CorpusRecord 24170

MSDLT Board of Education Board Meeting 10/09/23

A searchable transcript preserved as part of the Discourse Corpus. Passage numbers provide stable references within this record; verify quotations against the original recording when available.

Source
YouTube / LT Schools
Date
2023-10-10
Location
Marion County, IN
Material
Transcript
Extent
2,313 words · about 13 min
Collected
2026-06-06

Transcript

Verbatim source text

001to order. Thank you for your patience and um we all know what Castleton traffic can be. So um first up today uh Mr. Smith, our blue ribbon update, please. Thank you, Madame President. Dr. Smith, members of the board. Uh we did certify the LC soccer field, so it is green and beautiful and they are moving towards uh the softball field right now. Uh LC baseball stadium continues. You can see it there in the left. Dugouts and stadium and field prep. LC pool. Uh we continue to dig and dig and we'll dig some more uh inside around the pool, the locker rooms, the hallways. Uh still moving forward. Len north edition. We are going to be digging footers finally for the north edition this week. And that will progress. LM Plaza uh concrete will go in

002uh this week so we can uh enclose the entrance and secured entrance for the plaza area. LN front panels are going on. Uh we have all the panels now on site and they continue to go up. LN World Lit twotory continues on about eight classrooms in there and uh we'll continue on uh later mid mid winter we'll turn that over to the building pool is almost complete. We got some uh uh the high dive going in and a little bit of more uh tile work and some carpet up in the uh bleachers. So, nearing uh completion right now uh October the 22nd. Season starts the 23rd. So, we'd like to get them in there just on time. The water might still be cold. I was going to say water's feeling pretty good right now. Yeah.

003Belle Middle School, the auditorium is really taking shape. Uh the outside brick almost complete. uh roughing going on getting ready to pour the slab on the inside. Again, the inside work. Uh the bus turn around for their special needs on the norththeast side of the facility. Uh hopefully in the next two weeks, we'll have asphalt in there. All Creek Valley Project Leaderways, the rooms continue on. We uh took on two more. So, they continued to move through the building and the clinic area uh should be turned over next slide. Um to the building uh I believe end of this week, the first of next week, as well as two special ed classrooms in that area. Uh LC site improvements, you'll you notice stone going in the north lot up here. Um and then uh storm

004water and stone on the west lot. and we're hoping to have both of those under asphalt by the end of this month. We continue on with the the new LACC plans and specifications and moving forward with all of that. Thank you. Ward, do you have any questions for Mr. Smith about these blue ribbon updates? Yeah, please. Mr. Smith, remind me, is the soccer field turf or is it grass? The two uh varsity soccer fields are turf. Turf and the baseball field will be turf as well. Correct. Okay. As well as softball. So all the varsity sports, baseball, softball, soccer, turf, and lights. Thank you. Um, one other kind of really random question here. The digging and digging and digging and digging. Do we ever uncover really cool like archaeology like things underneath all that earth?

005We uncover quite a bit of stuff. I bet we do. Usually it's not architectural or few water lines here and there. Thank you. Nope. You you do have to know whether it's a burial site before you start digging. That's right. Rules about that. Yeah, we do. We're all checked out. Okay. Uh if no further questions, we'll move on. Oh, you do. I'm sorry. Go ahead. That's okay. I was just curious, Superintendent Smith, with these beautiful pools that we have. Um there was just an update from um our refugee coalition here in Indianapolis from Catholic Charities and Exodus. um where there was a memo from the state regarding um refugees and the need to ensure that we are offering as much as possible um safety swimming um instructions and because of the high propendency of drownings.

006And so I'm just wondering with the increase of we know not necessarily our refugee population but from families coming from various countries um if there are any type of swim programs that are offered to the community um to assist um with our families um in learning how to swim especially at a young age. currently in place. more. That is wonderful news. I um I love hearing that because it's such an important skill that we're teaching our youth. That's a good point, Miss D. We have a lot of waterways in Lawrence Township. Creek, we've got uh Fall Creek, we've got Gist, we've got a plethora of uh neighborhood ponds, retention ponds that are all over the community. So, it's always a concern in our community about youngsters being able to swim. Unfortunately, I had a kindergarten

007student who um got into an apartment pool and um unfortunately did not know how to swim. And so, it's something that's always top of mind. So, I'm very proud that Lawrence is is taking that so seriously. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Thank you very much, Dr. Nesbbit. Um, we'll move on to uh Mr. Smith, a request for permission to bid the transportation center renovation. Madame President, Dr. Smith, members of the board, as we excuse me, prepare to renovate LEC, the Craig Academy, we need to move some operation and technology staff out of this building. And when the transportation facility was built, a second story was built but not finished. Uh this plan was for the future move and that time is now. So the second floor buildout will house our maintenance custodial management team uh

