001I mean I mean better >> cell phone says 7 o'clock. So, I think we'll go ahead and and get started here. Um, call the meeting to order at 7:00. Would all please rise for the pledge of allegiance. I >> pledge algiance >> 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. Just for those of you that are wondering, we do have enough here to establish a four. So, we are good for a meeting tonight. We need to have a majority of five if we have those due to farming and family issues. A couple of those were not able to attend tonight. One last chance. If you would like to speak, I have a paper right here
002and you're free to speak. We also need to uh vote on amending the agenda. Uh items that were added was there were some donations I believe for the FFA that were not on your previous agenda and an overnight travel request from the FFA that was not on your agenda. So do I have a motion? >> So move second it. >> All those in favor I >> opposed. Mr. Ashbrook, is this participation regarding something that's on the agenda or would you like to wait for the second participation which is open for? >> Do not believe it is on the agenda. >> All right. I'll get back to you later. >> At this point, we would like to announce our September students of the month. Yep. If uh Jasper Hubert and administration from College Corner, please come
003forward. >> Jasper is our September student of the month from the College Corner Union School Elementary. [Applause] >> So, Jasper won student of the month for courage. We often think of courage as a grand action, but it's also the quiet strength needed to keep going. Jasper has displayed remarkable courage by persevering through kindergarten so far with resilience and a positive attitude. We are so proud. [Applause] >> What is parents parents here? Would you please stand? [Applause] Next is Griffin Snyder. If he would come please forward. Griffin is our Liberty Elementary School student of the month for some. [Applause] >> All right. Griffin was chosen by Mrs. Paxton for showing perseverance. He's grown incredibly this year in reading. Even when it was difficult, he just persevered right through it. and he's proven that hard work and
004a positive attitude can lead to great success. We're super proud of him this year. [Applause] >> We have two tonight uh from the middle school. First, we're going to recognize our August uh student of the month, and that was Maline Harold. [Applause] Maddie couldn't make it in August, but we wanted to bring her up today as well. She's such an inspiring leader. She is really a positive role model for all of her peers. She is an amazing athlete, but also is is not so competitive that she just runs by her opponents. She is a friend to everyone on the course. And so, we're so very proud of her. [Applause] Now, our student of the month for September is Grace Meyers. [Applause] Grace here, she is the most kind and respectful student that you can imagine.
005She is so full of heart and she's just it's hard to put a finger on it, but she just has an inner strength that is just shines so bright. She is just one of one of the best students. So definite student of the month and we're so very proud as well. [Applause] >> And last but not least, our student of the month for Union County High School is Luke Mills. Congratulations. >> Congratulations. Luke was nominated by Shannon Hill. And here's what Shannon said about Luke. Luke is genuinely an inquisitive learner who wants to know the why and how, not just the what do I need to know of all of his lessons. He consistently does his best and is willing to assist others with compassion and kindness. One of the nicest things you can say
006about someone. [Applause] I wanted to let all the students of the month and their parents know if you would like, we will take a little break and you can go out here in the hallway. I think we'd like to get your picture taken. Um >> already got them. >> Oh, you already got them. Okay. Well, then my other >> got the others. >> What's that? >> We have the elementary. We need the middle school and high school. >> All right. We need a middle school and high school. So, if you haven't gotten your picture taken, you're more than welcome to have your picture taken out in the hallway. Also, the business part of the meeting will start after this. If you don't want to come back for that and listen to that, you're more than
007welcome. We're not offended. >> Excuse. >> At this point, we will open up. We will call the meeting to order for a public hearing on speaker negotiations. We are basically agreeing to move forward with our the vote negotiation teams um to start the process. I will say a couple words about the negotiation and then and if anybody would like to make public comments this is another time where you can make public comments about that. I will let you know that in this bargaining arrangement, the subjects that you are allowed to discuss are salary, wages, and French benefits, including accident, sickness, health insurance, dental, all those different insuranceances around your additional benefits. Things that we are not allowed to negotiate with both teams is evaluation, hours of work, safety issues for students and staff, teacher appreciation
008grants, class size, hiring, assignment, transfer, riffs or layoffs, student discipline, expulsion or supervision. budget appropriations, the school calendar, curriculum and curriculum materials, teaching methods, teacher dismissal, restructuring options for failing schools, the ability for a school to partner with an outside entity for dual credit, and funding for remediation. At this point, if someone would like to make any public comments on bar negotiation, you are free to do so. >> All right. Nobody wants to speak. We will adjourn the public hearing on >> Megan. What? >> We are we are at the teacher negotiation part. Did you want to make any public comments? >> Just that we needed to have this meeting before we could actually start negotiating. This will establish that both teams will get together and establish that process. >> Yep. Okay. >> All right.
009We're on the same page. So, we will adjourn the public hearing on teacher negotiation. Then at this time, I believe we'll have Sheriff Adams come up and speak about our SRO resource. >> Well, thank you for the opportunity to be here this evening. Three years ago, we implemented a school resource officer program and it's been a huge success as well as a great asset to our community and our schools. Not only have we had a school resource officer, but we've also bought a dog who is very, very efficient in the detection of drugs and weapons, and she's been a big asset as well as a big friend to a lot of people. But, uh, what we found out is that, uh, Kevin Shoemaker is stretched pretty thin trying to go through four schools. And Ryan
010Jones, who is a top-notch guy, not just because he's my friend or not just because Jessica sitting here, but because it's the truth, he's a top-notch guy. He spends a lot of time in College Corner, but uh, Jeff also goes down there. And Deputy Shoemaker was telling me, he said there is no state line in College Corner as far as he's concerned. So if he needs help down there, Ryan can help him. And if Ryan needs help, he can go help him as well. But what we've got tried to do is uh I would like to implement a second resource officer and we've got the financing in order through grants. Uh before uh John Edge left, we had worked on this considerably. And then also the Ohio schools have given some of their safety grant
011money to this program. Um depending on what the school board decides to do tonight, we'll decide how the council will vote Thursday when I approach them again. And uh so what what I'd like to do is to see what you thought about implementing a second school resource officer. I would like for it to be a female for a number of reasons. One would be deescalation. Another be for empathetic reasons. And u I think sometimes not just in school situations but in other aspects of our lives but the touch of a female and the sympathy and empathy that a female has in other situations be a big asset. So uh I'd like to do that. I've got a girl that's I call her a girl. Everybody's a girl now as old as I am. Um, I've
012got a young lady that works for me right now at the jail and she's a corporal and she has already had the SRO training. She has to do the physical requirements yet for the entrance exam for the academy. And I have talked to the state and so if she can work for the school for nine months, the other three months she can work at the jail and do uh vacation relief and days off things like that and it wouldn't hurt anything. So, and then within a year she has to go to the academy and then she would also be qualified to work the road, which would also be a first for Union County to have a female officer on the road. And I think that would be very nice thing, especially for a county our
013size. But, uh, I just want to put that out there. We've got approximately $72,000 in an account from grants that were previously awarded. And I realize that the uh money was cut this year to 35,000, but uh I need to come up with about 18 to $20,000 from the county side to be able to finance the second SRO. I've got a number of ways uh that we're working on doing that. And uh just for whatever it's worth, the county council has been very supportive of a second SRO, but uh I wanted to bring it to your attention to see if you would entertain the thought of having one as well. So, she would have a a vehicle. Uh, I would supply all of her training and her uniforms and everything like that, but she would
014just be contracted to the school the same as Deputy Shoemaker is. >> Questions here. >> Yes, I have comments. Situation is this is all we're doing tonight is approval to continue to investigate this. Okay. It's not that we're hiring. >> Okay. And also so you understand it is no guarantee that the funding will be there for next year. We don't know that till we get into this. So that's what it's for. Okay. So I would ask approval to look to investigate it further and bring it back for an actual hiring at the later date. >> Also uh to go along Mr. 's suggestion. If you were to approve hiring a second SRO, she or he would not start till after the first year when the new budget takes place on the county side. And when
