001of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Okay, thank you for that. Um, could I get a motion for item B, approving of the meeting agenda? >> A motion. >> Get a second. >> Any discussion? All those in favor? >> Okay, Pearl. No blue cards. No special presentations to the board. Okay. I get a motion for item E in its entirety. >> I'll motion. >> Get a second. Sec. Thank you, Lori. Any discussion? All those in favor. On to item F. Can I get a motion for item F in its entirety? >> I'll second. >> Any discussion? All those in favor on to item G, student report. >> You can say it both at the same time
002if you want, if you get real good. >> Uh we just want to talk about Parent Square and how great it's been uh implementing it into everything. Obviously, uh we've gotten a lot of information via email and just everything about how to use it and there has been some bumps for people trying to uh use it, but it's been implemented in just school in general and also sports and it's been great for everybody. Um I think once you really get that up and running over the school year, it's going to be great for people. And uh also fall sports, like I said, just started. We just finished with our first week and everything's been running smoothly. There's been uh like I said, the use of parent square and also other fundraiser apps. And I think
003just really implementing these apps is going to be great for everybody this year. And uh in addition to that, uh student government and other class officers have been trying to plan homecoming and all those other festivities. And like uh everybody said, uh homecoming is going to be September 26th this year. So we're trying to plan out the spirit weeks, uh the semi- formal dances, any other festivities like the pep rallies. So I think once the school year starts to get kicked off, everything's going to go really great for us. So, I just have to say if you've ever seen The Karate Kid part one when uh Daniel wins and Miyagi's in the back with a big smile on his face, that's Ted Love right now. >> I know. I was going to say good job.
004>> Look at when you're saying all this, he's so proud. >> No, that's great. And that's a big thank you to you there, Mr. Love. >> Awesome job. Um, speaking on orientation tomorrow for all the students, I can see that um, the counselors are already giving tours to new students throughout the school, which is super nice. Um, but I think that we should create just a little more awareness um, for the kids to come to school who are freshman, you know, to get their schedules because I know a lot of kids are just checking their schedule on school tool and not even bothering to come in. Um, but it's a really crucial to like get to know your teachers and get to know, you know, fellow classmates and, you know, get your schedule and speaking
005that I've been to each um, orientation every year. Um, I think it it is getting much bigger. Um, but it's just, you know, nice to remind the kids why we have an orientation and, you know, why we do it. Just if I could ask a question of you guys as students. I I think before Tom was it a few years ago they had to come in to get their schedule. It was not available online and so that was an encouragement for students to come in >> that was that >> they they never had to come in. Okay. >> No. I mean sometimes it's easier to find than others like school tools locked but now once we went to Canvas and and other you know systems it was easier to find. They didn't have to come
006in. I do know when the pandemic was lifted, there were kids that just wanted to get back in the building. So, we had a huge influx more than >> Okay. That might have been the reason. >> Yeah. Because it just sounds like you're trying to suggest maybe more kids need to take advantage of that instead of just comparing schedules on their phones, you know, over the summer. And so, I just, you know, if that's something that you guys from a students perspective, what would get you here? You know, um besides now you being seniors and knowing that it's what's best for you. When you were an eighth grader coming into nth grade, you may not have seen it that way. So, you know, helping us to understand what what encourages was, you know, why you're
007here. So, is that it? Great job. Um, board members report. I would say um today there was summer graduation. That was a nice little event. I want to thank everybody for all their work to do that. I know that it just doesn't happen. Um there was some scrambling at the end to put on uh ropes, but other than that it was pretty good. Um had three three new graduates, three now three new alumni. So pretty excited about that. I I thought it was it was it was a great event. That's all I have. Anybody else have anything? >> Okay, on to Tom. Well, we're gearing up. Um, there have been people that have called me. I did take some phone calls from parents that were uh asking good questions about the cell phone um the
008governor's legislation and they they they really understand it wasn't central square's rule. We had something in place, but now we have to follow this. Um, I did let them know that, um, they will be expected to be kept in their lockers and that myself and our new executive high school principal, I'm sure Kristen Enright, Aaron could be there, um, at different the different grade level assemblies. And we just really want to drive it home. We really want to just drive it home to them that we're trusting that they're they're going to stay in their lockers and they're going to be off. If we see that it's pervasive and that that that is not happening, then we would then have to go to some type of locking mechanism. Um I am very happy to say that
009there's another company in town that a lot of anodaga counties uh are getting. Um and it's a fraction of the cost. It's uh like 12 or $13 instead of $36 for the same yonder pouch um from the same distributor. So, I know uh Mike E had contacted me um because I know the person that's that's apparently selling those one of their companies and it's a huge savings. So, if we have to go down that road, I still feel really good that we don't have to spend $70,000. We can spend a fraction of that. We have $18,000 that's been allocated that we should literally be getting at any day now. Moren and I are looking for it from um the state for either locking pouches or we were going to originally um send it or um
010spend it on having Kate Reed from Bon Chenkin King and have a number of um speaking we're use that to be able to pay her for students about social media and the footprint and a lot of the reasons why cell phones aren't now being allowed. Um, so we're gonna hit pause on bringing her in to do that because we're in kind of a a holding page, like holding zone right now. We want to make sure we're hoping that the lockers work. We're we also are very aware that the state will be sending people very similar to when they came to check to see state testing was happening right the right way. They hit every, you know, district in the area where they're collected, where they're stored. We feel the same thing is going to happen
