001good evening and welcome to the meeting the special organizational meeting of the Cedar Springs Public Schools Board of Education on January 6th 2025 the board is meeting this evening to conduct the business of the school district while the meeting is legally required to be held in a public setting it's not considered a public community meeting we value your input and we have allocated time for public comment participation during the meeting please indicate your intent to make a public comment tonight by submitting a registration form at this time you can find the forms next to the copies of the agenda on the table that you passed on your way into the meeting so I'll Now call the meeting to order and if we could all please and rise for the Pledge of Allegiance I to the
002of the United States America and to the rep stands one nation God indivisible with liy and justice for all I'm now do a roll call for attendance purposes trusty Reed here trusty schner here uh trusty slager here uh trusty Gilmore here truste Lun here truste Patton here and truste Bowser here very good so roll call is complete all board members are in attendance the first item on the agenda for this evening's meeting is the organizational meeting and within board book you'll find that there are a multitude of attachments and different subsections within that organizational meeting topic uh the first uh artifact that you have is just an overview of the purpose for the organizational meeting and that document was provided to us uh by masb the uh under then the first um topic or the
003first item uh that we'll be addressing is the election of the board members uh for office on the board so the purpose of the organizational meeting is first and foremost to elect the officers for the uh 2025 2026 school year it's to set the uh date meeting times for the regularly scheduled meetings it's to designate a person for the posting of the notices of meetings is to designate a depository for school district funds it's to identify any general appointments or delegates that may be uh appropriate uh we also do a ceremonial reenactment of the oath of office um there are opportunities for us to uh approve uh retainer contracts for law term and law firms and Auditors as such uh and then other members as specified by the board by laws or policies so uh
004the first item on the agenda is to then uh elect the officer of the president of the board of education so um within the Board of Education the president of the board uh shall preside at all meetings of the Board of Education in the absence of the president the vice president shall act as the chairperson of the special board meetings the role of the president shall include the presiding of the meetings that of the board perform other duties appropriate to the office of the president assure that deliberations will be done in Fair open thorough but also efficient timely and orderly uh fashion and that they are to the point and then um the other purpose or the other role of the president is to attempt to achieve full resolution of matters before the board whenever
005practic uh and then potentially prosecute actions brought by the school district against another their party or defend the school district on behalf of uh any or defend on behalf of the school district in all actions brought against the district so I'll open up the floor for any nominations for the role of President I would like to dominate Heidi Reed for president any second son that second okay so Heidi Reed is nominated by trusty Bowser seconded by trusty Patton are there any other nominations for the president of the which I nominate Trent Gilmore uh trusty lond is nominated Trent Gilmore are there any seconds for that nomination hearing none then that nomination is not in consideration for vote any other nominations for the role of President hearing none we'll close the nominations any discussion I would
006just say that F's been doing a great job uh really appreciate the communication she's put out to us and yeah for this next year I agree I would just that too she she's worked very hard and works diligently in the communication piece and making sure there's representation and different ideas are are being heard and um I think there are others on the board that could also do do a great job so I'm not saying that but um but she has experience and knowledge we can't shut the door or then it's Notting I understand but then it doesn't become a public meeting any other comments I just I agree with everyone I feel like Heidi always she doesn't tun us out when we come to her with something she listens and she understands every side she
007doesn't just hold to One account of one person's knowledge she listens to everyone's point of view and finds com and I appreciate you and I understand Heidi's probably an excellent candidate and I would have nominated her but I believe in term limits know some people being in the same position for so many years you know fresh face sometimes help any other comments okay hearing none I'll call to vote all those in favor of ID Reed serving during the 20125 2026 school year as president of the Board of Education uh please State your agreement by saying I I all those opposed say nay nay so the vote passes 61 and at this point I'll turn the meeting over to Heidi who is now the acting president of board thank you thank you for minut and I'll
008continue to try and to everybody and we'll get our business done okay so next we're moving on to nominations for the office of Vice President pres and I would open the floor to a nomination go for the vice president a school board vice president performs duties of the president if the president is not available or able to attend the vice president of the Board of Education shall preside at meetings of the Board of Education when the president is not able perform the duties appropriate to the office of Vice President as the board terms so now I would enter open up the floor for nominations for the office of Vice President I'd like to nominate Matt schner a second and we have nomination in a second are there any other nominations hearing none I can call
