001Everybody Oh my gosh, you guys didn't get the >> All right, we will uh it is six o'clock. We will call to order the special, excuse me, the school board special meeting session. It's a lot of words. We could probably do away with some of those. Um it on this July 23rd, 2025. Um oh, work session of the Saius law school district 97J. Um just as a matter of note, we are all in attendance even though we're not taking attendance for this meeting right now. um uh prior to getting into our self-evaluation directors um uh welcome Adrian and Tom also as this is their first meeting uh post election um but I guess in theory they're not official board members yet because they have not taken their oath of office so but welcome anyway um
002so uh prior to uh turning this time over to Vince so that we can get get rolling and have as much time is there any other item to come before us as directors. Nope. Good to go. Okay, Vince, I I think I heard you a little bit. Are you with us already? >> Yes, sir. >> Fantastic. Uh Vince, that's Tom, that's Adrian, and you know the rest of us. >> I sure do. So, Chair Lur, Superintendent Grescoak, and the Seus Labort. It is an honor to be back with you, at least virtually. Um I have a great fondness for uh the uh the central coast. I grew up there in Reedport and uh have spent I was down there for 4th of July. Had a great time. So uh the board did a uh self
003assessment this spring. Um we got all the the data in and uh we've got the uh shared that report out to the board a couple weeks ago. Um so you've had an opportunity to go through that. I'm noticing that I have about 30 minutes with the board. So, I'm going to move with some swiftness through this uh through this content um and try to move towards some action. Um so, with that, I'm going to go ahead and share my screen and we will get rolling for >> Thank you. And as you're sharing that, Vince, I'll just make uh just one quick uh one quick note. Um for Vince to hear us um even in this work session, turn your mics on each time we each time we talk back and forth. All right, go ahead,
004Vince. >> Thank you much for that. Um yeah, because this is going to be interactive. Um so for the two new board members, this might feel a little odd because uh you're going to be you're reflecting on a data report that you didn't participate in. Uh but I want you to think about this as kind of a a message in a bottle from the previous iteration of the board. This is a new uh new uh board uh and new school year. And so, uh, this is an opportunity to get that reflection, uh, from your colleagues and, uh, the former members of the board to, uh, think about how to improve on the board's practice. So, with that, uh, nice cover slide. There's, uh, Dune City and, uh, Florence right there. Um, let's go ahead and
005advance. And I can see that I'm sending. So, why is it that why do we evaluate the board? Um, I kind of gave it away here, but I mean, we want to measure the board's effectiveness. Um, the research shows that how you show up as individual board members contributes to board practice and behavior and that has an impact on kids. Um, and that's what we mean by effectiveness. Um, can you effectively govern the the district? Can you effectively provide direction that's needed for the district? Next one is commit to selfacountability. A big portion of what you do is accountability. You're holding the district and the superintendent accountable to what the community expects and it's kind of hard to have the moral high ground there if you're not holding yourselves accountable to your own standards. Um
006the other is to build that uh trust. Cultivating uh uh public trust is what a governing body runs on. If we lose public trust then uh we lose the ability to govern. And in the extreme cases, you have recall elections, but in elections, you have flip boards and things like that. We don't want to get anywhere close to that. So, board self- assessment is a strong signal to the community that you're holding yourselves accountable to evidence-based standards for board practice. Last one here is it allows for you to plan for future professional development. And that's what I'm kind of rushing towards because I want I want you folks to think about how you want to plan your own professional development over this next year. So, um, you know, the folks on the that have been
007on the board have seen this matrix before, but for, uh, the two, uh, two folks that are new, um, this is a a a matrix showing three research articles that are crucially important in the education science, uh, connecting schoolboard behavior and performance to student outcomes. And I want to com bring your attention to the left hand side of the screen here. These are the behaviors and practices that we're aiming at. You know, setting a vision and goals of of high expectations for student performance. Um, building a climate and aligning resources to achieve those goals and that vision. Tracking progress using data and monitoring that progress. Cohesive teaming, which is just a snazzy academic term for what the board is and the leadership team is doing right now. meeting with the superintendent board secretaries in the
008room as well and learning together as a team practicing unified governance. Also, your uh community is is logged in and watching you on YouTube right now or however you're live streaming this or in recorded. So, you're building stakeholder and community engagement just by doing this practice. But it's also roundly a a role uh that you do. You are also the eyes and ears of the superintendent. um you're you know he's just one guy. He can't be everywhere. So that's why there's seven of you out there engaged in community flowing information in there and building public will to succeed. Last one is policy and accountability and that's there because that's how we operationalize our governance. You guys meet once maybe twice twice a month. In the intervening days, Superintendent Griscoak needs to know what you expect
009of him and you communicate that via policy. So these are the standards that you held yourself accountable to and this is um based in balanced governance by Thomas Alsbury. This is the theoretical framework that we uh that we use. Way back when when I was on a school board I learned with lighthouse that is now old science and that has been replaced uh with balanced governance pretty close to the cutting edge of things. Back then on lighthouse we held ourselves accountable to five standards. Today it's 12. And I realized that this questionnaire was long and it was probably challenging. And uh I appreciate the the board leaning in. I also appreciate that this board has been doing this over a number of years. Um and you're going to see the value of that here in
010just a little bit when we put this data up here and you're going to see uh the progress that you've made. But there is a variety of information here um from the the power standards vision directed planning accountability using data for continuous improvement and of course 11 and 12 you know the bread and butter there board member conduct ethics and relationship with superintendent that is really the core of board work coincidentally it's your highest standard that you rated yourself on and then of course standard 12 there budget and financial accountability those two 11 and 12 really just go hand in hand and really form the core of of board work. So let's take a look at some some some data here. Um so uh there was a number of statements and you had to respond
011you were expected to respond as you were accomplished at that effective developing or ineffective and scored yourself and that scored as a 42 or a one. Um and so looking at this here's where you're strong. your strengths are in standard 11 and 12. And I'm really thankful for that because, you know, frankly, it it's hard to teach that. I mean, we can teach it, but if you if you're not hitting hard on well on it, it it can be a little tough to get you up to speed. Um, you also rated yourself fairly high on standard six, cultural responsiveness. Now, understand that, you know, we're looking for threes. So, I know that, you know, while we're looking at this chart, we're seeing a lot of red and a lot of yellow here. If we're looking
012at all these charts generally, um I don't want you to feel like you're you're being hard on yourselves. That means you have high expectations for your performance and that's a good thing. Um we want to have uh expectations of excellence in how we do our work and to be continually working towards that areas of growth. Standard one, effective leadership um or no, I'm sorry, that's standard three, effective leadership. Uh standard 10, innovation and creativity. And standard five um is data use for improvement. Um that's a real pain point. We're going to I'm going to want to spend some time talking about that a little bit. Okay, I'm moving pretty quick here. I'm going to move over here and look at trends. So unlike last year where some or where we saw some flatlining here we're
013seeing uh upward trends across the board. Uh the board is definitely uh feels like it's improving in in its practice. Uh we're seeing some marked improvement in vision directed planning standard one. Uh really happy to see those those uh upward trends on 11 and 12 particularly a standard 12 where you've topped out. You're at 100% of uh of you know effective and and and you're just in the green and uh blue zones there. When we're looking at these, uh, we're we're kind of thinking about we're looking for, um, you know, about 70% green and blue zone. If we're if we're lower than that, then that's an area where we want to we want to focus our attention, particularly in the power standards. And I think I've got this highlighted here. Um so those power standards
014again standard one uh you're approaching that 70% mark on that vision directed planning which is good and you're trending upward fast which is a really good sign that makes uh your uh caring disinterested coach here really happy. Uh standard four accountability um not where we'd like it to be about 50%. Standard five trending upward pretty quickly but still at the 50% mark there. um standard 11 and 12, you guys feel pretty solid in the in those spaces. So really, um I'm just going to cut to the chase a little bit here and just say what I'm seeing here as a as an analyst and as a coach is that um standards four and five are your pain points. Um is where um I I would recommend that the board focus its attention. um is really
015focusing on those systems of accountability and and using data to track progress. Now, you've all had a chance to look at this data and um normally I would go through the report uh have conversations within these standards. We simply don't have time for that. So, I'm going to run on the expectation that you have taken a look at this report, have been able to reflect on that. We're looking at data, but I want to take a pause here and see if there are any questions. And then I'm going to ask you a whole bunch of prompt questions. >> Nobody seems to be leaning toward the mic with any current questions. So, uh, I think you can keep rolling, Vince. >> Okay, I'm going to keep on rolling. So, this is the part where I'd go
016digging into the report, but we're already at 12 minutes past. So, I'm going to keep on moving and take you folks into a series of prompt questions because uh my job at the end of this is to have you guys have some actions to work on. Okay. So, what did you observe in this report? And I'm just asking for the observations. I'm not asking you to interpret it. What are you just seeing in this report? Well, pri prior to seeing your your trend um your trend arrows there, I I had when I was reviewing it, I noticed that same thing that that it's none of them were spiking, but that also means that none of them were super low to to start with. So, I that is something that I noticed was those was that
017that upward trend in each in each uh standard. >> Thank you for that. Other thoughts in the room? Well, I would this is Diana and I would echo that. I my first impression is that you know looking at the trend over three years we've seen um steady progress I think in in almost every category. So and that's what we wanted to see. So I think you know it's good good news. >> Uh I agree with both of them. And then also on the developing part of it, it looks like we have a lot of um good numbers on the developing, meaning we're getting better. >> So, so Vince, I'm going to ask a question of Tamara so I understand her comment. So you're you're seeing the the developing so the the yellow blocks as good,
018meaning we know we're working on it and we realize we can do better. Is that what you're saying? >> Exactly. >> Okay. All right. Thank you. >> Thanks, Brian. And I would say that that's an an accurate interpretation. Yellow doesn't necessarily mean bad. It just means that we're not where we want to be. If we start seeing red is definitely something that we don't want to see a lot of. And there are some places where there's some some red in this report. Um you know, if the board wants we can go back and take a look at those, but there isn't that much. It's definitely the board has been uh in a regular uh regimen of uh board development. I see uh board members showing up at conferences. I've been interacting with this board for
019four years now. So um so I mean that's why I think you're trending upward is because you're skilling up and you that is intentional of this governing body. Any other thoughts? What anything popping out here? Just facts here. I just thought it was interesting. Um, if I'm reading this correctly, we're talking about two different boards here because it changed from 22 where two different people are two different people on and it looks it doesn't by looking at the stats you wouldn't notice that there were it doesn't look different when it changed to me. >> Maren, that's a that's a really good observation and I think it underscores the importance of board culture. Um, this board has uh consistently had high expectations for its performance and so that culture that expectation and the commitment to professional
020development has been transmitted across iterations of the board and so that's I think that's what we can attribute that to. Any other thoughts? Anything popping out fact-wise? We can move on to the next one. 16 after I'm just going to go to the next one. What's your reaction? What's coming up for you? How are you? How does this feel in your tummy? What's your gut reaction? >> Well, so candidly, kind of overwhelming. That's why I asked Tammer the clarifying question on developing because I saw developing as, oh man, there's there's a lot to do. like not as I I saw it as a as just more weight on more weight on my shoulders, you know, individually and my individual accountability and making sure I'm I'm up to speed with with the governance of everything. And
021so when I see all that yellow, I'm like, "Okay, well, I'm glad." Well, so two things. One, we got a lot of work to continue to do and grow, but two is I've got a lot to do personally on my own. So, so I feel that weight. That's on my shoulders, not my tummy, by the way. >> Okay. And thanks for for the courage of saying that out loud. Feeling a little overwhelmed. And you know what? This is an elephant. I I realize that. And so, we're going to take it in bite-sized pieces. Other folks reactions to this data. our ineffective numbers are better >> from previous years is what I'm seeing. >> Yeah. >> If I can chime in here a minute. Every place that you see a reduction in red, you see a
022corresponding growth in yellow. like and because once you're in the blue zone is effective like with how you guys hold yourself accountable pushing everything to the green to be accomplished that's kind of like it always happens this way all the time and people go no there was one incident where it happened so I am still effective right and so you're probably not going to see big bands of green all the time but as long as yellow's increasing as red's decreasing >> you're you're you're on track for what I think you want to be Yeah, good point. Any other reactions? Well, I I I'll tell you what my reaction was because I've been working with this sport for a while. I was darn proud for you guys and I think you should be proud. You guys
023have been working hard and uh and it shows and it's shown up in the data. So, uh, I think that, you know, I think you should be proud and lean into this. I know that you got, you know, work to do, but every board does. Nobody's got this all figured out. So, uh, having upward trend lines on all standards, that's a darn good thing to have. Okay, next question, set of questions. What themes do you notice? You know, what's working well for you and what needs improvement? And I kind of gave it away, but Well, this is Diana and um you know, as a problem solver naturally, I just I kind of want to dig into accountability and and have conversations to um to understand what we are all thinking of in terms of um
024how we can improve and within this standard. So, what we're not doing, what are where are our gaps and how do we address those gaps? Um, so so I kind of just want to dig my feet in and start there. >> Thank you, Diana. >> Themes here and new board members, we like uh fresh perspective. Um uh because you ran campaigns, you should have been uh good studies of the board. Um and so your reactions are important as well. >> Uh thank you, Vince. We'll keep that in mind. Any other themes? Any themes coming up? I was just really, this is Moren, I was really impressed on um standard 11 where it talks about board members do not attempt to individually speak on behalf of the entire board. And I've been really impressed the four
025years I've been on that that it seems that that was fairly consistent all the way through. And that that I think is not the easiest thing to achieve. So that was impressive to me. >> Thank you, Moren. >> This is Diana. I was surprised that we didn't see um higher stats under standard five for data. And I think that's possible because that you know we've always had very good supporting data. Um Andy's great at providing excellent supporting data. So I was very surprised to see that that our score wasn't higher in this um area unless we've just become so accustomed to good data that we don't know what bad data looks like. >> We're not using data at all. There are boards out there who don't. >> Yeah, I would echo that. I Vince Josh
026Havly here agreed exactly with what Diana said. That one I was kind of surprised. But then I go back and look at some of the questions and I think just some of the questions that score lower, you know, really drive that some of the averages for that standard down. >> Yeah. because there's some that are that are just fine on standard five and then there's then there's some that really go into the lots of yellow and some red. But I I always feel like superintendent provides us with lots of data. I mean my short tenure that I've had on the board anyway. Uh Josh, just to clarify in my own head, do you are you pointing out some of the questions because we may each be interpreting those questions a little differently in in how
027we responded? >> That's what I was saying, too. Yeah. And you could cuz some of these that I look at that had low numbers. I mean, I I can't remember exactly how I for sure >> Yeah. >> responded, but I could see that there's Yeah. some that really drive it down. >> A little bit more subjectivity in the in the response. Exactly. Okay. Thank you. >> I want to keep us moving and I'm just going to move to this last set of questions. What specific work does the board need to do in the next six months, year and we're not even going to think one to three years. We're just going to think uh you over the next, you know, between now and the holidays and then the rest of the school year. It sounds
028like uh there are some board members that are coalesing around uh standard four accountability and standard five using data for uh continuous improvement. Um are there any other areas of this report that the board needs to look at? The one that stood out to me was standard two, the whole community engagement thing. I think that's one we've discussed frequently when we do this and and I'm not sure exactly how we improve it, but I think that's certainly something we need to take real seriously. >> Okay. >> Yeah, I agree with Moren. I don't think we can let up our guard on that one. We've come a long ways um in work on this and I think it's one that we need to continue to focus on >> in in regards to both of those comments.
