001So I'll go ahead and call this meeting of the Madison Local School Board to order and we'll start with the Pledge of Allegiance. 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. Roll call? Mrs. Melissa Walker? Here. Mrs. Cotterman? >> Here. Mr. Moser? Here. Miss Amy Walker? Here. Mr. Porter? Here. For the adoption of the agenda, can I get a motion? So moved. Second? I'll second. Discussion? Yeah, I need to excuse myself on item K, C, anything dealing with Brian Moser and Jenna Hendershot. We're going to separate K. I do I just won't be voting on those three items. Yep. For those three. And who is the third one? Brian Moser. Okay. And
002then who is the third one? Brian Brian. He's got two contracts and Jenna Hendershot. Okay. Roll call? Mrs. Melissa Walker? For. Mrs. Cotterman? For. Miss Amy Mr. Porter? For. Mr. Moser? For. Miss Amy Walker? For. And then D, approval of previous board meeting minutes. Can I get a So moved. Second? I'll second. Discussion? Mr. Moser? For. Mrs. Cotterman? For. Mr. Porter? For. Mrs. Melissa Walker? For. Miss Amy Walker? For. And E, presentation of certificates. Yeah, we have a couple of presentations to make this evening. First, if um Miss Breanna Crunkleton would come down to the microphone and Mrs. Wigton for our RAM Pride Teacher of the Month for the month of April. So I will read Mrs. Wigton's comments. I am honored to recommend Breanna Crunkleton, an exceptional first-grade teacher at East View Elementary. Miss
003Crunkleton consistently goes above and beyond not only in her classroom but throughout the entire school community. At East View, she generally generously dedicates her time and talents to a variety of initiatives. She volunteers each year for the East View Mifflin combined musical and plays a key role in organizing our biennial field day. In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Miss Crunkleton serves as math chairperson where she has strengthened student engagement through building-wide initiatives such as an interactive math bulletin board featuring challenging activities with prizes, daily morning trivia during the month of December, and a team-based March Madness competition going on currently. >> [snorts] >> She also contributes her leadership as a member of the building leadership team and thoughtfully mentors new teachers as they begin their careers. Outside of school, Miss Crunkleton is a familiar presence
004at local Madison events, often found behind her camera at middle and high school athletic contests. Through her exceptional photography skills, she captures meaningful moments and preserves lasting memories for students and families. She shares these images on her Facebook page, BC Sports Photography, where she generously provides them free of charge making senior picture boards and keepsakes more accessible for our Madison families. Breanna's dedication, creativity, and commitment to her students and community make her an invaluable asset to East View Elementary and the entire Madison community. RAM Pride recipient for March, Miss Breanna Crunkleton. >> [applause] >> And next, could we have uh we have one of our bus drivers to recognize tonight, Rebecca Richards, if you would please come forward along with Mr. Mike Yost, transportation supervisor. At this time, it is my pleasure to honor Rebecca
005Richards as one of our many valuable bus drivers. We are privileged that Rebecca chose to apply to drive at Madison. Rebecca came to us from Hocking Hills Schools where she was employed for 5 years as a bus driver and on-bus instructor and it worked in the office as well. Rebecca obtained full-time route with Madison Schools in October of 2023. Since that time, she has become an on on-bus instructor for us as well. She's trained three new drivers as well as recertifying eight drivers. Rebecca drives a total of 80 miles each day on her route which covers Washington North and South Roads, Garver Road, and Woodville Road. In her spare time, she drives the bus for Lifewise Academy. Rebecca embodies many of our uh beliefs and values in the district mission statement. Recently, there was a
006barn fire along her route and Rebecca got a card for the homeowner and had all of the students sign it demonstrating support for a community member and showing the students what compassion looks like. Rebecca is supportive of her fellow drivers, has uh an excellent work ethic, and has a passion for Madison students, Madison Schools, and the Madison community. RAM Pride recipient for the month of March, Rebecca Richards. >> [applause] >> I just want to say real quick, um I just love her smiling face every day. She She just She never complains. She just does her job and she's She's awesome. Well, thank you. >> [applause] >> Thank you. Congratulations. At this time, we would like to recognize any visitors who would like to address the board. >> [snorts] >> Good evening. Good evening. Can I
007do this? Absolutely. And if you just want to state your name and address. Yep. >> [snorts] >> Can you hear me? Okay. My name is Katie Weightman. I live at 421 Vernon Road. Lifelong Madison person. Now we're raising six kids here. Speaking tonight on behalf of Kaylee Ball, myself, and over 406 community members who signed a petition to support Mr. Stump staying in Madison. You guys are going to be voting tonight on this. Kaylee asked me to share that when she learned Mr. Stump could lose his position, she, like many other parents, was shocked and confused. Why are we getting rid of our most senior This is [snorts] a leader who is not only one of the most experienced administrators in our district but also one of the most trusted. As one of the highest
008qualified district's gifted coordinators, he has directly impacted students, including her children, not only by shaping one of two national [clears throat] distinguished schools >> [snorts] >> in the category of achievement in the state but also in ways that simply did not exist before his leadership. After Kaylee sought answers, sat down with Superintendent Peterson, she herself concluded that this isn't a somebody has to go type of situation because my understanding, she stated, he told her if the board votes no, then Mr. Stump's contract will not be suspended and they will find a position for him within the school and that nobody else is going to be recommended for let go. This decision ultimately rests with you tonight, the board. So tonight, her message is simple. Ask the hard questions to your Superintendent Peterson. As her email
009stated to each of you, she hoped that both that all of you read that along with all of the information she sent to each of you and hopes that you make your decision based on what's best for the students, not the opinion of one individual. Speaking for myself, I'm the parent of six children, five of whom have gone through Mifflin Elementary. Over the years, I have experienced firsthand Mr. Stump's leadership through difficult moments, important decisions, and everyday interactions that shaped our children's lives. He leads with professionalism, consistency, and genuine care for the students, for the veterans, the families in this community, and that's what matters. What's most concerning to all 400 plus of us is that we're even having this conversation. As a [snorts] community, we have already been asked to fight for Mifflin. We