009for the vote for Matt schner for vice president is there any discussion I just appreciate Matt as very knowledgeable about the rules and and policies and and really keep things in in order and that has been very helpful yes I agree policies procedures parliamentary procedure all of it so it's been it's been great having them be able to make sure we're we're following protocol I value that very much especially the way he words the Motions to you hopefully you're you're getting that knowledge it seems like you're people so you're rubbing off yes right what would Mass okay here no more discussion I'll call a roll call vote um president Reed yes Jesse Bowser yes Jesse Patton yes JY l no JY Gilmore yes JY slagger yes JY shner yes thank you the vote passes six
010to one and moving on to the office of secretary the secret the board School Board secretary will sign Schoolboard minutes take roll call at every meeting and perform other duties as requested by the board basically signing formal documents and other um business papers needed for the board we do have um Barb thank you for be the reporting secretary so whoever is the secretary can concentrate and listening on their duties so we thank you for that bar so I would open up the floor to nomination for secretary for the Board of Education I Nom you we have a motion and a second do we have any other nominations for the secretary position have any discussion before I call for the vote we just I'm always happy to hand it over to but seems yes we appreciate
011and and also just everything that you bring to the board and handle yourselfself having no other nominations or I'll call for the role um vice president schner yes trusty slagger yes trusty Gilmore yes trusty L yes trusty Patton yes trusty Bowser yes president Reed yes motion carries thank you for your service moving on to our final officer for this evening it's the treasurer of the board and a School treasurer reviews the financial activities of the school district and also signs lots of documents and a lot of the day-to-day work is entrusted to the school staff but that position also plays a role in bylaws and signing various things so at this time I would open up the floor for a nomination for Tre treasure for the board I nominate Trent Gil a second thank you
012we have a motion of second do we have any other nominations for treasure for the board hearing none do we have discussion before I call I just appreciate Trent's hard work and you ask a lot of very pertinent questions especially to M so I just yeah I just appreciate you seem like you have that that type of brain that's on the fiscal side yes thank you for sharing your business acity with us take the hat off after the board meeting from work to here any other discussion having none I'll call the role vice president shopner yes secretary slager yes Jesse Gilmore yes truste lond yes truste Patton yes truste Bowser yes president Reed yes motion car ious thank you for your service TR want to jump up and catch a now oh I miss as
013I [Music] ra okay Y and we all want red long all right so we missed the oath of office so we're all GNA do that together okay if everyone could please rise you do have the both of office printed in front of you but I'll read it uh line by and then if you would repeat after we pleas uh and then following the meeting this evening um Barb has the official documents that we would in turn submit uh to the Kent County Board of Elections and so you'll need to make sure that you sign those she'll notorized that are here this evening and then we'll be able to finish out that check that legal box as well so clear this is ceremonial correct that's the official correct uh so if you could please raise your
014right hand and repeat me I do solemnly swear I do swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States consti of the United States and the constitution of this state and theti of state and that I will fully or excuse me Faithfully discharge the duties of office I Faithfully discharge the duties of office of M of the Board of Education of the Board of Education of Cedar Springs Public Schools public schools according to the best of my abilities according to the best of my abil thank you all right moving on to organizational meeting item C propose organizational the board of education for the school year we have the regular meeting scheduled before us in cour I think it's it's the same pattern that we currently follow um the second Monday of each month
015uh and then uh we will have a workshop board Workshop in uh the months of October uh SE no I'm sorry October February and then again in June and the purposes of those uh board workshops are to uh talk through our beginning of year data to get an update on soon progress uh talk through middle of year data in February and then talk through the end of your data in June so that way you're staying fresh on the progress of our students throughout the course and it's not here is we are going to try 6:15 dark time that's still good with everybody we kind of last time okay um number two is the designation of the person to post the meeting notice um it makes good sense that uh we Nom we put an employee
016in that position is we're not going to have Tracy leave real job to come post of mental community and that designated is McCarthy the assistant director of community ation so she will be responsible for hosting thees moving on to the official depository of school funds uh this tells which funds and which banks were using the Bank of New York melon Huntington bank and Pen Bank Michigan liquid asset fund and the US Bank and we'll hear more from M on how those accounts are used with future Financial discussions and all of those banks are the current uh banks in which we deposit our funds so it's no change correct rolling it the signature card authorization um this will remain the same based on our voting tonight it designate the following individuals the superintendent and the Chief
017Executive Officer of business and finance president of the board and the treasury of the board are authorized on the signature charts so those will remain the same with the banks that are before us tonight the district Financial auditor The Proposal is to retain the financial auditor of Ravel pner as the district auditor and similar to the financial uh shareholders or the financial uh designes the auditor is the same auditor that we've used in the past and the district legal council their proposal is to retain the law firms of Clark Hill Law Firm T's law firm and tun Law Firm for the different reasons that are before us and if there's any other circumstances that are odd and that's handled under different board action or SC executive perview and these are the legal um firms that
