001live. >> I'll just step you through it. You just do next slide. >> Okay. I call the June 22nd, 2026 board meeting to order. It's time is 6:00 p.m. We are in conference room C of the district administration building located at 12121 West North Avenue. Mr. Summers, please call the roll. Mr. Sam O'Rowling? >> Here. >> Mr. O'Rowling? >> Here. >> Ms. Lamers? >> Here. >> Ms. Wilson? >> Excused. >> Mr. Wadeworth? >> Here. >> Ms. Stott? >> Here. >> Dr. Rowley? >> Here. >> Thank you. So, um, the next item on our agenda is um, public comments. I'm going to briefly read a little bit about our policy on public comments, and then I'm going to check for public comment in the room, and then for public comment online. The members of the Wauwatosa
002School Board value the input of students, parents, staff members, and community members. The board's regularly scheduled meetings provide an opportunity for opinions and concerns to be expressed publicly. The board values all comments and will respectfully consider this input in decision making. The board requests that individuals limit their time on each item to 3 minutes. Following any comment, an individual board member may respond on the issue raised. However, it is not the intent of the public comment portion of the agenda for the board member to enter into debate with members or members of the community. Because non-agenda items are not publicly posted in advance, no action will be taken on public comment regarding non-agenda items this evening. When you do want to share public comment, just ask that you um, make either approach the mic or
003when the online mic is turned on, that you tell us your name. Um, and then when the timekeeper has let you know that the time is with a 30-second warning, that you start your wrap-up at the time that you have your 3-minutes so that we always have enough time for those people who want to share. So, with that, we will start and see if there's public comment in the room tonight. Um, if anyone is here for public comment, please approach the mic up front. Okay, seeing none. Um, I'm looking online to see if there's public comment. Anyone who's here um, with the purpose of sharing public comment on the meeting virtually, could you please raise your hand? Okay, I'm seeing no public comment online or in the room, so I'm going to move close this
004agenda item. Um, and we will move to item three, the superintendent's update. >> Good evening all the world. Board members, community members, um, I have a few items that I just want to give you an update on. I think most of you've been following the news and um, North America has been currently bit by the the soccer bug, um, and the World Cup is happening on in three different countries in the North America, both in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Um, but we were bitten by the soccer bug a little bit here right here in Wall Township. Um, our girls uh, soccer team at Wall Township East had an amazing run. Uh they made it all the way to the state championship game. I had a chance to actually go to the pitch on
005Saturday. Um and and watch our young ladies. You see uh there's a picture of them there. Um we had a great uh community um showing. There were a lot of people at uh the field and the pitch on Saturday. Uh Well, the result was not what we wanted. Um I think we are very proud of these young ladies. Um as you know, Walter East has a rich history in soccer and Tulsa East soccer in particular. Um and um there is a former Tulsa East soccer player leading um the team, and Ms. Drews. And so, that's always nice to have that community connection. Uh but, I just wanted to take some time to recognize our very young team. They I I don't want to put a lot of pressure on them, but I I expect that
006we may hear from this team uh in the coming years as well. So, just wanted to pause and say thank you to these young ladies. And if if I may, um in our in our first two meeting, you appointed Mr. Dylan Gowan as the new athletic director at Tulsa East. I just wanted to take this time cuz we didn't take the time last meeting. I just want to say thank you to Mr. Andrew Thompson. I I wasn't quite sure if that was the state championship game or or if it was the Andrew Thompson um as Mr. Thompson's moving on to become the athletic director of Broken Arrow Central, who we played in that game on uh on Saturday. So, uh he was in a awkward position um to to say the least, but we we've
007had a very good run uh during his tenure as athletic director. He he instilled some energy that we were looking for. Um we wish him well. Not too well, but we wish him well over at Burrell Central as he starts his uh his tenure there as athletic director. But again, congratulations to our young ladies. We'll try to bring them in sometime uh before the year the school year uh starts uh with their their stellar run on um softball. Trophy. Tim, I'll be I'm ready for the start start. Thank you. Um we had some amazing eighth grade promotions. Um and I wanted to thank uh the staff and the families uh at both Whitney Middle School and Longfellow um Middle School. Our young people recognize the place that eighth grade promotion has in their trajectory as
