001All right. One, two, three. >> How are you? >> I'm okay. >> Good. >> How are you? >> I'm good. >> Good. Good. Good. >> Yeah. >> And >> cold and hot all at the same time. >> Are you going to go under? Yeah. >> Wrong mindset. >> Hey there. >> Hey Greg. How are you? >> Good. want something else. >> Thank you. >> That was nice. >> Pretty good. >> I'm just going to turn that on now. It's >> Oh, yeah. Yeah. >> To update your web page. >> Yeah, that was honestly what made us think of it today. >> Yeah. So, >> yeah, I really enjoy cooking with your >> Oh, good. And the sister Good. That's enough. Right. >> Right. So, right. Yep. My office came in today and set it up.
002The wardrobe and the desk. Cool. So, >> okay. I'll go ahead and call the meeting to order. Can I have a motion to approve the agenda? >> I'll make a motion to approve the agenda as is. >> Second. >> All in favor say I. >> I. And that is approved. Uh, five school board basics. Put students first. >> Follow the law and your own policy. >> Respect the chain of command. >> Base decisions on shared objective information >> and operate in the public eye. The Sibli ochetin mission statement says, "At Sibliochin schools, we build partnerships to challenge minds, to invest in community, and to embrace life. We will go down to the consent items. Kindra handed us an extra one. >> Is there anyone here for I don't think so. >> Perfect. >> There's only
003two extra bills. So >> we have to >> Not very much. So looking that over. Is there anything? Any questions? Okay, seeing none, is there a motion to approve the consent items? >> So moved. >> Is there a second? >> A second. Okay. All in favor say I. >> I. >> And that is passed. New business. the acceptance of abstract of election. >> Yeah. So, one of the things we actually have to do is um accept and approve of the abstract. That has to be done first by the county commissioners to verify everything that was approved and said and they all are attached here. It's an example showing that uh the the issue for the voted peple renewal did not pass. And then it show shows, excuse me, the results from the votes in all
004four districts that were on the ballot. We have the paper version as well, but this is the attachment of them. So we if we get to that point, we can approve them all at once. >> Okay. >> Any questions on that? >> Make a motion to approve the ab acceptance of the abstract of election. >> Okay. Is there a second? >> Second. >> All in favor say I. >> I. >> That is passed. Approve work for elementary cabinet unit heater boiler >> site logic. >> Yeah, I put this on this meeting because you've had some updates on that as the existing board. Um this would be for what um we've kind of discussed in some of my updates. The existing cabinet unit or heater loop that was not being fully functioning and didn't have a
005boiler to that. So this is the work to do that work. the proposal, excuse me, to do that work as we've mentioned previously from previous communications. >> Okay. >> How far are they coming on other stuff that needed to get done? >> Every other than HVAC, pretty much everything's wrapping up. Um still working through with some of the engineers from EDA and um Site Logic. I think they're going to hopefully have a meeting this week while I'm gone. But um an update on some of the issues to work through and lessening the alarms and things like that that are going on. They didn't they weren't there today, were they? >> No. No. >> Okay. >> It would be nice to get that done. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Any other questions? >> Okay. Is there a
006motion? >> I'll make a motion to approve the work for the elementary cabinet unit heater boiler from Site Logic. Okay. All in favor say I. I. >> I. >> That is passed. Annual financial report. >> So this is there is a electronic version but you also get a paper. Thank you. >> But I will highlight a few things, but we thought we'd start with Kendra on the simple treasures report. This is just a report from the C that I the annual report that I file every year and it's just a basic report that shows the bit getting beginning balance of all of our funds, the revenue that was brought in, the expenditures and then the ending balance of the different funds. Um most of them you guys are familiar with the ones on the end.
007The trust fund we have some scholarships that are um held in a bank in a fund here and then enterprise fund would be the um nutrition fund is what's in that one. So we'll go over some of those funds later as we have new board members so they can understand. But that's just a really brief overview of what funds we have and what came in and went out for the year. Any questions? And for the most part, our summary when we're talking is general fund. I will point out if you look at the save statewide sale on Kendra's thing here, state save statewide sales and um services tax fund, we started at 715,000 and finished at 4.3 million. Do you know why? It's just it's timing. We had the bond the revenue bond sale >>
008but this is fiscal year in June 30 and at that point still had a majority of the bills left to pay >> right so it's just timing of when like you have in a balance sheet it's a your balance as a date in time is a point in time right so it's just the timing of it >> same with football there was quite a few projects that were paid in July and August that we had done over the summer Yep. >> Okay. All right. So, the financial health report. I'll pull up here electronically, but you it should be mirrored to what you have and you can view electronically or your paper copy. Um, and I'll just point out a few things or let you ask some questions. There's definitions and so forth. Overall, if I
009had to summarize, and like I said, most of this is obviously coming straight from our general fund account. Overall, in a strong financial position. Um, if I had to summarize, you might look at a few numbers that are down, but they're still at or above target level. Um, I'll point out a few of those things as we go here. If you look for the selected balance sheet comparison general fund only one of the things that I'm going to point out here and that'll be a little bit of a change or an explanation of a reoccurring so it's one of the first pages there the third page okay we've talked about with our UAB or unspent authorized budget how we basically almost broke even right last year for in essence on a multi-million dollar budget we
010did when it was down 800,000 But if you look here, why are we down with our assets $500 and some thousand? Okay, number one, remember there's a difference between cash and our UAB. So some of this is timing specifically with the receivables. Okay, just of um maybe when we got a payment for certain accounts from the state. So we might have an receivable but not in as of cash. The other big reason really is the drop in cash, which we'll talk about. And there's a couple reasons for that. One of the big reasons is our special ed account and the spending on that. We were $300,000 over, right? And we got that back in authority, but you don't that doesn't come with cash. Okay? So, yes, we got that back in authority, and that was
011money already spent, and we have to do that for special ed. We got to remember authority and cash aren't the same thing. So, we had spent that in cash, but we don't get that back. You can do things what's called levying for cash. We're not in a position to do so because we actually have too much cash in terms of um worrying about that or levying for cash, but that is one of the reasons that was spent down because of our reserves, special ed, and then some of that is due to timings with the school safety grant and spending and doing the projects on that, but have them not completed. We actually won't receive those funds till this year. And actually, this week just got noticed. I think we got that all worked out. >>
012I hope so. >> Yeah. Um today the email that we should be getting that shortly. So there's 150,000 right there from the school safety grant that we had budgeted for last year but isn't going to happen till this year. So those two things right there that's $400 some thousand in cash. And why so when you're looking at that why can we be down that much in cash when I said our UAB remember cash and UAB are two different things. So, um, a few other things to to point out and then feel free to ask questions here. I'm not going to go through every item on here. But if you look at I'll get the financial solveny ratio. It's about right in the middle of your packet. We have not talked about this a lot in
013the past because it's not something that we've had to worry about and usually your your focus with um a school budget is your unspent balance. I highlighted it in red just to point it out. We're still well well above target measures and everything like that, but what I just highlighted in talking about spending down cash, that's part of the reason our ratio went from 37 to 31%. And that is something not these next few few years but down the road that we'll have to pay attention to specifically where we're at from a cash and solveny point compared to our unspent balance. Um you can't even ask or what they call levy for cash until you get that ratio below 20%. So we're not even to that point yet and I'm not saying that's a concern.
014We're still at a strong point. But that is you can see over the last 5 years going down and there's there's reasons for that. we can't levy for more cash or and when you're generally overspending your UAB your cash position is going to go down and then for budget purposes how you generate more spending authority as students and we've had a decrease enrollment so some of these things are expected just because of the um realities of school budgeting school finance and enrollment. So just pointing that out not like as a red of concern but more of a notice to pay attention to as we talk about that moving forward in future years. And then I'll our investment income. One of the reasons that's down last year we had higher you know we had6 or two
015years ago excuse me 166,000 last year about 60 76,000 in interest income specifically. Couple of reasons for that. Number one interest rates were a little lower over the past year than the year before. And then number two is just simple math. If all else is held similar and overall you have less cash and your rates the same, you're going to generate less in less interest income. So those would be the main reasons for that tip right there. And then the other thing that I'd like to point out and then gladly answer any questions um it's about page 2122 right in there towards the back your unspent balance ratio. And then we have several pages in a row that talk about our unspent balance. But just from a familiarity standpoint, when I talked last month about
016our UAB, you should see on the side here that $8,377 in parenthesis, which means in finance terms, that's a negative number. That's when I said we went down, our UAB went down about 8,000 bucks. That's that number right there. The same thing came through on our calculations the same way. When I say we about broke even, we did. But when you're talking a um budget of 10 million and being your unspent authority going down by $8,000, that's pretty close to breaking even right in there. Um you can remember last year, the year before our authority went down by $270,000. So just pointing that out. This year we'll we'll see where we end up. Remember your enrollment's always a year behind. So this is the year where we're living in the world of up 20 students,
017right? from last year. It'll be next fiscal year where we're in the world of down the 46 students, right? Because the um enrollment is is always based on the next fiscal year. So this fall's enrollment is next fiscal year's budget enrollment. So, and the other ratios from there are very similar just showing um on the next page is showing the same same thing but showing what what we spent of our UAB and we spent just over 100,000. I said we were pretty close to breaking easy even but we were slightly above that and then some other ways that we have to report things to the state in different formats in terms of what our regular program unspent authorized budget and our categorical. I know a handful of years before I stepped into this position, we
018had really high categorical balances. And so that was one of the goals is to spend those down because we didn't have much in our general fund, but we did in the categoricals and I think the overall the district's done a good job of that. And then those other charts in the back here are just showing that and our enrollment t in trend that we budget our information on is there. So um those are kind of the things that I wanted to highlight from there. um gladly answer any other questions, but from a big 10,000 foot view. Maybe those are some of the highlights from the overall um financial statement summary. Um I do before I answer any questions, want to thank Kendra and Chrissy for their work on this. Kendra ultimately during the year keeping
019up and getting the stuff entered and working on putting these numbers together with her and then um Chrissy for putting the information together for us, printing it out and everything. So, thank you to both of them and their work. But any other questions that you guys have on this now that I can try to answer the interest rate on the idol funds are is there like options or places you can put that to earn higher interest or is that all restricted? >> Um, approved. So, we have the two banks in town, Iowa State Bank and um Sibly State Bank. And then we also approved as a depository last spring or this summer specifically for some of our bond proceeds with ISTJIT. Don't ask me off the top of my head what that whole acronym stands
020for, but I couldn't say it off the top of my head. >> Uh I was called Joint Investment Trust. >> Trust. Okay. Yeah. I didn't know that the T. I wasn't going to guess, but somewhere in there that has a little bit higher rates. So, those would be our our approved places for funds. And that's something we've talked about. You want to keep your money local, but if there's a big enough disparity that they're offering higher higher rates, when do we put them in there? And we did that with our bond funds. >> Yeah. Actually, our local Iowa State Bank was good about matching. >> Yep. >> Once we offered it. Yep. approved. >> Yeah, when they're ready. I gladly answer other questions. Please ask them at the end. Yeah, we do have a motion
021to approve them. Y, >> but >> I don't want to cut things off. I I glad we would answer other questions. >> A lot of numbers, but I appreciate how you've taken the time to educate us and what these bonds mean and how they work because it can be >> Yeah. >> confusing. It can be confusing. >> Yeah. in the last 3 years. Like I'm bringing up a ratio tonight that I've probably hardly ever talked about with you before the financial solveny because honestly our solveny rate was so high there isn't anything we could do with it and it wasn't a worry. UAB is our worry, right? But that is something now as as that starts going down that we'll have to pay attention to in the future and it'll probably go down at a
022like rate or a similar rate maybe not exactly as our UAB which is something we'll have to continue to be aware of on the future. Okay. Any other questions that I can answer? >> Okay. Would somebody like to make a motion to approve the report? I'll make a mo motion to approve the financial report as presented. >> Second. >> All in favor say I. >> I. >> Okay. And our last task here before we close out the meeting, I want to thank Laurel and Greg for their hard work and service to our district. Laurel serving as president here for the last two years and in her first term and then Greg as well for vice president for multiple years and actually serving his two terms and just appreciate their dedication and service to our district.
