001Uh, could I get a motion to please adopt the agenda? I move to adopt the agenda as presented. Second. All those in favor, please raise your right hand and say I. I. All right, this work session is officially off and running. So, this is really a work session that we have kind of asked for ourselves. And if you recall, which I know you will, we completed the board self-evaluation last fall through MSBA. And in our December meeting when we had Lisa Neider here to kind of go through our results and discussion, we realized as a group that we had some things we wanted to address. And so, we've been trying to work our way through those. Topics we have covered include the district dashboard, like a better understanding of how to find things and explain
002to people where to find things and so on. We took a much deeper dive into the CSIP. We've done a board team builder. And this evening, the topic of committee assignments and a little bit more about individual committees, maybe more so than what we know about ones that we're not on. So, again, none of these are necessarily one-off topics, but they're topics that we have steadily been working through since our December work session. Okay, so, here's what I propose and how we're going to handle this evening for the work session. We have 20 committees total. And each committee, I think with only two exceptions, has two people on it. So, hopefully you have already kind of figured out who gets to say what about what, so that we can all have a chance to participate.
003But, I'm going to I'm going to just read the name of the committee as we I'm going to work down the list. That way we know we don't actually leave something out, and that way it's kind of a little bit more randomized. And when we talk, I think this will work out okay. Some of these things are going to have more discussion than others, and I think that's perfectly okay as well. But, the bottom line is just to share a little bit. And of course, if if there's a committee that comes up that someone says something and you have a question about there this be the opportunity to ask as well. As we're getting ready to do another survey for committees for the upcoming year. That was a good setup, wasn't it? Yeah, yeah, that
004was good. Okay, so first on the list Oh, so there's 20 total and we're going to start with a large group of them that are board directed committees. Not all of them are board directed. But first one up is the audit committee. All right. Bill, is it okay if I go ahead with that one? Okay. All right, so uh board member Haley and I are on that committee and it uh formally meets uh once a year uh when the audit results come back to the district administration. Uh and we are just members on that committee along with other um non-district administration members. So, um it the basically the scope of it is that you just review the audit report from the uh outside auditor and um and you can ask questions and that sort of
005thing. Um obviously we had an excellent audit this year and I've only done it for 1 year. I don't know if you did it for 2 years. If you want to throw anything in. Oh, okay. All right. Um but um it's not real time consuming and it goes very nicely with being on the finance committee because uh it's a lot of the things that we talk about week in and or month in and month out and on finance committee. So, um it's pretty straightforward. Does anyone have any questions on the audit and the role of the board? Okay. That's all I got. Excuse me, board member Haley, you anything to add or No, she was very succinct and and and thorough. I don't know if I can >> can add much to that. >> No
006problem. Okay, the Belcher Scholarship Committee. Um Dr. Johnson and I were on that one. And it's kind of a one-time commitment. We got to read applications from some um truly stellar students in the district. And um basically involved going through the applications and rating them on a rubric. And then we got together and discussed and came up with our uh top five and then determined our winner. And it was all blind, so we didn't know who we had chosen, but we did such a good job that the student has now advanced to the regional level and is up for the state award. So, it was a lot of fun. Yeah. Okay, thank you. Uh Board Policy Committee? Um yeah. So, that committee is myself and Dr. Nickens, and we meet once a month with uh
007district administration led by Dr. Carlson. Um and basically there's two things that we do. One is if any um policies come up for revision or updates either from MSBA or from the district. And two is there's a regular cadence every year of just reviewing all the policies. And we did a a chunk of the policies this year and finished what a three-year cycle was it? Or two-year cycle or of doing or reviewing all the policies. Or is it five five-year? Okay. So, Okay. So, five-year cycle of all of all policies. Um for me it was really helpful because it gave us it gave us an early view and a little more input to ask questions and and dig a little deeper before they come before all seven of us, but it's the same review that
