001All right. forum. I will call the meeting to order and we will do the pledge of allegiance first to the flag of America and to the republic for it stands one nationy and justice for all. >> All right. Do have a number of people who would like to address the board tonight. Where are you? >> I would like to first thank Kisserite, Jennifer Keys, and Nicole Larson for engaging with their community and listening to the concerns and taking the time to do so outside of the meeting. Um, I also appreciated Jen and Melissa's comments from the January meeting in regards to education. I'm disappointed that the chair of this board refuses to listen. I would have loved to have seen curriculum and CTE on the agenda for discussion this evening as you guys had brought
002up at the last meeting. Um all that this community really wants I feel is to be heard and when we continuously have a one-sided conversation we not only do not But it's not productive. Even the contractors that pre presented at the last special meeting reiterated that for a successful project, you need community support. Several of them said it. Um, I emailed Miss Tagert and Superintendent Hemer on January 19th in regards to community relations, but I feel it definitely fell on deaf ears. I'm going to from that email. The first paragraph of your policy for public participation at board meetings states, "The board recognizes and respects the input which may be provided by the public on school district matters. Residents and parents/guardians of students enrolled in the school district have the expressed right and are encouraged
003to attend meetings of the school board. But that certainly how we're treated. The community sees the attitude, the lack of transparency, and we're all left wondering what the real story is. Our questions are continuously disregarded with comments like, "We voted to move forward on this, so we are, and we have talked about the land purchase for months." But none of that really matters because you now have an obvious lack of community support. So, that changes things. Time answering questions in open meetings instead of behind closed doors. Start holding a public forum at every meeting until you have community support. Do not refuse to answer questions made at public comment because per your policy, the board president at his or her discretion may or may not request the administration or another board member to respond to
004a person addressing the board immediately following input. So the absolute only thing that ignoring our questions and limiting our speeches will do is cause further division. If community support and engagement is what you seek, you must have a respectful conversation with us. I appreciate the reconfiguration very much. It it shows that you did listen to that um feedback. So thank you is much appreciated. But we need to do better for our kids. Education is important. I have voiced valid concerns for years about our A program. Yet, no changes have been made. My child, who is farming, dropped out of a his junior year of high school because he couldn't stand the treatment he was receiving from the instructor. What is being done to address our current parking issue? Why is that not being discussed? We
005have plenty of other things to talk about. other than the an athletic complex that we don't need. I have overwhelmingly heard from everyone that if you're going to build it to do it right. I know that you guys have heard that too. That if you're going to do it to do it right and I don't think that we're doing that. We're rushing it. We're putting it somewhere that the community doesn't support. All the things. We need to take a step back. Even though I'm personally opposed to the complex, I hear what the community is saying. We want to do it right. They want to do it, but they want to do it right. And what you have proposed isn't right. So, I hear them. Are you Are you listening? Do Can you really hear us?
006Thank you for your time. Thank you, Laura. Terry's so thin. Okay. Uh, Jerry Stalken and what I have to say is just cherry. Okay. So, since the last and I was since the last board meeting, it seems the administration some individual board members have reached out to listen and answer questions you may have had. I think that those sessions have gone a long way to help ease some of the heartburn that existed among some community members and I thank you for your efforts to do that. I was only able to attend one of the meetings but I want to emphasize again that in my opinion those types of meetings were very very productive. The question seemed to indicate that more than one option was on the table for both the site and design of the
007new facilities. I found that to be refreshing. That was a refreshing change from our highway or the highway vibe we received in our earlier discussions. I was most impressed that much of the discussion now was on a multiple use facility as opposed to just a football and track stadium. It is interesting to me how many new ideas people are finding to use a multiplepurpose facility if we build it. A new one was allowing mature members of the community to walk on all on the all-w weather track as opposed to walking on the streets. I guess I should have figured that one out, but uh but that's just another group of community members with a reason to vote yes. And I remind you that we're sitting in a room that passed by 14 votes. And so
