001Good evening. It's this is the Water City Schools >> Board of Education meeting. It's Monday, February 2nd, 2026. Uh roll call. All members are present. Having a quorum, I'll ask you to rise for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance 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. [clears throat] Wash city schools provides a relevant, rigorous education founded upon relationships to ensure each student is college and career ready for success in a global community. Welcome. Um, tonight's recognition are the OJ leaders. Okay. So, Sarah and I are um OJ leader sponsors and um so these are some of our past leaders and I'll let them introduce themselves. You might recognize some of them. [laughter] >>
002Why don't you go first? >> Okay. Um, my name is Lauren Cook. >> I'm Robin. >> My name is Charlotte Nicholson. My name is Reese Peg. >> Okay. And they're just going to tell you all about OJ leaders. >> Yeah. >> Okay. How do you become an OJ leader? OJ leaders are chosen each month month by their teacher. Number one, leadership qualities. Teachers look for students that are respectful, responsible, safe, and caring. Number two, application. Students check off which leadership qualities they believe or hold um or have worked on. Number three, recommendations. Students must receive two recommendation signatures from their specialist teachers. Number four, OJ Council applications are looked over by the team by a team of teachers, administrators in Paris and chosen based on their leadership roles this month prior. And then this is
003a page um that we have to fill out each month to become a dojo leader. >> [clears throat] [snorts] >> Monthly service projects, weekly jobs, leadership apprentices thought out at the school day. monthly service projects. Cards to nursing homes is where on Christmases, on Valentine's days, or more special days like that, we get together and we write cards to to um to make their day and to lift their spirits. Reindeer Lane. Reindeer Lane is like a gift shop. It's where kids get to bring money to school. um in the library to the library and we have merchandise like gifts for family and friends that they get to buy and give to their families. Recycling we as a school we try to we try to recycle and help the planet as much as we can. So
004um by by doing that we try to just recycle and and and OJ leader help with those things. Um, animal shelter volunteering. Animal shelter volunteering is when we when OJ leaders um for the month get to go get to go to the animal shelter and and we get to meet the pets. Um, Veterans Day program. On Veterans Day, we get to we get to help out um with the younger kids do their Veterans Day. And when we do Veterans Day, we try to honor our veterans as much as possible. Appreciation gifts. We when people do things for us, we try to pay them back and be and be a good school. So, we try to um get together and and we and give those appreciation gifts, trash pickup. Every every day we every day after
005um at the end of school, we OJ leaders go around the school and and pick up trash and take them outside. Awesome. Um [laughter] pass out birthday pencils, recite recycle pickup, trash pickle pickup to second graders students. Carrer said it. Um, read announcements. Upcoming projects. Upcoming project [snorts] animal shelter pet supply drive. Penny wars for uni United unified sports and activities book fair. I read encouragement reenactment and many more. We would love to hear from you. If you have any and have an idea for the school or local project for us to do, please reach out. We would love to work with you. >> Absolutely. Do you have any questions for them? >> So, is there a leader from each grade level? Is it >> okay? >> Each each class. This is just fourth grade.
006So, okay. >> Each class, we have five classes and each class um has three leaders each month. >> Okay. >> It gives every student an opportunity to do it. >> Okay. So, we have a pet drive. The pet supply drive, the these gals will head it up and do the counting and that kind of stuff. >> Yep. So they go around and pick up all of the supplies around the school and then we keep track of >> which grade levels um donated and how many and all of that kind of stuff. >> So at each grade level one one child each month then so nine kids out of each class have an opportunity to be a leader then. Is that how that goes? >> We have three kids from each class each month. >> Okay.