011with cell phones and they're going to probably say to the principal, "All right, let's take a walk to your cafeteria. Let's take a walk to your study hall. Let's walk through the hallways." So to know that that 18,000 is there just in case we need it on some type of locking pouch. But again, the reason why I'm saying this is we want the students to know we are going to start off with our plan that they're locked in the lockers. And we hope that students will be able to really help us and the student government to get that message out there that you know they will be in the lockers. However, if that is abused by large amounts of people then we'll have to pivot. And the only other thing is we've seen a lot
012of great things happening. Um, I know right now the um the Red Hawk program are having all of uh their families and the students and they're coming in and our that's where our high school administration just was and they've got food kind of like a indoor picnic for the families. That's a wonderful way to be able to have the students feel welcome. Um especially the students that maybe struggle with transitions from the middle school coming up here. So, we're really excited about that. I have given many informal as uh our new executive principal as well tours. There's parents that just say, "My kid will feel more comfortable." Sure, let's let's take a walk. And we bring them around. I'm very excited about that front wall that's been several years in the making. Um, it's going
013to look really really nice. That's where everyone takes pictures. Uh, graduation. That's where the media always start the story off. And that, uh, what was the the what did you call it? It's it's brutalistic architecture. It was it was a a big thing back in the 70s. it. Um, like I said, the the James Hanley building, the Federal building in Syracuse was designed with that where and all the hallways was open concrete. The outside's open concrete, everything was it was a brutal, they called it a brutalistic architecture. >> Well, it is brutal and it does look like the the Cold War, the you know, the the wall, but it's now really going to look it's going to soften up. There'll be nice landscaping in front. The other thing I'm very very pleased we had um
014a meeting this morning at the middle school. It was myself. It was um district office administration with Paul Brazette and we came out with a really good plan. Um and the signage is being um actually created right now. And so we're very happy because one of the biggest problems at the middle school, especially at dismissal, is the parade of cars and buses that have to go to the right. And the major all of the buses always went to the right. I would take a number of phone calls from people saying this is horrible, you know. So we figured if we're going to have this second road, we have to fix that. So, at dismissal time, we are asking um all cars, whether that's staff members leaving at their end of their contractual day and or
015parents, any visitors to go the new way, even if they're going north. And yes, that means that they'll be going the buses will have to wait, but the buses just get up here anyway and have to wait. So, we really want parents um to be able to get out and not get stuck in that traffic. Um and so we we're really really excited about that because if kids are going to be waiting up here anyway until the middle school kids, why not have them wait right there until everyone else can get out because that inevitably will happen is that the cars will go that way and the ones that go down to Dollar County, great, you're out. the ones that need to go up towards the Swiggo County, they're going to just be able to
016go and the buses will be waiting until they, you know, they go. I'm very happy about the um soon to be crosswalk. The DOT is giving us everything that we've asked for that I asked for eight years ago and that other superintendents have asked for 25 years with the blinking uh um beacons. the the traffic has already been reduced to 30 30 miles an hour because they reduced the stretch of the road from 45 to 35. That's how they were able to go less than 10 for the school zone. Um so we're really excited. It's starting to look really good down there. We'll get the um we want to have an aerial view and um parking signs like in and arrows so there's no confusion for staff and for uh for families. So, it's really
017looking great. And again, I want to give a huge shout out to Paul Brazette and to his crew, um, and to all the custodians because they've been doing a wonderful job. I've been superintendent, this is my going on my what, 10th year, and it seems like we've had capital projects rolling for the past seven. So, they're getting all of the buildings looking beautiful in the midst of all of the capital project work that's going around. So, it's it's a herculean effort. We've made a lot of great hires. We, you know, we were sad to see, you know, several of our staff members retire and move on. We wish wish them the best. But again, that table probably worked the hardest that they've worked in the past two months um doing all the hiring and personnel
018and onboarding. So, we're really excited and we're ready to roll. >> Um just if you could just clarify, too, because I I overheard um some parents at some sporting events talking about the new wall. Um and there was some misunderstandings about the fact that the budget failed and yet they're putting this big wall on and I tried to explain that that was a capital project that was approved two or three years ago. Yeah. But um if you >> talk briefly about the fact that there is projects going on all over the district including the middle school. None of that is >> budget this year money or next year money. It's all >> That is correct. All of the money that's going towards that was just built into um AA coal, other things and other buildings
019are being hit. Yeah. Um that is already agreed upon money that went out and was approved with the capital project. That's got nothing to do with our budget for this school year. >> And that's true next year. There's still going to be projects going on that relate back to budget or um capital projects that were approved a year or two years ago. >> Yeah. And that and the the wall got pushed. It got pushed and other things that because we didn't get a good bid that we want or we only got one construction company that bid. Paul's a genius. He's like, "No, we're going to wait because then we can get three or four more bids." So that Yeah. That money was already allocated several years ago. >> Yep. Okay. On to item H. I'm
020sorry. Can I get a motion for item H in its entirety? >> A motion. >> Is any discussion? All those in favor. Okay. I would say break out pens. >> Break out the pens. that we paid for. >> Thank you. >> Okay, good job everybody. Um, got to get a motion for item I >> I will motion. >> Yes. Second. All those in favor? That's a wrap. Thank you so much.