May 19th, 2026 Board of Education Meeting

001uh primary session. Would you please join me in standing for the pledge of allegiance? >> I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Oh yes. Oh yes, I did. Sorry, I got here last minute and I actually forgot to do roll call. So, we need to back up one step. So, Mrs. Welty, can you please take the role? >> Uh, Starcher >> here. >> Goodight >> here. >> Kleinhens >> here. >> Uh, N >> here. >> Degan >> here. >> All right. Section 1.03. Um, please uh motion to approve the May 19th, 2026 board agenda as presented, amended. >> Some moved. >> Second. Uh, Degan, >> yes. >> N, yes. >>

002Kleinhens, yes. Goodight, >> yes. >> Starcher, >> yes. >> And then a motion to approve the minutes of the April 8th, 2026 and the April 16th work sessions in the April 21st, 2026 regular session. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Kleinhens, >> yes. >> Starcher, >> yes. >> Goodright, >> yes. >> N, >> yes. >> Degan, >> yes. All right. So, tonight we're going to start the meeting with recognitions. We're going to start with state gymnastics and then we're going to do some CTE recognition and then our student board uh students of the month and then our retirees. So, we will start with um gymnastics and uh Joey Day, our athletic director, will introduce the student athletes and the coaches that qualified for state. >> And everybody, we will do a we'll do a dismissal

003after students. So then maybe we u and then we'll do another one after retirees. So we'll we'll make some more room as we go. Glad to have everybody here. >> All right. Good evening everyone. I'm Joey Dam, the athletic director here at Worcester High School. I want to thank the board again for our final recognition of our winner state championship athletes. So at this time I'm going to call Coach Hackett down to discuss our gymnastics team. Good evening. In gymnastics, you get one shot. You must peak at the correct time. And McKinley did that this year. At the biggest meet, which she qualified to the state meet, she broke the school record and had the highest scores of the year. on vault with a 9575. Bars with a 9525, floor with a 9525, and the

004all-around with a 378.25. This season was one of the best seasons that I've had. Not because I cut to coach my own kid, but because I had a but I had a kid that wanted it. I had a kid that worked hard, dedicated, and res was resilient. McKinley, your talent is unbelievable. Every award that you deserve this year, you were very deserving of. Uh she was first team on vault, bars, beam floor, and the all-around. She was all Ohio, all district, and just two weeks ago, she became the Eastern National Vault Champion. Congratulations, McKinley, on a wonderful freshman season. Thank you again, board. Thank you. And now um we'll have Margaret Davis, the Worcester High School principal, introduce the career technical education health technology students instructor that qualified for the HOSA state leadership conference and

005the newly certified nursing assistants. Good evening everyone. My name is Margaret Davis. I'm the principal at Worcester High School. Really excited to welcome our nursing students up here with their instructor, Miss Anderson, to say some wonderful things about them. Well, that's something I think we're all here. I'm Jessica Anderson and I am the health technologies teacher at Worcester High School. So, good evening. Um, thank you for giving me the opportunity to be here this evening to recognize a very special group of students and to share some exciting progress taking place within the health technologies career technical program at Worcester High School. Two years ago, we started this program with a vision to create a hands-on career focused pathway for students interested in healthcare. Our goal was to give students meaningful experiences, industry recognized credentials, leadership

006opportunities, and a strong foundation for their next steps after high school. This year has been especially important because we are preparing to graduate our very first class from the health technologies program at Wester High School. One of the major milestones of our program this year was applying to become a nurse aid, excuse me, training and competency evaluation program through the Ohio Department of Health. And in October of 2025, we officially became that program, allowing our students to complete that training required to pursue their state tested nurse aid credential. In March of 2026, our program became an official testing site for the state of Ohio. and we had six students complete the two-part Ohio State test for nursing assisting, which includes both a written and a hands-on skills exam. I am incredibly proud to share that

