001[Music] Wow. Come on. Hi, my name is Melissa coming out. I am a teacher. I am doing and then um so I taught mostly elementary this year as my first year in middle school teaching sixth and seventh grade science and math. Um I am the education association president which is the professional organization of teachers and um staff of school. Um we will have It's been a long day. We had some students today. Um, we're going to have Mr. Shirby speak first from zone 4 and then he'll be followed by Mr. Ller as well in zone 4 and then Miss Bruce zone two sorry zone three Bruce and then we'll have Thanks for coming. My husband's entertaining for the I think it's on. >> It is. >> Okay. You are welcome to introduce yourself and then
002we'll start asking you questions. >> Hi. Yeah, my name is Brian Shirby and I've lived in Kuna for the past uh seven years. Been uh raising four kids. Uh we have two younger ones, uh five and two, and then um our two older ones actually one just graduated from this past year and moved to LA of all places. And then um we still have another one at 17 years old. So um >> could you share personal motivation and vision for seeking to be on the school board. >> I mean, mainly to give back to a community that's given us as a family so much. Uh we've enjoyed living here and seeing our kids grow up in the school system and um we want to help support the excellent teachers. Uh my wife and I have
003had very good interactions with teachers over the years and uh want to be able to help support them in their mission um educating the students. Um and we want to see them um succeed once they leave uh the school district. And just this past year, like I said, our uh son graduated and you know had great experience and and the Kum school system was partially responsible for you know enabling him to be successful uh when he did graduate. So >> what specific >> last time the micro work and apparently it doesn't work. So, sorry about that. Um, what specific experiences with the Kuna School District inform your perspective and make would make you a strong contributing member of the board? >> Well, as previously stated, um, we did we have kids that have been a
004part of the school system um, from grade school until uh, all the way through high school. And we formed a lot of meaningful relationships during that time with the uh faculty and um other parents in the system. And um I believe that gives us a little bit of insight into uh the struggles that uh some parents may face while raising their kids and you know school and um all that goes into that. Um I believe that you know having been involved with the school system since grade school, middle school and high school that has given me an insight uh to be able to experience what other um parents may be going through and um uh have insight into what some of the teachers were going through as well. >> From your perspective, what are the
005district's most promising strengths and the most significant opportunities for growth? I believe that uh one of the best opportunities the chem school district is giving is the career technical education program. Um you know just uh the people that are able to take part of that are getting such a a a jump start in life and uh Swan Falls is great. uh for kids that may not want to go to uh a four-year school, they can get a jump start on going to a trade school or learning to trade, which right now business is booming, so it's a great opportunity for those kids. Um I think that's a great uh thing that Ken is doing. Also, uh we one of our kids went to Initial Point uh this past year and um that was a great
006experience for us as a family. really helped Blake u kind of catch up and he's struggling in a couple areas. And so I think just the variety of opportunities that the uh human school district is providing kids that are in maybe different um kind of different parts of their life or have different goals. I think doing really good at that. How might the board effectively support administration and staff in addressing critical areas like student attendance, discipline, and overall mental health? >> I think we can help by um setting a clear vision um adopting polic or adopting policies that recognize um the link between emotional wellness and academic performance. um we need we need to prioritize funding for those areas and for uh health professionals and counselors to meet the needs of those students. I think
007that's important and um promote a culture of attendance and not minimize uh when students do miss school. It's it's a part of their education is showing up and we want to make sure that they prioritize that. Um when discipline is needed uh it's important to do it in a way that supports the student um and also makes them or lets them know that they need to make the changes uh that we're requiring them to make. Um another important aspect of that is I I believe teachers have a right to come to work and be respected. So I I want to see that. I believe everyone does. I think that's an important part. What >> would you campaign to help support and strengthen morale among our dedicated teachers and staff? >> Um, I promote policies that
008provide teachers and staff with opportunity to shape the classroom instruction. I think it's um important to recognize that they're the ones in the classroom and they should be a part of that decision making process. they're the ones that are teaching these students every day and I believe they should have um direct input into that. Um and I I think we do this by uh we we it's important to recognize that they're the ones that are in the classrooms and they're the ones that are part of the outcomes for the students. So I think we need to recognize uh the teachers that are doing a great job of um having successful outcomes in the classroom uh providing opportunities for their professional growth and focusing on um providing the salaries and benefits that keep good teachers in
009our school district. >> Thank you. How can we ensure that all students regardless of background have access to a highquality education and truly equitable opportunities? I think it's important to the funding needed in each of those areas based on the need that is required that year or fully evaluated each year. But I think one of the main most important things is investing in early childhood education. Um I think if you read anything about uh education you'll know that in any socioeconomic class uh the most important thing is to get them in school and ready for education at an early age. And so I think um as long as we're providing the ability and the funding for that the student should have great opportunity to be successful. How do you see the board prioritizing and supporting
