001Flag 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. >> Hey, roll call. >> Rebecca Chamblas >> here. >> Carlos Hart >> here. >> Mary Hart >> here. Cindy Holder >> here. >> Mark Kimell >> here. >> Chrisa McAlpine Taylor >> absent with notice. >> Gloria Thompson >> here. >> Right. Public fundamental fundamental with public comment. Public input uh is vital part of how Madison District Schools updates the board of education values hearing from the parents, staff, and community members because these perspectives help guide the district towards achieving its mission. Period known as public comment is set aside at every board of education meeting. This time allows parents and community members to share their thoughts, ideas, and concerns about
002school related topics directly with the board. Anyone wishing to speak must complete a request form and submit it to the board secretary before the meeting begins. Each speaker is is given three minutes. Comments that follow comments that follow these guidelines are accepted and considered by the board. Public comment is more than a formality is one of the ways the board gathers input to make decisions in the best interest of students. Community voices help shape policies, programs, and priorities that support student success. While board members cannot respond to comments or engage in dialogue during meetings, concerns may be referred to the appropriate administrator to for followup. The board also works with district staff to ensure the community questions and suggestions are addressed. This collaboration between the board and the public strengthens our ability to fulfill our
003mission to provide a rigorous rigorous curriculum that engages every student regardless of their current academic level in a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment for all students. All right, Secretary, do we have any public comments today? >> No. >> All right. All right. report action items. I believe >> President Harp. >> Yes. Trusty Chamblas. >> I'd like to make a motion to amend the agenda. >> Okay. >> Um I would like to enter into close session to discuss collective bargaining negotiations under the Open Meetings Act section 8C. Right. Very good. And where would we like to put this? Um, Superintendent Perry, do you have a preference where this might go? >> It can go right after >> or after the workshop, whatever you guys want to do. >> To be >> 2. And do we have
004support? >> Supported. >> Thank you. We have support. >> Since this is new and we have zero information on this, um, is the attorney going to be here? >> No, it's not new. It was sent in the newsletter on Friday. I will provide you information about it and I have spoke to the attorney, >> but he's not going to be here. >> He's not going to be here. >> Right. Discussion. Any more discussion? >> And what is a proper line for the vote? >> All in favor say I. All in favor say I. I. >> I. I. >> All oppose say nay. >> Eyes have it. All right. We have >> Mr. President. >> Trustee Mary Harp. >> I'd like to make a motion to amend the agenda to add board comments at the end.
005>> Comments at the end. And as 3D >> support. >> All right. We have support discussion. No discussion. All in favor say I. >> I. >> All oppose say nay. Eyes have it. Okay. That's easy. All right. Board action item A, adoption of the Oakland County Millage Resolution. The purpose of this action item is to adapt adopt a resolution requesting that the Oakland Schools Intermediate School District place a Sorry, give me quick moment to get my glasses on. That might help. >> That's better. All right. Sorry. Let me restart that. The purpose of this action item is to adopt a resolution requesting that the Oakland Schools Intermediate School District place a regional enhancement mill proposal on the August 4th, 2026 ballot allowing Oakland County voters to determine whether to support enhanced educational funding. This resolution
006does not impose a tax increase. It requests that the regional enhancement mill proposal be placed on the ballot allowing Oakland County voters to make the final decision on whether I support enhance educational funding. It is recommended that the board of education adopt the resolution as presented presented requesting that the Oakland schools intermediate school district place a re regional enhancement millillage proposal on the August 4th 2026 ballot thereby allowing Oakland County voters to make the final decision. >> Mr. President >> Trusty Harp. >> I make a motion that the board of education adopt the resolution as presented requesting that the Oakland Schools Intermediate School District place a regional enhancement millage proposal on the August 4th, 2026 ballot, thereby allowing Oakland County voters to make the final decision. >> Support and we have support discussion. >> Trusty
007Kimble. >> Yeah. I just have to say as a taxpayer I'm against any increases and any more taxes. So I will be voting no on this. >> Any more discussion? >> Right. No further discussion. >> Is it roll call? >> Okay. Roll call. >> Rebecca Chamblas. >> Yes. Carlos Harp. >> Yes. >> Mary Hart. Yes. Cindy Holder. >> No. >> Mark Kimble. >> No. >> Gloria Thompson. >> Yes. >> Motion passed. >> Very good. >> President Jesse Kumble. >> I make a motion we go into close session to discuss contract negotiation, legal opinion. Good. >> Can't second myself. >> Do we have support? >> I'll make them. >> Yeah, I'll support. >> Any discussion? >> Roll call. Roll call vote. >> Rebecca Chamblas, >> yes. >> Carlos Harp, >> yes. >> Mary Harp, >> yes.