029Uh we've I think we've seen at least I can speak for myself we've seen better I've seen better improvement out of the superintendent other other admin through the district of as far as going to city council meetings etc other things than I've seen for myself you know I I go to Fred Meyer at 9:55 so that I can get in and get out and when nobody else is there. So yeah with selfch checkckout precisely. Yes. So, so, so in that in that very regard, I'm I'm sure I can do better and be, you know, take that grumpy look off my face so so people think they can approach me. >> We really needed to know that, Brian. >> So, I want to ask the board, what what does the board want to commit to doing
030to address uh these three standards? Um, you know, standard 2, community engagement, kind of stands alone. Uh, standards four and five are really uh very closely related. Um, so you could take them as as a whole piece. What would the board like to do to address these? >> I don't know how this would be addressed or how you would address it, but but one thing that um that I think we do well on per our meetings discussions. So it would either be improve or maintain preparation for our monthly meetings. um you know so we're not coming in blind to what's being presented to us and what what is on our agenda. Um, so that I think that goes to the accountability side and the sooner we can read through it then we can send those
031questions in advance to to for the clarification which the review is also reviewing all that data and so that allows us to know and to direct things a little bit better in in uh you know towards that ultimate vision and goals that we have. completely agree with that. So I'm wondering um typically you know the so the service that you that you purchased with me you've you're only using one quarter of of the time that I have allocated uh for facilitation around around this. So, I'm wondering if the board is willing to commit to another session for an hour and a half or even another two hours to really drill into these three standards and uh develop some actions and uh development that you want to work on over this uh this next year because
032you already paid for the time and I'd be happy to come back. >> This is this is Diana. I I definitely don't believe we have time tonight to >> um yeah to so I think we we do need to do that. >> Everybody kind of agreed that that uh >> at least you know if nothing else to get our money's worth. >> Yeah. Um, so we do we even have time to discuss schedule for that now or do we discuss that via email and we'll get back to you? events. >> I will work with your board secretary to get that all figured out and you know >> uh she's going to have a good sense of the work that the board has to do this year and so we will find another time uh for
033me to zoom back in and I will design a process to have us drill into standard 2 community engagement and then standards four and five accountability and and data uh for continuous improvement. Um my uh Superintendent Gerskoaka might want to touch base with you just to get a better sense of what you're sharing with the board and because it sounds like there's a little bit of a disconnect. Some folks are feeling like there's good information going to the board, some others not. So that would be helpful if I had a better uh idea what that was. >> Okay, not a problem. >> Thank you, sir. >> So I will I will connect with uh with Debbie and we'll plan another session. Um, thank you so much for the time. I really appreciate it. I appreciate
034you looking through this data report um and take a look at it, leaning into it and uh um and I look forward to working with the board again. Uh I yield back to the chair. Thank you very much. >> All right. Thank you, Vincent. Thank you for compiling all of that data and getting us those surveys out and everything else. Appreciate your time this evening as well. >> Thank you very much. Have a good night, folks. >> Yep. Likewise. Oh, I need to leave that on. Okay. Uh directors in our last minute and 45 seconds in left in this work session. Anything? No. Okay. Then uh work session, excuse me. School board special meeting work session adjourned. >> Hey, it's in bold print. You can't talking about the change in their in their in their
035graduation rate and there's only high school >> one is 50% become student >> right >> okay it is now 6:30 and our our brief recess between the work session and the regular session Um, we fit a lot of talking into that minute and 45 seconds. So, well done all. Um, uh, we are opening the regular session of the SE law school district 97J board of directors July 23rd, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. Um, uh, welcome to all the public. We have uh, numerous people uh, here today. Um, our mission statement is motivating and preparing all students to reach their greatest potential. Um, welcome to the press and patrons of the district as well. Uh, we'll turn it over to uh, uh, Mrs. Free for the attendance, please. >> Chair Lacatur, >> present. >> Vice Chair Milenberger,
036present. >> Director Palot. >> Plet, present. >> Director Cole, >> present. >> Director Habberly, >> present. >> Director Pimlot, >> present. >> Director Postgate, >> present. >> Excellent. Thank you. Uh we'll move on to the pledge of allegiance and Tamara, can I ask you to do that? Lead us in that. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Um, we don't have our student liaison to the board because they are not uh at school right now. Um, and who is that? Is that Kira Kazuda? No, she's a student. She's a senior class president. Who's the student body president? Mike's got the answer because I know who you got. >> Uh, senior uh SBA representative is Austin Nunes this >> Okay. Okay. Thank you. So, we look forward to hearing from Austin during the uh during the school year.
037Okay. So, to uh make our recent election official, we we will now do the oath of office. And we do these one at a time. Um, so we I guess we we have we're supposed to stand up for this, right? >> Right. Yeah. >> Okay. So, you're gonna have to holler loud. Um, >> stand up. >> Yeah. Holler loud so the microphones pick us up. >> I can put my mic on. Where are you going to be? >> We'll just stand right here. >> Yeah. Actually, no. We'll just Adrian, you're up first. We'll just stand right there and turn your own mic on. >> Okay. >> And you have that so you can just you can follow along. All right. Uh, wait. Okay, I'll read this part too. Newly elected and reelected directors must qualify
038by taking the oath of office before assuming the duties of office. The oath of office will be in the following form. I >> uh Adrien Paul >> do solemnly swear or affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States. >> Repeat that. Uh, I will support or do solemnly swear or affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States, >> the Constitution of the State of Oregon, and the laws thereof and the policies of the Suslaw School District 97J. >> Uh, the Constitution of the State of Oregon and the laws thereof and the policies of the Saius law school district number 97J. >> During my term, I will faithfully and impartially discharge the duties of the office of schoolboard member to the best of my ability. During my term, I will
039faithfully and impartially discharge the duties of the office of school board member to the best of my ability. >> Thanks, man. Thank you. >> Oh, what? It says or reelected. >> Oh, right. Yes. >> No, ladies last. >> Oh, you're up. >> Thank you. forgotten. Just just old hat. >> Okay, that's a compliment. I think I think you're a wonderful hat. >> Thank you. >> Old hats are the best hat. >> Okay. All right. So, I >> I Tom Posgate >> do solemnly swear or affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States. >> do solemnly swear or affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States. >> The Constitution of the State of Oregon and the laws thereof and the policies of the SIS Law School District number 97J. the
040Constitution of the State of Oregon and the laws thereof and the policies of the Suslaw School District number 97J. >> During my term, I will faithfully and impartially discharge the duties of the office of schoolboard member to the best of my ability. >> During my term, I will faithfully and impartially discharge the duties of the office of schoolboard member to the best of my ability. >> Excellent. Thanks. Moren, you're up because I was totally not forgetting that you needed to do this again. >> I'm so glad you were not forgetting that you needed to do this again. >> Okay. I >> I, Morin Milberger, >> do solemnly swear or affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States. >> Do solemnly affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States. There's
041an apprentices around there. You don't have to say both. >> Really? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Well, I interrupted you, so you have to start over anyway. Oh, >> I um Morin Milberger do >> do solemnly swear or affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States. >> do so solemnly affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States. >> The Constitution of the State of Oregon and the laws thereof and the policies of the Suslaw School District number 97J. the Constitution of the State of Oregon and laws thereof and policies of the Suso School District number 97J. >> During my term, I will faithfully and impartially discharge the duties of the office of schoolboard member to the best of my ability. >> During my term, faithfully and a partially discharge discharge
042the duties of the office of schoolboard member to the best of my ability. >> Thanks. >> Thank you, sir. >> Good. I probably could have made that a little bit more formal, but the words were right and I learned something about grammar. Okay. Um, uh, on the 2.7, approval of agenda. Uh, superintendent. Okay. Uh, item, uh, 072325-2.7, approval of the agenda. uh superintendent, board chair, vice chair meet to prepare the agenda one week prior to the board meeting. Items and business may be suggested by any board member, staff member, student or citizen of the district by notifying the superintendent at least eight working days prior to the meeting. Uh any changes to the agenda must be approved by majority vote. Administration recommends approval of the agenda as presented. >> Thank you directors. Any question on
043this item or any discussion on this item? Nope. Then a motion would be in order. camera >> board chair. Be it resolved that the Susa School District Board of Directors approve the agenda as presented. Resolution number 072325-2.7 approve agenda. >> Second. >> Resolution 072325-2.7 approve agenda. Motion made by Director Cole, seconded by Director Milenberger. Uh any discussion on the motion? Those in favor? I >> I >> looked unanimous. Sounded unanimous. Uh 2.8 uh elect board chair for 2526. Um does this one go to you too or is this one me? This one's me. >> Yeah, it's >> okay. This one's me. So the background here is the SCAW school board policy BC states that no later than the next regular meeting following July 1, the board will organize itself for the year. As a matter
044of organizing, the board must elect a chair and vice chair for 2526. Um 2.9 is the vice chair vote. So this one is specifically uh board chair. So and per the administration they recommend election of board chair as presented. So directors so nominations for board chair. Yeah, that nominations for board chairs. >> Uh, do I read this and then nominate? >> Does it have to be a motion? Just state your who you would like to nominate? >> Uh, Brian Lacur. >> Who are you going to nominate? >> Brian Lacur. >> Okay. >> Me, too. >> Okay. Do you decline the nomination of your fellow board chairs? I >> I do not. >> Not maybe not totally wanting but totally willing. Yes. >> Okay. So, um any other nominations for board chair? Okay. Then a a
045motion would be in order. >> Board chair, be it resolved that the Susla School District board vote to elect Brian Lacatur as board chair for the 2025 2026 school year. Resolution number 072325-2.8. Elect board chair. >> Second. >> Okay. Resolution 072325-2.8, elect board chair. Uh motion made by director Pimlot, seconded by director Cole. The motion is to elect Brian Lacaturator, myself as board to continue as board chair for 2526 school year. Any discussion on the motion? Those in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? >> Any abstains? Steve. >> Okay. Uh we have one we have one abstained vote. Okay. So flipping the page to elect vice chair for 2526. Uh background school board policy BC states that no later than the next regular board, excuse me, next regular meeting following July 1, the board will
046organize itself for the year. As a manner of organizing, the board must elect a chair and a vice chair for 2526. The administration recommends election of vice chair as presented. Um, so this would we would be open for nominations again and your microphone is on or still on. >> Yeah, I would like to nominate Josh Herly for vice chair. >> I'll nominate Moren. Okay. Do you accept that nomination? >> Yes. Do you accept that nomination? >> Yes. So proper procedure here would be be to vote on each but I will vote yes for both. >> Is there discussion? >> Yes. There's continued discussion right now. Feel free. Oh, just wondering. >> This is not the This is not the instance right now, but just a quick uh kind of housekeeping thing. And this watch because
047I look over and I see your mic's on. Um try to keep only like three microphones on at a time. So, this is totally not the time to be pointing that out, but it helps Chris and we're all about always helping Chris. Okay. Um so, directors, we have two nominations on the on the table. um a resolution can be made and we can vote each one. Um that's proper procedure, isn't it? In my in my brief little bit. So Tom, >> um Director Cole, can we hear your reasoning for changing vice chairs? >> Um I just I think Josh would do really good. Um and it's just a change that give him a chance and I think he'll do a great job. He's had a lot of input in the last year and uh two
048years actually. So I think he'd do a great job. >> Thank you. >> Any other further discussion? >> Just that this is going to be a hard vote. >> Agreed. >> Tom, your fingers on the button. Go. Sure. Director Habberly, uh, your reasoning behind, uh, accepting the nomination. >> I'm happy to step up and take on more responsibility. Any other thoughts? If there's no further discussion, a motion would be in order. Tom, keep going. >> Can I do one more question? >> Yeah. >> Well, uh, do as many as you want. >> Director Plet has nominated, uh, Director Miltonberger. Do you want to um speak to why you made that? >> Yeah, for sure. Um I have been now attending schoolboard meetings for roughly half a year. Um and seeing how this board operates, I
049feel that director Milenberger is a very good uh foil to chairman uh Locator. I think that uh keeping uh keeping that arrangement would serve this entire board very well. Tom. >> All right. One more. Um, if Yeah, if I can speak. Uh, I think that, uh, from what I've seen of Director Mittenburgger, she's, uh, been attending committee meetings and I think that she's been serving as vice chair and been attending the agenda meetings and, um, I think that her dedication over the years has really proven out and think she's a strong candidate. >> I think uh, I'll if if it's okay, chair. >> Yeah. >> Um, do just do me one favor. tip that mic a little closer to you. Thank you. Yeah, just towards you like that. I like this. >> I also think
050that uh for this board, having at least one chair or co-chair who is engaged in subcommittee work is super duper important. So, I would like to see that as well. >> Any further discussion? >> Well, I'll I'll pose this question just to pose it. You don't even have to answer because a no answer is an answer. Um, does either nominee want to reject their nomination? If not, a motion's in order, >> camera, >> so I'll do a motion. So, do I just say a name and then we go that route? >> Yeah. Yeah. Same same, you know, our our little cheat sheet here and you you fill in the name of of who you are making the motion to vote for. >> Okay. real quick before we do this. Um, do we do voice vote
051or ought we do a roll call vote? What's our what's our thoughts there? >> Probably roll call maybe. >> Okay, we'll do roll call. So So Debbie, you got 10 seconds. Heads up. Oh, she's already ready. >> Beautiful. Hey, Tamara, >> can I wait? >> Yes, please. >> Can I ask another question? >> You can ask as many as you'd like. Um Josh, do you have time available to participate in the additional meetings? >> For the most part, it's the Tuesday before the Wednesday board meeting, right? >> Yes. >> That there's the pre-planning meeting. >> Yes. Um there's also um there are emails that that that come to the vice chair and myself from the superintendent prior some not not a ton but prior to then going out to the rest. Um there's also been