008we all do. We just look at it with a kind of a cross-functional district team. There are you know, school principals, administrators, you know, that sort of thing who have input into it you know, earlier on. Uh but um trying to think. It's been really educational. I've really liked it and um I don't know if you have anything to add. I agree that it It really educational. It's a great way to be introduced to um a lot of the policies and actually get to discuss them. Um also we did have, you know, some changes recommended from MSBA due to um legislative things that happened this year. So that was an interesting thing too about the committee. Does anyone have any questions for us? Okay. I'd like to make a comment. I was on the policy
009committee last year with uh Vice President Miller and I found it to be incredibly beneficial as a first-year board member to be on the policy committee. I mean, I would encourage any first-year board member especially to get on that committee because it it it does open your eyes to the way everything functions. I agree with that, Bill. I really enjoyed it for that very reason. I've got a question. Who's going to take over after your after Dr. Carlson leaves? That's up to Dr. Carlson. It is. Got you. Okay, thank you for that. Um next up on the list is the Citizens Advisory Committee. Dr. Nickerson and I are both on that. You may go and then you can So the the CAC is the committee that it you know, the meeting frequency they say is
010monthly although I have found that to vary greatly. It could be more than once in a month and then it might be, you know, several months off. Um but it just is the committee that studies potential issues that the district is considering in terms of things like construction projects or boundary changes or uh you know, election topics and things of that nature. Um and it is a large committee that has a a very robust cross-section of membership from all across the the district. Um Katie Bergin gets to facilitate a lot of the the dialogue and um it is it is uh it is very fascinating to me the people that have volunteered on that committee for so long. Like it is a there is a lot of people that are just incredibly invested in that
011which I find to be quite impressive. Dr. Nickens. Yeah, I enjoyed it a lot. I think that it's a great way to really participate in some of the timely issues that the issue that the district is looking at as President Myers mentioned. So and also to really get to know some of the very involved community members. I've got a I've got a question on it. So um the committee is just kind of giving community input to the administration. There's nothing that they do that can like there's no input that they can give that caught forces a change in any decisions by the administration. It's just an input committee, correct? It's a recommendation committee that that was created in the early 50s under Bernard Campbell as a way of getting community input on things. So it's
012the longest standing committee. It's been in for 3 quarters of a century now. Okay, so recommendations. Okay. And is there ever anything public made from those meetings or those kept Yes, so if you multiple things and Linda probably can ask them if it's posted or not posted. But it cuz certain committees are posted and some are not. It is a committee that sometimes is held their board with this board have a joint meeting. So one four years ago was to the board asked them, "Hey, can you study pre-K and if we want to do pre-K or not?" They went and spent a year studying and came back with a recommendation and now we have pre-K. Your board president sits on the steering committee that helps us decide the agendas as well. Thank you. Okay, the
013comprehensive school improvement plan. CSIP. So excuse me, I sit on that committee um and I'll be honest, the last 2 years have been in a review. So, we haven't gone into quite a bit detail, but what that um committee does is it reviews our basically our strategic plan for the district and um they show they give measurements over time to meet some of those goals. It's a very involved committee. There are some community members and it's really a good way to get deep into the weeds of what the district is doing in terms of its strategic goals. And we have a meeting coming up May 4th here to see in terms of the committee to see where we're headed next. Okay, thank you very much. Finance Committee. Sure. Uh there is a lot to talk