008the more we talk multiple use and the more we talk multiple users, the more positive votes we get for this facility that I think is a great idea. When you sent the first surveys out to judge interest in this new facility, I had a picture in my head of what it would look like and where it would go. These discussion sessions have been valuable in changing that picture and what I envision we could do. People have brought up pros and cons for just about every one of my original ideas. The more I listen, the more I learn ways to improve on my first thoughts. There seems to be an underlying focus or priority on what I would say three things. And I get this from all of these folks and all of you folks. And
009so I'm just trying to make it simple for my baby brain. I hope everyone in this room is able to focus on them and realize that if we meet these three criteria, we all get what we want. Number one is we have to build a facility that benefits the most students. Again, I go back to multiple use as opposed to football track. Number two, build a facility that has the support of the majority of the community. Again, 14 votes matter. And then number three, build a facility in the most responsible manner possible which I I'm not doubting that you're trying to do that and again uh if we follow and focus on those three things uh I think we'll be successful. So I thank you for your efforts and I thank you for uh improved
010communication the last month at least the people that I talked with were very b Thank you for that. >> Thank you Mike. >> Want to talk about water the water issues that Slooh which is part of the new school property on the east side is supplying water from the south side of the highway 34 particularly the businesses along the south side of the highway and the north end of the residential area in the Hillrest edition. In 2019, the water came from those areas to on on those areas to the south. It was so deep it came over the highway and uh to get into the slooh spreading out far into the west field toward town. It does drain out slowly to the north, but that takes time. Also, as more businesses are added to the
011industrial park on the south side of the highway, there will be more runoff from those buildings roofs and parking lots. All that water must run through the Sue overflowing into the field you want to develop. But we can only predict how often there will be heavy rain. We can cannot predict how often there will be heavy rains and heavy snowfall. Additional runoff from business growth in the south side of the highway is a guar future guarantee. Some of us already have water problems in our basement and the restructuring of that field may cause even more problems. We don't want to have to contact the school with an addition with our water damage from that restructuring of that field. Well, I appreciate the the dialogue we've had with the school board members and Scott recently. The
012whole concept you continue to pursue on this field east of us is developing a hostile environment which we are forced to live in. Mary, >> I'm not prepared. >> But I notice we say the pledge of allegiance and one of the words we say is indivisible. That means unable to be divided or separated. I hope we can work together so that the end result. A couple things in the armistice leader this morning. There was an article that talked about the South Dakota House defeats voting on school district opouts. And in that article, the person said, he noted that people who disagree with opt outs or other decisions made by the school board members have two ways to deal with it. Showing up at schoolboard meetings and making public comments or one of the greatest referendum
013tools, the ballot box. The ballot box isn't always timely. For us, showing up at these schoolboard meetings should be some indication of what we want and what makes sense. And the last thing I got this I think I can't remember the uh they were talking about the Senate Bill 208 by Senator Sue Peterson. The bill a mansaw school district opouts and capital outlay certificates are approved. Uh what the bill does, it would require school boards to put proposed property tax optouts into capital outlay certificates to a public vote instead of allowing the board to approve them administratively. Some of the reason why um there were some no votes is because the current process already allows referendums via petition. critic said these procedures already provide public checks without mandating full votes every time. >> These it
014we tried that didn't work. So, I'm just saying please listen to us. I'm wore out. You've heard all my reasons. I'm just wore out. So, thank you and thank you and we'll try to get together. I don't know, Danny, if we'll ever get together with you. I'd like to and I mean this this one on oneonone there at my house and talking to Scott. I It's the first time I felt like I wasn't talking to a tree because up until that point it's like everything we said everything we put together my notes are this thick and it's like nothing we could say mattered. Someone's mind was made up and anyway I think I think starting to get through, too. I mean, I know the land is bought. There's four of us here that'll pull our
015money together. We'll buy it back from you. Come up with come up with better solutions, guys. That's That's not I'm >> That way. That way. Um, >> don't don't put it there. I don't want to be a school campus sandwich. I do not want to be a school campus sandwich. If you built a whole big new school campus, would you build houses in the middle of it? We're kind of doing that in reverse. We have the houses in the middle and we're building the school around it. That's all. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mary Lisa. >> Everybody kind of already hit on most of it. I do want to the two of you that have come and talked to us out of this environment just at her house. It's been great, but I don't think