023And so I just wanted to personally thank thank both of them and not that I want to see you go, but I appreciate all that you've you've done in service to our district and our and our students and staff. So thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> It's been a pleasure working with you guys, too. >> Yeah. Okay, we will go on to Is there >> We have that. Yeah. Motion to >> motion to adjurnn. >> So move. >> Is there a second? Second. All in favor say I. I. I. So, >> okay. >> Thank you both of you. Appreciate it. >> Yes. Thank you. Thank you. >> Are we good? >> Do we need >> Yeah. >> So long that we need rather >> keep chugging through. >> So yeah, we will enter
024the >> next meeting. So there's no reason they can't come up here. >> No. >> Right. One second. Switch >> to switch over to the meeting. You guys can come on. Take a seat. Doesn't matter where. So before we begin, we'll get started with this. But actually, since none of the new members have been sworn in and we don't have a president for the new board year, Kendra will actually operate in that role once we get started here. and we'll jump through all the annual things that we need to approve and so forth and set that up. So, >> okay. You ready? >> I'm ready. Yeah. >> I will call the meeting to order. Um the first item is the roll call. So, you can just I'll say your name and you can just say
025that you're present. Tom Taylor >> here. >> Jennifer >> here. >> Jamie >> here. >> Denise >> here. here. >> Uh the next is the uh approval of the agenda. So if we can have somebody make a motion to approve the agenda. >> I'll make a motion to approve the agenda as presented. >> Second. >> Okay. It's been motioned and second. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Opposed. Okay. Motion passes. Okay. Now we will do the um oath of office to each of the members that were um elected during this for this next term. So J start with okay Jamie Erin. Do you solemnly swear that you will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Iowa and that you will faithfully and impartially to the
026best of your ability discharge the duties of the office of board member in the Civil Chetin Community School District as now and hereafter required by law. >> I do. >> Okay. Um Denise Okay, Denise Finnegan, do you solemnly swear that you will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Iowa and that you will faithfully and impartially to the best of your ability discharge the duties of the office of board member in the Ciblio Chetan Community School District as now and hereafter required by law. >> I do. Okay. Um Tom Taylor, do you solemnly swear that you will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Iowa and that you will faithfully and impartially to the best of your ability discharge the duties
027of the office of board member in the Civil Achievement Community School District as now and hereafter required by law? >> I do. >> Okay. Arthur Eddie, do you solemnly swear that you will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Iowa and that you will faithfully and impartially to the best of your ability discharge the duties of the office of board member in the Sibliochin Community School District as now and hereafter required by law? >> I do. >> Okay. So, what you should have received, you have in there is an actual certificate verifying the abstract and the canvasing of votes and the um a print out from Rochelle that she provided with us just updating the requirements for the training for new board members which we've talked about right
028where I've talked to each of you about and then a print out um a really exciting printout of Iowa code that explains why those need to happen. a section of code that deals with that. So, um you may read that in some of your like free reading time if you really want to the Iowa code, but she printed that out to hand out to the newly elected board members. >> Okay. So, the next um item is the election of board president. So, how we'll we'll do this, I'll try and summarize this as we kind of use the note cards, but we need to first have um nominations for lack of uh better words for those that would um be nominated to the office of board president. Um that can be discussion. We've done that in
029the past on the note cards and then based on the nominations we get, we would do a um we would do a vote for that and then whoever gets the most votes, we would make a uh motion second in support and approve of that. Um so right now would be the time to discuss or to bring up who would be willing to be our board president for the next year. >> Year. >> I was going to say for the next two years, but that's not accurate. to be for the next year. >> Why is that? >> Because we'll have an annual meeting again next year to reapprove the the board member. We won't have elections, but you would you um approve that annually. >> That's why you know you want to do it. I >>
030I I'd be willing to be the board president, I guess, or nominate myself. Yeah, doesn't have to be. It does help to have some experience to be board president. Doesn't have to be, but >> you've been here the longest out of all. I know. Could you feel it? I'm honing in on you. >> So, we can throw things in, but I'm hearing Jaime's name. Is anyone else want to feel likewise to be nominated or to nominate anyone else? >> Sounds good. Well, I think we can avoid I'm not hearing any other discussion from anyone or anyone jumping at that, right? So, >> um, being that we only have one person nominated, I think we can move forward with the vote. Would you agree, Kendra? >> Yeah. >> With what we talked about? >> Yeah. So,
031we'll just need a motion to nominate him. >> A motion to nominate him. >> Okay. And then a second. >> I second. >> Okay. It's been motioned and seconded to um elect Jamie Aaron to the position of board president. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Opposed. >> Okay. Motion carries. >> So you probably want to move over here. >> You can take that with you. You can take that with you. There you go. We have to do that. Don't hear that for you. >> It's the same thing. Okay. Jamie Erin, do you solemnly swear that you will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Iowa and that you will faithfully and impartially to the best of your ability discharge the duties of the office of
032president in Cibilio Chetan Community School Board President in Ciblio Chetan Community School District as now and hereafter required by law. >> So now you can take over the meeting. >> Yeah. Thank you everyone for that. All right. So, now we're to the point as Jamie's gathering his things here to um elect, nominate, vote on, and elect the vice president um in policy. Basically, the summary of it is the vice president of the board is elected by majority vote. after this. Basically, their their main responsibility is in the case if the board president is unwilling or unable to serve or um not here that night, then they run the meeting in in place of them. That's probably their biggest duty. Um you can ask Greg how big of a duty he is since he's still in
033back here. He served in in that role for the last handful of years. So, um, that's probably the Yeah, that's probably the I'm trying to think of other things that come along with that, but that's probably the, um, biggest responsibility would be if there's a conflict or something that Jamie couldn't be here, then they fill in in that role. So, now would be the time I'd I can hand these out to offer nominations or do you want to have a discussion? That's up to you guys. >> You've been here the second longest. Sound like a nomination to me. >> Do we have any I'm I'm hearing nomination for Jennifer. Do we have any others? Doesn't sound like. >> So, you can ask for a a motion. >> I'll make uh Do we have a motion
034to elect Jenny Jennifer as vice president? I motion to elect Jennifer as vice president. >> I'll second. Okay. So, >> it's been moved and seconded to make Jennifer Braun the vice president of the Civil Chetan School Board. >> All those in favor? >> In favor? Okay. >> Yep. All those in favor? >> I >> opposed. Motion passes. >> Motions passes. Yep. >> Congratulations. Thanks. see any up there. Okay. >> Okay. Jennifer Brun, do you solemnly swear that you will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Iowa and that you will faithfully and impartially to the best of your ability discharge the duties of the office of board vice president in the Sibliochin Community School District as now and hereafter required by law. I do. >> Great. Well, congratulations
035everyone for being on the board and for our positions as well. I appreciate you guys' service. So, we just exited the new board and welcome you in the new board. So, thank you for your willing to serve and we look forward to the future here. So, we are on to H there, Jamie. >> Okay, so the next item is we need to appoint a board secretary treasurer. >> I would recommend approving Kendra Writer in that role, but we do have to approve that annually. Someone else wants to. Well, >> I enjoy Ken doing that. I >> think Kendra does great work, right? >> Yes, >> I would pass on that. Any of the other ones. >> Yeah. So, like we'll need a Yeah. a motion. >> Motion to approve Kendra. >> Um I'll make a
036motion to approve Kendra as a board secretary treasurer. >> I'll second. >> All right. So, it's been moved and seconded to make Kendra Ryder our board secretary treasurer. Uh any discussion hearing? None. Uh ask for a roll or >> Nope. He's just going to do all those in favor. >> All those in favor? >> I I >> All those opposed. >> Motion carries. Um this next one we can have a a little discussion on. We currently meet on the third Monday of each month at 5:30. Obviously, there's exceptions if there's conflicts, but that's our standard meeting time. Um, the current location is right here and it's worked out well. And like I said, obviously there's certain times maybe it's according to law like in April with maybe a budget timeline or things like that with
037conflicts that will adjust. We usually do that ahead of time, but we need do need to uh approve of the official scheduled meeting date. Board policy is that, but if we change it, then we would match board policy to meet that. The current policy says the third Monday because that's what we've set up, right? Says the regular board meetings will be held the third Monday of each month at 5:30. Um, obviously there's exceptions to that. So, if that works, great. That's all we need to do. If we decide that doesn't work and we want to change that, we would need to um determine that tonight. So, >> I motion to keep it. >> Yeah. I don't have a reason to change it, but we're just required to approve that each year. Does that work for
038the any of you guys? Okay. So then we >> So I heard a motion to go ahead and pass the uh meeting date is the same as has been in the past for 2526. Is there a second? >> Second. >> So it's moved and seconded. All those in favor? >> I. >> All those opposed. Motion passes. >> All right. So for the board committees, um the board uses three committees throughout the year, facilities, finance, negotiations, and policy. Um these were what they were for the past year. I have them on there. Um we would need to set that tonight. We'll determine that overall and then we'll approve that. I do have some recommendations for this that I'll say, not necessarily person specific, but maybe um position specific. My recommendations would be and then feel free
039to discuss after this policy. That's a good committee to get familiar with. I would I would say that'd be good to have two new board members on. Jennifer served on it that on the past two years as a new board member. I would I know we have three new board members. So my recommendation would have two serve on that. Committees can only have two. Um our finance negotiations, my recommendation there would be to have our board president and then someone else. that could be one of the um other new board members. That'd be fine. But just Jamie's served on in the past and as board president. And then for the facilities committee um that's kind of hit and miss. And when we meet, I would recommend I was going to recommend have whoever served in
040the vice president role to be on that committee and then um one of the other board members be on that. It ends up one person's on two committees >> if you just do the math because we have two people in each committee and five board members. Um, so that'll probably be one of the new board members will be on two committees. It doesn't make a difference to me who, and that's why I said some suggestions, but I don't have names attached. It doesn't make a difference to me who's on the policy committee, which two. I have no preference. I'm just I would just say from an experience standpoint, the board president with someone else for the finance committee, and then likewise the vice president with someone else on the facilities committee. Um I generally try
041to only meet when we need to meet and not make a habit of meeting just for the sake of meeting. Um our policy committee um we meet a few times in person but we've moved more to if it's reviewing policy I um we've moved to I review it ahead of time and make some suggestions and then I would send it out to Jennifer and Laurel and then they ask questions if they have any or say it looks good to me. Would that be a fair way of saying it? >> Yes. >> Yeah. And then the only times we really met in person the last year is when we like had policy updates recommended from IASB for legal reasons that we discussed but we usually did those virt virtually other than that. Would that be >>
042a fair summary? Yeah. So that's me done talking now. Um what are you guys' thoughts? >> I wouldn't mind being on policies. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Anyone else? Are you good with that? >> Works for me. >> Okay. So we'll Tom and Denise on policy. Then let's just brick up here then finance negotiations deterine if you go to my recommendation was President Jamie and someone else. So I'm going to just say since you're not on one Arthur >> that'd be fine. >> Okay. So Jamie and Arthur on um finance negotiations and then for facilities, this one I've used, we maybe won't have as many meetings this year as we did in the last year. We just said some some discussion when we've had like the facilities project going on and some updates. This year
043it'll maybe be what when we get to that point, what some of our next priorities are for improvements and use of Pebble and things like that that I'll discuss with them before we get to the board level things. So, Jennifer and then someone else that'd be willing to serve. >> I would do that. >> Tom, are you guys okay with that? >> That's fine. >> Okay. So, for facilities, Tom and Jennifer. So, could you read those again just so we're clear on that? And then we can make the motion. >> Okay. Policy, we have Tom and Denise. Finance, we have Jamie and Arthur, facilities, Jennifer and Tom. So we could the motion could be to the committees as read by >> make a motion to have the committees read by Kendra to approve. >> I'll
044second. >> Okay. It's been moved and seconded to to appoint the the board committees as written down by Kendra. Uh all those in favor say I. >> I. >> All those opposed. >> Motion passes unanimous. You're supposed to say unanimously. Yeah, it works. Um, the publications for the next ones, we need to appoint a publication. We have in the past actually done this for two different papers. So, we use both the Ochieven Press News and the Oil County Gizette Tribune as the official publications and my recommendation is we continue to use both. >> A motion to keep them. >> I'll second. >> Okay. So, moved and seconded to keep the publications the same. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> All those opposed. >> Motion passes. >> Thank you. >> All right. Moving
045on to legal counsel. So we approve this annually. Um we utilize Mr. Steve Avery of Cornwall Avery Bjornstead and Scott um legal agency from Spencer, Iowa. He's a part of the Iowa Association School Board attorneys and attends meetings and works with IASB, the Iowa Association School Boards, and stays up to date with that. Um, so that would be my recommendation. >> I know he's out of Spencer. Is there anybody locally with any of the attorneys here in town that specialize in it at all? But >> not that I'm aware of. I'm not saying they do or don't. >> I was just curious to >> Great. Not that I'm aware of and no one's >> ever spoken to me about it. It is kind of a unique thing with school. >> Okay. >> Law, >> right?