010were told to pass a levy to keep Mifflin. We did that. Yet, to only be told that wasn't enough. We voted again in hopes to not lose the school that we just voted to save. So, here we are. Empty threats has become our time and time again. It feels like our voices as a community have gone unheard. Tonight, you the board have the power to change that and listen to the 400-plus neighbors, families, and friends and realizing removing Mr. Stump would be more than a staffing decision. It would be a loss for our students, our families, and the very culture that makes Mifflin Madison strong. If you look at your own district information on your school website, Mifflin stands out as a school that any parent would choose and far above the others. That success
011is not accidental. It is built on leadership like his. Please, as you have heard from your community, hundreds of us asking you to pause, to question, and to reconsider >> [clears throat] >> voting no to get rid of Mr. Stump. Show this community that our voices matter, that our children come first, and that strong leadership like Mr. Stump's is worth standing behind. Isn't that what you guys advocate to our children, after all? The papers I handed Ms. Walker provided, I hope you guys review them. Uh everything I referenced, including the petition with all of the signatures is on there. Any other questions that you guys have, please speak to your superintendent. I wasn't in the meeting with him and Kaylee, but I my understanding is you guys really just have to ask the questions cuz
012you guys can stop this. Uh if you read the comments on the petition, not one single bad thing was said about Mr. Stump. Not one. And that was over 400 and some comments. That's all I have. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Is there anyone else that would like to address the board? Okay, we're going to move on to administrative committee reports. There is no legislative report. Is there an athletic board of control? I haven't met yet. Student representatives comments. >> [snorts] >> Good evening. Good evening. Okay, so track has been off to a very cold start with their first meet being the Madison invite on April 2nd at home. Softball has a couple scrimmages coming up. Tomorrow, they have one at Bellville and Friday one at Gallion, and their first real game is at Hillsdale.
013Their new field should also be done early next week. Wrestling recently just had three Rams place at state with especially Estella Cooper Smith being the first Madison female wrestler to place at state since it became a recognized sport. Boys tennis has started with their practices, of course, when weather is permitting for them as well. And SkillsUSA is getting ready to hold their state event during the first week of May with many students participating. In particular, two Madison Rams placed first in their competitions, which were Libby Beckeleski and Maria Smith. At the Rotarian speech competition, DJ McDaniel placed second. >> [snorts] >> Spring break is in a little over a week, and students and teachers are ready for the much-needed break. That is all. Thank you. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Facilities. Yes. Just one quick
014update. Um middle school boiler project was completed 2 weeks ago. Um the only thing that we are waiting on is our remote control access. Um the new boilers have to be set up through our IT specialists out of Cleveland. They're coming down within the next week or two, and we'll have those on board so we can control those remotely. All right. Thanks. Thank you. And student achievement. >> [clears throat] >> I have student achievement for tonight. Uh for South, at South, we are gearing up for third and fourth grade testing after spring break. We also have our second grade concert this week, and we'll be celebrating awesome behavior with our egg hunt ram rally next week. Then Eastview, at Eastview, we are busy getting our students ready for state testing that is right around the
015corner. We are also getting the Eastview Mifflin cast ready for their performance of The Lion King Jr., which will take place this Friday and Saturday night at 6:30. For Mifflin, the students from Ashland University visited our annual health fair, where we were able to learn about nutrition and exercise through fun activities. >> [snorts] >> Students in second grade were assessed for gifted identification in superior cognition, science, and social studies with a high number of students being identified. Third grade student Arya Brooks also placed second in the Richland County Spelling Bee with over 75 participants. The update for the middle school, the end of the third quarter is coming to a close on Friday, and our missing assignments initiative has cut our number of missing assignments of the building down by almost 60%. We are gearing
016up for state testing when we get back from spring break, and the students and teachers are busy reviewing and covering content. We again have our state test incentive for the end of the school year that if they show growth on the state test, they will be able to be excused for the last day and a half of school. For the high school, congrats to Courtney Cyrus for winning the $1,000 Franklin B. Walter Scholarship. Courtney was celebrated at a wonderful program held at the Mid-Ohio ESC. We also want to congratulate Mrs. Maggie Thomas. Mrs. Thomas was recognized as Courtney's positive impact person. The Madison Women's Choir and Choral received straight ones on the floor and a one in sight reading this past Saturday. They have advanced to the state competition. The Madison Rams boys and girls
017wrestling teams competed at the Northeast District tournaments in Norwalk and Findlay. Three Rams, as we heard earlier, punched their ticket to the state wrestling tournament this this last weekend in Columbus. And at that Findlay District, Estella Cooper Smith placed third, while Jackson finished second, and Aiden Proctor captured first place district championship at the Norwalk District. For Career Tech, congratulations to the following FCCLA students for their accomplishments at their regional competition on February 28th. >> [snorts] >> Liv Price and Jade Turner, gold rating in professional presentation. Gia DePucio Resendez and Emily McDaniel, silver rating in interpersonal communications. Alexis Hairston, silver rating in job interview. Bree Coulter, silver rating in early childhood education. All six competitors have qualified for state and will represent Madison in Columbus on April 16th and 17th. [snorts] And then the Madison Adult
