001All five board members are present. Let's stand for the [Music] >> to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. [Music] >> Item 1.4, public comment information. We currently offer two ways in which the community can participate in regular school board meetings. The first public comment section on the agenda is for addressing current action items that are on tonight's agenda. These comments must be submitted by noon on the day of the meeting. The procedures for submission are posted on our website under board of school trustees. The second public comment section is for general comments and does not have to be specific to an agenda topic. If you wish to address the board during the general public
002comments section of the meeting, please put your name and topic on a card and give that at the start of the meeting. That is raising your hand. All public comments are limited to three minutes per individual with a total of 30 minutes allotted for each public comment section on the agenda. Item 2.1, public comments on the superintendent's contract. Public comments regarding the superintendent's contract will be heard during this action item, item 2.1. Other public comments on action items will be heard during items, excuse me, item 3.1. All comments are limited to three minutes and we have one vis logic. >> I want to start off by saying I can see why the board believes Dr. is a great candidate for I wish him the best. That side said, however, it was disappointing the lack of
003communication from the board as it happened to go on the school website and see an update for the search and all it was at that time was a tiny box that said contract. The body of the website page had not changed and still had the timeline of selecting a candidate. By reviewing the contract, I learned the name Matthew Hicks. From there, I Googled to information about him. Later that day or the next day, the website was updated to release his name with no other information. Then a Times article came out and finally an email from the board. However, there was still no information given about him, where he was or why he would be a great fit for lunch. I heard from several friends, including school employees, asking me what I knew about him, as
004they were confused, as well as why nothing was disclosed. I told them what I found on Google, including news articles from his hometown paper, that he's a potential candidate. Then he stated they had as well. While state law does require a contract to be posted and reviewed and does not require the board to disclose the identity of the candidate, the board did disclose his name. However, the school board offered nothing more than his name, leaving parents and teachers to Google him to find out more information. It was disappointing that transparency was not given and nothing further said about him. Given his skills, qualifications, and experience in other districts, why wouldn't the board want to give his profile and information? Again, Dr. Hicks appears to be extremely wellqualified. However, I would encourage his board to be
005more proactive in his communications with teachers, parents, and community regarding a decision as important as this one and explain what about him. Thank you. Item 3.1, individual public comments on action items. But um so today and during this meeting occasions in the passing resolution sustainability around the world we are seeing the impacts of the climate crisis devastating Flash floods have decimated throughout the country this summer just like the summer but two years we are seeing wildfire smoke ruins our outdoor air what these events show us is that now when we roll a six-sided dice we can now roll seven something that has never been expected for our >> but I do not want to scare anyone into submission. I believe as a community of residents, students, teachers, and parents, we can meet the demanding tasks
006of the climate crisis together. This mission means much more than meeting a deadline. It means that there's a way for healthier communities, cleaner skies, and future for younger generations become a reality. >> It may be hard to realize, but we have a chance to build that we have never imagined possible all for the residents. So the real question is not to approve or to not approve it but what do we want? What do we want our community to look like? How do we want our respond when we have possible? So really this is a call to action to take up this responsibility for all that it is because it does mean a lot. That's not to scare you to show it's supposed to excite you to see what can we do to make our community
007better not just to adapt but to thrive. >> Thank you. Item four consent agenda. The consent agenda includes items 4.1, approval of the personnel report as displayed on the screen. Is there a motion to approve agenda items report? Castro, I move we approve the consent agenda item, the personnel report as presented. Is there a second? >> Is there a second? >> Any discussion? All those in favor of the motion, please say I. >> Any opposed? Carries 5. >> Item 5.1, fundraisers. >> The administration recommends 5.1 fundraisers to be approved as presented. 12. >> Is there a motion to approve fundraisers as presented? >> 412. So moved. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Any discussion? All those in favor of the motion, please say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries 50. Item