007all six students passed both portions of the test, giving our program a 100% pass rate for our first group of CNA candidates. At this time, I would like to recognize these six students as the first students in our health technologies program to earn their certified nursing assistant credential. So, as I announce each student, they will receive a certificate for completing the program and a pin in recognition of this accomplishment. So, you can step forward as I announce your names. Okay. Kaylee Bernett plans to attend Akran University to pursue education in veterinary sciences. WILLIAM Clark will plans to attend Akran University as well to begin his premed education pursuit. Haven Simpson. Haven plans to prioritize her career as a certified nursing assistant here in Worcester, Ohio. Maddie Jet. Maddie plans to attend the University of Akran

008Wayne to pursue an education in nursing. And Brooklyn Lutman plans to attend Altman College to pursue an education in nursing as well. Congratulations to each of you. You have set the standard for future students in this program and you should be very proud of what you have accomplished. Sorry, in absence we have one student who couldn't make it tonight and that is Kaden Clevven who also plans to attend the University of Akran Wayne um to pursue an education in radiology sciences. Do you guys want to sit down? You can. All right. Um, another major accomplishment this year was the development of our local chapter of HOSA, Future Health Professionals, which is a career technical student organization designed specifically for students pursuing careers in healthcare. Through HOSA, students are able to develop leadership skills, compete in

009healthcare related events, build confidence, and represent our school and program at the regional, state, and international levels. In February, seven of our students competed at the regional HOSA conference. And I'm proud to share that all seven of those students qualified for the state leadership conference this past April. I'm going to announce them now. ALL RIGHT, our first group was McKenzie Bender and Gabrielle Wright. Gabby was not with us tonight. Um, but they competed in our health career display event and earned first place at regionals, qualifying them for the state leadership conference. The next group is Sydney Cooper and Taylor Tucker. These two developed a mental health promotional campaign for Worcester High School and their project earned a second place at regionals. also qualifying them for the state leadership conference. McKenzie Sigler and Grace Johnson created

010and presented a public service announcement about brain health and earned a second place finish at regionals and a qualifying um score for the state leadership conference. And last, but certainly not least, I would like to recognize Cararissa Dodson. Carissa competed in the life support skills competition where she earned third place at regionals, qualified for the state leadership conference. At the state leadership conference, Cararissa went on to place in the top 10 in the state of Ohio for life support skills. These accomplishments are a reflection of the hard work, professionalism, and dedication these students have shown throughout the year. And they have represented Worcester High School and our career technical education program and themselves extremely well. To my students, congratulations. Whether you earned your CNA, competed through HOSA, qualified for state, or helped build the foundation

011of this program, you have played an important role in shaping what health technologies is becoming. I am so proud of each and every one of you. We are only two years into this program, but the progress has been tremendous. So, I'm excited for what has already been accomplished and even more excited for what is ahead. Thank you. CONGRATULATIONS. >> Thank you everyone. >> She was jumping. >> Thank you so much. It's so exciting to see how well our uh first STE program is doing um in its second year. So, thank you Mrs. Anderson as well. She she popped out, but thank you so much for your leadership. At this point, we will move into the um board of education students of the month. And I think we're starting with Mrs. McGomery. Good evening, community members,

012members of the board. My name is Gabrielle Montgomery. I am the proud principal at Cornerstone Elementary and I have two amazing kindergarten students to share with you this evening. Um they have grown a lot this year into uh true student leaders and their teachers are here to share uh their nominations with you. Our first student to recognize tonight is Meera Branley. She is joined tonight by mom Nicole. If you would like to wave to be recognized. Congratulations to you two. and Mera's teacher, Miss Orchard, is here to share her nomination. Good evening. Thank you so much for having us tonight. Since the start of the school year, Meera has shown strong leadership skills and a maturity that reaches beyond her six years. She is a steady presence in our classroom and she's one of those

013kiddos you can always count on to be making the right decisions even when others around her may be struggling to do so. Meera is a hard worker who embodies habit three. She knows the importance of putting first things first. Her work ethic doesn't waver based on the task or the time of day and her reliably calm nature helps her stay focused on her work. This year she really blossomed as a writer. In fact, hers was the kindergarten story chosen to be dramatized by the Worcester High School drama classes in our cornerstone stories event. And one day, while walking to the carpet to learn about the day's writing challenge, I heard our usually quiet Meera whisper, "I just love writing." Which of course didn't make my teacher heart skip a beat in the slightest. Meera's gentle