014about about the Finance Committee. Um it primarily is broken and we we meet every uh the Monday prior to the school board meeting. So, we had our meeting earlier this week on Monday. Um Dr. Shelton leads uh the Finance Committee meeting. Uh there's an agenda. Um we talk about uh contracts under $15,000 that are going to be uh on the agenda in the upcoming board meeting, contracts greater than $15,000. Uh and uh there Dr. Shelton's people will be there to explain to us uh the details of the contract and everything like that. And then um we talk about uh other purchases uh that that may be uh we talk about when there's going to be Chromebooks turned in and those kind of things. Anything that has to do with finances. That's the first part of
015the meeting and then the second part of the meeting is kind of run by uh Dr. Herzog and if you want to talk about the the financial statement and everything like that, um you know, and how that proceeds because it the Finance Committee is really broken into those two two basic functions. Mhm. Yeah. Uh I I yeah, I have nothing to add. You concisely summarized that part. And then like you said the second part is Dr. Herzog goes over the um the balance sheet and the activity statement and the investment report in a little bit more detail than than maybe we see or hear here for this meeting on the Thursday following. And for those reasons for for what board member Kelly described and for that piece as well. It it probably would be a
016valuable use of time if you're preparing for Thursday's meeting and you're preparing to see if you have any questions for the board packet or anything like that on Monday. Watching the recording of that meeting might be really helpful because um we do you do get a lot of insights from the leaders who put together the contracts and you get a lot of insights from Dr. Herzog and you know so it's it's really it's really helpful and insightful and it might answer some questions that you think you have on the contracts. So so I would recommend Yeah, I would I've never sat on the finance committee but I will tell you that more than once I've watched the the YouTube of it for that very reason. I found it to be really really helpful so. I
017was going to add the same thing. I'm just the alternate for the committee and so I do go to the meetings and just sit and listen and I I would encourage any board member to try to come occasionally just to kind of hear what's happening. And just have it broken down in a different way than what we get in our packets and on the on the dice. >> One one other thing that I would add when Dr. Herzog goes through the financial statements he talks you'll hear him talk about fund one fund two and so on like that. Those are all revenue streams and Dr. Herzog elaborates as to okay here's where we are on fund one and here's where we are to budget on fund one. So, you're you're getting constant updates every at
018every finance meeting to see how we are doing to budget based on revenue and on the expense side as well. So, it's a very insightful meeting. The other thing, I just thought of this, um that we also get within that meeting is depending on if there's things that are coming up um for purchase, you know, then we'll have those different leaders from across the district coming in to talk to us, transportation, nutrition, things like that. So, that's also helpful to hear from from others. Agreed. Okay, thank you from the finance committee. Okay, so we have two MSBA delegates and Vice President Miller is going to tackle that one for us. Okay, so um President Myers and I are the two delegates that that is what the committee has as two um board members and we
019have an alternate if needed. And basically what we are tasked to do is twice a year we are a part of the delegate assembly at the summer summit and also at the annual conference and we're voting on things that have to do with um advocacy platforms that are happening with MSBA or um also MSBA delegates that are are being um voted on, so. Oh, and they give us a packet. We get a packet ahead of time to review what are the items that we should be prepared to vote on ahead of time as well and there's a discussion time and things like that. A fairly voluminous package at that. And that's one that you all can come and sit in the gallery anytime you want during one of those conferences. Okay. Uh next on the
020list would be our parliamentarian, remember Haley? Well, I'm the parliamentarian. I get to do this every every every school board meeting I get to if there's going to be speakers, I get to read uh the the legal document that basically advises people what they're allowed to do and not do. Although I will say that there is a lot more to be in the parliamentarian than that. We we do use Robert's Rules of Order to function for the board to function and and Robert's Rules are obviously designed to make the function of the board a lot smoother and more streamlined. So, um I will say this board has worked very well together and and there hasn't really been any sticky wickets that we really had to deal with from a a rule standpoint. Okay, thank you.