018Career Center is pleased to report the following recent student achievements. Recent certification licensure licensure testing passage, 84.2%. 709 welding tech certification exams, five for five for certified nurse [snorts] aide certifications, four for five for the nail technician licensure. Recent program completions is at 87.5% with four out of five welding tech students, two for two on advanced cosmetology, and one for one on the medical assisting technologies. That's it. Thank you. And board policy, uh we met in February, and under superintendent's business, uh list the policies. They are mainly legal changes, um but as always, me and Amy have the red lines. If anyone has a question about one of the policies, we'll be glad to show you. And those are for our first reading, so they'll be back on for a second reading next month. So,
019there's time if you want to study those and bring your questions to us. Finance committee, um we met last Tuesday, March 10th. Uh we had sort of a instructional um groundwork into finance in general and then how it affects the schools especially. Um we went over ideas such as what market value of a house would be versus the assessed. Um where the assessed is the 35% of the market value, and then you pay taxes based on the assessed amount. Uh we talked about the different classes, um with class one being residential >> [snorts] >> and agricultural agricultural. Class two, commercial. And then PUPP or pup, public utilities. Uh we discussed inside and outside millage, and um talked also about the 20-mil floor. And also HB 920, which uh ties property tax to the millage, and
020when values [snorts] go up, for us, millage goes down. Um And also, the graphic you see in front of you is our 10-year trends, as you can read there. Um Over the past 10 years, the revenues have increased 22.22%, while expenditures have increased 25.29%. And so, in the past 5 years, we've had a deficit spending, which means we're using what little savings we have left to pay for the expenses that we need to and um >> [snorts] >> meet the the requirements or the necessities that we have to pay for. Um and then as you can see uh the sharp upturn there is the the at the 3-year mark about 3 years ago was the passage of the levy at that time. And then [snorts] to meet the recommended 60 days of cash on hand,
021district revenues have to exceed [clears throat] expenditures in order to build a reserve cash balance. Thank you. Well, I do have one more thing. Um the finance [clears throat] committee wants to recommend to the board that if there are any future um abatements or TIFs is okay. >> TIFs. TIFs. >> It's a tax increment financing. >> and this so this could be on a future agenda. Uh that we include Dave Conley in some negotiations to help us out. Superintendent's update. >> [clears throat] >> So uh the document that I'm passing down is a letter that will go out to our elementary parents uh this evening. Uh I think it's scheduled to go out at 8:00 and um what the letter is is um we uh it's I've gotten some feedback that there are some questions
022about how some things are going to work next year and so um uh there's been a lot of decisions made and so I want to share those decisions in this letter and um just review them uh with you uh this evening. Uh the first uh is that um I've I've shared with them uh at least as of this moment right now um this is the staff and what they'll be teaching at both the primary building, which is the pre-K to two building, and the intermediate building, which is the third and fourth grade building. And um you know, we certainly know that um with the closing of Mifflin, um there's some apprehension um about teachers and and you know, we've heard tonight uh how great of a school Mifflin is and rightly so. Um and what
023I what I want to share with people is those staff members, those teachers, are still going to be dispersed in our building. Um the Madison will continue to be a special place with special staff. Um the next uh paragraph I address class size. Um so I know, you know, when when you're cutting staff, there's always apprehension about how many students are going to be in each classroom and um I I uh looked at enrollment right up to date this week and um as you can see on there um with first grade next year, we anticipate classroom sizes averaging 20.6. So meaning some classrooms will have 20, some will have 21. Uh second grade, 22.1. Third grade, 23. Fourth grade, 21.1. And then preschool and kindergarten, we don't have any numbers this year to go off
024of. Um so what what we did was uh took a 3-year average of of what we've had over the past 3 years and our preschool classrooms would have um 13.9 students per classroom and kindergarten 18.3. Uh the next uh the table there um addresses uh pick up and drop-off times, start times, end times, and uh uh I'll I'm not going to go into all of that, but um where where you see uh bus drop-off um and bus pick up for the intermediate and primary buildings, we'll have half of our buses dropping off at one of the buildings and the other half of the buses dropping off at the other building. And then the same when um they do pick up in the afternoon. And then uh the buses, half of the buses that will be
025at the primary building, will pick their kids up and drive over to the intermediate building. The bus at the intermediate building will then load up and drive over to the primary building. Um we have parent uh drop-off and and pick up times as well and um you'll notice at the primary building that those times differ a little bit depending on uh what grade the students are in. But um what I what I uh want to make sure everybody knows is if you have a kindergartner and a first or second grader, you can drop all your kids off at the same time. You don't need to drop one child off, get back in line, and and drop the other off at the other time. Uh we've we've really tried to make it um as convenient as
026possible. And so if if a parent drives their child to school and drops has to drop one off at the primary building, they will have time to drop their other student off at the intermediate building. Um there's time built in for that. Um there there's more details in there about that, but I won't go into all of it. The next thing I had to address would be latchkey services. And um if you had a have a child in latchkey, it won't matter where they attend during the school day. Um if if they attend at the primary building during the school day and you want them to be at the intermediate building for latchkey for after before or after school, that's fine. We're doing it for whatever's convenient for the parents. Um they can have their