008students, which is is a moment in time that we should be reflective and be proud of the accomplishments, but also look forward to next um four years. Um and so I just wanted to thank Ms. Pianetto. Um this was her last uh public uh event with us as principal at Whitney. Uh and this quarter gave me these ceremonies very um very good. Um they're very um formal, but at the same time there's the the spirit of both schools uh come out. Um and the families enjoy them. Um so I just wanted to congratulate the class of 2030 for being promoted to high school. And then uh finally uh we had some amazing high school uh graduations. We are proud of the class of 2026. Uh they went off and did they're going to do some
009great things. Um the the ceremony on Friday evening at Tolsa West had perfect weather. Um and we couldn't have asked for a better environment. Uh, Saturday was a little windy. I think that Dr. Worley may have actually been uh hit by one of the flying uh caps. Uh, the wind was so hard it that the caps when they tossed them up in the air just went in a lot of different places. Um, but I want to thank Dr. Plank and Mr. Galla and our families for for a job well done. These ceremonies are important to our academic culture and I think there's always opportunities for us to refine these ceremonies and we'll continue to do so. Um, but I was I was pleased with both Friday evening at Tolsia last evening and Saturday morning at
010Tolsia's. But I'll I'll let Dr. Worley say a few things because she she had she had a workout in in giving out diplomas at both of these. >> It it just makes it all worth it. You know, the the excitement of the families and the excitement of the students and um, you know, the spontaneous, you know, smiles or hugs and it's just it's great. And um, I also had a chance to watch the videos of the eighth grade promotions. Um, and also I'd like to thank our Justin Whitley and our staff for doing such a great job of capturing all of those um, in in our videos. The words of the students and all of the high school and in eighth grade and just really really the ask and like thank you for simply really
011made me stop and reflect um, on the work that we're doing as a school organization. It's good. So, it was it was fun and um, I'm looking forward to next year. >> Justin Whitley and I are done. So, move on to our consent agenda. I want to note we have a couple of really fantastic gifts again from the school lucky school district. One of the things that gave me joy is the continued seeing the different schools getting gifts. I think that's something that the community is really stepping up and and the PTAs, what they do for our schools, PTOs, really encompasses it. So I just want to share that before we go into the question that I asked you here is is there anything on the consent agenda that you would like to pull off
012for individual consideration. Okay, seeing none. May I have a motion to approve the entire consent agenda? >> It is recommended that the school board approve the consent agenda and I so move. >> Thank you. Ms. Maynor, have a second. >> Second. >> Thank you, Mr. Bauer. Ms. Summers, please call the vote. >> Ms. Potter. >> Yes. Mr. Waddy. >> Yes. >> Mr. Zemsky. >> Ms. Hanks. >> Ms. Maynor. Yes. Mr. Bauer. >> Yes. >> Ms. Summers. >> Yes. >> Dr. Wilson. >> Yes. >> The motion carries. Thank you. As you may have I'm moving on to method five, on systems and structures, and things from the first things coming from the human resources department. Thank you, Ms. Summers, for being here. >> My pleasure. Good evening. Um this evening we have two recommendations on the
013agenda. The first uh is the uh recommendation for Lashonda Holland as the principal of Whitman Middle School. Um Whitman Whitman's staff and parents um and students uh were engaged in a rigorous selection process. Um and uh we are very pleased that um uh that Ms. Holland, as she uh met with families and staff members, uh really um connected with their hearts and minds in terms of her leadership. Um you are likely aware that Ms. Holland has finished the school year as an interim principal at Madison Elementary School, and I know the community there was um was disappointed uh that Ms. Holland um had not applied for that particular position. Um but Ms. Holland did share with us um as well as the interview teams that she certainly felt an unexpected spark um in terms of
014her energy and her um excitement to be back in our schools um during her time at Madison, and that's really um uh uh what um brought forward her interest in the Whitman principalship and her prior extensive experience both teaching and working as an administrator at the middle school level. >> Um can we get the motion approved? I want to see if there's any questions. >> It is recommended that the school board approve the 2026 through 2028 administrative contract for Lashonda Holland as Whitman Middle School Principal, effective July 1st, 2026 for a 229-day per year at an annual salary of $135,000 and ISO leave. >> And a second. >> Second. >> Thank you, Ms. Saunders. Any questions? I hear none. Okay. Hearing none, um Ms. Saunders, please call the roll. >> Mr. Wyatt? >> Abstain. >>