0085.2, the resolution number 884, the sustainability committee. >> Administration recommends 5.2, to resolution number 884 sustainability committee to be approved as presented. Whereas the school town of Monster desires to work with the town of Monster and the Monster Chamber of Commerce to research and implement sustainable solutions that will benefit the residents of the town of Monster. Whereas the town of Monster, Indiana will benefit from the creation of a committee that promotes existing sustainability programs, events, and efforts, as well as assisting in research programs, services, events, and/or grants to implement sustainability practices that the community can embrace. Whereas the school town of monster board of school trustees endeavors to form the monster sustainability committee with the town of monster and the monster chamber of commerce to advance the above reference purposes. And whereas the board of
009school trustees of the school town of monster believes it is in the best interest of the citizens of the town as well as the health and general welfare of the town to participate in the monster sustainability committee. Now therefore, the superintendent of the school town of Muner shall appoint one administrator, staff, or teacher, and three Munster High School students to the Muner Sustainability Committee, a committee for the town of Munster to serve for one year. >> Is there a motion to approve resolution number 884, the Sustainability Committee, as presented? Castro, I move we approve resolution number 884, the sustainability committee as presented. Is there a second? >> A second. >> Any discussion? >> I do want to say something. Um, this all started because of students from our environmental club. They went to the town
010with a cause and a story and facts and the town listened. They came up with a work study and from that uh Chuck Gardner, one of our town councilmen, uh reached back out to us to find out administration um to find out how we could work as a group. Um and to me, this is active citizenship and government action. So, thank you students for doing this and uh let's see what's going to happen. >> Any further discussion? I just want to echo Dr. for those comments and specifically we want to thank Kevin you've been so involved and passionate about this pro this program and this project and yes the students have done this you your voices have been heard but I think you above and beyond all the students really have been non-stop and I
011love that once you got your signs then you decided now it's now it's time to really get to work so keep it up man appreciate it and uh way to be a good student leader and a peer leader and you know future bright. So that any other further discussion all those in favor of the motion please say I >> I >> any opposed carries 50 item 5.3 recommendation to hire Mrs. Jennifer Harold as Elliot Elementary >> the administration recommends Mrs. Jennifer Har Jennifer Harold as principal of Elliott Elementary. >> Is there a motion to approve the recommendation? >> Sinder. I move to approve Mrs. Jennifer Herald as principal of Elliot Elementary School. Is >> there a second? >> Second. >> Any discussion? All those in favor of the motion, please say I. >> I. >>
012Any opposed? Motion carries. 5 Z. At this time, I think we're going to do some photos. I would just like to thank the board, everyone in the school. chapter and family and all my support here. Thank you. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Come on. It's a big family there. >> You want to sing for mommy? >> Everybody welcome my mommy. Okay. Open my mouth. [Music] Thank you. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Item 5.4 Dr. Superintendent contractation ask for a motion to approve the recommendation to hire Dr. as superintendent as presented. >> Castro, I move uh that we approve the contract and hiring of Dr. Matthew Hicks as superintendent as presented. >> Is there a second? >> Schwarz will second. >> Any discussion? All those in favor of the motion, please say I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. 5-0.
013Item six, the introduction of the new superintendent. First, I'm going to yield to Miss Smith to give a timeline, an overview of the time of the whole process, and then she will direct back to me. >> Uh, thank you. Um, as some of you may or may not know, I was the chairperson for our hiring committee on behalf of the school town of Monster and our board. Um, we took great care, time, and attention to the hiring of Dr. Matthew Hicks as our next superintendent of the school town of Monster. Our first step in this hiring process was interviewing three firms to assist us in hiring of our new superintendent. As we all recognize, as previously stated at an earlier board meeting in June, um time was of the essence as Dr. Heler's last day
014was June 30th, and we wanted to ensure the leadership of our school district was in good hands moving forward. With that said, we hired BWP, which assisted us in our first hiring with Dr. Heler, and we also utilized them a second time with Dr. Hicks. We felt they had our best interest at heart as well as the knowledge of our school town of Monster. They um held our conducted our um survey of our stakeholders as well as conducted the profile that was done for our future leader of our school district. Um at that time of hiring BWP, they then subsequently interviewed our school board as we had three new school board members that were not present when Dr. Hiller was hired. Um, so we were all interviewed and provided feedback as to that profile and
015any recommended changes moving forward. We then proceeded to meet with EWP in a meeting in which BWP educated all of us on the interview process, how to handle it, questions to be asked, um, things of professionalism in conducting our interviews. Towards the end of that meeting, BWP presented us with three finalists. They had provided previously done all of the interviewing um of 34 candidates that submitted for this position. The three candidates then moved forward and we conducted first round interviews with those three candidates. At such time, we elected to move forward only one candidate out of the three. We felt Dr. Hicks was the strongest candidate out of the three and we felt very strongly that if for some reason upon his second interview he was not the right candidate. We also took time, care
