001You guys [music] >> know she stand al to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Dear heavenly father, we thank you for a new year and fresh starts and new beginnings and we pray your blessing on this school year and this semester and we pray that we would have a environment for learning and challenging our young people. We pray for safety for our teachers and our students and all the families and guide us through this meeting this evening. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Welcome. Mission statement of excellence in education preparation for life. Note that all members are here except Mrs. Color goes away. [snorts] [clears throat] So our first item of business, public comments.
002Anybody would like to bring any matters to our attention here? And I think we do. >> Is that correct? That would be your >> Okay. Um, my name is Paige kind [cough] [clears throat] familiar faces, but um earlier well I guess [snorts] school session um my son was attacked on the school bus by another little older boy. But um and when we came in to talk about like the things that needed to be done, um it was brought to my attention that the camera system like they didn't really have a good angle, but they could see the little boy like what he was doing and that it was wrong towards my son and that it was violent. Um but um after we got through that passage, I kind of like felt the need to still
003maybe stick up for more kids. And um like I'm grateful that you were able to see a little bit of it, but I was wondering if maybe like we could propose making a u like a center camera on the school buses. Um just with the height of the seats and things [clears throat] like that. Um, if we could just add that in and have more visibility for instances like that to where like the call back you can see more of the surroundings and what's happening. Not necessarily sound because like you can't hear us, but it's it's crazy. [laughter] >> Well, thanks for sharing your concerns and uh I'm sorry that that happened to your son. Obviously, we always wish stuff wouldn't happen and make all of our lives a little bit easier um first and
004foremost for our kids. But, um, you know, the the video cameras are tools that we use, right? Um, they're not a cure all, they're not a saw. Um, you can't cover a 100% of everything, just like our grounds and facilities, right? We have cameras, but there's there's holes, right? You can't cover everything. Um, on a bus, um, we can probably see 85 to 90%. Um, but you're right, the seats, especially on our new buses, are designed to be tall, right? All right. Now, it's a safety thing to keep kids in if if you have a, you know, slam on the brakes, have a an accident or something like that. Um, to cover every single seat, you would need cameras on both sides, probably every three seats to actually be able to see every seat and
005down in them >> because [clears throat] you you can have a camera above a seat. You can have a first grader sitting right here and you won't see them. >> Right. Because they're small. So, that being said, Paige, you know, we're we're always looking to see what's the newest and the best out there and what the new companies when we're purchasing buses come out with. Um, and if there's things we can change and upgrade, we we'll look at doing that. Um, same thing with our schools right now. You know, I'm I'm going to bring a proposal to them in February of adding more cameras. Um, that's just something we evaluate all the time of what can we do better to protect everybody. But again, knowing that, um, especially inside of our facilities, on our grounds,
006we're not a prison. We don't want to be that way. Um but yet we want to protect people too. So um but again I appreciate your concerns and and it's something we evaluate. Okay. >> Yep. I just felt like if I didn't say something then >> yeah appreciate it. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Are there other comments? >> I just want to know more if you don't know me. I'm the emergency management director for Lrange County. One of my goals this year is getting out into the public more and making myself recognizable. Uh when disaster strikes, one thing I've learned over the years, they don't know who I am. I pull up at somebody's driveway or somebody's business, and they didn't know me until that point. One of my goals this year
007is getting out to board meetings throughout the county, things like that, and just making sure that people know who I am. You see me, this is what I do. Like when disaster strikes, I'm going to try [snorts] everything I can to get reimbursements and FEMA money and those kind of things in to our county. So that's the only reason me being here. I just wanted to make sure put name with the face and here we are. So I appreciate what you guys do. >> I work with Mr. Reed quite a bit. He gets my love with emails. >> Yeah. Told him to stop emailing me. [laughter] >> Yeah. Congratulations. >> Good news. >> You ever email good news? >> Last night. [laughter] >> Very rarely unfortunately. I can try that. I got I got a
008goal for this year as well. Nothing going on today. >> Now Bill's been great to work with over the years. appreciate that. Congratulations on your years of service award, too. >> Appreciate that. >> Thanks, Bill and Paige. Are there others? >> Okay, we will move on to >> I think I'll just say something. I'm only here to let the board know that we appreciate what you do and I know we come in animosity it feels like at times, but but I just wanted you to know that I support what you do and I and I like what you do and I'm thankful for you all. Well, thanks do that very often. >> Well, we appreciate that. Mr. Thank you, >> Christine. We can go four for four. Do you have anything? [laughter] >> I got