027child in the latchkey service at either building and we will bus them as necessary to be able to do that. Um we are also going to do um build building visitations, building tours um with the students who will be attending a building different next year than where they're at this year. And um those visit dates are set there. Um and then the open house dates uh for parent open house for next school year, um those dates and times are listed as well. So um there may be additional questions out there and if there are, um parents can feel free to contact any of the elementary buildings or contact the board office and we'll try to answer their questions, but hopefully many of those questions are answered um in this letter. And uh lastly, um just
028wanted to take a brief moment to address the the uh suspension of contract uh of the principal. And uh I just want to be very clear that um that was a very difficult decision. Um I I'm not going to get into personnel in public. Um but uh that was a very difficult decision. Um I think very highly of Mr. Stump as I do all of our principals. And um the the other piece I want to address is um you know, I in that that meeting with the uh parent um I made the statement that uh you know, I if if he were to be um if if you were to go against my recommendation, um I stated that it would I would be very difficult for me to recommend another principal. Um I I communicated
029with Mr. Stump clear back in October um about this and to spring that on an administrator at this point in time, I think would be unfair and unreasonable and inappropriate. And so um I I I also believe that as far as our overall staffing goes, cutting a principal is is appropriate. Um you know, we made a lot of staff cuts, teachers, um non-teaching staff, and to close a building and not reduce our principal staff, I think would would not be fiscally appropriate. So um again, very difficult decision, not one I have enjoyed. I was the principal at the high school when we hired Mr. Stump to teach French there. Um he's a good man, he's a good principal. All of our principals are are excellent. So very difficult decision and um not one I relished
030having to make. And that's all. Thank you. Presentations. Got Mrs. Cox from Madison South. >> Good evening. Thanks for having us today. We're going to start out with some friends from our student council. >> [snorts] >> They're going to tell you all the great things that they've been working on this year. I don't know if that's possible. Throughout this year, we have celebrated fun holidays like National Pickle Day, National Rubber Ducky Day, and National Joke Day. We have raised over $800 by selling fun items on these days. This year, we have sponsored a South family for Christmas. We were able to give them lots of presents. We hope this brought them joy during the holidays. Student council has a Valentine's bake sale where we raised over a thousand dollars for a family here at South
031that needed some support. We created a positivity wall this year where we put sticky note messages that students can take off and encourage them to brighten their day. Every month, we make signs to encourage students to follow the character word of the month to teach them how it looks to be that character word here at South. In the past three years of us being a part of student council, we have raised over $10,000 for London to help with her needs as she battled cancer, including bringing awareness and raising funds during our childhood cancer awareness wear yellow day. It is so inspiring for us to see how well she is doing today. It's been a wonderful experience to help lead the students at Madison South. We look forward to continuing to be leaders at the middle
032school next the next level of the year. Thank Thank you for your Thank you. >> [applause] >> As you can see, they're rockstars and always working for others, which is pretty awesome. Uh next, we're going to bring up um Dolly Trainer and Missy Parish, who are part of our PTC. They're going to speak on that. They're really excited to get up and talk. >> [laughter] >> Good evening. I'm Dolly Trainer. I'm Missy Parish. Um we are part of the Madison um South PTC. Um our parent and staff organization is to support the staff and students of Madison South. Um our PTC has purchased items for our PBIS um academic work groups. We did a Santa shop this year. Um we've supported the staff t-shirts, um provided conference meals for our teachers and staff. Um purchased
033supplies for our staff, um been involved in fundraising for our playground equipment, um paid bussing for field trips for each um grade level each year, and provided supplies for our slushy day, which the kids just love. >> [laughter] >> Principal's not so much, but the kids. Um the PTC has um sponsored a family at Christmas, worked with our family involvement, and our student council to support the special events that go on throughout the year. Awesome. Thank you. Thank you. We obviously are super thankful for them um and all they do to provide for the school. So, Mr. Gordon's going to kick us off here. >> We're going to talk a little bit about our our data and our academics here. So, um throughout the year uh every year, we have uh three reading uh diagnostics
034that we do. Uh one for math that we focus on it and one for reading, uh three each per year. So, at the beginning of the year, we get our baseline uh where students are just coming in uh fresh off the bat. Um you know, we talk about uh a lot of times we talk about it's not where you start, it's about where you finish. So, starting the year, we come in, we see where we're at. If you take a look there, um our fall math uh diagnostic, kind of checking to see where we're coming in to start the year. Um Not awesome, not great. Um we we are you know, had 9% of students that were on grade level or above grade level. Uh 59% of them um one year behind. Going into two
035years behind was uh 21% and then 10% were were at the two or more. Um so, again, that was the start, that's at the fall. Our most recent data, which isn't our end of the year, we still have one more to check to see what kind of growth we're making, but what we're focusing now on is is our growth. So, we take a look um after Christmas, start of the year, um give it a little time here January, early February, we we do our mid-year one. Um and this is where we have grown uh for math right now. So, uh very encouraged by our growth. Um as you can see there, we we're moving students going from right right to left, going towards the uh getting caught back up, uh trying to get back on
036track. So, we we increased our our students that were on or above grade level uh by 21% at the mid-year checkpoint. Um and in that also, we were able to decrease our students who were two or more years behind by 16%. So, again, moving them from the red going towards the green. Um we're we're encouraged by the the progression that we're making uh going towards our growth. Again, same thing for reading, same idea. In the the fall, you get your where we're starting at, getting that baseline data. Uh as you can see there, roughly uh you know, 21% of our students on or above in reading um moving into the start of the year, 54% at one level behind, 14 two years behind, and three or more at 11%. So, again, same kind of time