046>> I think Steve's been our attorney for quite a few years, too, hasn't he? I mean, he has been all >> since I've been here. He's been there a long time. >> Yeah, since I've been there. I don't know how long before. And he serves >> I don't know. I mean, a number of of schools in the area. We're not the only one. >> I was just curious. >> No, that's a great No, this is the time to ask that. That's a good question. Um, I would say probably in in our area, I guess I don't have a listing of everyone, but most everyone that I'm familiar is one of two. Like they have Cornwall, Avery, Bournest, and Scott and usually Steve Avery, or they have Allers and Cooney out of De Moine. >> Okay,
047>> those are the two most common ones. There might be a few schools that maybe have something different, but I >> I can't think of any off the top of my head. All right. Any other discussion? Okay. Do I have a motion to approve Mr. Avery as our legal counsel? >> I'll make a motion to approve Mr. Avery as our legal counsel. >> Second. All right. All right. It's been moved and seconded to appoint Mr. Avery as our legal counsel. All those in favor? >> I. All those opposed? Motion passes. All right. appoint open enrollment contact. >> So we have to do this annually and um the motion I would say is appoint the position superintendent um as the open enrollment contact. >> A motion to keep it the same. Is there a second? >>
048Second. >> All right. So moved and seconded to appoint the open enrollment contact as the superintendent. All those in favor? I >> I those opposed motion passes. >> So this is something locally that we do. Um the civilian education foundation we have a board representative in the past that this past year it's been Laurel. I will say they are making an effort to be more visible and have a little more um I don't know what the word I want to use for but be more visible and a little more interaction out there and make the foundation more known and do more than just do a a fundraising thing and approve some um grants for the teachers. Um they're they're working on doing a a lot more visibility of the things for the school, promoting um
049school activities and supporting students and teachers. And I'm I think that's a a great thing. So, um it's been a few meetings a year. They don't meet monthly. Um I know they're going to have one again here in December to talk about um some things coming up and one of their focuses is going to be have a um reenact their Facebook page and um tie that to different things recognizing staff and things like that. So, um yeah, that's my summary of that. So, typically in the past, I'm I'm on that and then we've had a board representative on that foundation as well. >> All right. So, is there anybody that would be wanting or willing to do that? Denise here. >> Awesome. >> Okay. So, I uh do have a motion to have Denise. like
050a motion to approve Denise to be on the Student Education Foundation board. >> I'll second. >> Okay, this has been moved and seconded to appoint Denise as a Ciblio Chie Education Foundation board representative. Any discussion? All those in favor say I. >> I. >> All those opposed? Motion passes. >> Thank you, Denise. >> Thank you. um the Oola County Conference board member. Um other than what I read here, I don't know a lot more about it. Greg served on this role in the past, so we'll have to have someone different this year, obviously. It's comprised of the mayors, a representative from the board of directors of each high school district in the county and members of the county board of supervisors, and they meet the conference's main responsibility to review and approve the assessors. That's
051the county assessor's annual budget. and they work to establish the valuation. It has a direct impact on the county, city, and school's ability to levy for their budgets and have taxes is what that means. Um, it's generally one meeting a year. I, if I remember right, from what Greg said last year, I think they might have met twice actually or more than once, but I remember off the top of my head. So, but we are supposed to appoint someone from this body to serve on the county the OILA county conference. >> Don't jump all at once. >> Do you share anything on that, Greg? >> Um, it's not. It depends. The I've been to them where I've had five meetings and I've been to them when I've had one. >> Are they after hours or
052after? >> It's when the board of supervisors meet. It's at the regular supervisors meeting. >> Oh, right. >> Did you like what? 8:30 morning. Yeah. Morning time. >> 8:30. >> That's more than I knew right there. So, >> we've been through them. >> My husband's been through it. >> It's really kind of different because it's We need county, I guess, because actually you're doing the budget for the for that for the county. >> Assessors. >> The assessors. >> The assessor. >> How far in advance do you find out like when the meeting is like a week before, a month before? Like how far in advance is it set up? >> Oh, no. They give you they give you a little notice, >> but like I say, it's during the day. >> Yeah. >> So, Is
053it February? >> I think it's before budget. So, >> I think it's usually in February, but >> Yep. >> It says they're getting the county budget starting. So, >> is there anyone that would potentially work for or be willing to serve there? >> I I could sign up for that one. >> Okay. Is that okay with everyone else? Okay. All right. Do I have a vote? >> I'll motion to Yep. I'll motion to let Jamie assume that role >> on the Oola County Board. >> I'll second. >> All right. So, it's moved and seconded to appoint Jamie as Oola County Conference Board member. >> All those in favor? I. >> All those opposed? Motion passes. Um, this one we do have to approve, but generally speaking, it is the ISBA board, our local president for
054the ISB, they like to have a board member for each school serve as an advocacy representative. Um, it's typically been our board president. Um, there's sometimes in the past when Kyle Grimes was on the board and president, he was on their board, so he went I can't remember, is it early or late after convention, he'd stay for their day after. was is it the day after that he say that cuz he was actually on the ISB advocacy board that he'd stay on that and sometimes they send out information to each of the board member advocacy representatives. Um that's the person that I can say from our district most recently has been actively engaged with it >> but it's typically been the board president. Yep. >> Yeah. We still have to approve that. Yeah, I guess
055I'd be willing to do that. >> Like, are you good with that gaming? >> Other than that, I think it is reading stuff during the year. Um, they might send out some information and there might be some things to attend, but not necessarily have to. So, >> yep. >> All right. Do I have a motion? >> I'll make a motion to appoint our board president to serve as the ad representative. >> I'll second. >> All right. It's been moved and seconded to appoint our board president as the IASAB board advocacy representative. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> All those opposed. Motion passes. Um we we are supposed that the board approve our SCAK representatives representatives. It could be up to two. It can be just one board member. We typically meet once
056or twice a year to present different topics. um we can use different things as a part of that. This year um I was able to incorporate when we did like um the voted ple community forum as a part of presenting that information. It'll be interesting moving forward what they do with this legislatively because right now the understanding is any appointed committee or board has to have the IPIV training and so their understanding they don't think this was the intention but the way it's worded forward if um we would have an another SIAK meeting where community members volunteered to be on that each community member that volunteered to serve on SCAK would also have to do the IP training that you you guys have to go to as of right now. So not going to intentionally
057have a lot of SCAK meetings for that reason moving forward until we have some further guidance on that and right now we're covered but we'll probably have one before this meeting next year at some point because we have to do it annually if that makes sense. >> Can I ask what SC stands for? >> Um school impromp improvement advisory committee. There's usually a bare list of minimums that we have to do with that and then we present information on that to the um and to the public. A handful of years ago from SCAK is where we had the new um school mission statement with the engage empower educate. Um, we've done some information on um different I'm trying to think over the years we've done some information on some of our student scores and then
058we've talked about um school and parent um organization and communication. Um this past year I I I used that to fill that as part of that um our voted ple community forum. So, it's it's a committee generally meeting, but they can discuss things about school improvement, for lack of a better word, which is a pretty broad topic. >> Yeah. >> And we haven't had more than a handful of meetings on this in the past, just so you know. But we do we do have to appoint one up to two members for this committee. And there's who is like teachers are on that committee? >> Yeah, can be if we meet in in a smaller group where we have a specific topic. We've had community members, teachers, um administration, board members, things like that. >> Um
059if we would do one of those again this year, that's I'm a little hesitant. The way the code reads now, anyone that would attend that then would have to do the IP training right now. So we we'll see where that heads. >> I'm just saying that out there so that people know that cuz that's the guidance we begin we've been given to this point. >> Anyone be willing to serve on that? >> Okay, >> I can. >> And Jennifer. Perfect. And that way Yeah. And that's it could be we have a meeting coming up and maybe it doesn't work for one or either of you then the other can go. That'd be perfect. >> All right. So, is there a motion? >> I'll make a motion to appoint Tom and Jennifer to the SCAK as
060SCAK represent representatives. >> Second. >> Okay. So, it's been moved and seconded appoint Jennifer and Tom as our SCAK representative. Any discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor say I. I. >> All those opposed. >> Motion passes. Now that we know who our board president and vice president is and so forth, moving forward, um, we have to have this in the minutes and approve, but recommend to approved having the president and vice president, and I put that on here because we didn't know who that would be, to be the authorized signer on the district's checking accounts, as well as Kendra as SBO, school board secretary. There will be some paperwork that has to go with this and we'll um I think we have to present the m minutes to the the banks. Is that right,
061Kendra? >> Yeah. So, I'll send that to the banks and they'll get the card, you know, signature card thing ready for you guys to go sign. I can let you know when it's ready. >> Okay. >> So, really, we just need a motion as the recommendation reads. >> Motion the authorized signatures as it reads. >> Is there a second? >> I'll second that. >> All right. It's been moved and seconded to approve the president vice president as authorized signatures for 25 2026. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> All those opposed. Motion passes. So the next one is something locally we approve, not required by any means, but locally and in just in terms of um public awareness and our own um our own um policies and ideas, but we continue to stream
062our board meetings monthly and so I would just recommend we have a discussion if we want to continue to do that. not required by law in any way, but I think since I've been here, we've done that in terms and been here as superintendent and I've had good feedback on it. So, I'm not saying we shouldn't, but I just think it's something good to approve annually rather than just stand >> saying we're going to stream our stances when we do and don't like, you know what I mean? We've generally we've generally streamed our regularly scheduled monthly board meetings and then maybe like the ones on the budgets that occur outside of that. We don't stream like our work sessions and things like that. >> Do you know how many people actually watch them? >> It
063kind of varies sometimes by what the topics are and things like that. Um >> Mhm. >> Um I'm trying to think like you know the the meeting we had last is it February when we were talking about conference stuff had a lot more viewership than maybe some of your other typical meetings. I'd say it's usually in that 80 to 100 range by the time you get to the next month >> that have viewed it. >> I haven't checked in last month's but that's generally where it was when I usually looked in the past. Somewhere in there. And is a shortcut to it like on the website and then also on Facebook or is >> I haven't put it on Facebook um >> but if you subscribe to like the generals >> Yep. >> Um TV
064like Yeah. This is the one for tonight. It's usually the first one that comes up or so media, right? >> Yep. >> There's five people watching right now though. >> Right now, right? Yeah. Hopefully not one of them is myself or keep going back. Hey, now there's six, now there's seven. >> Okay, >> I'll motion to keep us streaming on YouTube. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Okay, so it's been moved and seconded to keep continue streaming our monthly board meetings on YouTube. Um, any discussion? All those in favor say I. I. >> I. All those opposed. Motion passes. >> All right. Yeah, we got through some of our annual stuff there. So, now we're going to get a chance to hear from the principles and hear someone else talk besides myself here.
065So, >> all right. So, we're looking at our principal report. We'll start with uh Mr. Herz. >> Oh, changing it up. >> Oh, sorry. I was looking out. Sorry. Let's start with >> Yeah, it's okay. We can switch it up occasionally, too. But, um, not a lot to report. I know you guys had access to my report. Um, I guess in summary, I would say we're just kind of we're in it. We are, um, kind of through the first quarter. The first quarter is time to build relationships, get to know our kiddos, and now we are, um, into the full academic learning. Not that we're not learning before, but just really in the swing of things. And so uh my my report is an attempt to reflect that. Uh we do continue to evaluate the
066needs of all learners through our MTSS process, our multi-tier system of supports. Um where if students don't or aren't understanding at that tier one level, every student is a tier one general education student. And if they need some more support, we try and implement that for a few weeks and see if that extra uh intervention or support helps. And then we take them um depending on where that or what success we see there, we can kind of go up or down. And so trying to meet the needs of all students through that process. Um like I said here, one area I've invested a lot more time is trying to strengthen. So we have like three different areas of our MTSS process. We have uh the reading academic area, the mathematical academic area, but also the
067behavioral because if the behavior doesn't um support the the academics, the academic there's no a way that we can provide the academics needed. And so um I've been trying to invest more time in understanding and supporting that behavioral process. Um and when I say behavioral, it's not the over-the-top behaviors. It's sometimes a lack of engagement. uh um not quite um on task all the time and so trying to continue to provide interventions and and teach um expected behaviors and some of those kind of things to best support the learning uh environment in the classroom. So um yeah, like I said repeatedly through here, our staff does such a wonderful job of working together to meet the needs of the students. So super proud of them and and we'll continue to push through and keep going.
068Um this can be a tough time of year in education um for some students who um who don't always love the holidays, whether it's uh difficult to go home, whether it's um things that have happened at previous holidays, some of those kind of things, the trauma that affects all of us um sometimes. So just supporting kids through that as well. So uh had a little bit of extra um data from our conferences. We had 94% of our our families that attended our conferences. Um, five out of our uh 16 17 classrooms had uh perfect attendance in some way or some form. Um, a few of them had in person perfect attendance. A couple of them had to reach out either via phone or email, but all of them had um those five classrooms had um
069collaboration between the back and forth collaboration between the families. So, very proud of that. only three out of the 16 classes um classrooms had less than 90%. So, uh very proud of the staff and their work for that. Um I did an average here quick before we averaged less than one family not connected with for parent teacher conferences per classroom. So again, very very proud of that. It's uh great data. Um really right along our yearly average there. So, we'll continue to work to connect with those 6% of families, but um very proud of the 94% that we did we did reach. So, our professional development has been mentoring programs, continuing to work on the ipy dippies, as we call them, the Iowa teacher professional development plan. So, each teacher has their own PD plan
070and then we provide them time to uh work towards meeting those goals on a few Wednesdays. We've been working on a lot of curriculum work and then obviously our MTSS like I had talked about before. Um we've had a couple of um so one of the things that will be coming up is um through the curricular portion of my position the curriculum director is a recommendation for math curriculum for implementation for next year that will be coming here in the next few months. Looking early second semester at that. Um had one of those presentations. um liked what we saw from the curriculum associates salesperson uh which would be the I Ready curriculum. Um have another one coming up this week Wednesday. So yeah, just a lot of diving in seeing what will best meet our
071needs and and uh uh meet the recommendations from the state with the new um math counts act and some of those kind of things. And so um trying to blend those expectations from the state but also uh the needs from our community and from our students. So um also listed our staff attendance um both for daily attendance and then the professional development as the uh per the board goals. So any questions? All righty. Well, thank you. Y >> All right, now you're up, Mr. Her. >> Um, yeah, similar things to echo for the high school and middle school, uh, kicking off and starting the winter sports season. So, middle school basketball is going on. Today was the first practice day for um, boys wrestling, boys basketball. So, just things are starting to kick off again.