052additional meetings that um either with with press or with um with different uh different um constituents of the district. So it there there are more meetings than just the >> pre-planning. Yeah, they're pre-planning and I I also think that the point of of subcommittees is a is a valid point, Diana. >> Yeah, I was just going to say the same thing. I think it's very valuable to have either the chair or the or the vice chair participate on the policy committee, for example. It's pretty significant committee to participate on >> and typical we stack those meetings uh board planning at three, policy at four um and then t and then again we need to have at least three board members. Well, we need to have no more than three board members at any facility advisory
053committee meeting um coming up as well. So, >> I suppose there's room for two. >> Well, per all the the governance and things that we just read. Nope. Okay. Well, a a a motion would be in order. >> Board chair, be it resolved that the Susla School District Board vote to elect Josh Hley as vice chair for the 2025 through 2026 school year. Resolution number 072325-2.9 elect Vice Chair. >> Okay, let's call the roll. >> Nope, we haven't had a second. Oh, a second. Okay. >> Sorry. Oh, >> I was looking at Debbie. >> Okay. If there's no second was made, can we continue for another nomination? >> Yeah. >> A second. >> This motion dies and then a new motion needs to be put forth. >> Mr. Chair. >> Uh, time out. >> I
054have just one clerical thing. No second. Motion dies. Adrien. >> Mr. Mr. Chair, be it resolved that the Science Law School District board vote to elect Moren Miltonberger as vice chair for the 2025 2026 school year. Uh resolution number 072325-2.9 elect vice chair. >> Nailed it. Good job. >> Can we are we discussing this one? >> We we can't discuss the motion until until there's a second. Second. Okay. Resolution 072325-2.9 elect board vice chair motion made by director Plet seconded by director Posegate Adrien and Tom uh to and the resolution is that the school district board vote to elect Moren Miltonberger as vice chair for the 2526 school year. Any discussion on the motion? Um the agenda that I have has an extra zero between the two and the 26. >> You passed the test
055>> which is a very very long time just for vice chair and we'll all be old hats by then. >> Yes. Yes. >> Um on a serious note uh Dr. Milberger I think that uh your dedication to attend meetings and be involved in the school and volunteer in the school has been remarkable and I think that you're supremely qualified for this job. Okay. So, Tamara, >> can we put in another name? >> Not with the motion on the floor. >> Gotcha. Okay. That's what I >> We need to vote on this motion first. >> Okay. >> Right. Yes. You need to vote again. And if four four would affirm the the motion. >> Yeah. >> Okay. If No, if there's no other discussion on the motion, we will move to a voice vote. Director Cole.
056>> Nay. Director Habberly. >> Yay. >> Director Penlot. You guys have made this so hard. Um. Yay. Director Potlet. >> Yay. >> Director Posgate. >> Yay. >> Director Miltonberger. >> Yay. >> Chair Lacatur. >> Yes. >> Okay. Um so uh motion passes or resolution 72072325-2.9 passes uh six votes to one and look forward to continue working with you. >> Thank you. Okay, moving on. Josh, you can still come to all the committee meetings you want. >> Oh, wait a minute. >> Yeah, >> I was willing to >> Yeah, I almost jumped to five. >> I can get out of the night. Yeah, there you go. Um, so moving on to 3.0, our public comment. Uh, um, we won't uh I don't Debbie, do we have Okay, we have the looks like two or three um
057in that stack. Um, and we have our fancy new Thank you. We have our fancy new timer. So, remember to try to keep um um keep your our our comments, your comments to uh that 3minut timer. Um, you know, a little over's completely understandable. Um, but uh and Keith Ke. Yeah, I'm done talking. We'll start. Michael Allen, you're up. >> Good, good evening. Is this good? >> Yep. Yeah, we can hear you. >> Okay. Schoolboard directors and staff, my name is Michael Allen. First, I congratulate the three of you for your election and swearing in today on the for the school board. It was a pleasure seeing you out in the community during your campaign. I want to also thank you for your support of the very topic I will be talking about tonight, namely
058the recent passage of the climate education bill, House Bill 3365 by the Oregon State Legislature and its signing by Governor Cotek. I originally presented this legislation to the board about two years ago when it was first brought before the legislature. It never got out of the Senate Education Committee. But this year, under the sponsorship of Representative Lisa Fragala and the support of the Oregon Education for Educa for Climate Educators, it made it through both chambers. Two of our recently graduated students, Storm Angel and Camora Lake, played a key role. At my recommendation, they joined a student panel to kick off a summit conference organized by the Oregon Educators Group. Many locals also sent in support letters. They passionately described their concerns about climate and the need for more climate education in our schools. That is
059exactly what this bill does. It's a major milestone for Oregon, joining New Jersey and Connecticut as one of the few states with similar legislation. It ensures that any future revisions to academic content standards I repeat the standards for science, health, history, geography, economics and civics K through 12 will include climate change education. Now, specifically, the law ensures students will learn about the following: the causes and effects of climate change, strategies for mitigating and adapting to climate impacts, and strengthening community resilience to these challenges. It is my hope that the Scias Law School Board and administrators enthusiastically endorse the provisions of the bill. our students will be better prepared to face a challenging world beset by the ravages of climate change. Remember that knowledge is power and in this case it's the power to overcome the
060angst of not knowing by learning about what we can do to meet the challenges to come. Almost made it. Postcript the Oregon educators climate education group has created a resource hub and monthly zoom meetings which I attend on behalf of the elders climate uh group that I'm part of and they and it's specifically geared for teachers. I thank you. Thank you. Okay. Um our second and last unless you've been handed another one. Nope. is uh Norah Kent. Nora. >> Thank you. I'm I'm Nora Kent and I Good evening, Superintendent Gerriak and I want greet the newly elected, the reelected and the continuing board tonight. Um, and I'm just I'm coming on behalf of Lane Education Service District uh to welcome you all and looking forward to working with you this year. Um, as the the
061people that have are continuing know uh myself and uh Superintendent Skirdo will be coming in the winter to lay out the new service plan and we always enjoy that visit. Um, and I want to also tell you that I'm um on the committee with the uh Lane Education Foundation and we fund uh small smaller kind of projects for that teachers and superintendent come up with and we've got money, not a lot of it, but if uh want to let you know about that. In fact, we recently funded the Mapleton School District's community dinners. And uh I think that's all, but I just say hi and welcome. >> Thank you, Nora. >> Okay, directors. Moving on. Um 5.0, the consent agenda. Superintendent. >> Uh consent agenda, consent business. Item 072325-5.0. Uh, this month's consent agenda contains
062the following items. Your July 11th, 2025 board meeting attachment, your June 2025 financial statement attachment, and an update to the confidential contracts for 2526 uh for maintenance and facilities director. Administration recommends approval of the consent agenda as presented. There's a specific item that may require discussion that can be pulled as an additional item later. Directors, any questions or comments on the item? No. Then a motion is the next step. >> Chair will be it resolved that the SEO school district board approves a consent agenda as presented. Resolution number 072325-5.0 consent agenda. >> Second. Resolution 072325-5.0 consent agenda. Uh motion made by Director Miltonberger, seconded by Director Habberly. Any discussion on the motion? Those in favor? >> I Okay. Um the this is the overview. Uh I think we just moved to 61. So in your
063packets you have the overview. This is this is defining each of these uh seven positions. um on the well there's seven there's seven in the meeting that's all right um so the and as we know well maybe we don't and those who are listening maybe don't the budget committee is comprised of the current elected school board as well as seven uh budget committee members um and right now we have um uh we have lots of openings so uh 6.1 superintendent Okay. Uh item uh 072325-6.1 uh budget committee opening position one. Uh the term of budget committee position one expired in June 2025. A vacancy is declared and a new committee members to be appointed by the board of directors. Position one would expire June 30th, 2028. Administration recommends declaration of a budget committee opening position
064one as presented. Any questions on this? And we're um moving forward. I think it's the next six or seven. I think it's the next five. This and the next five are declaring each position open. Um so this does a second read of these action items is not appropriate. A f action on the first read is what we need to do. Any discussion on this one or questions? If not motion >> board chair be it resolved that suslaw school district board of directors declares a budget committee opening for position one resolution number 072325-61 budget committee opening position one >> second >> resolution 072325-8.1 budget committee opening position one motion made by director Havly seconded by director Cole any discussion on the motion Those in favor? >> I. >> Okay. Superintendent 62. >> Okay. Um, because we
065have a bunch of these grouped together, uh, your first action should dictate your kind of action on the next one. So, >> yes, thank you for that. >> Item 0723256.2, budget committee opening position two. Uh, this budget committee member has resigned. Uh, budget committee position two expires in June 2026. The vacancy is declared and a new committee members to be appointed by the board of directors for position two with a term expiring 6 6:30 2026. Uh Mr. recommends that declare that uh position two be declared open as presented and you you heard his uh typo correction there. So so we'll take the we'll take the verbal presentation. Any any any discussion? >> One thing. >> Yeah, please. >> Is there any way that we can stack these all at once or do we have to
066read through each one individually? >> We need to read each one. >> Good enough. >> Yeah. >> Board chair, be it resolved that the Suslada School District Board of Directors declares a budget committee opening for position two, resolution number 072325-6.2, budget committee opening position two. >> Second. Resolution 072325-6.2 budget committee opening position 2 motion made by director Hly seconded by director Cole. Any discussion? >> Those in favor? >> I 63 superintendent. Okay. Uh budget committee opening position three. Uh the term of this budget position for three expired in June 2025. Vacancy is declared. New committee members to be appointed by the board of directors. Position 3 term will expire 6:30 2028. Administration ranks declaration of committee opening position 3 as presented. Any discussion? Motion. Board chair, be it resolved that the Susla School District Board
067of Directors declares a budget committee opening for position three. Resolution number 072325-6.3 budget committee opening position 3. >> Second. >> Resolution 072325-6.3 budget committee opening position three. Motion made by Director Hly, seconded by Director Cole. Any discussion on the motion? Those in favor? Five, >> superintendent 64. >> Okay. Uh item 072325 6.4 budget committee opening position four. Uh the committee member holding this position had previously resigned. Uh the budget committee position 4 expires in June of 2026. A vacancy is declared and a new member is to be appointed by the board of directors. Administration recommends the declaration of the budget committee opening position for is presented. Um, this was the position that was held open. You operated with six members last year. So, this was held vacant over the prior year. So, this is a
068continuation of the opening that needs to be filled. >> Copy. Thank you for that clarification. Any discussion? Motion. >> Chair. Be it resolved that the SAS school district board of directors declares budget committee opening for position 4. Resolution number 072325-6.4 budget committee opening position 4. >> Second resolution 072325-6.4 budget committee opening position 4. Motion made by director Cole seconded by director Hly. Discussion on the motion. Those in favor? Okay. 65. Superintendent. >> Okay. Uh item 0723256.5 budget committee opening position six. Uh the term of budget committee position six expired in June of 2025. A vacancy is declared and a new committee members to be appointed by the board of directors. This committee member will also be a member of the student opportunity committee. As for policy BCF, the student opportunity committee may recommend a commu
069a community member uh to the board of directors for position 6 with a term expiring 6:30 2028. Uh administration recommends the declaration of a budget committee opening position 6 as presented. >> Um this one I do have a question on. We're this we're not we're not encroaching a cart before the horse scenario seeing as as policy BCF is >> to be discussed later this evening. There's a legal requirement that we have the student oper the student opportunity commission uh up and running in September 2025. And so this position again is open because it rolled over. We've selected that this person be on that committee. We're just updating the language in the policy to reflect the change of law. >> Yeah. Yeah. We're not adopting a new policy or vacating a policy. It's it's just a
070slight language change. Okay. Just making sure that we're good to go to do this one first. Um, any other discussion? Well, your mic's on. So, motion >> board chair, be it resolved that the Susla School District Board of Directors declares budget committee opening for position 6, resolution number 072325-6.5, budget committee opening, position six. >> Second resolution zero, it resolution number 072325-6.5, budget committee opening position six. Motion made by Director Cole, seconded by Director Miltonberger. Um, uh, any discussion? Those in favor? >> I, >> Superintendent 66. Okay. Uh, item, uh, 0723256.6 position committee opening 7. Again, this, sorry, again, this position was held vacant during 2025. the previous one that was vacant uh that board member had that committee member had resigned during the year. Um >> okay. >> So four there was a resignation that
071res seven was the holdover. Yeah. Um vacancy is declared new committee members to be appointed by the board of directors. Position 7 term expires 6:30 of 2027. Mr. recommend declaration of budget committee open position 7 as presented. discussion on this item. >> I don't know why I picked right now to uh discuss. Um I just want to recap, I guess. So I'm going through these. So we have six openings on the budget committee and then due to resignations and previously held open positions. These many of these have different durations for their remaining terms. >> Yes. >> Okay. And then we have one of these members. So, okay. Five of these will be approved by us and one will be appointed by the BCF. >> Yes. >> And again, it'll be forwarded to the board. There's
072a requirement that there have that there be a budget committee member >> on the student opportunity commission. So that way there's direct input from a a board level committee to make sure that those priorities are related back and forth in the budget. And so that again, this also gets a part of the reason why we couldn't stack all of these together is that we've got three that were natural rollovers, one that was held over in 2526 on a different term, one that was a resignation mid year, and one is part of a legal change. So again, like h half of this is normal turnover and one is just a legacy piece. So yeah. Can I ask do we know if any of the previous budget me members are interested in continuing on the budget committee?