016and attention to then subsequently doing a second search for an interim superintendent. We held another meeting in which we interviewed two candidates for an interim position just in case that we wanted to ensure we did not feel any pressure or stress to hire Dr. Hicks if he was not the right leader for our district. With that said, there was a great amount of work going on behind the scenes such as conducting interview, writing interview questions, ensuring we were all on the same page, doing reference checks. BWP did a reference check for us. Our school town of Monster did a reference check. So, in regards to Mrs. Watchk's comments about lack of information. Most of it was due to confidentiality. At such time when we finally hired or extended our um offer to Dr. Hicks at
017that point in time, he still had to inform his board. So all matters were kept confidential. We felt very strongly as a board to hold high to that integrity and responsibility to the candidates that interviewed as part of our process. We subsequently then went back to our interim candidate that we had selected and let him know that upon working with Dr. Hicks finalizing his contract in hopes that we were close to a final resolution that could be presented to our school town, our staff, our members of our community. We informed our interim candidate that Dr. Hicks would be starting sooner than we thought and hoped. So we were very lucky for all of that kind of to align and we felt very strongly about that. In addition, DWP not only assisted with the interviewing of
01834 candidates, the interim hiring, they also assisted us with obviously the professionalism of going through the hiring process, but review on salary, benefits, negotiations. We also had to do that with the interim position just in case. So in addition to not only hiring Dr. Hex, we had a subsequent second part going on behind the scenes that also was a very important part in all of this, we also felt very strongly that um Colleen and Steve Trippon felt this step forward to fill some of our interim needs. And we felt very strongly that they were able and capable of leading our district in those few weeks that we subsequently needed assistance before Dr. Dr. Hicks would be hired. With all of that said, our board unanimously voted to hire Dr. Hicks. We had no hesitation in
019recognizing he was the candidate and the right person for the future of the school town of Monster. On July 18th, his contract was posted. We also recognized that we had to then ensure that we met all other legal obligations as this was a new process established by the state of Indiana that went into effect July 1st. So again recognizing that we had to ensure we had our crossed our tees and dotted our eyes. So again making sure that we did everything correct so that as we presented Dr. Hicks tonight that we had no issues or concerns with ensuring that we met every aspect of this hiring process. So we recognize maybe some information was limited, but we had to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and responsibility to all candidates and people involved in this hiring process. Now
020going forward that Dr. Hicks will be is approved. We will then communicate further to the school town of Monster and all of our stakeholders that we feel confident we can do so that Dr. Hicks is now approved. We did not feel confident in doing that prior to in case issues were brought forward, which is our public's right to do so. With that said, Dr. Dr. Hicks will be officially starting next week, technically Saturday, which we're very gracious of, as well as his family is here tonight. And we want to thank all of you for your support, your willingness to believe in the school town of Monster and recognize this is the right place for your home, for your family as well. So again, I want to say thank you to Colleen, Steve Trippen, Feldus, Deb
021Hayes, who was integral in all the details of communication hiring Kim Pyrick communication the details and working with our school board advising us giving us feedback on statements that we made in the process we cannot thank you enough um Bill Melby for your support and welcoming um Dr. Hicks and helping him understand our financial background and picture through our training process. Sean Begley and showing him school tunnel monster as well as our amus. Thank you. Sorry Amy um for all of your help. Um Angie Jones is not here tonight. I would like to also thank her for her support and help and guidance with the contractual procedures as well as adhering to the new rules of the state of Indiana. Um, our principles, we cannot thank you guys enough as well. We know that you
022guys have been dealing with some ambiguity, not knowing who the next leader is, and we appreciate your trust in the school board greatly. So, thank you again. Thank you all for being here tonight and recognizing Dr. Matthew Hicks as our next superintendent of school monster. We'd like you to come forward if you'd like to say a few words. Sorry. Go ahead. I'm turning it back over to Kyle. I got excited. Sorry. >> Before Before I recognize Dr. Hicks, I want to echo Mrs. Smith's comments and take a moment to thank our administration for all their hard work over the past couple months. A transition like this is never easy and certainly give everybody an uneasy feeling and some of you have extra responsibilities put on your plate. We recognize that. Thank you for trusting us