010the unique needs of special needs students, English learners, and gifted learners? >> Well, once again, it comes down to funding. You have to fund the things that are important to you. And um I think that these are all important. Um you have to adequate um allocate the resources on each of those particular areas. And I think that um we need to support specialized training for the teachers that are going to be providing that um that training to the students um or teaching them. Um I think including families in the decision making process uh of each of those areas is important because they know their children and I know that for us an IEP was a great way uh for those of you who don't know it's an individualized education plan and one of our children
011uh was on one of those from grade all the way through high school and I can tell you that it was very helpful but that takes ext extra energy from teachers. And so we have to make sure that we are um not only providing the resources but we have enough teachers uh to be able to provide those services because what I would hate to see is teachers taking on extra responsibilities when we don't have enough already or the classroom sizes are getting big and then on top of teaching their classes they have to after that go to the you know, and just become overwhelmed. So, I think it's important for all of those to have enough teachers to facilitate that, not overwhelm the teachers that you do have and make them feel. >> What are
012your ideas for strengthening communication and building bridges between the board, our parents, and the broader community? >> Yeah, I think the most important part of communication is one that's often overlooked, and that's just listening. Sometimes we're quick to speak and um I would come into it with an open mind and want to listen to the challenges that are unique to families and administrators and and take that into account before making a decision. I think it would be good to maybe have informal meetings where you can meet with all the stakeholders, families, teachers, board members and just talk. Not necessarily have an agenda but get to know each other and the challenges do you face >> as a liber? What qualities and characteristics do you believe are essential for our next superintendent? >> I mean the
013most important is integrity, personal integrity. I think that we seek that out of any leader and we should. Um a strong relationship builder. He's going to have to be able to bridge the gaps between a lot of different stakeholders. That's important when you're in that kind of position. And I think u somebody that prioritizes student learning and achievement is what you want in that leadership position because he's going to he or she is willing to be the person that is making very important decisions in the lives of a lot of different people. Another ability would be of course sound financial management being able to take a budget and allocate it to where the need to go. >> Thank you. Um, how do you view the appropriate balance between the board's role in setting policy and
014providing oversight and the administration's need for autonomy in day-to-day district operations? I think it's important to understand that they do have different goals and uh with the same goal in mind. Um the board should be setting broad strategic policies to provide oversight and the superintendent administration are tasked with the daily operations uh in the fulfillment of that common goal. So the board can set such strategic goals but it's up to the administration to accomplish it. Um I think the board's job is to empower um the superintendent and the administration to accomplish the goals that we have all have which is students graduating successfully prepared to graduate and feeling empowered to to accomplish what they want to. And that's the end result we're all looking for is to see students go out into the world achieve
015what they're wanting to do. >> Is there anything anything that we haven't asked you that you would like the public to know? >> Just that I will work with whoever uh should I be elected, I will work with whoever um comes to the meetings and has a stake in their children's education in the community. It's not a political thing to me. It's whoever comes in should be afforded the right to have a say in the education of their children. Thank you. [Applause] [Music] >> Yeah. This is my grocery didn't put my stool up for you. I'm sorry. I can't see. >> Adjust a little bit. Hope we get big crowd. >> Um, if you want to just introduce yourself and then we'll ask you some questions. >> Sure. Yeah. I'm I'm Freddy Wheeler. I grew
016up here in Kuna. Um, kindergarten through senior year. I did I did have a two-year hiatus in uh in Nevada. I came back here because I couldn't graduate from Nevada. So, I came back my senior year to finish. Um, I'm joking. I probably could have graduated in Nevada, but I just moved back. Uh, I I've got four kids, two of them are in the K school district. The other two are too young to be in the district. Um, I do construction, I'm an attorney, and I have a pest control business. That's probably the most interesting stuff about me. >> Personal motivation and the vision for seeking a seat on the school board. >> Sure. you know, I with kids in the school district and kids that are going to go through the school uh the
017Cuma school system. I mean, I have every intention of staying in Cuma. This is where I grew up. Uh so, I want to make sure that it's a place where my kids have a good experience. Currently, I have I have two kids that that uh that are one of them's in Indian Creek and one of them's at Ross and they're on different sides as far as how they do in school. I've got one that school comes naturally to her and it's been a breeze for her and for the teachers and teachers always give us good feedback and they say, "Oh, we love your we love your daughter." And then I've got another student, another daughter on the other side that uh the teachers love her because she's lovable, but but school doesn't come naturally to
018her, right? And so we've had that experience with the schools where we've been involved on both sides of a student that excels and then a student that maybe needs some extra help. Um, and I think as a community, if we don't step up and and take initiative and take ownership for what's going on in our schools and we just default and just hope and pray that things work out, um, you kind of you get what you plan for. And so I'd like to be involved so that uh, my kids and and your kids have a have a good experience and and that we have the right people saying the right things. you um what specific experiences with the Kuna School District inform your perspective and would make you a strong contributing member of the board?
