001We're going to go ahead and start the meeting. We're going to start with the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> We're going to pray if you'd like to join us. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the chance to be here tonight. We ask that you would lead us and guide us as we make decisions. Please continue to bless this school. Be with us through the court proceedings and just bless everyone who's involved here. The students, the staff, the parents, the whole community. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. >> Amen. >> We need a motion to approve tonight's agenda. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> All those in
002favor? Well, go ahead and open it up for public comments on the agenda. Where are the agendas? >> Oh, I'm sorry. Um, is there I thought I had extra might not. >> So, yeah, there's I want like an agenda. >> Here you go. >> I don't know if we have any comments yet. >> Yeah, there you go. >> We'll wait a second. >> Sorry. >> Okay, >> we can take them at the I mean, we can wait till the end if you'd rather do it. Sorry, but I'll make sure you guys get one of these when I send the others out Fridays. >> Um, we'll move on then to action items. I need an approval of January's minutes and financials. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> All those in favor? I >>
003I move on to accepting the resignation of Ash Ashley Morris. >> Motion. >> Do I have a second? >> All those in favor? >> I move. I need an approval for Brandon Arnett to be a high school instructional aid. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> All those in favor? All right. >> I move on for facility requests for forms that have been submitted um both by Losville United Methodist Church. They would like to use the school May 2nd for a 1940s style show and then November 21st and November 22nd for an annual craft show. Do I have a motion to approve? >> Motion. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I. And then the next is the school calendar. >> Um I had comments made
004by teachers about that and we've never had discussion over that because we didn't have discussion tonight. >> Well, I sent I sent you earlier on I sent you the calendar >> and I ask you guys to come back on that >> which would have been discussion tonight. >> Okay. So what what are your comments? >> Well, I just have like there were a couple of like concerns. I don't know if I can get him to pull up tonight or not, but I just saying >> Okay, we can wait on it, but it's the same calendar we had last year, >> right? >> Exact same we had. >> I'm just sorry, >> sorry to interrupt, but I we haven't really had any discussion about that like formally before we move ahead. >> I know there was
005some discussion about the like the holidays. Is that the way those fell? >> Yeah. >> I don't know if I can get them all pull up. >> We can wait. >> Yeah, we can. It's it's not >> you guys are going to hope I don't come anymore. >> I'd rather know now before we approve it than have to go back. >> There's there's always discussion. Everyone has it seems like everyone's got a premium on the calendar in terms of what's best. So you just just make your decision appropriate. So >> my main comment on the calendar every year is it needs to just closely align with Newcastle because it makes it hard when you have a kid in both programs and this it's not the same. >> I agree. So that that is my ask
006is that we tried to keep those dates the same as >> well for years we were told that it had to be cancelled schedule. So I understand where you're coming from. >> Other than that I that's really all I have on the calendar. >> It just gets confusing remembering where they're supposed to be. I think >> it's confusing for busing as well. >> Yeah. >> Well talk to kids when they have spring break different than what Newcastle has. What do they do different different twohour delays the others don't >> and then um okay so we're going to table the calendar and then moving on to the classified employee employment agreement form. Do you want to talk a little bit about this? >> Yeah, I appreciate that. So, one thing we've done in agreement, everything that
007that um we've had at different places, well, every other place I've been at is is a classified employment agreement. Just like you would have the deck sheet of an insurance and the deck sheet for the teachers contract the number it has the number of if you look at it it's got the number of when it starts when your contract starts when your contract ends number of days you're expected to work the time when you start the time when you end the number of leave days um and so then it also includes your salary and it also tells you how you're going to be paid and when you're going to be paid just basic agreement between the school corporation and the classified staff member. For those that aren't aware, I had this question today. A certified