008>> Cindy Holder, >> yes. >> Mark Kimble, >> yes. >> Gloria Thompson, >> yes. Motion passed. >> All right. Close session at 7:10. comes on Saturdays and we do one-on-one classes to be again. Glasses. Pardon me. All right. You can't bring us back in session. I did. Oh, did you? >> Yeah. I just wasn't very loud about it. I was >> just seeing if you were paying attention. >> I was. I was paying attention. >> Come back here. >> 7:30. 7:32. Yes. Thank you. >> All right. Next item, workshop items. Uh, so item A, non-negotiables for the board meetings. I forgot why I named it this, so I'm going to rename it next time uh to bring it back up. Um I don't have why needed for that to bring that up in this meeting.
009So I am going to bring that up again at a future meeting. And the same thing for the Robert's rules of order as well. So I will bring that one back up at a future meeting. >> I believe there's a new version. >> Yes. And we are working off of the new version. It is referenced in our policy. So, I guess I I'll leave that reminder while I do a little bit more research for the next time that if we're not up to up to speed or up to date on the revised version of Robert's rules of order that we should be and I'll try to get us some references for the next meeting as well. Yes. >> Would you like for me to order new guides for everyone? >> We all like new guides
010on Amazon. Oh, >> please. Yes. >> Thank you. All right, that takes us into 2026 goals. And I believe Rebecca, were you Trusty, I'm sorry, Trusty Campless, were you leading that one? >> Yes. >> Awesome. I will turn it over to you. >> Okay. So, I hope everybody brought a couple or at least one idea each um of a goal you would like to see happen for this board. It doesn't have to be something that we can accomplish necessarily by the end of this school year or even this calendar year, but it has to be something that does have it is time bound. So, you need to know when we should be able to complete it. Um so to do a master goals list um we'll use the smart method which is um S is
011for specific. What exactly are we trying to do? It should usually be about one sentence. M is for measurable. How will we know it worked? A is for achievable. Is this actually a possible with what we have? R is for relevant. Does this goal actually matter? And T is for time bound. So by when? Um, so we want to try to make sure that any of our goals contain all five of those so that we have the most likelihood for success going forward. Um, I already I did ask the community um what they would like to see this this board really focus on in the um the remainder of this school year and then going into the first half of the 2627 school year. And the main things that stuck out that they asked for
012were things like mental health for support for the students, safer school buildings, better academic programs, staff retention, technology and classrooms, um preparing students for colleges and careers, um balanced budget and things like that. Um, so I did come up with a couple goal ideas, but does anyone have a goal that they already have that they wanted to suggest? Mr. President, >> Thompson, >> I had three that are pretty easy. I'd like to see us as a board be better trained. For instance, there are training classes online. We just got an email the other day. It was called what the school board uh academy is all about. And if you sign up for it and you use a code, so many of us could get in free. It wouldn't even cost us anything. It's a matter
013of whether we're available or not. I don't think training hurts anybody. Another one was I'd like to see a better relationship between the board and the community. I mean, for instance, some of us attending community events more um having um attend uh attending city events where a lot of other you know maybe getting a relationship with the adult education or what do they call the senior? >> Oh, active adults. >> Active adult center. Um, I don't want this to be something that's mandated because, you know, we all have lives, but I do think it wouldn't hurt if the whole board got more community involved. Um, other than that, I'd like to see our communication better with not just administration, but the community if we could learn to have better communication. >> That's it. Is there
014anybody else? >> I see Holder. No, actually the one of I I had something I'm I'm going to wait and think about it because I want it to be measurable and relevant, but um Mark Kimell has suggested for years and I think we need to look at at offering some of that training that he's been um inquiring about uh the truck driving or whatever. Um I I know it would take time but and I'll let him expound on it but it was one of the things that um he has talked about as far as you know getting butts and seats. Um I'm going to let him decide whether >> Let me see if I got this straight. You're using my idea. You want me to explain my idea for your argument? Am I explain understanding
015that properly? >> I I' I've said for some time now that we need a form of training program with private sector and that's the thing that's going to grow this district. We need to offer stuff that other districts do not. But that is a monumental undertaking. That's not something that uh person in the last year on his term would be working on. Um, so one of the suggestions online kind of goes with that, Trusty Kimble. Um, a woman had mentioned Berkeley District has Easter Seals where they come in and have mental health appointments with the students, but she also mentioned um, Victory Tutors does online tutoring. And that kind of led me down a whole rabbit hole. And um so I ended up going and finding all these um different pre-apprenticeships, CTE programs, and summer