015Ms. Lightbody? >> Yes. >> Ms. Hutchinson? Ms. Ronald? >> Yes. >> Mr. Abbott? >> Yes. >> Ms. Boyd? >> Yes. >> Dr. Woody? >> Yes. >> And the motion carries. Congratulations, Mr. Wyatt. >> Yes. Very pleased. Um the second item from the human resources team is the recommendation for the approval of Mr. Patrick Larson as the associate principal of Longfellow. Um Mr. Larson has served Longfellow previously as a teacher and most recently in the position of Dean of Students. Um uh from the feedback from the principal, Ms. Monique Porter, and the staff who sat on the interview teams, Ms. Larson Mr. Larson has shown tremendous growth over his time at Longfellow and excited to go ahead and recommend him for this associate principal role. Um move the motion out of the board, please. >> It
016is recommended that the school board approve this something 106 2028. It is for the contract with Patrick Larson as associate principal of Longfellow Middle School effective July 1st, 2026 for 221 days per year at an annual salary of $97,000. And I second. >> Thank you. May I have second? >> Second. >> Any discussion, Ms. Boyd? So then further way and I hope you would explain to the math side of things that would be nice to have that. Um any comments or any questions? >> Can you speak about the instruction? >> We just approved Ms. Holland's the 221 days and Mr. Larson >> Mr. Ronald, I'm >> Was there a difference between the staff and >> Um secondary associate principals work 221 days. Um, and then all principals work 229 days. Yep. Every school district does
017that a little bit differently, but it's it's typical that there is some differentiation. In principal and associate Yep. Good question though. >> I'm hearing no other seeing no other comments and questions. Um, is there a second to this approval? >> Miss Magnus. >> Yes. >> Mr. Trasky. Mr. Loft. >> Yes. >> Mr. Abbott. >> Yes. >> Mr. Wadio. >> Abstain. >> Mr. Long. >> Yes. >> Dr. Lee. >> Yes. >> Any motion carries. >> Um, Mr. Larson is with us this evening. >> Congratulations. >> Happy birthday. Can you say hi? >> Yeah. >> Good evening everyone. Uh, I appreciate being here. I appreciate you approving me going through. Um, been a long fellow 13 years. I'm really excited for the opportunity in front of me to continue growing the school and adding to our overall
018community. Um, and that's why I'm here overall. Love the place and can't see leaving. So, appreciate it everyone. Thanks Aaron. Absolutely. I do have to go. I have a two-year-old at home. >> We need to meet him. >> Take care. >> So, we move on to item C. Action to approve the 2026-2027 budget for publication. >> We have a few steps coming up in our uh budget process. Um the budget hearing will be held July 20th. Uh just for review, we've had several conversations at the finance committee and the school board uh general school board uh on the upcoming budget as well as presentations of what you I'm asking for uh approval of today. Uh statutory requirement is that we have to publish the budget uh in the newspaper prior to the budget hearing. Um
019the board still uh has many steps to go before they approve a final budget. Uh that doesn't happen until November. Uh but this is one of the necessary steps to get to that point. So, simply asking for approval uh so that we can publish the budget so that people have something to reference should they choose to come to the budget hearing uh in addition to all the reference points frankly that are um more detail available on board docs than what they'd see in the newspaper. >> And this is not the budget book they go over. >> Correct. That'll be presented >> What is published in the newspaper? >> Correct. This is uh kind of like a one-page summary statutory requirement. >> And Mr. Ecker, um you'll also be having planned for a workshop meeting numbers
020on Tuesday. >> July 6th, we'll be having essentially a kind of a question and answer session for the general community. Um I believe that's at 5:00 5:00, yeah. Uh in this room. Um just another opportunity for the community to um have discussion about the budget, ask questions, uh get answers. If I don't have the answers, we'll we'll find them and get back to people. And that's of course in advance of them the larger or kind of broader budget book that you'll see on July 20th at the budget hearing. >> Oh, not so much a question necessarily, but uh a comment of how being on the board uh has changed you wanted to follow this budget system as it works, right? Throughout this entire past 365 days, this school board has made several very distinct decisions
021about staffing, open enrollment, all these different elements that we need to make the uh decisions on that feed into this document of budget for next year. Um so, can you give me, I guess, to re-answer the question, can you give me kind of a brief overview of what stage we're in and what's going to happen over the course of the next 3 months? >> Yeah, so any any school district's budget should reflect the will of the community, and in Wisconsin, the the community's will is um um kind of the election of the school board. So, um if we kind of cascade that down, I I I suppose, much like it is nationally, uh our will, we designate representatives to uh set those policies, set those priorities. That's what the board does, and then I build