014leadership has also made her a dependable friend to others in our classroom. She's quick to notice when something in her classroom needs attention, offer kind assistance to a classmate when they're struggling with an academic task, or thoughtfully invite a peer to join her if they're not feeling included. Her wide variety of interests outside of school not only helps her sharpen the saw, but also makes it easy for her to relate to others and help them feel seen. I'm so proud to introduce you to Meera this evening. She's a wonderful example of a Worcester student who learns and leads with compassion and integrity. And I'm so proud that I got to be her kindergarten teacher. Good job, Mera. Thank you, Miss Orchard. Our second kindergarten cornerstone student to recognize this evening is Ryker Woodruff. Ryker is

015joined this evening by mom and dad Holly and Ryan and sisters Hadley and Ava. If you would like to wave to be recognized. Thank you for being here. And one of Riker's teachers, Mrs. Tucker, is here to share his nomination. Hi, I'm Mrs. Tucker. I'm short, but I am the title, one of the title reading teachers at Cornerstone, and I've had the pleasure of working with Riker in a small group since school began. When I think about Riker, the quote from Albert Einstein comes to mind. The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence. It was Riker's curiosity surrounding the simplest things in kindergarten that unlocked a world of daily wonder for him from for him. From questioning what a pencil was to learning how to hold one and

016pressing ever so hard onto a paper while learning to write to learning the letters in his name and then the whole alphabet. Each day he came to school, he took one step closer into a world of understanding the joy found in learning, building friendships, and showing kindness to his classmates. He often looks for moments to work with others, thinking win-win with his friendships, and seeking ways to help or offer an encouraging good job to a friend. His curiosity guided his head, his hand, and his heart towards print. His mind connects the sounds that letters make and how to blend them together. And then he was reading. At times he struggled, mentioning, "This is tricky, right? It's hard, is it?" But his curiosity wouldn't let him give in. his p he persevered putting first things first

017and became my strongest reader helping others when they were stuck on a word eagerly raising a hand to tell us what the R controlled vowels are and reminding us about the schwah vowel sound find found in our site word come I honestly don't want to let him go I wish I could continue with him on his curious path of learning into first grade he is a strong leader and his presence is big it is my honor to present to you Riker Woodruff tonight. Worcester is so lucky to have you and I have loved watching you grow. >> Nice job, Riker. That's awesome. >> So sweet. Good evening everyone. My name is Darren Nash. I'm the principal at Keen Elementary. And tonight you're going to hear about two outstanding uh leaders from Keen. First we have

018Clara Pope and Bryson Hill. Um before we we get started with Clara, if her parents can wave uh for us and to be recognized. Clara, we want to thank you for all you do with your leadership. And so now we'll turn the time over to her teacher. Good evening everyone. It is a true privilege to stand here tonight to recognize Clara as our student of the month. I first had the pleasure of meeting Clara's family three years ago when her older sister Izzy was in my class. Even back then, I knew that when it was finally Clara's turn to walk through my door, I'd be welcoming a student of incredible character. To know Clara is to understand the definition of grit. She's a member of 4 and her face truly lights up when she talks

019about her pro projects. Her current excitement is for hatching chicks which should be hatching tomorrow tonight. But you can also find her this fall at the Wayne County Fair showing pigs, cows, lambs along with her chickens. She's truly beginning with the end in mind and setting herself up with a fabulous foundation since when she wants to grow up she wants to be a veterinarian specifically for chickens, but she'll care care for other birds, too. What makes Clara truly special, however, is her quiet leadership. She brought her talent for crochet into our classroom, and what started as a personal hobby quickly became a full-blown phenomenon. Thanks to her patience and willingness to teach her peers, half the class now has a hook and yarn in their hands. She didn't just share a skill, she built a