073>> We do not know that one expressed some interest at the end of last year. Uh but again like once the once their term ends the declaration is made then we begin the solicitation process then they can come back and re reapply. Yes. Yeah. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. Okay. Um well, any other discussion on this item? If not, a motion is in order. >> I'm going tired of it. >> I'm going to >> by a smidge. You got it. >> A smidge. >> Finished three-way. >> It resulted in S. Let school district board of directors declare budget committee opening for position 7. Resolution number 072325-6.6 budget committee opening position 7. Second resolution 072325-6.6 budget committee opening position 7. Motion made by director Milenberger seconded by director Habberly. Discussion on the motion. Those in
074favor? Hi. >> Okay. Uh we're moving on to a first reading. Um so we have uh we have our options of pushing it to a second read. Um specifically if we have questions on it um pushing it to the consent agenda or we try not to always or we try to as infrequently as we can vote on first reads infrequently. Um but that is also an option. Uh, Superintendent 67. >> Okay. Um, policy BCF advisory committees to the board. Uh, item 072325-6.7 with recent changes in legislation. Policies being updated to reflect the student opportunity committee. As an advisory uh, body to the superintendent. Uh, these uh, changes meet requirements as students are members of the committee. Uh, the name of the committee is updated to better reflect the operating procedures of the district. uh administration
075recommends approval of uh policy BCF advisory committees to the board. Um, in reviewing this language, um, the primary legal change, um, is that advisory committees to the board, um, this student opportunity commission, uh, became advisory to the superintendent because we have students that have data privacy requirements. And so broadcasting minor children out onto the internet um, is not a wise practice. So, that's what's been changed in legislation. Uh, larger districts that did have this in place uh back in 2022 and 2023 unfortunately find out that some of their student members were harassed by members of their community uh based upon what was broadcast outwards. So, again, this is to uh protect our student members of the committee. Um and again so the budget committee uh so this position uh advises the budget committee um and
076there's an interleaf between that the student opportunity committee and the budget committee um and again this this allows us to kind of get started in September October um with recruiting that person and I would imagine that once uh legal gets done with it there will be a a couple of minor updates to the policy once again in the year. >> Thank you, directors. Any uh questions or discussions on this one? >> Uh I guess I got to ask about a language change from educational equity advisory committee to uh excuse me, >> student opportunity committee. >> Yeah. Is there a reason for that language change? >> Yeah. Uh very simple. Because people don't understand what equity is and what equity means. And um like I is this is about student opportunities across the board and not
077what people inaccurately believe equity to mean in social media. And we've had um plenty of uh sideways public comment of people that do not understand what equity is. Um and so we're I'm taking the focus off the word equity and making it what it's about, student opportunities. I think that's fair. >> Yeah. Cool. I like the word equity though. >> I like the word too. But again, I it's a unnecessary battle to fight because people want to think equity is something where one group is excluded when it is not. This is supposed to be about all students having the same opportunities within the educational system. So, we take out the hot button word that people don't seem to understand. We call it what it does and we get down to business. On that note, on
078that note on page 26, um, uh, number two, um, when it says for purposes of selecting members, the superintendent says number two must ensure that membership is primarily representative of underserved student groups. Can is that because if it's primarily that, that means there's others that are being excluded. Shall that would that be better verbiage if it said shall not exclude representatives of underserved student groups as opposed to primarily? Because if you're primarily leaning toward any one thing, that means something else is being excluded. If if we're doing if we're doing word Tom, >> isn't isn't that the point of point of this though is to to give a voice to underserved >> like if it if it was >> if it was about giving the opportunity like making extra opportunities for people who already have
079access to opportunities. I could see where you're coming from, right? But what we're talking about is trying to give opportunities to people who don't have them already. Right? So those are the So those are underserved groups. Now, can we change that language out of underserved groups to something else? Maybe. But can we just completely change it to be like, well, everyone's underserved, so you know, it should just be everyone then. I think that seems a little specious. Well, I take this statement, Tom, I'll come to you. I take this statement as antithetical to our mission statement. >> You You can comment. >> No, no, you can say what you like. I choose not to because I mean let's be fair that well no excuse no thank you. >> Okay continue on >> Tom. >> All
080right I need I need a second practice. >> Sure. >> What was your suggested language again for that? Um something to the effect of shall not exclude representatives from from from underserved student groups. It's underserved. Again, underserved, underrepresented or historically marginalized, however you want to put it, it's all the same kind of bucket. >> And and just to be clear, too, I'm not even insisting on this. I'm not insisting on a language change. This is just something that that I read and that I believe to be antithetical to our mission statement. I I just in when I read through this that just seems like the entire point of this committee and it's it's a lot of words to say um people are going to tell us about the experience of what it's like to be
081poor or homeless is is how I feel and I I don't see any merit in changing this verbiage um because if we just if if we don't have a purpose for this committee what's the point of it if if it's just open to anybody. It seems like this uh this provision is to give direction to this specific committee and we can have other committees that have other purposes but I feel like if we change this verbiage why why do we have this committee at that point because it's just open to anybody at all. >> I I do have a comment >> Diana please. So we do have purpose and I think it's clearly stated in number one advising the superintendent about the educational equity impacts of policy decisions. I think that that is the sole
082purpose of this committee. I don't know that we need to I don't know that we need the content in down below. Um I don't need I don't know that we need to spell all that out. It says it clearly. We're advising the superintendent superintendent about the educational equity impacts of policy decisions. >> Who are the >> I I agree with you Diana on that. >> Who are the people who are supposed to be advising? Like it'd be it'd be kind of funny to be like, well, we want to we want to advise the superintendent, right? Like I this is how I see it, right? We want to advise the superintendent about the needs of underserved kids in our district. So we'll get kids who aren't underserved to make those recommendations. Yeah. So that makes no
083sense. Well, I disagree with your premise. >> Well, I don't I don't think we're saying that we're going to go out and seek children who are underserved are not underserved to participate on the committee, but I don't think we can exclude any child from participating on this language. I agree. >> It doesn't say it's a microphone, please. >> Excuse me. It doesn't say it's excluding anybody. It says membership is primarily representative of underserved student groups. It doesn't say someone not from an underserved student group can't join. It says it is primarily representative of underserved student groups. Primarily, that's a different word than total. >> Sorry. Where did the language come from? Who who wrote this specific language for OSBA legal? >> Okay. Uh what is in blue re represents uh my first attempt to update
084the law because we probably won't get this updated from OSB illegal until November or December. Um but we've got to get this rolling in September. But any of the any of the what we're debating in item two here is what was originally written when this was first adopted in 2022. >> So this is not a new policy. No, the language is not new. >> The only thing that I have done is update it to change the name and show that it is an advisory position to the superintendent. I then bring those recommendations either in whole or modify to the board one position in the committee and that also represents on the budget committee. Those are the only changes I've made from what was originally adopted back in 2022. >> Yeah, that was that was about
085midway through the year, wasn't it? >> Yeah. Yeah. >> And the this advisory committee to the board >> I've been on >> advisory committee superintendent. >> Yeah, that's Yeah. >> To the advisory committees to the board, but this to the superintendent. Um, I mean, I've been on the board for a few years and I haven't I haven't been aware of any specific advice coming from this committee to the board. >> It's brand new. It has never met yet. It's not required to meet until September 15th of 2025. >> So, this is not a new policy or this is a new policy. >> No, no, no. It would the policy was really adopted 111 of 2023. Requirement to implement it doesn't come until 2025. there was a chance that the whole thing was going to get
086uh >> nixed in the last legislative session. So, we were holding out to the last minute to make any changes. And then what came through was we're going to take the pressure off students that are participating by making this advisory to the superintendent so that way it doesn't have to be broadcast under public meeting law. >> Okay. And I think this is the perfect committee uh perfect uh policy to go to the first policy committee of the year in September. >> So yeah, >> which Josh has volunteered to participate in. So, this will give us a chance to get a little more again because it's only been a month since the legislative session closed and so legal is turnurning on the hundreds of bills that passed this year to see what educational impact is for
087policy. So, oh, >> um I have a I've been thinking I have a couple thoughts. Um the this is a this is an advisory committee for the superintendent and when I was reading the recommendations of the OSBA is that we should when possible follow the direction of the superintendent and specifically a committee that will be advising the superintendent. And something that I heard Brian say once was um we can try stuff and if it doesn't work we can change it. And my thought would be why don't we consider trying this and if we have an like instead of coming up with an issue of where we have a bunch of people who have like I think it's really hard to fill committees just to get people to join them. So, but if we do come
088to a problem where we have a lot of people who are interested in this committee but it it comes into a problem with this point too about primarily representative underserved groups then we can change it. I but at this point I think that if we do that we might be um taking away opportunities from people who might be perfect for this program. That's my thought. Are there numbers? I mean, how many students are we talking about? >> Is it it? >> We're talking about one high school, one middle school to be part of a committee that's also going to involve uh parents and staff. And so I mean at a minimum this this committee should be a high school administrator, a high school parent, a um high school student, a middle school administrator, a middle
089school parent, and a middle school student, and me, right? At the very minimum, that's who this committee should be. Yeah. >> On the opposite of Tom, I I don't I'm I'm having a hard time with this number two where it says must ensure that membership is primarily representative of underserved student groups. I just don't I think that should be taken out. >> Well, we only have two students participating and their parents. I mean, it sort of does need to be underserved. Yeah. >> Students who are underserved. Well, well, that's not it's not this is not only referring to the students on the committee. This is re referring to every member of the committee. Unless I'm misunderstanding that >> this says student groups. >> Yes. >> Oh, okay. Yeah. Okay. Um Okay. We're probably not going
090to vote on this tonight anyway, right? >> Or just not again sending this to committee. This is the first reading and go from there. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Just throwing out that I would suggest perhaps a a work session to look over this and talk amongst each other because I find this um >> to be something that our board is going to be challenged with throughout our service together where certain people feel a certain way about policies and other people feel a different way about policies. and without the chance to actually sit and discuss it makes no sense for us to vote on something like this when we're a completely split board right now. >> Well, I disagree with you there. I I don't believe we are a split board. I think you're new to
091this board. >> I although I am new to this board, I have sat and listened to you guys work for 6 months now and I am sitting here right now talking about something that should not be a difficult decision. So if it's a difficult decision for reasons, I feel like a work session to actually discuss this is where we need to be. >> And that that work session would be the policy committee. I I believe >> that's it's been referred to the policy committee as of right now. So that's that's where we hash out all kinds of good stuff. >> Policy committee would like fine-tune and words smmith any language, but I think what director Paul's getting at is that whatever language comes out of committee still may be challenged by members of the board.
