001I call the April 22nd, 2025 special school board meeting to order. It is 6:03 p.m. We are in conference room C of the official administration building at 12121 West North Avenue. Miss Summers, please call the RO. Mr. Morris, here. Dr. Ho, here. Mr. here. Dr. Worley excused. Miss Hammer Roland here. Mr. Meyer here. Dr. Desessa Banger here. We do have quum. Uh we're expecting Dr. Worley to join us in a few minutes. Uh thank you for everyone who is here this evening. Um and we will begin with an opportunity for public comment. Members of the Wawaossa School 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
002input in decision-making. The board requests that individuals limit their comment on each item to three minutes. Following any comment, an individual board member may respond on the issue raised. However, it is not the intent of public comment portion of the agenda for the board to enter into debate with a member or members of the community. because non-aggenda items are not publicly posted in advance. No action will be taken on public comment regarding non-aggenda items this evening. Uh Mr. Morris, if you can uh time for the three minutes and Dr. Boyd, if you can watch that 30 minute ready. Uh is there any public comment in the room this evening? Really fast. Hello, I am Maggie Barryian and I've been a teacher at WS Stem since 2009. Tonight I speak for myself as an educator, someone
003deeply committed to the success of our students, families, and the district as a whole. Not only am I in my 16th year at W Stem, but I also grew up in Wawaossa. I attended Wilson Elementary, Whitman Middle School, and I have two of my own boys who attend WSM. I respectfully ask for your support in continuing full grade level enrollment K through five and extending our contract. I make this request not only because of my strong belief and love of W STEM, but also because of my commitment to this district, and because I believe doing so would also benefit the district in numerous ways. I believe this path reflects the district's strategic goals, supports student well-being, and preserves the heart of our instructional model, especially our multi-age classrooms and science integration programming. I'm lucky enough
004that I can say I've only had a few co-workers in my entire career, and that is because the district played a critical role in curating and supporting our exceptionable exceptional team rooted in collaboration, innovation, and shared values. That's one of the many things that makes this school so successful. I am proud of the successes WSM has had. I've recently learned that of the 1,26 elementary schools, we outperform 1,22 of them. This is because of the programming that with the support of you, we've created. We don't just work for a school. We've helped build this school from the ground up. An essential part of that foundation is our two-year rotating science curriculum that is intentionally built around a multi-age classroom where students learn and grow from one another. Our K through fifth grade engineering teams are
005often highlighted as a unique aspect of the school. This is amazing. But I believe it's our foundational science programming and our five pillars that sets us apart. Multi-age instruction, our inter interdisciplinary and STEM approach, authentic learning experiences, and collaborative community. We've heard some say that we're an island of excellence. It's through hard work, dedication, and collaboration from students, families, and educators that this excellence has grown. Here's the thing. We don't want to be an island. We, while can be an archipelago, a cluster of islands that are distinct, but part of a larger hole. Side note, we're in our geology unit right now. You can stop by our school and check out our second and third grade uh 3D printed land forms in our hallway. We know charter structures like ours, instrumentality charters, are unfamiliar to
006many. We've included resources to help clarify what we do and how we align with district goals. We aren't asking for more autonomy. We're asking to continue delivering innovation within the framework already allowed by the state, and we've shown we can do that effectively. In closing, I respectfully ask for your support of a full K5 enrollment contract that preserves what works at WSM while aligning with the district's vision. I love this school deeply. It is a living, breathing example of what's possible when curiosity leads, when science inspires, and when the community comes together to build something extraordinary. Come get to know our students, families, meet, and the other educators that make WS STEM the beacon it is today. Thank you for your time. I'm bringing the suck. So, okay. Sorry. Let me I'm going to be
007over, so I'm gonna try to talk fast. So, hi. My name is Ryan Reitinsky. Uh, and I have I'm a parent of two WS STEM daughters, Ally in fifth grade and Meline in third. I have a unique perspective in that I've been a parent of a child who event both at Wilson and at W Stem. Ally, uh, when we had the opportunity to join WT STEM, we didn't know what an instrumentality charter school was. Uh, and we didn't even know that W Stem really was a charter school. We just knew that it was public. we could apply and if we got in and things didn't work out, we could go back to our home school, no questions asked. What we found out was that Ally, who was generally content and productive within Wilson, really thrived
008in the W STEM environment both academically and socially. While my daughter Meline was enrolled from the gate in senior kindergarten and would ultimately transfer to fifth grade if we we don't have any sort of renewal, that's not why I'm up here today. I'm up here for people like like Megan Barry. Uh I recognize the concern about two schools in one building. Uh, I lived it. My my kids were at STEM and at Wilson at the same time. And I'm not going to say that it doesn't have any effects, right? Those feelings were real. Uh, but there are productive ways to mitigate the effects of that. One of which I'm wearing on my shirt right now, team together, which is uh Wilson and and W Stem parents that work together on on common projects and goals.
