001Here we go. Rise and say pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the forest for all. I would like to welcome everyone to the October 6th, 2025 meeting of the MSD of Mount Vernon. Um we will start with the recognition of delegations. Any person who wishing to be recognized to speak on any agenda item or to be heard as part of the section on the agenda dealing with delegations or citizens comments are to identify themselves by name in the point on the agenda where they wish to be recognized. >> I do. >> Andrew Sergeant. >> Anyone else? Anyone else? >> Anyone else? >> I do as well. anyone else. >> Last call. We will um give you all an opportunity on C1. Then moving on to recommended
002actions. We can take A and B together. >> Okay. We are submitting our minutes from the September 22nd uh 2025 meeting as well as enclosed uh vouchers and electronic transfers. Do we have a motion to approve the minutes of the September 22nd, 2025 meeting as prepared or is corrected and a motion to authorize payments of payroll checks 403308 through 403685. Voucher checks 146634 through 146721 and electronic transfers ET 3297 through ET 3306 as recommended. Voided payroll and voucher checks not listed on the voucher listing in the above sequences are not approved for payment by this action. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Motion was made by Mr. Williams, seconded by Mr. Isaac. Any discussion? All those in favor say I. >> I oppose. Nay. Motion is passed. >> Moving on to unfinished business. >> So
003after months of uh presentations and putting stuff together, uh we presenting to you the resolutions to adopt the capital projects plan, the bus replacement plan, and then the budgets for the appropriations and tax rates uh for our uh four main funds. our education fund, our operations fund, rainy day fund, and our debt service fund. Uh the important thing to note is that our tax rate went down uh projected to go down. I guess you don't know final say until it's all done, but all projections show that it will will de decrease this year. >> We thank you for all your work doing that and >> putting all that together. It's a big process. So, do we have a motion to adopt the 2026 budgets to adopt a resolution for a capital projects plan for 2026
004through 2028 as advertised to adopt a resolution for the school bus replacement plan for the years 2026 through 2037 as advertised and to adopt a resolution for appropriations and tax rates. >> So, move second. >> Motion was made by Mr. Oath, seconded by Miss Butler. Any discussion? Yep. We appreciate your hard work, Arbo. That was a lot of presentation and material you got you covered all during the summer. So, thank you. >> All right. All those in favor say I. I >> oppose. Nay. Motion is passed. >> Moving on to policy revision. >> At the previous meeting, we reviewed and discussed the proposed revision to this policy. We are now recommending the board adopt revised policy 306. We have a motion to adopt revise policy 306 as recommended. >> Move. >> Second. >> Motion was
005made by Mr. Isaac, seconded by Mr. Williams. Any discussion? >> This policy, just as a reminder, is to be in compliance with the state changes uh regarding attendance. >> Right. >> So that or uh the aligns with the state policy. >> We have a motion and a second. All those in favor say I. >> I. Oppose. Okay. Motion is passed. Moving on to new business personnel. >> We are recommending Katherine Cargus as an SLP assistant um on a part-time basis at West Elementary and Kendra Kendra Steinhart um assistant coach for volleyball at the high school. Kendra has stepped up this year to help us um when we were in a little bit of a lurch. So, I think our season's coming to an end, but we appreciate her hard work. So, recommending both of those
006individuals. Do we have a motion to confirm the employment from the list above? >> So moved. >> Motion was made by Miss Butler, seconded by Mr. Oath. Any discussion? All those in favor say I. >> I. Oppose. Nay. Motion is passed. Next is a non-paid leave of absence. >> Kemp, teacher at the high school, is requesting a non-paid leave of absence from October 29th through December 5th. We have a motion to approve the non-paid leave of absence request as listed above. >> Second. >> Motion was made by Mr. Isaac, seconded by Mr. Williams. Any discussion? >> All those in favor say I. >> I. Nay. >> Motions pass. Moving on to educational meetings. We have a variety of meetings. Austin Bethl will attend the IHSWCA fall wrestling. Please don't ask me what that all stands
007for, but it's wrestling wrestling coaches clinic. Coming up, Julie Jackson and Courtney York are going to attend the Gym Knight Coaching Institute, and Tony Robinson will be going to the Indiana School Counselors Association conference in November. >> We have a motion to adopt the resolution permitting the personnel listed to attend educational meetings. >> So moved. >> Motion was made by Miss Butler, seconded by Mr. Oath. Any discussion? >> Did you say Julie Kissinger? >> I did not mention that one, but she already attended one. Okay. So, we put it in there because it split in right when we had our last meeting. That's right. Yeah. >> Yep. >> Okay. >> We have a motion in a second. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Oppos? Nay. Motion has passed. Moving on to leasing
008agreement renewal. We are uh presenting the enclosed agreement renewal for current sections of Hedges central for the Bell Fountain. Sorry, I want to say Fontaine, but I know it's not that cemetery for a period of one year beginning December 1st through November 30th. We have a motion to authorize renewing a lease for sections of Hedges Central for Bell Fountain Community for a period of one year beginning on December 1st, 2025 through November 30th, 2026. So moved. Second. >> We have a motion by Mr. Williams, seconded by Mr. Isaac. Any discussion? All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Oppose. Nay. >> Motion is passed. Okay. Information and proposals. Um, here are two delegations and citizens comments. So, first up is Andrew Sergeant. If you don't mind just to state your name and >> Yeah,