008staff member would be a teacher administ people who have a certificate for education. That's certified. So those people that have have the teacher screen and the classified would be all else. Um whether it be bus driver, whether it be um para those those works in the cafeteria um they they would not be certificated to fall under the teacher contract. So this is all else outside of the teacher contract. So we have it for the teachers, but we don't necessarily have it from from from everyone else. And so there's questions sometimes, well, how many days do I get? How many out what am I really supposed to work? And so this is just a clarification on that. Um it's plus it's something we we would hand out annually to to every employee. So every employee knows
009what their terms are. Um this is this is not a teacher contract. So it wouldn't be binding. It's and and in here if you look at number six it says all classified employees are at will employees and this agreement may be canceled at any time during his term in the best interest of union school corporation. That's that's so that that language in there protects protects the u protects the school um because it's doesn't fall under the teachers the teachers teachers contract. So this is just something notifying well Abby would be an example. Okay, this is adding your 268 contract. This is the amount you've been paid. you repay the on the 15th and the 30th of every month. It's direct deposit, those kinds of things. And then on the back page of that, and this
010is where we can um you as a board have have leeway or thought process around this. And this is this is where it's at right now in terms of what the some of the benefits are for the 100. There's a difference between 180 day employee and a 260. A 260 would be would be your maintenance director who works all year round, your finance who works all year round. um those those types of people. Um but then everyone else is would be falling in between that in terms of your um terms of your contracted days. Um so so this so your 180 employees right now they get five PTO days. Your 260 gets 15. Um your 180day employees are not offered any kind of insurance benefits or per they're less number of hours. 26 employees earn
0113% under new 180 do not get life insurance. 260 the employee receive 50,000 term life insurance policy. All classified employees earn five maternity maternity leave days just based upon same thing that the teachers union does. Um and then 260 employees may accumulate leave days from year to year. The ladies do not. Um so that's just a short list of of that they' be able to see that and understand that you as a board you'd be able to amend the PTO days. >> Yeah. Could we just call on that is five days is not a lot. Yeah. Considering this is like over twothirds of the number of days, >> but the PTO days are so few compared to >> one >> from five to jump from five to 15 is like I don't know that just
012seems low to me. So 10 would be the 23 23. I mean, yeah. I just think five is so >> Yeah. Any thoughts on that? >> Yeah, sure. >> Is this the same regardless of length of time or is this um like in year two? like say they come back for year two because >> five days for for a first year employee is more than fair as far as they like >> at my work that's what you get you have to be there a year to even get any time. So is this going to be like the next year they can get more or it's every year they're at this point? >> So so with teachers it's every year is the same and so like for teachers and for those that work in schools it's
013a little bit like working in the major leagues or the NBA or NFL like you have a definite start time. So your contract is for that that year process. Um I I've not seen it where they have accumulated like certain you can add your days but I haven't seen where they get more or less based upon based upon because they have to get the holidays and those kinds of things but there something we can look at if there's something you're interested but I've not seen that. Um >> but I we get two weeks just to start >> it's just it's just two they started from January and that's it. No matter if you started in February, you're going to get two weeks. >> The other part of this too is, you know, the two-hour delays,
014those kinds of things. Um, you know, you're not default. It's not their fault. Yeah. >> If you start like a September or something, then they rated like you may only get like two or three days of that. >> But we're going to work on the back end of this too because we have certain employees, let's talk about earlier today. Certain employees who, you know, they may get 10 days, but they're already at 15 and we're twothirds of this. What do we do with employees that are just it's different if they work it out with the principal superintendent because they've got health issues going on, but then there's some that are just gone too. And so that's another thing that we'll have to work on on the back end side of that back end of something
