Board Meeting 6/9/25

001[Music] Hey, hey, hey. [Music] Hey, [Music] Hey, hey, hey. Heat. Heat. [Music] Hey. [Music] Hey, [Music] hey, hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. [Music] Hey, [Music] Sorry if I start talking to right. like to call to order the regular meeting of the board of education at 5:00 p.m. Could we please have the roll call? Frame here. Henchel here. Labyrinth here. Maine here. Oliver here. Panel your motor here. So we have established a quorum. Uh we are now going to move into a moment of reflection and then the pledge of allegiance. To the flag of the United States of America and to the stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Just a side note regarding the pledge of allegiance. Last um meeting we had some students uh lead the pledge of allegiance. We're

002going to continue to do that into the school year. Um, and so if there are any school organizations that are meeting throughout the summer and would like to lead the pledge and share anything about either their club or a class or whatever, just please get a hold of Mr. Steinbart and we'll set that up because I think it's important that we have students here whenever possible. And I think we have some here, but I don't think they want to say the pledge. Okay. All right. So, um, starting with uh announcement 2.01, 01 an announcement of a workshop following the regular meeting to discuss school meal prices and fees for the 2526 school year and policy 0167.3 public comment at board meetings. Speaking of public comment that will be up next. It is now time for

003public comment. The public may now approach the board to make a presentation no longer than five minutes per person and 10 minutes per topic. Those persons exceeding these time limits shall be interrupted as deemed necessary by the presiding officer. Members of the board administration will not respond or further discuss items from public comment at this meeting to remain in compliance with state statutes chapter 19 sub chapter 5 open meetings of governmental bodies in the public notice requirements. I'm referencing policy 0167.3 public comment at board meetings. I want to remind participants that the presiding officer is guided by the following rules. Letter F, all statements shall be directed to the presiding officer. No person may address or question board members individually. Letter G, the presiding officer will interrupt, warn, or terminate if the precip participant statement

004is too lengthy, personally directed, abusive, obscene, or irrelevant. Uh number two, the presiding officer will request any individual to leave the meeting when that person does not observe reasonable quorum decorum. Three, the presiding officer will request the assistance of law enforcement officers in the removal of a disorderly person when that person's conduct interferes with the orderly progress of the meeting. Number four, the presiding officer will call for a recess um or in adjournment to another time when the lack of public decorum uh so interferes with the orderly conduct of the meeting as to warrant such action. Um I've asked uh Hi to help us out regarding keeping the time limit on. So uh Heli has got it set up within our system. So there's a five minute timer now on the screen. Um, and then

005if there are any um, groups that are going to be taking that 10-minute per topic item, I've asked her to keep track of that um, just so that we're keeping time with what it actually should be. So, with that all said, if anyone would like to come forward, we welcome you now. Hello, my name is Caitlyn Darnell. And my name is Lillian Costello. And we are both going into eighth grade next year at Savage Middle School. So, we both have both so we both have firsthand experience on how students and teachers act at our school. We have a pretty good idea on how things are going to look next year. And as we are all aware, there are going to be schedule changes for next year. This will come with some issues involving the schedule

006changes for Encore classes. Next year the encore classes it will be sixth, seventh and eighth graders eighth grade students combined in the same class. This comes with a whole list of underlying issues. One issue that you will have if you combine the three grades in encore classes will be behavioral issues. All three grades are at different points in life mentally and physically. While eighth graders are preparing for high school, sixth graders are still figuring out how middle school works and everything that goes along with middle school. A sixth grader is typically in the early ages of adolescence while an eighth grader is nearing the end. These differences can lead to mi mismatched educ expectations and difficulties in classroom management. It is incredibly difficult for people up to three years apart to get along, especially when

007they're at such different places in life. Another huge issue will be the challenges the teachers will face with teaching the curriculums. With three different grades in one class, there are basically three classes to teach, but with only one teacher. You cannot successfully teach a sixth grader and an eighth grader in the same se band class when sixth graders need something more simple and eighth graders need something more challenging. If you meet somewhere in the middle of super easy and super hard, then you have what the seventh graders need. But it would be still too simple for the eighth graders yet too hard for the sixth graders. Do you see the issue here? This applies to all Encore classes, not just the music classes. So, how will these Encore teachers be able to teach their classes?

008The new schedule gives us shorter classes with more students in each class and three different levels to teach at. This is a recipe for failure. How do you expect to give students the education they need when their needs are all different? How can a teacher give every student the same amount of help? When there are so many students with so many needs in so little time. These encore classes that are affected aren't just going to be band, choir, and orchestra. It's also going to be health, art, bit, teched, gym, world language, and general music. These are all classes to be affected by this. When a teacher is expected to teach all the students at their own level, how are they going to do this when there are three different levels in each class? The issue

009of the content is huge with three different ages of students. We need three different levels of content. But as we already said, this cannot work. You can't you just can't teach in the little time that teachers have been given. what are basically three completely different lessons. It just wouldn't be effective and give the students what they need. Do we see how this can be an issue? Sure, it's only three years of difference, but in between these three years really changes kids. We cannot be putting them in the same classes and expect them to succeed. We need to change this. The setup we have for this encore classes right now just simply will not work for next year. Luckily for us, we still have time. School does not start until the fall. We have all summer

010to find a way to change this. We can still change how the schedule looks. We don't need to put all three grades in the same class, encore class. In fact, we shouldn't at all. We can fix this issue before it really is here for for us to face. We can fix this. There is always another option. We just need to look for it. Thank you for your time and please consider this issue. Thank you. [Applause] Hi, Tiffany Brell 196 Shabboan Street. Um, I had emailed a few of you, but I didn't want to get any quorum issues, so I only reached out to a few members of the board. But now that I'm in front of all of you in a public meeting, I would like to request that you delay action tonight on the

011preliminary school district budget. Um, there needs to be more time for actual public engagement with the budget process. In fact, I think there needs to be better understanding of what the school district budget process is beyond how the state funding affects our budget, which I believe was the majority of what the workshop was at the previous board meeting. I have been asking board members, how do the budget cuts directly affect programs within our schools? How does laying off specific teachers affect what's available at the high school or the middle schools? We laid off the German teacher at the high school. Does that mean there's no longer a German program? I don't know. I don't know if the school board knows because I have really not been able to get specific answers on what the action

012that the board took with the previous board does for the upcoming school year. Um, I think the young ladies who just spoke had a really great example of something that I don't think most of the public is has any clue about, and that's how does the changes to the middle school schedule affect the availability of courses and um the gosh, I can't think of the word I'm looking for. Just the structure of what those classes look like for those students. People respond to what they know. People don't know specifics about how the preliminary budget is going to affect their students education, their children's education. And so you're not getting feedback because people don't know what to respond to. You're getting a lot of feedback about the preschool phenology program because parents who are directly affected

013by that program or parents like me who have had children in that program understand what that program does and don't want to see it go away. See, I know you're getting lots of emails and had parents show up at the last board meeting to speak on that. You're not getting people speaking on the budget because they don't know what the preliminary budget can do for the upcoming school year. We need time for the community to be able to engage with that because I personally believe that if we don't do this now, if we're looking at a referendum again in a year, it's not going to be successful because people still don't understand what the referendum this April really meant. I just talked to a neighbor yesterday who thought that the referendum was largely about school

014security. She didn't have an a clue that it meant we were going to be losing teachers and affecting potential courses offered and and all the the domino effect of it because there was not good engagement with the public. And this is a place that we can start fresh and you can take some action tonight by just delaying the action on the preliminary budget by one meeting. So we have time to understand what's in that, what will affect our kids upcoming school year and give you feedback on what this community really prioritizes and values for our kids. Thank you. Thank you. Hello, Jim. Hes W3678 Sunny Road, Eden. Thank you. Uh, this is not a AI I chat um GPT. Um, I'm old school and I actually wrote this out. If the head of the Wisconsin

015public schools, DPI Superintendent Jill Underly, can't get her act together, how can we expect our students to? Underly has been a terrible example of people who have master degrees, she has two of them, and a doctorate. These lifelong learners purport to be the so-called experts. But education without morals equal corruption. May 27th, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Wisconsin Department of Instruction announced it would update its state report card system. DPI said updates are necessary step to ensure the system remains valid and fair. The news article goes on to say the state report card system has not, I repeat, has not undergone significant changes since it was released in 2012. According to the DPI, what's expected to change are the cut scores that determine where schools fall on the scale from failing expectations to

016exceeding them. Wait a minute. Just last August 2024, DPI made a controversial decision to change both the scale, cut points, and terminology of the forward exam. Developing was previously known as below basic. Approaching was known as basic and meeting was known as proficient. The cut point percentile ranking change moved 8% of Wisconsin students from the lowest category to the next category. This has made it harder for districts, parents, and the public to track student outcomes over time. Apparently DPI and all connected to Wisconsin public education are okay with dishonesty. Jill Underly is a zealot of social emotional learning and her manipulating the cut scores of our children is the fruit. SEAL curriculum used in public schools teaches young minds to be empathetic toward other group beliefs and lifestyles. What what's springing up in California appears

017to be the start of the 2020 summer of riots 2.0. Many Americans who went to public schools support illegal aliens that rape and murder and back violent rioters, but at the same time hate law officers because little time is spent in our public schools on the rule of law or understanding the US Constitution. California socialistic governor Gavin Newsome graduated from Redwood Public High School in Larchsburg, California. LA Mayor Karen Bass, a public school graduate, is a hardcore communist. By the way, the president did not go to public school. Excuse me. The ideology behind social emotional learning is socialism, collectivism. These LA riots are not organic, but groups like the California BLM and the California Teachers Union are funding the terrorizing Los Angeles riers. Thank you. Thank you. And uh just to clarify um Mr. Oliver

018had let me know that he might have to step out at times. So it was not involved in any way to that conversation. So thank you Mr. Hus. Is there anyone else? Okay. Then not seeing anyone. We're going to move to the approval of the consent agenda. If I could have a motion please. Move the board of education approve the consent agenda as follows. May 28, 2025 regular meeting, workshop and executive session minutes, personnel recommendations, resignations, and new hires and bimonthly financial support or report. Second. Uh, we have a motion by Henel and we have a second by Ly. Could we please have the role? Um, discussion. Thank you. um on the minutes uh of the regular meeting, the last meeting minutes, which I believe is the 28th. Um I have a question um on

019number nine or 9.01. I'm need a clarification. I think it it reads, "Superintendent Steinbart notified the board of policy technical corrections to change the administrator title to coordinator of human relations in all applicable policies with the okay as I'm reading I'm answering my own question. It's the best type a as as my question was uh coordinate by adding the term coordinator did that change this individual to an administrator and but it sounds like here too but you're saying it's the administrative title so I still don't know if it's a person or what is going on here they were in an administrative role previously so it stayed in the administrative role yet okay that's it was just the title that needed to Got it. Thank you. No, thank you for the question. Appreciate that. Any other

020questions or comments? Okay, then the role, please. Frame, yes. Penchel, yes. Lyance, yes. Maine, yes. Oliver, yes. Panel, yes. Motor, yes. Motion carries 70. Moving forward, um the chief academic uh uh individual resolutions. I move that the board of education approve policy 5411, third grade promotion and retention at risk students at second reading. Uh second. We have a motion by Henchel and a second by Lyence. And are there any questions or comments? And this was a workshop that we uh had and went through that information. Um, so if anybody in the viewing audience, if there's more you want to know about this, if you watch our last board meeting, uh, we get into it quite in depth in the workshop. I have a question. Sure. [Music] Well, it's under the title of based onreing. and