009W StemGc is uh yeah, WTEM GC has compromised a lot throughout this process. Um, obviously there's been sort of an off uh off-schedule renewal process. Um, we've also, well, I say we, I'm not part of the governance council. Uh, but has also reluctantly accepted a decision to close the school despite its high enrollment and performance. The ask now is to sunset the school in a responsible way. Uh, not just for the school itself, but for the district. Um, closing it next year by letting the current contract simply expire is not what I would view as fair. The phase out plan that was proposed in December would have started removing grades this coming year which is still a current contract year and would have gone down to one grade in 2930 which would have had significant
010ill effects on the multi-age learning model uh including the the six grade engineering move. So it would have been down to one an engineering team of one. I assume the reasoning behind closing W STEM is that students will go back to their home schools and contribute accordingly. That was actually one of the first ideas I had when I heard that W Stem might be in danger of closing. But anyone that studies economics or just life in general understands the law of unintended consequences. But the what if the real effect is that the purgatory of W STEM lowers child test scores until its ultimate closure. If enrollment remains high enough to justify the existing staff but not fully subscribed, driving up the cost per pupil, instead of going back to their home schools, many pursue options
011outside of the district. What if the school itself moves out of the district? It is an independent 501c3 and I can tell you I've heard that independent charters have approached WSTEM. There's been a lot of discussion about why it should be treated differently than other STEM programs. It's because it is different. It is a 501c3. If any of those things occur, then the net effect isn't just breaking up a school and taking its parts and moving it into the the neighborhood schools. It's it's it's a ne negative effect for the district. And that's why I'm concerned. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Henson a resident in Watosa. I have no children in the district. I love my city and I think my school district is very important. Um, I for the life of me cannot figure
012out why you would consider closing down a program that has been so successful and has had good enrollment in it. I I hope that you vote to continue this program. I think it's a good thing. Thank you. continuing this laptop. Um thing I'm May McCully um and I have uh two kids at W STEM. We're Washington based school um family and one um who will be incoming. Um, so this decision for us, um, the five years versus one, um, matters because I have, um, one that would would be finishing, one that when we started, we didn't know it would be ending, and one that I have to figure out what to do with. Um, and so I feel like the sunset u model of five years with some um, consideration to how we keep the
013multi-age going really makes sense. um it's kind of the fundamental um DPI Wisconsin DPI recommends multi-age. Um it is is a key part to I think the success but also uh as Maggie mentioned it's a two-year rotation like science curriculum for example and where do you stop that and how do they continue? Um so uh uh we feel it like only makes sense to continue full enrollment through the school year. This would check a lot of boxes for both those involved for the school and also the district. It would allow um everybody time both personally, the district, the school building, everything to um be able to transition well and do that well versus quick. And when we know when things happen quick, we don't always, you know, have all the best choices. Um, I can't
014help but think that if you are thinking about how time will view your legacy and countless hours of volunteer service community like ours, it's my hope that all of us can be honored. Um, and that whatever decision you make, you will consider not just what, but also the how um a responsibility uh a responsibly planned final contract would achieve the district's goal of enhanced flexibility while while minimizing the downside risks that could occur during this windown. I can tell you if a compromise can be reached, it would invigorate an active group that spent countless hours trying to get us back to this point. The absence of a workable agreement would be devastating. I truly thank you for your consideration today for even having this conversation. I know you're sick of having this conversation. Um but
015I do feel like I mean my daughter who was you know I thought asleep and um came to us and said are they taking away my friends? Like it's for her. It's for the students. I think I hope tonight we can make decisions for the students and what's best for them because ultimately that's best for the district. Um, thank you for your service. Thank you, Jamie. Is there any uh public comment online? Yes, we do have one. Nicole Eter, you have the microphone. Thank you. Uh John Eder. Um a a yeah I'm a a parent of an East student, parent of a Longfellow student. I teach at East High and this semester also at West High. Um and I'm calling in to uh to encourage the um the you know the school board to um
016go forward with what I thought was already decided which is to end the uh you know the WSEM program at the end of this year. Um and I'm encouraging you to do this on educational grounds on uh on matters of equity and also on democratic grounds. Um on the educational level the audit showed um yes we have a very high performing school for a very privileged group of students um who are not meeting you know who are not showing an immense amount of growth. So if we look at the success of a school as you based on its growth, WSEM is not as successful as as people like to claim that it is. Um and that's what it should be about. Um uh as far as equity goes, it has been said again and again.