015like this as well. But this I think this is a this is a good start for um for annually bringing it up for for staff members so they can have something they put in their file. This is this is my agreement with with you over the years. So with the accumulation of days says the 26C can accumulate the days. So I'm taking that as if they only use five days this year, they'll start next year with 20. >> Mhm. >> Yeah. So are there a max? >> Yeah, we probably should. >> So put a max on that. >> So the legis legislature passed a law number back where you can't have unfunded liabilities. And so what was happening with teachers union was like somebody like Ja would have 200 acred sick days because she never
016used a day. So what they did is they chopped off our knees and said, "Oh, by the way, those are no value anymore." >> Yeah. >> And so it's the same thing. They're there in case somebody gets like cancer or so. We were able to we're able to afford them those days. So that's what it's for. It's not something that we're going to come back and write your check at the end of your account. >> They used to do that long time ago. >> Well, that's what I was making sure I know where I work. We >> we max out at if you're there 20 years, you max out at 360 days. Because if you would quit, give your proper notice, >> you would get paid for those 360 days if you had that many
017hours. >> Yeah. Yeah. So, typically they don't use that necessarily in education, but they do in case there's an illness or there's something that going on where they they need to, you know, unfortunately have to be pulled away from school for a length of time. Those days are nice to have there, but there is no um value coming back to them if they were retire with 150 whatever it is. That used to be a thing, but not it's not that anymore because the legislature, I think it was 2009 or 2010, um they they gave schools money to get rid of those unfunded liabilities and they changed the laws around that. You had to negotiate the whole thing and then >> like some people got one value and then >> it was based on how many
018years you've been teaching. >> There was that in our contract we had that clause for the people hired before whatever. Correct. >> Yeah. Right. >> So that liability is one of them. Yes. >> I'm sorry. I know. Um Okay. So the classified the classified employees, I understand all of that, but is that going to like are you going to look at like their education at all? Because we have a like what will fall under a classified employees that I can't really >> we can't really go to bat for >> Yeah. >> Um for our behavior specialist that it has a master's. I mean, are you looking at any of that when you just sign her as a classified employee? >> Well, it depends on what where they're at. different because bus driver, cafeteria. >> Okay.
019So, >> yeah, you certainly look at all >> Well, but I just mean five days is definitely not reasonable for somebody that has a master's degree and she's using it. And >> yeah, >> that's what I'm saying. Like there's a difference between a bus driver or a teacher's assistant or >> But you're talking about the RBT specifically. >> I'm talking about the behavior therapist, right, >> and the RBT because they're different now, >> right? So, so there's they contract with this they're contracted. They were contracted employees with the school. The behavior specialist is still contracted with the school, but the RBTs are are have become part of our employees. Part of part of their agreement when they first came in was that there wouldn't be benefits. >> That's fine. I'm just I'm talking about >>
020benefit. So that would be days and those kinds of things are benefits. So we went ahead added those for them in in that in in that situation because there's times, right? So so they weren't weren't supposed to, but we've gone ahead and and >> throughs there was no There was no contract with them. >> We we Abby can speak to it, but we hired them away from another they're sep they're separate entity all to themselves. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> And so there's never been a contract. >> Okay. >> They they were we were contractors. So if they were working for another company, we stole them away, right? >> It's kind of how it was >> because we're we're paying them. >> We're pay Yeah. We're paying to put them in. That's right. That's what
021it was. So we just >> Very smart. >> Yeah. Yeah. That's how it works. Yeah. So, we are going to look at that. >> We always do whenever whenever we hire an employee, we always look at all the factors before we determine what what they're what they're mostly in wages. The the benefits once we get that down, they're going to be solid, consistent for every employee, whether they're 180 or 260, but then salary wise is where we look at >> I'm just asking because I know that she's been I know Julie's had to miss another day because her husband they thought he had cancer. He doesn't Thank you, Jesus. But she was unpaid. >> What? >> We're live, by the way. >> I'm sorry. >> Yeah. >> Anyway, >> we weren't last time. >> Yeah.