037period, after Christmas, check that mid-year, um and up to now, we have made 24% growth of students who that are on or above grade level. Um this is a reflection of our our implementation of the staff and the curriculum that we're using, um the the models that we're teaching. Um they just do a fantastic job of growing our students. Um that was an area on our report card, um the the progress section of our our report card for our school, uh we were up to a four star. That's basically looking at our growth. Um we we do a fantastic job of once they get to us, okay, here we go, what are we doing, how are we growing, and we go full steam ahead, and they do a fantastic job. All right. So, some of
038the events that we had going on this year, uh the pumpkin glow was a huge hit. We always um raise money for some kind of cause during this, but the kids are able to carve a pumpkin at home, they bring it in, and then we have, you know, different categories that they can win um and be judged on, and then we also have games and food, and it's a great community event. We get lots and lots of people to come out. Um we had our costume parade this year. So, as you can see, it is a big hit, and um we have full participation from staff all the way to the kids. Thankfully, Mr. Gordon didn't put myself up here. Oh, man, I didn't make it. So, he always makes me do some kind of
039silly um you know, costume for these. But, we have a great time. It's a great school event. The kids parade around the building, and parents get to come and and watch the kids do it, and everyone gets a big kick out of it. Um we had our Veterans Day program. Mrs. Lawhorn, our music teacher, does a great job of preparing the kids. Um as you can see, they're all, you know, in their you know, colors, and um we had several veterans come and had some speakers and things like that. Another great community event. Um and then our ram rallies are we do these about, you know, every six weeks um celebrating our, you know, fantastic behavior, and some of the parties that we have done as the glow party in the middle. It's a huge
040hit. Everybody dresses in stuff that glows in the dark. Um and then we do a lot of activities. Um just play, they're allowed to bring in an a game from home, and they get to buddy up with friends um and do those activities. So, once the weather turns, then we get to do some fun things outside as well. Kids love it, and we have uh really grown. We're going to talk about that, but in our participation of the amount of kids that have, you know, been able to go to those um for showing those great leadership skills and and being on expectation. Um so, we talked about this a little bit last year, but um Mrs. Tripp, um she's our counselor, has kind of taken this over and ran with it. Operation South Christmas is
041what we call it, but we were um in collaboration with Mary Madison at the high school and some of our churches in the community, we're able to support 32 South families um with Christmas presents this year. It was a total of 78 kids um within that, which is pretty awesome. And then, 40 families were provided food boxes um not just for the holiday, but that could get them through the entire Christmas break, you know, things to make meals and things like that over the break. So, um super proud of our staff that comes together with that um and, you know, tries to provide for our community. Um Mrs. Tripp also has done a great job with our social emotional side. Um, you know, it's obviously a big thing in our community right now in our
042world. Um, and we've worked with our partners in Catalyst Counseling Family Life Counseling to service over 40 students in our building. Um, this need has increased, you know, each and every year. Um, and we've been able to meet those needs, um, along with providing several groups within the building. Um, our kindergarteners just assisting with practicing basic social skills, emotional regulation, active learning, and listening skills. Um, and then also servicing other grades, um, with friendship groups, self-regulation, impulse control, building that confidence. Um, so we're, you know, extremely lucky to have, uh, Katrina Tripp be involved in the where she jumps in and tries to help our students. Um, it's pretty awesome. So some of the collaborations that we've done, this has been pretty cool. Working with the high school, um, with a lot of things. OCC
043leadership comes down and they'll greet the kids when they're getting off the bus. It's such a simple gesture. I mean, I don't even know if they're there half an hour total. Uh, except the day when it was the parade and then they wanted to jump right in that and be a part of that, which was really cool. But, um, they'll just come over for a quick time, you know, 20 minutes and run back. Um, but they'll greet the kids, say hello off the bus. The kids think that's the coolest thing. Um, where our early childhood, you know, education sends, um, students over to observe in the classrooms and they get their feet wet doing some of that kind of stuff. And then Melissa Brant, um, has done an awesome job of getting students, you know,
044her students in the building. Um, her and Jake, you know, have worked on this project this year where the junior career tech students are coming over, um, and matching up with a staff member in our building and following them around, exploring what they do in a job and obs- observing in the classroom. We have them in counselors with title teachers all over the building and they're able to just get, you know, their feet wet and and see if that is something that they're truly interested in. Yeah, hold on. All right. So, um, one of the things we wanted to talk about is is kind of how we've shifted our school culture in ways that we were looking to improve it. So, way back in 2018 and 19, uh, before Ms. Cox and I got into
045our our current roles that we are in right now, um, we were kind of doing some data digging and seeing where, you know, when you're in it sometimes some days seem real rough, you know, just day after day you just feel like you're getting hammered with all and all I think I'm dealing with is, you know, talking with students and trying to correct behaviors. So we decided to look back, like is it as bad as we think it is or, you know, is it just in the moment what has changed, what's improved. So we did some digging. So look back at 2018 and 19 and at that point in the 2018 and 19 school year, um, again, before we we got in the roles we're in right now, there was 745 office referrals at South,