016camps. Is that what you're kind of thinking? Yeah. Like trade schools and stuff. >> We need to make it part of the school district. >> Yes. So I found electrical operating engineers, carpenters, painters, um brick layers, plumbers, pipe fitters. I went through a whole thing and I found all these organizations that do offer those type things. Um, >> my original idea was an embedded truck driving school and whether you know it or not, Angel and I had some pretty good arguments about that. >> Do you know of I didn't find a truck driving school? >> No, we would have been the first in the country. The first one was in California and it has 75% >> of female drivers and >> it was a huge >> and we would have had that three years before
017them. >> Had I won that argument, let's put it that way. >> Okay. So maybe I think it sounds like at least >> something like Cove but here in this district not where they got to get on a bus or someone's got to drive them. that created a lot of problems in the past with Oak Tech, so to speak. I think we need something personalized here in this school district with partnerships with uh think about it, the building trades, they're short, so many people. >> Oh, yeah. >> If we could show these kids a path to start making 60 or 80,000 a year upon graduation with no debt. >> Oh, yeah. >> That's your winner. >> I think that trades for a while have gotten kind of a bad name. like they don't have the
018respect on their name that they should. And I think given in the next 5 to 10 years, >> plumbers coming out of high school making 80 grand a year. Trust me, I do things differently. >> Oh, that exactly like think like in 5 10 years when my generation's retiring, right? The next generation is not doing the trades at the same level. Like tradions of people already. >> Exactly. It's getting worse. they can just blank check. So, I definitely think I mean it sounds like our goal at least from a few of us is to postgraduation or alternative pathway options for seniors or students that leave this high school. >> Well, I want to sound negative, but the time to do this is when we had some reserves and we could have employed people to bring
019this program along. We're so low on money now that we can't justify bringing in a full-time person to try to grow this program. The the the time for this program was years ago. And in fact, I think it was a former superintendent ago that refused to do anything. >> But Michigan Works now offers they'll help you find an employer now. You can actually contact Michigan Works. That was one of the things I found. So, because I I Googled how does a student get started or find someone to apprentice and >> Yeah. But most students need to be held by the hand. We need to have the program here. >> There there might be ways to get them to volunteer to come into our school district without having I mean I get what you're saying. We
020we need one person here that coordinates all that. >> The bottom line is someone needs to start this program and pursue it. >> Well, we may we may not have the resources at this moment for like a position, right? But but it doesn't mean we can't start it. >> Yeah, it could it could still be started. Sure. >> Or maybe find grants for it. >> I think the problem is once was stated was the financial status where we are because you if you think about it, let's say and by us being so small, let's say we did have a CTE class, let's say it was a plumbing class. When the way a school district work is that for every teacher, it's one FTE. So it's like one full-time position. If we have a plumbing class,
021let's say it's two hours, right? And nine times out of 10, that individual will have to get a certification from the state of Michigan, from the Michigan Department of Education in order to actually teach that class. So if you have that person teaching a class for two hours and let's say it's 20 kids in a class, the problem is is what do we do with the teacher for the other four hours of the day? So in the ideal world, it would be great if we were a larger district and that teacher will rotate to different buildings or even if we were partnering with another district and we should we could share the teacher but we do offer that some of those skills through OTCH and CASA and at the high school they've been promoting that
022but the problem is is that in order to go to OTK or CASA because the Oakland schools understand we have some districts that don't have the manpower to have all these CTE courses is we have to make sure that the kids are on track to graduate starting their sophomore year. And I think that's another problem we need to look at is because sometimes we do have a lot of kids, especially postco that are really not on track to graduate. And so we are trying to get more kids involved in OTC and CASA in their 11th grade year. And by telling the ninth and tth graders like, listen, if you want a trade and you want to start working and and moving on with your career, getting ready for it, do what you need to do