015you say through the end of the year, so that would be January. >> January till the end of >> January. Yes, sir. >> Or June. >> Okay. So, my understanding is we just need to vote to approve continue the process. Do I have a motion? >> Some moved. Second. >> Any questions? >> I just want to thank everybody for making sure to look into this. I know that uh the Ohio board was considering taking the money that they were giving to Butler County, >> which would be a huge loss. >> Yeah. >> Um you know, not that Union County can't do it, but that contract is extremely unique. >> Yes. >> And if that money goes, it's probably never coming back. >> And that's what I'm worried about too, Mrs. Jones, about the grant money
016that we've already got. If we don't use it, then I'm under the impression we have to give that back, >> right? >> Which would be, like you said, a huge loss. >> When you use grant money, just for curiosity, can it um be used for things other than like human factor like not just a deputy but door locks and things like that or is it specific? >> I don't know how to answer that correctly. I don't want to tell you wrong. >> Okay. I can kind of shed some light on it. We have a We had the safety officer here the other day that went through everything we've done or doing for our safety grant. Mike is very instrumental in putting that together. But the gentleman was here and we went over almost all the
017schools. We didn't get to the middle school, but we got the college corner, we got to the elementary, the high school, we toured everything. He had some great suggestions of some of the things that we are going to amend a little bit. Like for example, uh coming into the hallway here, he recommended that we paint instead of using signs, make it a color and that, you know, then the people coming in and doing them, you know, sheriff or whoever's coming in would actually know if they were coming in the building. the red part if we painted up above that would be or something might be happening or another color etc. Just some things like that. Uh one thing we had thought about is putting in the mirrors in the corner. He said, "Oh, I don't
018think I'd do that." He said, "Because if someone comes into the building, they look there and they look in that mirror and they can see down this hallway." He said, "You don't want that." He said, "I understand, you know, somebody coming down with like a cart or something that's different, but that Mike, any other things that he recommended some other things to you? I remember there was quite a few." >> Uh, yeah, there was quite a few. Uh, those were those were the two big ones. Um, the other things were just little minor things that we could just tweak a little bit. That was just something really simple, but those were the two big with the hallways because we had looked into uh getting signs made. Um and like our east and west hallways would
019be a color and the north and south would be a number. That way like when law enforcement or somebody came in, we could say uh the blue hallway or something like that to where it would give them an idea. And his thought is is if we just have signs, they're looking up for they're looking up for a sign that says this or a sign that says this to where if you just stripes at the top of your hallways. You're just looking up for a color and then they'll be able to recognize the color before they're going to be able to reassign. So, just to make it simpler for law enforcement to come in and see if they're told an area what they're looking for. So, it was something useful. And then with the mirrors, it
020was the same thing is if we're getting mirrors for our law enforcement people to see both hallways, well, the person who's not supposed to be there can see both hallways as well. So, you know, some of the ideas that we had He said, "Maybe you don't want to do that." He had, you know, just little things like that. But those those were the two big ones. >> He had he had a great he commended Mike on the, you know, the program and what he did and that kind of stuff, but he went over every he was here for what, three, four hours. >> He went through everything that he possibly could. and he's he just gave us some things that doesn't cost us won't cost us any money some training and some things like that
021that you know I was very happy when he left now he did have to go one of the things he requested when he came here he had two things he had to go to college corner and shoot a basket in Ohio and one in Indiana and then he wanted to see where the vehicle went through the the school now it took him a little to make a basket in Ohio. I don't know why, but you know, I got him close in the basket I could and he made a basket a lot quicker in Indiana. I don't understand why, but he did. So, anyway, but he he really gave us some helpful thoughts and things and we will have a whole report for you as the board all the things he kind of recommended and said
022so that you are aware of what he's recommended. The only reason I asked that about the safety grant money was if you aren't able to secure 18,000 or whatever it is you need, like would that money then be able to be used toward a safety feature? I know you just said you would have to look into well if you don't get that money that you're counting on like will you lose the grant if you don't or can it be used for like the lockbox and things like that on doors? >> I don't think so. And while I'm up here, uh, during Christmas break, there will be some intensive, they call it active threat training now at College Corner and at the M while you're on Christmas break. So, so if you see a lot of
023cruisers and things like that up there and we'll have signs. I've got 48 signs set up to where they can people will know what's going on instead of big threat, big worry. He did recommend like the lock box outside, you know, they have a key to it, flips down, get the key to get in, those type of things, which we don't have those on the outside. And you don't want to give, like he said, don't give keys out to everybody because your next that key gets loaned out sometimes. So, you don't want to do that. >> Just to answer your question on whether we lose that money or not. Yeah. >> Uh with the homeland security grant that we got uh >> they only fulfilled a school's number one priority. So our number one priority
024was the additional SRO. So that is the only thing that we can spend that money on and we have until September. Actually we have till August 30th of next year to spend that. >> I forgot about that Mike. You're right. >> And all grants are frozen right now. >> Yeah. But yeah, so that's that's the only thing we can spend it on. >> And that's a federal grant. >> Yes. >> And then Ohio's money was federal or Ohio money. >> I think it's Ohio money. >> Or no, ours is just Indiana money. It's Indiana. It's Indiana Homeland Security. >> But the Ohio board, their money federal >> safety federal safety. >> I thought it was state too, but >> yours I just thought it was grant state security is a state. I thought it was
025>> title four. Is it federal? >> I'll double check. Thank you. >> So, you just need approval to keep looking into this. >> Yes, ma'am. >> I got a question. >> It's been over a year ago. We talked our camera system in the campus and going to in the future interface with their cameras at the dispatch office. They are they are interfaced and >> there's a screen about half as big as the screen over there that's got all the cameras for the schools we can pull them. Matter of fact, Mrs. Yub was just here. She's a dispatcher and she could have probably answered that question easier today. But there are screens down there dispatch that show that the middle school and the high school a lot of times just for instance uh my nighttime deputies
026walk through the school quite a bit and uh I've seen them pictures and and one of them choose snuff. It's funnier than it should be. They choose snuff and so Mr. Edge called me and said hey one of your deputies set off one of my detectors. So that's that's a good thing. All right. So, I have a motion. I have a second. Uh, we don't have any more comments. All those in favor? >> I >> post. Now for our administrative updates. >> Thank you very much. >> Yes. Thanks. Yeah. Uh, we'll start this like I was a student coming through. So, we'll start with elementary uh college corner and we'll start Good evening. Um, you see enrollment there. It's at 248 and then 270 with preK. Just a frame of reference, it's down about 25
027from this time last year. We did send some of our kids to Liberty for applied skills, but um that was kind of eye dropping for me today. >> When you say that, I'm sorry. When you say down 25, is that including prek or >> Yeah, it is including prek. >> Okay. >> Yeah, I can give you the numbers from last year, too. I'm happy to send all that, but it was uh interesting to look at today. Um upcoming events, we're doing a trunk and treat this week um from 6:00 to 7:00 on Wednesday. Uh we have parent teacher conferences coming up. Um we're having book fair coming up. We are doing a Halloween parade even though um fall break is where Halloween uh falls this year. Um and then we have our students of the
028month for courage. Jasper was just here. That's one of them, but there are several others who display that in our school. We are proud of them. Um, if you look on the back, we had Fall Fest and Trojan Trot since we've last been here together. Um, I felt like Trojan Trot was a huge success. There were a lot of people there, a lot of people who gave positive feedback. We made three or $4,000. Um, so it was really wellreceived and it was so cool to see the kids do something that was so hard. It was just like you accomplish that. um and adults, too. But, um it it was like bringing tears to my eyes. It was it was pretty neat. Um we won't do it on a Sunday next year, but uh moving forward,