022the budget around those policies and priorities. So, for instance, one of the things that the board has in policy is recommended class size ranges. That's a major driver of the budget. Um Sarah, you know, spent a lot of work throughout the winter. We had a lot of meetings, uh open meetings with the board, uh regarding class size ranges, how many sections that equals. That becomes a big driver of the budget. Really, what you're seeing, or what the community sees then, is the numbers behind those sort of policy and cultural decisions of the district. >> Mhm. And then, so we'll approve this year, hopefully, um and then we'll have our annual preliminary budget on you know, like October 15th. And then, what's the next highlight after that? >> So, um and for all those details, anyone
023can reference, uh, I believe our last meeting I had the all the budget steps on there, uh, upcoming. So, I'll try and get these from memory. July 20th is the budget hearing. Um, the next major milestone after that is July 1st when we get an estimate from the state regarding our state aid. Although that estimate isn't finalized until October 15th. So, they give us an estimate that it will change before October 15th, but that is the next milestone. Uh, after that, uh, really the next thing is our third Friday in September student count. So, then whatever students that are enrolled on that date drives the total revenue that we have access to. Uh, following that is that, um, actual state aid certification on October 15th. And then on our second board meeting in October, uh,
024that's when the board approves our property tax levy and final budget, uh, for the year. Even then the budget isn't necessarily done. Uh, if there's material changes to the budget, um, like there have been the last couple years, uh, those budget those budget updates come to the board for, uh, approval of a what we call revised budget. >> Is it a system that the board uses feedback on where it's sending its money? >> Precisely. >> Thank you. That's all I have. >> Mr. Paul, yes. >> Can I try to paraphrase what I think you tried to initially ask him? I think you asked the question you began trying to listen to me what you said in the meeting. You said after being on the board for a year now, your view of how the budget
025is developed has changed. And so, what what I took from your comment was the board made a decision in January around the middle. The board made a decision around staffing. And you had a very healthy conversation around April. Then Mr. Ector provided an overview what the 2016-2017 budget may look like to the finance resource committee in the late May, made it to the full board in early June. He's asking for permission to print that overview in the paper this month for a July 20th budget hearing. July 1st, there will be an estimate that DPI tells us our certainty will change >> Yep. >> by October. Then we have the third Friday count of families finally making a decision on if they're going to come to school and what our enrollment is on the third Friday
026in September, which all culminates in October with finalization of the tax levy and the board voting on something typically the last Monday in October. So, your question was as an observer of budget development from a full board district perspective, your vantage point has changed because we're at a we're at a juncture in this budget development process where the a lot of things have happened. Is that what you were trying to say? >> Absolutely. I was impressed over the course of the past year, my first year on the board, how many decisions we are making in any given month that then dictates to Mr. Epler what what it is going to be. It is a series of conversations that we have throughout the year. And whether or not we keep that first and foremost in our
027conversations and some would argue, I would argue that that's not the most important thing, it is student learning. But we still make decisions that will then affect the numbers that sit before us today. So, >> Yes. >> I have a complete understanding of that. >> Well, thank you for that. And we try to say we try to leave bread crumbs as as the board is making our decisions throughout uh the year. Yes, open enrollment is one of the few levers the board has available to to to you as a governing board to determine if you can make revenue. Yes, how can you do that? That's rare. Um and then, as we've always said, 80% of our costs are associated with staff. So, that staffing plan does walk in a lot of what we have available
028to us. So, when Mr. Ecker and I get questions from the community that will ask questions such as, "How much do we spend on on fuel or or utilities or on on how much do we spend on paper?" Those are valuable things that we're always looking for efficiencies, but in a personal-driven business like public education, the open enrollment conversation and staffing plan, once those decisions are made, a lot of what is available to us to shape the to shape the the budget is has been done. So. >> Can you walk through this I know we'll do more tonight on the budget, but just for the people who are reading this now or in the newspaper, what is a special projects fund? Let me ask you to do it differently. Very specifically different. >> So, a