072It is kind of a slower time between sports seasons, but now things will be getting busy again for students and and staff that coach. And but I agree, we're we're in the the thick of things for learning. Um and excited to see what's going on in classrooms, other activities. Um the fall play, why bump off Barnaby, big success. If you went to see it, it was a lot of fun. The cleanup we did have to cancel. Nobody wanted to break leaves in the snow. I don't blame them. I didn't want to either. Uh Veterans Day program put on by our egg leadership uh group of students went really well. Uh they got a lot of compliments. I thought they did a nice job there. So yeah, it's great to recognize those groups and appreciate their
073hard work and the time that they put in. Professional development. A big chunk of our time is on that individual professional development plan goals so teachers can focus on new curricular areas. Um MTSS processes at that that tier one level. So you know robust instruction is that is that tier one level having good instruction in the classroom. Um and that's primarily what we're focused on there. We're also doing teacher spotlights where teachers lead trainings on topics they choose and then staff can choose which of those offerings they want to attend. So far I'm hearing good things and that was started due to feedback from staff wanting more options, wanting more things to to go and learn about. So our new teachers and new staff going through their new teacher training. The AA is leading that
074for us and I think that's going really well. That'll wrap up here at the end of the semester. Um, mentoring continues for the rest of the year, but the Aea portion is done at the end of the semester. Um, updates from our BLT. Going to continue to look at making some changes to conferences in the spring. We're talking about going unscheduled for the first time in a while. Uh, meaning we won't have parents schedule. It'll just be all stop in and teachers available to meet with parents. No prescheduling. just some feedback from parents um and from staff just gets difficult if you have multiple students and trying to line up those schedules and sometimes I think it's a barrier parents feel like well I didn't schedule so I'm not going to go um because we
075do not have the attendance that the elementary does definitely our fall attendance was better than it has been in a couple years I don't have the raw data I'll try to have that on my next presentation but better and I think going on schedule might help with that, try to get more people in. So, um we're also looking at a new um uh computer software where we can track um passes that students have. So, um bathroom passes, nurse passes, passes to the to the office. Um we're looking at implementing that second semester. Talked to some schools who are doing it and their staff have really enjoyed it. um time stamps when students go. It allows you to track and and see, you know, are students abusing that and and asking to go places every single
076period or are they doing what it's what's intended when you ask to go to the bathroom, that's really where you're going is to the bathroom because you need to go. So, just looking at those things. Um yeah, I've got staff attendance at the the bottom for PD and for daytoday averaged out for the months. So, any questions? All right. Well, thank you, Casey. All right. Superintendent report from Mr. Dale. >> Yeah. Um talked about a lot of other things, so I'm not going to highlight every on everything on here. Obviously spent some time with um other admin on some of our PD and ISAP scores and reporting that and spent a fair amount of time with PEP. Um preparations in terms of that. A few things that I I do want to talk about on
077the bottom. Right now, our audit is happening this week and remember it's always for the prior year. So, we're actually in FY26. So, the audit is for FY25. So, that started today. Um they do that remotely. Kendra will spend a fair amount of time today on the phone and uploading uploading and working with the auditors on that. And so, we should have that finished by midweek and then it's kind of in their hands in terms of when we get that back and are able to present the findings to you guys and the public. Christine Kendra have to do a lot of extra work to get that done and then on top of that had to do it the same week we're getting ready for a board meeting and other financials and stuff. So appreciate their
078work with that. Um I've mentioned this but I'm just saying this we are switching starting December 1. Um haven't sent it out to all staff yet but we're going to have a new time clock system. So we had something called time clock plus before which is a different company than what we use for our payroll and accounting and other software. So, we're going to switch to Vista Time, which is the same company that does that. So, that'll provide a lot of um efficiency and benefits with that. Um, and more importantly, it's significantly cheaper, which is always good to hear as well. So, um, just something that you'll Yeah, there'll be some hiccups always when you switch things. And that'll start in December one, but I think once we're on it a few days, it's going
079to be pretty simple for the staff that sign in. So, um, yeah, that's basically without reading everything verbatim, my summary. >> All right, any questions? >> Okay, we'll move on to board committees. >> Really, we haven't had anything to meet in the last month. Policy was something um we did not meet. Um, I kind of did that intentionally because we have one series left to review for this year in our five-year review. And so I thought, let's wait till after the November meeting and I'll do that piece with them. So hopefully that'll be done before December. >> All right. Recognition of excellence. So here to read recognition of excellence is Kyler Ser. A little information for our new board members. The senior class has three student council representatives and they each rotate and take turns
080um taking on this role. Um, Kyler's a busy guy, so I had to steal him from practice to to come do this. So, thanks for being here, Kyler. >> Uh, first, state cross country. Congratulations to the girls cross country team for placing 13th at the state meet in Fort Dodge on November 1st. Members of the team are Maya Poland, Riley Childs, Amale Bonitez, Aaliyah Marco, Lucy Hy Trader, and Gracie Odin's. The 2025 ICDA Opus Honor Choir, Maverick Van Eaggan and Natalia Gomez Mitchell, Northwest Iowa Band Masters Association Honor Bands, Middle School Band, Owen Wolfinkle, trumpet, and Paisley Kirkus percussion were selected after auditions to perform in the Northwest Iowa Band Masters Association Middle School Honor Band. The concert was held at Dort University on Saturday, November 8th. High School band. Lindy Tracy auditioned for the
081Northwest Iowa Band Masters Association High School Honor Band. After successful audition, she was selected to perform in the concert on Saturday, January 10. 2025 all state chorus. We are thrilled to announce that three high school choir students, Wyatt Cry, Gabriel Vanderhof, and Jordan Carpenter, have been selected for the 2025 all state course. They will have two days rehearsal and as on Friday and Saturday November 21 and 22nd and perform on Saturday night November 22 at 700 p.m. in Hilton Coliseum on the Iowa State University campus in Ames. Volleyball Warrior goal all conference. Grace Syler first team in academic all conference. Becca Wolver second team in academic all conference. Jackie Ooaha honorable mention Hadley Kraton academic all conference. Football class A district 1 all district teams. First team, Hunter Kaufman, Gage Greenfield, Tristan Wingate, Tuner Greas,
082Dawson Krakus, Kyler. Second team, Philip Vanles, Gan Honorable mention, Jackson Pedley, Tate, Marco. All district academic team 11 through 12. GPA 3.25 or higher. Gavin Santon, Kayen Koma, Dawson Kirkus, Aiden Byer, Tay Marco, Jackson Pedley, Kyler Elser, Gage Greenfield, Hunter Kaufman, Luke Hman, Gabe Beavers, Anderson Menddees, Espana. Football cheerleaders, all district academic team, Sakira Alanis, Alexa Mahia Martinez, Tiffany Torres, Mariah D, Presley Henning, Olivia Lopez. October generals of the week. The generals of the week for October were elementary William Hernandez Alvarez middle school Kennet Glade High School Byron Ala staff Carrie Krugman October 10th Joey to Naple Middle School McKenna Aenna High school Beny staff Angie Carlson 10-17 elementary Ella Marco Middle School Desmond Wolmouth High School Salvador Zapetta staff Amy Dystra October 24th elementary DeAndre Cuad Rogers Barios Middle School, Eli Truileer High School,
083Sebastian Lingal staff, Maria Alddera. >> All righty. Well, thanks, Kyler. >> Thanks, Kyler. >> Congratulations. A >> lot of good stuff there. >> Yeah, that's a long one. >> Long list. >> All right, moving into discussion items. Uh >> yeah, with the CTE um generally in the past we've had Matt Vermier, but I asked him to move back. We had an opening with some staff things and I thought we had enough things tonight. So he'll he'll present on CTE in December. So we won't have one of those this evening and move some other things around. >> Okay. Uh discussion on board member code of ethics. So just in our policy and bringing this up especially since we have a new board um one of our policies and I'm not going to read this verbatim but
084um you can view at your own liking later just um school member of code um code of ethics um I don't know when this was exactly put in this format and I know when it was last reviewed and it's based off ISB IASB feedback um they have different versions that different schools have adopted but I'll say similar things so at some point civil achievement adopted this and kind of like how it's laid out, but they just talk about in general as a school board member and then responsibility to the district and the community and with the superintendent and the employees and so forth and then with um specifically with other board members um with other schools, I should say, other board members from other schools and talking through. So, there's some um great things in
085here and good reminders. And like I say, I'm not going to read it verbatim, but um I would encourage you when you have a chance to read that through yourselves. >> All right. Two-minute board policy on finance moment. So, I try to do one of these as a little bit of learning each month. They might take longer than two minutes, but something kind of quick. Number one, our policy specifically about since um we have a new board and we're going to ISB board convention this week and talk about in our policy. One of our goals is it says as a high achieving school board, we work as a team to create high expectations for all students. Board learning is foundational to creating this solid governance structure focused on student learning for school boards. The board
086may participate in conferences sponsored by educational associations and agencies in additions to its own inservice programs and work sessions which we do from time to time. The next paragraph here it says the board will work closely, excuse me, with the Iowa Association of School Boards and encourage board members to participate in qualifying learning opportunity to achieve the annual board award. So, some of those different opportunities are things that we'll be able to take care of this week. Um, and that we're talking to about when we're going to convention. Um, there I put a link to ISB's actual website here and they talk about just kind of the annual board awards. That's just when um individual board members get over 15 hours in a year and then we have the majority of our board achieving that
087in addition to the superintendent. And that's just something and it's a it's a good recognition for our district statewide and then within our own district as well of just the commitment to the board and learning and working together. Um they described that there. This is from they didn't have an updated one labeled 2025. So I just included the one from two years ago. They had one last year but I thought this was um appropriate. If you change the dates though it's very similar and it just talks about some ways to get some hours. So, like it says up here, a minimum of 15 hours was required between November 1 and October 31 of the current year to um achieve that for attending convention and the parts that we're going to with the pre-convention and the
088day we get nine hours just for doing that. The board members that are able to come along um and if you go to the delegate assembly, there's an additional hour hour with that if you would go to a ready set govern. Now, our new board members are all able to come along this week and I think that's great. So, thank you for doing that. If you didn't go to that, but you went to one of the regional trainings, you get three hours for that. We won't be doing that because you'll go to the the convention to the to do that. There's some other opportunities. Um any of the at the table board discussion tools. We've done a few of those from time to time or an hour. Um they have some different webinars that you
089can view and when you do that, I can report that for you guys from an hour. And then there's some other different tools they have on there. Um, anytime we have Lu Anne come to lead a local custom workshop, we get an hour to two hours of credit for that. And we've done that the last handful of years. So, these are the different ways. I know when I tell you to get 15 hours off the top of your head, you're going, "Oh, that's a lot in a year." But just by attending convention, we'll have nine of those done just right there. So, um, just bringing that up as a discussion piece and make you guys aware of that. I know our existing board had always um valued that information and just trying to point that
090out with our new board. So, questions on that before I go any further in terms of um board awards and continuing education. The other thing is I want to give a real basic school revenue finance 101 heading. I I'd done this a few years ago and and looking through I think this is um appropriate especially maybe if you're not familiar with um some terms. So just a real basic introlevel reminder. So really when sometimes there's misunderstanding in the discussions of that um how much revenue or how much the school is spending but the fact comes down to specific with general fund we really don't have a lot of control on our revenue. It's completely formula/enrollment driven. We don't as a board to say, uh, let's not spend six million. Let's spend 8 million. We'll take
091that in in revenue. Really, that's for the most part almost the entire part of our revenue on any given year is enrollment and formula driven. And so, if you think of it like a business, we don't really control our revenue. It's not like we can sell more product, right? Our product is educating our young people. So, we get state money per student. That's why it's enrollment driven. And that's why when we talk about our certified enrollment each fall, that's so important. So the one of the important pieces is this SCP here. I highlighted it. So I know we have some new board members and and Jenny's not here, Jamie, but does anyone know what SCP stands for? Or have a guess? >> Standard cost per person >> per pupil part is right >> student. >>
092State cost. State cost per pupil. Yep. The state cost per pupil. Okay. That is something that's set by the state. There's also, without going way in the weeds here, district cost per pupil. There's certain number of school districts that have a higher district cost than the state cost. And over time, the state's trying to lessen that happening. Okay? So, it's state cost per pupil. Okay? So, for this year, it's 7,988. Now, why why that's confusing is in the math in a second, you'll see the math comes out to 700 7,983, but the state added five bucks to everyone state costwise to try and lessen that disparity with those districts that have a higher district cost per pupil. The legislature has to intentionally do that. If you do the math, it only comes to 7,983, but
093actually our state cost per pupil is 7,988. That's for that's called for um cost per pupil equity. So, um, when I'm speaking with these numbers here, you'll see why. So, since we have very little control over that, I'll use some examples here using some madeup and some real numbers. So, imagine district A, we'll use simple math here, is 100 students for FY25. That's last year because we're in FY26. Okay. Last year, the state cost that SCP per pupil was 7,826. So if you do the math, that's $782,600 our revenue for the general fund last year. Okay, trying to make simple math here. Okay, that same district. Now for the current year in FY26, we do the enrollment and we find out we have 90 students. So we're down 10. Well, what does that mean? Okay.
094Well, if you take those 90 students times that same cost from the year before, 7,826, that comes to 74,000. So, that means we have $78,000. $78,260 in in revenue, less revenue. Okay? That's not something that we can do or decide. That's formula and enrollment driven. That's not something we can control. Okay? in a year where maybe the state sets SSA, which is Does anyone know what SSA is? >> Supplemental aid. >> Yep. Yep. >> State supplemental aid. Some people will say student supplemental aid. What's the increase that that student dollar amount goes up per year? That's the important way to remember it. So, if the state set that at 2%, if you would do the math, $7,826 at 2% is $157. So, we're going to get $157 more per student for but only for those
09590 students because that's all we have this year. Okay? So, that 14,000 that's our new dollars. Okay? So, if you add the two together, 7826 and 157, that's where I get that 7983. That's our state cost per pupil. Now, the slide before I explained it's confusing this year because they provided $5 more, but we'll just stick with that 7983. You take that 7983 times 90 and that's our revenue for the year. 718,470. That's less revenue than that district would have gotten the year before. Why? How can we get less revenue when the um supplemental aid is up per student, right? The dollar amount per student is up. Well, it's because we have less students. Okay? So when you you work that out, that's going to come to actually a decrease of 64,000 because we said
096based on last year's dollars, that was a decrease of 78,000, but we got 14,000 more in the cost per student. So this year we're actually down 64,000 in this scenario, not us, but in in this scenario with these. So that's why that state funding and when we talk in the spring, the SSA, even if you don't remember it is, think of that. That's the amount that's per student funding goes up per year. That's why that's so important. Imagine that SSA number was actually 5%. Right? We would be down less dollars. I keep saying we, but this district would be down less dollars. And so that's why that's important, especially for districts who are maybe um just staying even with their enrollment or going down. To decrease that impact, you need a higher SSA. >> So
097SSA is school specific. >> Yeah. Um no, statewide. >> That's statewide. >> Statewide. They'll set it each year. Yep. Statewide. State supplemental aid. Some will say student supplemental aid, but it's statewide. So, whatever the legislature sets that out in the spring, >> they'll give us a percentage and then they'll say it's set at 2% 3%. And what that really means is you're taking the cost per pupil from the year before times 2% and then adding it on and then that's your new cost per pupil for the next fiscal year. >> And we're down. we're going to be down 46 students. >> So, yeah. So, specifically for us, like this year, and remember enrollment is always a year behind. So, yeah, our enrollment was down 40 I just rounded here, 47 students, right, this fall, but
098that's for next year's budget. Okay, this year's budget, we're living in the world of last year's enrollment where we'll be up 20. Okay. So, looking to next year, I don't know what the state cost per pupil will be, so I'm just using this year's amount, right? We don't know. They could set it at 0% and have it the same. They could set it higher. Um, but just doing the math right there, 47 students times that state cost per pupil, 7,983 in the general fund. That's $375,000 in change that we would be that we would have in less revenue next year. Not something that if someone came to you, hey, why'd you set the revenue $375,000 lower? You don't have control over that. I don't have control over that, right? That's completely formula driven. I don't
099know if this is not or not for that but out of that 47 students do we know like was it is that open enrolled students or is that just students were down moving >> correct and it our open enrollment numbers were roughly the same slightly different it wasn't a big increase in terms of like open and rolled out or anything like that that was just down overall um and I don't know if you guys had a chance to watch that Jamie's there each month and you can't say it was oh Yeah, every grade. >> Yeah. Yeah. It wasn't like, oh, fifth grade we lost 30 of them because there's an like you can't even say that. It was pretty much equal throughout the grades and the buildings. >> Three here, three here, three here, three
100here. >> Yeah. >> Um I think if I remember right, the numbers going from memory, we probably had a little higher loss at the ele and I'm not saying anything about that at the elementary than we did the other two buildings. However, you go back the last two years, >> the high school is higher. >> Yeah, the high school is higher and the elementary is actually up. I don't think that says anything about any building. I'm just saying that's what the numbers increased the year before the elementary the elementary enrollment was up significantly and then now this year it's down. Why? >> I don't think there's something to put on that. >> Talk about the the kindergarten thing too that uh do we have with the prek or >> yep >> some of those kids