016two people from the board are going to help us get to a place that we want. There are there's many different options for where we can put that land. It does not have to go there. And we can use that land for something else for the school. We can put we can have ad projects out there for the kids. I mean, there's we can make it a part of it a community garden and let everybody pitch in and help support our community with food. Everybody has a problem at some point or another with bills, so let's help out with the community garden. I mean, there's so many things that we can do that's not going to up the traffic going through our our yards. And like they said about the water, I've had water in
017my basement, when we get water in our basement, the only place for us to pump it out is to go behind us because we can't put it into the street. It has to go behind us. That's going to completely soak up that whole field. I don't know. I I feel like everything has gone so far ahead and we're all here trying to play catch up is how it feels. Thank you. >> Thank you. And we'll continue discussions as well. So, I appreciate everybody um being here tonight. All right. Next item is approval of the agenda. Not any changes. >> Um the only thing I'd like to add is the possibility of an executive session because we do have a outstanding contract I would like to get finalized. >> Um we could add that to item
01812 to 13. That would be contractation >> 14 >> 125-24ations. Anything else? Then I would just need a motion to approve the agenda as amended. >> All those in favor I already January we had 95% attendance down a little bit. Lots of sickness going around. Our sickness was pretty big today. Hopefully we can shrink that. Um, last month on the 19th we had an inservice day. We dug into some data. It's a good use of time. Uh, teachers had a lot of time to collaborate, discuss areas of strength and weaknesses like in our curriculum and our test scores and everything kind of teachers sharing strategies for things they do before smarter balance testing that been effective. Um, I talked some about our elementary curriculum and not some areas where our were low. Lots of teachers
019were taking lots of notes about different standards we weren't hitting and we were. So, I think it's a good use of our day. Super Bowl fundraiser last week raised $1,200 for county bread basket. So, that's pretty awesome. Students got a ice cream snack reward on Friday from reaching our goal. Um, have some senior projects going. We have one want to mention. We have a big brother big sister type program that Joseph Keys has started. We have 34 elementary kids signed up for to be mentored and 20 or 20 mentors from all the high school, 34 mentees from the elementary so far this started and so far it's going great and we have lots more kids who want to get into it. So it's off to a good start. I plan to attend the RA principal
020meeting on Wednesday in Sou Falls. Brett Garland from the South Dakota School Safety Center is the speaker. Parent teacher conferences on Thursday from 2 to 8. Mrs. Tamman's going to do a short session on dual credits for sophomore parents so kind of know what to expect and signing up for it and requirements and all those things. We're also working on finalizing a date for seniors to take the NCRC National Career Readiness Test. Some schools kind of went away from it with the state not paying for it. But then most of the smaller schools were like we should still do this. So we kind of went back. We're planning a date hopefully in the end of February. And March we're participating in the kids heart challenge again hands only CPR and raise money for the American
021Heart Association. And next Tuesday the 17th Amber Roast from uh she's a career development specialist be visiting the school. for CTE teachers about programs and maybe ideas for what we can do from CTE in the future. >> Any questions for Mr. Johnson? >> Um so going back to the outcomes that you guys found for the um professional development days when you did the data dig, >> did you find um that the areas for improvement were consistent K through six or were they kind of focused like early elementary like K1 or K 2 had something and then >> yeah it was fairly consistent I mean most of the testing starts at third grade so you see lots of the same struggle in third fourth fifth grade sixth grade I saw some trends that number of proficient
022students go down each year and we're trying to figure out if I mean the state average goes down too the test is on charter or something we're missing but there were you know some of the same standards it seemed were pretty much across the board it wasn't just they struggled on this in third grade was completely different fourth grade fifth grade was kind of some similar things >> and then when you looked at the standards did you notice that the curriculum maybe address those standards directly or >> some we kind of talked about especially in math we the middle school uses go math is older and elementary programs a little bit newer so I think they're kind of hitting on that and kind of spirals but I think there's some areas where teachers that had