009another meeting. >> Okay. Well, then we will move on to action items. Mr. Reed, recommendation to approve the board of finance resolution. >> Well, Christine, you have some things. >> Oh, are we going to go over all that stuff? >> Yes. Yeah. Okay. It is my turn. [laughter] We have a packet that um is for the board of finance and I'm going to just go over that. I'll try to be quick. Um this first sheet is the report of investments. You guys have um so this is just reporting how much interest we earned in our investment accounts for 2025. Um, we were right at $46,000 in total in just those investment accounts, not including the checking. The checking itself earned 446,000. Um, that interest rate has started to decrease. We're at 3.35% now in our
010checkings. Um, so we'll start seeing less of an income there. And I would like to suggest something moving forward um that we just consider maybe having a resolution to move our interest deposits to the operations fund because we will start losing um from that property tax reform. We'll start seeing some losses in the operations fund. So just something to think about for the future. They just take a resolution to do that. Um the next little packet there, it says the financial condition report for 2026. Um this is something that's required by [snorts] Indiana code. Uh just a report to be given to the board of finance that uh just assesses our financial condition. Um there's a lot to this. I'm just going to go through it real quick. It can be found and this is
011actually looking at 2425 data. So, it's a little outdated, but um that first page or second page shows um our student count for the 2425 school year. Uh currently we're at 1343. So, we saw a little bit of a decrease there. Um but we did see an increase in our 26 we increase by $31 million. Um we turn to the next page. Uh the demographics chart, that's something new they threw in there this year. It just looks at uh reduced lunch numbers, [snorts] special education count, and our English language learners. Um those things tend to stay pretty steady. It does look like we have a little bit of an increase each year in our special ed count. Um the bottom chart there just shows our historical fund balance trends. [snorts] The top chart shows the
012revenue versus expenses and then the bottom chart just shows um our fund balance as a percent of our expenditures. So basically if we have no income coming in, how much of our expenses we could cover. Um and I did look up I think last year Todd you asked how many other schools were in that position that we are like 100 plus% and there's 15 other schools. I'm surprised to see. >> Yeah, Fremont and Hamilton are both one. Yeah. And then there's one school that's at 323%. That's pretty crazy. [laughter] That's what I thought. >> I think it's typican new. >> Yeah, typic. >> Interesting. >> I don't know. Yeah, we um then this next this actually is the last page there. um just shows our revenue by type just compares what types of revenue come
013into our different funds and then that bottom one just shows um what percent of our revenue comes from the rep right? So that is a very quick overview. Do you guys have any questions about that? >> You said on that assess valuation for 26 we're up 31 million. Yeah. >> I wonder where that stops. >> I remember when I first started it was like 770. >> That's right. >> It's got to end soon, I would think, but I don't know. >> It's probably all the properties. >> Yeah, maybe. [laughter] >> Not mine. [clears throat] Um then this next little packet is just some information from my accounting system. This top sheet here, the fund report just shows on 123125 what the uh budget is fund account balances were. So if you look to the far
014right, that current balance is where we ended the year. Um I do want to note that the education fund is down to where our target rate was. Um we're we're at 13% of our 2025 budget. So that's more in line with what we our target has always been. Um transfers, we were able to transfer some money into rainy day, 1.1 from um 1.1 million from operations and 1.2 from referendum. Um so that's that. Then the next page is just uh historical fund balances from 2020 to 25. Not a lot to talk about there. And then these last two sheets are my um cash flow statements that I prepare monthly. So these just dive a little deeper and look um at the revenue and expenses each month by category and that's this first page is the
015education fund. Second page is the operations fund. So, >> so the education fund will have to pull out 590,000 day. >> Well, we had enough cash balance to cover that. >> Okay. >> But our revenue was less than our expenses. Yeah. By 590,000. >> I'm used to that, too. [laughter] [clears throat] >> So, a lot of information there. If you guys have any questions later when you go home and read it, let me know. And then the last page is the financial report card. This is something we started doing again. Um, this gives you a lot of repeat information, but one thing I do want to point out on the first page, the tax rate history, the 2026 tax rate is actually what was approved. So, we were at 68.5 cents. >> [snorts] >> Um,
016again, our assessed value went up by 31 million. In the middle there, the 2026 budget appropriations, those are what came in approved by the Department of Local Local Government Finance. Um, and those all came in as requested. Um, if you turn to the back, just a little bit more information. The top section just shows you where a $100,000 net assessed value is allocated in our budget and then more enrollment data and staffing numbers. >> Well, everybody should have had a chance to look at this before the meeting. So, there any questions to add to that? So, what do we need to do? Approve this. >> Approve the resolution. >> Yep. >> Need a [clears throat] motion to approve the resolution. >> Jamie, >> second, >> we don't need to read it, do we? >> No.
