001and welcome to our October monthly board meeting. At this time, we would like to welcome Principal Kirga and student leaders from Crestview Elementary to lead us in the pledge of allegiance. >> Good evening. My name is Amanda Kir and I'm the proud principal at Crest View. This evening with me I have Miss Fernandez Santos Bay, Miss Quinn Kzer, and Mr. Tucker McGarrell. Please join us in the pledge of >> allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the for it stands nationy andice for all. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> I love the school colors, too. >> All right. At this time, we will move into our information items, starting with our blue ribbon updates with Dr. Nesbbit. >> Thank you, Madam President, members of the board. Dr. Smith. Let's jump
002into the blue ribbon phase 2 update. Uh here's your overview. Same thing we've been looking at in previous years, uh previous meetings. Our middle schools are wrapping up. Look for that ribbon cutting here in just a couple weeks. Craig Academy continues. You'll see some neat pictures there. Our classroom additions. And then this building, of course, we're still wrapping up the roofing and some signage. Uh there's a just a quick overview. Those those ones that are in process, we're waiting on sheet metal each of those. So there's a apparently a sheet metal shortage, believe it or not, and that's what we're waiting on. uh Craig Academy. Check out that. That's the media center. And then uh another hallway there. There's there's dirt that hasn't seen daylight in 50 plus years. And then the stills aren't just
003for the carnival. There's a guy uh doing a little mudding work there. And then you can see um I think it's an old curriculum area there, but um you can see the you can kind of see the old office walls in there if you look at the flooring. And then that's going all back to classrooms though. So usually those four offices get back put into one classroom. Uh here's the LACC. Some neat drone footage. You can see some roofing work still going on up there. Looks kind of done from down here, but up top you see there's still activity going on. Brook Park also that roof continues. Uh you once sheet metal arrives, we'll wrap that project up. We're going to start uh closing things up this week there. And then more Brook Park, Harrison
004Hill, we're doing some uh roofing work there. That is where we're primering and painting their sheet metal on their roof. Crest Elementary uh is a footer there. And then the uh dryer retention pond, Forest Glenn. Uh you can see the foot there. And then I like that drone footage because you can really get a shape for what we're adding on there. You can see those six classrooms and and uh other areas. Mary Castle, they're still winning the three- horse race. They're uh putting walls up. And in the next slide, you'll see they even have a crane out there and they are putting steel beams in. Uh Harrison, I like Harrison Hill so much I put in two slides. Uh that's sheet metal being uh painted there at Harrison Hill. And that wraps up your blue
005ribbon update phase two. >> Thank you, Dr. Nes. Are there any questions or comments regarding the blue ribbon updates? >> Okay. Well, thank you for that. I know it's been busy. And just one clarification just for the public, the middle school, which we will be dedicating on November 2 that the final uh step of phase one. Correct. >> Correct. Okay. >> All right. Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> And now we'll move on to the request for RFP for an architect for the Mackenzie Center renovation. Mr. Miles >> or I'm sorry, Dr. Nesbet. >> Uh exciting thing here. Um as we start Blue Ribbon phase two, we're looking at uh our first big project here. Mackenzie Center is in need of major renovation and converting some spaces. And so that first step in the process
006uh is finding an architect for this. We requesting the board's permission to advertise an RFP for architectural services. >> Thank you, Dr. Nesbet. Board, any questions or comments regarding the RFP for the McKenzie Center architect? >> Okay, very good. All right. Thank you, Dr. Nesb. Now we'll move on to 2.3, our graduation update with Mr. Dan. >> Thank you, Madam President, Dr. Smith, members of the board. We'll begin the C looking at your board goal from last school year from the 2425 school year. And our board goal for last year was to maintain an average graduation rate of 93%. While increasing the percentage of students earning an academic honors or technical honors diploma by at least 5%. It is my honor on behalf of the district to report this evening the 2025 graduation rate is
007a 96%. You'll see that's 1% higher than last school year. And if you look at the last dozen years that's up nearly 10% up 9% over the last dozen years of Dr. Smith. I'll also point out on this slide if you look down the percent of honors diplomas 40% that's a 6% increase in honors diploma which is also noteworthy to point out the next several slides go through each of our subgroups. So first is our black student subgroup. The only way you have a solid 96% graduation rate for the district is if all subgroups are at a high rate. So our black student subgroup is at 95% with a 7% increase in honor diplomas. Next slide. Our Hispanic student subgroup is at 95% which is up 3% from last year and up 5% to 32%
008honors diplomas. Our white student subgroup holding strong at 96% also holding strong at a solid 55% honors diploma. The last subgroup to show you this evening is our racial student subgroup at 97% which is up 4% from last year and up 8% to 49% honors diplomas. So when we bring this to you every year we always talk about our next steps. We will continue to work to maintain a strong graduation rate even though it's not part of the new ADA accountability. We will maintain Lawrence Township takes pride in this. We will continue to maintain a strong graduation rate while increasing the percentage of students achieving an academic or technical honor diploma or one of the new enrollment employment or enlistment honors deal as part of the new diploma as we transition to that. We continue
009to work to increase the number of college and career pathway opportunities to meet the needs of our students and prepare for that ADF accountability. We'll do that by increasing the capacity of our current pathways as well as growing our next level programs of study and our Indiana College Bo. And lastly there we'll create additional dual credit graduation pathways not currently offered. We offer a lot but we're always looking to offer more. And then our last step there would be to fully implement the new diploma which is currently been adopted for the class of 29. That's our current freshman. Uh we'll we'll fully implement that over the next four years. You can use it as early as this school year with this year's seniors, but by the end of the next four years, we'll have it