046um, along with 135 of those resulting in a suspension. Um, so as of we were just looking we became principal assistant principal in 2019 and 20, um, and since then we we've been able to to implement some different things. We'll talk about that in a second here, but as of last year, uh, we were able to decrease that office referral by 502 different referrals. So we decreased the the office referrals, um, along with our staff by 67% while also reducing the suspensions, uh, by 73, um, reducing that by 54%. This year, obviously we still have some time to go here. Um, it is a little bit of the crazier time as we're ramping up towards, you know, spring break and then the school year and things getting nicer and and whatnot. Uh, but we're currently
047on pace to decrease those numbers even more, um, by 180 office referrals by the end of this year is what we're on pace for, um, and 31 suspensions for for all of 2025-26, which would decrease that from the before in 18 and 19, uh, to that this point this year would be roughly 75% decrease in the referrals and 77% decrease, um, respectively for the the suspensions. Um, again though, I think it kind of goes back to the the relationships that we focused on with the students and with the staff and then, um, kind of modeling that and encouraging the staff to to have that same buy-in, um, building those relationships with the kids, with the the families to work as a team, um, to to better help and and see what we can do for
048the students that might be struggling in those areas. We've really worked on and focused on our consistency of being real clear of what the expectations are, what the behaviors, um, we do it multiple times a year of of our expectation days of, you know, modeling what does it look like and how should we be, um, behaviors look when we're in the gym, when we're in the hallway, when we're on the bus, when we're in the cafeteria, in the classroom. Um, so that it's it's pretty cut and dry. This is what the expectations are, um, and then how how holding them accountable if if we're not following them. Um, the interventions and the PBIS, um, have been real helpful in trying to reward those students who are constantly making those right choices and incentivizing, hey, we're
049doing what we're supposed to be doing. We got to get on track here and I think that's definitely been been helping, um, as well. The the interventions moving through tier one, tier two, and then into the more severe. We're looking at data, seeing, okay, where's an area of needed improvement? Is it, um, on the playground? We're seeing a lot of our referrals coming in from the playground. What can we do to improve maybe coverage or even locations on the playground? What can we do to to work on that to help them, um, maybe some common areas that need improvement. So constantly looking at that as well. Um, but it all comes down to, you know, just having a great staff that is buying into to the kids, um, and working together to figure out what
050is best for Madison South, Madison as a whole, and how can we continue moving in that direction to make things and improve them. Oh, that's me, too. Sorry. This is shameless plug here. We do have our Olympics coming up as well. Um, so, um, once again, um, kind of heading up the elementary Olympics with the help of our, um, gym teachers, elementary gym teachers. Uh, similar format that what we had last year. So, we're going to have it on Monday, May 18th, um, at 6:00 up at the high school. Um, we will have our third and and fourth graders competing against each other from all three buildings. So, um, again, we kind of changed that up a little bit last year. We're going to keep that same model where all of the third grade, um,
051as a whole from each building, they're going to be on a team. All fourth grade together from each three of the three elementary buildings, they'll be on a team, um, and then competing against each other in different events. Um, free to the community. Everybody's invited. Um, invite you guys would love having you guys come out to those different events, too. Um, you might be getting an email asking if, hey, do you want to help out and, you know, run a couple different, yeah, relays or something like that? That's fine. Um, so free to the community. >> Yeah, it is it is a lot of fun. We get a lot of, um, support from parents love coming it coming to it. The the high school students we were able to get some of them to come
052in and help out with that as well. We have some of the varsity sports teams, they come out and the coaches are coming out to it as well and they help out, um, have little mini games on the field while different events are going on. So keeping everybody busy. Um, the boosters are are going to be opening the concession stand, um, and they're going to be having food for sale for that. Cheerleaders get involved, too. They have Kona Ice, which is a fundraiser for them. So it's a really big community, uh, event that that people hopefully enjoy. I think they enjoy coming out to and and watching the kids compete and have fun. Like I said, free to everybody. We do have, um, we we're taking donations and and they're going to be going towards,
053uh, some of the PE funds to help supply them with new items as needed throughout the the school years. Um, rain date, luckily, in the last, you know, five years that we've been doing this, we haven't had to use a rain date. Um, but if we happen to need it, it would be on that Tuesday, May 19th. Did I just wiggle it? Uh, I might have just wiggled it. I I've seen the forecast. Uh, so, uh, rain date is that next day. Um, we do kick it off. We like to have it kicked off with a a second grade fun run. Um, so any second grader that that wants to come out, um, they kick off the night and have a one lap around the the track, uh, race. Just kind of get them involved
054and invite them to come out and see what it is and what's going on, uh, for it as well. And just of, I think, end of last week, we were I was scrambling, getting a little nervous. Uh, fundraising isn't as easy nowadays as it was in the past, but, um, we were able to get, um, the needed funds to to supply every student with a uh, free shirt, um, for the Olympics. Each one of them have like a kind of a matching color for their grade level. Uh, so we were able to get our our sponsors this year. Genie Knows, uh, The Infield, Washing Floors, and Buckeye Express all, um, donated for us so that they can supply those for the students for free. So we're really excited about that. So, uh, be looking for
055that invite, um, through an email coming here shortly for for staff and for you guys as well if you'd like to come out or if you're just want to stop by, we'd love to see you guys out there. Awesome. Just to finish off here. Just looking towards the end of the year, um, we have our third and fourth grade testing coming up, um, mid-April-ish. So we do a lot of stuff in preparation for that. Um, the teachers work extremely hard and try to try to make it fun, but also focus and, you know, we put prizes in place and things, um, have some celebrations when we, um, can meet our goals. Um, kindergarten, first, and second grade have some field trips coming up. Uh, third and fourth already went on theirs this fall. Um, like
