hard decision but in the end my recommendation to you is Mr. Russ Clausing. Um Russ is a solid
005individual, great network, currently uh wearing the hat of network engineer. If approved this evening, he'll be wearing two hats uh at the same time uh on that. Um but Russ just did an outstanding job. He brings the knowledge, skills, and dispositions forward uh that will help us as we take our time through this process. Um I do want to tell you board that um we'll be this I am anticipating that this will last for a while for several months as we work through and we look at uh our current roles and responsibilities on this team. Are we working effectively and efficiently as we possibly can? Do we need to be ready when we do interview for a new tech director to have some suggestions for new roles and responsibility? Um, plus there's a few other
006things we're going to work through with the team. And if they're half as excited about it as I am, I believe that this will be a truly positive experience for all of us. So, I'm proud to recommend to you this evening, Mr. Russ Clausing as the interim technology director. >> Thank you, Mr. Trout. I will entertain a motion reference the new interim. >> Make a motion to approve the interim director of technology as presented. >> Thank you, Mr. Wall. Is there a second? >> Second. Thank you, Mr. Carl. Any questions or comments before we vote? I was going to ask some of the questions, but you answered them, Mr. Trout. >> Hearing no questions or comments, we will vote on the motion. motion passes 70. >> So Russ, if you would like to come forward
007so the board can get to meet you. Uh this is Russ Clausing, um our new technology dire interim technology director. So Russ, welcome. Congratulations. Um, welcome to the team. >> Thank you. And I just want to take a short moment and say thank you to everybody here, uh, for allowing me to continue to serve the community and really get to engage with everybody and all of administration at a new level. And I hope to continue to move the technology department forward. Thank you. >> Congratulations. How about a nice round? >> Thanks, [applause] Russ. >> Thank you, Mr. Classing. Moving on to D1 facility project updates. Mr. Thornsberry and Mr. Brimberry. Okay. Thank you for the opportunity uh to present to you tonight. Um, so prior to the meeting, we did a walkound tour of the
008building and a majority of the projects we looked at tonight were from the 2022 bond. I'm also going to talk about 2023 bond, 2024 bond, and 2025 five bond. Those are general obligation bond and lease bonds mixed and matched. Um, so first, any questions, comments, or anything else from the walkound? Because now you've had time to let that soak in a little bit. Anybody have anything they want to talk about? It's great to see the progress. I mean, just fantastic. Um, the entry to the fieldhouse uh or from the door 28 is much much better than I could have imagined, honestly. Um, and um I think Mr. Butler deserves a little credit for the branding that we've been able to get done. I'm telling you, it looks fantastic all over the school. Uh so anxious
009for everybody to come to ball games. Um and uh thank you for that. >> Great. Appreciate it. >> Okay. If nothing else from the walk around then I'm going to talk through a few other things. So um 2023 bond is salimony. And so salamony HVAC replacement is what that project turned into. Uh we were going to try to also demo the niatorum um but we couldn't afford to do that. So, um, the boilers, new boilers are in place. The new boilers are on because it got cold, uh, last week while I was in Florida, but, uh, it got cold and luckily [laughter] I don't know how that happened. >> Keep that to yourself. >> Yeah. Right. Right. So, uh, I heard about it. Thanks, Joe. So, uh, yeah. Um, boilers are on, boilers are working,
010everything's good there. Uh, we did have a, uh, some delays on the cooling equipment which goes in the penthouse on top of the building. So that portion of the project will get done next summer, but we do have uh unused money in that bond. So right now we're working on pricing to take out the last remaining um boiler, steam boiler that's there and replace the equipment that's associated with it. Then also we figured out uh by looking at the original drawings from the building why we were looking at some other uh things in the uh boiler room that we believe the original fuel oil fuel oil storage tanks underneath the chiller. So the chiller is what would be your condensing unit at home outside your house for the air conditioner. Uh this one's the size
011of a school bus and we're replacing it next summer but we realized that the fuel oil tank is underneath of it. So, while we have that out, we're going to tear that out, get that tank out, and deal with anything there, get that back filled, and deal. We had to deal with that horse man a couple summers ago, for those of you that remember. Uh, luckily, no contaminants there. We're going to have the soil tested when everything done right and remove that tank because it got left there uh from a long time ago. So, we're working on that right now um to work on getting pricing for that and then figure out the logistics of getting that done. Um then for 2024 bond is the restroom project here. So you saw what's going on. Getting
012really close to getting that wrapped up. That should be finished up in the next month or so. So that'll be finished. Um and then 2025 bond. Um well, let me go back to 2022 real quick. So most of what you saw tonight of the remaining construction, most of those will also be done within the next month. We have a few things we're adding on, tacking on to uh restrooms like I showed you that the drinking fountains down in the athletic hallway. That's going to take more because we have to order some uh order a few things and we're adding one of these signs down there in that hallway as well. So, that's going to take a little it's going to take more than a month to get that done. Um and then in the 2022
013bond, we also have some unused money. Uh as we finish up projects, we're keeping track of the remaining balance. Um, and it looks like we are going to have enough to probably redo the finishes in the two varsity locker rooms and replace lockers as well. So, we're going to try to tackle both of those and get drawings done as fast as we can to get that uh in line for a summer project for next summer. >> What are the what are the rules for using that 2022 that 2022 bond? So since that is more than 20% of the because we were going to try to roll it into the restroom renovation project, but it's going to be well beyond 20% of that uh project. Um so we're going to bid it separate. So it's going
014to be a whole another project, but it falls in the same category as the restroom renovation part of uh what we were doing part of what we were doing for the whole building anyways. Uh it's covered under the 20. So the 23 bond covers the restroom renovation, but the 22 bond will cover the locker rooms. So that's also why we have to break it out as a separate project and do that separate. So So then any questions on 22, 23 or 24? >> Terry, could you uh touch on the I guess west science, the old science lighting and and ceiling? >> Okay. Yeah. From the 80s, late 80s, uh that part of the building, we didn't think we'd have enough money in the lighting and ceiling project to cover that. Um luckily we've barely used