022>> So, um um so I was just That's why I was asking because >> don't fall under the teacher contract, >> but she doesn't really either, right? That's why I was a little concerned. We should the table and go back. >> Yeah. We'll come back to that. Yeah. Right. Yeah. So they would fall under this this classified. >> So they will now fall under those. >> Yeah. They would fall under. Yes. >> Yeah. So this is just I think this is a nice we've done this everywhere. We had it's nice for the staff member to get something. This is my days. These are my hours. Just clarifies the expectations. >> So are you going to bring this back to us for each like group for >> Well, we can we we'll start this is just
023there'll be a discussion point between now and the start of next year. They have this now already. Um, I can up that to 10 if that's what you'd like. So, >> I don't know what what's everyone else think. I just think that looked like a big jump from >> You're right. >> One to the other. So, I don't >> I don't know if you've ever looked at it. I don't know if you've ever had a chance to really look at it. >> Maybe. >> Yeah, I'm good at jumping it. >> Yeah, it's fine. >> Okay, we'll do that. Um but then this will be something that will come back to us as we look at the benefit side of of things. Um that's really been always as employers about somebody has a degree like that.
024We didn't >> so I mean this could be like the entry level we're talking about when you're talking about getting down to master's degrees I think it is just a beginning beginning discussion on this. So are we tableabling it then and or do you need a motion just starting? >> We can approve this form right now and we can bring it back and keep our own. So yeah sure if you're okay with this >> for the 10 days instead of >> Yep. Sure. >> Yep. >> But we don't want to approve it for 10 for everyone if that's a case by case basis. Right. Is that what we're saying? >> Well this would be for all 180 employees >> because that would be like an instructional aid would get would get 10 days. Right. >>
025Correct. as opposed to who were you thinking >> like the masters with a >> okay >> advance degree or even a bachelor >> I'm just thinking about other jobs and like my son was a welder in a factory and he had like five weeks of vacation or something so that see this seems really low when you're talking about people with >> but you also have to remember it's only 180 days they work they get they get all the breaks off all the the summer >> that's also factor >> yeah they do And we work with them if there's days of but it would be there's difference between five days and 10 days paid. >> Yeah. >> You know something needed is seven days a health issue or whatever. Some family member had health issues I
026didn't have to take too much paid. >> But yeah that's five is low. I will say five is five is pretty standard level for what I've seen. But again this is the first time we've talked about it's the first time we've had it here. Do other schools pay their aids when they're not there? Like do they get vacation time? >> They get certain days. >> This was comparable to other schools. >> Okay. So this this is what their other school days >> five. >> Yeah. So it's just good good discuss talk about it and see where see what we want to do. Are you okay with is there anything I add need to add or admit on the form that you're seeing? >> I think the form is good. It's just whether some people should
027have at least more than five days. I don't know. I still think five days will look for anything. >> I I guess you go compromise at seven or eight. I was just so over if they don't use it >> for not for the 180 just >> they have to use them. >> Yeah. >> I think >> too many too much segments going around now. I mean you don't do you need an extra day something like happen flat tire or anything stupid even if you go two more as a seven I don't know about I don't not sure about the certificated versus non-certificated in terms of days >> yeah I mean I think we need to look at the days for people like if the requires like a bachelor's are masters. We need to make that
028more consistent with the other jobs that require that. >> Okay. I don't I mean, right? I >> I'm thinking about other jobs out in the world and what would be like >> normally someone with a masters would probably expect >> just revisit it and revisit put it where we want it and then >> revisit it and say, "Hey, we'll go over >> what we want to give people that have degrees." >> Yeah. >> The benefits side can always come back to us and we can adjust those as you like. But I wouldn't I wouldn't go 12 and go back to eight. >> Keep it wherever we get it. If anything chang >> so you're saying you're saying vote on this the way it is now. >> 180 days. So you say take it to seven
029for everyone and then look at >> you don't miss >> because we can if we go seven we can always look at >> okay so we're going to seven so I need an approval I'll make a motion to approve that form with Seven for employees. >> I'll second it. >> Well, who's in favor? >> Kayen, did you want to give an update on where? >> So, the legislative session is is rolling right now. I was there last week. Um, we had a legislative breakfast on Wednesday morning. Um, and so what what's happening right now here at Union? Um, I've been really proud of our teachers, really proud of our staff, really proud of our community. Things like this can either divide a community or they can pull people together and it's really pulled people together