021reads promotion. The students non completion of their reading personal plan was not primarily due to the lack of reading proficiency. Previously in the document proficiency was defined as reading fluency and comprehension. Noncomp completion due to what? A non completion was not primarily due to the students lack of reading. Does that mean it's due to something like absenteeism? Is it due to hyperactivity? Great question. I'm not sure. Sure. And I think you explained it perfectly there, though. It's it can be due to other factors that are outside of the school's control of why they weren't able to do it. It could also be the fluency piece. And as we've been testing a number of students, that comprehension is great, their fluency, they're reading with passion, purpose, they're doing all those things. They don't read it as

022fast as what the testing would like them to to read it as, though. And would that would be a reason why we would not ask ever for a student to be retained for that purpose alone either. So you're saying that perhaps this individual would obtain comprehension but not fluency and because it could be some some primarily due to their lack of reading proficiency. My point was it's still a lack of proficiency. Correct. And that's where we would meet with their parents too and try to develop a plan of correctly comp. Correct. So they'd still receive they they'd move on to the next grade. They would still have a plan that they need to work on. They'd still have intervention. They'd still work towards meeting um uh reading at grade level. That we just wouldn't hold

023them back from going to the fourth grade. I can understand. I'm not sure. Sure. At this point in time, it's such a situational situation. And that's why we pull together the T and correct. Good question. Well, and Joan, are you saying you would like that spelled out more in that statement? Yes. But again, you can't cover it. Correct. And I think down under the exceptions to postpromotion requirements. Um I wonder if that is I know there's areas in here and obviously you know better Mr. Steinbart um but that the students still receive intensive instruction and intervention it doesn't go away and that's as you had stated um President Motor throughout the process if a student is not reading at what is considered proficient at that grade level it could be third grade fourth grade whatever

024grade we would be giving them intensive interventions and trying to get them caught up to what proficiency would be based off of our belief for the state of Wisconsin. So, if I may, um, Joe's got a point about, you know, about all this. I I guess my question would be is is there a point where they don't meet proficiency that we have to hold them back or we will never hold them back because of that because of some of those exceptions? I don't think I'd ever say never hold them back, but it would have to, in my opinion, that would have to be a huge conversation with the family that they really believe it would be in their child's best interest, which research would show usually it's not in a student's best interest to have

025them held back from a grade. Um, but it would also have to be a very intensive plan of what are we going to do to try to help this student improve or do they need also special education support in another manner that we maybe haven't tried yet. Okay, great. Thank you. All right. Any other questions or comments? Thank you for clarifying and asking questions. Do the roll call, please. Henchel, yes. Labyrinth, yes. Maine, yes. Oliver, yes. Panel, yes. Uh, Frame, yes. Motor, yes. Motion passes. 70. Next comes uh consideration of approval of the 2526 preliminary budget. I move that the board of education approve the 2526 preliminary budget which reflects a total revenue budget of $130,990,81 for all funds and a total expenditure budget of $132 million 88 81,51 for all funds. Second. So we

026have a motion by Henel and a second by Lav Lyence. Again, um we went through this quite a bit at our last meeting in the workshop. And so if people are curious regarding what other questions, we can still ask questions obviously right now in comments, but we did go through quite a bit of that um last time. And so uh you'd be able to uh watch that whole section if you missed it. Any questions or comments? Um yeah, I want to have a conversation about this. Um, I had a meeting with uh Mike Gerlock earlier this week and um just to try to get a better understanding of this budget because it's all foreign to me and he helped out a lot. Uh helped me understand a lot. Um, but there was one thing that

027we kind of found too, like I was wondering why a lot of numbers this year's in this year's budgets were pretty much like copy and pasted from last year's budget. And he likes to go more conservatively, he said. But he said there was another way we could go around it. And I'll let him explain it because he he'll explain a lot better than I could. But but I kind of like this. I feel like it shows a certain level of transparency and um just a different way of doing things. It's going to be more work. Um I feel but um I was real interested in at least having a discussion about it. Would you mind sharing um do you are you familiar with what Well, thank you Mrs. Motor. And yeah, Mr. Frame, we had

028a really great uh meeting. Uh I would meet with any of you. I appreciate that. And um so just as a reminder, I guess I'll set the stage. The preliminary budget is not the final budget. Uh it is finalized at your last meeting in October no later than November 1st. That was and so what this does, your action uh uh why we're ask for approval tonight is so that uh we uh as administrators the district has authority to spend funds and primarily as you heard at the last meeting that's payroll related. I mean we have to be able to pay people into July. Um, if you don't vote it or in approval, uh, what'll end up happening is we will ask for a special meeting so that we can bring back based on your feedback

029what other additional information you would need in order to feel like you could take action on it. But in terms of and we discussed that at our meeting um, with I did with Mr. Frame. Um, I think what it really kind of comes down to is we want to be able as management to be able to present to you as the directing board the financial information that you need in order to be comfortable voting in the affirmative on recommendations or not. Um, and we certainly aren't uh, you know, we want to provide that. you get a monthly financial report that you know we covered that what it's made up of and the reasons there's some statutory reasons why that's put in there. Um some boards engage in a a a a regular budget sort of

030revision process throughout the year. Uh that can be done at every meeting that can be done quarterly. uh depending on the size of the district, we just want to know what type of information you're going to need in terms of our financial system, which can get down to a very granular level um in order to feel comfortable taking action on that. And so I I guess as we sit here tonight, we haven't prepared anything beyond what is before you and was presented at the last workshop meeting. Um I will say that the critical element of school district budgets is understanding the funding source. That's where I felt and we feel is really and we start with revenues available and I do try to be conservative on revenue projections with regards to enrollment and um and

031so that was the focus of that in terms of expenditure impact. All of that was had been presented as well with 70 to 80% of the district budget at at staffing uh the things that Mr. Steinbart and we've brought forward that's the impact on on those budgets. So I think to Mr. Frame maybe I'm kind of running around this issue. I think your question really centered on what type of information is needed to be presented to you in order to feel comfortable taking action. And I maybe you don't exactly have that in detail, but we need to if you are uncomfortable with the information being presented to you, we need to be able to react to that. So, so Mike, what I wanted to add to that is, you know, a lot of it is

032cut and pace on the revenue side because the budget's not going to be done anytime soon from the state and we don't have enrollment. So, we're guessing on the enrollment piece, which then formulates into all the other things. Yeah. So the so the biggest piece is we don't know what the state's going to change you know going forward. My biggest thing is when I looked at is like do they equal right and then where do the difference and I noticed the difference biggest is that I knew we were running a deficit at the food service because we have too much balance and we got to spend it down. So that's the part I was like all right I'm good you know when I saw the difference there because I know we have to spend that

033down. Um, but yeah, I I I I would agree. This is preliminary. We don't know what those numbers really are going to be until the third, you know, the count the third week of September and then we get that total budget by what, October? You know, that we'll actually know and I guarantee you the state won't have their budget done by that time either. So, I mean, we're going to be once again walking around with our hands tied behind our backs trying to figure it out, you know? So, being conservative on saying we know what we have. We don't know what we're going to get. I'm okay with that because then we don't have to come back at the end of the year and say, "Wait a minute. I need a half million dollars because

034we're short." That's where I don't want to be. I'm just going to Mr. Frame and then Joan and then I'll have something. Let's Oh, sorry. Uh, Mr. Oliver, we'll do hands just to make sure that we don't interrupt each other and everyone gets to share. So, um, we'll do Mr. Frame, then Miss Miss Panau, and then Mr. Oliver. Yeah. And I understand all of that, but I wanted you to kind of touch on the different way like how you explained it to me, the different kind of way that budgeting would. You said it'd be more work for you on that way, but it'd show a little bit more transparency, you know, it it it like I said, you know, um I know it's a broad, very conservative way that you budget, you know, but the

035budget's a huge thing. We're getting lots of questions on it. I think a lot of people are questioning the budget in general. So I'll So that's that's kind of what I wanted to approach. I appreciate uh and and I'm for for the record I I appreciate a budget conversation. I and I want to honestly have information for you. You are you are the board of directors here and that is important. You are the ones responsive that is staged that way. Uh so you have budget documents in in your presentation and they consist of of multiple pieces and so for an example to get more granular you will see what is shared at the last workshop um and is an element of your monthly board report is it's titled school budget proposal. Now I did some

036education in the workshop about how the budgets are sorted. Every single expenditure has a very specific budget coding and that is that that back to that labeling string and it's a string of numbers with a singular letter and we talked about that the Rs for revenue the E's for expenditures but in terms of the scale on over $130 million across multiple funds we sum that up now in electronic age perhaps we could share much larger PDFs but as you'll see it's sorted by source of the revenue venue like source being property taxes and that's the very first page you see and then sorted and rolled up by expense objects sort of the general what it is. Is it a supply? Is it a utility bill? Uh and but know that underneath each one of those

037sources and objects there's deeper and deeper levels of of granularity. And I think if it strikes me if I'm reflecting what you've said is you're the real conversation at hand is you're concerned about perhaps program level direction level maybe less than something else. And so some districts go about a very detailed budget process where they're walking every line. Now there are thousands of budget lines in as we go through that. Do do we want to get to that level? I don't know. We want to respond. Mrs. Mo. Yeah. I'm sorry to interrupt Mr. Garlock from my understanding on your question is not that we get granular because that's not our job. That's your job. Um but um is it could we um did it have to go back to more of programs? Could we have

038been um the word you I heard you use was conservative. Is there is there a way to be a little less conservative? Is that what you're asking? And then I know Joan as well as Mr. Oliver. Oh, I but I don't think you're looking at granular work. Are you? I don't think so. I think the be uh I think conversation started was, you know, being a little I I don't It's always good to be conservative. You know, I I don't want to overspend or anything like that, then we'll really get into trouble. But if we could get a little bit closer to that number, I know you said it'd be more work on the uh finance team and it'd probably be more work for us as a board, but I I think like you said

039that would show a little bit more transparency, you know, and just really get closer to those numbers. So, for example, just that you're looking at Oh, Mrs. Panel, I want to give you you're the Yeah, this is a baseline. I view this whole thing as a baseline and and it is the foundation. It is the beginning of a process and what it provides is a starting point for you to build on and for us to become familiar with the current numbers, the current terminology and we keep moving up because it's going to be multiple exposures. And as far as deviating from conservancy, I think that's suicide because you will have false impressions and you could really sink. Not only that, there are many districts that you say talk go into detail. Well, they must have

040many many hours, but um there are many that never even see I can cite districts that never even see a monthly report. So, um, it's, uh, I think it's wise to start with this baseline, the way it's outlined, build on it, gain more information, and numbers change with more information, but it gets you at least looking at the words and the organization and the presentation. At this point in time, it's so pre premature. Yeah. To to get into details. Yeah. And I understand that. Yeah. Let then, Mr. Oliver. Um, you lost it. No, I actually have it written down on my pages of notes. Um, you're asking us to authorize 130 million plus for expenses. Correct. Okay. What happens if our revenues come in below? Well, I'm sorry. What happens if our revenue comes in

041below that? How are we going to adjust that? Yeah. Down the road. Great question. Um because it goes both ways, right? At some level, and that's probably at the heart, I think, of what you're getting at. Uh this past fiscal year, the board adopted, uh a $5.5 million deficit spending budget where based on predict predicted projected revenues and known or predicted expenses, the the 80% of which are staffing, we're going to go exceed revenues. And so going into that October knowing that knowing that that was where we were at, there was no additional revenues to be had besides via a referendum. So we presented to the board an authorization to come from district fund balance reserves. In that scenario, all simplified, anytime expenses exceed revenues, it has no other option to come from fund balance.