020community. Clara is someone who sets a high bar for herself. While she can be her own toughest critic that stems from a place of immense integrity, she is an extraordinarily hard worker who meets every challenge with a can do attitude and never a word of complaint. Clara, your kindness, your work ethic, and your ability to inspire others make our school a better place. Congratulations and keep up the amazing work. Next, we'd like to recognize third grade leader Bryson Hill. Um, and his parents are in the back. And I believe your sister, if you want to wave to and be recognized. Um, thank you for being here. Um, to tell us more about Bryson's leadership skills is his teacher, Mrs. Ratliff. Good evening, Bryson. You are so deserving to be my board of education general of

021the month because you bring such positive energy and enthusiasm to our classroom every single day. You share your ideas thoughtfully. You participate often and you always include others which has helped to make our classroom so welcoming and supportive for everyone who walks through the door. You get along well with your classmates and you show kindness in the way you treat others. Your cheerful spirit and great sense of humor lift those around you and make our class a more joyful place to learn. And most importantly, you always seem to understand and appreciate my sense of humor, which makes our days in third grade even more fun. One of your classmates even told me that you are the funniest person that he knows. Having both you and your sister Addie as students has been such a special

022experience for me, and it has been a joy to see the wonderful qualities that you both bring. You have made my final year of teaching before retirement truly meaningful and memorable. I am so grateful I had the chance to be your teacher and I am incredibly proud of the leader that you are becoming. Congratulations. >> You are awesome. Congratulations. >> Congratulations. Good evening everyone. My name is Katie Roth. I am the principal of Park View Elementary. Um and I am here to introduce um Mrs. Lazak and two excellent leaders from Melrose Elementary. Mrs. Mrs. Tucker was not able to make it tonight. So, I will invite Mrs. Slaysac up to come and talk about um her Melrose student leaders. I'm Mrs. Leak. I teach fourth grade math at Melrose. Um and the first student I'm

023going to introduce is from my home room, Karolina Nessie, who's here with her family. They can wave. I'm so happy to present Karolina for this award tonight. Karolina is a wonderful member of our class. She leads with kindness and is always happy to help a classmate. She's built confidence throughout the year and has grown and excelled in all areas. She has a love of learning and teaching, often playing teacher at recess and even teaching her friends some Portuguese. Karolina is incredibly kind, often thinking of her classmates and teachers needs, and even spending recess time writing or drawing, encouraging notes to classmates and teachers. While we're sorry to see Karolina leave next year, we know she will have wonderful adventures and thrive wherever she goes. Remember, Karolina, wherever you are in the world, once a general,

024always a general. Carol You're welcome. Um, the next student I'm going to introduce is Abby Walton. Abby was nominated by her home room teacher, Mrs. Harbaugh, who couldn't be here, but the fourth grade students are all our students, so I am happy to present her to you tonight. Um, this is what Mrs. Harbaugh said about Abby. Abby is a fourth grade student at Melrose Elementary. She comes to school each day ready to learn and work hard. She is not afraid to ask questions and take her time when working in the classroom. She asks great questions either about her work or just because she's curious. Abby is quiet and thoughtful, but she also enjoys being silly and goofy. You'll often find Abby snuggled up in a corner reading her book book during free time. Abby is

025a wonderful student to have, and I'm so thankful that I was able to be a part of her journey at Melrose. She will go on to do great and wonderful things at Edgewood. Good job, Abby. What a cool outfit. You are awesome, Addie. Look at that little >> I love it. >> So nice. Uhhuh. Uhhuh. Adorable. Okay, me again. And I am here to share two of our excellent leaders from Park View. Um, Vera Holmes and Autumn Ring. The first is Vera Holmes. Um, she was nominated by her art teacher, Mrs. Bowman. Vera is joined by her family. if you would like to wave to be recognized. And Mrs. Bowman is here to share her nomination. Vera is one of the coolest kids I have ever worked with. Vera is her own person. She isn't

026influenced by peers and outside pressure. She is always kind and thoughtful in how she interacts with her peers. She is always slow to react and very observant of how her behavior affects others. But I didn't choose Vera because of her kindness. I chose her because of the artist that she is. Her ability and skill to reproduce images from observation is unlike many students I have taught over the years. She is extremely talented regarding her artistic skill, but it's also her artistic mind that I love. When Vera went on the window painting field trip, she wanted to turn the sun into a paint palette, which I fully supported. This is the outside of the box thinking that makes Vera the artist that she is. I also appreciate that she takes drawing books home to continue work