009just a quick reminder. three minutes and then we have a microphone that is up here on this stand. So, if you wouldn't mind coming to the >> uh to there. So, hopefully it'll it didn't pick up very well last last week or two weeks ago. >> Yep. Hello. My name is Adri Sergeant. Um uh I stand before you this evening, continuing to bring forth my concern towards the LGBTQ and friends club that's active in the Mount Vernon Junior High. While I feel as though I made it clear in the last school board meeting um that the MSD of Mount Vernon is not legally obligated to continue this club um Dr. Stephanie Stewart uh response was that the club will continue despite the unpopularity of the message or the fear that that the group might cause
010a disruption. So many few may know but I spent a significant part of my youth in uh correctional facilities. Uh during that time I learned a lot about uh what shapes a child for both better and worse. Uh I've realized that uh what I needed back back then uh wasn't another uh program or system. Uh it was presence uh love and correction. Those two love and correction work together to build strong, healthy, grounded young people. With them kids lose direction fast. Or I'm sorry without them kids lose direction fast. That's why I'm deeply concerned about the direction the MSD of Mount Vernon is taking with clubs like the LGBTQ and Friends Club. According to the CDC 2023 youth risk behavior survey, LGBTQ identified teens reported significantly higher rates of depression and suicidal thoughts at 40%
011compared to roughly 14% of their heterosexual peers. Those numbers are heartbreaking and they tell us something extremely important. Our kids are struggling emotionally. They don't need more confusion or social pressure. They need connection, truth, and stability. When after school programs take on conversations about sexuality and identity that belong in the home, it blurs the boundaries between education and parenting. It risk undermining the very structure that gives kids security, which is family. These are deeply personal topics that should be guided by parents who know their children best, not by peers or interest groups. I'm not here to divide or condemn anyone. That's never been my intent. I'm here to remind us that schools should build unity, character, and confidence, not categories of and confusion. For that reason, I continue to respectfully ask that this school board
012remove the LGBTQ and friends club from the list of extracurricular activities at Mount Vernon Junior High and focus instead on efforts that strengthen families, not replace them. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. >> Up next, Nick Idol. >> Good evening. My name is Lee Kyle. I'm here addressing the board regarding the revelation of the LGBTQ plus friendship club uh that was at the junior high school. This club and others like it need to be removed from our schools immediately and not allowed in the future. As a community, we are to train up our children and protect them from all forms of evil and perversion. The ideas and relationships this club promotes as an affront to God and to this community. that the existence of the club has only recently come to light. Brings
013to question other um other things that might be going on in our schools that the parents and community member does not know about. This club promotes lifestyles of sin that bring harm to those involved as well as community at large. A community that allows such things will not flourish and will not be blessed by God. Both the word of God and nature itself declares the unchangeable reality of sex that we are made and as male female as well as the goodness of marriage between one man and one woman. Every cell in our body declares that we are who we are no matter of what emotions, medications or surgeries um we do can change that. This club claims to promote inclusion yet the God of the Bible and of creation who create all things is being
014excluded. This club promotes the idea that each person needs to live in their own reality or live their own reality, failing to realize that what they're promoting is instead fantasy. Children have no business being exposed to this. They do not understand the harms being promoted and we cannot be complacent when the minds and souls of our children are at stake. I will remind this board that you are responsible before God and his people in regards to what you allow in our schools. We have a duty to ensure our children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews are taught objective truth that can only be found in the God of creation, his written word. Christ is king over all things, including our schools. I ask that the board act swiftly and ban this club and any others like it
015to ensure our schools are free from this harmful uh humanistic ideology. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you, >> Andy. Hang. >> Hi, I'm Andy Hank. The Gay Lesbian Medical Association website describes the following detrimental effects associated with same-sex sexual practice. higher rates of HIV, AIDS, substance abuse, depression, anxiety, hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases, anal papalona, HPV, gorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia, certain cancers, alcohol abuse, tobacco use, eating disorders, and even as simple as obesity. Recently, a Canadian LGBTQ group filed a human rights complaint against the Canadian government and Health Canada, asserting that the Canadian LGBT population had poor statistics for life expectancy, which is 20 years below normal life expectancy, suicide, alcohol, elicit drugs, substance abuse, cancer, infectious diseases, HIV, AIDS, and depression. This is noteworthy in that it challenges the assert assertion of those claiming