007>> 15 kids total. >> Oh that's great. So everybody gets a chance. THAT'S GREAT. THAT'S GREAT. >> What's your favorite part of being an OJ leader? >> Uh, probably my favorite part of being an OJ leader is just being able to help out and being able to help the community. Um, and as a school, I feel like that's what we try to do most. >> Can you do it more than one time a year or can you apply and get to do it as many times as you want? Mhm. [laughter] >> Charlotte, what's your favorite part? >> Being like able to help people and like do like a lot of jobs. >> That's great. >> What's your favorite weekly job, Rosyn? >> What do you mean weekly? >> Like what's your favorite weekly job of
008the ones that you >> I told you at home I like [laughter] they don't know. Okay. >> My [laughter] favorite part of being an each week was reading to the first and second graders. >> That'd be great. >> And I would like to add if I can, the whole program was the idea of Sarah Kirkpatrick a few years ago um and wanted to build leader skills [clears throat] in our students. And so she kind of just started thinking and then she pulled our Morgan in and Britney Ter couldn't be here tonight. and they brainstormed and they came to me and said, "Hey, can we do this program?" And it has just flourished. I mean, they it's amazing. >> Does this make you want to um be in student council in middle school? >> Any leadership?
009[laughter] >> Looks like it's grown quite a bit with projects and things. Girls, the pennies wars will have to change to nickel wars. [laughter] >> We'll take nickels, too. or dollars. >> Any other questions for the girls? Are there any boys on the >> Oh, yeah. >> We actually had a boy that was supposed to be here tonight, but he couldn't make it. So, so >> well, thank you. >> We have one more special recognition that's not on the agenda. I'm going to turn this over to Mrs. Philippy. Let me see who you come up here. [laughter] Oh. she thinks she's here to present um some information about the school nurse. But Casey Gail, she is our new school school nurse this year. And I'm going to make you come all the way up. [laughter]
010Before Christmas time, maybe Thanksgiving time, we had a medical emergency from one of our with one of our staff members that required life-saving techniques that Casey did. She performed CPR in the nurse's office. Um, and I was there with her. Not probably as helpful as I could have been. Mostly just going, "What do you need? Is it okay? What do you need?" But she was swift. She was um she It was amazing. And this substitute teacher um is doing better. But we wanted to recognize Casey because it just went to show how um quickly she had to think on her feet so quickly. And at at an elementary school, we don't see that kind of word. I mean, we think quickly, but not about that kind of stuff. And I was just taken back and
011and amazed at at her skills and her leadership and her calm and how she kind of led the whole thing. and she she just deserves recognition for sure. >> Thank you. >> She had notards >> the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. >> Okay. I knew it was >> we went over then um you know knew [laughter] it had happened. We went over for the fourth grade Thanksgiving meal. >> Oh, right. >> And when Casey came in, I said, "Are you okay? Do you need to go home?" And she said, "No, I'm fine." [laughter] Okay. After it was all over, I went in and said, "Casey, are you okay? Do you want to go home?" home and she said no. And I was like, I am I got to go home. [laughter] I needed a break. But yeah,
012she just carried on with her day and you know, so I know that the staff member um is forever grateful and and thankful and she just was so quick and it it was it was amazing. >> So, thank you. [laughter] And I'm sorry. >> I didn't mean to lie to you. So, thank you. Okay. Um, next we are to approve the revisions. Um, revisions four one. So moved. >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I I. >> Those opposed. The revisions pass. Is there anyone in the audience that wishes to comment on an agenda item? Okay. Um, if you would like to go, you can you can stay for the whole meeting or you [laughter] you're welcome to. >> I think they want to go with your parents or if you like. [laughter] >>
013Okay, onto the consent agenda. We have minutes from January 20th, 2026. There's some claims. We have no donations or financials tonight. I'll accept a motion on the consent agenda. >> Second. >> All those in favor say I. >> I. Those opposed. Motion passes. The next regular schedule board meeting will be Monday, February 16th here at W City Hall at 6:00 p.m. That is a change. Um, we originally had that scheduled for Tuesday, February 17th, but with us being in school on President's Day, we'll go ahead and move it back to our originals for our third Monday. [clears throat] There's some items of communication. There's no old business, new business. We have [clears throat] >> Well, they are not here tonight. So, they did send me the information and said, "We can't make it, but we