029special projects fund is going to be the combination of all of our fund 20s. The bulk of that is special education. What also falls in there is student activity accounts. So, those accounts are essentially fundraising that students do at the at the different buildings. Um that is not taxpayer money. It simply flows in and flows out. They it frankly the students own that money, so um the class of 2026 probably gave a gift uh as they left that would have generally is the leftover of whatever funds that they've accumulated over the years um that they give back as a gift. Other things in that account would be things like uh student clubs, uh but really the 95% of that is special education. >> Um okay, that's service fund. >> Uh that's going to be um
030the the dollars we use to pay back essentially our mortgage or our bonds on our buildings. >> Um I think we can guess what the capital projects fund is. >> Yeah, to kind of separate the two, the capital projects is what we use when we're when we're actively um constructing. So in this case uh people probably have seen the signs up uh at various buildings now um highlighting the construction that's going on at those. Uh as we pay those uh for for that work, that comes out of the capital projects fund. And then as we repay, that would be debt service. I think I might know where you're going here. I next might be um community services. >> Yeah, I think people know what the food service fund is. The only thing I would just
031note that it has to pay for itself, so >> Uh it doesn't uh um just to kind of um clarify a little a little bit. In our district it does pay for itself. In fact, it makes enough money that we're able to um um make upgrades to the food service occasionally. So for instance, when we need a new freezer, we are able to pay for that with food service funds, not taxpayer funds. There are school districts that run in the red in the food service fund. If a school district does that, they must make a transfer from their general fund to the food service fund. So um we really want to make sure that we at very least break even in the food service fund. >> What's the source Some gifts that are coming to
032pay off debt for students is a I was going to mention something like that earlier. >> Uh no, it'd be it it would be the same fund. Yeah, I think you're referring to um occasionally we [clears throat] get gifts or something for students that have accounts in arrears. >> Community service fund, that's our electric fund. >> That's our recreation fund, yep. >> And again, they do their work to um with their bringing revenue that covers that cost. >> Yeah, I don't want to um I'm not going to highlight a number because I can't remember it, but if we were to go back and look at last year's budget book, there's an infographic that references the number of citizens that we serve. So, that's the entire community. >> And it's not up for the last few
033months we have. >> Uh yeah, we get the board gets a quarterly report on sign-ups for that. Uh and yes, that um is uh it it it is a separate um it runs as a separate I'll call it entity of of of our budget. >> So, there's our health being and then package and collaborative program fund. >> Excuse me. >> Nothing in so >> Yeah, that's not one that we use. So, >> I thank you. I just wanted to let people know something to publish it to let other people know what people are doing. What they're looking at. So, >> Um Mr. Record, uh last week on the 16th, the Common Council Government Affairs Committee voted to um move up a consideration of including a tax insert to break down uh for transparency purposes, break
034down uh the total amount of tax funds levied and and which portions are of those that are under the taxing districts as you would have um for using in voucher schools is that the correct word? Um, just to confirm that information is also not in this publication. That's Someone couldn't derive that from this this side of the publication newspaper. >> Um, correct. That this is a statutory requirement the way that we're we're publishing it um as part of the board budget booklet. That is a line item that we point out. >> There's not a line item here but is budget >> Mhm. >> Because this is designed the way the statute says it has to be followed. >> Exactly. I don't even know why they do it this way. It's by function. No one in
035the field looks at things by function. But this goes back at least I bet you 40 or 50 years and it's >> [snorts] >> I don't have the um energy nor do I feel that I have that while the school board association to lobby changing this when we'll just do it and then actually present valuable information at the budget hearing. >> Okay. The only thing I would add it might be helpful if you consider adding a budget calendar to the finance operations. Here is the website. Because that gives a really good snapshot. Exactly what we're doing. >> Good idea. Thank you. >> Yes, please do. It is recommended that the school board approve the 2016-2017 budget for publication and I so move. May I have a second? >> Second. >> Mr. Slesinski. >> [clears throat]