023during the search process. I also want to take a moment to thank my fellow board members for their dedication, countless hours, and thoughtful collaboration throughout our search. It has been a fantastic process and I'm sure I can speak for Mr. Siger and Mrs. Smith and saying we were comforted to know that Dr. Wolf and Mr. Castro have gone through this process before. As our board liaison with BWP, I'd like to especially recognize Kristen Smith for her hard work and commitment during this process. You did a lot of heavy lifting for this board, making sure the transition ran as smoothly as possible. This board's teamwork and care have ensured that we found the right person to guide our district into the future. With that being said, it is my privilege to introduce Dr. Matthew Hicks as
024our next superintendent of the school town of Monster. Dr. Hicks brings a distinguished leadership record from Northeastern Wayne schools where he served as principal of the high school beginning in 2018 and then later appointed as superintendent, a role he has served since 2020. Dr. Hicks has 26 years of experience as a teacher, dean, assistant principal, part-time athletic director, principal, and finally superintendent. All these positions except one have been in school districts located in Indiana. Some of them being in smaller rural districts while others have been in districts much larger than our school town of Lun. with a proven track record of fostering academic excellence, building meaningful community partnerships, and showing a deep commitment to supporting all students. Dr. Hicks joins Monster at an exciting time in our district's growth. Dr. Hicks describes himself as a
025collaborative leader who understands the value in having a strong team approach. He is a diehard Purdue boil maker as he grew up in Tiffany County and he has been teaching at Purdue University West Lafayette since 2022. Dr. Hicks serves on many boards and has many memberships, most notably the Indiana Association of Public Schools Superintendent, where he currently is a district chair, and the American Association of School Administrators. Tonight, we also welcome his wonderful family to our monsters community. Dr. Hicks is joined by his wife, Tara, and their three children, Peter, Thomas, and Abby. We are so pleased to have you here and look forward to seeing you become part of our Monster family. Dr. Hicks, we are excited for the future of our schools under your leadership. It is now my great honor to introduce
026Dr. Matthew Hicks and invite him to share a few. [Applause] [Music] Take it with me. [Music] Guys, it is an absolute honor to be here and I will tell you I am so grateful for the school town lunch board, the support you've shown me during the the the opportunity to get to know you individually and collectively as a an elected body. I know what kind of leadership exists here in Schooltown Monster as a result of the example that you set. It has been a joy to get to know the administrative cabinet, the building level teams, and they function as teams. It's abundantly clear that this is a collaborative place, and I'm so looking forward to working with this amazing group of folks. And for the teachers, I really cannot wait to get to know you.
027I am a recovering language arts teacher. I will be in recovery the rest of my life. And I was a classroom teacher for 11 years. And I bring that up because a lot of folks jump into administration. They dragged me into it. I promise. So, at my heart, I'm still a teacher. So, I'm looking forward to getting to know you. I'm getting uh I'm I'm looking forward to getting to know the association. I'm a recovering union rep myself. So, I can't wait to work with that partnership. And this is a tremendous place. What a tremendous place. I've had an eye on it my entire life. When I was a child, I went to church camp. Monster kids were there and they were the sweetest, kindest kids you could ever meet. And I can't wait for
028my kids to be surrounded by the sweetest, kindest kids that you could ever meet. My wife and I are excited to live here in in Monster and for our kids to attend the school town of Monster. And it doesn't hurt that I'm also a diehard Cubs fan in addition to my boiler maker field. So I'm in the middle of all of my sports teams. I can go south to home and see the Boilers and I can go north to Wrigley and hopefully have a great year. We'll see. We were tied on up top of standings before the meeting started. We'll see how it is. Okay. But I'm looking forward to meeting all of you. Thank you for your support as my family and I come. And most importantly, it's not easy to transition a senior
029in high school, a junior in high school, and a freshman in high school. And I want to thank my kids for making this transition with me. And most importantly, we would not be coming if Tara had not agreed that this was the best move for our family. It's a difficult one because of the ages. But we know that the kids here will be sweet to them and we're very grateful for you welcoming us. Thank you so much. Looking forward to meeting you all after. My understanding is there's cupcakes. [Music] Thank you. [Music] [Applause] [Music] We'll be backing out. Absolutely. Next. Talk to you soon. [Laughter] You're right. an evening meeting. Yes, sir. Stand by. [Music] Oh my god. One more. [Music] That'll be Okay. Item number 7.1, individual public comments. I do not believe there
030are any. Item 8.1, announcements. Our next board meeting, regular board meeting, is on August 11th at 6 PM. With that, I will ask for a motion to >> Wolf. I motion that we adjourn. >> There a second. Castro second. All those in favor of the motion say I. >> I. being a jerk.