017Students at you at Wilson are seeing the W STEM students have going on ski trips and having all of these different opportunities that they don't get to share in. um as you as as a student as a parent of students who went through you who went through Longfellow, the inequities between the STEM program there and the education and the regular ed program always very front and center for the kids. Um to the point where I still have high school students uh noting noting experiences they had in STEM that the students in the regular did not. Um so it's in it's it's inequitable. Yes, work is being done to try to get the uh these the Wilson students um some enriching activities, but it's coming at at an immense cost to those parents and time devoted
018to try to get anywhere near the sort of the sort of experiences that the STEM students are. And and finally, democratically, um in the last Yeah, it's like we passed a referendum. Um the you the voters of Wawwa said we want to invest in our community schools um through that referendum. By continuing W STEM, we are pulling resources out of all of those others. So Jefferson could use those students to maintain staffing there and their resources. Um same at the other area schools. And so by continuing W STEM, we're continuing to draw resources out of the schools that the voters of Wawaossa said we want to support. Um so for all of those three reasons, I encourage the school board to um you to make the hard decision and say a decision was made. W
019Stem is done at the end of this year. Thank you very much. [Music] There are no more hands raised. Any final comments on the Ruby City? Need to make sure online had a chance. Hi, I'm Jessica Haywood. I am a parent of a second grader at W STEM. We are new this year. We are a transfer from the Underwood community, Underwood UTE. So, we have a little bit of an experience with that coming from one world into this world. And I have to say that when I hear the differences of it being a charter compared to just the program at ustm that plays a huge factor. We are an instrumentality charter. As previously said we do have specialized field trips but lots of places have specialized field trips. I know Montasuri does specialized things. Ustm
020when we were at Underwood we would watch buses leave and that's not something that is unique to W Stem by any means. As somebody who just came in this year and willing to pull my second grader out of a community that we loved and what Underwood doesn't have in test scores, they make up for in community. We I love Underwood, do not get me wrong. and to make that choice to leave and come to a school that I did not know had no potential. And having a kid with an IEP and kind of a rough go as it is to have to make this transition in such uncertain times is soul crushing for these kids. It is rough. And when we're already and to the last speaker's point, I thought it was something we already
021voted on. We already thought we had five years. I mean, we were working out the, you know, if we were going to Sunset or not, but we kind of thought we had 5 years, right? So, to that point, but it's just so hard to think that we can't do what's right for these kids. And I mean, personally, obviously, it's I would love to have endless time with this school that is so successful with teachers that care so much and do so much work for these students. Let them be your guide for this amazing STEM forAll idea. STEM forAll does have potential. We don't know what it is because we haven't like seen a detailed plan or anything, but it sounds like it could be really good for the whole district, right? So, why don't we
022use the one great STEM thing that we have to make it great for all? Thank you. Uh Dr. Jess, we have another hand raised online. Okay. Would you like to move to that? Yes. Andre Romero, you have the microphone. Hi, this is Andreas and I was wondering if I can somehow turn on my webcam. I don't think it's possible, right? We are not going. We don't do webcams. It's just a voice. Okay. Well, um that's okay. So I am right now in Wilson Elementary and Wawaossa STEM and if you don't know right now it's there's a science fair happening. First of all, I want to say thank you to everyone that helped and make possible this science fair and it's really valuable this I also want to share that right now I wish you could
023see the webcam but this is a great opportunity where you can see how two great schools can collaborate between each others. There is like three, six, 9, 12, probably like 50 tables where there is great team effort and great collaboration and science happening and and I love to see this kindergarten, first grader, two graders, three grades and doing all these experiments, applying the science, applying the skills that they are learning in their classroom to to then do it later in in in their professional So I I think for me this is one reason why we want to pick what offer them and I don't think we're pulling resources out of other schools. These classrooms are at full these classroom are maximizing the resources and for me that is that is valuable. Um my speech changed
024a lot. I really wish we could see the camera but I just want you to imagine 20 stations science collaboration and and with really magic happening here. So I hope that I know you guys have a big decision with decisions but I hope so can continue and you can keep seeing this silence and collaboration between schools going around. Thank you. Thank you. There are no more hands raised. We will um close public comment online. Is there any final comment in the room this evening? Seeing none, uh public comment this evening is now closed. Thank you all everyone for uh speaking who spoke this evening. Um we will now move into board governance. The first item is action to approve the revised and legally reviewed safe schools resolution. Mr. Morris, it is recommended that the school