101didn't come into kindergarten. >> Right. So that's one of the it's confusing to count kind of kindergarteners because we count them as students but they could stay in kindergarten for two years right and this is the first year we're working our our TK is actually a full day right but if someone would go from preschool to kindergarten like TK we get a full student for that and then if the next year they stay in kindergarten again right that's two they're in kindergarten two years in a row and that so that's why sometimes people say compare your outgoing seniors to incoming kindergarteners. There's some truth to that, but that's always not apples to apples either because we don't know in a given year are any of those kids may you know some of those DK kids
102could go to kindergarten again next year or they could move on to first grade. So that's kind of something hard to predict. This year we have two sections of what I'm going to call traditional kindergarten and then one section of all day transitional kindergarten. Oh, as a district for that 46 47 um do they do we have any type of like do we reach out to them? Do we have exits? Do we talk and see why they're leaving to where if we can make changes to like >> we No, go on. Sorry to mean. >> So, I just want to like is there any way to try to supplement that and reaching out to the families and >> we could some of them will know, but some of them we might not even necessarily >>
103know until we get to the call where they're gone or where they're at. So, >> um >> there there's sometimes we'll know because we'll like have uh records request to go to >> they move to a neighboring district, right? I'm not even anyone specific. I'm just saying >> family um if they up and moved and left. >> Okay. Um and now they're living in what's it neighboring Sheldon or Hartley or something like that >> um then we'll know that. But sometimes we don't know they're not coming back till the fall >> and >> especially with a lower SCES overall population and migrant a much more migrant in terms of moving population that sometimes those are things you just don't know till the fall. One of the things with this, I won't explain it tonight, but
104you're going to hear in the future, budget guarantee. Remember that for the future, but that's one of those things that it it holds you harm harmless. There's something that's called for a year when your enrollment's down significantly for the next year, you'll have a regular program district cost that's calculated. And if your your enrollment in your budget goes below that for the next year, you're guaranteed to get funding at that level. But that don't that's only good for one year. So that's something we'll probably talk about in the spring. I'm not going to explain that tonight in terms but I'm saying the word because we will be talking about that when we get to budget next next spring this winter however you want to call that. So that's really a basic 101 but with some
105of the revenues and just trying to be real with our reality of where we're at. >> Who sets that seven if you go back one slide there like that's u 7826. Where does that number come from? >> So that that is our the 78.26 that was that's our yearly student cost per pupil for the past fiscal year, right? >> The current year that's set by the legislature and that's you can go back because every year they take the prior year's >> um student Yep. student cost per pupil. >> They figure out SSA is 1 2 3%. they figure what that is and they add it on to make your stu state cost per pupil for the next year. So you're right it rolls forward so you can look um I don't have it up but
106you know I have one history going back like 15 years what the state cost per pupil was what SSA is at 3% and then you add them together to get the cost for the next year and it just keeps moving forward. There's a few years where it jumps ahead because every handful of years they do an adjustment to hold everyone equal because if you go back 30 or 40 years ago, some costs had a some districts had a higher district cost. So they've been working over time, it's called funding equity to to lessen that gap because some districts had built into the formula a higher cost. So periodically they do this. They add five or 10 bucks. They don't do that every year, but they did do that for the current year. So that any
107district that's five or 10 bucks, any district that has a higher district cost per pupil doesn't get that $5. And so then if um those that are at the base, when you get that additional funding, that that decreases that gap, right? >> And when you say districts, is that location or size? >> Neither. It's it's based on um funding years. It it could be a big district. It could be a small district, but they'll have a higher district cost per pupil >> based on figure that >> historically you could go back 20 years ago something in the formula and they just had something built in that their district cost was $15 higher per kid and it stays that way until they do equity. So, like there's a handful of districts that were $ five dollars
108higher. >> By doing this now, after this year, they won't be $5 higher anymore. >> Okay? >> They'll be at the state cost. We're we're at the minimum. >> Um we were higher and I don't remember when that adjustment occurred. Maybe about eight years ago. We were about five or 10 bucks higher than the state did that for equity purposes. And then that brought us in line with the state cost per pupil. Correct me if I'm wrong, but sometimes that cost can go up depending on the size of your district or added transportation costs and some of those kind of things and how many students use the transportation and the effectiveness. Well, not the effectiveness, but the the efficacy of that transportation, how much it costs per pupil, Stan, would that be a fair like
109just as one example? >> Well, >> or not. >> But this would be really the revenue that they call it cost, but it's really the revenue you're getting per student. Okay. Okay. >> What someone spends could vary based on that. Correct. >> Okay. >> School vinus is never easy. So >> other other questions there. >> The next item, we're not going to decide this tonight, but being a new board, I want to put this out there, right? and you need to start thinking about is obviously with the PEPLE not passing in November, we set that at um to be renewed at the$134 rate. So the next time that can be brought up is March 2, three, whatever that date is, the beginning of March. We will have to do like we we did for the
110last two have a um a a board agenda item and resolution to approve bringing that to be voted on in March and to set that rate. Um, I'm putting this out there to start thinking that through in your minds. We're not and even if we decided it tonight, we we couldn't because we can't approve or set that. But being we have a new board, I intentionally added this on board. And then there's a window in which we'll have to have that board meeting. I think it occurs right after the December board meeting to the beginning of January where we'll have to have a a meeting to decide what we're going to set that rate at. Um, and then to officially approve having that on the ballot in March. So, I mean, we can debate what
111you want or ask questions on it, but there's nothing we can approve tonight. Does that make sense? >> Yep. >> Um, something I might suggest is, uh, I think you think this last time when you tried to get it approved, you had your >> meeting here at the school. >> I don't think you had a whole lot of turnout from the community. >> Not 20. >> Yeah, roughly. Um maybe potentially doing it outside of the school and doing it in each of the towns like doing something at the Oetin town hall and just try to get try to see if we people in each of the districts can't try to help push it to get people there to try >> Yeah. >> because it is something that's going to be very important um for the
112school district. Um, I'm not going to talk about numbers or anything, but I just think something maybe to get it out there for the community and hopefully the community will maybe get behind it a little bit better if we have one in each spot and maybe not do it at the school and try to promote it in a different way. >> It's just we can explore all options at this point. Something hasn't worked. I'm not opposed to anything. I think got to be willing to do that, right? >> Okay. >> I I already had um since the last meeting um Farm Bureau reach out and I know I'm going to speak at a couple of their meetings. They asked me to come. So, >> okay. >> I didn't do that at a time last time.
113So, >> yeah, I think those are things that we have to explore. >> Okay, it's a good idea. >> All right, we'll move on to new business. >> So, I asked to have some visitors here on the first two items. So, we have Amos here with us. So, I'll give a little um spiel here and explain this and then Amos will be here and you can direct some questions his way as transportation um director, but he procured some new beds for our bus leases. Um we have some from Thomas and Bluebird included below and I'll explain a little bit about that. Um we'd be looking at potentially four traditional buses and then one of the transit or the flat nose that hold a few more on there. Um, one of the things as Amos pointed
114out to me, Bluebird, they quoted us two prices, but he said on the bigger bus, not all things are equal when you're comparing that to the bid from the the Thomas. Um, and Thomas is who we currently use. If you look here, um, this is for an 84 passenger at 178. Bluebird, their bigger bus, they quoted at 165. It's less dollar amounts, but it's not the same size bus. >> Yeah, capacity is a bit smaller on that one. So, >> um, what we're looking to do here is, um, turn in our five lease buses this summer and get five new ones. U,, we have a total of 10 school buses, 7 AM and PM routes. So, um, generally the two best words here is lowest bidder, and Thomas has generally come in with, uh, with
115the lowest bids on those. um it makes it a lot easier for me to have one parts bin and one supplier and and that kind of thing. So that's that's nice to do it that way. But um with the warranty work and different stuff like that, it's easier for me to get stuff to um Sou Falls than it is to Waterlue, which is where Bluebird is. Um International provide any sort of flat fronted transit style with front controls. Most of theirs is rear controls. So, those always come in at like, you know, $60,000 a piece higher. So, I don't even really get quotes from them anymore. Um, I don't have the code in front of me, but since we are leasing, we don't really need any competitive bids. Um, if you're buying them outright, you
116would have to I think it's two or so bids that you would actually have to have. So, um, if you just use basic country math, cut the sticker in half, divide it by 3 month or 3 years, and that's your monthly payment on a lease. So, since I've been here, since Dan has been here, that's kind of been the way we've been doing business um, with half of the fleet. So, um, there's pros and there's cons. um if you do it if you buy them outright or if you lease them. Uh I guess we just kind of ended up in a financial situation to where it was more relaxing on whatever account that it comes out of to pay a monthly payment versus writing a check. So if we decided to say we don't want
117to lease anymore, we would have to, you know, come up with probably $800,000 to go buy five buses and then own them. So that's kind of how we do buses here. We try and keep them as long as we can before we have to, you know, take them out of commission. And, you know, that can be anything from corrosion to it's just a money pit. Um, basic rule of thumb, they last about 10 years. You can you can start rebuilding the motors and doing different things like that, but a lot of times they'll just come out of service uh by our state inspectors for other reasons. So, you're you're kind of just stuck with the scrap on them, which is usually a thousand bucks, 1,500 bucks. and we just usually run them to Clawson auction
118and they kind of end end up on the right circuit or camping or something like that. So leasing is nice because you got you know the bulk of your fleet for your AMM stuff to uh you know provide the daily riders with nice equipment and the the daily AM drivers with with newer stuff and increase your comforts for driver retainability and that kind of thing. So, that's kind of where we're at with buses. But, um, yeah, I really have had good luck with the Thomas C2s and then the flatfront um, transit styles. They have they've done the job for us here at Siblio Chetan. And uh not that the other ones wouldn't, but when I got to drag um something for warranty work to Waterlue and not really have the ability to come back or
119do we stay overnight or stuff like that, it gets to be really frustrating, especially if it's something that's out of service and now we're experiencing downtime and and different things like that. So, um, yeah, that's just kind of what Stan and I were talking about and just kind of wanted to generally let you as the board know kind of what's going on with our buses. And if you guys have any questions that really doesn't pertain to leasing, I'd be happy to answer them or do the best I can. That's kind of what we're in right now is getting a new round of leases set up hopefully to do all five in the summer because that's ideal, you know, with all the stuff you have to do to get the bus ready to head out and
120hit the routes and that kind of stuff. So, we've done them before in the school year and it's a little hectic, but not impossible. So, we're just trying to get our ducks in a row and make sure we're doing the right thing. Um, like I told Stan and Kendra, you know, compare notes with your your counterparts in other districts. I know I sure do with other transportation guys and they're most of them are pretty envious of the bulk of their fleet being being leased equipment. So, um, we do have we do have that to kind of, you know, have a nicity, I guess, for the bus barn and the people out there. So, >> one of the things with that I wanted to point out, this is not like a simply cheating issue. This is
121all school districts, statewide issue, nationwise issue with the increased cost. When we're talking about PPE, you know, I said moving forward, we're going to have a bigger percentage of our um save dollars used for bus leases and um things like that. And number one, because we're going to have less dollars coming in from enrollment, but just increased prices. So I just did our last three rounds of leasing prices and this would be true of any company. I'm not throwing Thomas and they've worked well with us but just to show the the rise in costs here. So this is for the 77 person. Okay. In 2019 a 77 passenger bus um when we were quoting it's the same quote. So you can see my papers here. I just printed this off from the old board meetings.
122The quote for a 77 passenger bus um the price year before lease was 99,000. In 2022 it was 124,000 and and this year it's 142,000. So just sometimes I think people say oh they say rising prices but they don't mean that like no literally we're talking rising bus prices right for the 84. When we say Transit 84, that's the flatnse bus that we have, right? The front end's flat. Um, has more students. So, in 2019, the quote for that that same model bus, the 84 passenger bus, was 107,000. In 2022, it was 138,000 and now it's 178,000. Now, I'm not saying they're doing bad business. That's not my point. They would quote this out low to anyone. I'm just simply stating it in terms of when we talk about the we've talked about this extensively
123and it's an I just the increase in bus prices and especially in the last six seven years I mean it's a >> it's a real thing >> going to be in the next 10 >> right you tell me I don't know that I'm hoping at some point it caps out but um I haven't talked about it with the principal as much but I met Kent stopped in today and I mentioned that to him and he's a math guy and he goes that's just not linear growth he's like that's exponential growth and I'm I know. I know. >> One thing that kind of made that price jump is when they mandated every bus coming into the state having seat belts. You know, that's like a $12,000 option, you know. So, these are pretty bare bones spec
124buses that that we get. Um, I don't, you know, go as absolute cheap as I can. I like to spend quite a bit of money on the camera security stuff and, you know, that kind of thing. But if you start adding roof ACs and heated steps and that kind of stuff, you know, you can really um make the price go up on them. So that's about as reasonable as we can get them as, you know, right in that whatever it was 140 for the new C2s. And those were cheaper than the Bluebirds. Um but yeah, that that transient one was a little bit cheaper. So um yeah. >> So we have five leased ones and five that we own >> that we own. Yeah. Ones that we kept back off lease or just kind of
125Yeah. >> Yep. >> Yeah. One we might have acquired from someone else or at the end of the lease in one of these rounds um we used the proceeds from the lease and then bought back one or two of them and then kept it ourselves for the route and and then we have three extra just for a couple reasons. Activities, there's some nights that tan about doesn't serve us. You know, we have like a football team going somewhere and a volleyball team or speak or whatever going somewhere. And then anytime that you have a bus down, we need something to fill in on the route. And then if you have a bus down and you're one of them is filling on the route and you already have an activity after school. So >> that's always
126one like do you have an option to buy them to replace? >> Yeah, we do. >> Owned buses. >> Correct. We would have that option. >> Can we get a couple from MLC? >> Yep, we sure did. Um it was an older 9947 pasture. That's still a really good bus. Before we got it, it went through Vanderhaggs to get fenders and steps, which is a real pricey kind of deal. So, that was, you know, you don't have to worry about the corrosion piece. And then there was another 66 passenger that um we got from them as well. So, they're both serving as well. Um but just like any bus, they do require maintenance and you know, kind of turn into money pits, but you know, it's just kind of you got to play by the
127rules. And the good thing is, you know, we get a semiannual inspection to make sure they are safe. And it's not just me deeming safe or unsafe. There's there's actually um a state trooper and an inspector that come and go through them and just, you know, make sure everything's up to snuff. And generally, they'll give me a little heads up like, hey, this is the last time on this fender, so you know, get it squared away or knock it in the head, pick, you know. So I have a pretty good working relationship with them to kind of get things sorted out so it's not like you know all of a sudden you know so um but yeah that's kind of the the situation we are in and that would be my recommendation is just to
128go with the uh the Thomas lease. Um, but again, if somebody knows something I don't, I'd be happy to, you know, learn more or understand how how >> we did get to >> the districts work it and that kind of >> Yeah, we did get two. That was we got that when we were short and kind of in like an emergency pinch because we had the bus um accident and one totaled and then at the time, if I remember right, we had one in the shop and all a sudden we're down to like just one spare bus for activity routes and routes. So that that was very gracious of them to work with us and sell them cuz we needed that at that time. So it's worked out well. >> So out of these five
129that we're looking to rease and get new, do we have any option at buying any of those leases back? So we only have to lease two or three and we >> You sure can. Yep. They they they wouldn't mind at all if we, you know, bought some back. >> Um you definitely can. And you're stuck with about half of the sticker on them, you know. So if we wanted to do that, we could. Just kind of depends on where you guys are comfortable on the numbers. And >> what would a I don't know what the buyback would be on one of those leaves. >> Half of the sticker. So what they were >> 120. >> Yeah. So it' be about 60ish country math. >> Yeah. >> I don't do math in public. So >> and
130that's some and and if we end up doing that, we don't have to approve that tonight. mainly we move forward with this and then when we get to that point we can decide if we're going five leases if we're going to buy any back and so forth. Would that be fair to say? >> We absolutely can. >> Yeah. It doesn't tie us to whether we're leasing them all right now. But it does in terms of moving forward and give them an idea. >> Yeah. If you if you're on the lease, you have you could buy all five of them back or let them all go pick the one you like the one that didn't cause you no trouble. You know, you and if one was really bad, you make sure that one goes down the
131road and that kind of thing. So, but and we've had these for three years. >> The the current lease round is up this summer >> and it but it was three years ago you did it. >> Yeah. Yep. >> Oh, yeah. Sorry, I got three years. >> Yeah, you can stretch them out to five and I don't know if they go any longer than five, but >> we've just traditionally gone with the three-year leases. And we've bought some of them in the past to replace some of the older, you know what I mean? Some of the older buses. We've paid off the lease and then got five new least. But we've paid that off to replace maybe an older one in the fleet that >> Yeah, we had some some older diesels that we got