021Uh student board representatives. I'm going to take that one. Um so, this committee is made up of three board members and um we are tasked with helping to choose student representatives that apply. So, we have every year we have an application process and students apply to be a part of it. Um we take students from all three high schools as well as um SRA and they have to do an application and then they have to be interviewed by the board committee. Um and this year we've had such an incredible This is the third year we've done it. Is that right? Are we on year three? Okay. This year I think it's just keeps getting better and I just want to give kudos to Katie and Dr. Buck for um putting together such a great program
022for our students. We've had such great feedback from them. They've been excited about all the opportunities um around leadership, around advocacy, around community building, getting to meet elected officials. So, lots of great things that um that they're getting opportunities to do. So, um I want to Did I miss anything? Okay. It's also hard to choose. Okay, that's the that that's the thing that we you will hear us say we had 77 applicants. We had over 50 interviews that we completed and we have incredible students here in LSR 7. Okay, next on the list is a group of committees that are superintendent directed type committees and the first one on the list is the business round table which I have gotten to sit on for the last 2 years and business round table is a monthly
023is it I feel it's it's quarterly. Yeah, okay, it's not a precise science but it it meets regularly and they bring in you know members from the business community all sizes of business and and so on and the district has a dialogue about whatever it is that we've got going on that we want some feedback on that we would like to just touch base with them about. We had a super robust conversation earlier this year about the updates to the portrait of a graduate which was it was just interesting to listen to someone from not being in the classroom side of it other folks to give their 10 cents worth of what they thought you know should go into that. So it was it's it's been an interesting opportunity. I don't know board member Blair
024wants We good? Okay. All right, that's business round table. Okay, next on the list would be the insurance committee. Board member Haley, you want to Yeah, I just we just actually had a meeting recently that we discussed basically the the benefits package that are going to be presented to the employees of the district for the upcoming year and I will tell you they they do an enormous amount of work to manage that that that benefits program for these employees and they do an outstanding job as far as I can tell. It and it is very comprehensive. I mean it covers everything and they talked about the wellness center. I don't know if you guys are familiar with the wellness center that we have. A lot of our employees take take advantage of that benefit. So
025it was it was actually a very informative meeting and it's it's really just a basically a meeting the meeting we had this this year or it just this last week was just informative about what the benefits are going to be about in the coming in the coming year. Okay, thank you very much. Parents as teachers advisory board. Thank you. So yes, they met I want to say twice this year. So it's not too often I want to say that they have their meetings. Um So basically we're what I have sat in and listened to are new and innovative ways for the schools to reach out to the public to let them know of the services that they have to have more enrollments for their for the different locations that we have for the Great Beginnings
026Early Education Center. Um and just of course the wonderful things that they're doing there. Um I've gotten to participate in some of their holidays with Halloween as well. So yeah, that's that's about it. Next on the list is Team Lee's Summit. Just met today, I think. We did and it's the best committee ever. And I'm willing to challenge anyone for a seat on Team Lee's Summit. So Okay, thank you. Okay, so Team Lee's Summit is a group of um it's multiple groups of employer groups if I can say that and it we are responsible basically for ensuring quality of life, I would say, here at LSR 7. It is composed of five teachers, five classified employees, three district level admin, two principals, and two board members. Um the admin and the board members are appointed.
027The other five are voted on by their peers, so that everyone does have input for that. I would say Sorry. So, one of the things that we um evaluate very closely, and as you know, we make the recommendation for the salaries. We do that, and then we also evaluate the survey, the employee survey that goes out. And the goal is basically to take that information and that we get from the district and process it and make the best recommendations to the school board for the salaries, and in terms of the survey, to take action on the survey items that are there, so that um staff know that we're not just asking for this input just for the sake of having input. We do try to make actionable items with some of that with all of
028that data, if we can. So, that's what we uh do there. We have an outside facilitator that helps with that. She is an educator. So, we do have that, and then um also, what's extremely important is the consensus voting. So, we are sitting in a room together for eight hours. It's all You don't even notice, though. And and we do spend time talking and listening to each other. Listening is very key in terms of getting to consensus voting, and there are sometimes we vote three, four, five times in order to get there. And when we don't have consensus, we hear from those to see how could we get consensus and um move on from there. So, that's how it is. Another extremely important uh aspect of Team Lead Summit is our norms. So, we have
029I don't know if it's about 10 or 15 nor It's 17 norms. We have 17 norms that we adhere to, and people don't have any problems holding you accountable to those norms. But, I would say that I think we're all pretty good about it. We are pretty good about it. So, um I don't know if there is anything else to add. I'm on the board with Nikki. No, I think that was perfect. I've really enjoyed my time on Team Lee's Summit this year. Right. And I would say if anything personally, it has helped me professionally at my job and just in personal life with listening to others, being conscious of other people's opinions, knowing that you're not always right. And um being a good listener. It is it's helped in other ways. So, I've grown
030quite a bit in the last 3 years being on Team Lee's Summit. And a shout-out to Dr. Carlson for being the district side of the facilitation team these years. He's I know has has done a I know there's a just a lot of time and energy and effort that gets put into that. Um okay. So, the last batch of committees are all outside organizations that we participate with for various purposes. So, um the first one on the list is the Governmental Relations Committee, which I am on, um as well as uh Vice President Miller. Um we meet monthly and this is a Chamber of Commerce Committee. So, um they have a schedule and every month they bring in some type of a different speaker. One month it was our seven presenting the Prop C presentation.