027beyond the school day. When walking the track during recess, Vera gives me an earful. I always enjoy hearing her stories about her family and her home and even getting invited to their evening parties. I truly have enjoyed getting to know Vera and her family. I am excited to see her creativity bloom as she makes her way through the district's art program. Good job, Vera. Awesome. Congratulations. >> Congratulations. >> Uhhuh. There she is. Uhhuh. Very much. >> And you guys probably don't know that I was invited to your home, but >> I know. Uhhuh. She's an artist for sure. Our second student is Autumn Mering, a kindergarten student. Mrs. Sha is here to share her nomination. But first, um, if Autumn's family would like to wave to be recognized and here she is with Mrs. Sh

028to share about uh more about why she nominated Autumn. It is my pleasure to introduce you to Autumn. Autumn comes to music each week with a smile on her face. She joyfully joins in music activities, singing, moving, dancing, and playing nicely with her classmates. She has a wonderfully sweet singing voice and is not afraid to share it with others. When we were preparing for our music concert a couple of months ago, I could always count on her being a great leader and singing out, knowing every single word. She is kind to others, and I have often seen her go out of her way to befriend or help a friend who was sad or in need of a helping hand. I can't wait to see all that she achieves in the future. It is a pleasure

029to be your teacher, Autumn. Keep up the great work. Wonderful Autumn. Very wonderful. >> Yep. All right. Hello. My name is Heidi Hos. I am the principal at Edgewood Middle School and I am super pumped to brag about two of our lovely students here tonight. Mrs. Stevens unfortunately couldn't make it so I get to say all the awesome things. Is that good with you? Wonderful. Okay. So, we will start first with Elijah. Um, and Elijah Lion is his father Cameron and mother Malia couldn't make it, but his awesome cousin Shannon is here. Shannon, if you want to give a wave. All right. All right, Elijah. So, team Maverick had this to say about you. Elijah comes to school prepared to learn every single day. He participates daily. He thinks deeply about texts and approaches equations

030with grit and determination. He is kind to others and accepting of all of his classmates. He's always willing to work with anyone in his class regardless, boy or girl, friend or or somebody new. He has made so much growth in reading. He practices excel daily in both reading and math. And I think he loves it. Yeah, sort of. Uh he is we are really thrilled to select Elijah as our student of the month. He deserves high recognition for his efforts and kindness. He lives the rise up habits of Edgewood every single day. Keep shining bright Elijah. Way to go. Outstanding. You're welcome. All right. And our second student of the month is Kenna Eckleberry. Kenna is here with Aunt Lisa, mom Trisha, her two sisters, and her cousin. If you guys want to give a

031wave. All right. And fifth grade Millennial Force team had this to say about Kenna. Our second student of the month is Kenna Eckleberry. Kenna is the kid who, you know, is going to come into class every single day with a smile on her face and a positive attitude. Her laugh is infectious and she enjoys looking for opportunities to help anyone regardless if it's in the classroom, in the hallway, on the way into school or on the way out of school. Her teachers are incredibly proud of proud of her for her authentic caring self, her hard work in the classroom, and her ability to be a teammate and work with others. When discussing who to pick for student of the month, as soon as Kenna's name was brought up, it was an obvious unanimous choice. Kenna,

032keep up the great work. We're so proud of you for living out the rise up habits at Edgewood, and this honor is welld deserved. >> Outstanding. Great job. Congratulations. Happy to be back to introduce a couple more awesome students. So, our first student of the month is JC Hackett. She's joined tonight by her family in the back if you want to wave to be recognized. and she was actually nominated by two of our teachers, Mr. Smith and Mrs. Stokes. So, they are both going to share a little bit about her. Hi, I'm Ryan Smith. I have uh JC Hackett in my American government class. And to me, she just embodies uh everything that RISE stands for, respect, integrity, safety, and engagement. Um, every day she comes to class with a smile on her fa on