092And so having a separate work session to hash out whatever that issue is >> with board. Yeah. >> And and we could say that about many policies and that's why board representation on the policy committee is important. >> Yeah. I I would echo that. I think that if people if people do have strong feelings about this just go to the policy committee and let's work on it. Let's work on it there. I think that would be a great venue for this. That's how I feel. >> Yeah. I would say that a work session prior to the policy committee meeting I think that's in reverse order. >> You say policy. >> Yeah. I'm I think the the if any word smithing even needs to happen. So I I'll reiterate that that I I'm not I'm not
093insisting that there's any language change. I I simply say that you know this was something that stuck out to me and I brought it up for discussion because because it is yes work sessions we can have special work sessions but at the same time this is our business meeting. This this is when we do get to talk about these things which is why we have first readings and second readings. So, so for for the the instant reaction to to call for a another work session, we can discuss our business in in these meetings. >> So, my question is when we have the advisory committee, can we have any number of board meetings members there or does it have to be advertised that there's going to be possibly a quorum or is that if we have
094everybody come to an to a policy committee meeting? >> Do we have that have a potential quorum? Yeah, we would notice that we >> got to notify people. We're all ex officers of each of these committees, we all have a right to be at them. We're all members. >> Yes. But what he's alluding to is if there's going to be four of us there, >> we need a notific and Tom, the notice that goes out, it we have parameters of of how soon it has to go out >> prior to the meeting. Well, I'm just let's not let that scare us away from all showing up though. >> It's just >> like we can do that. We can send like right like we can send that email out. That's cool. >> Yeah. >> I think
095it'd be a good excuse to >> uh microphone please. >> I think it'd be a good excuse to engage people in committee work who don't who don't typically. So that would be awesome to have people show up and talk about this. >> Okay. Can I um Andy D should you know as we're preparing this should we include um some type of numbers right I mean what what will comprise that can be >> yeah if you want to set a specific >> I don't do I don't know that we need to specifically but and that's what I'm asking right if I maybe we wouldn't even had this conversation if we knew that we're only going to have two students available on this committee. Right. >> Right. >> So, if we're if we don't and we open
096it up, then we can open it up to more students, I would think. >> Right. >> I don't know. >> Oh, microphone. >> I again I again we can set it like we do and say at least one but no more than three from the high school and at least one from the middle school and no more than three. >> Whatever you think is, you know, whatever you would advise on that. I just wonder >> we again I would recommend that again like we have like the overall committee again include high school student, a middle school student, a middle school parent, a high school parent and then one other community member at large plus administrator administrator and then that's seven. I mean that's that's as specific as I go. And then if we add students
097in to get more voice that's fine. Okay. Um, so this one is being pushed to the uh policy committee and we probably will not see it again next month or would we would we see it in September? >> You're going to see it in September because like we're our next meeting is a is a August 20th. So that means we would have the committee meeting on the 12th. >> Yeah. >> Our student policy committee members aren't back from summer break yet. >> Yeah. Um and so like good. Thank you. Um uh moving on to uh item 6.8. Uh superintendent also um this one uh will require uh well upon approval this one we will require a wet signature from each of us uh um with Debbie at the end of the meeting. >> So uh
098item 0723256.8 Eight SISA school board 2025 2026 operating agreement. Uh each year the board of director reviews and adopts an agreement for the general conduct and operations of the school board. Uh the board has the option to review the general board operating agreement and make any changes for the upcoming year. Uh the board operating agreement is the general overview of the procedures for conducting board meetings, general duties and obligations of the board members as well as engaging with staff and the public. administration recommends the board of directors adopt the 2025 20226 ISO board of directors board operating agreements. >> Uh oh yeah no no go ahead >> point of information I'm just curious uh when have when has this board uh sat down and actually pick this apart item by item this board >> last
099year this time. >> Yes. Okay. Yeah. So, is there a reason why we're not doing that same thing now when we're a new board to look through this? I'm talking about this and well, we're doing it in the middle of a business meeting. We need time to actually discuss is what I'm saying, >> right? And so again, and typically we do a like a like a small we call it a retreat where the board sets a separate work session just to discuss these items. Yeah. If it's if it's okay as is, you could do it. Or again, you could say, "We're not moving on this until we meet and sk again schedule a retreat type session to discuss it." >> That's where I'm at. >> Yeah. >> And that's what we're doing now anyways. Isn't
100that what we that's why we're here is to go over this and discuss it. Correct. >> Well, so b business meetings, >> excuse me. >> No problem. >> Business meetings are for voting on stuff and doing business. What I'm talking about is discussion, which yes, we can discuss what we're voting on, of course, but I'm talking about discussing the document. And I'm talking about actually spending time going through it piece by piece, all of us together, and deciding whether or not all of these items need to be there, deciding if we want to add items, deciding if we want to modify items, so on and so forth. As a board, I've never never served on a board before where we didn't sit down and act on operating agreements as an entire board. So I I'm
101not sure if this is the place to discuss this. >> Do you have recommendations for change? >> I was going to Yeah, go ahead. >> No, not off the top of my head, but more what I'm getting at is that we need to sit and talk about things like you can't I it is Well, no. No, I do not. For the record, I'm very satisfied with the the document as it sits. Board chair, be it resolved that the Susa School District Board adopts the Susa School Board 2025 2026 operating agreement as presented. Resolution 072325-68 school board 2025 2026 operating agreement >> second >> resolution 072325-6.8 8 school board 2025 2026 operating agreement resolution made by director Pimlot seconded by director Cole. Any discussion on the motion? Okay. Your your alternative again I realize some people
102want to take action and some people would like to de if somebody has a plan to put together a meeting and looking at the calendar you can do that or you vote on it. If it passes, it passes. If it doesn't pass, then schedule a work session anyways. >> Yeah. Tom, >> um the 30 minutes before this meeting, >> that would often be a great time to at least quickly talk through these kinds of things. It's unfortunate. I I think it's unfortunate that the that time was taken with the self-evaluation this this month, but that's a once a year thing, right? So going forward, we will have at least a half hour to kind of chat through issues. >> Yeah, there there will be some other things that come up in those work sessions like
103we have the uh the child protection um uh yeah the presentations that that that we'll go through. Um and and then also of course for any of those work sessions uh prior to the agenda planning meeting um any any one of us can can email in hey I'd like to discuss this in that in in the upcoming work session. So that's that's how that goes. >> You can reschedu it for the next time with that. >> Yeah. Your simplest you have a motion on the on the floor, right? So vote the motion down, dedicate the opening 30 minutes of the August 20th meeting to this work session to discuss this and then you can vote on it on the 20 and then you're on you're still in you're on you're on second reading at that
104meeting >> and that was okay with time >> and yeah that's fine. Yeah. Now, that's the that's the option if >> if you vote it down. >> If we vote it down, but the motion on the floor is to to approve the operating agreement as presented. >> Tom, >> um for clarity, is this the same operating agreement that was in the orientation binder? >> Yes, it is. >> I have no issues. Um because of the the the discussion here, um Debbie, are are you prepared for a voice vote? Let's just do a voice vote just so I don't have to look both directions at the same time. Um uh Debbie, >> Director Cole, I >> Debbie, can I let me let me interrupt because there's been a lot of discussion. Let me let me reiterate
105the resolution um briefly. So resolution, excuse me, be it resolved that the Sculusa School District Board adopts the Susla School Board 20 2025 2026 operating agreement as presented. Resolution 072325-6.8 school board 2025 2026 operating agreement. Debbie, thank you. >> Director Cole, >> yes. >> Director Habberly, >> I. >> Director Pimlot, yes. Director >> P. >> Nay. >> Director Posegate. >> Yes. >> Vice Chair Miltonberger. >> I. >> Chair Lacaturator. >> Yes. >> Okay. Resolution 072325-6.8 um passes with a vote of 621. Um so uh directors there is a remember to meet with Debbie for a wet signature on her copy of this please. >> Okay. Um jumping into uh 6.9 our school our sisawa school board governance handbook 2526 superintendent uh 072325 6.9 uh sisa school board governance handbook uh 2025 review. Again, each year
106the board direc uh board governor's handbook. Uh the board has the option to review the board governance handbook and make any changes for the upcoming year. The board governor handbook list the details that expand upon the board operating agreement. Administration recommends the board directors review and approve the governance handbook for 2526. So directors as we uh reviewed this um I I like that last sentence there. the for government's handbook list the details that expand on the board operating agreement. Um so uh any anything that um Debbie this is I mentioned I I asked if I if we needed to point out uh typos and on page 38 of the packet page six of the handbook uh the second line there says R must notify that ought to read should notify. Did I speak absolutely fast
107enough that you aren't where I I'm talking about? >> Say again. >> Uh top of page 38 um second line says capacity as a board member, should notify the superintendent that they will be visiting a school or department. >> Okay. And that's that's the I'm I'm not an editor by any means, but that was the only typo I saw and everything else on >> Oh, nobody called me out on my microphone. Huh? Chris heard me. Okay. Um uh so other than that, directors, that that one little teeny tiny error that is actually kind of meaningless. Tom, >> I'm going to have the same question. Is this the same that was in the I read the orientation binder twice and I that's why I cool >> again and and this is something that's been like it
108was thoroughly developed back in like 2018 board had a long like a whole day work session with a someone that does board development specifically and then we've basically rolled it forward every year but again this would be a good discussion item for August 20th again and again it's the first reading you're not required to pass it right now >> ha having passed our operating agreement and a lot of times we need to we need to combine them this it there wouldn't be any ill effect as far as filing things on Debbie's end if if we approve the one >> no I no again unless you unless you radically change the details which change the intent of the overview >> yeah then you don't need to backtrack >> but again I'm just getting the sense that
109probably need to have some general discussion to get down to the nuance of the language as opposed to again here's just here's how you're operating and rolling it forward because again I definitely agree with having a work session on this one. It is kind of weird to do one and not the other but that would give all of us and including the newer people the chance to actually go over in discussion type of if you agree we should do that. >> Do you think it's only half an hour but we'll know where we are at the end of that half an hour. Well, and per that to that comment, is is that half an hour enough, >> do you think? I mean, this is what like >> it's a big document. I >> 12 pages.
110>> It's something that needs to be we need to decide on it in the August meeting, right? So, I would suggest longer >> just so that we don't feel rushed and >> well, as far as our operating agreement, that's what we just decided the the handbook >> and and I disagree. I think we've all had an opportunity to read this agreement >> and I don't see any reason to postpone vote tonight. >> Okay. >> Happy Diane. I mean, unless there's something specific that someone has. I mean, we prepare by reading through the stuff beforehand. And once again, this one I have no issue with this document. >> I agree, >> Tom. Um, if I can, I have read through both of these several times and I think that the one that we just passed it
111kind of sets goals for how we operate as a board where this second document, it also expands into how we operate as individuals and as a group. Mhm. >> And as someone who is joining a new group that's going to be working together, um I think it at least a half hour I think would be nice to talk over some of these because this is this does go into how we um how we operate as a board, but how we also operate as individual board members and um how we operate. It's it's it is bigger and I think that the the first document sets goals and then this one sets rules. >> Yeah. Yeah. And essentially it acts that way as one is the policy, one is the administrative rule or you know the the
112handbook. >> Do we know when the last time have all of us besides the two new people um participated in a discussion? Because if we if we haven't done it recently maybe having a whole board discussion is is an excellent idea. It just does review. >> I think it would just be Diana, me and you that have done that. >> Yeah, >> I think that was that was that was prior to Josh and Tamar coming. >> I couldn't remember when how long ago it was. So >> I think right >> am I am I misspeing? >> You didn't do as little retreat with us. The last the last formal discussion on this was uh October 2021. >> I think it's time to have a discussion >> sense. Yeah. >> Uh well, I'm sorry. I I
113didn't hear that last thing you said. I think it would be time to have a discussion and I' I'm thinking half an hour may not be enough but I would be willing to go along with whatever but I think it's to at least open it up and see how how much information we need to share or would want to share on it. >> Okay. Um I'm not opposed to that. I I agree with Diana and Josh that that it is it's incumbent on each of us to to review that as and you know and and Tom to your point that this speaks out not only how we operate together as a group but how we operate as individuals and and therefore as I read through that on my own similar to what I said to
114Vince like all those yellow parts of the bar graph of developing this is one of these data sources that can assist me in developing as the individual. ual to help serve the greater board. So Diana, >> I'm going to place the resolution on the table. >> Uh let me let me ask is there any further discussion prior to a motion being made and head nods for a for a another roll call vote? We go with a roll call vote. Okay, Diana. >> Be it resolved that the Susa School District Board approves the Susa School Board Governance Handbook 2025206 as presented. Resolution 072325-6.9 Susa School Board Governance Handbook 2025 2026 second >> resolution 072325-6.9 SU Law School Board Governance Handbook 2025 2026 resolution made by director Pimlot seconded by director Cole any discussion on the motion
115Debbie, roll call vote, please. Thank you. >> Director Cole, >> yes. >> Director Habberly, >> I. >> Director Pimlot, >> I I'm sorry. Director Lot. >> Yeah. How he told it to me was Paul like the name it >> Paul it >> cuz I was I was following it. >> Yeah. >> Director Posegate. >> Nay. >> Vice Chair Miltonberger. >> Name. >> Chair Lacatur. >> Yes. >> Okay. Um, resolution 072325-6.9 passes with a vote of 423. Uh, moving on to action item 610. Superintendent, no, excuse me, Cece. >> Thank you, director. Um, item number 072325-6.10 10 cash flow management discussion. After approval of the budget of the 24 2526, reimbursements and revenues did not cover anticipated endofear expenditures. This resulted in a 1.2 million current cash shortfall and a negative um beginning fund balance for
1162526 of 2.7 million. The district office staff have made additional reductions this summer by attrition and halting all material expend additional material expenditures. The state school fund distributions in the beginning of year expenditures are now out of sync. A tax anticipation loan is used by government agencies to manage operations between expenditures and revenue distributions. The administration recommends that the board of directors approve a tax anticipation loan to manage cash flow for the district in the immediate future. >> Okay. Um Cece, any further um discussion or or explanation um or and or well, if you have something else right now, I won't open it up to questions for you. I can give you some of the information that we've already uh distributed um the information and and the reasoning how we got here at the end