008food service administration staff and the technology network team. uh the two storage barns will give more storage for project planning and deployment of equipment devices uh for these departments. So we are ready to plans and specs are finished. Uh Miss An Marie Burrell is here and uh we do have full specifications and plans ready to go out uh upon your approval to bid uh this project. It will be it would start December 1 and be ready to move in um later this summer. So it's kind of a short project, not a large one, but very much needed. Questions board? I think that's pretty straightforward. Thank you, Mr. Smith. Thank you, Anie. Oh, no. Yeah, I was just had a comment. Um, we I remember when at the ribbon cutting last year, um, we got to

009go upstairs and see the the big huge space that it's going to become. So, that'll be exciting to see when it's finished. Great. Okay. Uh, Mr. Miles, can you fill us in on the application for the common school, please? Thank you, Madam President, Dr. Smith, members of the board. Uh twice a year we come to you with this request for uh to place an application for our common school loan. The common school loan helps us to fund technology in our classrooms for students and also for teachers uh studentf facing equipment. Um it's a low interest rate loan uh that the state makes available to us. And when they do uh when they announce that that window for applications is coming open, it's a very short window. So, we ask in advance being proactive uh so

010that when the application comes out and we're ready to complete it and not have to wait on board action. So, that's the uh that's the item we bring to you tonight. And I see that that'll that'll go half um for half of the devices for the one onetoone refresh. Um and we'll have it in plenty of time this year so that we get we'll have those devices ready at the beginning of next school year. Correct. Is that the plan? Correct. Any question? Any other questions, board? No. Okay. So, u we'll stay with you, Mr. Miles, and ask you about this request for a vehicle disposal. Thank you, ma. Once again, Madame President. Yes, the we have a from time to time, we'll have an old school bus um that is not fit for um to

011continue driving by uh for students for student use. Um, we've had one that's been sitting on our roadside uh serving as a banner banner bus we call it an advertisement to come drive our buses. Well, it's even uh surpassed that life expectancy. And so at this time, the fire department locally has some uses for it for training and uh we would like to to um give them that opportunity and then would scrap the bus out after they're done with it with their with their training duties. Were we to to approve this later? Do you think I could put a picture up on social media? Old number 57 or miss an old number 57? I I think you could do that. We we as the district, we always cover up the name on it before it

012gets demolished so that uh no pictures of that bus show up on social media with Lawrence Township and it being especially if the fire department's going to have it. Correct. Something. Yeah. Correct. Yeah, that's right. Okay. All right. Um, thank you for that information. Board questions. No tears for old 57. Huh? Okay. All right. Um, we're going to move on to our action items. And I just uh for anyone who's watching on YouTube or listening, I I do want to explain that generally speaking, we get information items at one meeting and at the next meeting, we act on those items. But since we are in the middle of so much building and since the common school loan requires us to act decisively, we need to, you know, act on our bus renewal. Um, so generally

013speaking, in normal times, we would not vote on our information items the same day. Um, however, with all the building projects and and loans going on, we need we have to speed it up a little bit. So, we will be approving some information items tonight. And the board has been informed of these ahead of time, so we're not we're not acting without thought. Our action items, approval of the request for permission to bid the transportation center res renovation. Mr. Smith. Madame President, Dr. Smith, members of the board, I recommend the board approve the request for permission to bid the transportation center renovation as presented. So moved. Second. Okay. Properly moved and seconded. Um, is there any discussion about this? Any further discussion? Seeing no further discussion. All those in favor? I I. Any opposed? The

014eyes have it. Next, the approval of the application for the common school loan. Mr. Miles. Thank you once again, Madam President, Dr. Smith, members of the board. At this time, I recommend the board approve the application for the common school loan as submitted. Some move. Second. Properly moved and seconded. Is there any u discussion, further discussion about the application for the common school loan? Seeing no further discussion, um all in favor I I. Any opposed? The eyes have it. Uh next, Mr. Miles, the approval of the request for vehicle disposal. Thank you, Madam President, Dr. Smith, members of the board. At this time, I recommend that the board approve the request for the vehicle disposal as submitted. So moved. Second. Properly moved and seconded. Um, all in any discussion, all in favor? I I Any

015opposed? The eyes have it. And we have approved the vehicle disposal. Um, we only have one item that's usually um lumped together with others. It is the the approval of our personnel reports. Miss Johnson. Madame President, Dr. Smith, and members of the board, we request approval for the personel that have been submitted. So moved. Second. Properly moved and seconded. Any discussion about our personnel reports this evening? Okay. All in favor of approving the personnel reports? I I Any opposed? The eyes have it. Board, we have we are here at board comments already. Would you like to begin tonight, Miss Lawrence? Oh, sure. I'll be happy to. Please do. Please do. First, I think we're setting a record. This This is exciting. Second, we as a team needing anything. I'm not telling anybody. Don't tell us.