042Your auditor would tell you that. and only the board can authorize a fund balance expenditure. And so that comes back for an approval process to you. And so again, that's what would happen is if we expected that, we would bring that to you. Now, the converse is when you're under budget, when revenues exceed expenses, what happens again? That goes back into increases fund balance. uh we don't ask for your authority to put that to fund balance. It just sort of goes towards that. Now, could we say we want to spend that? We don't take that liberty as management because a lot of where we get our management charge is from this conversation. What type of budget do you want? Are you comfortable with this? For an example, I'll use an example that I think I

043used with you, Mr. Frame. On the very first page of the school budget proposal, this is out of our software. You will see we've budgeted a million dollars this year for interest earnings. District receives interest for money that is that is in our two financial institutions. The proposed budget before you expects or predicts 750,000. Now you could say there's a 250, you know, there's a difference there. What will happen should interest earnings revenues exceed that number? and some districts want to engage in the process of what will happen to that additional 200,000 you know dollars. That's the type of conversation we could have. That's what I guess I'm getting at at a granular level like well but on a hundred million it is all every dollar does matter but really we set the big bottom

044lines with those funds. Do you want a fund 10 balance budget which is 98 million and then if there's a $250,000 variance in that as long as it's not over that budget bottom line or under we manage it to that based on your charge to us. I think that's your ex your question Mr. frame was well could we be could we be tighter on that perhaps I need to say I really don't want to be conservative on the revenue maybe it should be a million and that would therein infor allow greater expense flexibility that's just not the charge we've gotten over the years from the board so last budget that was audited and everything else we budgeted what three whatever and then the auditing came back and we actually had a surplus of like a

045million I think or right in that range revenues and expenses. The def the difference was about a million. About a million. So, we budgeted a bigger loss than what we came in at, we came out better, which which was good because that came that was in the fund balance. I I look at that and go, that's a that's a win. Now, the other piece of it, if we all of a sudden miraculously have a state budget that passes through and they gave us a whole bunch more money, Yeah. you know, um, then our revenues would look great and then, you know, then we have a little bit more freedom or, you know, put things in, then we can re-evaluate it. But I know that one year we were hoping for a per pupil increase of

046X and and it was close, but you kind of get a good feel talking to people where that might be and where it might not. So, we're always taking that lower end to say we know they're not going to take less money than what we have this year, you know, or give us less money on the revenue side of it. You you hope not. And then kind of build from there and say, well, if they come in better or our population last year, we expected a reduction, right? And we actually saw 48 students more. Yeah. 48 students times 11,000. It's like, all right, that's a good thing. you know, so those are the predictions that all of a sudden if it would have came in 200 less, now we're in a big problem, you know,

047on revenue side. So those are the things where I we trust and verify the technology that does the predictive modeling piece, but it's not perfect science. And and as good as it is, and we hope that they're conservative because we'd like to come in better, uh, at the end of the day, it's not perfect science, unfortunately. So, one of the things um thank you is I'm going to have some more after you. Okay. Um my my thought which might be the same as what some of you are thinking too is so we have this preliminary budget and it's pretty conservative and we just heard some students talking about um classes and so forth. Um and then this is just the preliminary and we are going to be continuing to meet oftent times throughout the summer.

048This is not set in stone. So if we find out uh the budget goes through or if we find out something like this and we are getting more funds then we can look at doing things. I don't know is that I'm just I well I I think I want to caution for for and with no I no I think those this is an excellent conversation. I think it's it's completely appropriate. Uh and again I it comes down to what I think Mr. and I'm Mr. Steinbart and I absolutely need to hear is what information. For example, we brought our bar financial consultant forward. We could demonstrate the financial software. We could demonstrate the modeling the fact that I do use a consultant if and we can do that for a reason. There are it is

049perfectly legitimate to be you know for people to say I don't understand it is a complicated piece. If that helps build trust in the process, we can do that. If going line by line is something this board desires, we can do that. I it it's part of what we need to know. I guess to be frank, I don't exactly know where we want to go yet, but maybe this is what we're deci deciding. You need to tell us what level of information is important for you to have or the people that you're responding to to have in order to feel comfortable with this because right now we've got the piece of information presented before you discuss where we're at. We have it supported by our modeling and our charge. We just don't know what more

050you need. Um what I need and I I guess I'll echo Mrs. brought comments earlier is um I need to know that if I vote tonight in favor of this, what am I voting against? I what programs am I voting that are going to be dissolved or scaled back? Those sort of things. What services? And I think that's the same thing that the public is looking for. I think that's where her comments were kind of guided towards because I don't know what all is disappearing, what's all changing and I think in in order to be more transparent that we should take more time. We still have 21 days before we can't pay anybody. So, I I I I'm just not comfortable with voting in favor of this tonight because I don't think our constituents, the

051people who gave us our jobs, um are comfortable with it because I know I'm not comfortable with it. Um I because I just don't know what I know what you want me to vote for, but I just don't know what that means in terms of what I'm voting against changes. So we had we had a we had a workshop. We could ask as many questions as we want. Mike has got an open door policy which you can go talk to him at any time. And that means public, that means board members, that means every single person in this community has the opportunity to come talk to Mike and ask those questions. This is all public information. if they have specific questions within the budget, those should have been asked before today because we talked about

052this a couple weeks ago. I just that's that just it it I get a little frustrated when I when we have the abilities and the tools at our finger print at our fingertips to do the research to know what's going on. And you're right. I mean, you got to live at the board level and say the administration manages a budget to get the best outcomes for our kids. Period. I know I'm not at the kid level with Mr. Steinbirth or Mr. You know, with our administration to know what that means to get the best outcomes for our kids. The the a lot of it's misinterpretation. A lot of it is people not understanding it. And some people will sit through three hours meeting and still won't understand it. But that's their choice if they want

053to come and sit with Mr. Gerlac and say, "Yeah, okay. I still don't understand it, but I'm understand it better." You know, um, so but we got a motion on the table. We got a couple and then we can make a vote and it's your choice. We want to vote together. Where's the pragmatism here though? How many people can you entertain in the course of your work week if I lined up the 8,200 people that voted for me? Yeah. that you know they won't come is a good point. They won't come and I don't know why but that's not that is neither here nor there. We need to get the communication line opened up to the public so that they know what's going on. It's not their responsibility to walk into your office and say,

054"Mr. Gerlock, what's missing?" It's our responsibility. Go into the board meeting. So, I'm going to pause this right now. So, thank you. Um, I asked Mr. Steinbart to give us an update. We got an email today on the programs that we know um were very similar to um what some of the students shared with us. That being said, um do we need to share more with the community? Absolutely. We talk about this. One of the things that I'm going to be bringing forward, we're not going to talk about it right now though is um a board retreat half day that has a lot of going into this information more. So, as of right now, um I think we had our workshop. Um there might be more questions that we need to bring forward, but I

055think we we're okay at a vote right now. And if if someone feels they need to vote no, then they vote no. I have one one more quick comment. I don't think anybody could answer your question, Tom, about what you are voting against because that is fluid. It is not set in stone at this point in time uh because so many things will eb and flow and change. I you know and that's a really good point. But some programs will disappear. You know, let's get it on the table. Phenology is going to disappear. The services are going to remain but the program as it is designed for the 202425 budget or school year is not going to be the same in 2526. I agree the services are going to be there, you know. So don't

056don't think I'm trying to manipulate the thing, which is not part of the budget though. Yeah. Yeah, but but you know what I'm saying is if we vote and some of these services do go away, it's easier to it's harder to make them come back than it is to make them go away. And I think the ones we talked about and I asked Mr. Steinbart to share out the ones um and it was the change in the schedules, more class um the 55minut classes versus the the longer periods. Um and then the ladies shared how sixth, seventh, and eighth grade might be in some of the same classes together. So it's some of those encore which we know about and it was um how do we get more of that information out to the community?

057Absolutely. And I think the board has that information from Mr. Steinbart and from our last um meeting workshop. So, um, is is there any reason is there any reason that we can't postpone this vote vote until the next meeting? Is there any reason whatsoever? We have Okay, so we we that we voted down or how about we make a counter motion then we motion to table it until the next meeting. Is that potentially okay, Parliament? So what we would do is we would follow through with our motion first and then if the motion doesn't go through then we could make a motion for it to be brought up at the next meeting. And if it does go through then then said but it's preliminary which means it's still going to be changing. And how are

058we going to inform the public of those changes? Yeah. This is I think one of the reasons you hire me as a superintendent as well. There's changes that happen in public education all the time. We were tasked with creating a schedule with less teachers, less resources. When that happens, we will always do the best that we can. And I'm going to say this to the voting public and the 29 teachers that I gave you the names of that were part of that. I know some people maybe had said they weren't part of it, that came directly off of a calendar invite. So, anyone that said they weren't part of it, they must not have wanted to be at the meeting then because they didn't respond to it. Um, three years of trying to change that

059middle school schedule. It got to the point when the referendum didn't pass, we had to make those changes. Are there things that change with that? Absolutely. Are there things that we don't like even as administration right now? For instance, we've been seeing all the great results we've gotten over the last few years. the data driven instruction, which in my opinion is one of the top things that has significantly changed for our staff as well because there is now one English teacher at 8th grade at each of the middle schools. Our objection objective with that right now is that we'll try to have those teachers meet through Zoom across schools. Is it perfect? No, it's not perfect. I can tell you uh Miss Motor would probably be able to tell you the 28 years I've been

060in education, I've never seen a perfect schedule because it always affects somebody negatively. So when we talk about programming, we talk about those things. We always have to do the best we can do with what we have. Is it the best we would like to do? Never. And I don't know if it ever will be. Um, but I can assure you through the nights that I work on this, the days that we work on it, I would challenge anyone to find a schedule that works that would not have even more people coming to the podium saying, "This isn't good for me." Um, and that's part of education that we get to that point where at the end of the day, I have to be able to sleep at night saying, "I really put my best

061effort in, whether it was Miss Lombardo, Mr. Gerlock, anyone else on the administrative team that put their time in, the teachers that put their time in, I have to be comfortable that we did what we needed to do. Um, to the students that, and I know we're not supposed to respond necessarily. I have a middle school student coming up in two years. That was on my mind. I also have high school students right now that share classes with 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th graders. So, it does happen right now within our schools. And I do think students are capable of doing that. I don't think it will happen as much as we're expecting right off the bat. Will it make the teacher load different? Yes. They have to try to condense material into a way

062that they can deliver deliver new things as well as things that some eighth graders probably did learn already because of the way the schedule has changed. Um, but at the end of the day, and I think this is what people are saying, we do need you to trust that the decisions we make and ask away as board members. As you get questions, I want those to be asked to me. I would also prefer if people that are in the community are following our chain of command as well of going directly to the person um if it's something with people services for instance phenology go directly to to Mr. Gahhan, he has the most knowledge. If it's something with the schedule, what courses are going to be offered or not, you can go to teaching learning

063and Miss Lombardo is there because she's been dealing with the the staffing of everything. But that's really what we need to see happening. And again, I know some of these questions came up here and I'm going to use their names right now, but Mr. Barnes and Miss Barthuli reached out to me individually as teachers and said, "Matt, can you please just come and talk to us?" I am never opposed of sitting and talking with somebody about what's going on so that they have a better understanding. And at the end of the day, we might not always agree with what the best course of action is, but I will always listen to somebody, make sure their voice is heard, and then at the end of the day as a superintendent or in our other roles that

064we have in the district. The decision has to be mine with board approval, which is why we're here right now to make those decisions final then. And I and I appreciate that and I trust that you guys have done the work. I I don't doubt or question your sincerity. I just concerned about the timing because we don't have to do this tonight. We could find a way. I see you Justin over there. We could find a way to reach out to the community a little bit more. Maybe go to one of the local media sources and see if they would assist us. We can come back to this on our next meeting or we can have a meeting in another week if we could get out. That's what I'm kind of focused on. And I

065know that you would go out and talk to anybody. I know that. I know you would too, you know. So, I'm not worried about that. My biggest fear with postponing, just to put it on the table, if we don't come to a decision by the end of June, I guarantee you we're going to have a lot of staff in here very upset that they didn't get their paycheck. Oh, I agree. I agree. I'm not saying for me as we work on schedules and things like that. So, I'm going to pull this conversation to a close. Um, and again, this is preliminary, which means it still can change. Um, and and then I'm just going to ask for a vote. If it doesn't go through, then we can go to the next. Okay. Thank you. Can