117of the year. Um most of it is due to um some state school fund um adjustments for prior year reconciliations. Anytime our local revenues are estimated lower than um what actually comes through by June 30th, um the state school fund will reconcile that amount at the end of each year. So we're one year behind. So whatever reconciliation happened for us in 2425 was actually from the 232 24 school year. So we had a $440,000 payback. Um which removes that from our budget for 2425 leaving us short in that reduction. Um we also over the last two years we've had reduction in title one. We had to move some of um the aids and teachers to the general fund um in order to balance out those grant accounts. that was about 390,000 um that also went
118into the fund. Um shortfall of prior year projected fund balancing. Um we reviewed over the last four years uh projections of the ending fund balance on estimates and with all the changes in the grants and the distributions and the paybacks that's happened since 21-22 it finally caught up with having a lower beginning fund balance and um the ending of ESSER which masked a lot of the cash flow since there was funds coming in and funds going out. there was no clear line between those two. So that masks a lot of the um of the negative monthly cash flow balances. Um also there um over the last four years we've had a decrease in um enrollment which with that we don't anticipate increasing at this point. We um estimated conservatively we felt at 1,200 for um
119for that for this last um 2425 year um we came in at 1188 as a 429. So anytime those estimates are off that will be reconciled and adjusted in the next year. So the um anticipation of the tax uh the tax anticipation loan this is a temporary solution. This will give us immediate cash to continue um with our August payroll and as well as a start the beginning of the year. But you will also know that we will be um 2.6 million in a deficit for that 2526 budget. So during this time with um reviewing um open positions that we've um went through and um all of the open positions that were not needed. we did we are not going to continue to fill which that would reduce what our deficit was. So originally when
120we went into the 2526 um budget season we needed to and actually to balance that budget we needed to reduce by 1.2 million. So, which we did and um we had a reduction in force and removed some programs that were sitting outside of the actual classroom and um we did do that first reduction um over the summer reductions and the attrition and there were some positions that are um that um the staff actually requested a reduction in their hours. So, there was also that as well. So um that comes to with some um we reduced some subscription services um for curriculum. We've also cancelled some textbook orders and went with a digital version to reduce that. We've um halted large furniture purchases or anything we might have anticipated with the original budget. And um those
121come to about after we look at um all of those items, we are looking at about another 1.2 in net change since the budget adoption. So that will um take a look at where we're at in our current net position, which was at 1.2 million. Um this is unudited financials that you received earlier. Um, I've had um the um ending state financial statements reviewed by an independent party um through the Oregon um Association of School Business Officers just to verify the information I'm giving you. And um her her take on is exactly the same. We have a negative cash flow, but we're also entering the school year with a negative beginning fund balance. Um the expenditures are mainly related to labor costs and the increase of labor costs. Um we go into um also um
122a review of um different positions and and the cuts that we've made and and there there probably should have been a little bit more cuts in the beginning um during the transition out of Esser. So that's one thing. So, >> so in 2122 22 23 we cut three and a half positions. We cut three the year after we cut eight. Like again we knew that we're again enrollment was flat to declining. And again we had we had bulked up coming out of the pandemic for student services. We didn't reduce that soon enough. Again we cut 1.2 at the budget. We we should have cut at least 2.2. Um, but we didn't see that until we got out of this escro cycle because I think what CC didn't mention is that in having the the books
123independently reviewed like there's a structural problem with the budget that goes back to the '9s like Cece is the first business manager to reconcile the budget within the month the budget closes. what had been happening with the large cash carryover over years and years, the annual budget wasn't actually getting uh reconciled until like October. And so there was this float and again when there was a a payback like that was being absorbed through the cash carryover and it wasn't being resolved until months afterwards. And so you had this artificial flow across the budget and then it became worse when we saw Esser coming in and out because that was getting paid quarterly. And so it's it was again it was masking the cash flow until we got to this point where again we had reclamation
124from the state for correction. Um and we had um additional expenses with um again uh with some contract some crack costs again in um like we had an incentive for people not using their like personal leave. Again it was cheaper than uh substitutes but it would still cost us money coming out. Um and so this this loan will help us get square by December. Uh that'll give us maintenance through the year. And then again, we knew that we were going to have to make additional reductions this upcoming year. Um, and that's that's kind of where we're at. And so there's a again a little bit a little bit of a I would call it not necessarily a perfect storm, but again, we had this rotating piece where things were cycling through the ending fund balance.
125And the ending fund balance should have never been part of an annual budget. It should have been a reserve off to the side. And that's what masked things for 20 some odd years. >> And also understanding that as we make little changes after my first year or so after making small changes to projections and estimates, there's always a counter swing on those and that's kind of what the reclamation or reconciliation is doing. So you make a a small change like increasing um I think that the estimates ran about 90 92% for our return on our taxes. So um our local taxes we actually have a a great tax base and um tax payers. So we actually receive 96% of what what is estimated on the um tax assessor uh amount. So that's pretty regular. That
126should always be the case. And so we were making adjustments about about October, November of the current year to make sure that we're not having that large payback. Our payback would have been bigger if we hadn't made those small changes. So um the thing about the state school fund and the equalization formula, there's multiple factors. So when we change one thing, it changes another and then that that balance takes a little bit to recover. when our property taxes come in at a higher average rate than across the state that that is pool money that technically goes back into the state for recalculation of the state school average. And so there there is no local windfall, right? And so >> and anytime you underestimate the taxes and you overestimate the state school fund, you'll have that
127cash flow come through with the state school fund. um in addition to over the um the over the underestimate or the over payment on your local taxes, but those have to equal each other. So really by the end of the year of the following year, you're feeling those ramifications. So that's why we try to keep it as conservative if possible, but also know that we can bank on 96% of our taxes coming in. So that way we have a little bit smaller uh estimate for the state school fund. And this is going to this was our first year coming into 25 26 that these these balances have occurred. So >> so a lot of this pro just like the spring with with the reduction of force that was necessary because of budgetary things with pers
128etc etc. This a lot of this is is um well I've heard it attributed to Mother Teresa. This isn't our fault but it is our problem. >> That's right. H >> um because we only have one other budget or one budget committee member and everybody else has resigned. >> Um was that you the budget the one Lisa? I guess it's Lisa, correct? >> Lisa. >> Yes. I'd like to >> and then the outside source did the three of you get together and go over the budget. Is that what happened? >> Actually the budget is actually developed by the superintendent and the business manager. So the 2526 is developed based on um calculations and estimates that we provided to the Oregon Department of Education. So when it comes to the budget actually we present according to
129our what our staffing costs are or estimates based on what we have and and what is known in April >> which is prior to legislation budget being passed. So we have to anticipate what it could could be. We always try to be conservative on that. So the budget committee is really there to review our what our expenditures are and what our revenues are and and anticipate that that is the best that we have at the time that the budget is coming through. >> Okay. So that's just an anticipation type thing. The board can direct the budget itself. >> I'm just wondering if there's any if somebody can look at this. I didn't know if the outside source >> had looked at the budget and could make some suggestions on what maybe we can >> cut
130or change a little bit that would help. >> I will tell you it is personnel. Our budget is 85% personnel. >> Um and that's that's where again you we make cuts and again like most of what we cut last year was entirely personnel and 80% of our summer reductions were personnel. Um and so again like we we have carried and floated um some positions that are outside of the regular classroom uh that a lot of other districts do not have. Um we have class ratios that are much smaller than a lot of other districts have. And the the one there's two other areas to really examine. Um, again, the the first would be athletics and the second would be um uh staff extra duty contracts. Like we have about $400,000 tied up in extra duty.
131So, we have four teachers, three and a half teachers tied up within extra duty contracts. It's not that those services aren't valuable. They'll get done. They'll get done another way. Um, but the staff that are doing them, it may become committee work within the workday and not an extra project outside of the day. Um, and that's really where we could make changes because we can't we're we're not paying people too much, we're simply paying too many people. Our salary is middle of the pack for the county. Um, and we were losing people to districts outside because they could pay better. But when people figured when they got to the other districts, they also saw that a lot of the amenities and a lot of the class size and programs weren't available. And um so that's
132where again like there's going to have to be a hard look at a lot of those things uh this upcoming year. And again like we've had we've had times where again we put a halt on all extra duty or extra duty that was only essential. And again, like we again like certain certain positions have have days before and after the contract year. We've cut those in half. We've gone like some some uh contracts again are 10 days beyond the school calendar and we've shortened that to five. Right. And so those those are things that we have not done yet, but we need to to do. But we got again to get us square to get started for the year. We've again cut another million one million two to get us to a total of 2.5
133cuts since the first budget projection. Right? So that between what we what we knew we had to cut and what we knew we didn't have to cut, we've made that up. Um but now it's we need to get square for the year and then look at where we need to make those reductions down the line. Um, and again, it's not that any of these positions were I wouldn't necessarily call extra superfluous. Again, like like we needed math and language arts help at the high school. And so we were floating five language arts teachers and four math teachers. Social studies and science both had three. And we existed in three prior to the pandemic. We we ramped up operations and again added in essence $340,000 a year for the last five years for those three positions
134at the high school. Um we've had two behavior classrooms at the elementary school like we reduced that to one like we we need to have we needed to have some sort of outlet. We've got two student centers. Can we get by with one? Those are discussions that the board can make. And I think some of this goes back to you mentioned the budget committee and the budget committee is the appointed members and the board members and whatever discussion you guys have there is fine for again general community input but the budget committee cannot hamstring the board who are the elected officials. So once the discussion of the budget committee happens and a and the income and the outflow match, if there are specific program changes that need to be made, that's when the board prior
135to approval of the budget tell CCNI cut this program, cut this position. Um >> what we did, >> yes, May. >> Yeah, like what we did. Right. And again, that's not necessarily a whole committee decision. That is a board decision because then you have appointed people that are ham that are kind of hamstringing in the board. If the discussion from the budget committee says this is the way it should go at the next budget meeting the board can say we want X Y and Z taken out of the budget and again and we've done that too where the board has then said again they've made ads and they've made cuts historically like outside of the recommendations of the budget committee but the the budget process itself again the final budget always falls to the board
136because you're the elected officials. So, Andy, >> I I will say that I don't fully understand how we got to this point. >> Had we been doing our due diligence >> up up to that point, we should never have gotten here. And, you know, this is a pretty significant deficit >> and the impact of of losing staff, which is impactful to our students. >> Yes. >> Um, is significant. and I just don't really understand how it happened and not really fully understanding how it happened. Um, other than eliminating staff, how do we prevent something like this from happening again? You know what? A a it is two things. We look at our lowest student count during the year and we set the budget at that level, right? And then we uh from there again maintain
137that on a monthly basis as a separate function outside of any reserve. The reserve needs to be set off and not be part of any monthly cash flow calculation. And that's that's where we got caught. And again, there's expenditures in there that are I will say are entirely my fault because like the afterchool program like we have like we had a couple aids that were working in there who again like I budgeted 250 hours per year, 180 of it were regular um but 70 of it was overtime. And so like that time and a half was part of what didn't get covered in the in the grant end of the year. And so like those were things though that were getting in prior years had been getting picked out of the cash reserve in in
138reconciliation in September and October. So like we cut early cuz I saw this happening in other districts. We just didn't know how big or delayed it was going to be. So we did not cut enough early enough. Like we should have cut again. Our first cuts were 22 23. We should have made cuts in 21-22 when our when our enrollment was flat and we added staff because there was again program needs to meet student needs like um or even like last year uh or I guess it' be two years ago uh we had a request to round out like credit recovery at the high school like going back and looking at where we were we should have never added the position to the budget right and so that that cost us14 $40,000 uh which really
139kind of ripples through and again it should have just been incorporated into the regular schedule or been an aid monitoring the credit recovery lap to save us again which would have been $100,000 that we didn't need to spend in that year which would have rolled over into this year reducing the deficit. Um, and again, I think the bigger structural problem was that going back and looking and and having someone from Oaswell go, your books never really got reconciled until October in prior years and and really looking at it and getting into our finance system and going like this is a two decade problem. And we got caught in and and masked it with again Esser because Esser was coming in at the same time our first expenditures of the year were going out for uh
140insurance and first payroll of the year. So that it created this net zero wash that looked like the balance was staying the same and then the next month it would fall it would fall down and then we get a state school payment to plug the gap. And so it we kept chasing losses >> but we we've had audits over the years. >> Yes. >> Um >> the audit wouldn't catch us because it's not a function of malfeasants. It's not a function of fraud. >> It's it's yeah it's reconciliation at the end. And again like we knew that we knew that we were flatlined and we needed to reduce. We didn't know how much because we had this artificial bubble created with esser coming in and esser coming out and other grants and then when the