036>> Is there anything else we can move on? Okay. We'll start with the disclosure of lobby. Mr. Slesinski. >> I excused. >> Mr. Audio. >> Yes. >> Mr. Diamond. Yes. Mr. Yes. Yes. Mr. Yes. Dr. Yes. Motion passed. >> Yep. Okay. The next item is the May financial report. So again as just a refresher, this is something we always discuss at finance committee prior to the board meeting. There's also a video going through the presentation as well as a PowerPoint. So I'm not going to go through all those things right now. And frankly, by the time we get to this point of the year, there should be no surprises. If our if our software and our projections are working um once we get to February, you should be hearing basically the same message month over
037month. And you are again this month for our May financials. We are almost certainly going to finish better than budget. Probably at between a million and two million dollars better than budget. Now for context, that's about 1% of our budget and primarily comes from salaries and benefits that includes things like positions that we had budgeted for but weren't able to fill. It includes what we call extra pay. So that would be hourly work for teachers that we're trying to estimate how much that happens. So within 1% is very, very good. Um So again, it kind of sounds like a broken record at this time of the year, but that's what we want. There shouldn't be any excitement. We have just a few weeks left in this fiscal year. One thing to point out is even
038though there's only I guess what, a week and a half left, um four a total of four teacher payrolls happen. Uh so they get paid so their their salary is um annualized over 12 months. And their contract runs from basically September to August and we have to pay out their full contract before June 30th. So our teachers will receive um a payroll for June 30th, a payroll for July 1st, a payroll for I'm sorry, for June 30th, July 15th, July 30th, and August 15th. So four payrolls still happen in this fiscal year in the next week. Um so when I um the reason there's still, you know, even a slight bit of uncertainty in exactly where the year is going to end is because we still have maybe 15% of our payroll for the entire
039year happens in the last week of the fiscal year. Uh so when we close the books, um I'll have uh an updated um unaudited year-end. I anticipate having that ready for the finance committee uh in July. And things won't change well, won't change materially between then and when the audit's finished. Uh so we'll have we should be just validating um next month at this time. It should sound like another broken record in validating uh where we've ended the year. >> Questions comments? I do want to appreciate um I like some of your slides where you should have been showing us in the last few months so the last you know, all these two plots and all these uh you know, these similar to each other. I think that helps all of us, you know, to
040understand that process of of what you're looking for and how um someone who's making budget decisions of uh that we are and you need what we need to pay attention to where we might see something irregular or what we don't want to see as finished up on in these charts that we do. You know, thank you for bringing the software. We really just hope that we can use it as well. It's really made a difference. >> Good. Uh I know we've gotten away from the you know, we used to go through the slides every meeting. Um maybe what we could do next year is maybe quarterly for instance, just kind of do a refresher at the meeting. Uh so that if someone's just catching up or new to the community, they can see those slides,
041too. >> I think that makes sense. As always, they can also look on board docs um and its functions um um and watch the video, which you did a really great job with and it's not a big time commitment. Um and they can also watch the recording of the last finance resources maybe if they want to dig deeper and get um specific details. I also want to say that um I think people over time, even though you've said it often, we have different people following through and I'm not sure that everyone is still aware of how much transparency financially we have on our website. So, um not the documentation, the videos that we make of meetings, and the the assurance with the the larger data that we put up there of our financials. You can
042compare to other districts. We have a lot up there that people can look through. >> Yeah, I think what I'm um maybe most proud of is it's pretty easy to dump a whole bunch of stuff on a website that no one can make sense of. Um right, I guess in a fullest transparency would be here's our 20 our budget is about 22,000 line items. I guess that would be full transparency, but it doesn't really say anything. Um what we try and do with our with our website is so we'll provide that full data but also provide some context and comparisons with peers and things that so hopefully when someone looks at it they're not just feeling like we're dumping data on them and we're actually giving them useful information. >> Yeah, so there's going to