015any contingency in that project. So, we have enough contingency left over that we're going to get those lights in that ceiling done as well. Um, PA was done throughout the whole building and we did about 1.5 in uh million in piping mostly down the athletic hallway and from here over to there. Um, but we're going to get that hallway done and get some lighting done. Then we're already added some u mechanical room spaces, some behind the scenes spaces uh for Rich and his team. We didn't have it in the original project to replace lighting, but we have the money, the contingency money, since we haven't used it, we're going to use it up and uh do as much as we can. So, >> and board, you had a presentation uh many months ago from the
016success academy kids, if you remember, and one of the things the kids brought forward was um can we, you know, get their areas looking the part? And uh please know the kids that um that group um as well as some of the science classes uh are in that old science wing. And so as they replace ceilings, lightings, they're also doing some wall stuff, some art stuff, some other things uh for the success academy as uh I think was requested by a few of you to consider last time. So they will have their area um looking as as wonderful or better as any other part of the school. >> Thank you, Chuck. Appreciate it. So So last but not least is to the 2025 bond, which is still in the works. Um, but in order for
017us to get ahead and be able to get things out to bid for summer work next summer, we're already working on it. And so we're already working on the window replacement project for the high school, which we talked about in our walkound, and you saw the quantity. It's a lot of glass. Um, and so that project, we're actually nearly finished with drawings, so we're getting real close to be able to put that out to bid. Uh, it'll probably be in November. So, uh, we're in good shape there. We talked about the arena uh ceiling as well when we were down there. So that one we're working on. Secure vestibules. We're working on that at the um triplets as well as salamony. So we're working on that. And then the exterior building maintenance is also the
018triplets crest view and riverview. And so we're pretty good shape on those as well. So we have a lot going on again for another summer, but this time it's not all in this building. It'll be spread out a little bit. So, >> what is what is the timing for the security in upgrades to the triplets? >> It'll hopefully it'll be next summer. Okay. That would be that's a fairly easy project and so those could carry if if if not during the summer, they could carry over into the school year. It's a really simple thing to do what we're what we're want to do. So, not too concerned about that. The arena uh is the bigger one where we don't have that opportunity to just do it whenever we want. So, we're shooting for next summer
019uh to try to do that all at once. >> So, not to be confusing and Becky, you didn't know I was going to do this, but I know you you're great at on your feet. So, um would you want to talk a little bit because what could be confusing to the public is we have all of this work going on for the summer of 26 and then here we come this winter of 26 talking about debt coming off future projects. And just a reminder to the board and the community that that could be very confusing that these are overlapping at the level they are. So you just want to address that that piece. Okay. Thank you. >> Sure. Um if if the board and public remember we um had a feasibility study. So with that
020fe feasibility study for facilities, we had um items identified in different priority orders and with our um operations fund that is our main fund that we use for overall operations. That the the name of the the fund and that we do general repair and maintenance, utility type stuff, all that. um our operations team, our transportation's under that. All different types of things are under under that. That particular fund has a maximum levy that we can do. So a maximum property tax that we can raise in that fund. So there's a limit. So all um school corporations in the state of Ian Indiana use what's called a debt service fund and that is where um we have another tax rate in that fund and um we raise and sell the bonds and leases for that debt
021service fund to do the major projects that we're talking about. So, these major projects create um a tax rate per year, which um is a levy, a property tax levy, and we have a threshold that we do here at Huntington uh to stay under that threshold. So, we don't have to go out for a referendum or anything. So, we still stay within that threshold. And as the years go by, that um debt falls off. It's like an amorization schedule just like your home mortgage, so to speak. So it goes out for so many years depending on the type of financing, the amount of financing and such. So after it goes out um so many years, you have debt falling off and coming back on. And so the public does not see a roller coaster effect
022in their tax rate um and property taxes that they pay. We keep we maintain that in a steady balance, a stable um levy and rate for the public. And that's how we fund these things is keeping that rate stable, that levy stable and um utilize the debt service fund. As debt falls off, then we're able to do items from our feasibility facility study and um put those items on. So we're very strategic in that. There is a plan facilities and um our architect have plans of how that f falls in just like he was talking about when we have excess money where we didn't use some of the contingency of that financing then we're able to put the next thing down on that list you know we're able to do all those items. So, that
023is how we're able to fund all these things that you have seen over the last couple years by utilizing that debt service fund and and all those um property taxes without raising taxes for the community. >> So, board in the winter coming up, we're going to revisit that facility study. We're going to revisit um uh our how much money we have in order to do what work that's available. And then we will be going through that whole process during the calendar year of 26. Okay. It would be my hope that a year from now, November, no later than December, we have a plan and we have a process outlined of that. And then um I just didn't want the community and you as a board to be confused of, wait a second, Terry was here,
024we're doing all this, why are we coming in winter, and this is why? Um so I just wanted you to make you aware of that. Terry, um, as we did the tour, I want to say this publicly. You're all you are incredible at what you do and, um, I am grateful for you and all the work that you're doing. You are literally, uh, transforming this building right here, plus all the other work that you're doing in the district. So, for me personally, I want to reach out and say thank you. You've done an incredible job. You really have. >> Anything else for Mr. Thornsberry? >> Thank you, Terry. We will move on to D2, Hunting County Community Schools property and casualty insurance recommendation. Okay. Uh board, this evening in your packets, you have quite a