132some what they call deer credit, the diesel emission reduction. I can't remember the rest of it, but basically we got 20 grand towards um the purchase of a bus that qualifies to be more environmentally friendly and clean and that kind of stuff. So that was that was a nice shot in the arm that we didn't have to use the 20 grand on a brand new one. We could just apply it to one of Yeah, exactly. So, and I haven't heard of any of those incentives going around. I don't know if your inbox has Yeah, it seems like that kind of dried up and you had to have some pretty old equipment, you know, to do it, but >> um it's it's it's well worth it, I think. You know, if you can, you know, take
133a $60,000 bus and get 20, you know, that's that's pretty decent or it's worth going through the paperwork anyway. >> So, I'm usually keeping my ear to the ground on that, but I haven't heard of anything with that lately. So, um I do get a lot of questions uh just from kind of the general public on electric and natural gas and different stuff like that. And uh I don't I don't think we're anywhere near being ready to um test those waters. I don't think it makes sense financially. Um and just from a practical um from a small medium-sized fleet, me being one deep, I just don't think we're we're ready to start exploring that. I would much rather let some of these other districts give us, you know, their five, sevenyear kind of here's what
134we experienced, here's what we liked, here's what we didn't like. Um, it just it'd be a little tough um to go down those alternative fuel kind of routes. Um, they they do kind of look good on paper in a 72 degree room. It looks enticing. uh but in the real world when it's zero dark 30 and whatever below zero I don't know that um it would it would bode well for a lot of the practical applications that we run into. So um I'm always happy to talk about them and you know um kind of explain what I've experienced and heard from the dealers and the trade shows and that kind of stuff but um again I just don't know that it's very cost effective this early in the game with alternative fuels. So tonight, are
135we looking to like do we have to have an answer for which way we're going? Was this just you bringing it to us so we can start thinking about it for >> Exactly. Just uh awareness, socializing it, I guess. And a little bit more >> because I'd like to kind of table this until >> after. >> So you're we're not approving. Yep. We're not approving whether we're going to lease all five or whether we're going to lease three and buy back two or anything like that. >> We're just approving. What we're approving what we're approving is on these quotes and moving forward and then we can socialize in the spring with um Thomas I was going to say bluebird Thomas on what we want to do in terms of leasing and buying. We can make
136that choice moving forward. Would that be a fair way to put it in? >> Yeah, you kind of want to overestimate on these on these leases. Um it's better to you know say hey something happened and we can't take all five. We can only take one versus we didn't ask for any and now it's the middle of June. can you find me a bus? They're probably the answer is probably no. So, it's good just to let them know, hey, here's what we need. So, this is kind of the sweet spot to start, you know, letting them know what our intentions are with with these lease buses. So, >> does that kind of answer what you're getting at? >> Yeah, cuz I like I said, I mean, with the grant coming up and everything, I mean,
137we're going to the I don't know is out there, >> correct? Yeah. So >> yeah, >> that I don't know as far as >> what finances, >> right? Okay. >> So we're still going to need bosses. >> Well, correct. But like can you lease Can you buy back two >> for all the can you buy back two of them? Would that be more cost effective? >> Right. >> What he's getting at I think the answer yes, I think we can do that. But if we just tell them, I think we're looking at only leasing two and then we decide we need four, they might not have four available type situation. Right. >> We're not obligated if we say we couldn't take those. >> They're they're fine with that cuz they'll they'll get rid of >>
138somebody else. >> Right. Exactly. So it's better to say we'll take 10 and only take two than say >> we want two. >> We need seven. Where are they at? It's June. Sorry, buddy. >> Okay. That's that's kind of how when there's only three three vendors that kind of supply buses >> and out of the five that we currently bought back off lease all them good running like >> the the five leases that we have now >> well no like the five that we >> or the three I guess maybe no yeah model citizens as far as houses are concerned so and there generally is a turning point probably in like three four years for those that it's just like this is not >> you know when they spend more time in the shop or
139you know they keep getting write up after write up after write up. >> Well, like for a district, we have to also have to look at like if they're raising it $30,000 every year, >> right? Yeah. >> Like in three, is it better to potentially get three of them now to where our cost in three years? We don't have to lease as many. So when that cost jumps up to $200,000, we only have to lease a couple at that point as opposed to having to lease all five. >> Yeah. you're still kind of on that same, you know, 10-year clock. I think we do a little better up here in northwest Iowa with taking care of our equipment. But having that said, these buses were never meant to go down the roads that we go
140down. They were meant to be in Springfield, Missouri or, you know, somewhere a little more normal cuz that's where the bulk of their business is. So, you know, we uh we put them through the paces. And I think that's part of the reason I like the Thomas Freight Liner chassis is just, you know, Freight Liner's been in the industry for so long. I think they have a pretty good grip on um how to build stuff, you know, to kind of withstand some of that. And then the reason I like the diesel is just the lowend torque. So when we got to punch holes and drifts, we got something that can do it. And that was a huge drawback on the gas buses way back then. They they just they couldn't handle um a lot of
141that kind of thing. So you got stuck a lot more um back then. So that's that's kind of why I've stuck with the diesels. um and and the the Freightlininer chassis that Thomas puts their bus body on. So, it just seems to be a pretty good a pretty good match. So, >> so it said there's four traditional and one transit. Is that that's you're replacing those today? >> Well, right now we got three three conventionals and then two flat nose. I think we can, you know, with the with the flat transate style ones going up. I think we can just go with four um >> conventional and then just one >> of the transit style. So just to kind of save a few bucks, you know, >> there's a few routes that absolutely have to
142have, you know, the bigger capacity um with the 84 passenger. Uh mine being one of them. I just have a ton of town kids and then just more route kids in general. Um they spec these buses for you know three to a seat and they don't take into consideration band instruments um snow clothing and and different things like this. So realistically cut that number in half and that's about how many kids you can actually put on a seat belt bus with you know band instruments and all the extra you know um snow clothes that they carry with the excess baggage or whatever and that kind of thing. So, um, but some of some of our routes that don't have town stops can get away without having, you know, the bigger buses, but, um, the 77
143passengers kind of be seem to be really the sweet spot that you can use for anything. And if you want to buy them back for an activity bus, they they generally work really good for that kind of stuff. So, >> yeah. So, what we're talking about is is approving moving forward and talking with Thomas about leasing five. But why we're doing that is what Amos just said it's better to ask for more and then we can say we really only need three because if we say I think we're going to go with three and then all a sudden we realize we need five, we're probably not going to be able to have that order fulfilled. Does that make sense? >> And there's no penalty or punishment. Now, if I said like I need a 100,
144they'd probably not, you know, >> entertain that going up. What's going on? >> So, >> okay. Well, thanks Amos. >> Any other questions? >> Okay. Thanks, guys. >> So, yeah, really if if >> we would need the motion to approve the bid from >> um >> whichever one >> Tom Thomas as presented. >> I make a motion for the accept the bid that Thomas presented. All right. Is there a second? >> I second. >> All right. It's been moved and seconded to approve the bus lease um as presented. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> All those opposed. Motion passes. >> Consider approval of a skid loader purchase. >> So I have Greg here. Ask Greg, our director of maintenance, to come talk about this. And he really did the work to get
145these um bids together. and I tried to put them all on here to make sense. We have some from C and B for skid loader and then A and E equipment on um north of town there. So the history on this is we've had a skid loader for years. Originally the program is we had to sign that up and we really had no cost for leasing those. And then uh most recently the cost was I I had this in mind and now I I forgot the number. Was it 1,500? 1,500 um to lease it basically for a year was a 10-month lease. Um that they'd allow the schools to use the skid loader for a used one. Um that program has since ended. So, we're not able to do it at that cost. So, like
146when we were talking budgets or even going back 3 months ago, this wasn't really something on our radar that we're going to need to buy a skid loader. Um and it's worked out great for us, but unfortunately that program is no longer available and we really do need that. So, that's the reason we're presenting this now. Um, and I will pull up the bids here. Greg has done it a job here of getting these together. This is used ones with various um hours on them. Some bobcats from Ashman. This is the quote for the one that we currently have at school. What that would cost us to buy it um buy that with and then they would get a bucket for that with us. And then here's some ones, and I'll I'll go through them
147in a second, for some other various um size and hours and used models from CNB that are different from the one that we um currently have. And then this is specking out some brand new ones. So, Greg, anything you wanted to add? >> Uh like you said, it's kind of uncharted territory. Uh the lease cost, I really didn't even entertain that. Uh was a significant rise. I don't remember the dollar amount. Um as you said, we it's something we need. Maybe not a lot. Winter time we'll need it a little bit more. Even though we don't do the parking lot and the snow removal on the sidewalks, there's areas that we need to clear for various reasons in front of doors for deliveries. The deliveries is probably the biggest thing. Summer and winter and all
148year round. We don't have much of a heads up a way to get anything here in order to unload it. Um, so that's probably the biggest need is for truck truck shipments and then some snow removal in the winter. Um, I guess you know I we quoted out the new ones. The attractive portion of the new ones is the discount government entity discount for I don't know that number off the top of my head but it's 0% you stretch out over five years. The used ones cheaper cost a few hours. I mean, I think that serves our purpose well. There is payment plans available, but there is an interest rate. As far as the one we got, that is a 332 John Deere, and I it's a one of the bigger ones, which I kind
149of like just to do the simple fact that if we're loading unloading, I have a unloaded 2,000 plus pounds various items. The smaller ones, like the 324, I believe, is rated for the 2,2200 lbs, but you can feel it a little bit when it's when you're coming off the truck. I like the bigger one just cuz it's stable and you just you know what you got. You pick it up and go. Um, as Dan said, right now we do not have a bucket that was sold. It our lease kind of expired and they were allowing us to use it. So, we have the set of pallet forks here that that we own. And so, we've we get the bucket with any one of them. Some of them may be a contractor bucket. I believe the
150one that will be coming for this 332 is a 84 in that has benefits. Um, so yeah, I guess I don't really have a lot of information for it just because like I say, this is all new. I've never had to deal with this. It was always just been here >> and this is the one that we've leased since it was brand new. >> This one it it was a kind of a swap out deal. U you know we might have a brand new 324, you know, and then a year later that one is sold. So they'll bring in another 324, but it might have >> $300 on it. >> Okay? >> You know, you just never knew for sure what you were getting to the program that they had. They would provide it for
151us basically no cost. >> Gotcha. >> But you never knew exactly >> what it was going to be and how long you were going to have it. >> So you didn't necessarily have a lease for a full >> or that machine lease for the year. They could sell it. They could bring in you had a lease for a machine. >> They always provided us with one. Um >> correct. >> Every time they they would sell one, they would always provide us with one. Same day, >> you know, they drop one off and take that one back, but that was never an issue. But like in this situation, the bucket that we had on that 332 was sold, like I say, and that's was sold approximately four months ago, and we haven't had a bucket with
152it >> since, you know, vital, not all the time, but we're getting to the point in time where it will become vital. >> And so the other ones that are priced out come with a bucket. This is the current one. Um, if we'd end up buying this one, we would get a bucket with that. The other ones come >> Caleb about it. CNB said he had a bucket on the lot that he would dedicate to this machine. >> So, no additional cost. >> No additional cost that would come with it. Yep. >> I have no complaints about the one we currently have. Um, you can look take a look at the Bobcats. They're good machines. Um, just all this based on hours and you know your price is based on how many hours it has
153basically. I will say the one that Matt Ashman might not necessarily be the exact one that he quoted here. His turnover he said is uh frequent enough but he will have something very comparable. Might not be the exact price tag but it will be right there. Do we only look at the two companies? >> Pardon? >> Do we only look at the two companies? >> They're the only ones that are were here that I was aware of. I didn't even realize that Matt Ashman was equipment was out there in the discussion with Stan. It was brought to my attention. So that's why I went out there. Otherwise, it's always been with CNB. So, that's where I started >> because I'm wondering if Shelton implement might have something comparable or comparable or um can't even think
154of the place in Warthingington off the top of my head. >> Jay Cox. >> Titan. Now, >> the only thing I will say about that is repair-wise, if there's anything has to go into the shop, you're looking at further uh have it hauled. You know, I don't know if they charge based on mileage. you know, we got both both of these entities within a couple miles of uh the facility. >> Yeah. I I didn't go from them. We just went with two locally and we can get some from some other entities as well, but just >> when they were local, that's kind of where we started at to get quotes. So, >> that we couldn't do more. Did they uh like it's 22? They say anything about warranty at all? >> Did not say anything
155about warranty on the used equipment. >> I can investigate that further too if you would like. >> Current one we could bring in. They would go through it. um service, check things over. Yep. Just to make sure it was up to par. >> One thing I would like to do, no matter what we get, is to get the less aggressive tires on it when we go on the grass just to help avoid >> potentially turf tires. >> Mhm. >> But if not, at least less aggressive so we don't have to worry about tearing the grass up near as much. >> School have a forklift at all? >> No. this. >> That's what I mean. How many hours a year do you usually put on a machine? >> Oh, it's hard to hard to guess. I
156mean, it could be could be 50, 60, it could be 100. Just depends on trucks in the summer, you know, different things that are coming in, uh, shipments throughout the year. Like I say, I use it on some snow removal, especially around the gates at the track, just to try to clear them out in the spring especially. Um, just there's a lot of variables. I would say 75 to 100 hours just guessing. >> Yeah. And what I was going to say, this in essence is our forklift. Y >> for for the most part when we need for work or to unload trucks for a variety of reasons this is what we use. >> You said the lease like their lease options were so astronomical you didn't >> it was a huge jump. >> I don't
157remember the dollar figure. Do you remember that Sam? >> I don't off the top of my head but when >> it was uh well when you go from >> when we hadn't been well we hadn't full I mean we were leasing but it was under a different program right so it's not even apples to apples. It was high enough. I said, "Let it's for the amount of time we're looking at." I said, "Let's get some quotes to buy one." Because we only got it on this one and it was significantly higher. I don't remember off the top of my head >> what they said, but it it was spendy. So, >> basically, the change of ownership at CNB, they pretty well did away with the government lease programs. It's my understanding. I've talked to a
158few people. A lot of the government entities, schools, cities, um, anything like that are going away from the lease and they are a lot of people are buying them just because of the cost. It could come back around again someday, but I I don't know when that day would be. So, your first preference would be the buy the current one that we currently have. >> Well, it's the one we have on site. I have no complaints about it. Um, like I say, it's probably the big bigger unit out of all of them that have been quoted. I believe the new ones that were quoted were all 324s with a contractor bucket. This one is a 332 with an 84 inch bucket. >> A 324. Um, >> I like the size of this one personally, like
159I say, just because I know it's going to handle whatever I throw at it. >> But this one has the right tires or needs >> I would have to uh have them switched out or if that's something that is too expensive to do, we'll just be careful. I don't think they would buck me too hard on that. You know, I did speak to I did speak to them about it. So, I don't think they would >> fight me on that. I think they could get that, you know, brought out, service, gone through, tire switched out. >> There might be a little cost to it, but I wouldn't think it would be significant. >> But again, if you want more information, if this is something you want me to pursue, I can ask all those questions
160and get that information. Other questions I can answer for you guys as a board? >> I think warranty is a big one. If any of them offer any type of warranty where it keeps our cost down, um that'd be huge, I think. But >> there may be potential to buy some kind of a warranty, I guess. But on a 3 four year old unit, I don't know how much warranty you're going to see. There anything else we can answer for any of you guys on this >> now since we have the expert here? >> When's the current lease up? >> Well, the current lease is up. >> It is up. They just left it here. >> They've just left it here. It's usually >> Gotcha. >> Yeah, we're past the end of the lease, but
161they've been >> We'll just see if they forget about it. >> I've tried that. They never do. Somebody from John Deere came picked it up like that. >> So the way to get a warranty then if you buy buy this new >> I I can't swear to that. You know I don't >> on a new one though they' have one they would have I'm sure have warranty. >> But then this is a smaller one that's on this bid. Right. >> Yeah. You're talking this one, right? >> 324 and Yeah, they're both 324s. Yep. Yeah. They're smaller capacity and size. Yep. As I said before, the nice thing about the new ones is the 0% um interest on only on the new ones can we get that and that's because we're uh the government entity. >>
162Um that he did say he can only guarantee I believe until through the end of December. He wasn't sure if the program would stay around >> after that point. So, what would on the new one? What would we need down? And what would our payments be at? 0%. I'm looking here. I don't know if they put that on here because I didn't call and ask them. So, when he was referring to earlier the um school discount, government discount, that's what he's talking with the list price down to the new one costing 62 grand. See where I'm talking right here? >> I think the other one's the same. This one's a little bit higher. list price of 90 and then our uh with the discount our price would be 66. He's on the two new ones.