019I think I I think I answered that with that other question on accident. Um but I um I mean I'm invested in the community ultimately ultimately I I care about uh I care about what our tax rates are. I own several properties in Kuna that are subject to uh taxes. I care about how our funds get used. Um, on the other side of that though, I care about what type of education my kids get and what situation they're put in, what resources they have, and and what teachers are uh attracted to come and teach in Q&A. I recognize that there's balance. >> Thank you. >> From your perspective, what are the district's most promising strengths and the most significant opportunities for growth? >> I think my in elementary schools with my kids. I've had an
020incredible experience with the principles and the the teachers in general. The administration has been really good to work with. And I think generally we have incredibly talented staff in the human school district. I think the challenge is making sure that as parents and as a community we give them the support and take the initiative and take responsibility for our own kids education as well and don't just assume that it's the teacher's problem now. Um so I think I think the strength is that we have the capability to offer an incredible education and to attract really talented teachers and we have a community that's growing. When I was a kid, uh, I I used to shoot the I live less than a mile from where I grew up now. Um, and I used to shoot my
02122 from my house and now that's that's not the case. Uh, because our community is growing and changing, evolving, and I think I think we have incredible opportunities to embrace that growth and those change and do it in the right ways. But that's also going to be probably here in the next question. That's also going to be one of our challenges is how do we accommodate that? How do we how do we set resources for that? Um besides just crossing our fingers and hoping that everything works out. >> Yeah, please don't do that. >> Um thank you. How might the board effectively support administration and staff in addressing critical areas like student attendance, discipline, and overall mental health? >> I I actually I had a meeting with the superintendent um and I think our our
022uh attendance sounds like it's incredible. I think it's over 90%. Um, and I think that says a lot for getting kids to school, right? And just making sure that they're there. Um, I think the school board plays a unique role where you're you're it's a volunteer position and you're a liazison between the community and the administrative staff. And in that role, you have access to not only the information um but also you have access to how those decisions get made and and you have a say in in certain things. And I think in helping in helping the schools perform what really matters, which is educating our children, we need to make sure that the community understands what's going on and what the challenges really are. I think if we get all of our information from
023Q must know and and base our decisions as a community and as a school board off of what we see on Q must know we might not get the full story and it might be an emotionally charged issue that uh we can use logic to address and to come to a conclusion and I think that's the role that the school board should play. I think the school board should be able to take the emotion out of those types of situations and and help not only the administration but the community realize what the real issues are and then come to a logical conclusion that maybe maybe emotionally we disagree with but it's just the right answer because it's the right answer. >> What initiatives would you champion to help support this and strengthen the morale among
024our dedicated teachers and staff? Gosh, I had incredible teachers when I came when I went to Um, I didn't I didn't feel like I really had any teachers that were downers. Um but I I can't imagine what it would be like to be a teacher because I think you have 30 or more students um depending on you know what age level you teach and you've got parents of those students and so you have you're bombarded with you're bombarded with a myriad of personalities, people that uh are upset for things that are outside of your control. Um, and I think the key is to give the teachers the foundation that they need to be successful and recognize that ultimately that foundation really is our community. If our community is involved and invested in how the school's
025doing, if we're accountable as a community to the school, I think that sword cuts both ways. then we can hold the school board or the school district accountable for what's going on in the schools. Uh but when neither party or only one party wants to be accountable, that's when we run into issues. And so I think I think really just fostering a relationship of accountability of accountability from both teachers and the community. And then the teachers would feel like they've got the resources and the community to back them up when when there are legitimate issues and that it won't turn into an emotionally charged uh argument that's maybe taken out of context. >> Thank you. How can we ensure that all students regardless of background have access to for high quality education and truly equitable
026opportunities. >> Sorry guys, I thought there were only five questions, so I should have kept those answers short. Um, I that's that's a challenge. And like I said, I have I have kids in both in both camps. I have I have a daughter that excels and we struggle to make sure that she's challenged. and I have a daughter that uh is behind and we struggle to make sure she gets the extra help that she needs both at home and and at school. But I I think it goes back to accountability. As parents, I don't blame I don't blame the teacher uh for my daughter that struggles. Um we've had good interactions with the teachers. we've addressed issues that we have with with our daughter that that struggles and we've put together plans and we've we've
027had an incredible experience from the teachers giving us feedback and support and solutions and even improvising a little bit. Um so I think the key there is making sure that as a community we're involved in it, especially as parents that we're involved in that we communicate with the teachers and tell them what's going on. um just throwing more money at a problem might not be the answer. And and and even if it is, if we simply throw money at it and expect that to have, you know, a gifted and talented program for the advanced kids and then a a, you know, a special program for the kids that need to get caught up, that we're just throwing money at it and not taking responsibility and we're probably not going to get the results that we
028wanted anyways. Sorry, I jumped ahead and did your next questions here. >> That's okay. >> We can skip it. >> What are your ideas for strengthening communication and building bridges between the board, our parents, and the broader community? >> I think that goes back to Sorry, I've rambled a little bit. I've touched on these things. Um, I think it goes back to as a school board, we just have to I hear a lot in the community about uh there's issues with transparency. Um, and I think one of the one of the issues with transparency is even if the community has the information, but we don't explain what it means, it can feel like the school isn't being transparent. Um, and and maybe to some degree that's the real issue is that we just don't understand