025bit of information uh that you have been reading through uh just so the public knows uh every piece of information and documentation that you have in your board packet. um I've been going through over the last uh several weeks. Uh first of all, I'd like to uh thank Mr. Dan Free, who's president and general counsel of the insurance audit and inspection company, for assisting me through this process. Uh I have learned a great deal um about this uh more than I cared to ever know. I uh have so much a deep deep profound respect for our friends who are in the audience today who do this professionally. Uh I don't know how you do it. It's it's incredible uh what you guys do day in and day out uh for that. Um secondly, um what
026I want you to know is that my recommendation this evening is for us to move our uh property insurance, workman's compensation, automobile, general liability, schoolboard liability, law enforcement liability, crime insurance and umbrella liability to hil-star insurance. Um what this boiled down to um is strictly dollars. Um, I want to say personally a big thank you to Mr. Metler. Um, we have had a long and meaningful relationship over 50 years um, with Metler Insurance. And Dave, this decision did not come lightly by me. You you have done an incredible job servicing us. This is this is truly uh, this decision was not about that. This decision really came down to dollars and cents. You're going to hear me say this public u in the one of the upcoming agenda items. We are getting pinched hard. Um
027we're going to lose $670,000 in low tax next year. We're going to lose $3 million over the next three years because of SEA1. Um um I I don't care to live through some of the recent conversations that Mrs. Smith and I have been having about compensating our staff and compensating them well because at no time in my career are we attempting to do the things we're doing with the challenges that are before us. Um listen, this is not just us. This is the county. This is the city. This is everybody uh around us that are trying to continue to provide the services that our community expects under some just enormously difficult um conversations. So when I came back to this um when I got the quotes um I was on the phone quite frequently with
028Mr. Free uh making a comparative analysis making sure our coverage is what we want it to be making sure it's where we want it to be. And so uh in the end um I'm recommending to you uh Star Hill Group uh our local agents will be be Mr. Scott Smith. Um, but we are looking at a premium saving of a little over $500,000 for this upcoming year. Um, in closing, what I want to say, I've been asked, how often will we do this? It's been common operating procedure for me to do this about every five years. Um, we're in the fourth year of my leadership. I thought the time was right for us to do this. um we'll revisit this board in the future, but under with me um we can expect to do this
029about every every five years moving out. So that is my recommendation, Mr. Allen, as we move forward. >> Thank you, Mr. Trout. I'll entertain a motion reference this item. >> Motion to accept the HCCS property and casualty insurance carrier is presented. Thank you, Mr. Meltchure. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Mr. Wall. Any questions or comments prior to voting? >> I believe from your note, but I just want to make it uh clarify the cyber insurance is going to be outside of that and that'll come later. >> Yes. Thank you. I'm so sorry. Thank you. Um we are still receiving quotes. Uh Mr. Free and I are supposed to speak this week. If I do not have it to you ne for next Monday's special meeting, I will definitely have it. um
030by the uh November 24th meeting. Um Dave and I were having a conversation before the meeting. It appears we're going to be able to increase our cyber insurance, but Dave was analyzing that and going through it and he and I had just have not had a chance to speak yet. But that will be a separate um approval process for that. But it's it's forthcoming. I believe most are if most if not all are in right now. Thank you. >> Thank you. The other question I have having chatted with other school corporations around the state is what kind of notice do we have in the contract if for some reason they the carrier that they're using chooses not to renew us that has caught some school corporations off guard and made scramble. So I just want
031to know what that may be listed and how what contractually they obligated to kind of notice. >> Right. Um yes there's always got to be some safeguards in it. Scott and I are sitting down um just this week for the first time as we as we develop this relationship. And so uh in that uh it's really important that both sides are um well protected in the process. I have no reason to believe in this situation we won't be. Um it's it's one of those things where it's a it's a new relationship. We're going to have to work our way through through those type of of pieces along the way, but I will assure you that um that's not something I'm at least bit concerned about at this point in time. >> Yeah. Just one of
032the things that I've heard and that screen just sits in the wrong spot for me and you to look at. >> We're going to work on the screen because >> Yeah. Well, it's all good. >> Yes. >> Thank you, Mr. Wall. Any further questions or comments before we vote? question on the deductible for this. Um, I've had been talking to some and diving into some of this uh where they've been I've been under the impression that a lot of the the premium has gone down on some companies where they're taking the deductible instead of doing a onetime deductible for all the buildings. You have a deductible for each building. >> Is that what's the status on that for this >> Scott? Can you help me out with that? Can you come up to the mic
033and and or one of you? I don't care. This gives you not you didn't know you were gonna speak, Scott. >> Yeah. >> So, talk to that deductible piece if you would, Scott. >> So, typically uh property and casually this size, you'll have a deductible per building in in the uh wake of that uh kind of situation. Yes. So there are recommendations that we can give too that uh will counter maybe a catastrophe type situation. The nice part you've got here in the county is you're geographically spread out well uh to where it's unlikely that you'd have a tornatic event or a large wind situation necessarily strike more than one building uh on a given situation and so forth. But there are uh conversations that as Mr. Trout pointed out that we're going to have
034related to those types of deductible exposures and some strategies that we've come up with other accounts and so forth to minimize or mitigate some of that cost. >> Good question, Aaron. >> Yeah. Any further comments or questions? Uh let's vote on the motion. Motion passes 70. >> So congratulations uh gentlemen. We're looking forward to our relationship with uh moving forward with you. So thank you. Moving on to item E1, average daily membership 2020 to 2025 school year. Mr. Trout. >> Yes, Mrs. Gray has put up on the screen. Uh this is uh ADM is a fancy name for student attendance. Um this has been uh verified um by the state of Indiana uh this year uh compared to fall to fall. If you I don't compare spring to fall. Uh we'll compare fall to fall.