056we talked about our RAM rallies, we do those. We still have some fun ones coming up. Um, if you can see our pictures, we, uh, that's our carnival day, um, and we had a little race between our staff and you had to wear one of those crazy outfits um, to be involved in the race. And so that was you know a lot of fun. The kids all got to watch and and cheer everybody on. So we'll do that the last week and we have spray day. The fire department comes out. We'll do south send off and have our awards and talent show. Finish off the year with a lot of fun things to you know commemorate all the hard work that our staff and students put in this year. They've done a great job and
057we appreciate all that how much hard work that all of them put in. So All right. That's it. Thank you very much. >> [applause] >> All right. Next up I donations. Can I get a motion? So moved. And a second? I'll second. Roll call. Um just want to thank uh middle school PTO um for the donation. So Mrs. Melissa Walker? For. Mrs. Scotterman? For. Mr. Porter? For. Mr. Moser? For. Miss Amy Walker? For. Then can I get a motion for J Treasurer's business? So moved. Second? Second. >> Discussion. Okay. Yeah. We'll um >> [clears throat] >> first thing I'll talk about uh resolution accepting the amounts and rates as determined by the budget commission. Basically um I'm not sure if you remember back in January um that that was the first resolution that got put
058on my basically my office is in communication with the county auditor and the budget commission and they have to set based on our property valuations and our fund balances and our revenue what they anticipate the amounts and rates to be for next fiscal year. They do that then it comes back to the board and the board has to approve it. So that's all that is. Um The next one is the approval of the February financial forecast. So I guess we'll we'll start off with The revenues are Yes, it looks like this that our revenue increased in February of 26th over 2025 and it did, but that is a completely and totally due to timing. Um [snorts] what happened was there's two things. The when I have to ask for the Treasurer for an advancement on
059a real estate settlement the amount of the advancement will depend on when I ask because the later it is the more money is collected. And the more money that is collected the bigger our advance is because the advance is a I mean it's it's our money, but it they can only give us a portion of how much has been collected. And obviously it's advantageous to wait as long as you can because then the amount that you get is greater. So the difference in local property tax is just because I was able to wait a little bit longer this year for the advance because I asked for two of them in January. And the other one that is a a pretty significant change is that local and other generated revenue. I know it's it is $270,000
060less this February than it was last February, but that is completely due to timing as well. Um there's a thing called excess cost which is where a district basically bills the other district for the open enrolled kids that are special needs that are above a threshold amount. Last year the state had their act together and was able to get this um out to the districts in February. This [snorts] year it didn't come till our second settlement in March. So and if you look back at the other fiscal years it is been it's happened in March most of the time. So that $34,000 amount for FY26 is actually pretty common. The last year $305,000 is they they we got lucky and the state was able to process them quicker last year than this year. So you
061know revenues are they're as expected and those are just due to timing. Expenditures um expenditures are in track with what I anticipated. If you look at the one area that it kind of stands out that it seems like it was more than what you would expect was the benefits where you know it looks like there's a $361,000 increase over last February. Well that is due to timing as well. This year was was right. Last year um had to do with a transfer of how of from federal funds to general fund of just the benefits. So last year was low um just for uh your I guess feeling of this just so you know this is more accurate. If you remember when I um last month when I talked about the forecast I said for every
062dollar we spend in salaries it's between 72 and 73 cents we have to spend in benefits. Well if you do the math between the $1.6 million in salaries and the $1.18 million in benefits that is 0.73. So that's right on track. So that when I look at things and I see an anomaly the first thing I do is look at things like I just said trends. Does that make sense? Well this year it made sense. So then I went back and looked at last year what happened last year and why did it change? So that's when I talk to you guys about you know it was a timing thing or what happened you know I'm actually digging when I look at the numbers to see if it doesn't drive exactly what had happened when to
063where it is and can I explain it. And I obviously can explain why that changes. Um you know in that that calculation that I just did the salaries to benefits Madison is like it it's the highest in the state. I mean we're our benefits and yes part of it is the pick up of the retirement, but the biggest part is health insurance. I I think I've heard me say it a dozen times. Health insurance is just killing us and I mean we've done everything from join [snorts] a consortium to we're implementing the prescription management. We keep trying to do things to save us money and um we're going to continue to try to do things to save us money. Um this is basically comparing forecast of last year to forecast of this year. You know
064last year revenues we were 58% this year we're 61. Well it makes sense because we collected more our real estate taxes earlier this year than we did last year. And the 64 and 65% for the fiscal year comparison is the expenditures. That's right in line. That makes sense. And then the last thing we talked about um last meeting. I think the the financial um committee finance committee had these things up and basically what this is there to show is that you know when we talk when when people talk about how we spend our money it is overwhelmingly spent on instructional purposes. It is overwhelmingly we are the top in the county. We are above statewide average and above similar districts of spending money on instruction which I you know I as a as a taxpayer