031They've brought in the Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney one month. They brought in the um the Missouri Chamber of Commerce lobbyist guy one one month he looked like he used to could still be like in my IB psychology class. He was very very young dude. Um Anyway, um but they every month is an inter- I've learned something every month just from the business world and and what what not. And um so, that's a that's a monthly thing and they use our facility over at um Summit Tech for that. So, that's the Government Relations Committee. Um next on the list You didn't have You don't want to add to that, do you? Okay, next on the list would be the Lee's Summit Economic Development Council. Okay, so um this one meets quarterly, although it feels like more
032often. I don't think it's quarterly. I think it's monthly. Yeah, so it's monthly. Um we meet monthly and I I have absolutely loved being on this committee. I've learned so much. It is a combination of the city and the chamber and businesses um coming together as well as the school district just to kind of look at the economic development of Lee's Summit and how they all tie together and how they support each other. Um and so I've learned I've learned a lot and Dr. Bucks obviously on there with me, so you've been on there longer than me, so what what did I miss or what would you add? It may go back to quarterly at some point. We've been meeting monthly. Actually, I was meeting twice a month for a while as we rebooted it.
033Um but I also say it's not just our school district, but Blue Springs School District and MCC Longview and uh University Central Missouri also are on there. So um education is is very much at the forefront with private businesses and bankers and such. Okay, next on the list would be uh the Lee's Summit Education Foundation. Okay, with the Lee's Summit Educational Foundation, um and I'm trying to recall I know we met pretty often. I want to say probably every other month, I want to say. Um with there could have been like more than one where you have the board meeting and then you have um a bigger Yes, advisory board meeting, so there were multiples. Um basically kind of talking over um where they are looking to go ahead and have their funds and or
034the fundraising and scheduling, you know, all the things that go into their events that they do. And also participating in the PEAK Grants that they also uh bring to the different schools uh whether they're teacher um requested or applied for, I guess, and the student applications for their PEAK Grants, so um yeah, they're always giving back to our schools and it's wonderful to see the different um things that they bring that contribute to the students' learning, so thank you. Uh Lee's Summit Cares. Um yeah, so there is one board member uh on that committee officially, but it seems like every board member who's ever been on that committee tends to stay and support them. They're a pretty active group. Um it's because it's a small organization, the board actually does more than just government governance
035and oversight. They actually kind of help support the executive director uh in the activities of Lee's Summit Cares and Lee's Summit Cares, if anyone doesn't know, is the like um risky behavior prevention type activities in um in the the greater Lee's Summit area, Jackson County actually. Um and uh so uh we partner the district partners with Lee's Summit Cares um on things like the like the SMART Clubs and the Youth Wellness Days. We support those and things like that. So um we meet about once every 2 months, I think, is a board meeting um and and discuss those meetings are their financials, their upcoming activities, their um you know, any grants they're applying for, any support that they might need from the district will come up in those meetings, that type of thing. So, does
036anyone have any questions? I just was going to add, one of their groups that's kind of an arm of that is called TAG. It's um, Teen Advocacy Group, and they are just incredible young people from all over, not just our district, but all over. And this past summer, they actually all earned their mental health first aid certification. So, I thought I mean, it's just really great things that are happening with Lee's Summit Cares. Thank you for adding that. I forgot about TAG. They do a lot. Thank you. Okay, thank you. Uh, Teacher of the Year? So, Board Member Dawson and I were on the Teacher of the Year Committee, um, and this was um, collaboration between district and chamber. Um, our wonderful communications department does such a good job. Talia Evans, um, led this, and
037it was So, it's a one-time commitment, but it's like a lot of work in a short amount of time, but it's really a lot of fun. So, you get the um, nominations, and we had over 100 nominations to review, which included letters of support, as well as letters from the nominees themselves, and um, resumes to review. So, it wasn't like light reading. It was pretty heavy-duty. Um, really humbling, some of the things these teachers do, for sure. Um, librarians, counselors, teachers, behavior interventionists. Um, and then we get together, and um, take quite a bit of time to narrow it down, um, to our top We had top uh, 15 finalists, because we had 12 excellence in teaching recipients and three teachers of distinction and then most of those went ahead and interviewed for teacher of