025board approved the revised and legally reviewed safe schools resolution and I so move. Thank you. May I have a second? Thank you, Mr. Moral. Dr. White. Okay. Um, well, we brought this to we brought this to you all, I don't know, maybe a month or so ago. Um, at that point, we had some discussion about it. there were um a decision was made that we would move it forward for legal review. Um and the version you have in front of you has gone through that. Um so happy to answer any questions or thoughts people have. I as you know Dr. Jessa Banger and I are both stepping off of the school board after this meeting. So we're just trying to wrap up some of our outstanding resolutions that we um have brought forward. Any questions
026or comments from the board listening? Hello. Um, I don't support this resolution. I think it will have unintended consequences that won't be good for the kids. I um looked at the title, school safety resolution, and it seems that somehow the resolution in some fashion um provides a reference to bullying. And if I were to talk about school safety and uh what would I focus on for a resolution? So, I was considering a motion for an amendment and I'll give you the text that I was going to um do this for. If you could pass that over. And um it's um been always a surprise to me in 21 years of board service as I approach a meeting like this that where I have difficulties with something and I want to do something and I prepare
027and I talk with people still what I'm going to do doesn't come down to I don't know until I actually get there. And I will read this. And this is what I was considering a motion to amend to put between paragraph 6 and 7. Be it further resolved, the school board directs the superintendent to report to the United States Department of Education, Office of the Inspector General, all available information regarding complaints, aggressions, intimidation, embarrassment, harassment, bullying, abuse, mental or emotional injury, physical injury, and disciplinary actions involving students with disabilities as victims or perpetrators. and for those students with disabilities to include all available information on change in placement, change in school, change in programming, withdrawal, dropout, and expulsion for the years of January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2024. And I believe our fine director,
028Mr. Luke Pinion, handles things Um, I believe these things affect federal funding. And I just asked myself a minute ago or two, well, if this motion were to pass, I would in some sense be obligated to vote for the whole resolution. And there's something just not genuine about that. So I pass this out to you now so that the verbiage is with you, the words are there. Um we can remember all of these things that students with disabilities all over the country deal with and the need to focus on these things. And um this aligns with um my earlier discussion and mention of a some sort of a monitoring system of a data capturing system regarding students with disabilities. So this has been my cause and it will continue to be my cause for a
029long time. But I I came to the conclusion that to make this motion would be to game this resolution. And I I I don't want to do that kind of thing here tonight. So, I present it to you as the sincere thing that was in my mind about what would be in a safe schools something that would be included in a safe schools resolution something like this to concern ourselves with these things more actively more openly more transparently um but unfortunately for the cause not tonight because I came to the final conclusion that I I didn't want to be doing procedural things on anything as important as this and as important as the the main motion here tonight. So, thank you for hearing me out and listening to me. And I do um with hat
030in hand ask everyone to keep these words in your heart. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Martin. Any other board comments or questions in this resolution? The general resolution. Um, is this an updated version of something that already exists for us? So, what what are the No, no, this is this is something fresh. Um, okay. Uh, the and the implications of it. Are there any major changes from what we're doing now? It's just putting something into text. Thank you. Seeing no other board comment or questions, Mr. Morris, please call RO. Mr. Morris. Yes. Dr. Ho. Yes. Mr. Wadier. Yes. Dr. Worley. Miss Hammer Rand. Yes. Mr. Meyer. No. Dr. Jessa Banger. Yes. And this resolution passes. Let me um Can I introduce it? Let me first. I'm also the one leading. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. If you
031can read it. So, go ahead. Okay. It is recommended that the school board approve the local control of school board resolution and I so move. I have a second. Second. Thank you. Okay. Um this is the other of the two the second of the two um resolutions that we still had outstanding. Again, we presented this about a month ago. Um, and this one is in response to um, bills that are currently at the state assembly or senate um, that have to do with uh, sort of decisions that will happen at the schoolboard level. And so it's um, essentially recognizing that school boards should have control over local decisions. So you use the word bills. Does that mean that these are not yet passed or are these state statute at this point? These are bills that
032are currently like up for discussion or in a committee. Okay. Not passed. Um then can you help me understand why we have has encroached in the past tense as in it has done this already? They have uh the legislature has encroached on the that is true uh authority of school boards. The most prominent example is at 20 uh where the legislature has dictated to school districts how we're to teach reading. That's inappropriate, right? And so it it so then what's being read here is a combination of a condemnation of past actions and a condemnation of things that are currently being considered. Yes, sir. Thank you. Thank you for the clarifying question. Other questions or comments from the board? Sure. Sure. Thank you. Um I I'm not struggling with the concept. I'm struggling with the inconsistent