066we have the role, please? Labyrinth, yes. Maine, yes. Oliver, no. Panel, yes. Frame, yes. Henchel, yes. motor. Yes. Motion carries 61. Thank you for the great conversation and questions. I appreciate that. And I just like to state again, I wasn't trying to pick or or or accuse or anything. I'm just a big guy about transparency. That's all. All right. Now, we're going to move into um consideration uh regarding approval of property and casualty insurance. I move that board of education approve RNR insurance as the district's agent record for the 202526 property and casualty insurance program. Second. Right. We have a motion by Henel. A second by Lyance. Um Mr. Steinbirth or Mr. Gerlock. Well, thank you Mrs. Motor. Uh before you is our recommendation. Uh this came from our review or your the review we

067did with you at the last meeting on the competitive bid proposals related to the district's property casualty insurance. This includes all insurance lines. We're recommending uh the agent of record to be RNR insurance. Um included in the documents is the summary of the the costing per line and the various coverages. And so um as you see we believe the RNR proposal is is very competitive while also uh will provide the coverage that is the adequate coverage and the value for the district. So I'll entertain any questions that you have at this time. And we met with you um along with um two of our board members to get some feedback on it. We had a close session on it um regarding conversation. So is there any further questions or comments? I I just wouldn't mind

068having you summarize what we did see overall. Um, you know, we had one, two, three, four, five, five different resources we looked at. They ranged um I can't see my screen. You know, 943,000 up to,400, you know, I'm sorry, not 1400, 1.4 million. Big difference. I wish it was 1400. 943,000 up to 1.4 million in in premiums and we feel as we are improving our benefits than what we currently have and you know it was we're that we're going with the best option that we had available for the price. So anything else Mr. Frame to add on? Um yeah, just wanted to mention, yeah, I was in the meeting and then a workshop with it and kind of the reason we went to even do this, you know, to look and see what was out

069there and we we almost had a necessary need to go out and get other bids. It's been is it been eight years? And I think full disclosure in my time with the district, we hadn't done had engaged in this process. I just felt it was important to the board to engage in the process. Uh you may recall uh that we brought the consultant. They're an expert in this arena. It wasn't undertaken lightly. Um and so we feel that we can comfortably present to you and you can answer to the public that this process um was highly engaged and we've got the best proposals for the value proposition to provide. You know, remember coverage. We're talking insurance coverage for things we really hope never happen, but those are liabilities and it's a riskmanagement piece. And it's

070important to have good the right risk management um programs in place to keep students, staff, and our property uh the district property covered effectively. That we believe is a financial uh fiscal stewardship thing that's important. So yes, I I feel like that we are presenting that tonight and should it not at your discretion, we can engage in this process at any point. Uh again, should you feel that it is not acceptable, we could go back in a year and do it. I would again recommend the process, but um these are on annual basis these policies. This is a one-year basis policy, but in order to do it right, as you well know, we started in January. This is a six-month process to evaluate a nearly million dollar expenditure across all lines. So, we just need

071the timing to know if this is something that you want to evaluate or get on to a cycle of every three years or five years um just to to answer for that. Thank you. Questions or comments? Otherwise, we'll go to a vote. Okay. Roll, please. Maine, yes. Oliver, yes. Panel, yes. Frame, yes. Henchel, yes. Lamers, yes. Motor, yes. Motion carries 70. So, thank you for that and thank you for the hard work um Mr. Gerlock and board members that uh helped with that. Next is student staff activities. Mr. Oliver, do you want to start? Sure. Um I know we want to keep it to a minimum. We're going to keep it to a minimum even though I know you've got a list. It's not that bad. Oh, thanks. Um 529 I was at the uh

072STEM showcase and I saw a couple of you guys there. Um 62 I went to the Lakeshore graduation and that was very nicely done. 63 I was several of us were at the Woodworth graduation together, Joan, Luke, uh no Karen and I. And then Luke and I went over the Parkside graduation right after that. 64 I was at Py. I uh went there because I needed to see phenology firsthand. So that's the main reason I went there. Um so I could speak on it hopefully uh in the future. Um then we went to STEM graduation and Katie got to sit in the nice comfortable seat with popcorn and a soft drink while the rest of us were up on stage. It was I was there. There was 30 seconds to spare. Yeah, that's an excuse.

073That sounds like Yeah. um 65 graduation at the high school which was just magnificent and they got through 455 diplomas and we did the whole thing in what an hour and 40 minutes at the most. Amazing organization on the part of the staff there and 66 I got to go out with the birds of a feather folks. Those are the folks that volunteer just to support our schools. They were doing their lemonade and um chalk day. So I was out at the high school again that that morning, the following morning u and spent about two hours out there um thanking staff and and stuff like that. So um that's everything. Thank you. Pass, Mrs. Maine. Yeah. Um on uh June 3rd, I was also at the Woodworth 8th grade celebration and right after that I

074ran over to Evans fifth grade celebration. Um, and then on June 4th I was at the STEM graduation and on June 5th I was at the high school graduation. And I agree all of them were great celebrations. It's just it's great to celebrate the kids and all the good work they're doing and you know um and it's a result of the staff. So thanks Mrs. M. Go ahead Mrs. as well and it was done very well. It was at the high school in the PACs. It was Thank you. Um the there was individual recognitions done and it was done with student speakers and they did a great job. Julian Milan, Abe Ansiano, I'm going to murder names. I'm sorry. Uh an uh Anito probably uh Sadi Scoresby uh Charlotte Estus and Mr. Mr. the wild

075all talked and then the um let's see the four of us were up on stage and we got to shake everybody's hand as they went through the process of graduation and handed them a bag to take home all their goodies. I'm sure I also attended the STEM graduation and it was also very very well done. Um they entered with pomp and circumstance. They had coral orchestra presentations. Um and the president of the governance board and I will murder this name Mr. Ed Alan Alanic Alanic I believe and he uh talked about the fact that the STEM learning uh method is based on process and focusing on the the inter relationships of a process and the interdependence of a process so that the kids get the total pictures from start to and on the why and

076and every person's step in the process. He also stressed which I thought was very good. He cited Proverbs uh 27:17 which is as iron sharpens iron so one person sharpens another. And uh Mr. Alionic talked about the uh opportunities at STEM and the opportunity for creating memories, building friendships and stress that relationships are the most important as each of us and each of the kids go through life. So, uh, Mr. Tony Markin also a STEM teacher spoke and he was identified as a touchstone speaker but so I thought that was pretty cool. We go go forward. I also got to go to the Fondi graduation which has been cited as magnificent and it is it really was very very well done. Um I also met with Mr. Groves on with on what's happening in CNI

077curriculum and instruction and met briefly with two CNI teams wi which were the last team meetings of their year. Uh, one is the teaching and learning team, the district academic team, and um, planning for next year, doing windup things such as collecting collecting uh, all of the devices that are out there and planning for I Ready and orientation for new teachers. So, it's it's uh, CNI is well on its way. There's no sleep in summer. Yeah. Thank you. Uh when were we here last? All right. So we had regionals. I talked we had a bunch of people for track make it to sectionals. Uh sectionals was on Friday after that. Uh up in Nenina. We were the boys uh were one point from second place. We were in second place and all we needed was

078German Town not to win the 4x4 and they did and they beat us by one. And the same thing happened to us at regionals. Uh but I do want to congratulate the six students. We had one girl that was a thrower. We had uh five uh one boy that was a thrower and uh four guys that were uh runners that all qualified for state. So I also got to go down to overload lacrosse uh last Friday to watch the state track meet which was my first time ever doing that. So that was quite the uh impressive uh atmosphere to be part of and to experience. And those kids just had a blast to spend, you know, that weekend, you know, Friday and Saturday, uh, just being around that atmosphere. It's a, it was a great

079experience for them. And then graduation, too. So, thanks, Mr. Henshaw. Mr. Frame. I don't have the dates, but uh, we don't need dates. It's in the last two weeks, my friend. I don't I don't know. I don't know how I did it, but in one day I visited STEM Roseno and then went to the Waters talent show and then the STEM showcase and then the Waters movie night that the PTO put on, which was amazing. Um, but I was able to take my daughter to both the showcase and the movie night. So, that was nice. Um, and then I also visited Riverside, uh, went to the Woodworth graduation, Parkside graduation, Chegwood graduation, STEM graduation, and the Fondi High graduation. Um, and I won't touch on all those because some people have touched on other ones,

080but I want to touch on Riverside, the um, wings program I thought was phenomenal. Um, I got to talk to uh, some of the people that participate in that uh, program, you know, and they do vending machines, help with different businesses. Like I I I want to learn more about it as I go on. Um, and then also I wanted to uh, bring up I didn't know um that they partner with a local uh, church in the area for donated clothes. and I didn't even know that. So, like I would advocate for anybody that needs to donate clothes, give them to Riverside instead of other places that sell them because it's no charge to any of the students or anything like that. Um, so I thought that was really cool. Um, I think that was

081the second to last day of school, so I I really didn't get to go into too many classrooms or anything like that. But at the STEM showcase, I um got to talk with some people from the Fondi Fire. And I just want to say they have the um Wisconsin State uh robotics um this Saturday. It's from 9 to noon in Shboen. I don't know where. I'm not going to be able to go and I'm really sad that I have to work this Saturday. Yeah. There's a time that you can flow in sometimes. That's all. Yeah. Yeah. I think it said 9 to two. Yeah. Um, so I'm really uh um not happy that I cannot go to that. Um but uh yeah, that was all of uh the things that it didn't. Thank you. Um,

082fun fact, I invited uh Fondi Fire to come and say the pledge hopefully at our next meeting and share a little bit. So, I'm not sure if they're able to do that or not, but hopefully um and hopefully they'll have good news when they come. Um, so I uh was at um STEM graduation and the STEM showcase as well as Fondelac High School graduation. Um, I have my thank you from as some of us were able to attend the Camelot 4K class and I just um I was able to do the welcome speech at the high school and I almost want to cry every single time looking at like our little 4kers and then some of the students uh that I got to shake their hand were my students when I was a principal and

083just looking at thinking about I had one little friend that we had spent quite a few probably hours underneath ath my principal desk talking and and getting to a place where they could be in a spot for learning um walking across that stage and with a strong handshake and um just so proud of our students um the teachers and parents and coaches and I think about like par profofessionals I think about um our custodians there's so many people that are part of that process um and then a special shout out to Barb Lang um who really is the one who organizes all things graduation for many many years and I believe this was her last graduation that she um will be um organizing. So shout out to we might not approve her retirement. Thank you.

084Thank you back for Mr. Mickel Cavage and his team. It was just wonderful. A side note for those of you who don't know what Wings is. Wings is a program for students 18 through age 21 who have disabilities and so they um re require more services until they're a little bit older. So that's great that you could be there. So thank you. Awesome. And now we're going to move to other appropriate matters. So this uh is there anyone that has any other appropriate manners? Public comment first. So we will follow. Thank you. Um I thought I was actually super organized today. Here we go. We're going to go back to public comment. Remember we have the uh five o'clock or the five minute um timer going off that Hal's watching. So, we'll follow the same

085guidance we had before. Please come on up. Hi everybody. Megan Stup, fourth grade teacher at Parkside Elementary, Meer Court, FondeLac, Wisconsin. Um, I just have to speak on grad night. Um, I was really proud to see those students walk across that stage. It happens to be a special time as well because those kids were my 4K students from one year, my second grade students from another year, and my third grade students from another year, all across different schools. Um, and it's it was just really in in all the years that I've been in the Fondelac school district, just the first time I've been able to go to a grad night. Uh, and you know, some I think sometimes elementary teachers, they don't really necessarily know if this is an event for them. and I'm here.