035If you if you compare spring to fall, we're up. But what we do for budgeting purposes, we look at this from a standpoint of standpoint of how are we doing uh with our student attendance. Um we are down just 30 students this year. Um that's easy for Becky and I to budget through. Um it's that year of 23 24 where I had a few sleepless nights at 127 down. That's not what I was anticipating, but you can see um my hope is we're starting a new trend here. You know, we're 18 up. If we can keep these numbers floating in this ballpark, we can absolutely budget accordingly. Um like I previously mentioned, we're already taking some significant hits uh from state funding along the way, but I just wanted to clarify with you and the
036public where our student attendance rests today. So, Mr. Ellen. Um, that's it's just anformational issue or purpose, but I just want to share that with the board. >> Thank you, Mr. Trout. Any questions for Mr. Trump? >> So, Mr. McKibben was here a couple couple years ago now almost, and when he presented, he said there were some things in his numbers that if they all hit that he thought his numbers were good, but I don't remember what his numbers were. Where are we at? Do you remember? >> Yeah, we're we're spot on, almost spot on with where Dr. from McGibbons at um he's eerily accurate. I mean, it's eerily accurate of how he's going to be. He said we're going to float right around these numbers for a while. Uh within that, it's pretty flat,
037trending down a smidge, which was what the 30 would be. But all in all, there's nothing that's a shock to me. my um on my to-do list is to bring him back uh here within probably about a year so we can re hit this again for budgetary reasons, for class size reasons, for staffing issues, just a variety of of uh pieces there. But my hope is is within this year, about a year from now, we'll bring him back in and start through that process again and have him come and present to you in the winter of of uh 27 would be my goal at that point in time. Thank you. Yep. >> Mr. Allen, uh, and Mr. Trout, I'd like to also say that number might be far different without some of the board programming
038you approved with the Viking uh, virtual academy. Uh, I will have them present at Mr. Trout's choosing sometime in the second part of the year. Uh, so you can see numbers, you can see the number of kids full-time, part-time, hybrid, etc. But we meet every two weeks on that group in our district. and um that is a significant number of kids who've chosen to stay with us that we're considering other options. So that's been a a really good move by the board and and our team to have those options in those buckets for kids. >> Thank you, Mr. Murberry. Anything further? Let's move on then to a public hearing for the tenative teachers agreement. Yeah, I would like to welcome uh everyone to this public hearing. Uh thank you for attending. Indiana code 20-29-6-9 requires
039a school corporation to conduct a public meeting to discuss the tenative collective bargaining agreement between the school corporation and the Huntington County Teachers Association at least 72 hours before it is ratified by the employer. Don't get hung up on that word ratified. That means approved by you. ratified usually means from teachers. Okay. But that means your approval. The purpose of this hearing is for the school corporation to discuss a tenative collective bargaining agreement between the school corporation and Hank County teachers association. So, uh, what I want to share with you that's in your board packet today, Cindy, do you have that as an as a tenative agreement? Yeah. Huh? Yes. Okay. Good. Thank you. So what we have here and what I want to share with you is what the tenative agreement is between the
040teachers association and the school district. So very proud to say to you that we have a two-year agreement. Um before I jump into this, I want to give a lot of credit to the fine uh young lady sitting out in the audience who um is a true partner of mine in this process. Becky and I have done this for a lot of years and she's incredible. Um, what I want you to know is she has worked tirelessly um, through this process. I am grateful for you, Becky. You have been an incredible partner for me through this and so, thank you. The beginning teacher pay to meet the SEA requirements is going to be $45,000. I'm very proud to you to tell you that we can do that. However, when you impact one level, you impact
041them all. And so to meet that level, we had to also change all the levels moving up to scale, which is why the top pay that we're recommending to you is going to be $76,250. Um, number two, we're going to raise each level of the current salary scale $2,500. Number three, returning teachers will move up one step to honorable their favorable uh performance review of 1250 a step. Um, favorable performance review is very fancy for saying those who are receiving positive evaluations. Okay? So, if someone's not receiving a positive evaluation, they by law cannot move up the scale. Okay? Um, so when you add uh number two and number three together, you're looking at an adjustment for our professional staff of roughly uh $3,750. Um, new hires will be hired in on the scale based
042on their years of experience. Currently, teachers at the top of the scale will receive a $2,500 base increase. Um, also, um, what we're doing is we had to work through, uh, a few items as it pertains to our guidance counselors. Um, we now have two guidance counselors at both Riverview and Crest View and we're going to move one of those to 195 days each. Um, that will be up to the administration to work with their guidance team to make that determination. Um, but I appreciate Chuck bringing this forward because we have a lot of needs before and after school is over um that need to be addressed and this will allow those to be addressed instead of coming through the front door the first day. and being addressed at that point in time. Um, Huntington
043North High School counselors are moving to 205 days. Some of them are at 194, some of them at 195, some of them were at um, whatever. Um, as Chuck canerate here in a couple of minutes if he so chooses. Um, they've been behind the eightball getting ready for the school year for too many years. And so, Chuck, do you just want to you want to speak to that just for a second there, please? Yeah, this is very important to uh 6 through 12, but in particular Huntington North as well. Uh what's been happening from my take is um there's so much work to be done prior to school and then so much work uh to get ready after school that I think um maybe our people were um working far more hours and days than