017>> Any further discussion? All those in favor? Motion carries. Four to zero. [snorts] Okay. She covered Yep. She covered that stuff. So related to Y comments board members have any comments, announcements? We're journ at 5:15 just in time to start our second meeting. >> Thanks for coming. >> You are welcome to the next one if you want. [laughter] >> Is it as exciting as this one? >> It's a [clears throat] pretty exciting. You wouldn't you won't believe. [laughter] Okay, we did the pledge of allegiance. We will follow the second meeting order here at 5:15. Mission statement has stayed the same. Excellence in education preparation for life. Note that are all members in attendance except for Mrs. Culler. We probably don't have any public comments. So [snorts] we'll move on to board reorganization and Mr. Reed
018will handle nomination for the president. >> Yeah. So the first one we need is a new president for the 26 year. So do I have a nomination of anybody? >> I nominate Heather. Aaron nominates Heather. Any other nominations? >> I move nominations be closed. >> Todd moves that the motions are closed. Is there a second for that? >> I'll second. >> Jesyn, all in favor of closing nominations 40. All in favor of Heather being our president for the 26 square. >> Okay. [snorts] And since she is not here, I'll go ahead and run the rest of this stuff. Uh, vice president. Do I have a nomination for vice president? >> Aaron by Todd. Any other nominations for vice president? >> Move to close. >> Todd moves to close. Is there a second for that? >>
019Second. >> Jesus. All in favor of closing the nominations. All in favor of Aaron being our vice president. A >> conflict of interest. [laughter] >> Oh, you can vote. You can vote for yourself. >> 40 Aaron. Okay. And our last one there. Secretary. Do I have a nomination for secretary? >> Nominate Jes. >> Jes. [snorts] >> Todd moves that they close. Any other or second on that? >> A second. >> Jamie. All in favor of nominations being closed. 40. All in favor of Jasine being our secretary. >> Okay. Um, school corporation treasurer. I'd like to nominate Christine or for that. And our deputy treasurer be Kathy Perkins. Do I have a motion to accept those? I'll make a motion. >> Second. Jesyn Aaron second. All in favor? All right, Christine, you're back on another year.
020[laughter] >> Schoolboard salary. So, currently, uh, it's $2,000 per year with a perdem of $75 for board meetings. That can be a max of 150. Um, extra meetings or committee meetings are paid at 50 a meeting and the max of that is 75. So I just need to know do you want to keep things a status quo or do you want to change those per DM rates? [snorts] >> That's satisfied. >> Sounds good. >> Status quo. >> I move we retain the same. >> Aaron makes a motion to remain a status quo. >> I'll second. >> Jasine seconds. All in favor of that. Four. Committee appointments. Uh, meet and discuss. I've asked Jes and Heather if they want to continue that and they agreed to do that. Um, projects. Anybody interested in be on the
021project committee? >> I'd like to continue on that one. >> Todd, you want to continue on that one, too? Okay. Uh, Sick Bank. Need two members for that? >> I can do that one. >> Jamie, do have another one. We're gonna make Heather since she's not here. [laughter] >> Um, legislative. >> Yes, you're on top of that stuff. [snorts] >> Egg. >> Yeah, >> please. >> Definitely not me. >> Wellness. I know Jasine, you've been doing that one. Do you want to stay on that or continue unless someone else wants to [snorts] want to do? I'll continue. Otherwise, >> I'm good. J. I'll do the next one. >> Technology Jamie. Okay. And then negotiations all five members. Okay. So, meet discuss Jyn and Heather. Projects Aaron and Todd. Sick bank Jamie and Heather. Legislative Jesyn.