014have information if you want to share." They said there wasn't a lot going on in January. >> So, this is the student council update. >> Yes, they gave me the winter sports update. Um, swimming. Uh, Luke had a win in a personal best in the 500. I believe this is probably a sectional >> conf. Okay. >> Um, and Isaiah, is that Isaiah? >> It'll come to you. >> Um, it's not Cordis. Uh he had four wins on senior night, so they're celebrating that. Um and girls, Rinka broke the record in the 100 meter breast stroke. Uh basketball, our boys, the JV is 2 and five, the varsity is 5-10. Girls, JB is 4 and8, and varsity is 3 and 19. And our wrestling, our boys are 4-0 and the girls are 0 and1. And then
015they shared esports. Um, I had to decipher these when they sent them to me. [laughter] Super Smash Brother U. I don't know what U stands for. A, that must be >> the A team. Uh, they're first out of 19. Mario Kart A is eighth out of 16. And Rocket League A is first out of six. Let me just say, Rocket League won state last year. So, okay. [laughter] Um, Riley week, we have a fundraiser and dress up days that will be coming up next week. And then our Argentinian stu tinian students are here. I believe this is the last week that they are here with us and there's 76 days of school left. >> Wow. Yeah. [laughter] I would uh thank you. Item B, board to approve Carol's request to move to part-time beginning with
016the 2627 school year. Mrs. Inert will continue to teach the educational pathways classes for WHS. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Discussion. Mrs. Enyard has requested to move to part-time which will allow her to continue to teach the high school dual credit educational pathways courses that we have at LH Carpenter. Um the high school is very pleased that she's willing to continue to teach these courses. We would like to accommodate this request. This means that we will be looking for a part-time title teacher. That's what she did the other half of the day. Um, and LH Carpenter for the coming school year. Okay. Do we have any questions from the board? All those in favor of approving the request say I. >> I. >> Those opposed. >> Motion passes. Item C, board to approve combining
017the halftime hability position at OJ Neighbors and the halftime title one interventionalist position at LHC. This will begin the 2627 school year. >> So move. >> Second >> discussion. So with the retirement of Mrs. Edingfield um at the end of December and now Mrs. Enyard's request to move to part-time, we have two half-time positions that need to be filled. We do feel like making this one full-time position um will give us more interested candidates um instead of try trying to find two halftime. And [laughter] because the person will serve high ability students, we will give preference to candidates with a high ability certification. Okay. >> And both of these positions um will be paid through grant. So this full-time position will be a fully grant-f funed position. Okay. >> Okay. Do we have anybody in
018the high ability position right now? >> Right now we do have somebody that is working on obtaining the lensure. >> Okay. So would this person be high ability half day and then an interventionist the other half? >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Those opposed. >> Motion passes. Item D board to approve the following retirements effective at the end of the 2526 school year. One, Paula Marman, administrative assistant at LH Carpenter. Two, Alan Tet as full-time bus driver. Mr. Tvette would like to continue to drive athletic trips for Wash City Schools. And three, Bill Bennish, WHS science teacher effective at the end of the 2526 school year. >> So moved. Second. >> Discussion. Mrs. Marman has worked for the district since 2000. We want to thank her for
019her service to Wes City Schools and wish her the best of luck in retirement. Uh Mr. Triet has been with WCS for almost 39 years. He has driven countless miles for us as both a route driver um and has also driven numerous sporting teams to their events. We want to thank him for his years of service. We're also very much appreciative that he's willing to continue to drive for athletics. And Mr. Vinish has taught for WCS for 31 years. Along with teaching, he coached middle school golf for a little while. and he was our first and only boy soccer coach until this year when he decided to go down to the assistant position. Um, and so we just want to thank Mr. Vinish for all his years of service and wish him well in retirement.