030and I'm grateful for that. Um, so last week at our legislative breakfast um talking with uh head of the ways and means a little bit and then also with um with a legislator from Fort Wayne um they we fully believe it's going to be worked out in in in the court system and they do as well. Uh we have our our um November 24th and 25th is our court date, but we believe it'll come to a summitative hearing uh in July talking with attorneys sometime in July. We think we'll have full clarification in terms of of where we're at. Um we still we believe there's no doubt that we will win this. Um again, one of the one of the major major issues like right now they're talking about the cell phone usage. There's a
031bill going through talking about how kids are not allowed to have cell phones at all during the day. Um, personally, I understand it from school, but I don't like it. You know, we're an educational facility and our job is to teach kids how to cope in the world that they live in. And so, let's just take away, it's a little bit like prohibition back in the 20s. Let's just take away the cell phones and not teach them how to use it properly in a work environment, within a school environment. And again, it's just a dummying down of looking at educators saying, "You don't know what you're doing and we know better than you." And that's the that's the common theme that's coming out of Indianapolis is we know better than you. We're best for you.
032You know, if Indianapolis wants to consolidate schools, if you're a 1A school, I'd be deeply concerned. We get I get daily emails, updates from what's going on around the state, and there isn't one single day that I get an update that doesn't have something to do with schools struggling with finances around Senate Bill One. And so the the goal is to shut down your 1A schools. We just had our sectional draws for basketball boys basketball across the state. Imagine no sectional draws with any 1A schools in them. That's that's what the legislature wants to do. They want to eliminate the 1A schools, which is exactly the opposite of what Ohio did 12 to 15 years ago when they realized Ohio legislators realized their entire economy is wrapped up in the small communities across the state.
033And so they put all kinds of dollars into the infrastructures of small schools all around the state trying to build up their small their small schools. And by building up their small schools, they build up the economy, they build up the community. And they're going strong because of it. Our state, for whatever reason, wants to go the other way. Let's eliminate small communities. Let's eliminate small schools. And it's just wrong. If they and if the my point is if they want to do that, make sure you do it the right way. Don't top down it by throwing it between the second and third between the second and third third reading of a bill and throw it in and think it's fine. It that's not that's not that's not being a good human. That's not being
034good. That's not good politics. That's not good for anyone. Um that's that's someone saying I know what's best for you. And shame on that person. Shame on you for being that way. That's not the world that that we live in. And so for us personally, we are documenting currently right now writing a letter to all legislators documenting our story. Um, you know, I was running on the monon when I got a call from from Christie. It was on a Friday night about 7 o'clock. I got a call from Christie in in in March a year ago. And I thought, well, I silenced her because I thought, well, I want to finish my run. I don't want her hear me breathing hard when I'm on the phone. And so, uh, and then two minutes later, Christa
035called, and I thought, uh, oh, here we go. And so I we we did a three-way call and they said that JD Prescott had called them and said gave them given them three options. He said number one we're going to shut you down. Number two the state's or you can shut yourself down or number three you can disassociate with your online platform but one of those three is going to happen in in this next legislative session. and he told them that he had tried to call me, text me, email me, all these things. I went back through my phone records, email records, and people do that to me a lot. That's fine. But I went back, he had not tried to call me. He had not tried to email. He had never tried to contact
036me. When I got back to my truck, there was on my there was a voicemail from that from just a few minutes prior from JD Prescott. And so I called him immediately. And and I had never met the guy. I've never talked to the guy. Um, and I actually kind of like the guy when I talked to him and but I just thought, well, he's number one, I thought it wasn't very smart on his part because they tried this 10 12 years ago, they tried to eliminate the 1A schools and then all of a sudden it just disappeared. The bill just disappeared. And so we asked we asked our leaders like, "What happened to that bill?" And they laughed and they chuckled. They said, "Well, the legislators want to get reelected. Something about shutting down