023in ninth and tth grade so that in 11th grade we can send you to OTH and CASA. So for the community, we do offer these courses. They're not in house, which would be great because we can have other districts come to us. It's just right now >> this this is different than what you're talking about. This is a partnership with companies and unions for like a journeyman >> position why the kid is in school. That that's why when they graduate they automatically have a highpaying job. And I didn't think of this myself. I've I've seen a couple things. This is how they do this in Europe, in Germany, in Great Britain, in France. They train people in high school for specific jobs. And I've talked so many times to people in the community who are
024like, "Why don't you guys bring back autoshop or workshop and things like that?" And it's >> auto shop's not feasible though compared to the building trades. >> No, I'm just saying like people, they want their kids to get hands-on experience and things, but it goes hand in hand with the fact that we can't have somebody here. >> It's going to take a movement on the state's part, too. And and a lot of stuff she talked about, you got to get this approved, that approved. We need to get rid of a lot of the red tape and make these things start working. Now granted, over time they'll be improved, but this is the best way to produce students that have a job waiting for them that have no debt. >> That was one of the goals
025that I wrote was to improve our graduation rate. And I thought maybe with some of these because some of them start at 16 years old with paid internships and summer camps and um pre-apprenticeships and things like that at 16. So maybe that might help our graduation rates. >> I think our graduation rates are pretty good now. I mean >> sorry to interrupt. So what's the I guess what's the smart goal revolving around that because we're getting into a lot of discussion with >> that's what I'm trying to >> but what what is it we're trying to what are we going to look into >> what we can do can I make a suggestion we can take ideas tonight and then Rebecca you and I can work together and take these ideas ourselves and turn them
026into smart goals >> okay >> like if you guys So right now I'm taking notes and some of the things I have is training board training better relationship with the board in the community. Better communications, skilled trades programs, in-house mental health program for students. Someone said something else about going out to the community. What was that again? >> I said maybe the board could have a plan where we attend more community events where we're seeing community and getting near. I know I personally have signed up for a bunch of boards at the community at the city of all. >> But I think too we can have tables at different events that they offer. I mean there's no reason why we can't. We're not a political organization. So we should be there. And if we can't
027have a table, we could at least be there walking around talking to people, handing out information about our district, >> right? Um, another goal I had, does anyone else have a different goal? >> I was just going to say, um, I would love to see more parent involvement with the board. I would like us to absolutely >> really have good relationship with our parents so we can get information from them. Not just complaints, but like really get what we really need to understand what they want because different parents have different needs and we can only act on what what we know. And so I would I think and this is one thing I've seen lacking actually in a lot of places where the boards and the parents don't really interact right the and and it's
028sad we need to have good relationships with these parents so we really understand what their needs and wants are not that we can act on all of them or even solve all the issues but I just think it's it would be great to have those kind of relationships and make them better. Okay. >> See holder. >> The only the only um caution that I would put out there is um when we are talking to people and we all have had it happen, >> they all think we're representing everyone. >> No. Yeah. So we need to be even when you say look this is my opinion but um I have found it it also can backlash because they'll say you know so and so said like it was a promise or and and so um we
029just have to be very careful as we've all there's none of us here that aren't involved in some way in the community each and every one of us already in in our own way. So I I just want to to remind us um that you know the protocol is follow the steps. We will always listen. Mary's absolutely right. We can be a sounding board, but we can't fix their problem. That's not our job. Not till it's already been through the other levels and it comes before us. Um can I just add one and I think um and it even happened with me earlier. Um assumption we all are assuming a lot. Um I I have cautions. We all have um intelligence. We we come here with different backgrounds. All of them are pluses for the
030different things that we bring here. Um we always need to ask more questions. Uh and and this is what comes to mind. Uh I talked to uh super superintendent Perry. I just happened to be coming home from the highway and the snow had drifted in spots over at ECC. Some of it didn't look plowed quite well. Um, and it then I got sent a video, you know, that someone from this school is plowing the sidewalks. Now, I do recall vaguely that, you know, the sidewalks were not included. I have to tell you honestly, at that particular time, I wasn't thinking about three long blocks of sidewalks at ECC. Okay. Um, the high school, we're a walking high school, so we have to make sure that there's not ice or snow to get the kids to