086I just want to be able to say in all avenues, it is absolutely an event for all teachers and all staff members in this district. Um I'm actually feeling a little vlemp here because um I had students who stepped out of the the line when they probably shouldn't have to give me hugs. I had students, they remembered me. And we're talking 4K, second grade, third grade. We're talking four-year-olds, seven, and eight year olds. Um, I had one student break down in tears when she saw me and give me a big hug. I mean, it means so much to them as much as it means to us as elementary teachers to be able to share in that moment. I especially commend the teacher tunnel, which I didn't know about. And then all of a sudden I

087was in and then I was grabbing um Bonnie Brookner who just retired and I said teacher tunn tunnel now and we went and so they were able to see us go back through as well. Um it means a lot to the kids and I was really proud that I was able to be a part of that. Um, with that I also just want to make a special statement that I mean not really with it but kind of FondeLac has one of the highest populations in the state of immigrants and immigrant families and I am incredibly proud to be a teacher of our immigrant families. I have found every single family that I have ever had the opportunity to work with in my entire career to be wonderful, beyond wonderful. They value education. They value their

088children. And um I'm proud to be part of a district that is safe and welcoming to our immigrant families. So, thank you so much. Thank you. Antonio Godfrey, 81 Fth Street, Fondelac. Um I'm just standing here to invite all of you guys and the people back there too. Ebony Visions um 17th annual Junth event is this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Buttermilk Creek Park. Um it's a fun fieldpacked day with lots of fun, lots of vendors, uh a lot of food. Our headliner again this year will be the um UW marching band. Um it's just a a allout fun pack funpack day that so many uh volunteers, sponsors, um board members, members, and just work behind the scenes to continue this amazing educational day. So, um, if anyone of you guys would

089like to volunteer, you can reach out to myself or go to our Ebony Visions Facebook page or our website at that's ebonyvisionfl.org. Um, you can or you can go to our our Ebony Vision Facebook page and um, message us that way. We will definitely respond to you as soon as time permit. But um, hope to see you. Well, I won't see you guys this Saturday, but um hope to see you. Hope to see you guys in some pictures out there this Saturday. So, thank you. Thank you. Hello. Hey, Sher. 77 East 11th Street. I have no idea what Antonio just said because I was talking out of turn in the back. So, um I know he said something about Junth. So, I actually wore my shirt anyway um to also say a reminder and I

090just wanted to say we've had teachers in the past in our district come and volunteer. We would love to see some board members. You can always contact me or Antonio. Um you're not supposed to target anybody sitting up there, but Matt Steinbirth and his wife have volunteered at our Junth before also. Um I'm also targeting Mark tonight. Um Mark, your son was one of the qualifiers for the state track meet and you forgot to mention that. So I'm going to mention it to everybody. Congratulations that your son made it to the state track meet this year. Um I also wanted to say that I watched the graduation on Zoom l or I mean online and um I was very impressed with the cultural stoalls I when Dr. I know Dr. Flag's not here anymore but

091when Dr. Flag had come here um I had many many conversations with him about many things. One of them was that years ago and every time I would ask questions the answers I always got through the years before he got here was we've always done it like that and that was the answer all the time for any kind of there wasn't even conversation it's just like that's how we've always done it. So when he got here I said you know what about stoalls you know can the kids wear cultural stoalls yet? you know, it's and um he had said yes. So, you know, I was I actually was gonna say thank you um even though he's not here anymore. And she had mentioned that about graduation. So, that worked out. Um I also just wanted

092to say that um schoolboard meetings usually I know a lot of people watch them online also because they can't you know make it here physically for many reasons. Um, but there's also been times lately where it was standing room only for quite a long time here recently and it's not any longer. So, I just want to say that I hope that our community gets back to packing this room with standing room only stuff because we were a district that would only fit in the 10 percentile four years ago. Now we're at 52 52 54 whatever that is. That's 51. That's still an F. So I want the community to pack the room and, you know, keep having the ball rolling forward and supporting everybody and supporting our staff and supporting our school board. And I

093remember two of my kids. Um, Mr. Steinbart rubber remembers this. were not good in math. Two of my daughters and we actually worked with a couple math teachers and I'm a don't lower the bar type parent for many reasons. But I did have one thing I said to those two daughters of mine. Just get the 60. It's a D minus and it passes and you don't ever have to take the class again. So our district's only at a 51 right now. So, we still got lots of work to do. So, I would hope that the community would get right back involved and pack our room and, you know, get on the microphone like I do and hope that they ask um questions, you know, get a hold of Matt, get a hold of, you know,

094anybody over here. Um there I think about the phrase like um get it from the horse's mouth or do your own research like I feel like those are accountable you know actions of people and if they don't know they need to ask they they need to go to the horse's mouth and ask. So, um yeah, I just hope we're going still going to go forward and um get things done. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else? Okay, seeing none, um now it's time for other appropriate matters. I got two things. Okay. Uh, one is I just wanted to make comment uh with the hirings and that it was great to see a number of teachers that were originally part of the club be able to uh be hired back into the in the school district. It

095was exciting. We had good teachers that we were able to keep that originally we thought we were going to lose. So, that was exciting to see. Then I also do want to make a public comment. um a former board member Antonio uh just condolences for losing your mother. You know uh I saw that this week and you know our heart and is with you and thank you for everything you do for us. So thank you Mr. Henchel. Anybody else? Mr. Frame. Um yeah I just wanted to uh share some things. Um and it kind of bounces off of uh what was just shared at the public comments. Um, I'd like to see more of the public, you know, come to board meetings. Um, and as I get into schools, um, you know, I start hearing,

096uh, issues and stuff like that. And a real easy way to get involved in schools is even just joining, um, your local school's PTO. A lot of them need some help. Um, and I'd like kids are worth it, you know, like it it's like I said, I I went to uh, Waters movie night. It was awesome seeing all the families there. Um, they have an awesome PTO at Waters. They really do. Um, and I'd like to see every school like that. Um, you know, and it's a really easy way. You don't have to go to every meeting, you know. I mean, sometimes you just need to volunteer like a half hour of your time, you know, for event that they have or something like that. But there are some PTOs that really need some help

097out there. And I would just reach out, you know, um, to your local PTO and just be like, "Hey, can I help? When are meetings?" Uh, a lot of them have Facebook pages and stuff like that. Um, but that's a really easy way to uh get involved in the school and help and um support students and even teachers and staff and all that stuff. Um, so I would just really like to see a I've been trying to uh get to my uh schools that uh I've adopted PTO meetings and stuff like that and getting more involved in their family nights and it's really rewarding too um just getting active in that stuff as well. So um that that's all I have to say on that. Thanks Mr. frame. Anybody else before I go? Go ahead,

098Mr. Um, yeah, in line with what Mark said, condolences again, Antonio, and best wishes for Okay. Um, I like what Luke had to say about the PTO's. That's a really great idea. I don't know how you get all these little informations from these school because I keep digging around and I can't always find you. So, I look at your page, try and get updates on information, what's going on. Um, we talked before the meeting. Um, and I think I'm not trying to beat a dead horse here, but I think there's an issue still with the phenology program and that and it's moreformational now at this point. I know that the administration has only got minimal contact from perhaps 10 people. As of this morning, I've had 65 different people con can contact me and I've

099tried to explain. I tell them upfront. I share their concerns. I I I I understand their passions. Um, as everybody knows, I'm not happy that we're discontinuing, but I also am a realist and I understand why. And I also understand the program isn't going away. It's just changing. Um, that being said, I I really think that there's some way I know we we discussed putting on the agenda, but it just wasn't going to work. Um, I just still think there's some way that we need to communicate to the public because I believe there's more interest out there than what it may have come into the district and that we still need to communicate exactly what we're doing and why we're doing it. Um because I've had some misinformation come into me and then we talked

100today and we and you straightened me out. I don't know if you she didn't really straighten me out. I mean you explained some things to me. So I think I think if we can do that somehow get reach the public a little bit more. Um it would be helpful. And again for those who have contacted me I always say thank you. Um, and again, I do I will continue to support the reintroduction of the program when if it's ever appropriate to be able to do that if if it falls within the guidelines and the legal stipulations and the budget, you know. So, but thank you. Thank you. So, just kind of on that, is there like a frequently asked questions or anything like that about this that could be on the website? Sure. So I

101just so I was going to wait till everybody um I have talked to Mr. Gayhan. Um first thing we would ask is if people have concerns that they please contact Mr. Ghan. He'll be happy to talk to him. Um Mr. Gayhan also uh completed a one-page information sheet um that is very helpful. And so I shared that to I think I shared it with board members. Okay. So feel free to share that. But really he's our go-to person regarding this. I just want to clarify over and over again um and always thank you for sharing. Um I had one child who's gone through the program and I've had a grandchild who's gone through speech services in in a different format and both of them have been very successful. Um Mr. Gayan's one pager talking about

102um least restrictive environment is what our department of public instruction finds is best for students with disabilities. It's something we strive for everywhere. Um, that being said, every single student with the disability, they meet with their parents or guardians, their teachers, if it's speech, it's their therapist, and create an individual plan. And legally, we need to follow that plan. So, um, I also want to, um, and and just to be transparent, you had asked, uh, if I would put it on the board agenda. Um, I chose not to. Um, and again, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Mr. Gayhan, feel re free to reach out to me as well. Um, and I know we will continue to give amazing services for students with disabilities, including those with speech. Um, I

103and and I know um, Mrs. Bibo is really directly related or connected with the phenology program and and um, personally, I believe it's Mrs. Bibo's wonderful skill set that made a difference in my child's life. not a specific program and and research shows um teachers are the ones that make a difference in a kid's education. So we have to keep high quality educators. They make a huge difference. So thank you for bringing that forward. Reach out to Mr. Gayan or myself. We can share that information and every child will have an IEP uh based on what their specific needs are. Um and then um I wanted to bring up something that I would like our board to do. I would love for us to do um a half-day board retreat. And so I was hoping

104I could bring some dates. It could either be from 8 to noon, it could be from noon to 4:00, or it could be at night um uh 3 I think I said 3:30 till we can work around people's schedules. What I'd like to do in that half day is first of all go through um board expectations. I to have someone go through the Wisconsin Association for School Boards, have a free um speaker. I was thinking the one who spoke when we went to our introduction um in uh in Ashkosh uh spend some time with us. Then I also wanted to go go through standard operating procedures. So when something happens, do we know exactly what to do? Um so that it it isn't relied on a person, but we know these are the procedures we

105follow. Um, I know community engagement we've talked about a lot, so I was hoping to add that to our agenda as well as um, budget and financial things. I'm also open to um, other items that the board would like to talk about. It would really just be a learning and collaboration. It wouldn't be decision-making because that happens at the board table. But I um we're a new board and I thought this would be a good time for us to come together so that we can um continue to ask questions and um move our district forward. So what I'm going to ask you to do is I have a number of dates I'm going to tell you right now and then I'll set I'm think I'm going to ask you to please give the I'll set

106it to No, I can send it. No, I should have hie send it out. Um I have six states and um three different time sessions and hopefully we get something to work and if if someone can't at least if you could come for some part of it would be beneficial. So I wanted to bring that forward I think it'll help us be a strong board. All right. All right. Sounds good. Then uh if we could have someone make a motion for uh an adjournment. Good. um make our oops find it. Want me to do it? I'll do it. I move to a journ to a workshop to discuss meal uh school meal prices and fees for 2025 and 2026 and policy 0167.3 public comment at board meetings. Second. Yeah, I would have just said move