163Excuse me. >> So, Greg, do you kind of have a preference at least from you since you're the one that's going to be driving at 90 >> Well, I say >> percent of the time. As I say, the one I the one we have currently, I like that one just because of the size of it and been using it for about a year now. I'm kind of used to it. Um, but whatever direction you want to go, I guess I like I say, I'm I'm pleased with this one. >> And the the payments, this is a fiveyear loan. >> Yes, I believe that's right. Um there is a interest rate. >> Yeah. >> Attached to that one. >> That would be if we went the >> right >> use >> loan payment. Well, or even
164if we used but even if we went the payment route versus >> purchasing it out right up front. >> I don't even know the rules on borrowing on things like we've never done that, >> right? We we have not partaken in that before. >> Payment interest. >> Yeah. >> A payment plan before >> come out of water. >> I was waiting for someone to I was waiting for someone to ask that. I was trying not to What' you say, Jamie? >> I said so I suppose this comes out of PPE funds. >> This would be one of the um acceptable or approved uses of PPE. Yes. >> Is it something probably when I was planning potential? I mean, I didn't even list it on the forum. >> Mhm. >> Going into that cuz we weren't
165talking about I mean, we we had an idea, but a month before that, we didn't we weren't really going into as they were talking about ending this. This is something for sure. Back in the summer or spring, we weren't talking about not realizing that they were going to really end the program of the way that we've been using a uh you know, a skid loader/forklift. That's kind of our use for it as well for the last how many years? I don't know how far it goes back. That's just what we've always done. At least since I've been here, we didn't realize they were going to end that. You know what I mean? >> Right. >> So, say, "Hey, why didn't we think of it last spring?" I It wasn't on our radar at all, to
166be honest. So, yes, we would pay for that out of um PPE. >> We'll have a meeting before we have one in December. Yeah. >> Yes. >> Yeah. Board meeting you're talking, right? Yeah. >> Yep. Is there questions you would like me to get answered? Any further information that you would want? >> Well, I guess just, you know, the lease was 1,500 for 10-month lease. >> I believe that was actually a five or six month. >> Five or six month. >> Was that Yeah. Was that the last one? short one just to finish out through this past summer. >> May or June, I can't remember the date for sure. >> Yeah, I guess just what the actual lease is on a new one. I I get it's significantly higher, but I guess what that is
167some, you know, warranty might not be available here, but like SenX has some warranties just on motors, right? That you can send in an oil sample, you can pay warranty on it that unfortunately like you don't use it a lot and sometimes that's not the best for them either, right? So blow motor up and 20 grand. >> Mhm. >> Right. So there's an option to get some warranty on it or at least have that part covered. >> Might be something to to take a look at. >> Take a look into that. >> Yeah. >> Who' you say through >> like SX offers it? Okay. It's a new enough machine which this thing's only three years old. >> Might be some possibilities there. So like cooperative energy would be able to work with you on that.
168>> Some of the questions just talked to them. Okay. >> Do you tend to spare this down if we kind of maybe f I'm just throwing this out there. Focus on this one and a new one comparatively for the next meeting like what the lease cost would be. I was going to say on a new one. >> I mean >> to shorten down our options. I mean, we were just trying to go through a variety to get here, but Right. >> And if a new one had a warranty, would that like justify the difference in price between what we would pay for a new one and what we could potentially have to do for upkeep on a used. >> Okay. >> So, look into the 332G and a new 324G. >> Okay. And why the
169I guess you like the size of 33. Why did they quote just a 324 instead of a 332? >> That's just kind of what I guess they figure I needed. >> Okay. >> I told them, you know, I mean, I need at least 2,000 lb lift capacity. So, they quoted the new one because if you start getting into the 33 330 or 332, your price is going to jump significantly on the new ones. >> Yep. >> And I can appreciate that, you know. I mean, >> yep. It's not a necessary thing. It's kind of my preference. So, if we get the the answers to that, some the cost of the the lease cost of a new one from CNB, what that monthly lease cost is or what they'll at least quote us on that >>
170for the next one and then possibility if we can get some warranty options through SynX on the used one here >> and maybe John Deere will do it too if you want to ask. >> Yeah, absolutely. >> Or CNB. Yeah, get those things and maybe get that information for the December meeting that work. Yeah, it's unless because we meet on the Today's the 17th. We meet on the 15th of December if I remember right. >> Okay. Any other question I can try to answer? >> All right. Sorry. Thank you. Thank you. So, we just won't take any action on that item. >> Motion to table that one till next meeting. >> So, I'll motion to table it. >> Till the next meeting. >> Second. >> All right. So, it's >> been moved and seconded that
171we go ahead and uh table the approval of the skid over purchase till next December's board meeting. >> All right. >> We got a Oh, sorry. All those in favor? >> I all those opposed. >> All right. Motion passes. >> Um so the next view, the special ed service plan is something um from our trainings. Basically, we need one of these for our state reporting. And then in working through that with some trainings last week, they said generally speaking, because I couldn't find one from the last handful of years um that had been approved, but they said generally they're approved at least every 5 years. I didn't see one. We took this from an old one and then worked with the AAA on this to present this. We need approval on this and then we
172can kind of finalize some of our state reporting requirements. Really, there's nothing groundbreaking or anything in here that we're not already doing. It's just describing and putting some of the plan pieces that we already have in place on paper here. Um, and just getting uh it officially approved by the board. There's nothing that really would change in terms of what we're already doing as a result of this in terms of other than just having an official plan if that makes sense. So, this is to approve the plan to >> Yeah. Approved to get it approved by the state. >> Yep. Yep. It has to be board approved um our plan. And like I said, it literally you're you're not approving anything that we're not already doing or changing. We're not asking for that. It's just
173literally put in the plan. We haven't had one approved by the board. I think what I would do moving forward is move this up in years to come and put that in our September meeting when we approve some of our other plans annually like our LU plan and our at risk and things like that. I would just do that moving forward >> right >> I well we will moving forward so then we don't have to >> scramble to find this. So >> all right any other questions? >> So you need a motion to approve >> Yep. Do I have a motion? Motion to approve the special education service plan. >> Second. All right. So, it's been moved and seconded to approve the 2025 2026 special education service plan. >> Uh, all those in favor say
174I. >> I. All those opposed. Motion passes. >> Approval of new contracts. Um, Jacob Horseman as volunteer wrestling coach as needed. um in different capacities between junior high school and um those programs and then Bill Hartzell as head high school boys varsity basketball coach. Both are at will contracts. >> All right. >> And Jacobs volunteered. He did he volunteered for the middle school football too, right? Or was he a coach? >> He was a paid coach. That's the only reason I paused like he's coached. >> Yes, he's coached here before. Correct. I just Yes, he was a p he was in a paid position. That's why I was pausing to think. But yes, you're thinking of the right. He helped with the junior high football program. >> Um we just don't have >> contractual positions,
175but he would like to help out and we approve our volunteer or required to approve volunteer coaches. >> All right. Any other questions? Do I have a motion? Yeah, I'll motion to approve new contracts. >> All right. Second. All right. It's been moved in a second to approve the new contracts as presented. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> All those opposed. Motion passes. So the following changes. Usually we approve ch changes to our student handbooks annually. Um, I did have all three buildings, elementary, middle school, high school, add this. We had to do this in part of our state reporting and we did not specifically have this heading and phrase in our handbooks even though we have the appropriate policies, but linking to them. So, all three handbooks have this h app
176um policy listed in them. It just says progressive student discipline policy. Iowa code requires districts to have a progressive student discipline policy. Please see the board policies related to this requirement. We have the board policies in place. Not changing it's not changing anything we're doing but in terms of requirement we had to have that added to all three handbooks and literally that's the only change in that policy is added to all three handbooks. So we're just formally approving that tonight. >> A motion to approve the changes in the handbook. >> Second. Okay. It has been moved and seconded to approve the student handbook changes in all three buildings. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> All those opposed. Motion passes. >> A um Northwest Aea board of directors. Amy Jurns is up and
177running to retain her positions and she's the only one that is running for that spot. Um the districts and this is the letter that we get on that that the NJ sign. districts are required to vote and approve that at a board meeting. Um, I'd say we could go through and choose the candidate, but there's no other candidate. She's the only one running to represent our area on the A Northwest AA board. >> Where's she based out of? >> George. >> Yeah, I think she lives in George and say she's out in large district George. Yeah, >> she was. I'm not 100% confident if she still is. I think she >> she was at one point, right? I'm not saying she's not. I just >> don't know. >> I just don't know. Right. >> Yeah.
178>> She does a good job though. >> Mhm. >> I was just making sure it wasn't like somebody from De Moine is our representative from the Northwest. >> No. Yeah, she's from around here. >> Okay. >> All right. Is there a motion? And if there is, I need to read the bottom sentence. Make a motion for the board of directors vote. You got to read that. Read >> if you can see it from there. >> I make a motion that coach eaten uh school district votes for Amy Jurns as director of district one and northwest or NWA. >> There you go. All right. Is there a second? >> Second. >> All right. So it's moved a seconded to have AB journs um uh represent us in district 1 northwest Iowa. All those in favor say.
179I I >> I. >> All those opposed. >> All right. Motion passes. >> All right. So the next one since we've new board given a little bit explanation the way our policy reads and retirement package reads is that's something that we would have to approve in the years that we choose to offer this. Um I did present this and discuss this with our finance committee um back in October and presenting this here and choosing whether we would offer early retirement package this year. Those that would elect to take that, if we would approve this, those that would elect to take that would have to do so um by Friday, January 9th. That's how the policies will read. So, what we're approving in this one is whether we're going to offer that or not. If we
180would vote to approve this, then the next one we have to approve the changes to the policy to update them for the current year. Um obviously, if we chose to not do this, then the next the next agenda item is moot, right? um how this works, why would we do this right now with our position and declining enrollment and what we what we've talked about in the last few years um making adjustments to our staff, but what we call bloodless attrition, right? Not having to make cuts, but do it when they naturally happen. So, obviously depending on who would take this, that doesn't mean that's one of the options. Doesn't mean we would necessarily have to fill all those positions, right? We would make adjustments with that over time to account for the budget reduction.