033application depending upon who's in power. Um certainly it's a conservative position local control and uh somehow the desiraability of local control depends on who's in the governor's office and who's controlling the legislature. So I I just think this is contextual as to whether we'd support it or not. Um, and I don't always agree that local control is a good idea. We are school district is a creature of the state of Wisconsin, the local school district. And um I think we of course we all know that and we all won't forget that. But somehow the state does have authority to decide how much local control there is within the boundaries of the state. So, um I will have to see how I vote. It will probably wait till they call my name on the role. Thank
034you. I I guess all I would um say, Mr. Meyers, that I don't think this is a partisan um presentation at all. I I agree. I agree. Yeah. I I think it it doesn't matter if uh if the Democrats were in control of the legislature. I think highly of of both Waltos's own Scott Walker and Mr. Ivers thought very highly of Mr. Jim Doyle. But I think Jim Doyle overreached at times uh as governor. I think at the core there are people in this community who elect seven people to ensure that there's oversight of the local school district's operation. That's what a school board is supposed to do. Um and um anytime the legislature, we we use the terminology there's unfunded mandates that come from the legislature every session and they continue to just mount
035and mount and they they have not taken things away. They just continue to enroach on the the authority of local school districts regardless of uh which side side of the aisle is in control of either the governor's mansion or the legislature. So that's the that's the the context of this resolution. Sure. So in response to that, Dr. Means, I will urge our incoming school board to be resolved as individual members to be willing to move your vote based on what you hear in the meeting that is presented by people. That it is a terrible frustration when people are decided coming in and nothing said matters. And I'm not saying anyone in this board now is like that. I've seen that in the past. It so it seems not to question anyone's sincerity, but the words
036spoken in the room are meaningful to me. Thank you, Dr. Means. Thank you. Oh, just a question for Mr. My and you don't have to answer if you don't if you don't want to. I'm I'm just curious what do you think the I guess what what would the negatives be um if if we were to to go ahead uh with this I'm I'm just struggling reading the language. I'm struggling to find the negatives of wanting to hold on to what we have as much as possible as opposed to letting parts of it go. I I could see maybe um some administrative burden could be taken off of our shoulders if if the state were to take things, but then we're letting them pick and choose some just looking for insight. Um I tend to agree
037with what Dr. Means just said. I myself believe in local control. I think people who want their children in public schools move want choice and therefore want to move to a community where the elected school board represents their notion of how to educate children. So I think local control is a wonderful thing. Um I'm very moved by Dr. means words about well even if you believe in mandates if they're unfunded mandates they create serious problems locally and uh I am very sincere in what I'm saying it it does seem that it's contextual with some people not necessarily in this room but in in our world about you know local control when it's convenient for your ideological beliefs and then suddenly you know you're you're you're having mandates. So if you really believe in local control
038then you know you know I've talked to some people about some things and they said well we wouldn't do that you know because we believe in local control but there are the same people voting for the mandates. So and that's my difficulty with it. It starts to be seemingly superfluous to get into the conversation about local control when that's how so many people look at it. But I believe this resolution is true to what this school board believes and therefore it is not a political gimmick in any in any way, shape or form. Thank you. So basically to be clear, what you're saying is if we vote for this, let's pardon me. You're basically saying if we vote for this, let's not be speaking it out of the side of our mouth. I'm sorry. I'm
039I'm I'm not I'm not quite hearing if we vote for this then something mean it. What do you then? Then we should mean it. Well, we always mean it when we We should really mean it as opposed to mean it when it's convenient. We always really mean it, but I believe in um putting our time to things that will have effect, right? And if nobody's going to listen, if they're just going to do what they want to do anyway, then we could spend the sport's time on stuff where we think we can move the needle as far as affecting outcomes. I feel like this is a good time to bring up a previously passed um item from the legislative advocacy asking for support for special education reimbursement at 90%. That's an area that I think
040certainly um most Wisconsin residents would certainly be behind and would go a long ways to uh correcting a lot of u long longstanding inequities within our funding system. Um I see no other comment or questions on this item. Miss, please call the role. Mr. Morris, yes. Dr. Ho, yes. Mr. Wadier, yes. Dr. Worley, yes. Miss Hammer Roland. Yes. Mr. Meyer. Yes. Dr. Jessa Banger. Yes. And that item passes. Uh we are now up to um action to approve the Walaossa School District Business Office as the fiscal agent for the Southeastern Wisconsin School Alliance. It is recommended that the school board approve the Waossa School District Business Office as the fiscal agent for the Southeastern Wisconsin School Alliance. And I so move. May I have a second? Second. Thank you, M. Dr. Rol. Uh, Dr. Le.