022A is Aaron. Wellness is Jesine. And technology is Jamie. Okay. Next one we have is a regular meeting schedule. Um I just like to ask if if any of you have an issue with making our board meetings at 5 or 5:30. Okay. Is that an issue for anybody keeping on the third Monday of the month, but if we move to five or 5:30? >> Make it work. >> We Yeah, we make it work. Yeah. You said five or 5:30. [laughter] >> 5:30 easier. >> It might be. No. No. Okay. Okay. >> Neither [laughter] either of them though. >> Five o'clock. >> So, third Monday of the month still. Okay. >> Third Monday. I mean, you know that gets me home from Monday Night Football, right? That's what it's all about. >> Beautiful. >> Yeah. Yeah.
023I told her I wasn't thinking about what I was going to wear to the board meeting apparently, you know. So, but in the future I'll know, hey, have a board meeting. I'm not going to get home and not change. [laughter] >> Okay. So, do I have a motion to have our board meetings for 2026 on the third Monday of each month at 5 o'clock? >> Motion. >> Jamie. >> A second. >> Jasine. All in favor of that. 40. I did check with Heather, too. I texted her on that and she said she was okay with 532. Uh, school board attorney like to recommend Bill Eher again. Um, a motion to accept Bill as our corporation attorney. >> And his rates were the same, correct? >> Yeah, that's >> second. >> Aaron second. All in favor
024of bill. >> Okay. You want me to finish out the >> meeting? Just Yeah. [laughter] >> Consent items, >> minutes, claims, and payroll. You may have any questions? Got a chance to record that? Personnel [snorts] that Mr. >> Yeah, I'd like to recommend the following. Uh Kenny Steel as corporation police officer. Alan McMakin, middle school golf coach. Candace Bills, part-time security booth receptionist. Lisa McKe, Corporation Food Service. We have one resignation. That's Amanda Beer, high school par professional. And one retirement after 45 years. Ron Nichols, Corporation bus mechanic. [clears throat] 45 years. >> Did he start here right after high school? [snorts] I think he >> I think he started in high school. >> He did IC there. >> Yep. >> He's as old as I am. Yeah. [laughter] He graduated with my parents and
025he Yeah. Started right. >> Yeah. I think he said 45 years and three summers. >> Yeah. >> During the summer as a student. >> Yeah. Pretty crazy. >> Something like that. So >> Yeah. He'll be missed. >> Yep. >> He'll be missed. >> Good job. Motion to approve consent items. [snorts] Second. All in favor? Motion carries four to zero. [cough and clears throat] Action items. Recommendation to approve February 16th as a makeup day. >> Yes. So, every year on the calendar, we put president's day as a makeup day or if we were fortunate enough not to have a snow day, it would just be a day off. But, um, so we already had one back in December. So, we'd like to use February uh 16th presence day for that. And we've already had our second
026cancellation this week. So, that one starts at the end. So now they all go on to the end from now on. So I recommend getting that one back here on February 16th. >> Motion carried second. >> Amy all those in favor. Motion carries four to zero. And again we get to superintendent comments. >> Okay. Graduation date. >> Oh the old Y. Sorry. Okay, go ahead. >> Yeah, so we need to set our 2026 high school graduation date. Uh talking to Mr. Swander on that. Um looks like a good option would be Friday, May 29th. Um back to order would be at 6 o'clock and graduation be at 7 o'clock. So that still gives us that's a week out from of Memorial Day. So that still give us four more cancellations and we end on that
027Friday. So I think that's a good time to go ahead and do that. Okay, [snorts] say it again. I was lost. >> So, May, Friday, May 29th, >> Balora will start at 6 and then the regular graduation ceremony will be at 7:00. >> Okay. Any [snorts] comments? A motion? How much Jamie? Is there a second? >> I'll second. Yes. All those in favor? Motion carries. Four to zero. [snorts] That it >> is it? >> Just back in the swing of things here. Second semester and just hoping mother nature will be nice to us here eventually. We need to take it over a bit. >> I know. I know. So January is usually pretty rough to us historically. So it is winter. So we'll make it. Further comments at 5:25. Thanks for coming. >> Christine, would
028you do me a favor? Key key down that door. >> Lock it. You >> guys have a good night. >> Thank you. You too. [snorts] >> See you later. >> Thanks for coming. Thanks for