031come to school. All I'm saying is the um when we're looking at these things, sometimes we make assumptions, which is human, but then we have to go back and look at it and say, "Wow, that that was a big um I if our employee is doing all of the sidewalks at the high school and all of the sidewalks at ECC and all of the sidewalks at MEF, us. I I don't know. He would have to be doing them at Wilkinson as well. But I mean, I have to tell you honestly, that was a big aha. So, when we're paying a contractor, it's like I assumed. So, we have to be more careful, all of us. And that's even personal stuff. Um people assume uh some of us wanted to get training. We had talked to
032the superintendent. There was no money to do it. And sometimes it's frustrating cuz um we have board members that were here with good intentions and got trained but now they're not here. So those of us that have been here that wanted to do something a little different um the funds weren't there that does but people assume we don't want to get training that isn't and I don't put up a fuss and I'm not pointing fingers at anybody. I'm just saying they assume maybe some that we don't want to. We're also trying to work within the parameters of our finances. That's it. >> Yep. Superintendent. >> I think that the assumption part is very accurate. And I think that as a board in my last like three and a half years, we've came a long way
033with like assumptions and just challenging things. I think when we I know a long time ago we had these like things that we put on the agenda that says what we're going to do and I really think that as a board we did take for steps forward. we're challenging the opinion and not the person because I think that sometimes we need to bring that concept back up because it does become personal like uh Trusty Holder says we all bring our personal into this our our passion. We bring our past our issues that we've had in the past regarding trust. So I would love for us to continue to follow these statements that we have on our agenda and not just have them here as placeholder. And the second one says focus on the issues rather
034than the po personalities by challenging the argument not the person and listen with the open mind. I think we got there but by us not bringing that up I think we kind of like forgot about it. Um, I'll go ahead add um and goal for me, but I would also like to see this as a goal for the board. So, I don't want anyone to think I'm picking on anyone because I'm included here. So I would definitely like to see more uh personal our personal uh accountability and responsibility to honestly the the fundamentals the basics right checking our agendas uh checking our finances reviewing the contracts right and we may not completely understand right and that's okay because we all have our own different points of view, right? But we bring our own points of
035view to it. So we can still have a valid and a good discussion conversation. So I I can speak when I was, you know, absolutely brand new. There was a lot of stuff I didn't understand, but I still asked questions even if it was, "Hey, sorry y'all may know this. I'm the new person. Can someone explain this?" Or, you know, I was still able to share my perspective or point of view. So, I would definitely like to see the the board, you know, taking more responsibility and again, like I said, myself included on this one. >> Anybody else? Um then I thought maybe we might want to add something like uh student academic achievement um just to where we would increase the p the percent of third graders scoring proficient in math and we could
036increase it by 10% in the ne by like the fall of 27 28 eight. >> That was when I was kind of like I was like doing research. That's what it that's the number it recommended. You can obviously guide us. >> So I'm sorry. Can I talk? So now I don't know if you guys remember, but back in the day, maybe not Fargo, maybe five, six years ago, school districts had things called a school improvement plan. Now, this was like a 30, 40 page document that every building had and you had a team that went through it and says, "Hey, this is what we're going to do." And it really didn't mean a lot. Now, we have something in the state of Michigan called the Michigan the MKIP. It's the Michigan continuous plan. So, basically
037what Madison has done, and then maybe this will help us at the next meeting. I'll bring it to you. We have two district goals. One is to increase proficiency in math and English and I think it's by 2030 and then another one is to make sure that we're having a positive school culture. So what you said is exactly right because any district I don't know a district that has increased proficiency by 10%. AC across the board. However, this Michigan, this my kit plan, we update it every year and we put activities in that we've done to try to reach that goal. So, in the event I have a meeting with MDE maybe twice a year about our plan. And so, we go through and they say, "Okay, what have you done to reach this goal?"