029uh we will keep doing it. Um Fall Fest again, we had great weather. The Dunk Tank wasn't too cold, so I spent a lot of time in there. Um and made again two or $3,000 there, too. So, had a couple successful events um in the past month. And Penny Supper's coming up um on November 7th. So, that'll be after fall break. I didn't put that on here, but that's our next event. So, >> questions or concerns? >> Questions. [Music] >> Lisa, Liberty Elementary. >> Good evening. Our current enroll enrollment is 327. We are up one from last month. Still down from last year. I think we're about 14 down. Um, we have some upcoming events. This week is book fair, um, parent teacher conferences next week. We're also doing the Halloween parade, followed by fall
030break, and then our events start in November. We're doing, um, our school carnival, and then PTO is bringing back the Harlem Wizards. So, we're going to get some information out about that. Um, our student of the month for Perseverance and Integrity are listed there. Our fifth grade teachers are doing some fun things. So, they've created a bulletin board to showcase the kids and they're um announced on the announcements every week and doing some fun things with them. We had fire prevention week last week. Um our third grade graders learned all about fire safety. Our kindergarters went down to the firehouse. Thanks to Joe for driving them because it was during the monsoon of rain on Tuesday. Um our we have they had a drawing contest for the third graders and the winners are there with
031the firemen. Um I wanted to show you we um set goals for every grade level for math backs. Um every grade level has a different set of goals and so if the kids meet that they get to come to the office and get suckers and then when they get all of the goal for the whole year they get these um math fact superstar license plates. Greatest thing ever. And so this is our start. will fill the whole wall by the end of the year. Um, and then I just showcase some fun things happening around the building. Um, we've also started an attendance incentive. So, our grade levels are competing for the highest attendance and then they'll get a party at the end of that end of every month. So, some fun things happening in the
032building. Any questions? Thank you. Our enrollments at 283. We're down one from last month. We're down four from last year this time. Just up there, we have some classroom captures from around the building. Um, you notice on the back side of that, we even have some office staff shooting bows and arrows with Mr. Higgins class in the gym. Um the at the it was September 13th, we had our first middle school dance. It was an outdoor tailgating theme event that was very well attended um for having an outside tailgate theme that we thought was going to be fall weather. It was 90° so it was super warm with everybody in their flannel and boots, but it was still really fun. Um next up we have our Shine Award. Miss Michael passed that on to Mr.
033Albbright. He was recognized um for putting forth effort in making each of his students feel like they're an intricral part of his class, building excitement for his subject and nearly doubling um the size of his program in just a few the first few months here. Um he is our goat of the month. Next up we have sports. Our cross country team did exceptionally well. They are very very talented athletes. Um the girls won both our Union County Invitational and the TEC conference. Uh Maddie Carroll, our student of the month in August, actually placed 15 out of 457 runners in the state cross country competition, um continued to get PRs all year long. We just expect very big things come from her. The boys team also did really well. Not to be um overtaken by the
034girls team. They did win. I couldn't um find exactly which of their invitationals they won, but they did they did um bring home some trophies as well as the girls, but they didn't score quite as high in the Uni County Invitational or the TC, but they did really well. Um girls volleyball season um wrapped up. We got some pictures there. Um football has their last home game, last game tomorrow. They hope to to finish with strong in that one. um band and choir concerts. They're finishing up their fall um concerts. Choir was last week. We have band this week. Um they are they are doing really well. Bullying education, not to be confused with education on how to bully, but Mrs. Michael is going around um discussing the difference between rude, mean, and bullying behaviors
035and ways to respond to each of those and ways to tackle that and how to really understand meanings behind behavior. Um so she included some snippets with some to share in her newsletter um about dealing with those and how to help your child um if they are experiencing those things. So we really try to do a proactive and reactive approach. Proactive with you know coaching through those behaviors um and then reactive with consequences that come along with that. So um Grace Myers is our student of the month again. Um upcoming events we got grades due last of our football u middle school band concert. We're having a fun Friday incentive party on Friday. For everybody who had no Fs and no uh suspensions of any kind, they're going to get to go do a fun
036incentive party on Friday just for the last hour and a half of the day. Then we'll move on to e-learning and our parent teacher conference next Monday. Any questions? >> Good evening. I'd like to report that we are two students higher than we were last month and we had a student call today that is ready to come back to school. It's a little difficult to accept them at this point because we're 10 weeks into the school year, but we will work with that student to see if they have any records to bring us so that we could possibly transfer what they've been doing. Um, that's a good thing. We're I think we finished the year 343 last year, so we're not too far off. I have a picture of uh students against destructive decisions making
037posters for suicide prevention awareness in September. Um if you look at the bottom of the front page, I'd like to call your attention. We do have a new Facebook page. If you're like me, I wouldn't try to type in all those letters to get to that page. I would just search on Facebook for Union County High School and make sure you get the one that's in Indiana because almost every state has a Union County. Um, we are a compliment really to Ashley Reers's Facebook page, Patriot Press. I'm hoping that sometime we'll have a fourth of the number of people following us as she has, but together we we cover different things. A lot of our results are academic and things that she wouldn't be able to get to with her busy schedule of taking pictures
038at games and representing the sports and some of the other things she does. So, if you're not a following Ashley at the Patriot Press on Facebook, you need to look herbside up as well. Uh, one reason we started doing this is we believe that's very important for us to share our story so that we get the story out there that we want people to know about rather than maybe have other people post stories that we don't agree with. Uh, if you turn the page, some pictures of our human services capstone class. They were fortunate to participate in a simulation for dementia friends. So you will see there that they were sensory deprived. Uh they had on goggles, they had on gloves. I think they had earplugs in and so they were trying to do everyday
039task with the uh sensory deprivation that some of our dementia friends have. So that was a great experience for the kids. At the bottom there's a picture of our homecoming crowd and Nathaniel Tolford and Heaven Prince our homecoming king and queen. And on the last page there's a picture of our life skills employee of the month. If you don't remember we already have a business going in our school. The life skills class sells coffee and flavored iced drinks before school. They are busy. They're learning to deal with customers and they're dealing with money. During SRT, we have some general education students who are helping them and uh lees teachers here. If you want to order a drink during our SRT, it will be delivered to you. So, they're delivering it to our students and teachers
040during SRT with the special needs kids. So, they're building some bonds there. Upcoming events that I'd love to see you attend. Uh on Wednesday, we have our high school choir concert. Thursday we have our band concert, but that will be at the middle school. Um then we next week we have academic awards. You see the girls basketball scrimmage starts very soon before the next board meeting. Uh girls volleyball volleyball has their sectional this week and next week the football team has their sectional on Friday night and we are hosting Hagerstown. That's it for me. >> Is the coffee shop open to the public? Um, it is not open to the public yet, but if one of you come in and want coffee and drinks, we'll make sure you get in. Thank you. Uh, donations is
041next on the agenda. We are accepting the a $25 donation from to the FFA from the Bat State Bank. Do I have a motion? >> So move. >> Second. Any comments? All those in favor? >> I >> opposed. Okay. Consent agenda. This is the one change we had was with the FFA leaders to fogger for an overnight fire congress leadership center. And then the rest you should have gotten in your packet. Do >> I have a motion to accept? I'll second it comments. >> All those in favor? >> I >> opposed. >> Jerry, can we get back real quick? >> I found it. That B state bank donation, it was from David Rednick for Pay It Forward. So, I just want to make sure that we thank him because he it was a bath check