023success were like I added this in or added this in and they did extra things that kind of pushes students to do better in each area. So as we get talks about, you know, what they did in third grade might work. We should try this in fourth grade or, you know, just things have to add and talked about looking at new um language arts curriculums like if that's something we need to make sure is in this curriculum or not. >> And then did you set like goals going forward and future checkin points >> to make sure changes that you made are showing progress? >> I think to have something at the beginning of the year. I don't think we have anything planned yet for data, but that's kind of the talk is we should look
024at our scores from this year and kind of compare them and see to make changes in the short term, but once we get a new elementary plan, kind of check the future too, but make plan into something maybe in August or something have scores from this year. Will the teachers have time like maybe on the early outs to be able to at least get together for a few minutes and >> bounce ideas off minutes for early to talk. >> But I think beginning of the year we get to see we implement a few different things and talk about practice testers see if it affects anything or not and if there is a weakness change. Thank you. >> I have my rhetorical. So, when we see our attendance decline because the kids are out of school
025because they're sick, are we changing anything that we're doing as far as cleaning the school or different protocols so we can keep them in school or is it just kind of contin they're supposed to be coming in now that we don't have an actual county nurse. It's through the Department of Health. So, those were things we're looking to have when they come to present to the kids, too. >> And we did pass out a bunch of wipes still classrooms today wipe down areas a little bit more if possible, but we're going to get ahead of it. >> A whole lot to address and the board school board reports from last week I had um listed TAI membership uh opportunities and the name has been changed to compass instead of tie. So that was a correction
026and then only other thing I have is just working at grant reimbursements and things. All right. I did the call and the sanous decision to dissolve and everyone go out on their own next year. We've talked about that. M will be working on cleaning out the office and figuring how to disperse the materials that they have left in the office. And then um has Coleman Egan done their um evaluation of our site. Um I can't remember what the discussion was at I think were talking about how they were going to handle that. >> Yeah, it's due March 1st. Let me double check on that. I know he's at Tri Valley 75% of the time. >> I'll check. >> Okay. >> And just to follow up from last month, I just brought up um Compass and
027possibly joining that again. So teachers that opportunity for free professional development and discounted graduate credits. Is that anything that they were interested? Maybe you guys haven't had a chance to bring it up to them. They talked about it a little bit on was it the 19 >> that is one of the things I mean not necessarily but whenever we bring someone in the possibility get continue credits you know when we do bring someone so um we want to look at you know what that membership is and I honed our membership >> I think it was three years ago I mean, I don't remember what the circumstances were as far as um you know, if we just weren't using it as much as we had in the past, but I know once upon a time um
028once maybe twice I think we had a professional development day when they had their state meeting in Sou Falls that I don't find that Again, I just like to see some, you know, strategic development planning, some policies to review, some of those kinds of things going forward. I'd love to see a two-day strategic development to really put together a good plan. As far as I know we've got the the the buildings and grounds and buses and we've got that fiveyear plan. I know that. But I'd like to see some, you know, going through the data, digging deeper and putting together some instructional goals. I mean along with the teachers, not because we're not experts in what you guys do. And actually, I'm going to piggy back off of Jen because I actually had strategic planning
029written down. I think our strategic plan ran out. So, we're due for a new one. And I know last time we brought in an outside company and I was just going to say if you guys want to do that, um, I think we would definitely be willing to to pay for that. Um, I think that would be something that probably task you, Mr. Johnson, with to um figure out how you want to go about doing that. Um and get that started. I agree that that's something that we should have an overall plan in place. So, um I think that company was fairly decent. I don't think they were overly expensive. I know you can pay a lot for um something that just goes on a piece of paper and goes away for a long time.
030So, um, however you guys want to do that, if you want to bring us some options, I think we would all be um on board with that. >> That's all I have. >> Well, since Jen brought it up, um, I've been working with Tiff to go through policies as far as getting a process to start with whatever the oldest policies and start going through those. So, anyway, I hope to have a few to present at the next board meeting. The 18th I had my superintendent meeting in Sou Falls. Um we are looking at doing a substantial roof project this summer. Uh the last company Tecta, I think I pronounced that right. Um they've done our last few roof projects. They work under Omnia like Source. So they can do all the the bidding and whatnot.