018are currently ined the designation to the reporting secretary I touched on that a little bit uh the proposals to designate bar as the reporting secretary soy can her um idea on what question she might want to ask not what she needs to write so that is the proposals for the organizational pieces before us and that brings us to action for the organizational meeting proposals and I if it would please the board I can call them all at once for ease or I can call them individually at once is everybody okay with calling them at once yes all right so for action for the organizational meetings I would entertain a motion for as presented as we've gone over all the individual things um and discuss what they were for items a through G I move to
019to accept that as presenta support thank you any further discussion having none I'll call for the vote vice president schner yes secretary slager yes treer Gilmore yes trusty Lun yes trusty Patton yes trusty Bowser yes president Reed yes motion carries that brings us to getting to a little bit more normal things um the adoption of our agenda for the rest of our business items and I would entertain a motion for as presented as all items are specified soov support any discussion having none vice president shner yes secretary slagger yes treasure Gil yes truste lond yes truste Patton yes try Bowser yes president Reed yes motion carries and that brings us to a gratitudes portion of our meeting open up the table for gratitudes yeah grateful for everybody's service there we go I did see in
020the newsletter and a shout out to the board so thank you for that just want to also kind of add on top of that thank you guys for serving I know sometimes can be a thankless job I was reminded of that uh the other day when someone actually came up and thanked me for being on the board I was like oh man this doesn't happen very often so I just want to make sure I pass that along thank you to the service that you guys do and glad to have Jason on board and Trent back on board and I think that uh yeah hopefully it'll be fun year and a good year looking forward to that was grateful to have students and staff back on campus today not aware of anyone who was not able
021to attend because of pral wos or uh or or significant illness which is good um and also grateful for the continued construction project at over at beach they did uh meet their targets in terms of getting all the decking on on the the that they've set for the roof and so they're in a good place for that and uh contractors were there at the we hours this morning uh music cranking and Bo being just banged out so it was it was awesome thank you all right next we have our consent items before us I would entertain a motion for as presented some moved support [Laughter] normally the vice president schopner yes secretary slager yes treasur Gilmore yes truste Lund yes trust Patton yes truste Bowser yes president Reed yes motion carries moving on to our
022discussion items the first thing up is the overnight trip requests Scott presenting thank you so uh there are two trip requests uh in front of you this evening one is um the trip that we've made for the last two years I believe it is that uh students from the high school who were involved either in the National Honor Society or in the student council um leaders from both organizations attend an anual Leadership Summit that's held right here in Grand Rapids uh and so it is an overnight trip therefore we need to give board approval on that um the first read was uh put before you in December uh and so this evening we're asking for your approval unless there are questions from the board and we can table that approval process until a future meeting
023the uh second uh trip proposal is I included um the um highlights and slides provided by Johnson uh poly Johnson is seeking to take a group of students to France and Europe uh in the spring of 2026 uh but in order to get that trip planned uh she's bringing it to our attention to your attention this evening um and on that one uh it's really the same trip that she has run in the past uh similar and she spaced Sim similar numbers of students they would have a similar ratio uh as far as chaperon to students um so really no differences between this trip and trips that she's done in the past this is just a first review um and then we'll have an opportunity to ask any additional questions either this evening that I
024can get answers for or you can ask additional questions when you next week that one looks like fun trip I was looking at all the places that they're going too they go all over that's good uh as far as the cost the 4,629 per student uh is there any financial assistance offer for that they do fundraising okay you know for students but um there is enough time kind of part of the thinking is if students could get a part-time job if they needed to to help earn some fin St trip true yeah there's not a there's not a school out that that we could we can go to um there were some if P was talking about if they got signed up in advance there was a credit that would be given to the students
025would be distributed out against across all of the students who were attending the trip and so that would be the only benefit you know to signing up early versus waiting and putting things together lately uh how many people maybe this is for next time but how many kids do would she mean so she's anticipating six okay um for this for this trip but she'll take as many as as they can get but she would anticipate based on student interest and students that have talked with her in in the halls in in class she anticipates somewhere right around six students going and I saw on there too because I was but that they do background checks so every adult 20 and older is getting a background check okay thank you moving on to the Cedar Springs