041Yes. This is very uh quick. The South Milwaukee School District's uh business office has been the fiscal agent for the Southeastern Wisconsin School Alliance, which is an advocacy group that public schools belong to that um that stays a breast on legislative uh issues. It it keeps school boards updated. Um, South Milwaukee's business office has served as the fiscal agent for many years. And what that entails is that when school districts pay their annual dues, the business office in South Milwaukee, they take all of that money in and they they keep the books, if you will, for um, SWSA. Uh, South Milwaukee is transitioning out of that role now. And, uh, SWSA is looking for a new school district to assume that role. Um Mr. Eker and Miss uh Hanker, you've met both of them. Um
042they have agreed to serve in that role for SWSA. Um it um it will ensure that we receive a discount on our membership uh to SWSA. I I serve on the executive uh committee of SWSA. So, we're we're we're veryive uh with SWSA, but I think this will just continue to solidify our our voice and our role and seat at the table um moving forward with advocacy uh within southeastern Wisconsin and the state. What we're seeking is your approval. So, we we want we just want to make sure that you know that our business office is taking on this duty. Um they did their due diligence. they they um Scott and and just spoke with the business uh manager in South Milwaukee to to kind of get a sense of how much time will this
043entail, what type of workload uh this would uh require and they feel very comfortable that they can take on this this duty. Thank you. Uh any board questions on this item? I'm going to go Mr. Morris. Dr. Mine's in here with this taking this over. If we took this over from South Milwaukee, are they fiscal agents as the district for ourselves? Are they paid? Are there administrative fees? Are there contractual agreements that fall into place for this? And what's the time period on those? There's no compensation. I think this change of the quid proquo is that we receive a discount in our membership. Um, as a result of of taking on this additional duty. Uh and it's the responsibilities to make sure that we keep accurate uh accounting of who's paid and who has not
044paid. And um there's a lot of money that does go in and out of SWSA due to the the fact that the the organization does hire lobbyists um to to do the work on behalf of all the member districts. Am I answering your question, Mr. Mor? I think so. I think for me, I'm just trying to get to there. Um, obviously the district has seen and heard and felt all the difficulties we have from a financial standpoint previously to write that ship here. Taking on more responsibility with even Mr. Eert, but even more responsibility of other people's money, other districts money, everything that's going to fall into this, do we have the capacity, the systems, and the process to to really have a firm understanding on we can do this as well as do what
045we need for the district at a at 100%. I I appreciate the clarity of the question. Yes. Um, Miss Hanker, who is our director of finance, who you've met, uh, and Mr. Ecker, believe that this is not an added burden, but it's something that they can handle. Are there any additional uh, legal responsibilities or pieces there? Any any risk? More it's more of an accounting issue. Yes. Auditing. Is it audited? it is audited and uh and so which goes back to they have to keep accurate accounting of the funds that are coming in and out of the SWSA account. Mr. Mar, well I I share um Mr. Mars's questions and I'll say that they're actually concerns of mine. Um Dr. Mean says he can handle it and I think this where the word trust comes
046in. Dr. means if you say you can handle it, if it's not going to be a burden on our business office, if it's not going to strain our our tight administrative budgets and our Fisher building budgets because we know we have things we're handling, you know, budgetary strains and things. Um, if you say we're okay, it's this is also a way so it's also a way for us to save money and so we're we're getting a discounted membership as a result of this as well. So it's we're not just doing this out of the kindness of our professional hearts. We're we're also trying to save money. So that's another component to this. This is another situation for me where the words spoken in the meeting changed my vote. Um I'm a huge fan of SWSA,
047so I I can appreciate the collaboration and how beneficial that might be. Um, I am curious if there were an accounting error, would that be would we as a school district be responsible or any money that were allocated incorrectly or you know what I mean? Is there a financial burden if there were an air? There's no financial burden on the district. It is a uh it's it would be a mark of embarrassment on our business office part if that was made. Do you know approximately how much the savings would be every year? It's half the It's the half the amount and I can't remember the actual 3,200 is what Google is the name will be. So it will be half it would be 50%. Okay. Thank you. Um more of a comment. Um I share