044maybe contractually. Now I know that they would not have asked for this. This was my observation and after looking at the contract um I knew their days were up and yet I saw them every day and so I really appreciate our teach association Mr. Trout and Mrs. Smith uh honoring the work that's getting done but there is a tremendous amount of work that goes in a very short period of time. These will be flex days um as Mr. Trout is well aware in the secondary many of those days are prior to school to get it opened and get things uh ready. So this is a good move. This is very common place in other districts. It just wasn't um the situation on the contract here. So, I appreciate John taking care of this. >> And
045then uh also not mentioned in here is our director of guidance at the high school is also being adjusted, but that wasn't part of what we bargained. That was just part of what we're trying to do to take care of that situation. Um the literacy endorsement, if you remember, any teacher by law who receives a literacy endorsement is to be is to have uh compensated for that. These are varying across the state. Uh my colleagues that I'm talking to uh this $100 figure on the base is a very common figure. I'm hearing a lot of hundred. I'm hearing a lot of 250. This this number quite frankly was uh suggested by the teachers association and I have no problem whatsoever um approving that. We did remove 12 literacy coaches stipens from the ECA at about
046$1,800 each. U they're just they're just not being used anymore. Year two is we're going to maintain the 2526 salary schedule. Uh returning teachers would move up one step if they have a favorable uh performance review. Teachers at the top would receive a $1,500 onetime stipen. We would continue with the literacy endorsement for both our past people who received it and anyone new um receiving that. Um, I will tell you in the years that I have bargained with our Huntington County Teachers Association, this this ran very smoothly um this year and I truly appreciate the relationship um that we have with our teachers. Um it it was a positive positive experience both ways. Not to say we agreed on everything. We had our moments uh within that, but at the end of the day, um
047I believe the mutual respect in the room um was quite evident. But to Becky again, Cindy sat in on it. Uh Dr. Dates was part of our team. Candace Priest, our human resources director, um was with us. Tyler Hasco, uh director of finance was with us. And so the team worked very well together and worked very well with our teachers. And so I will take board before I open up to the public. I would take any questions that you may have uh with this tenant of agreement. Anyone? Okay. >> Just just sounds like great news. >> Well, I Yes, I'm very proud of the of the work that we were able to do. So, uh, as we turn to the hearing, this is not a question and answer session, rather an opportunity for the public
048to provide their input on a tenative collective bargaining agreement between the school corporation and the Huntington County Teachers Association. So, if anyone would like to testify, then please come forward and present your testimony, one person at a time. There's a sign on sheet uh on the podium. So, at this point in time, we will take any public comment about our tenative agreement. Seeing no one coming forward, um I will close this testimony and return the meeting to you. Uh Mr. Allen, I do want to say this. Um next Monday at our special meeting, I'll be asking for approval for this, but also uh Becky and I are in the final stages of also the administrative schedule and all all classified teach or all classified groups. Um we're going to miss this, aren't we, Becky? to
049do this this last month. She and I have been spending a lot of time together to do this. But in all honesty, I just shared with her a document this evening. She perused that I would share the details uh later this week depending on how this went uh with our classified employees and our administrators. Um I will share that document with you ahead of time so that you can see what it says and offer any inputs on that. But final approval would be at our special meeting for all groups uh next Monday evening at is it 6 Tim 10? I haven't even looked. >> That's a 10. >> We're hopeful. >> Yeah, six. Okay, that's what it is. So, thank you, Mr. Allen. >> Thank you, Mr. Trout. Um, any further questions at all? Let's
050move on then to the consent agenda G1 through six. >> Yes, I'm just recommending your approval of all the consent agenda items uh 1 through six. Also want to uh spotlight a uh special special thank you to our community members who this this uh two weeks has donated $4,43160 to our programming. So thank you to our community. >> Thank you, Mr. Trout. I'll entertain a motion for the consent agenda. >> Make a motion to approve the consent agenda as presented. >> Thank you, Mr. Wall. Is there a second? >> Thank you, Mr. Mr. Mlullen. Any questions or comments prior to our vote? Then we'll vote on the motion. motion passes 70. Moving on to H1, financial reports. Mrs. Smith, good evening. Thanks, President. Uh, Mr. Trout, members of the board, I bring to you this
051evening the September financial statements. Um the first one that you see there is our main fund which is our education fund. And um this is as of September 30th, 2025. And as um I'll just bring um light to the the square that's highlighted underneath the graphs that has the blue. We're about um a little under 75% through the year. You'll see um our revenue reflects close to that also. And then our expenditures are at 62.47. So that's what we pay attention to um monthly and seeing how um our appropriations that we budgeted come through to fruition with the actual expenditures. So we're right on target with a fund balance um a little over $16.7 million in our education fund with with some um outstanding purchase orders. That brings us down to um a little under
052half of um 16.5 just right underneath that. So we're right on target for this time of year um being um September. We have three more months of the year. So near the end of the year in October and November we have what we call a shutdown, a close um close out for purchase orders. So about mide sep um I'm sorry mid November what we do is everyone has to have their purchase orders in for um for purchasing whatever they may need till the end of the calendar year. reminder this is calendar year um fund so it's January through December unlike a lot of people might think it's a school year but um so we have that shutdown so then we can pay all those bills get all that done for year end and be able