043be there are some additional tools if someone's gearing up to study the budget. Um, as the budget book comes out and we'll talk about it there's also finding that that can be learned about the administration and but some of the website in the last few weeks. Okay. Um, so that is our report for budget and seem like you've done great job another month and it's always nice to have good news about the finances. Thank you. Okay, we'll move on to item number six strategic goal instruction and leadership action to improve the revised 2026-2027 academic calendar. >> Madam President, board members, many members the recommendation is that we revise the 26-27 academic calendar so we can include an additional professional learning day for staff that will take place on Friday, October 2nd. Um, and we would
044also add professional learning day for elementary staff only on Thursday, April 29th. We the initial calendar that was presented had three inclement weather days built into it and so that's why we feel that October 2nd professional learning day would be beneficial and we know through the minutes that are required through the state of Wisconsin elementary school staff have more than enough time. And so providing them another professional learning day on April 29th, we feel would be advantageous and advantageous and beneficial to them. Um this has been an internal conversation. The board has been kept up-to-date on this, but one thing that I'm really excited to see provide to our staff is the opportunity for more professional efficacy. Um and so professional learning days are not sit-and-get days anymore where they're required to go to a
045place and be get information. Our staff members will have the freedom to either attend those professional learning days or to utilize the time um at their discretion to get ready for instruction and for their students. And so please know that the days um while we're having the days that they will be professionally managed by the individual teacher, not by a centrally-located district manager. And so I'm really proud of the opportunity that we're really going to see in through our professionals and that these days, depending on how people want to use them, um will be beneficial to them. Either through attending professional learning that will be scheduled, but we'll still offer professional learning, or through the management of that time by professional. Any questions? >> I have some questions. Um I think we hear we hear
046a lot of heard a lot in the past that uh central those days I've always heard it from the district and from the school and I think this is just one of um many basing goals in the last uh, couple months where um, teacher, staff, and student pulses have been we we've talked about major decisions that we made. Um, that we made with staffing and then now with new um, uh, professional development. So, I um, hope that the community and staff recognize um, and appreciate that we as a as an administrative group are hearing what the community is saying and trying to do better and grow and expand the way we see what professional development can look like and what we can shift um, within the within the column all that we actually shift down.
047Appreciate the work of um, the board members and the administration um, um, doing their roles and I mean so many flexibility and how we see the The order of the one and one is so important. So, >> While people are making this request, I'm not familiar if there are other districts out there that are doing this of providing that professional option to attend professional learning that is that's one to make us I think one and one. Um, when you combine it with the fact that we're no longer mandating common planning time. Um, so in other words, if you're a three-person uh, teacher team at an elementary grade level, we were mandating one hour of common planning time for English language arts and math. That's no longer mandated. That's tip that's normal and typical in most
048school systems. And finally, for a school system like ours that have an early release day, we're no longer mandating that time is used for professional learning. We were saying that of the four Wednesdays a month that one of the Wednesdays will be a faculty meeting. Um, so that's when the faculty meeting will happen during that time period because in the past a faculty meeting was scheduled on a Monday or on a Tuesday or a Thursday. It will now happen during their contractual work time that they can plan on. And then the other three Wednesdays will will be again teacher directed. So candidly was while I appreciate you recognizing that teacher voices have been heard, it has been heard to the nth degree. I I didn't Frankly, there isn't anything else we can assume. So when