038I tell them the strategies, we put it in the plan, but it's not a ding if you don't get it. is are you even looking forward or trying to get it? So maybe at the next meeting or in my next newsletter, I will send out a full overview of the plan. And I like it now because as a district, we're working on two goals as opposed to every building doing their own thing. We have two goals we want to accomplish. So I think that would speak volumes to your or support your goal about academics. >> Okay. And then to go along with the um you know helping with like the community relationship and everything, I put increased community involvement by hosting quarterly town halls or improving district transparency. And I just thought that maybe if
039we held something where people didn't feel like it was a meeting, where it was so formal, just um kind of like a gathering place where they could come and talk and we're all just adults sitting in a room, maybe they'd be more likely to come and and and talk to us with no cameras, no, you know, no agenda, just adults in a room. Um, and I know that if we have a quorum, we have to call it to order and things like that, but at once that's done, we can sit in chairs and just be >> we can't stop the cameras open public. So, >> I don't think that applies to no requirement that we have to record. >> We don't have to record it, but we can't stop anymore. >> But I think she's
040talking about like if we have like a coffee shop meeting or something, maybe like two or three people go and we just meet people casually. So, not like >> here. I think that's >> Yeah. like and it could even be like a special meeting cuz we've had special meetings where we've been in the media center or we've been different places and so they didn't have the camera set up. We still called it to order because we were forum and district business might be talked about. And for the agenda, it would just literally say call to order, uh, pledge of allegiance, roll call, and then maybe like open forum or something like that where just if people want to come talk to us, it's just us in a room and they don't feel so formal and
041pressured about it and maybe they would be willing to talk. I don't know if that will help. Um, but yeah, >> if you want to get him there, it's got to be a free meal or something. >> No, I'm serious. >> I know. No, I agree with you. All right. So, I think um Miss Perry said she was writing down all these. I wrote them down, too. And then we would put them into smart fashion. >> Your email. It's a Google sheet. >> Okay. >> And then I'll share it with everyone once either at the next meeting or in my next newsletter or both. Um, I think like I'm my personal opinion is I'm pretty open to any of these goals. Whatever we as a board decide. The only one that um I would like
042there to be at least a goal that mentions it is just something about our graduation rates and proficiency. And Miss Perry can kind of show me her thing and everything. um just because I couldn't find any school board's goals that did not have goals that pertain to those two things. So, I just want to make sure that we are right on queue with that and making sure that we're monitoring it, assessing it, being able to measure it. Um, otherwise I think Miss Perry's going to put into smart fashion and send it in a Google doc and then we can probably just send it to all of you guys when it's fully finished and maybe the next board meeting address it. >> Is that okay, President Hart? >> Yeah. Yeah. No, sounds good. >> Is there
043any other discussion for the goals? Everyone's good. I would like to kind of wrap up on this one and say this doesn't have to end end here tonight with this meeting. If at any time anyone comes up with an idea, >> sorry. If at any time someone comes up with an idea or something comes to mind, don't hesitate to share it with the board. Let's discuss these. Let's bring them to the meeting. So, definitely doesn't have to end here today. And um I'd love Thank you, Rebecca. So, I would like to thank you now as well. Thank you for organizing this and making them up with Superintendent Perry as smart goals. >> Absolutely. >> That's the only way we're going to make forward progress on them, track and make sure we are doing something with
044it, not let it sit there. I I don't like when items just sit around. Let's at least acknowledge it, do something with it, have forward movement, or end that item, put something. So, sorry, long story short, thank you for making these smart goals. That that warms my heart. >> Yes. Good job. We appreciate it. >> You're a cheap date. >> Yes. >> Okay. So, we have we're closing out the goals. Next item is board comment. I am going to start this way so trusty Kimble can't skip me. >> What? Perry doesn't have any comments. >> You got tonight. >> All right. I just want to reiterate that it's extremely cold outside and I'm looking forward to summer. >> That's it. >> Thank you, Trusty Thompson. >> Um I think we had a good meeting tonight.