141grants get reconciled at the end of the year um like in prior years that had come out of cash carryover after the budget had been approved and that was the problem. So that was happening in like September and October. Well, I think last year we got close to zero, but then we got a cash fund payment and then we were leveled out and fine. And then we're like, we're cutting and we knew that it it was a million. It probably should have been two at last year's budget cycle taking a square. >> And this is going back at 21 um I say 2122. So if you have a reconciliation from 2021 of 250,000. So now then your budget is decreased by that much. if you have >> and you had no real way of seeing
142that coming. >> You won't see it until they reconcile and that really is our ending numbers. So now >> when that reconciliation >> No, the reconciliation will happen every May. You can try to anticipate it, which is what I was working on um this year is trying to anticipate. I knew it was going to be um at least 400,000. And I didn't think it would be that much, but by moving things around into grants and out of the general fund, because this only really affects the general fund. But if anything is off in any of the other grants and our other funds, it falls back on to the general fund. Regardless, that that is the balancing factor when we zero out those grant funds. So, getting better at estimating on benefits. Um, we've had a
143lot of um non-funded mandated benefits from the state that came through. We're almost paying three people to be maybe not to be here. We have we have maybe staff that are out on long term. We're we're paying that portion plus we're also paying for the paid leave organ and then also paid leave organ is paying them and we also have a substitute. So, so there's a lot of things that add on to that. >> Yeah. What's frustrating too is uh last year when we had the contract negotiations too, it's like we had no idea this was coming, but and like Andy said, it's not like we overpay, but at the same time, we could have been a little more modest there. But there's no way, you know, to anticipate this, I guess, from from what
144>> I think I think it's like what Andy said, it's like more it's more staff than than saying that the wages aren't adequate for our staff. I think that the wages the wages are fair for our staff >> because when you look at the last and again like sets set staff wages aside for a second and again we look at student enrollment going from 1224 to to 1190 to 1180 and like in that runup in the first three years we didn't make any significant reductions and we should have to respond to it because the need was still we have kids that have these gaps and we had extra supports at the high school and extra supports really at the elementary and we've never had again like full electives at the middle school like so again
145like we're maintaining at the middle school we're maintaining art uh music and uh >> and shop and wood shop like maintaining those because without that like the middle school kids have like and again I hate to sound like the old man at the table but unfortunately I think I am. Um like when like the state budget bottomed out in '08 like to make to make the budget work. A there was a reclamation. There was also a misestimation of students and the state pulled back money and changed the formula. And when that happened, like like we had to protect the little kids and we had to protect graduation and the middle school took the hit. And we had departments that had running on three people, right? And so we had one person teaching humanities, a blend
146of social studies and and language arts. And coincidentally in those subsequent years when we had three people teaching instead of four uh we uh our state scores I mean they took a dip more than a dip right and then it was like well we have to have a language arts a social studies a science and a math person at each grade level at the middle school. we need to have some flexibility. And so like we we've been trying to keep this balance, but we had so much extra support with kids again really again getting back to on-site learning that again like we we added too much and we didn't we didn't make our step downs soon enough. We're at least a year a year behind on making cuts again. Like people people thought I was
147crazy when I closed out three and a half positions by attrition in the first year and they're like but our numbers are sign and like no the numbers are like our student population is flat and and again just basic cost of living adjustments and inflation we've we've we didn't react to that quick enough. How how can we ensure that one that we can make the monthly payments for the loan and two that we don't dig ourselves a deeper hole? >> Um the question >> the the monthly payments >> hang on one second. Do you want to make your comment before this question's answered? I think we've changed, but we also got caught a bit in the trap of in the spring of 22, we increased the graduation standards beginning this year with a class of
14826, >> which gave that's >> another required teacher. We didn't have some leeway we did have in in previous years for reorganizing some things at the high school. So, we kind of painted ourselves in a corner that I stand by the decision. And I think it's the right decision for kids, but it did give leave us with some inflexibility with some of the staffing shuffling that could have happened otherwise. >> Yeah. Thank you. Okay, CC, sorry. >> Um the tax anticipation loan would be taken out um for August and then what'll happen is the principal will be payable upon December 15th, which is when we receive all of our tax funds. Okay? So all of that money will be there on December 15th to pay back the 3.9 million monthly. They will bill us from
149the start of the loan until the end of the period which is the December 15th for that short term um for the interest monthly. So that way we can manage that. But that right by that we don't have the final approval um quite yet in order to quote full interest rates, but it is at a lower interest rate than you would anticipate as a personal loan. >> So it's interest payments. Yes, we'll make interestonly payments and until from here until December and then the full balance will be due on December 15th when when we have the bulk of our um taxes in and it is estimated our taxes are usually estimated about 9.2 million and that's why we're saying it's a temporary fix is just to get us moving in this direction. we will need
150to make changes internally. Um we will be placing larger controls on purchasing. um they will um everything will be looked at on a monthly basis, not just as here's our expenses and here's our revenues. As we're going to start anticipating trends when things change when it comes to October, November, if our enrollment starts to flux, we are going to put in a revi a revision of our state school fund. It's important to get ahead of it. Um and then also all you know all purchasing and POS instead of uh it'll go through the administrator but then the detail will also come into the district office and we'll make decisions based on um that information as well before we approve um the release of funds. Anytime we create a PO we have obligated ourselves. So um
151and once we obligate ourselves we need to pay upon and what would happen in in the past and that's because we had a large um prior to the pandemic we had 1325 as far as students was concerned we had a very healthy um reserve fund and so we paid as the bill came in instead of matching our cash flow and our payments accordingly. So that's that's going to be the big um actual change that's never happened. usually they come in, they're paid out and it's gone. So, but we need to be able to um with this type of loan and in our future in rebuilding reserves, we're going to need to micromanage that spending and and um our obligations that we put out there. >> Thank you, CeCe. >> Directors, any other any other questions?
152And Tamara, thank you. Those were the those were questions that were on my mind as well. and and Cece, thank you for that that uh that explanation, Tom. >> So, it's my understanding that we because we don't know the interest rates, we don't know the amount of money that we will be needing to pay to cover this payments. >> The estimated currently right now is what's been provided. It'll be signed off on Monday with the official letter. >> Um um it was uh 6.05 05 with probably a half a half a percent for um application fee. So yeah, that's that's what I have currently. >> Okay. Um, so and then but continuing and CeCe, thank you for what you were explaining about, you know, really paying attention to incoming, outgoing, and uh and none of
153us like this word, but you're right. It's a micromanaging thing that we need to get down to and and then continue to find find more savings in all sorts of places. I mean the the the the very pragmatic yet also very like absence of all empathy is to cut cut cut until we're balanced is cut. But that also has that's not just ripples that's waves. So >> perhaps incrementally. >> Yeah Mike. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Incrementally more is what it sounds like is the some of the strategy. >> Yeah. that that huge wave up front then continues to ripple for a long long time. So So this as a as the as the temporary holdover which is I we're coming to see is kind of standard practice >> around the state. >> Yes. Excuse me.
154It's not uncommon. I won't say standard. It's not uncommon. Um that's a that's a better way to >> Yeah. This situation this situation is not uncommon to school districts in the last two years and currently. >> Yeah. Um, okay. So, directors, moving forward, I'm not asking for a vote right now, but are we are and presuming and hoping that we've all read through what this resolution is, the the the details of this TN loan, this TAN loan, um, is it making sense? Because this resolution, similar to the budget, so I'm not going to ask Josh again unless he volunteers. Um, this resolution, we need to read these this page and a half in its entirety. and and because it's on public record, we need to pay very close attention to the numbers, both the numbers
155of the state statutes and the numbers the dollar figures so that so that it's proper for the record. Um, so if I'm kind of not looking for head nods or votes, but if we if we're comfortable with the questions we've asked to move forward, this is something that we need to if we do not pass this, they do not go for a loan. So that's that's the position we're sitting >> and we don't meet payroll in August. Is that >> And we don't meet payroll in August. Correct. >> That is correct. Board chair. >> This better be approved. Otherwise, I'm going home and packing the U-Haul, bro. >> All right. Board chair, be it resolved that the Suslaw School District approves a T loan for Suslaw School District in the amount of $3.9 million. I
156should read the next page before I finish the resolution. Correct. >> Correct. So read the next page and two/3. Okay. >> And do I need to read the heading? >> Yes. >> Not the resolution number, but the heading. >> A resolution of Suslaw School District number 97J authorizing tax and revenue anticipation notes and related matters. Section one, findings. The board of directors of Suslaw School District number 97J located in Lane and Douglas counties, Oregon. The district finds number one, cash flow deficits are expected to arise in the fiscal year and it is desirable to authorize the district to respond to those cash flow deficits by issuing one or more tax and revenue anticipation notes in an aggregate principal amount of not more than $3,900,000. Number two, Oregon Revised Statutes OS section 287A 180 authorizes the
157district to borrow money in anticipation of tax revenues or other monies by issuing notes so long as a the principal amount of the notes does not exceed 80% of the taxes or revenues except grant monies that the district has budgeted or otherwise reasonably expects to have available to pay the notes. and B, the notes mature within 13 months after they are issued. Section two, notes authorized. The district is hereby authorized to issue one or more tax and revenue anticipation notes, the notes for the above purposes and pursuant to OS287A. to pay costs related to the notes. The aggregate principal amount of the notes shall not exceed $3,900,000. The notes shall be issued pursuant to OS sections 287A and other relevant provisions of OS chapter 287A and as provided in this resolution. The notes may be
158issued in the form of financing agreements, lines of credit, credit facilities or other structures. Section three, security pursuant to OS278A. Oh, what did I what did I miss? >> Oh, excuse me. Sorry. Section 3 security pursuant to OS287A parenthesis 2 parenthesis A and O RS287A 315. The district may pledge its full faith and credit and taxing power within the limitations of section 11 and 11b of article 11 of the Oregon Constitution to pay the amounts due under the notes. The districts may the district may pay the amounts due under the notes from any and all of its legally available taxes and other funds. Section four, delegation. the chair, superintendent, business manager, or the design design of any of those officials, each of whom is referred to herein as a district official, quote unquote, is hereby
159authorized on behalf of the district and without further action by the board to number one, negotiate, ex execute and deliver notes and purchase agreements related to the notes. Subject to the limitations of this resolution, the notes and purchase agreements may be in such form and contain such terms as the district office may approve. The the district, excuse me, the district office may approve official may approve. Try that again. The notes and purchase agreements may be in such form and contain such terms as the district official may approve. Number two, determine the fi the final principal amounts, interest rates, payment dates, prepayment rights, and all other terms of the notes. Number three, select one or more commercial banks or other lenders to purchase the notes. Number four, enter into covenants for the benefit of the lenders
160that the the district official determines are desirable to obtain favorable term for the notes. Number five, determine whether the notes will bear interest that is excludable from gross income income under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as amended or is includable in gross income under the code. If the notes bear interest that is excludable from gross gross income under the code, the district official may enter into covenants to maintain the excludability of interest on the notes from gross income. Number six, designate the notes as qualified taxexempt obligations quote unquote pursuant to section 265 parenthesis B parenthesis 3 of the code if applicable. Number seven, execute and deliver any other certificates or documents and take any other actions which the district official determines are desirable to carry out this resolution. Section five, bond council. The district
161hereby affirms Hawkins Delfield and Wood LLP as a bond council for the insurance of the notes. Issuance of the notes. Thank you. Adopted by the board of directors of Suslaw School District number 97J located in Lane and Douglas counties, Oregon. This 23rd day of July, 2025. Suslaw School District number 97J, Lane and Douglas counties, Oregon. >> Thank you. And then yeah, read the resolution number. Resolution number Resolution number 072325-6.10 cash flow management discussion. >> Thank you Josh. >> Second set. >> Yes. Okay. Thank you. >> That was the easy part. >> Resolution number 072325-6.10 cash flow management discussion. The entirety of the resolution read by director Habberly, seconded by director Plet. Any discussion on the motion? Those in favor? >> I think I saw all eyes, right? Okay. So, >> please don't let make me
162any any nazs. Okay. Um, thank you, CeCe. I hope you just felt the weight of what just landed on your shoulders. We have we have faith in you. You, too. Thank you. >> Okay. Um, uh, 611, our final agenda or excuse me, our final action item of the evening. >> So, uh, leave of absence item, uh, 0723256.11. Uh, the collective, uh, local collective bargaining agreement with special education requires that a leave of absence for a period of one year is to be approved by the board. Uh, as leave request has been reviewed by the superintendent administration recommends that the board of directors approve a one-year leave of absence for Ashley Juniper. Counselor Sisha Elementary School for the 2025 2026 school year. Uh, this is a continuation of a prior resolution 05142469 granting a leave of
163absence uh from maternity leave in the 2425 school year. Miss Juniper would return to full-time duties at the elementary school in 2026 2027. >> Okay. Any discussion on this item? >> Just to clarify, um this is a continuation. So this is a 2-year leave of absence. >> This is the second year of absence. The first year was again strictly for maternity leave. There's also some other childare and familial issues that require an additional leave of absence. Okay. Any other any other questions on the item? If not, a motion would be appropriate. >> Board chair, >> I do have >> Oh, sure. Sorry. >> So, we're just talking about the need to lay off staff, >> correct? >> We're paying for a second year leaving. This is not paid. This is unpaid. >> This is unpaid.