107to adjourn. That's as far as I had. A motion by Mr. Henel, a second by Mr. Lavitz. And can we please have role? Mrs. Maine. Uh, where are we here? Okay. Oliver, yes. Panel, yes. Frame, yes. Henchel, yes. Uh, Lyren, yes. Maine, yes. Motor, yes. Motion carries 70. Uh, we will uh come back together. Do you need five minutes or 10 minutes? 10. All right. So, we will come back together for our workshop at 6:40. Meeting is adjourned at what time is it? 6:30. 6:30. All right. I'm I'm just going to televised as well. I'd like to call to order the workshop of the board of education at 6:45. Can we please have the roll call Mrs. Maine frame here. Henchel here. Claby here. Mine here. Oliver here. Panel here. Motor here. Uh we have

108uh seven. So we have a quorum and okay we'll start. Is it you Mr. Gerlock? Uh yes. Thank you Mrs. Motor. So before you in workshop again no action. This is for consideration. We would um based on your feedback, the plan for us would be to bring these two topics uh fees, student fees as well as meal service prices forward to you at the next board meeting or an ensuing board meeting depending on the level of feedback you have. And so included in the is an executive summary mostly on the food service meal prices as well as um the your board policy on on all fee things fee waiver related. I thought that was important is that's a very probably the most common question is is um fees are if the board chooses to levy

109fees is there any situations where those fees are waved andor reduced? The answer to that is yes but it's governed by the board policy. So in summary tonight the student fees are in a matrix uh provided. We are proposing no increase to student fees. You'll see there's a general list of fees uh in the matrix. Um, and we have done our utmost to adhere to your policy of trying to limit the barriers to educational experience. Um, by keeping fees what we believe are a relatively low level. Um, there are optional course fees. So students particularly at FondeLac High School not required. They enroll. there is a fee associated usually on a consumable basis or a as you'll see a cap or tuition basis with a university program. So that's kind of out of your control

110really um unless you don't want to offer those course options which does not appear to be we've not had that feedback from you and so the Chromebook technology fees those are on as I hope to just be clear replacement due to student negligence to be frank with you not well because you made the decision to you've you've provided that as an educational resource it's if uh the charger is damaged uh severely. Not I lost it, not I dropped it. Um and so we can manage fees on those levels and really the charge is buildings principles need to understand that they make that decision on was the dam that wrecked. So there is some discretion in there but we need to get what's an appropriate amount. And for reference, I talked to our tech services team.

111All of the fines on those tech pieces are below replacement cost. They're they're to say, you know, for example, the new Chromebook, if you break damage, it is $317 that the district lays out to get that. And so if there's a negligent damage to it, and we believe that it's appropriate to charge a replacement for that. So with that on the fees, I guess I'll entertain any questions on fees and then I'll transition to food service prices. I I got a quick question on the fees just and this is Yeah, I paid a lot of these so over the years. Um I just the yearbook for the high school. Do all the seniors get yearbooks uh if they can't afford it? Because there's probably some senior I know we donate the the gowns. we donate

112things and I know we've always gotten yearbooks as as board members. If not, I'd like to donate my yearbook back to someone that could use it. Um I'm just that it's 67 bucks is a it's a lot for a yearbook and it's a beautiful yearbook. I pay it every year, but it's just one I I just thought of that the other day because I know I donated my gowns for my older kids and I was wondering about um the yearbooks because it'd be kind of cool for a senior to have a yearbook. So, can I bring up uh one of the things that I talked to Mr. Gerlick on? The first page is only standard school fees. After that is all um optional. I asked him to do that because it looked like a lot.

113And again, I've been a parent who's had to pay a lot. Um but it was more about broken stuff. Um and there I think it's pretty manageable, right? If you look at the costs for elementary, middle, so forth. Um, and then the optional is different and is it and I don't have an opinion I guess on the yearbook. I just um I wanted I wanted you to know that. I just had a question on that because I didn't know uh I just thought of that because you know I know there's a lot of kids that don't have the opportunity to get a yearbook and I just crossed my as actually as I was sitting here going it'd be kind of cool to you know get kids that are less fortunate a yearbook. Yeah, I'd agree.

114I'd agree with that. But if it's okay to do that sort of thing. Well, I will again you we would need your direction to take this. I'll play it. It's going to sound this way. If that is something that you want as a budget directive to provide your books for students that let me be clear that was not a budget directive that was a personal okay opinion thought well observation budget but that is a that that's a detailed level that we would want to know that's not a budget uh that's not respons I'm just looking at a nonprofit or a donation or someone out there that wants to be generous. I think you could talk to Mr. Michl Cavage. Yeah. At the high school and anybody that has said has it and I didn't consult

115him on that particular issue. Mr. Steinbart, perhaps they do in situations try to provide for it. I'll be honest, probably many teachers buy it themselves. I mean, this is the type of thing that happens. Um, but we as a district have not asked to provide yearbooks to students. Optional. Yeah. Yeah. I I didn't want us I that was I just didn't know cuz you know through you know we get we'll go into the lunch one there's a lot of free and reduced lunch there's a lot of scholarship opportunities out there and I didn't know if that was yeah we should even ask Mr. at Mickel Cavage because knowing um our awesome staff at the high school, they might have some things going on that we don't even know about. We can follow up with that

116information. No, I was just agreeing with him about the personal feeling that if I was given a yearbook and there was a child that didn't get one. That's I was agreeing with Mark. Okay. I did see the cap prices went up. I mean, those it used to be 300, you know, $100 of credit. they've gone up 10% or and that we don't have a choice over which which is still a whole lot cheaper than college. Correct. So I'm okay with that. Um take advantage of them you know for the students out there because you know my one son graduated 30 college credits. It's well worth it. That's for sure. Yeah. I was going to say that's almost a whole year. If I have a question um Mark had made a comment about um he had

117to pay pay for something u the charger or something and then they found the charger. Do we reimburse somebody in that particular case? We can. You will see in your policy this is the management of our program that is there's not a board policy that says fees will be reimbursed in the event of that event happening. We make a management call. I can't explain your personal situation of what happened. We would we could entertain it and probably we can process reimbursements. We process meal refunds. We do that. It's all at the administrative level with the principal and that family. And that's that conduit. If they principal calls our office and says, "Listen, they found the charger. They were requesting a refund." We'd work through it and do that. If they didn't, I can't explain your

118situation. Okay. Well, we and and I think that's important conversation around fees because it is a sensitive situation that that that we need to address. I think your policy has discretion in there um and has established that particularly through the superintendent who then extends that to us. We're we We don't have a policy of waving fees on mass. All right. Except as we will as you'll see in in a particular situation. They also have insurance on the Chromebooks. My kids have cash in on those two. So I'm not saying that we need a a generalized policy. I just didn't know. As a matter of just curious. Yeah. As a matter of habit if under the circuit. So you you we do it on a case-by case basis. What? Okay. No, that's fine. Yep. Yes. Absolutely.

119Mr. Oliver, any other questions regarding meal prices or the student fees? Not meals yet, just fees. Sorry, just fees. No, it's good that we were able to keep them. I mean, it's it seems I know we did some adjustments a few years back to try to make it easier to hit and you know, the high school level and stuff like that. I'm glad we were able to manage that accordingly. So, so I noticed the yearbook um fees go up as you order them later. Does it cost the district more if they order them later? Having been there? And I think what happens is the yearbook company, which is usually just I believe if you order it's it's their yes, it's their piece where if you can order it by then, this is what it's going

120to cost you. So they they try to also get an idea. The earlier you know how many you need to order, the better a deal it is for us as a district as well because it's Yes. It starts getting bigger and bigger. So that's why they do it. Correct. So we have talked about that though of do we just say this is the fee instead of having those incremental adjustments. But best thing to do is pay them when you sign up for classes. That's if you can. Yes. Yeah. Okay. Good to know. Thank you. Okay, now we'll move on to Yeah, the it's kind of a similar topic. Again, we would bring these together because they're effectively the same type of thing. Uh but the meal meal prices um and I put a larger exact

121summary. This is largely what will show up in the action item and it's for the meal prices which you can see uh current meal prices and then proposed. Uh what we wanted to do was uh have a conversation or a proposal. So, it's in a proposal form based on this conversation. We will present what you desire to present. We're proposing a 10-cent increase to meal prices uh for the paid student uh meal prices. And so, I think that's an important clarifier. Uh there are in the food service program is governed by the US Department of Agriculture that flows through to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. It is a highly regulated programmatic situation. Um, we contract, the district contracts with a food service management company. We don't employ them. They're not our employees. We purchase

122them as a service. And it is all accounted for in food service fund 50. And so I say that to say is we deal with pretty steep levels of of guidance from uh the DPI and the USDA. As you will see, I've clipped, it's in italics, what the Department of Public Construction through the USDA recommends every year. In fact, every year we have to do what is known as a paid lunch equity calculation, PLE. And effectively what that does is the USDA says this is exactly what your paid lunch price should be. Now, the only way around that is if you are in a you carry a fund balance, a positive dis financial reserves to effectively prove to the USDA that you could possibly weather a year where expenses exceed revenues. Otherwise, they will force

123you to raise your revenues through meal prices. That's the effect of the PLE. We since 2018 have been above the PL or been able to not ha have the option not to raise meal prices because we've had a positive fund balance, positive fiscal reserves and fund 50. Previous boards have felt that that was a decision that was important to do and take advantage of. I guess I we are proposing a 10-centent increase because the DPI would recommend that other than if as inflationary pressures continue the district not next year but could be faced in the future with a pretty sizable increase if you maintain your meal prices at the current levels. As you will see, the PLE price of 401 will only increase. And it is possible at some point in the future if you

124do not begin incrementally increasing in 10-centent increments, you could be faced with a process called a multi-doll increase for your paid students. So, this is why I I've debated this because it's been a kind of a nice thing to be able to say every year, yeah, hold the line. Boards have really appreciated that through the pandemic, through all of that. And I guess I feel now is the time after this many years, six years to say it's probably time to start considering that for the paid students only because this does not impact students that qualify for free lunch or reduced lunch. The reduced lunch price is still if you qualify is 40 cents. This is only for families that do not qualify for free and reduced lunch. And the biggest element that we have in

125the tension point is families not going through the application process to see if they qualify for free and reduced lunch and they end up we have no choice but to charge them the paid lunch price. Mike, I got a couple questions. Number one, um, how many do we have in the free percentage rough free and reduced lunch? Combined free and reduce 45%. 45% free and reduce out of the 44 and 46 and some of it's automatic if I understand if they're on part of a direct certification program through the state through the state. So if they're on assistance and stuff through the state they get an automatic feed saying here are the people that qualify. Correct. Boom. So, so those people are and then the other piece I have is when we did the budget

126there was a higher expenditure than re is that include is that part of that and I'm not predicting operationally that's an equipment expenditure different so we're okay we're we're on the edge I would say as you may recall you approved a 3% that the EPI said you had a 3% increase to your food service management company I'm effectively trying to set in motion to avoid some fiscal sustainability. We're not at that point. I just am concerned about the day that if I had to come to you and say, you know what, our operational expenses are going to exceed your projected revenues because as student enrollment declines, that also impacts the revenue because there's fewer students participating. I am concerned that we if we don't start the process now, you will be faced with a multi-centent

127or dollar increase to paid lunch equity. So when we look at that because we're not there, this is a way of creating an atmosphere where it doesn't have to go to 401 and we can maintain a lesser because we have a little bit of a surplus and we want to continue to be there. Yes. So we can manage the increases more effectively in the long term than having a one-year jump of $2, you know, basically. So we do a 10 cents and we're able to, you know, play cat and mouse with it. for for reference um I worked with our Chartwells also happens to be the food service management company of the North FondeLac school district and we're work very closely with them that's separate contract they're they're paid lunch prices are over $3 and

128so when having conversations with that now I can't explain I don't go to North Flex school board meetings I don't know those board's decisions but the point being is they've we're probably under under the paid meal prices is what I'm getting at locally. So, you could still raise 10 cents and still be low lower. Um, but it is an increase and I would want you to know the encouragement of completing a free and reduced meal application because we bring this up every year. There is still what is known as meal service bad debt where we effectively through our policy we do not deny students meal participation whether they've paid or not or qualification status but if they do not qualify for free and reduced meals we have to charge them the paid lunch price and