053to close out year end in the first part of um January and then open up the new year's budget um by mid to um third week in January. So we're right on target for our education fund. Next you'll see our um debt service fund and you'll see the current um the budget month um for actual for September is nothing. Just a reminder for that. The main activity for this fund is in um June and December for expenditures and for revenue. Since this is a property tax fund, the revenue comes um mainly two times a year in June and December. Sometimes we get a little pre- money in um May and November, but the majority comes at that time of year. And then we also pay our amortization schedules just like I talked about earlier, just
054like your um home mortgage, we pay those also in June and December to go in line with when we receive our revenue. So that is why there is no um uh revenue or expenditures for the month of September on this document. So every the balance is exactly the same as last month at um $1.6 6 million. So next is our operations fund which um was what I talked about earlier is our other main fund. So our education fund is um funded through um the state. The majority is through the state through our average daily membership that Mr. Trout was talking about earlier and um per pupil uh funding and then our operations fund is that maximum levy that I talked about. So um the state uh calculates that maximum levy and then we do the
055budgeting according to what that figure is of our estimated revenue. So our revenue in this fund you'll see is our our property taxes and then our miscellaneous other taxes and then our interest. So this is our um interest that we receive from our um bank accounts. And then also on this you'll see um the transfers that come in from our education fund that we've talked about in the past where um the full revenue comes into our education fund and then because of past um legislative sessions where they split out some of the categories that used to be in an old fund now that are in um operations fund were able to transfer up to 15% of that um tuition state support into this fund. So the this is where I leverage for you to talk
056about the low it just for a little bit. >> Absolutely. >> If you would hit this if you would please. >> Yes. In the actual column there you'll see that 50,602 that um that amount that you see right there is what we get on a monthly basis for that local option income tax. That is what's going away for school districts in the state of Indiana for those that did have that tax. So that's why uh Mr. Trout and I are strategizing behind the scenes of of that loss income in the future and what we will do um to uh uh kind of minimize that gap from that loss revenue >> because the suggestions that the legislators are giving to every other municipality we do not have the option to do. Correct? >> No, we do
057not. Schools are exempt from what they're offering cities, towns, libraries. They're able to do other options for this loss, but schools were not given that option. >> Correct. Thank you. And then you'll see um moving down this page, I want to show you um if if you do not know what um how this money comes in, the main funding is just like the debt service fund. Besides the interest and little little amounts that we receive, the main property tax comes in June and December. So this time of year, all of a sudden, September, October, November, you'll start seeing it go negative. Don't panic. It's just because we haven't received that money. So, um we will do that transfer that I was talking about from the education fund to the operations fund in October and then
058that will help shore some of that up and then by December 30 um 31st when we close the books then it's all shored up and we never ever um end with a negative um fund balance in our operations fund. So, just wanted to kind of point that out that if anybody saw that negative that's that's by design and that's very common because we have not received our property tax yet. And then last but not least, you'll see our rainy day fund and you'll see no activity as we um have not allocated anything additional in our rainy day fund. So you will continue to see that amount for the next couple months at $3.9 million in our rainy day fund. And that is it for the regular financials. And then we also do our customary um
059historical comparison. So what we do here is um we show month-to-month of the differences um from 2019 on. So here you will see um the highlighted area for September. And you'll see the differences of our um balances in our education fund from September 19th all the way to the current um year of 2025. And you can see those trends um of how um we're uh fiscally responsible in our education fund along with being able to give um great staff uh increases for our teachers association and also our other staff um admin and classified while still maintaining um a steady cash balance. And then the other fund we do the same thing for our other main fund which is our operations fund. And you'll see here the September also um from 2019 to 2025. And this
060is the one that you heard all the lovely projects from um our architect earlier this um this evening. We utilize um our our bonds and our leases. And then we also utilize some money from our operations fund. If you remember when we're going through the budget process, there's what's called a capital projects plan that allows us if we want to do any of those additional projects to be able to utilize our operations fund of any excess money that we have in there for some of those facility studies things that we talked about um um down the line of whatever is next and up and coming that we utilize some dollars out of our operations fund. So that is by design and like I said we watch watch those balances throughout the year as we're um
061spending down that money. So that is all that I have for the board for uh the month of September. And then also in your board packet you see the all funds report. So you can see all the different funds um within the district uh and their balances as of September 30th. I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have on the financials. >> Thank you Mrs. Smith. I'll entertain a motion first reference the financial report. >> Make a motion to approve the financial report as presented. >> Thank you, Mr. Wall. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Mrs. H. Now, any questions before we move into vote? Mr. Wall, you faked me out. You were leaning in there. I thought you were going to do it. Uh, hearing no questions, uh, we'll