042from David Rednick. >> It says it here on this page. I was asking about it. So, um I just want to make sure to tell him thank you because he was a recent graduate and paid back $25 to the FFA is what it looks like. >> Thank you. >> College corner board update. >> Okay. Um so I was going to talk about the safety grant the SRO the board um in the beginning we had found out um when they first started talking to us about this it was under the understood that um if we chose to send that money to for the resource officer that the money that the deputy would stay in college corner. Um, so that was always the part of the deal was that we kept talking about that and um, they
043did check in into it and we are if we go through with this, we will be giving money to Butler County for the deputy and money to the school for the or county for an SRO. So, um, we just wanted the most protection that we can get for the school. So, that was always our intention. Um we talked about um the he updated us on some meetings he's been to SWOA Basa the fall conference our superintendent um Mr. Daringer. Um, we are looking at uh Ohio offers a governor's merit scholarship that's only for Ohio students. Um, but if they are awarded it, they get $5,000 a year for all four years. And um, we have one that is up for that. So, we're we'll find out in November. So, hopefully that will go through. Um,
044and there's a reef grant that we do and it's being finalized and turned in. Then they update us on some of the college planner things. So the festivals and stuff that you already heard about. So it all right new business. At this time we are going to open up the hearing on the 2026 budget. The budget meeting is called to order at 7:37. For those of you that are just listening in, this is just to approve the process to begin the process of the budget. We are not approving a budget at this time. And so I just wanted to make that clear that, you know, we're not approving a budget. We're just starting the process. >> Right. Jennifer, >> this will approve information sent to the state to make our right. Just a side note
045and the reason we ask our administrators what our count is and when they say down 14 you're down 25. I'm not sure if everybody knows how a budget works here for the school. We basically have two funds. And if I'm just telling you stuff you already know I apologize but since there's people here I thought I would just recommend you and try to update you. There's an education fund which is basically used for anything instructional staff, teachers, aids, librarians. Then there's an operations fund which is for all those other things like school buses, maintenance, all that. Education fund is basically you send the state how many students do you have and they will multiply that by their multiplier and that's your fund to use for your education fund per student. It's around $7,000 give or
046take. I'm not I know I'm not right on Jennifer, but give or take. So tonight we said we are shy. We are down at about 40 people, a little less, but easy math here. 40 * 7,000 $280,000. We will not have next year or when we report that that we had. This is not new. This is a trend. I'm just kind of updating you so you understand there will be decisions that need to be made because we don't have the funds that we had before. So, I'm just if you knew it, I apologize. If you didn't, I was just educating you. Thought I would let you know a little bit about the struggles we have. Superintendent has about running the school and keeping us at at a level that we want to be, but yet
047still have the funds available to do so. I'll get off my soap box now and move on. Um, item number one, consider consider action to approve 2026 budget. Do I have a motion? >> So move. >> Second. >> So move second it. >> All those in favor. >> Susan cannot vote. >> Oh, that's right. >> So do we have enough because you got three to two. receivers. >> Okay. >> So, I'll second it. >> Well, can Michelle second? >> You can second. >> The vote is just three zero still. Okay. Consider action to approve BL Whoops. I'm sorry. Consider action to approve CPF plans. Need a motion. So, move. >> Second. All those in favor? >> I I >> I. >> Next. Consider action to approve transfer amounts. Oops. Now we're getting consider action to
048approve bus replacement plan. I need a motion. >> So move. >> Second. >> All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Opposed. Consider action to approve transfer amounts from educational fund operations fund. >> I need a motion. >> Move. >> Second. Can we talk about that one real quick? >> Yep. >> So remind me can they bounce between both funds or once one gets moved? education there. >> Education to operation. >> So once something gets moved >> that stays there >> only the first year when they split the funds could it go back. >> That's what I was trying to remember. that just as public conversation that's the one that scares me the most as we are look to you know give our teachers their salaries and um that's a hard one to swallow
049as we try to balance everything out and make sure that we're doing what's best for staff and students obviously um that's a scary one for me sure it is for everybody >> because of the funs Not I'm pretty strict with a lot of we don't need it's a want or a need. We have not moved any for the education fund operations. >> Okay, good. >> So if you didn't hear that and I guess I didn't finish my education 101 of the school budget. You have the education fund which I explained the operations fund comes from your local property taxes and takes care of those things, right? And so you cannot move operational to educ the only place you can move is from educational operational. I can tell you one thing that we've tried to do
050is keep our operational in place where we're not borrowing funds from the education fund over to the operation fund. That has happened in the past. As Jennifer just said, that hasn't happened this year. And that's because we've taken the extra time to figure out where what we need versus what we want. set a priority and ask the taxpayers to spend their money wisely. Not >> next, if I can, next year will be a little bit more difficult because Senate Bill one sitting act the operations fund lost $356,400 from taxes for the county and that's just the school. It's not law enforcement or anything else. >> So, you will be taking from the education fund next year. Is that what you're saying? >> It could be a possibility. We won't know till we we need it,
051but we're just as part of the education process, we're just letting you know we've already talked about 280,000 being reduced in the education fund. She just threw another 300. What' you say? 300 >> 356, right? >> Out of operations. >> Yes. >> But all together to fund the school, we're down 34 of a million dollars. Doesn't the amount increase over the next three years? It'll be more for 27 and it'll be a total of over a million dollars of the operation fund in three years. >> So, we're going to do the best that we can, but we're working with really really hard. >> The whole state is working with a lot. >> Sure. >> A lot. But we'll do the best that we can. >> So, uh, our last one is consider action to adopt
052resolution for appropriations and tax rates. Need a motion. >> So, move. >> Second. >> All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Opposed. >> Sorry. Can I just ask, did you vote on >> No, let me go back. I apologize. I'm glad I thought that I did, too. I just wait consider we have we didn't vote on consider action to approve the transfer amounts from education fund the appropriations fund we have operations fund we have Dave with a motion Jess with a second all those in favor say I >> opposed we will now adjourn the budget hearing at 7:45 we are back now to our school board line item number 13 this is our second reading of the board policies Special update July 2025 and special update June 2024. I need a motion. >>
053Move. >> Second. >> Dan, Michelle, and Susan, you're back in the game. So, all those in favor? >> I >> opposed. Okay, we are now at our public participation. I don't know if this is against the rules. I'm going to give you one more chance. I've got one person up here who wants to speak. Is there anybody else that would like to speak tonight? >> All right. All right. >> Uh Jordan, we'll start with you. >> Good evening. I am happy to present you guys with our high school mission, vision statements along with our beliefs. And you would have got >> uh it should have a handout in your stack. So the picture press Miss Ashley created these awesome images and teachers were encouraged to hang them up around the building in their classroom. So
054that way kids get to see them each classroom they walk through. They know what our vision is. Our vision is uh UCS envisions graduates who thrive as leaders and are competent, confident and skilled members of our society. our mission. So that's as Miss Bart would say, that's our pie in the sky, right? That's our >> that's the vision is the pie in the sky. >> Yep. That's it. >> Pie in the sky. That's what we want to get to eventually. Our mission is what we do each day. Our mission is to empower staff and students by providing hope and opportunities for success. So every kid that comes through our door, we hope that we are giving them plenty of opportunities to be successful each day in our class. Uh our beliefs, we have four of
055them. We believe our students are capable of self-regulation given proper tools. We believe that students must demonstrate responsible, safe, ethical use of technology. We believe that curriculum should be aligned with the new Indiana diploma. I think I made the joke a couple times. You could basically just leave that blank and put whatever current cycle of whatever we're doing in that spot right there. Uh we also believe that strong relationships along with students, staff, families, and community fosters success. So that last belief is basically it takes a village for our school district to be successful in particular our school uh the high school. Okay. Our SIP team along with our staff put a lot of time and heart into crafting these. We are very hopeful that our new superintendent has these same values. Create leaders by