029what's, you know, what's being portrayed or what those numbers actually mean. or if we really don't know the information because the school hasn't provided it, then then to know where to get it and then to let the administrative staff know, hey, here's here's an issue. This is what the community wants to know. And then again, it's that accountability. Let that that will cut both ways um with the community and with with the administration. >> As we look for a new leader, what what key qualities and characteristics do you believe are essential for our next superintendent? >> Um I don't know if half a white eyebrow isn't one of those uh qualities, but I might have nailed that one if if that's in there. I don't think it is though. And but I do think that
030we need a super or a super we do need a superintendent. Um I do think that we need we need a superintendent that understands the the balance between what the community wants um what the students need and what our budget will allow. Uh, and I think that's a really there's some really hard calls to make, but I think that that's what we need in the superintendent, somebody that can that's in a position to make those types of calls. Um, not just financially, but as far as the overall how to run the school and how to run the organization, uh, the highlevel things and somebody that, uh, that's okay with taking feedback from the community and implementing it into the schools. or if there is feedback from the community that something's an issue, uh to address
031that and and not be afraid to have some push back from the community so long as it's a reasonable conversation and not something that's emotionally charged and and I think that's I think it's an incredible skill set. I don't know that I have it, but I hope that our superintendent does have that. Thank you. How do you view the appropriate balance between the board's role in setting policy and providing oversight and the administration's need for autonomy in day-to-day district operations? >> I think everybody just needs to stay their lane. I think the board needs to know exactly what their role is and the the key things that they're in charge of and be held accountable for that. And but the board also needs to have uh you know teachers and staff and administration that stay
032in their lane and are held accountable for their responsibilities. U that's an ideal environment. Um a lot of times we stray from that because we get worried about these emotionally charged issues or sometimes they're our own personal issues that we're upset about. Um, I don't think that I don't think there's very many adults and especially teachers that want to be micromanaged. Um, and I think if we set the expectation that here's your lane, here's your responsibilities, and if there's an issue, then we can address it as a board, uh, I think that's that's the way to go about it. Don't micromanage until there's a problem that actually veers into the the school trustee lane and then it becomes a school trustee issue, not a school administration issue. >> Thank you. Is there anything we haven't
033asked you that you would like the public to know? >> I've probably talked way longer than you guys wanted me to, so I don't think so. >> Actually, not at all. Go ahead and talk for more. [Music] you don't want to do that. I don't I don't have anything else to add. I I I've had an incredible experience um in Juna. I I would be I would be excited to serve as a as a trustee. Um I don't think that Brian or I are on total opposite sides of the spectrum. I think ultimately it comes down to what's what's best for our community and and I think those are the types of decisions that whoever gets put in as trustee needs to be able to make those calls and needs to be able to analyze
034large amounts of information and communicate that to the community and be that liaison and then also but have a backbone to be able to stand up for issues that matter and say no this is a critical issue we need to address it not just put it off on the back burner. Uh but again, that backbone needs to cut the other way, too. And when there's an issue that's not a school trustee issue, you need to be able to say, "Hey, we like I'm not sure why we're wasting time." Well, first of all, it's volunteer time anyways, right? It's volunteer position. Um but let's focus on the stuff that let's focus on the stuff that matters that actually moves the needle that's within our within our scope. Um and I hope and I hope that's what
035the community wants in a trustee. Um definitely if if I'm elected that's that's the approach and perspective that I'll take [Applause] >> along much quicker. So um Mrs. Bruce is not here yet. So we'll go ahead and have Mrs. Blitman um answer some questions for us. Thank you. See, she needs the stool, too. Mr. >> I know. I need something big. >> Can everybody hear me? The light's pretty bright. >> Every year when I have to do my whatever with all the teachers and stuff. >> It's really tall. Um, do you want to introduce yourself? >> Sure. I'm Brenda Litman. I'm running for the school district zone 3 in Kuma and I appreciate the opportunity to be here and I thank everybody for coming tonight and the KDA for putting on this event. I think
036it's really important to have the public dialogue um as as we decide who's going to be on our school board. Um I've kind of um included my bio in my comments and so I'll I'll skip the bio for time and then we'll we'll get questions. Could you share your personal motivation and vision for seeking a seat on the school board? >> Thank you very much. I'm really um committed to all of Kuma's kids and and I want to support their success. I want to support policies that prior prioritize student learning and ensure that the Kuna School District resources, facilities, and our staff are all aligned toward providing um those services so that our kids can can graduate and be amazing, amazing people. I've got deep connections to the Kuna community as a child, as a
037parent, as a business owner. I'm a community volunteer and I'm a taxpayer and those connections I think will really help strengthen the alliances that we have for our kids. Um I also have 30 plus years of business and financial experiences um which I think will really help the school district trustees fulfill their duties in the board planning roles that we need to to do and the long-term strategy. I want to help drive decisions that are both financially responsible and prudent for the taxpayers but are still focused on the future. In my vision, everybody, teachers, administrators, bus drivers, parents, community members, elected officials, we all work together to support public education for Kunis kids. And from a from a big picture perspective, um, student success equals community success. Thank you. What specific experiences with the communist
038district school district inform your perspective and would make you a strong contributing member of the group? >> Thank you very much. Um, as a child I attended Indian Creek Elementary and then I went to Ross Elementary and then we carried our our um desk across the field to what was the middle school which is where the fourth street gym is and then I went to Kuna High School which is now the middle school. So I have childhood experiences here. Um, as a parent, my kids attended Indian Creek, Ross, Hubert T, the middle school, and the high school. And my husband Dan, who I've been married to for 30 um almost 35 years, taught for 25 years in the Kuna School District um at Indian Creek TE and Silver Trail. And then for six years, I