031Um and then as part of that working and they do a comprehensive roof review every year. So they know which ones we can do and not. So um the only thing with that is they're not sure if they can start before July 1st. So it might be the money we had budgeted this year for broke project might carry to the next year. Just so you understand it might be on a different fiscal year. Um all right. We had I guess you a soft opening last week with the wait room. Uh we had a few former students or college students that filled out the um the use policy and have been helping us kind of work some bugs out with the weight room. We know there's going to be some, but um Tiff has those forms
032if anybody's interested in coming and we can go through that with you. a that um me and Mr. Johnson have also been talking to Sheriff Mman. I don't know how often we've done it, but we have a like a mock accident in the spring and we we try to every four to five years just to kind of catch everyone. So, we're working at looking at having that again this year. I don't know the exact year when we had it last, but um we're looking into that. Um, I had a few concerns come up over the last month about exterior lighting at the school. Um, I met with Josh Olsen about trying to put some exterior lights on the crow's nest to help with the lighting on the parking lot area. So, there was more than
033a few people that brought that to my attention. So, if you hear something, we are trying to get some sort of a deal. We're trying to make it so it's not on all night with the photo eyes and stuff. I, you know, I don't know how that'll all work out. Um, also, so we have missed one day of school because of weather. Um, we have not committed to making that up. Uh, we have visited a little bit, me and Mr. Johnson, as far as maybe that would be a good possibility if we don't have any more days. at the end of the year that could be a full day for the teachers to work on some sort of planning. So just we'll say that's a great idea of school. So just anyway that hasn't been
034set in stone as far as when that day just so everybody's aware. Um I think that's about all I have. Thank you for looking into that. >> Yes. Thank you. >> All right. The next item is the consent agenda. So the one change would be the approval of the meeting minutes of the previous meeting with the change of tie to compass. Um, other than that, I would just need a motion to approve the agenda as amended. >> All those in favor? Motion carries. Approval of additional bills. Yeah. I would need a motion to approve the additional bills as presented. All those in favor I >> made. Motion carries approval of the 2627 calendar. >> I didn't really have any but um talking to some staff there again maybe with snow makeup days and stuff doing
035a few different even other districts as far as what they do with staff. Um I know there's one district that um they put out a proposal to their staff every year that if they do a like a book study that counts as maybe the first two makeup days, you know, as far as what staff does and I would like to get a little bit more on the details before committing to something like that. But um anyhow, it pretty much carries over to It's almost carbon copy of the calendar from before. >> If we want to do something different with the makeup days, do we have to add that in there or can we make that decision? >> We can amend those at any time >> later. Okay. So my recommendation would be to approve it
036and then you know because I mean those are you could have 12 we could have one and even the first year superintendent when we had a whole bunch of days I know we worked out something with the staff as far as they can begin to work some days before school. So there will always be flexibility with that and I think the big thing to keep in mind is wherever we have make up days staff and everybody at the school is kind of on call, you know, whether we make them all up at the end or during the year. There's going to be, you know, you can't plan a whole lot. So anyway, that seems to us the biggest conversation. >> Motion to approve the 26 27 calendar that was last to Item 10 is approval
037of the CM contract comp. Who determines when to be determined is the time that we need to fill in any of their fees or project costs or anything? Is that something that we deter we determine the set date or they determine or >> as far as like their fees and their costs and their cap and all that >> there was a total design that has not been So we just wait till the whole design gets decided on and then at that point in time we put it in. Do we resign the contract then at that point in time or how did that work? >> Um we would probably just initially >> initially yeah but yeah because that has not been determined yet. They did it based on an estimate. >> Okay. >> And then once
038we actually get the design and the location and all of that down then that will fill in on a percentage basis. Any other questions? >> Right. Then I just need motion to approve the CMA or contract. All those in favor 11. So, uh, ASBSD, Associated School of South Dakota, um, recognizes the week of February 16th through the 20th, the school, South Dakota School Board recognition week. Uh, it's a week of celebration take place to recognize the men and women who dedicate their time and energy serving on your local school board. Very important. In reced leadership in public education and for improving achievement for all public school students as would like to recognize the school district. So thank you for your time and dedication and that is what you guys would like to get a picture
039for the paper. He's the one. >> That's all I have for that. >> All right. So then item 12 would be the I need a motion to go into executive session for 125. So, is the contract not available to the public even though it's >> it will be after it's signed. >> Okay. >> Y favor.