056providing hope and opportunity every single day. I wish to share with you my hope for our new district leadership as well. I want to be honest about this. It can be very difficult to say, but there is a lack of trust among our staff members right now. And as you know, trust can only be built over time. What we're hoping for in our new leader is someone who can rebuild that trust starting with better communication. I'm going to go off script here. When we did our high school accreditation last year, was that last year or two years ago? last year. The number one thing that was brought up is that we need to make sure that we're being better communicators. So, I think that would go a long way. We need a superintendent who will
057be open, transparent, and most importantly, work in the best interest of our students. Our next superintendent is going to be stepping into some very hard decisions. As we just discussed, teachers won't expect everything to be easy, and we know that there are challenges ahead. But when communication is clear and honest, we are much more willing to get on board and buy in, even with tough decisions. At the end of the day, we all want the same thing, what's best for the students. My prayer is that the next superintendent can bring us together, value the expertise we bring to our classrooms, and keep lines of communication open. With the right leadership, I believe this is a chance to rebuild that trust and create hope and opportunity for both students and staff. Thank you. [Applause] >> I
058have a question. Do you think that like would the middle school be able to build off of this and the elementaryaries kind of build off of this? >> Each building should have a mission and vision statement. We do it, >> but we've never gone for a districtwide approach. That's something over the years we've talked about, but we've never initiated a districtwide approach. >> I think it's a great idea. I think I mean, we can tell you put a lot of work into all of this like the pathway to a patriot, you know, that kind of thing, right? where we envision the college corner Trojans, they're going to graduate as a patriot to Liberty Elementary School. Aligning all of this together would be great so that it would be community tie in with everybody. But good
059hard work, I can tell. Thank you. I have two requests. When you're done, I need you to sign in. So, my name is K Riker Payton and uh I just want to say something about what Jennifer spoke about Senate Bill one. I'm talking to everybody here. I'm putting my other hat on right now from my Union P County Council. I've seen Senate Bill one how damaging it's going to be down the road. Everybody in here, everybody. And tell your friends and family your other people, Lindsay Patterson, Jeff, tell them. Don't tell me one is going to kill Union County, F County, Franklin County, all these small counties. I mean, they're trying to push something, but we can fight back if we hammer and hammer and hammer people. That's the only thing we can do right
060now. It is very detrimental comes to fruition. I just wanted to plead with everybody, please hammer your legislators. It is very it's not even doable. I mean, there's no there's not enough. It's like there's not enough food to go around. just not there. And the way they're doing it is horrible. And I've been complaining as much as I can. I just need everybody possible in every community. Just that's all you can do. All they're doing is a shell game. They're saying they're doing tax reform, lifting one area, they're passing it on to another, and so your paycheck is going to get hit instead. So instead of having property taxes, you're going they're just moving the money. So your paycheck going get hit harder. always going to get taxes no matter which way they go about
061it just because of the way the system is. But yeah, they're going to hit your paycheck. You think you're getting tax relief from the property, but you're really not because they're moving that burden over to the tax your paycheck. So, I just want to advocate for everyone to reach out to your legislators to try to get this thing nipped in the butt because it's really, really bad. >> What does it do to your program? your your drug >> fund for the grant. Yeah. Luckily, >> it doesn't get affected because the state the DHA department had put that back in that little coffer. So, it's safe. >> Okay. >> We're safe on that because of the people that they it was already allocated before they done that done all that. >> Well, I know you do
062a lot for the school and so I'm glad to know that that may be able to continue. >> We should be we should be safe until 2028 on the grant stuff. unless a tsunami in the United States is gone or something like that. But I just wanted to advocate about everyone calling everybody. Thanks. >> Superintendent's comments. Well, if you didn't get the opportunity to go to the uh coral concert the other night, my wife and I did and it was a great job and we've got some other ones coming up and uh you know I want to make sure that you get that. First of all, I want to talk a little bit about the solar farm because, you know, we asked, we had meetings and those type of things. And I mentioned at the
063last meeting about the solar farm that uh it was only functioning at about 2/3, okay, of what it's supposed to produce. And what was the problem is that we had a bunch of panels that were not functioning, okay, they were broken or whatever. And now I've met with uh performance services who put it in and we have they supplied the panels and we're getting those installed. So there were 19 of them total and so we're in the process of getting those installed. The other situation is we didn't have what I call an early warning system. For example, if they were not working or functioning, we had a computer program over there with our maintenance, but the problem is it didn't flash. Here's a problem. We've now got that installed. It was supposed to be included
064in the process. So, our guy can go in and look and say, "Whoa, wait a minute. There's a problem here." And so, we immediately know what's going on. The other situation is I would like to for the board uh have performance services, okay, who put it in actually come and report to the board how it's functioning, what it's doing once we get it all back up where it needs to be because we're actually losing money. But the problem is you a lot of people don't understand how you're losing money. If you look, and uh Jennifer has done a great job, what it is is we don't actually get the cash in hand. What it does is it pays our electric bill. So instead of us having to pay electric bill, it pays the electric bill.
065So if that electric bill is $200 for the high school, that's what that's how the money is. So, we just didn't have to put $200 in to the coffer to pay that bill. So, that the other situation, there is a thing called SREPS. Okay, Indiana does not have them, but Ohio does. And what it is, it's a bond. Okay, they sell for so much. We're in the process of tracking down where those SREs happen to be. you know, who who has them, who doesn't have them, where they're at. Right now on the market, what you do, they're $4, you know, is how much the bond is. It's just like a savings bond or that type of s you can turn them in at any time. Those things the school corporation I was superintendent at, North
066Putinham, we got those, okay? We thought we got them, but somehow they got given away. So, here we were, weren't collecting the $4 or $5 or whatever they happen to be. Well, we end up getting them back. That's money that we should be able to do. They don't sell them here in Indiana, you know, or you can't get them in Indiana, but Ohio does. And you do a system here in Indiana, you can go get those bonds. So, we're in the process of looking at those. So, you know, uh I do think it's really good if we do have them come make a report to us so you kind of can have what's really going on with the system. Make sure I have a quite a lengthy report. We met the other day with you
067know former superintendent person that was on the board went over everything and then I met with performance services and I have a full report with them right now and uh you know I can make copies of it but it's going to be a lot of paper so I would rather than come see us in person so you can ask your questions. Okay, any questions about that? All right. Next, I have um there's there seems to be questions people go on uh a workshop or those type of things and there's questions on uh do we pay for uh meals or you know if it's a training and those type of things or uh do we pay for their motel or we don't pay for their motel. uh do they go have to go the day before
068those type of things. So I want you to consider as a board uh whether we need to look into setting a limit for those type of things you know or do we only send them for conferences that benefit students or is it a conference that benefits the staff or coming back and telling us this is what I learned about the situation. But you know a lot of places have uh for example a a limit for uh breakfast, one for lunch, one for supper. So that kind of stuff. So or do we pay any travel for them, you know, etc. So you know that's just something for us to consider down the road here. >> Do we have a lot of people going to a lot of things? >> Yes, ma'am. We do. >> Probably your
069biggest payment. >> I'll hide. you're sitting in the front row. Um are there I mean are those things that that they you're you're asking if you can go to or the school is saying can you go like how does that work? >> Um in my case it depends on the situation but a lot of mine I'm asking to go because I'm on the boards that run them. So I'm the president of the foreign language association in Indiana. So I'm asking to go to the conference that we run. Um, you and I'm on a national board as well. So, again, you I'm kind of asking for that. Um, this year for me anyway, I don't know about everybody else's, but because I'm so high up on these boards, they're paying for a lot of the stuff.