062vote on the motion. She's too good at presenting. She gets all of them before I get to them. >> God [snorts] bless her. >> Motion passes 70. The next item on the agenda is for the board to hold an additional appropriation hearing on the proposed GO bond check go bond proceeds. If you're interested in speaking at the hearing, please make sure you have provided your name and address. At this specific hearing, we will ask each person to limit their comments to three minutes and that that the topic be limited to the proposed appropriation of the bond proceeds pursuant to the Indiana code before a school corporation can appropriate any dollars. it directly receives as geo bond proceeds. It must conduct a hearing on those proceeds for the additional appropriation of those funds. The notice of
063this additional appropriation hearing was published as legally required. the proposed renovation of and improvements to school facilities, including building safety and security, window replacement, exterior building maintenance, interior painting, HVAC improvements, and salmon and auditorium and locker room demo and restroom renovation, and other deferred maintenance improvements in the purchase of equipment and technology. We will now open the hearing. If you would like to speak, please sign on the sheet which is located at the podium. As we do for public comment, we ask that you state your name and address and limit your comments to the proposed additional appropriation of bond proceeds. Keep any comments to three minutes and avoid being repetitive if possible. Anyone going to come forward speak? Seeing no one come forward, I'd like to thank everyone who is here for the hearing, we
064will now close the hearing and reopen the regular meeting. Mrs. Smith, could you please summarize the additional appropriation resolution? >> Sure. In your board packet, you'll see um exhibit A and um the school board must approve the appropriation of the bond proceeds to be spent on the project cost before any bond money can be expended. Unlike appropriation of tax dollars, this additional appropriation of bond proceeds is not required to be approved by the department of local good finance. So the bond um all these proceeds can be uh approved at the school board's level. So in your board packet you'll see exhibit A and we would ask for the board's approval of the additional appropriation resolution as presented. >> Thank you, Mrs. Smith. I'll entertain a motion and a second to adopt the additional appropriation resolution.
065>> Motion to approve the 2025 GEO bond additional appropriation resolution as presented. >> Thank you, Mr. Meltchure. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Mr. Wall. Any discussion before we vote? >> Check. I'm sorry. We will not vote on the motion. That's what I thought. >> We'll vote on the motion. The motion passes 70. Mrs. Smith, could you please summarize the final bond resolution for the geo bonds? >> Sure. The final bond resolution established the amount to be borrowed, which we're looking at $6.6 $6 million, the maximum terms of repayment, let's is a little over five years, and the interest rate depending on when we um sell the bonds. So, um it also contains the details about the bonds such as the form of the bond and all the legalities. This resolution also
066approves the forms of supplement. There's a lot of um documents in your board docs and this is this is why and you'll um have a lot of paperwork to sign in your signature fold folder called the supplement to master continuing disclosure undertaken and the registar and paying agent agreement which we utilize um US bank. The securities and exchange commission requires that a school corporation enter into a master continued disclosure undertaking before it issues the bonds. The school corporation has entered into this type of agreement previously as we do with um all of our um financing through our debt service fund. It basically requires that the school corporation agree to annually provide certain types of financial information to the SEC's EMA database and provide notice of certain materials if they're material events on a timely basis.
067So with these resolutions, um you'll see exhibit B, the final bond resolution, um along with the one that you just previously approved. Um these are customary for any of the financing that we do through through the debt service fund. And then also after this um our next step after um tonight is then we have a bond sale. So that's when we go out and we um solicit uh different banks in order to get the best interest rate on the bonds that we're borrowing for that repayment schedule that we talked about earlier like your mortgage for that repayment of those amorization schedules. So that would be um one of the final um steps is after we do the bond sale and there'll be a couple more things for the board to um sign. So this I
068would ask for the the board's approval for exhibit B, the final bond resolution as presented. >> Thank you, Mrs. Smith. I'll entertain a motion reference the final bond resolution for the geo bonds. Recommend adoption of the 2025 geo bond final bond resolution agreement to register paying agent and the seventh supplement master to CDUA as presented. >> Well done, Mr. Wall. I'll take a second. Thank you, Mrs. Miller. Any questions or comments or discussion before we vote? >> Uh Becky, just to every so everybody's clear, um it feels like that we've been doing this for weeks, but this is now after we do vote on this. We have completed the process as I understand it uh through there and working with bond council, everyone else with the board. I just want you to also be um
069aware of that fact too. >> Yes. Um, previously in the board's packet, we included the timetable. So, the timetable for that is all these last couple board meetings that that you've had all this information and all the legalities of what we have to post in the newspaper, what we have to post on our website and what the what we need for approval for the board. So, um, it usually takes about three different board meetings and then we sell the bonds and go through that back back behind the scenes paperwork. And the bond sale, I believe, if approved, will be next week, >> November something. November 6th. So, it's the following. >> The following week. Yeah. Yeah. So, and then we'll, you know, so we can secure it before the end of this end of the
070calendar year. Thank you. >> Any further discussion? >> We will vote on the motion. not contingent on my vote, but who's going to fill out the paperwork uh for those continuing updates and notices that we have to send to the the bond holders? >> So, we um contract with Baker Tilly, who is our financial adviser, and they do those annual reports for us. We double check them and um approve them, and then they send them off, >> which makes sense. What's the next item? See, she's always ahead of me. [snorts] >> Done it a couple times. >> That motion passes 70. >> Thank you, Mrs. Smith. >> Thank you. >> We will move on to H5 County Community Schools and Baker Tilly Scope appendix. >> Mr. Wall couldn't have set me up better um for