039taught um business nuclear applications, accounting, and business math at Kuna High School and Initial Point High School. So over my lifetime I've spent a lot of time in Kuna schools um to prepare to for the Kuna school district trustee election. I began attending the Kuna school board meetings about last um September October on a regular basis and and then I participated in these capital planning meetings this past spring. And this month I went and toured um the schools that are in the zone three which is Reed Hoverard, Silver Trail, Fremont Middle School, Kina High School and Swan Falls. And I asked questions um of the building leaders, how is student learning impacted by our schools being at capacity? Um how can the school board members better connect with parents? And how can a school board
040trustee better support student learning? And so I would say because of my many connections with Kun School District and in the community, I believe that I can be a strong um contributing member of the school district trustees. These experiences are going to frame my um perspective in my decision- making. >> Thank you. From your perspective, what are the district's most promising strengths and most significant opportunities for growth? Um, I was really impressed with the Kuna School District's um, opportunities for concurrent credits. Um, I took a look at the website and it's pretty impressive that 78% of CUNI I'm a numbers person. 78% of CUNI's 2025 graduates took at least one college credit and over 50% of the graduates completed the equivalent of a full semester of college. That's pretty cool when we can have kids
041leave our high schools and having college credits and be be ready ready to experience college um or or whatever their career is going to be. But it's nice to have those college credits. It doesn't matter if you're going to college or you're just going to a different career, you've got college credits. Um the career technical education programs are amazing providing kids with career ready cert certifications. The MFA, band, choir, health occupations organizations uh have always been strengths for Kuna. They provide these technical opportunities and leadership opportunities for Kuna's kids. I got an opportunity to look at the Lego lab at at Hubard um and the partnership with Meta is bright. I think they said there was like 35 um Lego League teams that were going to be competing this year. I think those are really
042some some compelling and amazing opportunities for CUNIS kids and I really feel like the staff is aligned around student achievement and they're using data to evaluate their progress and so I think that's a really positive thing as well. I I do see opportunities um specifically in planning for facilities u based on the subdivisions that have been approved by the city of Kuna that Kuna School District could see um a thousand or more kids in the next few years. And to me, strategic planning um especially for facility needs needs to be an ongoing process. We should be doing it all the time, not just waiting for an event. Oh, we're going to go on and then we're going to have an event and have a few meetings. And so it should be an ongoing process and
043that's what I would really like to see happen. And the district needs more defined plans to provide learning spaces for Kunis kids because um that there's going to be more kids in Kuna and we need to provide spaces for them to learn. In addition, I see opportunities for better connecting with the Kuna community and parents. I think we can really build on the current universities which have been really wellreceived and we can build on relationships with our Kuna Chamber of Commerce and the Kuna um city of Kuna officials. >> Thank you. How might the board effectively support administration and staff in addressing critical areas like student attendance, discipline, and overall mental health? >> Thank you very much. Some of these questions were really hard. So, I appreciate you guys asking them and I appreciate the
044opportunity to to answer them. Um, knowing that they're really hard questions and I think this is one of the ones that um we're not going to have all the answers to because of my experience as a classroom teacher. Um, I really understand how important it is for the school board to support our staff administration in policies like student attendance, discipline, lraw mental health. And it's for me student attendance is one of those policies that's or one of those um issues that's a really early indicator of a student who is not going to be doing well. And part of this comes from my experience as a human resource consultant. Like when we work with employers, one of the first signs that an employee is not engaged is they're not there. And so when student is not
045not there, they're not engaged. And I'll give you an example. um a story when I was teaching one semester I had a student who was in class the very first day and then the student was gone for days two and days three that seemed really odd. So, I called the student's parent and I said, "Hey, you know, the student's not here." And it's only the first week. Most of the time, people are like, "Oh, don't worry about it. It's only the first week." But I I knew that if this kid wasn't in school, they weren't going to be successful. So, called the parent. The parent came in. We met with the administrator. Remember the counselor, the kid hated school, didn't want to be there, lots of lots of stuff. And and we um the parent
046and this counselor and the administrators came up with the solution that that the child should go to initial point and so they got enrolled in initial point school just started it wasn't a big lapse and then I didn't hear anything about the student didn't know anything what happened and then I happened to be at initial points graduation three years from then so that's a year early because it was a freshman three years later I happened to be at initial points graduation and lo and behold that student that was hated school and and wouldn't come to school was devalator at initial point so it just shows So, if you can get kids in a different environment, sometimes they're they're going to be successful. Um, but it took somebody like um pushing some buttons to make that
047happen. And and I'm a mom and so I can kind of tell that we need to push the buttons, but but I think we need to support our teachers and our administrators so that there's more opportunities for us to figure out what's going on behind the scenes so we can get kids in positions where they're successful with working with their parents. So the short answer is that the board can focus on the policy making and resource allocation goals to support critical areas like school attendance like discipline and health mental health. Um but this is another area where parents and community can really lean in to help together. It's going to take all of us and a bright spot because I'm a numbers person because the school forming school school funding formula is based on attendance.