048the same concerns that everyone else is has said. Um, I I'm I'm sure uh proper insuranceances and and asurances are are in place. Um, I just wanted to comment on my my short time here working with Mr. Eker. He's he's brought us from a a system of disorganization to systems of organization and seeing what he's been able to do firsthand. Um, I I would side with Dr. means on saying that I I would have confidence that um that the staff would be able to take that on if they were to um use the same kind of process management and I don't think it would be too much of an additional burden again as long as there's no um hidden hidden thing there that we're not seeing uh about liability. There's no additional liability retained. Well,
049that's a good point. You know, you you don't plan on getting in a car crash, but you have car insurance. Um, what if some money disappeared, there was an accounting error, whatever. How is it insured? I am not sure. Hey, that's tough then. evaluated after um it is a mult there's no duration that is set on it um but I would assume that we would need to do it for at least two years to get a sense of do we have the capacity to do it or not ongoing point. Uh again, I it was the business manager in South Milwaukee did it for many years. So, we carry liability insurance. We do. Okay. That's I'm assuming pretty safe assumption somehow or not to interrupt, but just to get to the point quickly. Right. I I
050understand, but we're just doing our due diligence. I'm listening to Mr. Wadier's question and like Oh, yeah. So, but likely very highly likely our coverage or operations of the business office will cover right right small profits maybe not right percentage but I understand okay thank you um I guess I'll just say that I don't think $1600 is worth taking any of the potential scenarios that we talked about, especially given uh our recent past referendum um and just kind of rebuilding our finance um department into a place where I think we um are feeling really comfortable as a board. Um and I think the community is starting to see the hard work of the board and the administration in that regard. to me to take on an extra any sort of risk to me. Um I
051think I would say I'm willing to take a zero risk against our finance department at this point. Just want to add add to that too. I um we don't we don't Dr. Means you said you don't have the definitive answer on errors and emissions policies. Um I I'm not I'm not opposed to this, but I'm not comfortable with voting on it without having a definitive answer on that on as to who's responsible um given the events that we've seen have happened. Um so that's that would be my stance on it. asking like information there's there's no that's fine. Um we create a problem. Um, I don't think so. I I I don't I don't foresee that being a problem. Um, and we can bring this additional information uh to the board. This is something that
052Mr. Becker and Miss Hanker pursued and were interested in and wanted to take on but we can definitely bring this additional information like that as well as the organization that part of these are all good questions and we can bring th those responses to you. I just I wanted to give you the origin of where it started from. Um um Miss Himeran, I didn't understand I heard the words, but I didn't understand your meaning about zero risk. Could you I I I'm not quite sure what you're saying. Yeah, it sounds like if we were to pass this that it's a very low risk to the district or for our business office, but to me the reward of saying yes doesn't mean any potential risk in my You mean it the the reward of saying yes
053correct um compensates for any risk? It it does not compensate. It does not compensate for any risk. I think the $1,600 saved and okay contributing to this organization who I agree is a good organization at this point and where we are as a district. I don't think it's worth any risk to say yes. What if we're insured? Would you say yes? If we knew we were insured. Uh personally probably not. I would probably vote no on this. Okay. Okay. I'm not trying to debate you. I just want to hear make sure I understand. Yeah. I just don't think it's worth putting any extra burden on our Okay. I I would like to know. I mean, really, it's I'm they have to be there has to be insurance. My question is whose policy would it fall
054under? Because if we have a mistake and it's our ENO, then our premiums are going to go up. If they have their own ENO coverage and it falls under that, then I think we get to the scenario Miss was talking about of zero risk. because if it's zero, then sure, it's great. Um, but I think we need to know whose whose insurance policy ultimately would flip the bill if there was a mistake. So, I guess I'd say the time that our staff was spending on it isn't worth I hear Rollins saying that by just putting something extra on our team, correct, there is a burden and and I think that's fair and we knew that. That's why we're bringing it to the board. Um, and we'll bring the I I think it it's healthy to