070Um, but other years once I roll off, you know, and in the past it's been I'm sorry, >> if I may, when I started here in 2010, people have used that policy. So the board voted no meals are reimbursed. Mileage is lodging is over 100 or over a certain distance >> but not >> pay for the board policy when you voted in August you voted to pay but there has to be a set otherwise it's going to go back to what it was before and somebody's going to have a $60 dinner and a $10 bottle of water. That's absolutely ridiculous. But that's why it stopped the first time. But since it just came back in August, I need to know I need a mail a limit. >> So procedurally, do in uh to the superintendent,
071do do individuals like turn in an application to go or how does that like do we need procedures for this or >> every daily? Okay. I get what I call leave request. Okay. Some of them are just they're absent for the day. some of them are going on a a conference those different type of things and uh I'll talk about a little more later because we're looking about new system for check in check out but um we spend a lot of time on going through all those I look at them I say I don't know about this one you know I have a question or that kind of stuff so I little comments a lot on those a lot of times or I go to Jennifer I go someone and say, "Okay, what what is
072this training? What is it for?" That kind of stuff. >> So, that's the application part for the leave request. >> Plus, on top of it, the le leave request here are astronomical when people are sick and I don't understand or have to be out of the building or whatever. And I know they they have those, but the thing is I don't know whether you understand this as a board and hopefully when we get our to the po point about the check in that we're talking about that we have already part of the things attendance that that their request goes through five different people. Okay? They sign it in then it goes to the principal or their supervisor. They sign it in then it goes to Sarah and she looks at it. initials it then it
073goes to Jennifer she signs then it comes to me and I sign and you know it's it's nothing for me to spend an hour 45 minutes at least you know just filling those out. Well, hopefully when we get the new, you know, uh, system that we're putting in, check in, you know, that kind of stuff, we can eliminate that. But it's a lot, it's very time consuming, you know, we spend a lot of hours in the office and that kind of stuff. So, you know, it's just looking at all of it, you know, u, you know, I I kind of joke a little bit. My wife was here the other day, you know, and for homecoming and I had a stack like this thick. She said, "What are you doing?" I said, "I sign these."
074You know, I don't stamp them. I don't do any of that kind of stuff. I sign and you know, I'm just saying Jennifer looks at them, Sarah looks at them, principal supposed to look at them, you know, and some of them are requests to go on a, you know, conference or whatever. Some of them are absences or whatever, you know. >> So, you've got a plan in place to streamline. Okay. >> I do. >> Well, I have two questions. >> Yes, sir. >> What kind of money are we talking about that we're spending on conferences on an annual basis? >> I'd have to refer to Jennifer Jennifer on that. I don't have I can look and get it to report for the next board meeting. >> Secondly, out of all that process, who's the decision
075maker? >> You're looking at >> Okay. So, a principal signs off, but they're not saying, "Yeah, you're nay." They're just signing off. >> But sometimes I send a note back to the principal and say, "Is this necessary?" >> Okay. >> Or someone else. >> All right. Thanks. >> Okay. U the other thing I have is just to make sure you as a board and I will provide you the information. What is reduction enforce? What's the law? For example, if we would happen to ever have a reduction in force, notification is uh actually at the end of the year. Okay, there's dates. The problem with that I have is if we have to have a reduction in force, I think we need to notify people early. So, if that comes, I'm looking at all the schedules
076we have here. you know, how many people we have in this class or that class. Uh, you know, kind of reviewing. I've talked to people about uh to make sure that we're getting uh, you know, the right balance in classes. You know, I've got a whole file on that which is here that has exactly all of the classes we offer in the school system. And is there any classes we need or we don't need? And I'm looking at that right now. Do we hire? If we have a position open, do we need that position? So, I'm going through that and looking about balances. I've talked with counselors and those type of people and said, "Okay, and principles because, you know, uh it's nice to say we need all are some of these things uh a
077luxury, but maybe we don't need it." And you know, you have to we when you're looking at the financial situation we're in right now, we have to look at everything. And so that's what I'm doing and I will bring that information back to you. When I talk about the negotiation team, which I have listed there, that's just I'll be giving dates for people that are on a number of dates, sharing with the union when we can meet and uh we go from there. Uh you have a change? >> Can I tell say one thing? I'm on the like bargaining committee and I just like I got an invitation like on a Friday for a Monday at 4. I just need to let everybody know I can never be here by then. So just when you're
078pre-planning Sure. >> I'll never be available at that time. >> Is there a better time in the evening or something for you? >> Yeah, I can always be here by 5:30 or 6:30. Okay. >> Yeah. >> Is there anybody else in here? I know you uh had asked me so it could be after school sometime. >> Oh well, yeah. >> And if I could ever join by like Google, I'd be willing to do that, but I'm an hour away, so I >> All right. >> Just can't. We don't get out of school till 4:30, >> so >> Okay, >> I'm good, >> Jennifer. uh I had to go to a we are in a consortium for our med medical and that kind of stuff was that there's a clinic and those things but they also
079talked about the changes in the Medicare uh you know that's out there so just you're aware of it does affect us because you know prescriptions are going to go up possibly and also I don't know I haven't got a number exactly what the change could be with the consortium that we're in you know they said well there's going to amount. Well, they didn't give us an amount when I was there the other day at the meeting. So, uh we did have a change uh was requested by special education to meet in this one hallway here for more room for their students. So, we have you know made that change. The only question that I have is that uh these doors down here actually you saw tonight they need to be closed and locked because we
080do have some students that are runners. And other thing is uh I think it puts a hardship on our ladies in the office that I have the training so I can give CPR and all that kind of stuff but if somebody who goes down you know or restrain I have that training you know I don't expect my ladies here to go restrain somebody. Okay. So, just so you're aware, um transportation, uh we are looking at transportation. We did approve tonight a purchase of a bus. Okay. Basically, in your transportation budget, now I am looking into it. I've talked with Joe and that type of stuff. Do we actually need to buy a new a bus this year? That's a $150,000 item. So we're looking at that. How when you look at that, why do you
081look at it? Well, first of all, the numbers you have right now for transportation happens to be potential riders. Okay. But when I come down from Anderson down 27, and I'm not criticizing our bus because our people do a great job, but is every bus full? What does our actual seat count? people that are on that seat daily. So, I'm asking for a seat count so you're aware of that. The safety grant um you know, I've got the whole safety grant report here and you're welcome to look at it. You know, the guy was here. Like I said, Mike did a great job on it. Uh he gave us some great thoughts and ideas, but it's here. Potential dates for a teacher negotiation. I'm just working on that, you know, and I'll I'll try to
082get that your administrative evaluation needs to be done by December 1st of your all your administrators. Okay. The time clock placement and uh we have prior to my coming here, they ordered time clocks for everybody here. Check in, you know, we have them. I just were trying to find out. They were purchased uh how long ago? I'm trying to remember. >> July 2021. till 2024. So, they've been sitting here. Well, we're in the process of getting those put in so that we can eliminate some of this paperwork here. So, let's take a bus driver that has the bus at home. Okay, we're working on a system. Every bus driver calls in to Sarah. Every if they're out there, I'm checking in. I'm going on my route. Well, we're going to have to do a little