048If we can improve some of these attendants um we actually get more money from the state. So there's there's a silver lining in there. >> What initiatives would you champion to help support stren and strengthen morale on our dedicated teachers and staff? So um as you all know the board's role is in policym and resource allocation and I would look to the district's administration and building administrators um to explore specific ways to support and strengthen morale but from my human resource um consulting work. I know that connecting your work to a higher purpose is important to a person feeling like they're fulfilled at work. We all feel like we have to do something important um and we're more fulfilled at work and then We have higher morale and the Cuba school district's mission is empowering
049our students to lead productive lives. And to me, this is a pretty powerful mission statement. Like we go to work, you know, our teachers go to work every day. And you're going to empower your students. You're going to help your students to lead productive lives. That's why you do it. And we need to remind each other why we do this work. And and it's all about helping our kids. And when I was a teacher, it was always nice when the board members stopped by, toured the building, participated in activities. As a teacher, you felt valued and noticed. And that's kind of silly, but you did feel valued and noticed as a teacher when the board members took time the time to see what was going on in your building. And and I think that um
050when I visited the schools, the principles were very open and they said, "Yeah, you should come and be part of our activities." Um and I think I could establish a regular cadence um where I could participate in school activities as a way to be involved and informed. And the other thing is that helps with morale is kids um teachers and staff are always learning and and teachers are usually motivated by learning. They they like to learn. That's that's what they're they're good at. And we need to continue to offer high quality professional development um around best practices. We all like to do our work. If we're trained for it and we know how to do it, we can do it well. And so I think we need to really work on those things. And my
051last morale booster, I'm always excited when technology works. That that increases my morale. Get the TV to work today. >> It wasn't the TV was not the Vonic was not working today. Um, how can we ensure that all students regardless of background have access to highquality to a highquality education and truly equitable opportunities? Another really hard question that I don't have a real simple answer to. Um, I was really impressed when I went through the AVID model. Um, that was something that was new to me. It was acronym. I didn't know means advanced by individual determination. And so basically, it's helping students understand that they're responsible for their own learning and um helping them set goals and figuring out ways to be more successful in school. And I I think this is a great um
052a great strategy. It it's learning tools that help students organize their thoughts. We use reading to remember and and honestly um in my work with adult learners as a human resource consultant, we use some of those same strategies with adults. I mean, these are the strategies we use to be successful at our jobs. And so, it's great that we're starting early with those kind of strategies. The board's role in addressing high quality educations around policym and resource allocation. And it's it's helpful to have data and metrics around where the current gaps are in providing high quality education and equitable opportunities. like I don't want to see a kind of a gap analysis about where we're not meeting um we're not meeting the necessary high quality education and then we need to set up ways to
053address those gaps and then we need to set up ways to monitor to make sure that we're we're meeting them. I know that the district uses the um IRI and the Idaho ISAT tests, but those tests don't really um assess equitable equitable gaps. And so we really can have to look for something else. And as a board member, something that I could do is I can network with other school board members and identify what's working in other schools and um see if there's some crowdsourcing of those ways that are equitable opportunities for everybody. It's just going to take a lot of us collaborating together. oversight of legal compliance required by federal and state um laws. So much of my business background is in compliance and as a schoolboard member I would support, you know, that
054the school board follows the law because that's what we need to do is we need to follow the law. As a community, I feel like we have moral obligation to provide education for all students regardless of their needs. Um, I would look to the qualified administrators, teachers, and support teams to recommend how education is best delivered. I am not a special education expert and so I'd look to somebody else to see how to deliver that. Um some personal experiences that I could share that might frame um your perspective or my perspective. As a parent, I found the teachers to be really open to me when I um went in and talked to them about enrichment activities. Um I was a science mom for two years in my when my kids were in third and fourth
055grade. I was the science mom and so I worked with the teachers. We had science kits and I got the science kits all ready so that the teachers could deliver science education using the kits when my kids were in third and fourth grades. And so the teachers appreciated my help and um my kids got to have science education which was their number one reason to be in school was to get science education. So I worked with the teachers to do that and that was during the years when we had really low budgets and there was no no nothing. So that was my contribution to making sure my kids got the enrichment activities that they needed. Um, as a parent, I um advocated and it took two years. Um, I really my son had certain educational
056goals which meant that he had to hit a certain math class when he was in sixth grade. And I could have gone to Treasure Valley Math and Science Institute, but I said, "No, I'd like to stay in Cuna." So I talked to the administration. So, I talked to the principal. I talked to the superintendent and and we went through the options and and what it came down to is there was like 20 kids in my kids' class that all met the criteria to be in this advanced science class. And so, we were able to bring an advanced science class to the sixth graders at that school because I advocated for it, but not in a way that said you have to do it, but it was like, help me figure out how to help my
057kid get prepared for the education that he wants. So that was my perspective. >> Thank you. Um, what are your ideas for strengthening communication and building bridges between the board, our parents, and the broader community? >> Great question. Um, I believe in the mission of the Kina School District. It's about empowering students to lead productive lives. And I think it's a mission that our parents, our community, our city leaders can all support. Um, I want to live in a community that values education and helping kids to be productive adults. I mean, Kuna's always been that for me. Kuna was that for my kids and I want I hope that it's for somebody else's kids now that my kids aren't aren't here anymore. Um when talked with the building leaders in my zone, they suggested that
058I could better connect with parents by being active in the school community activities and um the ask was just to be engaged to let people know that the board members care and I can do that. Um I've talked to Mayor Steer and we discussed some ideas to connect the Cuna school district and the city leaders so that we can share our common goals because um the city leaders want to have good schools for our kids too. I mean, we all want good schools and as a board member, I feel like I can make some connections there that that maybe haven't been happening in the past. And I support transparent communication processes where parents, patrons are engaged and involved. Um, and I really think that we all realize that there are very limited resources for public