055pause here. We'll get the additional information, but I think it's also healthy to put into the the the ethos that there's a con there's a consideration that anything extra outside of just attending to the finances of Waltosa and the Waltosa school district is a risk. And that's what that's what I'm taking away from the conversation. Could I have a motion to move this to now a question for the the administration and uh board members? Are we going to be ready? Well, will you be ready to look at this on Monday or do you want it two weeks from Monday? I would I would want to move it to not this coming Monday but the two weeks from now. What I would like to do is to provide the information in writing to the board so
056you have it and you can deliberate and and then you can make your decision in May. There's no urgency. Um we this is when you when you consider all the other things that we're discussing as a school district, this is this is really small. Uh and so I don't want us to spend a lot of time on it. I think it's been a very healthy conversation. I think um we brought this to the the board for this exact reason from from a transparency standpoint, but let's get the information and then we'll bring it back in May. Could I have a motion from a board member to move this toward the meet the first meeting in May? The Yeah, the second meeting in May. Yeah, that's two meetings from the No, it would be the first
057meeting. There's only one meeting in May. Okay. Um, so yes, May 12. May I have a second? Second. Um, have a discussion. Um, I I do want to get to yes on this as a question of board's personship. I need to hear everyone's concerns and Mr. Barier has a valid concern that information can be provided and I think whenever we have time to wait on a vote to checkbox everybody's concerns I think that's good a good way for a board to operate. Uh, so I I I wouldn't want to see this defeated tonight because it comes to mind that if South Milwaukee is South Milwaukee has been doing this, the Watossa school district has been sort of a taker with respect to that when another school district is doing it. And now for whatever reason,
058South Milwaukee can't or won't. Um, maybe it's time for us to give back as a member of the school district community and take this on for a while. Um, so that's my thinking on this. Any final comments on this one? This motion will place this on the agenda for the first regular board meeting in May, May 12th. Seeing none, please call the Mr. Morris. Yes. Dr. Hoy, yes. Mr. Wadier? Yes. Dr. Worley? Yes. Miss Heimer Rand? Yes. Mr. Meyer? Yes. Dr. Jessa Banger? Yes. And that motion passes and it'll be placed on the May 12th agenda. Thank you all. Um our next motion is to adjourn into executive close session. Before we read that, uh for those who are here in the crowd today, we do expect to come out of uh close session and
059come back into open session uh for additional conversation and if the board takes any action. So while we will be going into close session, I do expect us to return to open session uh later this evening. Um, it is 6:57 p.m. May I have a motion to adjourn into close session? Uh, it is recommended that the school board adjourn to close session pursuing Wisconsin statute 19.85 P5 PN1 post PN E post deliberating or negotiating the purchasing of public properties, the investing of funds or conducting other specified public business. Uh whether competitive or bargaining reasons require a local a closed session specifically to deliberate regard regarding the terms of a potential charter school agreement between the board of education and Watossa STEM Inc. And I so move. Okay. May I have a second? Any board discussion
060on this item? Seeing none, please call the role. Mr. Morris. Yes. Dr. Ho. Yes. Mr. Wadier. Yes. Dr. Worley. Miss Heimer Rand. Yes. Mr. Meyer. No. Dr. Jessup Finger. Yes. And we will move into close session. Uh, are we staying here or are we moving to? We can move. The time is 8:57 p.m. May I have a motion to reconvene into open session? May I have a second? Second. Mr. Morris. Dr. Blake. Yes. Mr. Wadier. Yes. Dr. Worley. Yes. Miss Hammer Rwand. Yes. Mr. Meyer. Yes, Dr. Jessa Banger. Yes. Um, thank you to everybody who uh stayed this evening. It's appreciated that you um both came, spoke, and uh are back in the room tonight. Um believe we have a motion. Dr. I move that the board not offer a charter agreement to W Stem
061for any period beyond the party's current contract and by default WS Stem will close at the expiration of the current contract on June 30th, 2026. The board further expresses its intent not to enter any further negotiations regarding any successor charter school. I have a second. You Dr. Worley. Um any board discussion or questions on this? I don't know whether this is my place to ask, but can I ask for a rationale about uh what what's informing the choice to not offer the final contract? And unless that is something that is uh under closed session privilege close session I believe it's under close session. Okay. I'm looking back at our legal council and thank you. Seeing no board comments or discussion please call the role. Mr. Morris. No. Dr. Ho. Yes. Mr. Wadier. Yes, Dr. Worley.
062Yes, Miss Hammer Roland. No, Mr. Meyer. Same. Dr. Jessa Banger. Yes. And that motion passes. Uh, it was it passed 42. It is 900 p.m. May I have a motion to adjurnn? Moved. Sorry. Move to adjourn. May have a second. Please call the Mr. Morris. Yes. Dr. Ho. Yes. Mr. Wadier. Yes. Dr. Worley. Yes. Miss Himer Rand. Yes. Mr. Meyer. Yes. Dr. Jesser. Yes. We're returned. Thank you all.