045We got a lot accomplished. Again, thank you Rebecca for all your hard work and everybody else's input and I just need to tell everybody keep warm also. >> Okay. >> Thank you, Trusty Campbell. >> Um I don't think I have anything tonight. Thank you to everybody for coming to this meeting and working on these goals. >> Trusty Mary Harp. >> Okay. So, I do have something to say. um kind of bouncing off my last board comments and so understand that when we make comments we're speaking for ourselves and not as the board as a whole. So as a trustee of the school board my primary commitment is to the students the staff the families of this district and to serve effectively and to maintain um the integrity of our governance it's essential that we adhere
046to established communication protocols. Um so the open meetings act exists to ensure that there is transparency and public trust. So when issues are discussed in a designated public forum it ensures that every citizen has the opportunity to hear those issues simultaneously. Um for these reasons personal social media pages or unofficial community groups they're not appropriate venues for conducting district business or airing grievances. Um, if you have a concern, uh, the ways to address this are at the full, uh, board during public comment section. Uh, email the board as a collective. Our emails are available to you. The district provided addresses. Schedule a meeting with the superintendent to discuss operational or educational issues. With that being said, I want to address a specific situation to prevent uh, the spread of misinformation. And I recently engaged privately
047with an individual who's been making public statements about my personal character and my role as a trustee. And this individual no longer has children in this district and they manage a social media page under an alias. Um I extended three separate invitations to this individual to speak with me via phone or in person um to provide them some context on some things that they had opinions about. Um, these invitations were declined. And when a community member refuses to engage in a factual um, direct dialogue, but continues to post one-sided narratives online, it suggests that their goals are more performative and it's aimed at a small social circle rather than a sincere effort to improve our schools. And I really want people to engage because they want to improve our district. I want to be very
048clear. I have never and I would never threaten or bully a parent. Inviting someone to a face-to-face meeting or saying that a parent has an obligation to address issues to a whole board um is an offer of accountability and transparency. It is not a threat. And to claim that I'm telling parents that they have to meet me or they don't care about the district. Um, that's a very significant mischaracteration mischaracteration of a private conversation with one specific non-parent administrator of a social media page. My door remains open to any parent or a resident who wishes to have a constructive fact-based conversation. And I'm saying that not just for myself. I know other board members have had the same things happen to them. >> Mr. President, >> thank you. I I want to thank Mary and
049I want to reiterate that I feel the same way. I I also have had comments. You offer to let them come forward or have coffee with you or whatever and you're always declined. It It's easy to sit at a keyboard and be a keyboard warrior, but you know, it's better if you approach someone face to face. Thank you, Trusty Holder. >> I agree with both of them. I always um thought that that was not a real person uh as I read some of their comments because it would they are usually pretty harsh and vicious. Anyway, uh thank you for doing the background and know that they really don't exist. I don't even know how to do that. Um, the only thing I want to say is thank you for being here tonight and happy Valentine's
050Day to everyone. Oh, >> nothing's worse than not being told happy Valentine's Day. So, there you go. >> Well, happy birthday is worse or not missing your birthday, >> but it's Valentine's Day. Anyway, that was it. >> Thank you. And I'll go last. Um, thank you to the board. Thank you to our administration. It's wonderful to see that meeting after meeting. At least I'm perceiving that we are doing better as far as communication, collaboration. So, I'm I'm enjoying seeing the positive and uh I'm very excited that we have a goals meeting tonight. Again, thank you to uh Trustee Campless for organizing that. Um I absolutely think this is a positive step forward and hope we can keep on the momentum and make this a great year. >> Thank you, >> President Harp. >> Yes, Trustee
051Campb. >> I'd like to make a motion to adjurnn. I'll second. >> We have second. >> I'll second. >> Uh all in favor say I. >> I. >> Any nays? >> No nays. >> We are adjourned. Bucks like you can quit talking. >> Oh, no. I I fully let him finish. I just >> Do you have a student here in Madison? Oh, okay. Oh, we just get happy when we see someone. So,