059education and we're going to have to all work together um to make this better. We look for a new leader. What key qualities and characteristics do you believe will be essential for our next superintendent? >> And another question that has a lot of answers. So, as many expert communication skills is a key quality for this position. The new superintendent needs to be able to draw people together um to accomplish some really hard things. The district has many different stakeholders and they're going to need different types of communication and different ways to be to be engaged. Another key quality is the ability to develop leaders. We expect our superintendent to be that person who can develop all the leaders within the district because um we have a thousand people in the Kuna school district. So we
060need somebody who can make sure that we're getting our our leaders developed within the school district. I accept the new superintendent to be an experienced educator with some finance and HR um experiences. I I think it'd be really hard to be in charge of a thousand people and it's a $52 million budget um without some experiences um with money and the people. If you go to the school district's website, there's a super long list of all the qualities that everybody would like to see in the board um with in the new superintendent. It's it's highly unlikely we're going to find somebody who has every single one of those qualities, but it but I really appreciate the fact that people submitted comments and and were involved in the process. And so I really appreciate that and
061I'm sure that the school board will use that information in their decision-m. Thank you. How do you view the appropriate balance between the board's role in setting policy and providing oversight and the administration's need for autonomy in day-to-day district operations? Thank you. And since this is my last question, I'm going to say thank you again. I'm super grateful for everybody's um involvement, interactions, and the KA for providing this opportunity. So, I believe the board's role is to set policy, priority oversight, and make decisions about resource allocation. Um, this role requires that the board members read the packets, ask relevant questions, and help establish goals and objectives for the administration. The trustees make decisions as a board, and individual trustees do not have the authority to engage in day-to-day operation. The the board works together as
062a board. the administration is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the district and and this is literally their job. I mean, they're responsible for the day-to-day out days of day-to-day operations of the district. That's their job. Um, so like my experiences on other boards, um, the trustees are responsible for setting policy and goals and determining how the administration, that's generally the superintendent, um, is evaluated and held accountable. And I it's a good way. We we need to hold each other accountable in a good way. Um have our goals, hold each other accountable, and and the board needs to hold the superintendent accountable to the goals that have been set um for their day-to-day decision-m. The superintendent makes the day-to-day decisions, the administrators make the day-to-day decisions, and and there's accountability for those. And so, we're
063all on the same team. Um you know, support the mission of empowering students to lead productive lives. The board administration have different roles and responsibilities and it's important that these roles are honored so that everybody can be productive. So, so there's actually one more question, but it's is there anything we didn't ask you that you would like the public to know? Um, >> I think I said a lot. >> Thank you. [Applause] Bluetooth for the game. Welcome. Miss Mrs. Bruce, would you like to introduce yourself? >> Yes. So I'm Kirsty Bruce and I am the current trustee for zone 3 for King's Folk. >> Could you share personal motivation and vision for seeking the seat on the school board? >> So I am running to keep my seat for the current trustee position zone three.
064I ran in 2021 during the time of uncertainty due to CO and the ideology being brought into the district. I was one of the rare parents standing up for the students and education. It was important to have a trustee that listened and valued parents educations and the morals and values our community stands on which is why I run. My motivation and vision for running again is to continue the work that I started four years ago to bridge the gap between the district and the parents making sure that the parental voice remains here and is heard. Parents are the biggest advocates for their students. So, it's important to continue to keep that vote, voice, notice, and support parental rights to focus on educating students to make sure King County School District is the best district to
065attend. I want to ensure that students are well educated and parents want their students to be in our district. As a board, we establish a goal for bringing up scores. So, my goal is to continue to work with the district and admin to close the gaps. As a parent myself, I've been able to get a firsthand look inside the classroom, which gives me a different perspective on how to work on these goals. I also set up online tutoring for secondary so that students have access to help at home if they need extra support and to establish a superintendent that aligns with our district and community. Thank you. What specific experiences with the CUNA school district inform your perspective and would make you a strong contributing member of the board? I am already a strong contributor
066to the board and the Kun School District. Since I've been on the board for the past few four years, I have four years of board experience. I understand the budget and how to be fiscally responsible, which allows me to focus on the pressing pressing issues moving forward. Being a parent gives me insight into what's happening within the schools. It's a unique perspective that gives me the opportunity to learn from and share with adins and other trustees. I am trustworthy, reliable, dependable, and willing to do the work that needs to be done for our community and our district. I am transparent with what's going on, and I have a moral and value compass that aligns with the community. You know what you're getting with me as a trustee. From your perspective, what are the district's most
067promising strengths and most significant opportunities for her? >> The Kuna School District has many strengths. Some of these include the admin staff that run and support our district. We have so many staff and teachers that love Kuna and enjoy their jobs. We have a community that works together with a strong parent involvement. We are all like family willing to help one another, support each other, and be involved the best that we can. We have a strong working board that makes effective decisions collect and collectively works with the superintendent, admin, staff and parents to make Kuna district run efficiently and effectively. Thank you. How might the board effectively support administration and staff in addressing critical areas like student attendance, discipline, and overall mental health? The board effectively supports admin staff in several ways by establishing policies
068that promote attendance and mental health. Admin is always finding ways to encourage mental health awareness. An example of this was this past May, the seniors of the graduating class of 2025 were able to be a part of the J Foundation. The J Foundation is known for their boot check, which is teaching the students how to mentally check on their friends and loved ones. And so they taught them how to be mentally aware. And they also received a pair of cowboy boots to leave with to remind them to mentally check on the their friends and their family. We send out constant communication with families in our district to promote engagement and partnership. Professional development, ensuring teachers have the proper resources and tools to support students. As a board, we collaborate with the superintendent, admin, and school
069leaders to implement initiatives while offering strategic support. We, as the board, and I trust the leadership around us to develop and reinforce the critical needs of our students. We are always looking into improve into programs and grants to see where we can add more support. With discipline, we can ensure stronger accountability by holding our schools accountable with just district policy. I know bullying bullying is always something a topic that always comes up. So, and that also impacts mental health. So, ensuring that the appropriate party is disciplined and supported by district standards. >> What initiatives would you champion to help support and strengthen morale among our dedicated teachers and staff? A few ways to continue to do this are prioritizing teachers and staff's well-being by promoting work life balance and advocating for teachers and staff, boosting