033her face, excited. Um, many people probably know her for for her uh athletic uh career in terms of her standout efforts in basketball and lacrosse, but I think she really deserves a lot of recognition for her academics as well. Um, I've known her in just about every uh aspect you could as far as coaching, um, being a teammate of my daughter and that now having her in class and just couple words that stand out to me about JC would be consistency and effort. Um, every single day she gives her best effort with everything she does. And uh probably more impressive is just um regardless of what's going on, whether she had a late night game or maybe painful blisters from lacrosse, whatever it might be, she comes to school with it with the same effort

034every single day, smiling, excited, getting along well with classmates, and just setting uh a great tone for the classroom. I'm sorry. >> Hola. I'm Senora Stokes and um wow. I'm going to um uh reiterate a lot of what Mr. Smith said as well. What an honor to be up here to talk about JC or as I affectionately call her hot and latlas de espanol. She is an absolute joy to have in class. She has shown dedication, consistency, and a wonderful, wonderful positive attitude every day. Um, she always asks questions and has a willingness to try. She never lets the fear of making mistakes stop her from speaking her espanol. Uh, she helps create a positive environment in my classroom and I have so enjoyed having her in class. I'm very proud of Hotay. I can't

035wait to see what she does in the future because I know it's going to be some good stuff. So, Felici TV to say >> congratulations. You're welcome. >> Congratulations. Our second student is Ben Brigette, but he is playing baseball right now, so he is not here, but here to share a few words about him is his teacher, Mrs. Arnold. All right. Um, hello. I'm Mrs. Arnold. Um, Ben right here is my student of the month. Picture of Ben. I'm so happy to announce the student of the month, Ben Bergett, for for the Worcester High School. Choosing just one person is always a challenge, but this month may Ben made the decision pretty easy for me because of his character, his work ethic, and the kindness he shows others. One of the things I admire most

036about Ben is his independence. In high school, it is very easy to just follow the crowd or drop a class if your friends aren't in it. when the beginning of the semester was here, Ben didn't have his close um circle of friends in my class, but he decided to stick with my class anyways. Um that takes a level of confidence and maturity that doesn't go unnoticed. Um since day one, Ben has been a great mo role model of uh sorry, of what it means to be a high achieving Worcester General student. Whether he's in my class or his other academic classes, his attitude and work e ethic help create a positive and productive environment for everyone. Ben doesn't just complete the work, he masters it. He is meticulous, paying close attention to detail and never

037settling for good enough. He is inquisitive, always asking thoughtful questions and looking for ways to improve. He is helpful and kind, quick to support classmates and lend a hand whenever needed, especially with me. um between his academic schedule this year and the many hours he dedicates to his extracurriculars like running cross country, JV, Worcester, uh baseball. Um he's in boy scouts and snow skiing. His schedule is always full. Ben is one of the hardest workers I know. So no matter what, he shows up every day with a positive attitude and a strong willingness to work hard. Uh, Ben, thank you for the effort you put in every day and for being such an outstanding student in my class. The ability you have to keep doing your best and pushing forward is such a great example

038of how to be a lifelong learner. So, I thought that I would also ask some teachers about Ben because of how great he is. And I had a couple that um kind of responded. So, Mrs. Diane Mey said, "Ben is enthusiastic and engaged every single day of class. He's always willing to participate. He asks great questions and he gives Shakespeare a run for his money when Ben takes on the roles of Benedict in much ado and Marushio in Romeo and Juliet. Ben is the epitome of a lifelong learner. Uh Mr. Knight who teaches science said wonderful kid and he is always asking questions showing his yearning to learn more about the world around him which is such a valuable lifelong quality. Um and of course his friends would say that he is brave, confident and

039outstanding. So congratulations to Ben. You deserve it. And from your teacher from the fashion design class. Woohoo. So, how do you want to do this? All right. Thank you so much for that. It certainly is a highlight of the meeting to hear about all these amazing students and we uh give a thank you to Panera Bread who gives us a gift certificates for each of the students. Um we thank the teachers and we thank all of you for doing everything you do to support your students. So at this point if you are would like to um leave you are certainly welcome. We're going to recognize retirees um next. Thank you. >> Right. This is what I'm trying to say. We've not even So >> okay so shall we I guess I >> you can instru