164>> Oh, unpaid. >> I was thinking that too, but then I remembered from the first time. >> Okay. But I do have a question too on on top of yours. If we give her the second year of leave of absence and she comes back, does that mean we cannot lay her off if we need to? >> She is in the middle of the pack of the counselors. >> If we're laying off counselors, somebody below her would be laid off. There is a good chance that we have uh two other counselors that are looking to retire in the next year or two. >> Okay. Again, part of kind of overall staffing chess plays is that again, she would come back in rotation at the same time somebody else would be stepping down. It would be a
165net neutral change at that time. >> But if for some reason that doesn't happen and we need to do layoffs is >> can we not lay her off if need be? I mean, it's just >> no again if >> if we approach this give her like >> this doesn't she's not immune to anything. >> She's not immune to anything. But again, I'm I'm going to say as a functional piece with where she is in the seniority list. >> Yeah. >> You'd have to lay off half the counselors before you got there. >> Right. So that that's that's your bigger issue. All right. >> Is that we would be back to a time when we had >> there was a time where we had one counselor elementary, one counselor middle, and one counselor high. and uh
166we nearly killed the counselors and the administrators uh with that type of uh arrangement. But again, it was a Yeah. So, we we can't do that. Um >> thank you. Any other any other questions or or discussion on that on this item? >> Tom does. >> Yeah, Tom. >> Um I I don't know this person, but I think the first three years of a child's life are so important, and I think it's awesome that this person is taking time off to spend with their baby. So commend them on that >> morning. >> Okay, chair. Um, may be it resolved that the Susla school district board grant a one-year leave of absent for Ashley Juniper, counselor Susla Elementary School for the 2025 2026 school year in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement between the district and
167the Susla Education Association. Oh, >> the resolution number >> resolution number 0723255-6 11 request for leave of absence. second. All right. Um as always 7.1 with the superintendent. >> Okay. Um personnel report for July 23, 2025. Um a certified educators um first uh Nazia Schwarz literacy coach Sisa Elementary School. Again, this literary literacy coach position is funded through the OD literacy grant for 2025 26 and 2627. This is outside of your general fund. Uh Casey Polarmo, kindergarten teacher, SIA Elementary School, uh coming to us with 11 years of first grade teaching experience. Um classified and pair professional, Amy Pledo, special education bus driver. Sarah Sey, library aid, elementary school, transferring from EA Elementary. Uh, Hope Morgan, Life Skills Aid, SISA Middle School. Mary Wrightson, uh, register and attendance secretary for the middle school, transfer from
168attendance secretary, uh, Sisa High School. Hester Grove, attendance secretary, Sysa High School, transfer from secretary Salai Elementary School. Uh, coaching and extra duty staff. Adam Decker, head basketball coach, head girls basketball coach, Sisa Middle School. Amanda Richards, head softball coach, uh, sorry high school. Nyra Campbell, assistant JV boys, soccer coach, SISA High School. Uh, uh, resignations, retirements, and other separations of employment. Uh, Martin Buck, CT auto service high school. Rebecca Young, life skills elementary aid. Kirsty Clifford, life skills aid middle school. Brock Luke, educational aid, Siso Middle School. Derek Carlton, custodian, Sisa High School. And Lacur, uh, assistant track and field coach, Siso Middle School. and Tanner Borino, assistant uh soccer coach Sisa High School. And that contains personnel. Um I know we talked a bit about data earlier. Um and one of the things
169that we've been working on and tracking and improving has been early literacy. Um and again, we check we kind of take a dipstick check three times through the year. Um the last time we looked at this, we'd see we saw in uh May uh after the first two benchmarks. Um and so I've updated those numbers now that we've completed all the primary instruction and three testing waves for elementary literacy. Um uh again like I kept some of the old notes in there from the from the previous uh meeting. Um but you can see the enrollment data change is that even within the last month of school. Um we had 12 students uh enroll after 59. Um we had three students that exited. Um two of those students had entered and exited in the same month.
170Right. And so it's again that's part of the mobility problem we're tracking. Um uh and with all those changes, we said one of those students that was in the highintensity monitoring group that still had demonstrated growth. Um and again, so this kind of breaks it down uh grade level by grade level. Um again looking at the kindergarten group comparing 5'9 to 613 um uh 13 students that were in high dose of tutoring demonstrated growth one that just has a simple uh one data point they were not assessed winter and spring because they weren't available for that by attendance. Um we see the change in uh first grade 78 students in the group. We had one more put in high dosage shootering. All 11 students demonstrated growth. Second grade 14 students demonstrating growth with one student
171having one data point. Um third grade um 11 students demonstrating growth. Uh fourth grade 10 students demonstrating one student without demonstrating growth. Um and and uh I will tell you looking at their score, this this was a spoiler cuz uh it's hard to go that hard hard that hard negative on a test unless you deliberately tank it. >> Um uh yeah, I because I I dug into that one. I'm like that's a that's it's a tough one to go backwards a half of a year after you'd already made forward progress. So again, that was a kind of a spoiler to the test. uh fifth graders. Um again, we had uh some in we had improvement in increase. We had 10 students showing demonstrated growth with only one not having demonstrated growth. And that's a change
172from uh the 59 report where we had three students that weren't meeting demonstrated growth. So, two of that group climbed out of the hold, right? Um and I think when you get to page five of the report and comparing the winter markers uh to the spring markers for annual growth um you will see that um uh like 28% of the students are mid-grade level or above uh 24% are on grade level. Uh we have 29% that are one grade level below and then uh what those numbers have decreased significantly. One grade level below fell by 13%, two grade levels fell by negative 9% and three grade levels of reading deficiency by 7%. Um and then looking at typically they are with placement and and uh and uh growth goals you can see that uh from
173winter to the annual we had increases across the board in every group um which we've never seen that before. Um, and I think page six is kind of the detailed piece that um, we talk about because we talk about like a red, yellow, green um, kind of zoning for intervention. um when you look at where students fall across the year in terms of the need for intervention um I mean we have cons we have again in the kindergarten group we have 52% that are on track and needing no intervention 32 just needing small group intervention but 19% with this high-risisk tutoring um in the future again uh well sorry that's all but kindergarten sorry I read the wrong line but kindergarten again we probably had the greatest fidelity to teaching the program 71% and 29%
174with none in the tier three group um first grade 48 49 3% and then I broke down the tier three into two grade levels or below and three grade levels or below and um there's a two trends you see is that the younger grades who've had the most uh amount of time in the regular classroom since the pandemic have the least deficiency and then the fifth graders who were that group that were out uh of the classroom during uh distance learning that's the group uh that's been closing the gap they have not made up as much progress everybody else but again they are closing the gap they have made they've made growth more growth than we've seen in the past So um and again going to page seven uh again you can see students meeting
175typical growth um across the year um again 39% for student progress at kindergarten 53 46 64 64 54% um again and so seeing students with improved placement again following that same basic pattern kindergarten 70%, first grade 58, second grade 64, third grade 68, fourth grade 62, and again the group that we would expect to probably make the least group because again they missed a primary year of instruction was the fifth graders at 46%. But again, that's a group that improved um even again from the 59 report at 37% to 46%. So they reduced the general deficiency by almost 10% in the reading groups. So, uh it's again the elementary staff needs to be commended uh for their work with uh elementary literacy. They've made some big changes and again they came in uh last August.
176They did uh some intensive training. They reorganized how they are teaching reading entirely um uh again with small groupoup instruction and uh focused intervention for students. And it's uh if you ever sat in there for a reading group, it's quite impressive. So >> it's all uh that's all good news. Thank you. Yeah. Good news and good data. And so again, this is again in thinking about again our previous conversation again like this is the kind of detailed data we need to get into more of on a kind of a quarterly basis like like we gave you like last year for this report we gave you the midterm and the final and then after we complete the initial fall assessment we'll see that set the baseline for the next subment group and then group it not
177by necessarily by grade but by cohort like this year's fifth graders will show show you where they left off as fourth graders, right? That's the trend that we need to see. Instead of comparing apples to oranges and fifth graders to fifth graders, how did this group change from fourth grade to fifth grade and third grade to fourth? >> Yes, sir. >> Um I remember from a board meeting uh I don't remember month or two ago that they were talking about expanding this program that you're talking about into math. >> Yes. >> Is that I hope that wasn't one of the things that got cut or is that still on track for next year? Okay. No, that's still on track cuz so much of that is internal organization. Um, and how we and again how we
178again group kids by need and meeting those needs in the smaller groups and then doing individual intervention and small group intervention at the same time with our math intervention teacher. >> Thank you, Andy. Um, and then the last page of his report, you see all of his um upcoming full full schedules. I would say uh the two uh events uh for board members that might be interested SCA athletic hall of fame induction ceremony at the high school on August 22nd and then the SCA athletic booster club fundraiser auction will be the August 23rd. Okay. Uh if there's no specific questions, I'll tell you that the school year begins September 2nd. >> There we go. >> And close my report. Directors, any questions for uh for Andy? No. Okay. Um thank you. Uh we appreciate that.
179Um uh 72 is the business manager CC. Anything else for us? >> Uh no, I don't have anything additional unless you have any additional questions for me. >> And directors, do we? >> Nope. Okay. >> Sure. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Um, is there anything on your mind as far as good candidates that we should be looking like qualities we should be looking for and candidates for the budget committee >> on the budget committee? Um, I think that's um someone that can can really determine as far as asking questions that are really poignant and based on what we already know as far as um as our expenses run. you know, um someone who's um can um weigh those options and kind of understand um how um the expenditures run for us, you know, as as far
180as anticipation or ask questions about um calculations and projections in regards to revenues and um I think someone with a basic understanding of of how um the school budget really runs. And I think a a lot of people are interested. I think that if you review our our previous budget or even if you look at different school budgets or maybe you go on to the website at Oregon uh Department of Education, I think it's somebody who really wants to get involved and understand how school is different than an actual business because we're mainly dependent on one or three sources or a few grants and and two state s a state source in Texas. So, I think it's someone that can um actually take a look at those and and determine how programs are run that
181our staff is our our main um expenditure as well as how we can best utilize um funds for to support those programs. So, yeah, those would be my features and someone who listens, you know, and and really can ask poignant questions is really important. And I think the other part too is that recommendations for changes within the budget or changes within programs, those committee members are making those recommendations to the board members, right? And when the board member decides they're going to make a change that is different from the initial projection that CC and I bring you, we'll we make those changes and have done that in the past. It's again it's it's a the budget committee again is kind of a step short of having direct line item control of the budget because only
182because they're appointed and that's why the law is written the way that it is and and the and some of the questions that CC and I get asked about programs and how to make them more efficient. we can answer them. But executing some of those changes about when we have competing programs that are both of value that's going to be they know that they have to know that that decision is going to be made by the elected officials based on their recommendation. And again I we've over the years we've seen it happen both ways where board members accept they don't or even beyond that they go hey this happened outside of the budget and let's do this. Right? So, we've had all of that happen. Um, but again, the final decision always comes down to
183the elected officials. And I think that's part it's different than other public agencies where budget committees have more line item, more specific function control. And again, they're making their case to you because I will execute whatever you guys tell us to do. Um but again unelected people because I work for the board can't necessarily say cut this program. They can make the recommendation to the board and then CCNI will execute that and take care of the staff position from there. And so it's again it it sometimes it feels like sitting on the budget committee is a bit of a hollow piece but again if you're asking good questions and making recommendations to the board like things things will shift and things will change because we do get a lot of good ideas. We just can't
184always execute all of them, especially when it comes to ads or and again we're gonna have times where we're not going to be able to add where we're going to be reducing. Like how do we make those reductions so that they are the least impactful to all students so we maintain the closest semblance to what we do here which is special and different from a lot of other districts. >> Chair Lacatur. >> Yes. I will say I have some updated applications paper here if anybody would like to take them. We'll have them at the district office and the website will be updated next week. >> Okay. Thank you. Um yes. And that that gets to my um well we don't have any admin reports from from the the three buildings. Um we don't have any
185student rep uh communications. So into board chair communications that's I added one and that is um you know keep in mind and so if you want to grab a an application that you can hand to people and so and also Tom to your point of of who willing those who are willing so it's funny because there was an open seat all last year huh >> oh yeah we that those six or seven that we just did we did that one numerous times because it's it's open for a period of time and And then it closes and since it didn't get filled, we opened it again. So, so yes. So, willing. So, I everything they said topped with willing. >> Yeah. I don't know if this would anybody. But since people who would be on the
186budget committee would be making recommendations to us, nothing's your fault. We take all the blame. >> There you go. Don't be scared. >> Yes. >> Okay. Um so directors keep keep community members in mind that uh that can help us all uh um work towards our our mission statement over there. Um so future meeting dates uh the OSA summer conference is the 8th through the 10th um up in Salem. Uh that's August 8th through the 10th um up at the Salem Convention Center. Um Director Plet, Director Milenberger, Director Posegate, Superintendent Gresco Kak and uh Debbie well Mrs. free over there. Um, they will be attending. Our August meeting date is August 20th, 2025. The all staff welcome back is August 27th, 8:05 to 9:30 at the middle school commons. Uh, picture day for board members,
187September 10th and 11th high school. September meeting date is September 10th. October meeting date is October 8th. November meeting date is November 19th. And then my note about the budget committee. Um, so we'll go to uh um board member acknowledgements and communications. So, we'll turn right to you, Director Milenberger. >> I have nothing. >> Okay. >> I know. Other than I'm glad to be back in my position. Yeah. >> Thank you to everyone that supported me. Other than that, I got nothing. Thank you, >> Adrian. Excited to work with you guys. Excited to help make change. You guys have a a good board going, so happy to join it. >> I don't have anything either. >> Diana, >> nothing. Josh, I I heard Josh have been working on a rap. You want to give that
188to us? >> I I can go. >> False. >> Completely false. >> Okay. Um I just want to, you know, tell CC we appreciate you and know this is a not an easy uh run here you're on. So, and and Superintendent S. Thank you, >> Tom. Oh, man. I had so much that I wanted to say, but it's late and I have to pee, so I will try to shorten it up. Um, I saw in the newspaper that we have uh Coach Perry is getting promoted to athletic director. That's awesome. Congrats to him. >> That's correct. >> Um, I want to say a big shout out to our state champion esports team for Mario Kart. Uh, I play Mario Kart with my daughters and I think that is so awesome that our school has an
189esports team. A lot of colleges now have esports teams as well. So, congrats to them. Um, to the people sitting at the table with me, um, I'm really excited to work with you guys and to get to know you guys. Um, I would love to, uh, go grab a coffee sometime and like have less formal introductions. I think that would be really great since we're going to be working together for the next couple years. Um, and yeah, I I guess I'll just stop there since it's late. >> Good. Uh, thank you. All right. Well, meeting adjourned.