129if they don't pay that bill we still don't deny them food. This is based on this a previous board's directive to us and we make every effort to collect the unpaid bill. But back to USDA and the DPI, those funds have to come from your general fund. They cannot come from food services funds. So for right now, I ran our meal debt. We ran our meal debt. We're at a little over $23,000 of of unpaid meals. Students that received a meal, weren't on free and reduced, didn't make the payment. And I'm not accusing them of that. It's just that is the mechanics of it. And what ends up happening is at fiscal year end in June, we will have to take 23,000 from fund 10 to pay off that debt because we cannot use food

130service funds to do that. Yeah. One of the things that uh Mr. Gerlac and Mr. Steinbart and I talked about is some of the people that are that maybe aren't paying those um fees might be eligible for free or reduced lunch. My question is like what is the barrier for them signing up? And can we work with um the schools and community to make it easier? Is there um a language issue? Is it um it's it's too complicated to site? I don't know what it is, but if we could talk to people and find out what is the barrier, right? It could be like I don't want anyone to know that my child is receiving a reduced lunch. So if we help uh families understand that every kid walks through, every kid puts in a

131code, every student looks the same whether they're free, full or reduced lunch, every kid looks the same. But those might be some barriers for families. So if we can find out like what is the barrier, then we can help them overcome that barrier and that could also help us reduce those rates. So that's some of the conversation we've been having. Yeah. And is there a community engagement um plan in place to approach those families to help them understand the issues and and what we can do for them? Is there something in place for that? I know work hard. Yeah. How is the form? Yeah, we we have it. It is available electronically. The application could be done electronically. It's part of our verification system. Our principles promote it at open houses. Our food service secretary

132attends open houses to with a booth to to make it handed out. Um, one of the I I I don't have a good explanation for why uh folks aren't completing it. Is available in multilanguages in both in print and verbally. We've made some really nice progress in that arena. I simply tell this to you to say that there is an unpaid debt and the only other step and I'm not I would I'm not advocating for this but we do get feedback of our principles make weekly calls to the families and the lists can we turn them not the principles but people say well what's the next step is it collections and we haven't gone there um but that there is an element that there are other school districts that engage with collections firms on that

133really negative that's lose lose. I would prefer not to, but there is a financial element to this. Um, we get people that donate funds to the district to the meal service. We had in December SSM Health donated $28,000 of to specifically to the district to pay down meal debt. And we brought every senior through sixth grade meal debt down to zero that had an unpaid debt at that time in December. We're up to 23,000. So I I I these are just sober realities that you need to understand as a board and and is that a financial you're making that financial investment either way. Um outside of the next step is a hard collections policy which I think would take a lot more discussion. We're not promoting that. I'm doing this as an awareness tonight. But

134if you are uncomfortable with raising meal prices, you needed to understand that there's a meal debt behind it too either way. And so that's why I bring that up. Does the 10% or I'm sorry, excuse me, the 10 cents um does that help off how much does that help help offset that debt? I'm estimating a 10-centent increase based on participation numbers is probably an additional this I know $15,000 maybe 20 in revenue. It doesn't it doesn't dramatically because food service revenues cannot pay bad debt. another student's revenues cannot balance a student that doesn't pay that comes from local funds from tax dollars that pass pays that and so in a title of fiscal budgeting is this something you want to continue to do well and I think with that you know it's not because the

135people that aren't paying or you know ne that's going to increase how how much we go in debt too you know by 10 cents it could per every meal or whatever. I mean, for the people that do pay, it'll go up, but I I think might even out somewhere in there. And there's an argument that perhaps as meal prices, you raise meal prices, it becomes it goes I agree with you, Mr. Frame. I don't know how that's going to go. Is meal debt going to increase? Would it motivate people say, gosh, you know, the raising meal prices, I probably should consider filling out a free and reduced meal application. We don't know. That's why we're saying at 10 cents. We think it's at this point something that we would recommend to get into fiscal sustainability

136and also hopefully encourage participation in free and reduced meals. And I will address the policy as you will see. The eligibility standards are very clear. Um students who qualify for free or red or free lunches or breakfast, they're eligible. Students that experience homelessness are eligible for for waiver of fees and fines. By the way, that applies to and students who are eligible to receive a reduced price. So, when you're reduced status in the free and reduced meal status, we and our counselors and principles have that conversation. All right. Can we reduce fees? This is the wide discretion of the management that we appreciate to make those situational conversations. It's not evenly. It's not 50% fees wave. There's no rule. It's based on case by case. And then s there are situations where a family may

137be paid but experience a very significant loss of income due to severe illness or injury or unusual expenses due to to catastrophic events in their their life. The superintendent has wide discretion to wave andor change fees. I got a question. Have we over the years measured or or looked at how many kids are actually taking hot lunch or breakfast or lunch? Participation. Yes, participation. That's the word I was looking for. Um has that gone down in the last few years? It it has, but student enrollment has gone down dramatically as I think you are aware of. Um so the numbers we could look at rate uh to really judge the participation rate. I think as we, you know, I know they're on it long term, the the food services, I think that's something that we

138might want to be aware of, you know, um because I I know there's a lot of kids that stop that started taking cold lunch just because they weren't happy with the lunches that they're getting now. So, yeah, I I um I think it's an important conversation. Um we as you know you know contract with a food service management company and one of the ele elements of taking federal funds is we do have to comply with the federal USDA meal pattern um the service pattern students have to take all of the service required service items in order for the district to get a reimburseable meal to get the federal revenue. The ex end experience is there's a there's some frustration with that with if I don't want that apple, why do I have to walk out

139on the tray with the apple even if I'm at a free meal status or reduced? It's not a qualified meal and we can't ring it up at point of sale if they don't take it. And that is a major challenge. And so I know we're continuing to have that conversation. Um, and I some um just a little side note for some of you who might not be aware. Do we still have I know Woodworth started it years ago. I don't know if it still is where if a student doesn't eat an item, they can put it on a shared table that other people can take. Is that the concept the share table is also extremely regulated. You would have to you have to approve that. In fact, based on how we you decide to go,

140that was something that we had some interest in it this past year. A school building cannot unilaterally start a shared table, mostly due to food sanitation issues that you, the district, I should say, not you, the district is liable to ensure because Chartwells does not verify the sanitation after it leaves the point of sale. Straightforward. So, I know this comes with the best of hearts and intentions because it feels like a travesty to throw food away as soon as you walk through the point of sale. But unless we have staff members willing to be trained and or supervise a share table and spend their entire lunch period watching it, we cannot stand by the liability. Also, a very difficult management situation. So we have not encouraged share tables because frankly the staff find it difficult

141to dedicate to do that and um does sharing happen perhaps but if the DPI audits us they would shut down that program unless the board decides they want to engage in the share table and dedicate the resources to monitoring it. We don't have resources for uh music well let alone watching. We we have very dedicated teaching staff and support staff that are willing to do it. They need to be trained, but the day they're gone, absent due to illness, it becomes the next person. We have to have a bench, so to speak, to do it. So, it's just kind of a challenge. Most principles when we talked to them this year after really getting into the weeds of it said, "Yeah, I think I think we're not doing that share table um because it's just

142as that big of a lift." So that's a that's a detail of it. We really think the barrier is trying to get people to complete the free and reduced meal application. Having conversations about food quality, food offering, Mr. Henchel, I think is a meal pattern is a real conversation. Menu pattern is a real conversation with Chartwells. Something they're willing to engage with. I mean, for the sake of this roundabout conversation, I want to get your feedback on the meals increase. Is that something you want to see or not? because we'll take it down and maintain them and you can. You are not compelled. We just need to know where you're at. So, I'm I'm good with the 10 cents because I don't want that $2 down the road. Yeah, I I agree. I agree. I

143think that's critical. Manage it. I just have a quick question. So, I I understand these are lunch increases. Yes. What about breakfast? There's a breakfast. I'm also You'll see breakfast as well. Uh there's a unique aspect to the district that because of our on the bottom this this helps and hurts and I'll do my best to explain the we have universal we are able to offer what is known as universal free breakfast because we insist on the um breakfast in the classroom delivery model. I've said it publicly many times. Breakfast in the classroom is deeply unpopular with our teaching staff and our support staff. Not because they don't believe in feeding kids, but because it's breakfast in the instructional environment and there's mess and kids are make messes and it's it can be a little

144you know there's an empty there's a there's a trash bin with discarded food in your classroom and that can be frustrating. But it's popular with parents and it's popular with families and it allows us to offer we do not charge families for breakfast even though there is a paid breakfast charge but because we can participate in the universal free breakfast program. We get a much higher reimbursement rate to fund and pay free breakfast for all students regardless of status. Again that's the methodology. If we went away from breakfast in the classroom, we would not have the participation numbers to allow for that program to happen. So, if you don't want breakfast in the classroom, breakfast in a cafeteria, we could go to paid breakfast programs. And that's why I'm putting an increase in showing you

145have to act on paid breakfast prices in the event that that goes down that way. When when did that happen? Because I know for a fact I was putting $400 a month into my lunch account. It's been about since Chartwell started the last two years. Oh, two years. I was going to say when I had four kids in the program for breakfast before they left home and then they ate breakfast. It's such a great point because not every service program was offering breakfast or they we allowed wide discretion at the buildings. There were school buildings that said not in my school building. I want it in the cafeteria because my staff just we're not having it. And we allowed that. We saw this as a district opportunity to provide breakfast for all families. So we

146we management put that that thumb down and said you're doing it in the classroom. And I will tell you we get complaints from staff. If you ask staff it's not thrilled about it. So there's I mean kids learn more when their bellies are full. I mean they they learn better. It's important if they're not getting breakfast at home. you know, the the I remember when this was implemented because they did two weeks of free lunch or breakfast for every single person across the district. So, my kids got all these free lunches and all a sudden my I was feeding that accountant left and right and couldn't figure out why. And I go in and they're all eating breakfast after the two weeks. So all these parents that fed their kids at home, you know, and

147stuff and all of a sudden now all these expenses went up because they kind of said, "Oh, you get free free breakfast for two weeks." And then after the two weeks was over. No, not everybody got free breakfast. People had to pay for it. And so yeah, I So there were some parents that were upset about that because their fees started happening. That's over. So we don't have that anymore. I just want to clarify. Right. No, but I'm so everybody's free across the board. That's incredible. That's awesome. For breakfast only. So um that's awesome. And then um from as I looked around the table, people felt pretty okay about a 10 cent uh raise moving forward. Thank you for Mr. Gerlock. I appreciate that. We'll ask for action at uh the June 23rd. It'll be

148this pretty straightforward. So if you have any feedback, I appreciate you letting me know. Thank you. You've had a lot of uh talking the last month and we really appreciate all your work on that. not an issue. Um the next uh area is uh the 0167.3 public comment at board meetings. Um I uh brought this forward to Heli because I had some school board members talk to me regarding the way that we held our um public comment at board meetings. There are a number of different ways we can do that. Um some boards uh don't allow any. Some allow it if it is related to an item on the board agenda. Some have different time limits. Some have only one time. Um so some of um board members gave me some ideas. And so um

149Hi, thank you for putting together this draft and we can um I just thought we have a new board. This is a good time to talk about it if we want to change this. And I also thought it was good because right now things are a little bit quieter so that when we move into the school year um and we have more people coming to board members um regarding so the the big changes on here was that um that if if the topic relates to a board it a board agenda item they have their five minutes or they have their 10 minutes just like we do now. But if it doesn't pertain specifically to something on our agenda, there's one minute here. We could also have two minutes here. Um but a shortened period of