040somebody introducing them there's administrator and then someone >> so we only start with because I don't have the I don't like I don't know who's from a long time. At 10, >> I'm sure probably >> I'm big on sleep. >> Okay, we're going to go ahead and do the retiree recognitions and we're going to go by building. So, we're going to start with this. We're going to go in the same order as we did. Oh, would you like to go? >> That's okay. So, we need a few more minutes. Is that what you're We need a few more minutes. >> We can start. >> Okay. Okay, we'll start with the high school. Okay, we'll go backwards order. Okay, >> this is my dear. >> Okay, thank you. >> Going up there. >> Yeah, we'll see

041in front. >> Well, I don't think so. She can go. >> Do you want me to go? >> Yes. >> We're going I'm just Great. >> Are we Can I get Okay. >> Yes, you get to wave. >> All right. I am so excited to share three wonderful retirees with you tonight. The first is Susan Badig. Tonight, we honor someone whose impact on students and staff at Worcester High School cannot truly be measured in years alone. Although 26 years of service is certainly remarkable. Susan began her career as a specialized paraprofessional at Edgewood Middle School before moving with a student to Worcester High School in 2002. Thankfully for all of us, she stayed. Over the years, Susan has worked with nearly every student population imaginable. MD, ID, ED, SLD, and more. No matter the need,

042no matter the challenge, Susan approached every student with patience, dignity, honor, and compassion. She has been a constant support in our classrooms, in summer school, and through her work helping students run the Worcester High School General Grounds coffee shop. In fact, many morning mornings, Susan was already here early, voluntarily prepping the coffee shop so students could start their day successfully and confidently. What truly makes Susan special is the way she shows up for people. She shows up at concerts, sporting events, extracurricular activities to support students outside the classroom. She shows up during difficult moments with a calming presence and an incredible ability to deescalate even the most challenging situations. She shows up with humor, accountability, school spirit, and kindness. Whether it's remembering birthdays, dressing up for spirit days, or simply making someone feel seen and

043valued. And perhaps most importantly, she shows up every single day giving 100%. Susan has been a steady, caring, and deeply dedicated presence for countless students and staff members over the years. The relationships she has built and the lives she has impacted will continue long after her retirement. Susan, thank you for your heart, your service, and your unwavering commitment to the students of Wester High School. You will be greatly missed. Are you Tonight, we also recognize and celebrate Carol Estanic for an incredible 30 years of dedication to the students and families of Wester City Schools. Throughout her career, Carol has worn many hats and worn them exceptionally well. She served as a science teacher at both Edgewood Middle School and Worcester High School, helping generations of students discover the world through curiosity, experimentation, and critical thinking.

044She also took on numerous leadership roles, including science department chair at Worcester High School and science department head at Edgewood Middle School. Beyond the classroom, Carol dedicated herself to mentoring and supporting others. As a Russa mentor teacher, she helped guide new educators as they entered the profession, sharing her experience, wisdom, and passion for teaching. Her commitment to students also extended well beyond the school day. She served as the National Junior Honor Society adviser and coached countless student athletes through boys and girls track and cross country at the middle and high school levels. 30 years in education requires patience, resilience, flexibility, and an unwavering belief in young people. And Carol has embodied all of these qualities throughout her career. The impact of a great teacher cannot always be measured immediately. Often, it reveals itself years later

045in former students who remember the lessons, encouragement, and support they received along the way. Carol's influence can be seen in generations of students and colleagues whose lives she helped shape over the last three decades. Carol, thank you for your leadership, your dedication, and the countless hours you've invested in students both inside and outside of the classroom. Your contributions to Worcester City Schools have left a lasting legacy, and we're incredibly grateful for your 30 years of service. All right, last for me is Melissa Rooney. We celebrate her and her 30 years of service to Worcester City Schools. Melissa began her career teaching Spanish at Edgewood Middle School before moving to Worcester High School where she continued inspiring students as a Spanish teacher and later served as the foreign language department head. For three decades, Melissa has