065as a homeowner I want to hear that my school is spending money on instruction cuz you're school. And we overwhelmingly do that in the data and statistics show that that's where we're spending our money. So that's what this is up there to do to show in my monthly report is that we are not wasting money and you know doing things that we shouldn't be doing. We are spending it on instruction which you know is it's not cheap. It's what it is. Um And the last thing on the Treasurer's business is the acceptance of Cares for Classrooms grant from Directions Credit Union of $500 by um our one of our high school career tech people Karen Von Stein to purchase classroom supplies. So I want to send a thank you out to Karen Von Stein for
066seeking that and a thank you to Cares for Classrooms for providing that grant. Are there any any questions on the Treasurer's business? All right. Mr. Moser? For. Mr. Porter? For. Mrs. Scotterman? For. Mrs. Melissa Walker? For. Miss Amy Walker? For. Item K matters related to personnel items one through three. Moving [clears throat] aside Brian Moser for fall fitness coordinator and head varsity wrestling and Jen Hendershot for assistant varsity wrestling half contract. We're going to move those aside to vote on separately. Okay. Can I get a motion? I'll motion. Second? Second. Any discussion? Yes, yeah, actually I would like to say something before we we vote on these items. Um I just want to begin by acknowledging that many of our staff, families, and community members are still processing the news of Mifflin Elementary's closure. This
067is a deeply emotional and difficult change, and I recognize the sense of loss that many of our community members are feeling. My own children attended Mifflin and had the same positive experiences that so many families have shared over the years. As most are aware, Mifflin was selected for closure in part because it is the oldest building in the district, which brings increased maintenance needs and long-term costs. I also recently learned that it is actually the smallest building, which would present additional challenges moving forward. I understand that some members of the Mifflin community feel unheard. I want to assure you that your voices are being heard. While I may not always agree with every decision or the process behind it, I do believe in the value of having a board and administration composed of individuals with
068diverse perspectives. Each member brings their own viewpoint, and together they work to make the best decisions possible under difficult circumstances. I also want to address something that has been circulating in the community. There have been hopes that maybe all of these staff reductions are not necessary. Unfortunately, that is not accurate. Even with these reductions and other costs, I'm sorry, other cuts, the district is projected to end next school year with approximately six days of cash on hand. These decisions are not optional. Unfortunately, they are necessary to keep the district financially stable. I've had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Peterson throughout the process, and it's clear to me that these decisions have not been made lightly. They carry significant weight. In a community like Madison, the impacts are deeply personal. Staff reductions and changes are
069not just numbers, but people we know, colleagues we respect, and neighbors that we care about. We are facing challenges that require difficult choices, and while we can't change that reality, we can choose how we respond. We can work together to shape what our district looks like moving forward. My hope is that over time we are able to to find moments of posi- positivity that begin to balance the disappointment many are feeling today. While buildings and demographics may change, I hope the pride that we share in this school district and in this community remains strong and helps guide us through this transition. I'd like to say something as well. Sure. First, I want to I remember when I was new to the board and we got to go on a tour to all the buildings, and
070I remember telling you that, "Holy cow, all your administrators are awesome." And you were like, "Yeah, I got lucky. I inherited most of them." And I was like, "Yes, you got very lucky." So, I know this was was very difficult for you. Um and I would also like to mention I I feel like what you must have said in that meeting with a parent was misunderstood because being on the past few um levy committees and being on the finance committee, we absolutely do have to cut an administration uh position. There's just we just don't have the finances. Um and I'm I'm really sorry that the lady who spoke left, um but that's kind of what I want to address is the Mifflin community and the people who signed the petition, um I acknowledge that uh
071how difficult it is that their school is closed and now losing Mr. Stumpf probably feels like another loss. Um I recognize that he's made a positive impact on many students and families, and I've heard that from those who reached out to us. I want the community know that I did not approach this decision lightly, my vote. Um I reviewed the information provided. I requested additional information, and I had conversations to better understand the recommendation before making my decision. At the same time, um um personal matters involving um personal in- information um cannot be shared publicly. The board rely relies on the superintendent to make staffing recommendations, and our role is to carefully review these recommendations. Given the financial challenges we're facing and the changes required after closing a building, I believe it's appropriate to support
072the superintendent's recommendation. This decision is not a reflection of the value of any one individual, but part of difficult steps our district must make moving forward. Thank you. Um I can vote. >> Thank you. Roll call. Mrs. Melissa Walker. For. Mr. Moser. For. Mr. Porter. For. Miss Mrs. Cotterman. For. Miss Amy Walker. For. And then we'll go ahead and vote on the three that were moved aside, Mr. Moser and Miss Hendershot. I need a motion. I think we need a motion. Huh? Oh, we don't need a motion? Okay. Mr. Moser. Uh got to abstain. Good. Mr. Porter. For. Mrs. Cotterman. For. Mrs. Melissa Walker. For. Miss Amy Walker. For. Moving on to L, Superintendent's business, items 1 through 6 and then the addendum number 7. Can I get a motion? So moved. And second? I'll
073second. No discussion. Mr. Moser. For. Mrs. Cotterman. For. Mr. Porter. For. Mrs. Melissa Walker. For. Miss Amy Walker. For. And item M, visitors' comments. And then and president's business, the next regular Board of Education meeting will be April 22nd at 6:00 in the Madison Middle School Auditorium. And at this time I would like a motion to move into executive session for item 4, discipline. So moved. And a second? I'll I'll second. Discussion needed. It's actually A4 and B. We'll do items. Thank you. Mr. Moser. For. Mrs. Melissa Walker. For. Mr. Porter. For. Mrs. Cotterman. For. Miss Amy Walker. For. There will be no action taken afterwards, by the way.