038the year and then we had to make that decision after interviewing all of them. So even though it was a lot of time in a short amount of you know short stretch in March and April right? We got to go to the schools and surprise the finalists. Their students were so happy for them. Their colleagues were so happy for them. So that was like amazingly fun and then of course we just had the reception to last Thursday or two Thursdays ago. My days are running together but it was beautiful. It was wonderful. So Yeah, I don't think I could add anything to that that pretty much covered it except that I really it was a really good experience and for me I thought I thought Dr. Nickens and I made a good pair to be
039representatives of the board because I have zero educational background and Dr. Nickens has all the educational background. So it was great because you know she could see things in the nominations and the applications that I didn't see and and for me it was just yeah really eye-opening. I really enjoyed it. Thank you. Okay, the TIF commission. The TIF. Yes, on the TIF commission the TIF committee the TIF commission only meets when necessary when a TIF issue comes up before the committee. TIFs for those of you that don't know or a TIF is a tax increment financing. It's a mechanism that some developers can use to get public funding for developing areas that are considered blighted. Okay, so like the area where Costco is is in Uh development area where Chick-fil-A and those are If you
040recall what that used to look like, I think it was blighted. And there was a TIF that would would the city uh agreed to with the uh developer uh in order to finance the some of the infrastructure in there uh that that's necessary. And so the TIF committee basically hears the um the the persuasive arguments of the uh the developer who is explaining the need for this this mechanism. And then there are opportunities for other people to speak up if they would like to uh if they're in in opposition or in support of either. Uh and then the city engineers are there to ask answer any questions that the the members of the committee might have. So, if you've got any questions? I do. What We have a percent that we're willing to go on
041that, right? Don't we have a policy? Uh could you We do. And um Dr. Shelton, correct me if I'm wrong, is it 6%? percent 50 50 percent Uh and and that that number 50% is meaningless if you don't know what you're doing 50% of, right? So, it it ends up being about a half a point, doesn't it? And our policy doesn't have a length of year. I think the city counts our city council has a charter or something a rule. They also have 50%, but they have a number of years. And but they've I think the only one that's come forth is Costco that's been 50%. Everybody asked for more than 50%. Thank you. Any other questions? I would add by the way that we didn't get our share out of that one at Costco.
042Okay. Workforce Alliance. So, thank you. Workforce Alliance, there was two of us. I want to say Michelle Dawson and then myself, board member Dawson. And um basically we had um some guest speakers from different um source job sources that would come in and talk about their collaboration with our school district and how they're having it outreach for our students to uh be able to do internships and um or get early um job experience with them. So, yeah, I don't know if you want to add anything. No, I attended uh one meeting uh filling in for for Board Member Garrett and uh yeah, it was really interesting and it was great to see such a cross-functional group there. You know, a lot of businesses represented and schools. I thought that was really good. Okay, thank you.
043I hope this discussion has kind of helped each other learn from, you know, what different committees might entail and things like that. And I know we will be getting a a survey from Miss Linda here shortly about upcoming, you know, committee duties and things. Um any other comments or anything committee related? Okay, so we are going to make a motion then to go into closed. Yeah, I just want to say I really enjoyed learning about each others and just hearing from what people really enjoyed about their committee. So, thank you for all the work you guys are doing. Okay. You ready for me? All right. I move that this meeting be closed and that all records and votes, to the extent permitted by law, pertaining to and or resulting from this closed meeting be closed
044under section 610.021, subsections 1, 3, 6, 13, and 14 for the purpose of legal, personnel, and student issues. Second. We need a roll call vote, please. Board Member Johnson. Aye. Board Member Dawson. Aye. Vice President Miller. >> Aye. Board member Haley. Aye. Board member Nickens. Aye. Board member Garrett. Aye. President Myers. Aye.