010fully implemented, which is not only does it include a new diploma, also includes three honors seals and three honors plus se. >> Well, first of all, congratulations. I mean, this is amazing. 96%. Wow. Um, so thank you to the staff and everybody working diligently. Board, are there Any questions or comments on the graduation update? >> I just wanted to say um first of all the fact that the increase in all subgroups for students is is truly remarkable and the work that you have done superintendent since your tenure certainly would be applauded. I the one thing that I think is super important to take note of and for me as an educator is thinking about the the two metrics in particular that I just really want to give um credit to the educators in this district
011is the fact that wers are um that is a huge huge huge success for this district as well as the fact that so those two are super important pieces that we really need to cate the overall graduation rate is definelyed those two metrics in particular work. >> Well done. Any other questions or comments board graduation rates? Um I did have one question on the last slide. I'm still trying to understand it myself as a parent just as we shift over to the new diploma types with the three pathways. So will Each of the three pathways have the standard diploma, but then also the honors seal similar to what we have currently. Is that right? >> Um slight correction there, but you're on the right track. Okay. There's not three pathways. There's three seals. >> We
012still have I think we offer close to 40 different pathways. But in terms of the seals, you'll have your standard new diploma. And in addition to doing a diploma, instead of the academic honors or technical honors like we're used to currently, you will have an enrollment seal, an employment seal, and an in addition to those three. On top of that, you will have an enrollment plus seal, an employment plus field, and an plus. So, making sure that we are focused on all of our students and all the different pathways that they go to after high school, whether they enlist, whether they go to college, or whether they go straight to the workforce. >> Thank you for that explanation. Um, and just one other uh question. So, the sophomores, the the current sophomores now will they
013will still be on the honors and the technical honors deal and then it shifts over. >> So, unfortunately, we're in the business of running multiple diplomas at the same time. So, we're used to this. So, yes, we'll be running the current core 40 diploma and all that on the same time as we do as well. >> Okay. Thank you. >> So, our current freshman will graduate with a new diploma. >> Yes. Okay. Yeah. Thank you for that. That's a helpful explanation and we >> Yep. >> And we we already know that the good work will continue. >> All right. Thank you for that, Mr. >> We will move on now to our application for the common school loan with Mr. Miles. >> Good evening and thank you, Madam President, Dr. Smith, members of the board.
014Uh it's at this time of the year that we bring to you for consideration and later this evening for uh your approval. Uh that is our consent to apply for a common school loan. Uh we do this twice a year uh in anticipation that the loan window would be opened up by the Indiana Department of Education. This is a low interest rate loan at 1% that we can use for uh classroom technology. So again, we've did this last year and have done so for the last few years. Um, it is our intention to write that application again to cover technology items that can be used for the classroom and the total loan amount would be approximately 1.6 million. >> Thank you, Mr. Miles. Board, any questions or comments on the common school loan? >> Yes.
015Okay. Yes. Very similar to last year. Thank you for that, Mr. Miles. Yes, technology is important. All right, we will move on to our board committee chair reports. Foundation, Dr. Maul Holland. >> Thank you, Madam President. Good evening, everyone. Um, at the last board meeting, I mentioned that it's LTSF's LT good week and it was a success. LTSF raised funds for LTSF programs and currently have received 25,000 actually close to 25,000 pounds worth of food and they expect to go to a few more schools this week and collect the remaining food and get over that 25,000 that will be closet. So great work and um really fun to be involved with the creative impact grants that you may have seen for those last week. So wonderful, wonderful. >> Excellent. Thank you for that and thank
016you to the foundation. >> Lawrence Parks and Recreation, Miss Dunn. >> Yes, very excited to share that um again this year in collaboration with the YMCA, the city of Lawrence, we'll be hosting the Lawrence Halloween Fest right across the street at Civic Plaza on October 24th. A reminder that the Forever Young Club meets on Thursdays from 11 to 1 and that's at the Lawrence Community Center. Um and just a plug for the city, we had another very successful farmers market. I know that our resources team was out there um trying to recruit folks and hearing great stories from our residents in their lives. So, just another successful farmers market and we will be having a winter market on November 6th from 4 to 7 at Florence Community Center. >> That is all for now. >>
017Thank you, Miss Thun. Now, we will move on to policy. Yes, a new policy revision packet has recently been released. The packet is designed I'm sorry, the packet is designated as volume 38 number one and consists of ision package. The first package contains general revision and updates of policy and administrative guidelines. The updates are necessary to remain complant with state and federal law and the second package is an update of nondiscrim non-discrimination policies. So al together there were 54 policies and uh the committee anticipates the first reading at the November board meeting. So yeah, Dr. It's been a pleasure and thank you as always. >> Thank you, Miss Pucket, and thank you to the policy committee for a very busy year of work. >> All right, this time we'll move on to the action items
0183.1 approval for the request for the RFP on the architect for the McKenzie Center renovation. Dr. Nesbet. >> Thank you, Madam President. Members of the board, Dr. Smith, uh we present to you for your approval the RFP as presented in your board packet. >> Second. >> Properly moved. Miss Pucket. Seconded. Miss Dunn. Any final comments or questions? All right. We'll move to a vote. All in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? All right. The eyes have it. >> 3.2 Approval of application for the common school loan. Mr. Miles. >> Yes, Madam President. I recommend that the board approve the application for the common school loan as submitted. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Properly moved. Miss Dunn and seconded. Dr. Mahaland. Any final questions or comments before we move to vote. All right. All in
019favor? >> I. Any oppose? >> All right. The eyes have it. 3.3. Approval of our board minutes. Dr. Madam President, I present the September 29th board meeting to approval as submitted. >> Do I have a motion? >> Second. >> Properly moved, Miss Pucket and seconded, Miss Dunn. All in favor of the approval of the September 29th board minutes. >> Any opposed? The eyes have it. President. >> All right.