049teachers say they want efficacy, it has now been provided. I I um I'm I'm I'm proud of the fact that we're going to be one-on-one. There is now there's a lot of responsibility that others will have um and there have been a lot of people who have asked me, "Are you sure this is Are you sure this is how we want to proceed? I I am putting a lot of trust and confidence in our staff. And I am I am presuming that they will continue to attend to their professional learning at their pace. Um the theme next year will be one Tulsa, one purpose. And I don't believe mandating professional learning is going to help us achieve our one purpose. And our one purpose is making sure that students learn. And and so if giving
050that level of efficacy and flexibility is going to extend and help us get to where we want to achieve together, then I don't mind that we are going to be than neighboring school systems that do mandate these things. Uh that that is commonplace that these things are mandated. Then he won't be here. So, we we are we're looking forward to next school year. Yes, people have been heard. There has been a lot of confidence and trust built into the staff and and thank you for recognizing that we we've established Leave us feeling ourselves you know what I mean? >> I also like as you talked about in your except the summary that um that you're recognizing that even within the school school system in the district not all professional learning is of the same kind
051in any of the areas. So, you give the example of math and how or now in some parts of our structure teacher are going to need a lot of new math and there might be a really certain kind of professional learning in that new that is needed compared to where English language arts is in a different place in its trajectory in the division. So, I think this helps to provide that definition of math having a deep one size fits all but making sure that people have that professional development space and the biggest thing is useful professional development but not saying that you have to you know push yourself into these spaces if it's not what I least we needed in that. >> We will also have a curriculum and instruction committee meeting next year. So,
052if there are staff members who want to be part of the process of helping develop the menu of options for professional learning, they can have their voice heard that way um through being part of that committee Because we are still going to offer professional learning um and I am not presuming just because we're not mandating it that there will be people who would show up. I still I am I'm still operating under the assumption that we have highly professional staff members who will be discerning and deciding what works for them and what doesn't work for them. Um and so I've I've put a lot of expectations on our team to develop a menu of options during those professional learning days. So it feels like a conference where you can pick which session you're going to
053attend and which session you're not going to attend. Um we also have committees next year in the area of um professional climate and culture that will start and we have a more of a district-wide committee around student or school environment EBIS type of work as well. Um there's opportunity for voice for people to be involved, to be part of the solution that everyone wants also with the one votes. But this calendar I think if I'm really excited for because so often our elementary staff don't have the don't take advantage of all that time they put into uh the school year. So to give them an extra day right before the end of the school year on April 29th and the early release to provide that opportunity. Um and that October 2nd time frame I think
054is is a nice the first four weeks of the school year has started um and and giving people breather or the opportunity to recalibrate what's next with the new math curriculum. There's just a lot of professional opportunities that people will have in front of them with this calendar. Mhm. You want to come and take my shoes? And so I don't know what time to close the eyes and wonder six. Thank you gentlemen for presenting that. >> I will We have not an action. >> Action. Thank you Mr. Allen and thank you. You do this one, then. Um, Jason. >> It is recommended the school board approve the revised 2026-2027 academic calendar and I so move. >> May I have a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Mr. Bauer. Um, anything else? All right, hearing nothing
055the summer's just flying by. >> Mr. Bauer. >> Yes. >> Mr. Scott. >> Yes. >> Mr. Wagner. >> Yes. >> Mr. Zaleski. >> Yes, yes. >> Mr. Allen. >> Yes. >> Mr. English. >> Yes. >> Dr. Lowry. >> Yes, and the motion carries. >> Thank you for being so excited about adjourning before us. >> [laughter] >> After all those nights I kept you here so long. Um. Speaking of giving time, uh, time is needed. Um, we now move to item number seven, adjourning. Uh, next time is 6:50 p.m. Um, may I have a motion to adjourn? Is there anyone who wants to move? >> So moved. >> Thank you, Mr. Bauer. May I have a second? >> Second. >> Thank you. Mr. Allen, let me see. Uh, and I'm guessing there's no comment or questions
056or concerns. So, Mr. Zaleski, how do you vote? >> Mr. English. >> Yes. >> Mr. Allen. >> Yes. >> Mr. Zaleski. >> Yes, yes. >> Mr. Wagner. >> Yes. >> Mr. Scott. >> Yes. >> Mr. Allen. >> Yes. >> Dr. Lowry. >> Yes. >> The motion carries. Thank you. Thanks for your service, committee.