020>> All those in favor of approving the retirements say I. >> I. Those opposed? Motion passes. E. Board to accept the resignation of Mike Matter as boys varsity tennis coach. >> So moved. Second discussion. >> Mr. Madden has coached boys tennis for a combined 10 years. We want to thank him for his time and service to the tennis program. >> All those in favor of accepting the resignation say I. >> I. >> Those opposed. Motion passes. F. Or to approve a leave of absence for employee from January 6, 2026 to January 23rd, 2026. >> So moved. >> Second. discussion. >> Uh, this employee does not qualify for FMLA. However, I do recommend the board approve this leave. >> Okay. [clears throat] All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Those opposed? Motion passes. G.
021Bo to approve the annual overnight fifth grade camp trip to to YMCA YMCA Camp Crosley located in Webster North Webster, Indiana. This trip is scheduled for May 18th and May 19th, 2026. >> So moved. >> Second. Discussion. >> This is our annual fifth grade camping trip to Camp Crowley. Um because it is an overnight trip. Board approval is required. >> That's a Monday and Tuesday. Do they leave on Sunday or when do they leave? >> Monday morning. Monday morning. >> Monday morning. Okay. >> How many years have they been doing that trip? >> Forever. [laughter] serious or my 40ome year old kids were and lot of stories lot of stories [laughter] tales of a fifth grade camper. >> All those in favor of approving the trip say I. I. >> I. >> Those opposed. Motion
022passes. Item H4 to approve the annual out ofstate field trip for the sixth grade students and teachers to Chicago, Illinois. This trip includes time at the Science and Industry Museum, Lincoln Park Zoo, and Navy Pier. >> So moved. sorry discussion. So, this is our annual sixth grade trip to Chicago and because they're going out of state, we have to have board approval. [snorts] >> Will that be in April? >> Uh, I think it's usually >> It usually is. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Maybe first week. >> I think it's usually conflicts with the dance. Yeah. [laughter] >> Okay. Um, all those in favor of approving the trip say I. I. >> Those opposed? Motion passes. I board to approve the resignation of Stacy Bear as special education teacher at LH Carpenter at the end of the
0232526 school year. So moved. >> Second discussion. Mrs. Bearer has decided that this will be her last year of teaching. It is listed as a resignation because she does not meet the rule of 85 um which is required to receive retirement benefits with Wbash City Schools. Mrs. Bear has served Wash City Schools for 30 years and we want to wish her the best of luck in the future. >> All those in favor of approving the resignation say I. >> I. >> Those opposed. >> Motion passes. Items from superintendent. >> Well, I know that Pugsatonyi Phil saw his shadow, so we have six more weeks of winter. I just hope it's not like the winner that we've had so far. Um, we currently have one asynchronous e-learning day remaining, which is what we currently do where
024assignments are just posted and students work at them at their, you know, whenever it works for them. Um, just to update the community, all schools are given three asynchronous days that they can use. Through our flexibility waiver, we had four extra, so we had seven. Um, so we have used six of those. >> As a result of last week's statewide weather event, the IDOE did send out information um to request a waiver for the days that we used last week. Um, I submitted that last week. Um, as of today at I checked it before this board meeting, so at 6:00, we still have not received um whether or not that's been approved. I'm fairly certain that everybody in the state that submits one will get it. >> Um once we find out that it is
025approved, I will verify that that means those three e-learning days that we used we get back. >> Okay. >> Um and so that would give us four. If we would happen to have another event where we would use all of those, we would look at potentially doing synchronous e-learning, which is where we would have a schedule where teachers would set up a Google Meet and students would have to log in um for, you know, 20 to 30 minutes of instruction. Um it's that's one option or we could add to the end of the year. Um I have mixed emotions about both. Um, I think synchronous will be difficult, but I also know that adding days at the end of the year does no good for our students that are getting ready for state testing. Um,
026whether that's I learn, I read, AP tests that we have. Um, so hopefully we get the three days back and we don't need to use any more of them. That's my what I'm hoping for. Um, we want to wish good luck to our girls basketball team. the kickoff sectional tomorrow night against Eastern. Wednesday, February 4th is the big idea event at OJ. That was rescheduled from last Wednesday. It's from uh 4 to 5:30 p.m. We invite all of our families to come on out and pick up free food from the Second Harvest Food Bank. And next week is our annual Riley fundraiser week. Um we'll be having districtwide um spirit days and each building will be doing something different to help raise money for Riley. Our goal is um to be a Riley district and