181that's going to happen in um over the next few years. So, that's one of the the reasons that you're doing this. Um how that works is the dollars that come from the early retirement package then are paid for out of what's called our management fund. Okay? Which is a separate fund from the general fund and that's where you get your savings. That's one of the things that we do have a little control of with our levy. Um what we pay for out of management is you can pay for any any early retirement packages. We pay for our um insurance in terms of like our building and property insurance we pay for out of that. Um all other forms of insurance for the most part out of that and then any um potential legal settlements out
182of that and then we also pay for our breakdown insurance out of management. So, um, what this does for someone in our situation, if someone takes early retirement, we pay for that out of management and then that's not a general fund, um, expense, for lack of a better word there. And then depending on how many or if many staff take that, then that's where administratively we make choices of I'm just making up numbers here. these three people turned in um early retirement and based on where they're at, maybe we only need to fill two of the positions or these four took it, we need to fill two. That's in our situation why what you're looking at doing is to do some savings down the road. >> Do we know how many teachers are up that
183can do early retirement this year >> that are potential that would be potentially eligible? Um, in terms of how the policy reads, they have to be a minimum of a minimum age over 55 whether they're taking diapers or not, but they have to be over 55 and have worked here um 10 years. And yeah, can't name individual names off the top for reasons until they submit it, but we could have up to four staff members that are eligible. Did I say that correctly, Kendra? when we went through the other day >> they've been here over 10 years and are over 55. >> Yeah. And are and have enough time in if I remember right. We'd have four that could take it. I >> don't know if they would or not. >> Correct. And I don't
184know that for some of them you got to remember they might be eligible for early retirement but maybe they're not >> ready >> personally ready or ready. Right. >> And I'm talking teaching staff members. >> Yep. because there's a separate policy for support staff that if they qualify which is a little bit different but >> no good questions that's why I've kind of taken the time to explain this >> the finance part like you offer it are like you're looking for all four to take it or it'd be ideal if only two took it or >> um >> do we have the flexibility in that other account for all four to take it if they decided? >> We we would and then how you can control that and then maybe if I'm just throwing this
185out. I'm not even hinting anything. If all four took then we would have the option maybe to wait a few years before we offer it again or look at where we're at financially. If none took it, that could happen, right? If none took it, then you're having some advantages in the short terms of not adding expense to the management and maybe you look at offering it in the near future. >> Every year we have to decide to either approve or disapprove. >> Correct. Usually it's only brought up if >> I think it's worth bringing it up and then I usually bring it up to the finance committee first. Okay. >> Their recommendation and then present it to the the board. >> Yeah. That's typically been what what every other year type thing or committee is
186recommending we >> correct. Yep. >> Yeah. I might have glossed that over at the beginning. I didn't mean to. I said I presented it to them in October. When I came here as principal, I can't remember what the first year they offered it, but I think there was a streak there of like, don't quote me, I'm just ballparking this, like seven or eight straight years where they didn't offer it for a variety of reasons. Didn't need to. Financially, maybe didn't make sense. I'm not speaking for the past just saying that. So it's not necess something that's slam dunk offered >> every year. >> But the financial committee says this makes sense this year to do it. >> Correct. Yeah. I present it to them as the recommend. And the reason being it wouldn't just do
187it to offer it. We'd look at then depending on who take it who takes that could there be some um uh staffing reductions from that? I can't predict who will, but then we could potentially that's the benefit to the district in terms of a budget when connecting earlier we're going to be down >> 46 >> 47 students long term, right? And trying to make those choices now so we don't have to make have to choices later in terms of we're in a situation now we have to get reduced staff and we have people who we're getting rid of who want to stay. Right. That's what you're trying to avoid >> down the road. No, good questions. >> Probably the most question asked board ever. >> Uh, others other questions. So, as far as like some
188the staff that has been here for years, >> if we did need to fill those positions, I mean, are we looking at maybe who someone fresh coming in that would possibly be getting paid less than someone that's been here >> long term? >> That's the other idea in theory, right? would be if you have someone retire and we that's a position we need to fill then you fulfill that with someone um younger with less cost in today's age that's easier said than said than done because there's just less applicants out there less people going into the profession and it's really coming a thing of you see what kind of applications you get and pick the best one so I can't guarantee that would be someone right out of college it could be >> it might
189not be Um there's just not the applications not just at Civio Achievement. I just mean overall just for >> teaching positions like there were even >> 10 years ago. >> That'd be fair to say for both of you who deal with that a lot more than I do. >> Incredibly fair. >> Right. >> Yep. But yes, that would be I mean if you if they took that and we decide oh that's a position we still need to fill or whatever then that that is also ideally usually people who are retiring and have been here long enough will have a higher salary than the new teacher. So you have some general fund savings that way. Other questions? What is the early retirement package? So, this this is the change from the other one, just updating the
190dates and things like that. That's the big change that it goes through. But what you'll really look at is here. So, they have a couple options on what we have. um depending on what their situation is, A through E, um they get paid out um depending on which option they take out, they'll get paid out more or less per year. >> Mhm. >> Um so someone in option A needs insurance for a shorter ter shorter length of time than someone in option E. That's the easiest way to explain explain the chart. They get paid paid out of any unused sick leave. So someone in option A is able to take up to three years of single insurance premium up to 775 a month. If during that three years the premium goes beyond that then they
191pay the difference. So let's say in year two our I'm just making up a number. Our single insurance um goes from 770 to 800. They'd have to pay that $25. Right. >> Going down to option D. They're getting less dollars for each year service because they're getting paid out more for a longer length of time, more years for insurance. This would be up to six years. So the the longer you take, the greater chance that obviously the premiums will go up and at the end of the policy they'll pay some. So that's kind of the like overall >> how long do we pay that >> summary of that? Which one, Tom? >> So like so like it's three years or like that's how long we pay them >> the for the insurance portion, right? How
192how long will we pay the >> monetary bonus? >> It's just a one time. >> Just a one time. It's just a one time payment. Correct. >> Yeah. So, they're years of service. So, they were here, you know, 20 years times the 850 if they take option A. That goes into a 403b. >> Okay. So, >> yes, I Yeah, the monetary bonus is not reoccurring. Okay. It's one time along with the sick leave. >> Um I think that's the highlight of that. And then the the other policies were yeah, it's just forms that they signed and agreed to that when I'm putting that in here. The changes the policy for classified staff. Where is that chart right here is a >> $4,000? >> Yeah, there we go. This paragraph right here. Um, it's a one-time
193payout of uh $4,000 and then they have to have completed 20 years of service and be eligible. >> Does that kind of answer what you were asking? >> I know you've had that for quite a while, right? >> Yes. Um >> there's been different variations I think of this. All right. >> Generally since well at least since I've been in the seat when we've offered it the only changes has been the >> the insurance portion like the yearly amount >> you know what I mean because >> it goes up right but in terms of like the monetary bonus in column two there years of service like we did we haven't changed that the la or the sick leave payout we haven't changed that the last handful of years. And then obviously the date they have
194to turn it in by which is why if we do it we have to approve even if we change nothing else we'd have to approve it because that date once you're past it is void >> right January 9th of 2026 is going to only be good this year. >> Yeah. >> Okay. All right. Any other questions? Trying to think of anything else to point out, but that really does >> kind of cover it. >> Yeah. >> Other things that Yeah, I can answer. I don't want to assume anything, but anything else that I can answer? And so, like I said, G, if you approve it, you're approving the offer early retirement. And then H is you're just approving the changes to the policy. You know, you get, you know what I mean? That I was
195just showing you with the dollar. It's just approving the change in the language for the policy to update it for the current year. If you would not approve G, then H is >> mute point. >> Yeah, mute point. We we wouldn't vote on it. >> Sending a motion. >> Yeah. If uh no more discussion, I guess >> make a motion to offer the early retirement policy. >> Second. >> All right. This has been moved and seconded to offer early retirement for the 2526 school year as presented. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> All those opposed. Motion passes. So this policy since we passed the last one is approving then the changes to the language in the policies themselves and that's the writing in green. >> Now a motion to accept the changes
196in the policy as written. >> Second. >> Okay. >> And then uh we want to read that. >> Do we have to vote on >> the first reading and the second? Yeah. Um, approve it and then we should Yes. Thank you, Jamie. Um, to approve the changes, but you should add into your motion approve the first reading of the retirement policies and forgo the second reading because technically we do if there's big changes two readings, but we can in your motion say for um skip the second reading. >> Right. Okay. So, does Tom need to resay that? >> Yeah, he should. Sorry, I didn't see >> I have a motion to uh recommend to approve the first reading uh of the attention retent policies and forgo the second reading of the policies. >> Is there
197a second? Second. >> Okay. So, is it moved and seconded >> to go ahead uh recommend the policy changes with approve the first reading and then forgoing the second reading? All those in favor say I. I. I. All those opposed? Motion passes. >> Our uh monthly payments to site logic um as we're wrapping up the they're always, you know, about a month behind in how the bills come through and when they present them and then we don't pay them till the next board meeting um so forth. Would we have I can't remember Kendra. Would we potentially have one more set from site logic or was this the last one? Do you remember? I think you said it was the last one >> from Site Logic, right? Okay. >> So, these guys probably don't know what
198uh >> what's Site Logic. >> Yeah, I mean, if >> I My bad. Sorry. Um so, Site Logic is the company that over oversaw and ran the um facilities construction project the past year. >> Oh, okay. So um >> general >> yeah they yeah in essence they served as the as the general and they oversaw um underneath them was LNL/story that ran the project but site logic's the one that worked with us they did the the facility study um interviewed staff did a survey with staff and then based on their recommendations and what our potential budget would be was kind of the ones we worked with to put the project together coordinated everything when we didn't get the fire alarm project on its own done incorporated and added that in. And so, >> so this
199is just approving the last payment for >> Yeah. Yeah. So, we've had payments over time. Um the initial payments last year before we had the bond payment is we um they were billing us, but we didn't have the funds to do that and they knew that. So, we paid about 10% of that down and then we had a roving or remaining kind of revolving balance with them that they knew we would pay after what we got the um the the bond series approved in June. And so we've been paying them monthly. So I'm sorry I made a poor assumption there. That's what that's what site logic is. They're the ones that have overseen the project from basically start to finish. >> And so is this payment schedule for all of next we're approving or is
200it just approving the onetime payment or >> just the onetime payment for this month? So right here >> two invoices, right? >> Yep. This first one is for $3,500 um for out of the this is the design one. We've paid them out of this one 348,000 roughly overall. This is the remaining balance. And then the that was for the services. And then the design portion we're paying them 14,000 um out of the overall services for about 560,000. That's what's left. And I think this is the final one specific to site logic. If not, they'll be finished next month, but they always trail about a month behind. >> Well, I guess we got to pay our bills. >> I guess that I don't know what else you could add to that. So, >> is that all
201done? All those projects that they did defined done >> for their work. Yeah, I'll answer more that of that on the next one. >> Okay. of what's not done and the problem with site logic. >> No, not not necessarily with site logic. No, no, the project comes out. Not site logic. >> I guess it's a a motion to approve the payments to site logic for the services on the elementary, middle school, and high school uh facilities for the improvement projects. >> Second. >> All right. It's been moved and seconded to to pay approve the payments to site logic as presented. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> All those opposed? Motion passes. So we've had since the project started they call what's pay apps from LNL and we usually confirm these first. So
202they're the ones that actually coordinated and facilitated the project. They bid that they bid that out to site logic and we usually run these through those. We are still having issues in finalizing um some of the work with the HVAC at the elementary um what they call the final commissioning. We have a third party come to do with that and they have to meet that. So we work with site logic. We hold back a retainage and they won't get that money until the work's completed. That's why I said wait till the next one. Got it. Um, so yes, we we are holding back a retainage on them and we won't do that till site logic signs off on that and um because they kind of run that for us and so we would not we
203won't pay that till that's finalized or to a satisfactory point and site logic will sign off and let us know that with LNL. But these are the um payups that have been approved for what's at the bottom here. This one's for roughly 38,000. >> 46,000. >> And the other one's 46. Yep. They're right there. Opposite or the other one's 46. But there is a retainage being held back. >> And I think overall we've been pretty happy with how everything's gone, right? I mean, >> uh, overall until like the to really school started and just finalizing the stuff with the HVAC and some of that, I mean, I think it comes down to >> one subcontractor on that and doing that. But overall, yes, I've been very pleased with it. Getting across the finish line's been
204a little bit of a challenge. >> Yeah, >> that's been the biggest challenge. >> All right, any questions? Make a motion to approve the builder's pay application. >> Is there a second? >> I'll second. >> Okay. So, it's been moved and second to pay LML builder pay application number six and number seven for the elementary project 2025. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> All those opposed. >> Motion passes. >> So, our next board meeting is scheduled the 15th. I just I'm proposing moving it up to five. that is the night of the high school band and vocal concert, but also so that you guys that are new, we've worked this through the existing board. Um, one of your roles as board members is to evaluate me. And so we've moved to a
205process where we do um kind of midyear check-ins every 3 months. And so December is one of those. So then at the end of not that it'll take a super long, well hopefully not, we'll find out. >> Um, but we do that on December. So, it's every three months, December, March, June, and September. Um the the official annual one is is in March. >> Okay. >> But, um December, I I think it'd be good to go through that just to kind of when we go through that and go into close session to just look at the process we've used in the past to go through I mean through some of those forms. Not that it's overly difficult, but you won't have experienced or worked with that before. and answer some questions in December about that
206with your role in evaluating me so that you kind of know that ahead of the March >> meeting if that makes sense. So, not that it'll take overly long. Um there's not a ton that's on the December one, not like tonight. Um anyway, but that's why I propose moving it to 5:00 p.m. that night just so that we can get done ahead of the meeting or not the meeting, ahead of the concerts that night and we'll finish with my evaluation at the end. Anything to add to that, Jamie, in terms of the evaluation? >> No, you might have to get me up to speed on that a little bit, but there's some forms you fill out, right? I think >> there have been. Y >> Okay. Is there any thoughts about moving that? >> Does
207that work for you guys too? Is what I'm asking. I guess >> I can make that work. Okay. >> Does it work for you? Ah, Jenny, I guess she doesn't get Yeah. Uh, I'll motion to approve the change to the December meeting to 5:00 PM. >> Okay. All right. So, been moved to second to approve the time change from 5 to 5 from 5:30 for the December 15th board meeting. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> All those opposed. Motion passes. All right. Just a reminder, I I try to always put us three months out. Um, and sometimes things come up that they have to change like now a month ahead of time moving December, but thank you for doing that. So, it says 5:30, but we approved it to 5:00 pm on
208the 15th. The regular scheduled times for January and 2026, which is crazy to say, >> but it's January 19 and February um 16 and then um convention is this week and I think I sent you guys information today on on the specifics of that this week, Wednesday and Thursday. And then also keep on your calendars, we've had this on for a while, but um with Lanne from ISB, we'll have a a board work session on some of our district goals on February 11th at 5:30. Um the 16th one we'll talk about we'll probably talk about in December about changing that date, but we'll worry about that then in December. So those are things coming up. We already did board pictures. >> Board pictures are done. So talking points. So a lot of this is kind
209of what happens during the meetings that we, you know, good things that are going on in our district that we like to to bring up. So yeah, our highlights are things that you wanted to point out or good things to remember that if people ask you about, you can say, "Oh yeah, we did this." Whatever that is. New board members. >> Yeah, new board members. >> Welcome. >> No, I think it's exciting. I mean, appreciate the pass, but I'm excited with the new board and the you guys being willing to step up. I think that's a um big part of that. Um, I thought some of the presentation guys >> Amos probably learned a lot about buses tonight and so forth. >> All right. Motion to adjurnn. >> I second. >> He's asking for a
210motion. >> I thought you were doing it. Go ahead. Do >> we have a motion to make a motion to journ? I second it. >> Okay. All right. Motion pass. >> All those in favor say I. I. I. >> Those opposed. >> Motion passes. Great. >> Thank you guys. >> Appreciate it. >> They're not all that broken tailbone. No chairs have long gone.