150time. Um just to make sure that our meetings are really focused on our agenda items and if someone comes forward with a concern. Um two minutes should give them enough time to get the core idea out and then we can also connect back with them. Um so um that was something to think about. The other part to think about is um originally and in some districts they have the people have to um reside within the school district boundaries. That's why we start off with an address. Um so those are some changes. So let's have if someone has something they want to say if they want to do a hand or question. Yep. Mr. Hen, I got I got a couple comments. Okay. Um I who rides resides in the district. I I don't believe that's

151a good idea. That sounds like censorship. Uh to me, I think um if they have family attending, if they have no interest in our district, that's different, you know, if they're just here to start, you know, start trouble. But I think if someone has a grandchild or they're active, because I know a lot of grandparents that are active that don't live in our district, but are active in our district, even as grandparents in the classrooms and things like that, and they go through our background checks and all that good stuff. And I think that's that's important if they have an opinion because a lot of them are more engaged than some of the parents, you know, in a sense. Um, I also I don't like the one minute, you know, I I think we go

152to two minutes. I mean, I'm okay with limiting that and bringing it down. Um, maybe it's not five. I don't know what the answer is and I'm open to that discussion. I think one is really short, you know. Um, that that's my opinion on on that one. Um cuz some people if it's a hot subject um like that phenology wasn't on I mean they would have only been one minute and each and was there a total of uh for the total two two that two people speaking. Yep. Yeah, that's I I would have preferred to have more, you know, if they want if you got people taking time out of their day to come and visit, let them talk. You know, I mean, they're not hurting anything. Let them talk. You know, that's the way

153I look at it. It's freedom of speech. We live in America. I don't like censoring people. Uh, but I do think, you know, putting a little bit of a time frame on them is is not a bad idea cuz we should do more of that even with us doing some of the things, you know, and then that's the first thing that's going to come out of their mouth. Well, you guys spend all this time on your activities, but then we only got one minute to talk about a real concern. Um, so those are the things we just want to I want to make sure perception and we're aware of uh what that how that's going to come across. Thanks, Mark. Anybody else? Um, go ahead, Joe. No, no, no, go ahead because I'm still putting

154my thoughts together. Oh, I was just saying kind of on that same thing though of like a minute versus, you know, if we increase that to like three minutes or something like that, couldn't we put in there as a policy like the the board president can increase that if it's a hot topic? So, I but I personally I don't care for that. For example, um the when that gal came up for phenology and the 10 minutes was up. Yeah. If I would have chose to let her go and then let's say there was a different hot topic and it was getting really heated and I didn't give that person that amount of time. I just feel like it whatever you know but thank you. I just as as a board president I'm going to stay

155true to whatever we decide and we decided. Yeah. I guess the the concern I have is if we limit it to very small amounts then it kind of becomes a race to see who can get up here first. So, one of the other things that sometimes districts do is they have a sign up. Yes, that's what I was going to mention. I don't know if any of you have been to city council and they and some of this is similar to what city council does. First off, they have timers up in the corners. They're very clear that if you want to speak, whether it's on an agenda item or not, you have to submit it in advance. You can submit it in advance online or you can do it prior to the meeting. There's forms

156at the back of the room that they can sign and then you know hand over to the board so that the board moderator in this case we have a president they they have board presidents or councils themselves uh council presidents but what they do is they now know who's going to speak and on what topic which helps them kind of control the flow of the meeting. They're not censoring anybody. They're just trying to get a feel for the flow of the meeting. Um, they run that timer as soon as it goes off. Agenda items, the maximum an individual can speak on, any single individual can speak on is five minutes. I don't know if they put a limit on how many people can speak for five minutes on an agenda item. I I didn't quite

157catch that because there was only one speaker that that the evening I attended. They do have a one minute on non-aggenda items. That's probably not enough time from my perspective when I think about it and I listen to some of the things like Mark and Joe had said because we don't want to be accused of censorship and I would never do that because I'm all about open communication. But um but there probably should be some shortened time because if it's a non-aggenda item or or even more than that, it's irrelevant to the board itself. It doesn't really apply to our district. I shouldn't say irrelevant to the board, but irrelevant to schools and our district. There's got to be some sort we've got to come to some sort of limit there in my my opinion

158because it's just slowing down board business when they're they're talking about things that we have no control over. That's my concern that that don't have anything to do with us, you know, has to do with someplace else. We don't have control over that. So, I'm not sure why we would entertain that information. That's the problem that I have with it because it's just not relevant. And I'd like things to be relevant to what we're talking about or relevant to our district. I get what you're saying, too, but that's also kind of a slippery slope as well. And I I agree. Yes. Is it a judgment if you talk about New York politicians that have nothing to do with the school district? Okay, let's let Luke go and then but uh you know being relative is

159you know subject you know I mean it they can twist it one way or another to try and I I know what you're saying Tom and I I I I agree with you but also you know we got to we got to watch our backs too you know and censorship is another thing too I I I get it and I I personally I do agree with you but I'm trying to speak as a board member here, you know, and um I I it'd be tough because we it would be tough for me, I can tell you because sometimes it might not appear that something is relevant, but it's just the person hasn't gotten to the point where it does become relevant and I would hate to cut someone off when it is coming towards that

160re re Thank you. reency. Well, on the other hand, they could start off very relevant and then change and what do we do then? Correct. You know, I mean, I don't really care about the deer in Maine. Yeah. I don't, you know, I don't I don't care what they do in Canada when it come, you know, when it comes it doesn't it doesn't apply to our we're in a bis we're we've got business to conduct. And as you say in here, we are a board that meets in public and not a public board. I think how that let me see if I can get that to and I'll have go ahead Jo. I don't think any time should change. Um this we talk about trying to encourage encourage uh public comment and involvement. For each

161person that talks there are at least a hundred people behind them with that thought to say nothing about uh limiting the um limiting the topic. I I concur. If they start talking about New York politicians, that's totally irrelevant. Uh but uh I ask Matt, have you ever had that happen uh in 28 years? I mean where they start going that far a field because they usually are within the framework of education and even if it isn't on the agenda and it h who's to say it won't become pertinent down the road um because we just don't know. I have a I really struggle saying that you can limit what somebody says and I think that you take two to three minutes just to get your basic foundation off the ground. I mean you got a

162topic sentence and an ending sentence should be the same or at least contentually they should be the same. that is just not very much time. Um where hypothetically I've Dr. Flag wanted to do this too and I I told him I didn't think it was a good idea. I think you need to be able to let the public speak and that's why we're bringing it forward to the whole board to have the conversation so we might determine that we don't change anything. Yeah. And so and I just wanted to speak uh when I was board president I had people from you know when I first got on board there was a lot of uh political things going on in the community political environment and um I was getting people from both sides. Why do you

163let them speak? We're in America. We live in America. Freedom of speech. Let them spot. If you don't like what they got to say that's okay. Don't listen. I mean it's no different than everybody else. I mean, we had people on both sides of the fence that the other side didn't want to hear. And it's like it is what it is. Just let them spend their five minutes or 10 minutes total per topic or whatever. If we, you know, if it's not agenda item, we drop it to three or what. But I'm just saying I in my opinion, you can't limit people from speaking. And if it's off topic, go take your mind somewhere else while they're talking. I mean I mean you can we always tell our kids, you know, sticks and stones will

164break your bones. You know, names will never hurt you. You know, it's like just, you know, listen, let them speak. They got their time. They want to speak. Let them speak. I don't have a problem with that. Go ahead, Joel. You You had Didn't you have something you were going to share earlier? You did. I did. Okay. Sorry. I'm losing track of where we're at. the two eighth graders wouldn't have been allowed to speak for more than two minutes or one minute or three and we can choose not to do this. It was brought to me and so I brought it forward to our team. No. Um I I guess I kind of agree with Joan. I don't think any of the time should change. But if for some reason they did change a reason

165that would get me to vote towards that. If we did drop it to two or three minutes, could we extend how long they talk on a topic so that more people could speak? you know, it it'd be a shorter condensed time, but then there'd be more opportunity for people to talk that 10 minutes. I'm going to allow it beforehand. I mean, that's what was happening with the M. You know, a lot of heated stuff coming on. You just say, "Hey, we're instead of 10, we're going to do 20 tonight and we're going to do two minutes." the president has the authority to change those things even at the beginning of it and and allow them if you want to organize it ahead of time and say we're going to do two minutes tonight and we're

166going to do 20 minutes on this topic because we know there's a lot of participants here and want to be heard. Didn't we do that one? Didn't you do that one last but somebody else has done that? Yeah, I thought I saw it. I saw it one time because there were a lot of people that they knew wanted to speak. They were practically lined up and it was extended and I think that's a good idea. Yeah. And I don't think you should let anybody talk no matter how many people there are more than 10 minutes. No. So am I hearing then that we'd like to keep it how it is. Uh that that would be my vote. Yes. Okay. Not me. I'm not I'm opposed to that. I I think evaluate it. Okay. I just

167think the non-aggenda items need to be better managed because they can take up more time than agenda items when people are speaking on okay and if there isn't anybody speaking on agenda items then maybe we give that time up to non-aggenda items but I think we should get those items as discussion points in advance. Just hold on please because Karen will go next. Um, so the non-aggenda items sometimes I would like I don't know if I agree not to censor people, but some of those non-aggenda items are things that can become agenda items down the road. I get that and they're very important to those people and for us to hear. But some agenda non-aggenda items are really out there and and it is um Please wait. Wait, please wait. You're right. You're right. Who

168is the judge on that? I I get that. So it that's what I'm saying. It's hard to it's it's a judgmental call but that's why I think the existing situation is fair to 90% to everybody send to the people. Yeah. I don't want to listen to certain things but I I I will fight for their ability to say so. So if we have so this was just brought forward for a conversation. if we if if depending on what the team feels will determine if it would go towards um a change. Uh and so what I've heard so far from this the three people on this side is that you you'd like it to stay the same. Is did I hear that correctly? Okay. Yes. Okay. And but we're looking at some possible change. Yeah. I

169I I mean virtually every other government agency in the area, county council, doesn't even allow public comment at their meetings. Not at all. The city council has managed it just fine. So, you know, they've figured out a way to do this. Perhaps we should be investigating. And I'm not saying we should not have any comment at all. I mean, I I think that's unfortunate what the county is doing from what I understand. But I I still think that we need to manage our meetings and and it says although board meetings are held in public, they are not meetings of the public. So I mean in reality we would not I don't feel and I'm not the board's attorney but I don't feel we face any exposure in this matter and I don't like censorship and

170I agree with that side of the room. I don't want to censor anybody. I just want I I'm interested in managing our time because I talk more than enough, you know. Yes, I know you agree, Mark. I'm just saying that the public's going to come and say that about the meetings and the length of the meeting. They're going to say, well, you get this much, but I am the board meetings and not meetings of the public. But again, board meetings, not meetings of the public. Yeah. So, why don't we pause right now and then um so during that retreat, one of the people I was hoping to get in was the Ashkosh. Um that's the gal that ran the WASB when we went there. And I wonder if we do some learning from other school

171boards to see where they're at and then maybe right now we just keep it the same and then but we also maybe investigate and see what other things are. Um again, Heli, thank you. I appreciate you putting the timer up there. I think that is really helpful and I think it's helpful for everyone. So, thank you. Thank you. Appreciate that. Um, so thank you for participating in this conversation today. Um, I think again it's always it's it's good. I even like the color when it goes. It's very awesome. So, as of right now, we'll stick to what we have and that'll be that. Um, and then I'm going I need a motion to adjourn the meeting. Move the board of education adjourn the workshop. I was up this time. I had a second. All right.

172We have a motion by Mr. Lyence and we have a second by Mr. Frame. And can we have the roll call, please? Frame. Uh, yes. Henchel, yes. Labyrinth, yes. Maine, yes. Oliver, yes. Panau, yes. Motor, okay. Thank you. Motion carries 70 and uh the workshop is adjourned at 7:38. Thank you again everyone for your time, your good question and your passion for our Perfect.