037a school causes people not to get reelected." and and you're really upsetting that community because you're hurting the kids, the parents, the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and the alumni of that of that school corporation. And so when I talked to JD, I called him back right right away. He told me those same three things. You can shut yourself down, we'll shut you down, or you can disassociate with your INDLS. He told us those three things. Who is he to say that to us to any school? We are a school state choice. We're a school choice state where where we're where kids have all kinds of options. We have private schools with four students in them in Indiana. And so if you look at our last and they say, "Well, it's because of your results. Well, it's
038because of your size. Well, it's because of your economy." There's no metric no metric by the legislature saying this is how we're what we're going to do to close down schools. Plus, beyond that, all your 1A schools, there's no research done saying economically this is better for our state. Nowhere. This is just someone's idea that they have that that they have to have something to do. And if you if you spend any amount of time in in in I want to say Washington, but it's pretty much the same. Spend time in Indianapolis. It's embarrassing if you watch what's going on. And and I know a lot of Hoosiers are getting tired of the top down type type leadership. And and I've voted Republican. I'll just say it most of my life. But I'm I'm going
039to think twice this next round because of what's what's going on there. And and it's not about what's doing what's right. It's about an agenda. And I've seen, you know, some of the the head of the Way Meat Committee, Travis, was was a friend of mine when he first started when he first got elected. He he called me and said, "Hey, Gayen, I need help with the education side." So, we met we met in in Ligonier for breakfast and he we would talk on the phone or call or have breakfast once a month. And now he's ahead of the Ways and Means. When I walked into our legislative breakfast on Wednesday, you know how you haven't seen a friend for a while and you have this big smile? Hey, how? And then all of a
040sudden the face just dropped because he recognized you've really done them wrong. That was the conversation with Travis and I was very disappointed in him because he went from somebody who was doing the right things for people who had the right heart to all of a sudden he's becoming about agenda and doesn't care about people and that's what's going on in Annapolis and it's really bothersome and so you none of none of the legislators have bothered to come talk to our kids have talked to our community. No one has showed up here at our doors. What what's going on? We want to invite every legislator here to come see us. you know, a lot of it. That's why I'm coaching basketball this year to bring recognition to the community, honestly, because we have a lot
041of talent there. There's skills and there's a lot of talent throughout this whole community. And so, legislators, come see us. Come because you're going to get a letter, but come see us and and talk to our kids. Talk to our communities and see, we're just like your school. We're no different. Come see us. And so, so that's what's going on with our with our with our community right now. We we've kind of taken stayed quiet in the school. I will tell you that every one of our fifth grade students tested at or above proficiency level at the latest at the latest checkpoint on our testing. Um things are really going well within the classroom. We've made big changes, big shifts. Uh we had alumni night for our cheerleaders this last this last Friday night and
042that was a lot of fun to see our gym full. So many people here. So much pride and union. And so that's where we're at right now. You see teachers with their with their nose to the grindstone. Uh and you see a community that's coming together and holding together through this whole time. pastors, churches, community members, businesses, everyone's hung together. And and I'm proud to be part of it. And we're just union is one that's out in front. We're just going before everyone else is. And I think the good Lord has has blessed us in that we can go out front everybody else and we can lead the way on this. And the strength of this community is what's going to see us through. So that's your legislative update at right now. I would just
043like to point out um for anyone that's wondering how well our kids do postgraduation, go look at IU East Chancellor's list and see how many of our kids are and I think that's a pretty good indicator of the type of education that we're providing here. I encourage people to and I'm sure there's other colleges you can look at but I just know because you know my daughter goes to that school so kudos. >> Does anybody else have anything to add? Okay. Then I'm going to ask for a motion to adjurnn. Motion. >> I have a second. >> Second. >> All those in favor. Thank you.