071this agenda item. Um but what you have uh before you board um is the uh scope appendix to engagement letter. Okay. And so uh this just helps us in the simplest terms I can give to you and the community is through this process that Becky went through those several agenda items, they will be responsible for this aspect of the report. So I'm seeking your approval um um of this uh engagement letter. >> Thank you, Mr. Trout. I'll entertain a motion >> recommend approval of the HSCSC and Baker telescope appendix to engagement letter dated September 17th, 2024 as presented. >> Thank you again, Mr. Wall. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Mr. Mlullen. Uh, I do have a question just um in case anybody's tuning in for the very first time, could
072you let us know that Baker Tilly doesn't do this just for us? >> So during these proceeds that we do um any kind of financing that do debt service on requires a bond council who we use ice miller. So they take care of all the preparation and all the legal documents of this part of the process and then Baker Tilly is our finance advisor that does all the other backend. So all school districts use a bond council and a financial adviser. So if I was going to guess throughout the state of Indiana, I would say at least 80% of the schools in Indiana use Ice Miller and Baker Tilly for both of those positions >> as as many municipalities do. Yes. >> Also, that's what I was going to say. Yeah, >> I was going
073to say I know for the RDC for Huntington City, I know we've used both of those as well. >> Yeah. Thank you, Mrs. Smith. >> Any other questions or discussion? Hearing none, we'll vote. The motion passes 70. We will move on to I1 policies volume 37 number two policies administrative guideline updates. Mr. Trout. >> Yes board. I'm seeking your approval this evening as this is the second reading. Um this there is a myriad of board policies administrative guidelines here uh seeking your approval this evening. Um we have had these pu uh published in public content over the past um two weeks. uh for our public to also view uh within this. And so um I'm proud to tell you that this gets us caught up to this time frame. And now uh Mrs. Gray and
074I are in the maintenance process. We'll occasionally uh bring you a few to update, but I will tell you I'm grateful for Niola and their uh all the attorneys they have helping us through these processes um within that. So, I'm recommending your approval of the support policies and administrative guidelines. >> Thank you, Mr. Trout. I'll entertain a motion reference these policies. >> Motion to approve volume 37, number two, policies and administrative guidelines as presented. >> Thank you, Mr. Melture. Is there a second? Thank you, Miss Time. Any questions [snorts] or discussion before we vote? I would just like to say um that if uh anyone out there does have some questions about our policies. Uh we do publish these. You can check them any day of the week, any time of day of the week.
075Um, please reach out to a board member if you have concerns and we will be happy to have that conversation or direct you to the person that can provide that conversation. Um, there are a lot of them. So, uh, that's why we get so much assistance from Niola and and a lot of guidance obviously from the state. So, I encourage anyone that does have questions to please reach out. Mr. Carl's mentioned in the past um that he's heard that people wish to hear more. Well, we'd like to hear more from you, so please reach out. >> Anyone else have anything else to say? >> Just a timing question for Miss Gray. I know you're busy, but how long typically does it take when we do these big batches for them to then be reflected on
076on the uh online portal? As soon as if they are approved, I send them the next day typically to Neiola and they will put them in their schedule and it's usually within a week, two weeks at the most. Um, but it's usually within a week. They'll have them posted. >> Cool. Faster than I thought. Thanks. >> It's quick. >> Thank you, Mr. Wall and Mrs. Gray. Anything further before we vote hearing? None. Let's vote on the motion. Motion passes 61. Moving on to item J1, items of discussion by board members. Anything anybody' like to share? >> Just note that Thursday we have the ISBA uh regional up at Serutis. Uh I do know a couple board members are going to be up there. I'll be running the show uh with Terry. Terry and I had
077a conversation today talking about what's going on. He's actually at his first uh one tonight. So we'll we won't be the first one in the state, but he'll have a couple under his belt. He and Lisa will be talking about the upcoming legislative session and some wonderful uh court cases that have been through. Had a chance to look at the agenda and the the book. So packed full of stuff. um just for those that are in attendance, he would love to hear uh conversations during dinner amongst the tables uh about what might be helpful for you guys in the upcoming legislations to start thinking about that. Um also would just note that I saw today that the governor uh called a special session not only for redistricting but also a a tax thing that's coming
078up. Uh I'm not sure if that may affect us with the tax related to what's going on. So we'll keep an eye on that. Uh Terry did say he would be uh keeping an eye on that in case something school related would be there and and do that. He anticipates that it may take a week or two for them to get through that whole talk process. But just to keep that on the note and then I've got some other things, but I'm going to save that for Thursday for those that are going to be there. So you're gonna have to come find out. So that's all I got. >> Thank you, Mr. Wall. And just to be clear, Terry is Terry Spradlin, not Mr. >> Troop. Terry Spyron, IBA executive director. Good call out. >>
079Got a lot of Terry's running around here today. So, want to make sure everybody's clear. Yeah, we didn't mention that guy. Um, anything else? >> Yeah. Uh, board, you may not be aware of this and our community may not be aware of this, but uh, our lieutenant governor is coming in to the high school on uh, Wednesday uh, November the 5th at noon uh, to tour the complex um, and such. And so, um, if you're free at noon and want to come over and meet with him before he takes his tour with Dr. Diggins and his team throughout the building, please know that you are invited. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Trout. Anything else? Moving on to K1. That's adjournment. Anybody want to make a motion? >> So moved. >> Thank you. Second. Thank you, Mr.
080Mlullen. All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> We'rejourned.