070recognition and appreciation, which we do by celebrating milestones and achievements. We highlight teachers and staff and support staff with appropriate events, investing in professional growth, which is always important for teachers, ensuring competitive compensation and resources because we want to have the best staff with our students. and enhancing communication with our teachers and staff. >> Thank you. How can we ensure that all students, regardless of background, have access to a highquality education and truly equitable opportunities? As a trustee, I ensure that every student in this district has access to a high quality education and equitable opportunities. In the community school district, we provide equal opportunity for education and we strive to fully commit to make sure each student thrives in our district. >> How do you see the board prioritizing and supporting the unique needs of
071special needs students, English learners, and gifted? As a board, we ensure that all students receive the support that they need, specific to special needs, English learners, and gifted programs. We provide the programs tailored to their needs through five 504s, IEPs, and language development plans. If they need to be changed or monitored, we rely on admin staff to make changes. If we are lacking somewhere, the board is open to hearing ideas on how to improve in this area because that is always welcome. if because and we want all of our students to be successful and so input is always accepted as a board because that's how we know where areas need to be looked at and changed. And then at Hubard we just created a new err program this year specifically for special needs to ensure
072that everyone has the proper education that they deserve. >> Thank you. What are your ideas for strengthening communication? Excuse me. Strengthening communication and building bridges between the board, our parents, and the broader community. When I ran in 2021, parental voice was lacking. Parents were not being heard and seen in a way that created transparency and parents parental involvement in a time and society that was being impacted by co and social ideas were being brought into schools. I've been able to bridge the gap between the parents and the school district. rem removed social ideas so that they do not belong in education and became the parental voice for our students, parents within the school district. Parents have been able to reach out to me with issues so they can be addressed. Sometimes I've been able to
073do that on my own and other times it requires a whole board, but I did it. For example, a few years ago, there was a parent reach out to me about a play that was being took on here and they asked me if I could attend to go and attend. So, I did and they played in that follow district policy. So, I went to the superintendent, we discussed it, we were able to make changes and hold the staff accountable. That is what being the parental voice represents. A parent is the biggest advocate for their students and deserves to have a voice in their child's education. As a parent myself, I firmly have the students best interest at heart because any decisions I make impact and affect my family and my student as well. The past
074couple of years, we have worked on being more transparent as a board with the community, building better communication with parents in all aspects of our district, including the budget and numbers, how we spend taxpayer money. This has led to more resources that we and we have set up committees and ways for parents to become more involved and to be a part of the process to help make decisions in our district and our schools. We've expanded opportunities like CCT, early literacy, preK, and kindergarten programs because early education matters and so do trades. Not every student will attend college. So, we want to continue to strive to improve education and transparency so parents remain involved and feel like they are included and making an impact in their students education. I have advocated for being the bridge between
075the parents and the district and will continue to bridge that gap to be the parental voice our community needs and desires. >> Look for a new leader. What key qualities and characteristics do you believe are essential for our next? Well, there's definitely a lot of key characteristics for a superintendent. So, I just named a few. Experience in the role and good leadership skills, knowledge of resident and finance, how to manage staff and supporting staff, understands community involvement and awareness of our community morals and values, fostering parental input and involvement, building foundational and trusting relationships with the community and staff. has a strong background with conflict and problem management, curriculum supervision, human resources, team building, special education, bonds, buddies, grants, closing achievement gaps, and improving student and performance. Accident communication skills and the knowledge of working
076with the board effectively and efficiently. Being open to managing growth and learning. These are a lot of skills and there are way more skills that I would love for our superintendent to have. Will we find the person who has everything? Probably not, but this is how we are going to look for the right person to lead our district. >> Um, thank you. How do you view the appropriate balance between the board's role in setting policy and providing oversight and the administration's need for autonomy in day-to-day district operations? When it comes to setting policy and providing oversight, one of the roles of the board is to establish policy. It is a duty of the board which is why it's important to have a trustee that aligns with your morals and values as a family and community.
077How you establish policy is determined by this compass. Autonomy is established with admin by the board. When the admin meets with the attorney to make sure all the policy that is brought to the board follows the law and then as a board and admin, we work together to discuss the policies, what needs to be changed, if anything needs to be changed and what that looks like for the district as well as the community. We discuss it together. We ask questions together and autonomy is given to the board by the admin to finalize the policy. is a working relationship between the board and the admin. >> Is there anything that we didn't ask you that you would like the public to know? >> I think we've covered everything. I just follow a closing statement. Keeping me
078as your trustee means that I will continue to be the parental voice for the Kuna community and continue to bridge the gap between the parents and the district. I'm committed to making sure all students have access to the best education because that's what school should be focused on. Educating the students and growing our school districts sustainably and fiscally. It's important to vote for the schoolboard candidate who embodies our community's heart morals and values and champions parental involvement. The decisions we make as trustees shape our children's education and future. Thank you. So, thank you for coming out. I know that it seems like there's not a bunch of us, but a few of us make differences. Um, my family has lived I grew up in Utah. My parents are from California. We didn't really have a
079a base or like a heritage, I guess. My husband um grew up in Boisey and Morsy. Um and now we can probably say that we are a second generation of CUNA. Um our children all went through the CUNA system. We did the Hubard, moved to Ross, back to Teed into the middle school, all the good things. Um and now my grandson is starting kindergarten at Hood. So Kuno means a lot to me. Um I'm proud to be a homeowner. Um and I really appreciate you taking the time to come out here tonight. I appreciate the high school staff, Lori and and Romy, for opening this up for us. And it was last minute, but I appreciate them doing that for us. And our tech guys always, even though we complain about tech, they are amazing.
080So, thank you so much. [Applause]