027that means that we collect at least $1 per student. So we're looking at 1,300 and we'll say 13 because today was count day and we are about 11 students. Wonderful. So wonderful. >> We'll take it. >> Yeah. Thank you. Items from the COO. >> I just want to uh give a big thanks to our maintenance staff. Listen, I mean, you know, we didn't know how much snow we're going to get. They don't know what to deal with with the cold, but they're out and and while we do hire out the the lots, they're still doing all the sidewalks. They're doing they're still icing all their walkways. Uh and they're getting everything ready. And a lot of those days are getting ready and then we don't have school and so they're back at it the next
028day. So, just a big thank you to our maintenance staff for taking care of the weather. Hopefully, we don't have any more of that and uh we don't have to worry about it, but they did a great job of having everything ready for us when we did get back to school finally. >> Okay, thank you. Items from administrators? Nothing. Other items for visitors? Anything? >> Okay. Items from board members. We'll start with Connie tonight. Oh, I'm going to attend a free marketing meeting tomorrow morning and see if there's something I can glean from it to help marketing for city schools. And you never know, right? >> Wish me luck. >> Jason, >> I don't have anything tonight. >> Okay. >> I [clears throat] have a lot. Okay, I'll go. There is supposed to be a
029disc golf tournament. Is it still going on? as far as I know. >> Um, February 7th, the city park and um, donor's choice, Miss Myers still needs that, you know, 3D printer if you want to donate and you can donate as little as $10 because I was on there today and donated like $10 to one classroom because all they needed was pencils. So, I mean, come on. I can buy pencils for someone's classroom. >> But, um, they really appreciate it when you donate and it's tax deductible. >> All right. [clears throat] Thank you. Okay. >> All right. Here we go. >> Okay. So, my first one is um I don't think we have to vote on it because I don't think we've done it the last two years that I've been on the board, but
030I am for you. This is for H Heartland. Yes. Um the Business Professionals of America are going to a state leadership conference March 8th through 10th in Indianapolis, Indiana. We have three students going. Um I don't think we've ever voted to allow them to go because it's under H Heartland. So, I just wanted to inform everybody that they are going to that. >> And then we have Precision A. They have come to the H Heartland board asking if they could [clears throat] farm the 32 acres that is directly behind H Heartland. Um they have the person that we currently have the contract with is willing to break his lease with the school to allow precision a students to farm this ground to get a more realworld application of what they're doing in the classroom. Um
031they do have sponsors. So currently it's not going to cost them anything to do this. Um they've partnered with there's several community partners to get the seed and the fertilizer and some testing. Um but the students would go out do the soil testing, farm the ground. Um, and then they would sell the crop at the end of the season and use that money to pay first the board because the board charges $8,000 in rent and then the rest would go to their program, whatever they they would make. Currently, the board, you know, uses the $8,000 for scholarships for eight students at H Heartland. Um, so they have approached us about doing that. The students are very, very excited about it. Um, but I know we as a board have some questions. Who's, you know, farming
032isn't just during the school year. >> Um, who's going to farm it in the summer? Um, those questions really haven't been answered. Um, they're hoping that by paying us the $8,000, the scholarships don't go away, so we would still have the money for the scholarships. Um, I know somebody else had a question about >> Sustainability. Um, currently, I mean, I think the community partners really want to see this succeed. >> I don't know how many years that is, and there's no guarantee. >> Yeah. >> Um, so they wanted me to bring it to the board to basically get a consensus of whether we would be on board with them trying this or if we are going to vote no. >> Do they have all the equipment they need to farm? I guess McKillip Seeds, they're
033partnering with McKillip Seeds and they will bring in the equipment. >> Um, I don't know. I don't know the logistics of that >> big undertaking. >> J, there's really nothing we have to pay for Heartland. >> J, could they do it on a three-year trial basis or something? Because I'm thinking if the enrollment drops in that class, >> yeah, >> you know, and we're the kids are committed beyond that or the program is I, you know, I don't know >> how many students are in the class. >> I want to say there's 12 students currently in the class. It's one of the smallest classes at H Heartland. Um, their contract does say that it's reviewed annually. >> Okay, that makes sense. >> Um, but I I mean I don't know if you know we give
034it to them for two or three years to start to see if you know if they can do that. >> Um, >> but you know I I think where I'm worried about the most is students coming >> to actually farm it. >> You can't farm five hours during the day and who's to say the weather's going to be good? who's going to be farming it in the summer. You can't when seniors are gone, they're gone. Um, and I can't tell you the juniors are going to come back to do it. I mean, um, I would want to spend my summers doing that, but I'm also not a farmer. I don't know how to, right? It's not my passion. Maybe it is theirs, but a lot of these students drive, too. They're from Huntington, North Miami.