026Public School Board of Education operating procedures so this is a a larger document and so it's one that we'll take some time on as far as the review goes uh because it's sometimes it's difficult to to read through the whole thing capture the nuances make some notes and come back with good questions moving forward but um this document is one that you you initially um dra we officially draft it drafted and it was last updated in uh 2020 preo uh and so um what is before you this evening is just uh some recommended updates um the first uh notable update uh comes in the area of um that talking about so sorry I got my screen um so talking about the ethics piece um in your commitment to public education um the draft as proposed
027um captures the the the basic elements of the the previous document but it does it in a page in a quarter uh the previous document the ethics language is very lengthy uh there are um instead of having bullet points it's really more paragraph style so we triy to make the document a little bit more user friendly without sharing changing the essence of the document um and then the other uh adjustment as you look through the document are just really related to making sure that the language in the um document aligns with the language in our word policies so really those are the two big changes the one is again to streamline uh the piece um and again it's just a proposal so if there are things that you really appreciated that we didn't capture we'd
028love to hear your thoughts because this is your your operating procedures thank you for that I don't have any questions it it looks like a lot of work so yeah go hi thank you did most of it she was awesome hyperlinking everything to it but we've spent a lot of time that there the evidence of success move number one down to number two um I thought maybe that should be reversed because board's more responsible for ficial integrity is number one would think that was my suggestion on that and the accountability I think the long wording seems a little bit more informative than the short wording that's my [Music] opinion maybe too much was lost and shortening it one more keep the version ofil seems Seems keep it's a little clearer than paragraph on that one
029those things that out to me anybody off the B we'll see this again won't use okay all right it's not on for Action tonight so we'll see it again all right moving on to discussion item C the Middle School handbook adjustments that's going to give us the overview on that yeah so Courtney McDonald reached out to me in December um and said that um the she's seeing a significant number of students who are getting referred for a dress code violation because they have they're wearing pajama pants and the pajama pants are fully covering all the things that need to be covered but the challenge is is that the hand the Middle School handbook specifically calls out in the Sho section that students can't wear jamama pants or slippers without the expressed approval of the principal
030um and so she is trying to honor the handbook that was approved by the board but her uh desire would be for us to eliminate that um preventing students from wearing pajama pants as long as they're appropriate you know there they can't what's the difference between pajama pants and sweat fants um or pajama pants and leggings um the high school does does not have that same language in their handbook okay um and so she's really just trying to be consistent and so it came out of a conversation about changing language for next year and I said well let's if it's a if we need to fix it let's fix it now and put it before the board to see if they're comfortable with that change um so that middle school students could wear P you
031know and not be in violation of that is it just pajama pants I I mean I would be okay with that but slippers I just feel like yeah so slippers piece would fall still under the the shoe piece close close Okay so I think there's a provision if a article of clothing is not safe then it's covered under a different segment but we don't have to specifically call that out on the language um and that is on for Action this evening just so that they start that sooner versus later at the middle school but if it's something that we're not the board's not comfortable with we can uh hold that item from the action agenda and then bring it back for further discussion a few for me and it's like pajama pants not like the
032girls wearing the hoochie coochie like sleep shorts see again that would be a violation of another okay I just want to make sure because I just yeah I think it's really those flannelly okay big pants that people like to wear because they're comfortable okay okay as long as that's no yeah we all want to make sure the right things are covered okay we'll see that on directions have any further okay moving on to public comments this is the time where the board would hear from the Public Public and for three minutes and the board won't be responding or fixing any of those problems but we'll be referring those to Mr Smith for followup so if we have any takers so Mr wood Mr John Wood is asking to present to the board do I need
033to identify myself I I think I just did okay thank you um I have a question and I don't know if you do or you don't but does the school have a Dei department or official if so are they considerating considering eliminating that position that seems to be very trendy right now Walmart has ended it some other big corporations have ended it um I perceive it to be a financial drain and it's anything but diversity equity and inclusion okay thank Youk you uh and then uh Dwayne gritter has asked to speak never it fails I can attend the board meeting I'll find something speak on this last issue about the jam of n is it really hard to say no I mean really come on what did you give as an example they're doing it
034in the high school so we might as well allow it in the middle school too really is that how we're going to go with things just because we're doing it in the high school is they're going to be Elementary next year come on guys let's do some common sense here that's use some moral values if you're going to start letting 12 and 13 year old kids doing things that 17 and 18 year olds are then you're going to ask yourself why in a few more years we're having issues like they are in raford right now on their school buses is this what we want to see the Springs stop and think about it for a minute so many of you claim to be Christians on this board and yet you don't behave like it I'm