016the negative health statistics attributed to individuals of the LGBTQ orientation are merely a function of lack of acceptance of such individuals and that the dismal statistics would improve with their increased acception acceptance. Canada is probably the most liberal western hemisphere country um that I know of and it provides a highly supportive government, a celebration of gays from many social and established groups and a public following the government directed hate speech codes. Yet the health indicators for the LGBTQ populance still remains low. This demonstrates that acceptance and affirmation of same-sex sexuality is not the promised antidote for the problems inherent in the LGBTQ practices. To reiterate, the Gay Report, the Gay Lesbian Medical Association, and the Canadian LGBTQ Coalition Human Rights Complaint are sources from within the LGBTQ population. These are not things that I'm bringing
017to you as I'm putting words in their mouth. This is what they're saying about what they've looked at from inside their own group. Equally, gay clubs are not the antidote to the high suicide rate, the high drug use rate, the high depression rate of among the gay community. Allowing 10-year-old gays to counsel 10-year-old gays in a club environment without professional counselors available is a recipe for disaster and not a solution for anything. The MSD should not be a party to this huge liability nor drag us taxpayers into that liability either. I'm asking that the board change club policy tonight if you would. >> Thank you, Mr. Hay. >> to include curricular clubs and clubs related to sports available in the MSD, not extracurricular. Good evening. My name is Rusty Levings. I appreciate this time. So,
018from my understanding, please correct me if I'm wrong, you have sought legal counsel, correct, on this particular topic of the LGBTQ plus group. Correct. Who is your legal counsel that you went to? Is that something you're allowed to say publicly or is that a private matter? >> We use multiple attorneys for legal. When I said legal team, Allison Braden. >> Okay. I highly encourage you all to get a completely different opinion from those who you normally go to. I highly encourage you to do that. Okay. >> Rusty, can I stop you for one second? We use three people. One's local, one's not in Mount Vernon, and one is in Indianapolis. So, we have a variety of different attorneys that that will help us. >> I I appreciate just so you know that. >> Yeah. No,
019I I appreciate it. it is helpful, but I still highly encourage you to look outside of that group to see what see what other options are available to see what other um legal says. I know I'm not a legal scholar, nor am I here to give you legal advice, okay? But just as an average citizen, as as a concerned parent, uh reading what I've read, uh to me, I I respectfully disagree with uh the views. And so I highly encourage you to listen to people tonight. And if it takes just striking all groups to meet after school, be consistent. That's even with groups that I am in favor of that I would support you in saying all groups cannot meet at the school system to be consistent. Right? That way it's not I have a
020bias opinion towards this particular group. Yes. Okay. But if it takes just to say clean slate, nobody is allowed to. If that's what it takes to get this group out, by all means, I I highly encourage you to consider that. Um, I highly encourage you to listen to to what people are saying, and I appreciate y'all's time. >> Thank you. >> Skyler Turner. >> Hello, I'm Skyler Turner. Uh, I just want to say that I'm in opposition to the LGBTQ plus and friends group. Um, so I want to share some things. This is a press release that came from the attorney general Todd Rakita. Um, this came out last week that says, "The federal district court handed a victory Monday to Indiana's policy of listing biological sex rather than gender identity on birth certificates. The
021court denied a request by the Americans for Civil Liabilities Union or sorry Civil Liberties Union ACLU for a preliminary injunction against the policy. He had this to say this ruling is a win for truth, reason, and of course common sense. Attorney General Rakita said, "Biological sex is an undeniable fact, not a failing to be rewritten on official documents. Indiana will continue standing firm and protecting the integrity of birth certificates, ensuring they reflect reality, not ideology. Earlier this year, Governor Mike Braun issued an executive order reiterating this the terms sex and gender and the Indiana Code referring to biological characteristics of male and female. To implement the order, the Indiana Department of Health or IDOH stopped changing birth certificates to list a person's gender identity instead of a person's sex. I say this to say that
022if we're recognizing this at a federal and state level, why are we not recognizing it here at the board? I say all that to say that we call upon the MSDMV to stop promoting or providing meeting space for the LGBTQ plus and friends club. prevent any others like it from forming and to inform the public that these measures have been taken. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Okay, moving on to non-staff communications and reports. That everyone is everybody. >> Okay. We have supplied you with the menus for October. Um Jillian Brothers is sick tonight, so she is unable to do her um presentation on character first, which is a character ed program that she recently attended a conference for um in regards to like the multi-tered system of supports for students. So we'll get her
023back on another uh meeting. And um we are also looking at uh advertising and extending the superintendent contract. That's kind of weird to say in first person, but um next meeting dates will be October 20th at 5:30, November 3rd at 5:30, and November 17th. And fall break will happen this week, October 9th through the 13th. And that is all for me. >> Okay. We do have an executive session after this, but we are adjourned. Thank you. Good. Thank you. >> Thank you everybody.