035Um, and so it's not just logistically. Yeah. Correct. >> And did they have commitment to their potential family? Correct. Yes. >> So that's kind of >> everything kind of in a nutshell. We have to vote on this at the next meeting in February because we need to if we're going to do this, we have to break the contract with the current lease. >> And do you expect to have an answer from them as to who's going to farm it during the summer? >> I haven't gotten it answered [laughter] yet. Um I would expect to get one at the next, you know, before the next meeting. A lot of crop can sit during the summer except for the mowing around. >> And they do plan on doing no till soybeans for the first year. I don't
036know how much farming that takes. >> And 32 acres isn't a lot. >> No, it's not a lot. >> It's not a lot. And so they could >> So they could do it five hours. >> Could they? Yes. Okay. >> Yeah, they could because I we're talking about people who are used to doing thousands of acres. [laughter] >> Some probably do farm. >> Yeah. So they might have an idea this >> reasonable. >> I mean my recommendation would allow them to try it. >> I think they on a very trial basis. >> Yeah, that's what I would be like an unofficial vote. >> I think just Yes. Mr. Sandy, as far as like insurance liabilities attorney. >> Yes, >> I believe it's Mr. Patio. >> Okay. Yeah, >> I you know I would think it
037would take like three years to work the kinks out to see if it's really going to work. You know, I don't think a year is long enough that >> I don't know. >> And there is going to be an advisory board with I believe a representative from McKillip Seeds, Mr. Haldderman >> is getting involved and the current le which is I think Chris Schultz. >> Yeah. >> Um he's going to be I think spearheading most of it along with Mrs. Duboce. Um, and she plans on, I think, is going to be the lead point on this because my my other question was who gets the final say? >> You know, we have people donating material. Do they get the final say on when everything happens or who who's making the decisions in this? Um, I
038believe she is the point of contact for that. >> Um, >> but it's just kind of up in they seem very excited about it. I think it seems like a great, you know, I love to see kids, students, not ch children, um, get out there with real world application >> rather than just in the classroom. >> And we did have somebody who goes down, he >> um, judges the FFA. >> Yeah. >> And he did say that you can tell the schools who only do computer-based projects to the ones who actually get out there and farm, there's a huge difference in the knowledge that they have. So, I think this could be a good opportunity for them. I think like um Connie said, there's a lot of kinks to work out if we allow them
039to do this. Um so, is there anyone that's not in favor of allowing them? >> I think the question is liability like who's signing off on like >> I'm not that's against it. It's just the >> the insurance >> sign off on okay if they break something >> who's on the hook for it. >> And they do have they do plan on signing a full waiver of liability. I don't know how far that extends if if one of them gets injured and they've signed a liability waiver >> conversation with their insurance too. >> Right. >> And Hartland has has their own insurance. I mean so I mean it's it's not put back on all the schools if something happens. They're they're insured. I mean, they have their own insurance. >> I think the real world
040application would be a good thing. >> Yeah. So, >> so we're in good cons. [laughter] >> Yeah, >> sounds good. >> Okay. And I don't have anything either. So, with that, we'll adjourn. Thank you.