083something there. either put it on the computer that they've checked in and then they check in when they get their bus back home, but the rest of it we can put over in transportation the check in and then principles are in the process of where they want theirs at. You've got to do custodians, you got to do teachers assistant or instructional assistance. So, we have all that. So, maybe eliminate some of this paperwork and it gives us a record of who checked in, who checked out. Now, I understand it's a little inconvenient sometimes, but we just need to make sure there's a lot of reasons that we have that correct. >> Is this just hourly employees? >> It's every employee. >> Everyone, teachers, everybody. >> I'll have more information once we get closer to >>
084So, all right. Um, Is that I mean is that discuss can we have discussions about that? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Like we could go to hourly. I mean I see why hourly employees would be clocking in or clocking out with an actual machine. I don't I' I've never heard of teachers being asked to do that. >> Right now it's down at Franklin County. They're using it, >> you know, >> even for their salaries. >> A lot of them are using it either one way or another, either in and out or on this system we have if the teachers clock in either more some point during the day let you know you're here or they fill out the paperwork and punch it that says they're absent that day. >> And we're going to try to go
085to Franklin County and see how theirs operate. So this won't go into effect until we have an opportunity to >> Right. These are all his suggestions. Suggestions. >> We're not there's not there's we're not agreeing anything. He's just throwing out stuff we should be thinking about. >> Yeah. >> Um there has things that we've had some financial savings happens to be is that u you know Jennifer was very instrumental. Uh we were having a renovation of the high school cafeteria. was supposed to the figure came in out of capital outlay of $130,000 and she was able to get that down to 95 and they'll be doing that over uh Christmas break. So tables and all that. The other situation is uh we were able to at college corner for example the cubbies that the kids
086have out there are in pretty bad shape and we were able to buy some used ones that were in great really good shape. Uh we bought u Let's see. Some teacher wardrobes. Uh some new student desk. Uh some student desk, metal cabinet, uh 4 foot by two side carts, office chairs, just one cubbies, 30 of them, and one side tall shelves. And one of them was full of paper which could be used for all types of things like art, those different types of things. And we only paid $2,15 for it. So quite a savings. Uh we had to go pick them up on a Friday and uh you know in a truck those type of things to get them back here. U so you're aware of that. Um there's some other things that uh we've
087been looking at. Uh we had to get a U college corner. We need a new steam table and we were able to get that down $1,800 from what the price would be. So, we've been kind of Jennifer has helped me myself to, you know, say, "Hey, wait a minute. Let's talk about this a little bit." You know, maybe we can get a better price. Um, uh, state shutdown. So, you're aware of that. uh the education office uh in the state here has uh pretty much shut down because they cut back on the staff and getting certification for teachers and people have been very very difficult. Uh, you know, we've had some people that need to get an emergency license, those different types of things and, uh, you know, uh, we've tried, you know, you call
088their certification office right now and what happens is phone just boom, you know, won't go through. Well, I finally found a number get through and Monica, your principal at the middle school, was having a situation and so we tried. Well, I said I got so aggravated. I said, "Fine. I'll just bring this down here." "Oh, you can't do that." I said, "How am I going to get this person certified?" "Well, you're just going to have to wait." "What's the waiting time?" "2 weeks." I said, "4our and a half weeks. We're going to school here, you know." So, it's that's been a real problem. Just so you're aware of that. Um so, we have that. Uh just for example, okay, if you know uh the state funding for thing, the federal funding for things like the
089cell program that we're part of, they're not paying anything right now. So there's no money going out for them to go to the conferences because the federal government's shut down. So that changes. Um my last thing is this. Um, I really think you need to really consider possibly uh Emily Snder came to me uh when I was going home the other night and called me and said, "Uh, have you thought about a online school here?" I said, "Well, kind of." So I called, we had an online school at one of my previous places and I called them and I said, "What are you using?" And he told me, "And there are some programs out there I'd like you to look at. It pays 85% 85% of what our tuition I call tuition payment for students
090right now. So if we could pick up students, you know, in some programs you do it at home and that situation is let's say you had 20 slots just to shoot that as an example. Okay, I call them slots or action and if it goes inactive then you get cut off. Okay, so you have to stay active on you have to have some rules. You have to see average or better. You know, there's a number of things to look into. Uh, a lot of schools are doing it right now. Uh, I school corporation I know that a gentleman I talked to, they're small. We have more in the high school than they have. They have 200 students enrolled. Take that. Do 85% of what state tuition happens to be. you know, looking at the financial
091situation we might be in right now. It's something for us to consider. So, I'm just throwing that out. I'll have more information for you. U Emily uh Snyder, she talked to me about it and she has had some involvement kind of in it and I talked with her today asking her a lot of questions and you know, I said, "Why don't you kind of outline what you are talking about in your mind?" Okay. Um uh I want to talk one thing about the tag program. Okay, that's teacher grant that we used to have. It's changed. The whole law has changed about it and it's a lot of misconception. Uh used to be anybody that got an exceptional evaluation got money. Well, that's changed. So we we at the present time I have chosen Jennifer talked
092to me about us not being a part of that because now you're competing you know and some people will get it some won't you know is it going to be and I have a letter that I'm going to give to everybody in regards to it. I've checked it all out. I've had people ask and what it has done. It's uh shifted the focus has changed from teacher appreciation gr appreciation grant away from providing financial rewards to every teacher with an effective or highly effective evaluation to one based on the specific factors categories that are defined in law. It also limits the number of teachers who are eligible to receive it. Well, that's changed. It's a valid concern that these changes by the legislature could create feelings of competition, diversity between teachers depending on how it's
093implemented. And then on top of it, what it says too, if I can get my fingers to work, the old system is not coming back. So the new system is only way to earn extra money can be given to teachers. I am I am aware that some school districts are considering to not participate in the tax program. Based on my own experiences and conversations with other superintendents, I believe a decision not to participate could be a mistake with unintentional consequences for both our school districts. But the thing is, however, I also want you to let you know I am have had conversation with individuals in formal and informal. I've talked with some legislators and the problem I have is who is eligible, who will be eligible and who's not. I think that's going to be
094a very very hard tool. So, I've got other information for you on that. I'll make sure that you get it. Uh appreciate your the opportunity to discuss with you tonight these things. U please if you have other concerns or things that are coming up you know I just want to make sure that uh we cover you know a lot of items for you. >> So can you clarify are we going for the tag money or not? Man, we are not we're not you know I I think Jennifer and I both agree that right now no I think it's because of the like I said a competition situation and until we get clarification from the state how that's going to be decided I I would not recommend that. >> Thank you for asking. I'm sorry. Any
095other questions? >> Thank you for digging into the solar because I know that was a lot of work and it's it's going to pay off. >> Thank you. >> So, what do you think we lost or what are we going to gain when we get that third of the system back up? >> Well, >> are we talking thousands of dollars? Are we talking tens of thousands of dollars? >> When I get the full report >> from performance services, I'll be able to give you a pretty good That's why I think it's really uh beneficial for them to come come here and you know you can see the report you can see what we lost what we did and lose their like I said the last board meeting I think it was last board meeting or