016I think we we I think we need to coordinate who's moving and seconding things because it's pretty funny up here in the day when we do that. But, um, today I want to acknowledge that it's indigenous people's day. I will allow you to have the majority of the comments because I know that this is something that you are very passionate about. Um but I just want to acknowledge that today is important for many people and is part of the founding of this great nation of ours. Um, the second thing I would like to acknowledge is that uh early or late what I time is a flat circle these days, Miss Mustin, last week you and I believe it was Tuesday got the opportunity to sit and listen to our middle school bands and our marching

017uh pride do a performance. And it's really neat to to be able to see the middle schoolers in their evolution as musicians and then get to watch what they will become in high school. And it's a really great opportunity for our middle schoolers to be inspired. And I was really grateful to have you in the audience because my son was also performing. We are grateful to have you there. And Miss Dunn, I um would again just like to congratulate uh those that took such time and effort in the uh Dia de Latino. What a wonderful event. I'm sorry that I was not able to make that, but what a wonderful way to celebrate um our diverse population here in Lawrence Township. I also want to congratulate Dr. Smith for being nominated um as an IPS

018Hall of Famer. Not sure if you all realize that, but he um has been nominated um as as he should for the wonderful contributions that he's made to education in central Indiana. And so just want to express my congratulations um because that is an honor that is very welld deserved. Sorry. I'm sorry to ruin your let you know. Uh, Miss Pucket, I have no comment. Have a good evening, Miss Norman. Um, so I saw that Ellen and Elsie drew each other in the first round of the sectionals for football coming up in at the end of the month, October 27th. Is that right, Dr. Nesbet? Okay. So, that'll be exciting. Um, also, thank you for sharing that, too, Miss Lawrence. Um there's just a lot to celebrate in October. Um all of the holidays and

019um principal month. I believe it's National Principal Month. Um so as the daughter of a retired principal and niece of one, um we just appreciate you guys. And then finally, um I wanted to acknowledge um I believe our superintendent has a birthday this week. if unless you don't want to be it to be but okay well have happy early birthday um have a great fall break okay I would like to say Miss Dunn how grateful we are you came back from white water rafting and all all looking great in one piece and I'm I hope you had a great time the the concert was wonderful it was wonderful to hear Bennett play and um all the kiddos And on that note, I will say that um I'm so proud of our band, the Marching Pride

020of Lawrence Township, and we have Bands of America coming up. Go get them. Go get them. We have everything it takes to to do very well in that competition, and I'm sure our band will. We're very proud of them. Um I will also say, Dia Latino de Lawrence was a beautiful day. Once we got that sound system up, it was pretty great. It was pretty, it was hot. I dressed for the, you know, the 50 degree weather at 6:30 in the morning and by 10:00 it was beating down on us. So, it was a really lovely day. And, um, I did have Mr. Smith's, sorry, Mr. Smith, Dr. Smith's birthday on on my agenda to mention. has been mentioned already, but what was not mentioned is Sunday is Miss Crystal Puppet's birthday. So, happy birthday

021to you as well. I just want a nap. Want a nap? Um proud of this district. We did the board took a tour of um Brook Park Elementary School this week. Um, and it's lovely to see the the learning happening, the culture is there and so we were very very proud of that visit. Um, and I'll hand it over to you, Dr. Smith. I don't have much, Madam President, just to remind the community and our staff is that Friday ends the quarter and we will start our fall break next Monday. So, we will be closed off next Monday. Young people will have a great fall break. Now, I do caution M. Dr. Nes, but we will have teams practicing and doing what they do, but it will be fall break and we kick off sectionals

022this week and and next week. So, it is all break. So, that's all I have, Madam President. Thank you very much. If we if there's uh no other comments, uh we will close out the meeting. This Thursday is celebrity reader night foundation and it's uh this year the board members of the board of education joining madame president is always uh the best mama monkey around. She does it not only in the deis but also on stage. Uh be careful. I know Miss Dunn and I will also be dressed as monkeys uh jumping around and we will have lots of other members of our foundation board joining us uh for the presentation. So, please make it a point to be there. You know, you got a good opening band because superintendent was going to bring it.

023You know, I'm gonna bring it. I'll lay it out for you for your band. You guys be ready. Lion hunt. I'll be on the lion hunt. It really It truly is one of the greatest events for our young kids. These kids don't need an invitation. They're going to be there, aren't they? They're coming. They'll be there. It's going to be a lot of fun. Okay. Uh with that said, um the meeting is adjourned.

This transcript may contain errors introduced by automated or source-provided captioning. Bracketed descriptions such as [Music] are retained from the source. Passage divisions are editorial aids and do not alter the wording.