035sorry I may not behave like a perfect Christian either but I know my moral values and where they stay in to think that we're going to let 12 and 13 year old kids beave like 16 and 17 year olds no that's wrong and then turn around and ask ourselves in a few more years why we're having these issues it's not hard to say no how many of you are parents I'm not even a parent I don't have children but you got to learn to say no once in a while that's why we are where we are because you don't say no you don't tell your kids once in a while we want to idolize our own kids give them everything they want and you wonder why the SP gotten brats coming from man doesn't even
036have children but I can see what happens with my nieces and nephews same thing you guys are on this board to protect the children and to represent the people of this community I may not live in Cedar Springs I pay taxes to Kate County I take an interest in what's going on here as well as I do all the other school districts around here you guys got to man up a little bit use some common sense get get some moral values it's just it's just sickening all the things I'm seeing going on around here Rockford's another story we don't have to be Rockford but you're heading to be one and you sir what are we doing about our enrollment up here this declined five years in a row and yet we're going to give you
037new contracts what's wrong with that board does that make sense are we going to come out next year in the after more millage and yet we're going to turn around say why would we need more millage we just lost what 20% 15% excuse me 15% of our students when we need more money where's that coming from sorry guys I haven't addressed you in quite a while there's a few things coming out of my head right now that I kind of kept up over the last few months Jason happy to see you on board hope you can bring some uh seriousness to this board hopefully some good uh Christian values I'm not seeing it from some of the others thank you we have anyone else who would like to address the board want what PA public
038comment thank you moving on to the action items for this evening we have first action uned Miss Michigan Association of student council Honor Society leadership state conference over night trip request and I would entertain a motion for as presented someone support any discussion I'm just glad it's in gr avens so they get the chance again to to go this year it's a worth time vice president schopner yes secretary slager yes treer Gilmore yes trusty lond yes trusty Patton yes trusty Bowser yes AG read yes motion carried action item the Middle School handbook adjustment I would entertain a motion for as presented so moved soort any discussion hearing none I'll call for the vote vice president shner yes secretary slagger yes treasure Gilmore yes trusty l no trusty Patton yes trusty Bowser yes president re yes
039motion carries he that brings us to the communication portion of tonight's meeting for the board of ucation I don't have any outside uh communication to share we've got the masb classes coming up in February and other than that um next a little bit planning too but communication Monday we have our training with ring hard to say letter P yes say he just says call me Frank P but he's MP and works with um one of the construction equipment companies that sell sales for construction former yeah yeah so um the other of communic I have is um over December I did take an extra board training class with Matthew will for the get kids back to school and that's an alternative to MB so that was interesting about different board norms and other things that are
040going on in state for different perspective so I hope to bring any of those pieces when it's applicable for this board to use I have a question about that did they talk about I know um it's related to question that somebody had not in response to that but one of the things that we had talked about was the ability to maybe offer some kids that were homeschooled but wanted math or other sections P of Peace meal did they talk about that philosophy or no he didn't okay his next uh class is going to be a title nine base but that might be a resource for that just interesting to see what other people are thinking in that yeah the school code permits us to offer electives um but we cannot offer or access unfortunately so
041it gives us a little bit of flexibility to do different things at our high school level grades 9 to 12 um but at the elementary level or at the middle school you know we couldn't offer a section of eth grade math for example but we can do other things and do some Partnerships that way that is something that we're Laing at some point time than investigation um the only thing I have is uh a communication about the enhancement of our communication at the board table we've ordered um microphones so that everyone will have a lapel mic and the sound will be played over the the sound system within the within the room we're waiting on those items to come through we've been invoiced um but still waiting on I did find out sorry to interrupt
042you but they will be here tomorrow okay so hopefully by Monday D out on Monday but each individ each of you will have an individual lapel mic it's all Wireless it's the same system that our teachers use that in voice enhancement system but to try and run wires throughout this room and to run speakers we just thought that would be a very challenging thing to set up week a monthly basis um and so we'll go with this system and see how it goes for us but it'll be each board member will have a little call M we have a mic for the for the podium for presenters and things so it'll be a hopefully enhance the experience of the guests just gotta remember to take them off walk out the door yeah okay okay so
043for planning we'll see everybody um next Monday at 6:15 yeah and we're it'll be thinking two hours he thought uh two and a half okay we should be out by Night yep you seem pretty efficient it's business time and we will have um like dinners for people if they [Music] want it'll be a work session format soac so having no more business before the board thank you everybody for being here and we will stand a Jour at 7