096when we talked when all of a sudden that we had we're losing a third of the power you know so it's only functioning has to be some financial situation and thank you for everybody for that meeting very >> board comments >> like to say that this is topnotch and appreciate all the hard work that went into it and was kind of consensus we like the other buildings to come up with your mission statements. And when that's done, I'd like to invite two people off of your committee of each building to meet with two members of this board so that we can present a mission statement for the entire district. Thank you, >> I have a few things to say. I think Christina, didn't you guys have 100% attendance? >> That's pretty awesome. >> For the
097first time ever that I know of. >> Yeah. So, congratulations on that. Um Ashley and Carla for your help with homecoming every year. It seems like homecoming was six months ago, but we haven't had a meeting since then. So, thank you very much all the high school, everybody that participates in that. Um, I know Sarah Jennifer spent some time here while we were doing superintendent interviews and thanks for your hospitality. Um, I really appreciate Mrs. Albbright. She sends out in invitations to us for her performances and although I haven't been able to go, I appreciate that she keeps me in the loop. Another huge kudos to the band. I just love hearing the fight song. Even if we're losing by a lot, I just like to hear the fight song. Um, obviously Facebook, I see
098the FFA is doing great things. Jordan, I see the weight room doing great things. Um, I wanted to ask a specific question about the school lunch fund. That's $18,000. Is that to help cover lunch fees? What's the school lunch fund? >> That is their operating fund. >> Their operating fund. >> All payments come in have to go to a holding fund. And that's where >> 400 fund on your fund report because until those funds are actually used by students, they have to be set in a holding account. It can't be automatically used for the operations of the school. >> Okay. Thank you for that. Um let's see. Oh, I also wanted to speak for just a minute about I don't know if the board's aware, but um I saw on Facebook that the high school
099would like a wellness room and um I also know that teachers mental health is huge. Um we work in a thankless profession sometimes. I mean, the kids are always thankful, but um they may not always act that way, but I know I looked through um the list of things you wanted on Amazon, and I just don't see why we can't help with that. I don't know how, and I'll help you figure that out. Um but I don't know whether other schools are interested in something like that, but I do want to at least acknowledge the fact that you're asking for some things that would help you feel better in your position. And if it's little things like that, I'm sure we can figure out a way to make it happen. Um, and then I also
100want to make sure that when we're talking about negotiations and with the union and all of that, I know that this has come up before and we've tried really hard to make it happen. But we have some teachers here that have been here for many, many years who are making less money than our newest hires. And you know, if we want to talk about boosting morale, then we have to show those that have been here forever that we appreciate them. and we're going into this huge deficit where we're going to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars, but without teachers, we have no school. So, we have to figure out a way to balance that all out. Um, and so I just I'm glad to be a part as a bargaining and negotiation team, but I'm
101actually really scared of it because I know what I want to do and I know what it sounds like we won't be able to do just because our hands are tied, but I don't want you to feel like you aren't deserving of that. So, just if we can think outside of the box, and I don't know how, but we can figure something out along the way, but thank you all. That was it for me. >> Oh, I wanted to say one more thing. Sorry. I I um Mallerie that's not here tonight, just be thinking of her family if you don't mind. >> I have one more comment before coming here tonight. um federal education and uh furoughed 99% of their employees this evening. So that year and a half to twoyear uh repayment policy is
102probably going to be shifted and we may not get payments at all. So I just want to congratulate Christina on the Trojan TR was very well done, very organized, and one of the best community projects I've ever seen. So, >> I can't take her on the floor. You have to say Sierra Dawson, but >> but it it was great. Thank you very much. >> I just want to thank you all for coming. Believe it or not, I prefer when the seats are full than empty. Um, you know, we have a lot of things going on. There are some things we can comment on. There are some things we can't comment on. We're trying to be as transparent as we can. But I will also reach out to you and ask you that if you have,
103and several of you here I've already communicated with, talked to prior to now, during the time I've been on the board, your input is valuable to us. I hope you've got the surveys from your administrators around questions for the new superintendent and I know we're using those on the responses that we've gotten back. We do want your input. I also will also tell you as you can see we're going to have to start thinking out of the box. So, you're our front line. I would love to hear I can tell you I've learned in the last couple weeks retention is killing us. Killing us. And so I see the heads of the teachers going online. Oh, what are we going, you know, right? But we have to think that way because it's still a business
104here that we have to run and we have to keep the roof over our head. So if we can get 85% of a kid that's leaving and I can tell you we've lost somewhere between 70 to 100 kids over the last 3 to four years online. So I want to know why are we losing those kids? You guys are front line. You know why they're leaving. Let help us out. Is there something that we can be doing as a school system to keep those kids? If not, maybe we look at online. I don't know. But I mean, uh, Daniel's doing a good job of trying to find every nickel and dime we can because you think, you know, 20,000 here, whatever, that's an aid salary or a teacher salary or part of it. It seems
105so little, but it that's where we're at. And so, I appreciate you coming, but I also appreciate your input. So, I know you all have my email address because I've gotten some emails from you in the past. And I know if you don't have my phone number, you can send me an email and say, "I want to talk to you." And I'll send you my phone number. Um, but know your input is valuable to us. And we do take what input we get and apply it and use it and evaluate it. Um, so I once again I thank you for your time, your effort, for those who attend. Um, we're trying to do what we can. I can tell you we were very close. I didn't realize how close we were to just basically losing
106our school system uh with this state stuff. And so, we have to make sure that we keep this school system up and running. And that's what we're trying to do. need to mention about process of superintend we are interviewing superintendents as we speak I will tell you that we are in the process and I well I don't want to comment on what we talked about um but I will tell you we asked experts to come in and help us so we're not doing this in a vacuum we had experts experts throughout the state to come and tell us, evaluate our applicants, tell us who was strong, who wasn't. They took our advice from we know we want someone local. I'm on the same page, right? But local isn't always doesn't mean qualified. So, um, you
107need to be local. We also want him to be a better or her to be a better communicator. We understand that the last one wasn't for you folks. And I'm probably saying stuff that some people are saying, "Well, I don't know if you used to say all that, but I'm just being transparent." >> Okay. >> Right. We understand he wasn't a good communicator. I was in there every month telling him it's not what you do, it's how you do it and when you do it. And so I will say he made some decisions that saved us also. And so I know he went to Indianapolis and fought hard for our school system. And some of these changes, he wasn't alone on them. We're I told you we're interviewing people. They're look, they're telling us they'd
108look in the same place as he did. So, I just want you to know we're out there. We're working for you, but we'll take any input we can get. We're trying to be as transparent as we can. Um, but there are some things we legally cannot tell you. And I can give you the piece of paper if you want as to what we're allowed to do and what we're not allowed to do, but I have to legally stay with him right now. And so does the I'll adjourn. Thank you.