046helped students expand their understanding of language, culture, and communication while also ensuring they mastered what may have felt like an endless number of verb conjugations. Along the way, Melissa brought high expectations, passion, and dedication to her classroom every single day. She challenged students to work hard, think critically, and push themselves beyond what they thought they were capable of. And of course, no speech about Melissa would be complete without recognizing another one of her unofficial roles at Wester High School, our very own dress code police captain. >> Well, that's because Chris is >> Yeah. Well, somebody had to take over after Chris retired. Yeah. >> Melissa has long been known for paying attention to the details and holding students accountable, always with the goal of helping them succeed and represent Worcester High School well. Beyond the

047humor and the stories students will undoubtedly continue telling for years to come, Melissa's impact has been significant. She's helped shape the culture of the foreign language department, mentored students and colleagues alike, and dedicated her her career to helping young people grow academically and personally. 30 years of service is an incredible accomplishment, and Melissa's dedication to students and education has left a lasting mark on Worcester High School. Melissa, thank you for your commitment, your leadership, and the energy and passion you bring to our school. Hello, I'm uh Heidi Hos, principal of Edgewood. And before I begin honoring each of our retirees this evening, I want to take a moment to recognize just how extraordinary this group is. These four individuals are true pillars of what master teachers strive to be. Collectively, they represent 139 years of

048educating our youth. 139 years total when you add them all up. Oh, I give myself credit for the poor before I got here. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Of showing up, >> showing up, pouring into students, and shaping lives. Along the way, they have also coached and mentored hundreds of young teachers, leaving an impact that extends far beyond their own classrooms. As I stand here tonight, I'll be honest. It doesn't feel fair that I only have about five minutes to honor each of them. their legacy, their influence, and the lives they've touched simply cannot be captured in a speech so short. And I'll also admit, I'm going to try my best to get through this without tears because the truth is, words don't quite feel like enough to fully honor truly amazing human beings. All

049right, Jim, get up here. You're first. Okay. Tonight, I have the honor of recognizing someone whose impact on our schools and our students spans an incredible 35 years. Mr. Jim Figgley, or as his license plate says, FIG. Jim's career is a testament to dedication, versatility, and a deep commitment to his students. Over the years, he has taught fourth grade at Bell Avenue and later became the king of science education at Edgewood Middle School, teaching sixth, 7th, and eighth grade science. Generations of students have walked through his classrooms gaining not only knowledge of science, but also learning the value of curiosity, perseverance, and hard work. Beyond the classroom, Jim has been a leader and a mentor. A Rhysa mentor teacher, he has supported and guided brand new educators, helping to shape our next generation of teachers.

050As science department head of Edgewood, he has led with consistency and professionalism, always keeping student learning at the center of his work. His involvement on the cornerstone OSI grant leadership team further reflects his commitment to growth and his involvement in moving education forward. Jim's impact also extends into athletics where he has spent countless hours investing in students outside of the school day. From serving as the eighth grade assistant football coach to leading a head wrestling coach at Edgewood Middle School and even coaching fresh freshman wrestling at Worcester High School, Jim has helped students build discipline, resilience, and confidence lessons which extend far beyond the classroom, the mat, or the field. On a personal note, Jim has had a meaningful impact on me as an educator and a leader. He has pushed me how to reflect

051on how I interact with students, how I hold them accountable, while also encouraging them to be the very best version of themselves they can be. Jim has always had the time for holding students to the highest of expectations, and they know that from the very first day they walk in his classroom. What's remarkable is that they almost always rise to meet his expectations. They know he cares and that makes all the difference. One moment that truly captures Jim impact was the year that so many students, a tough class, he'll tell you, chose to dress up for him as the students dress like teachers day. They were proud and genuinely excited to take pictures with him. I had parents calling me about trying to find specific clothing that matches your style the night before, panicking that

052their daughter wasn't going to have the right outfit to look like you. But any educator knows that when students put that kind of thought and effort into honoring a teacher, it speaks volumes. It's a clear sign that they feel seen, supported, and even inspired by you. What stands out about Jim's career is not the length of his service, but the consistency of his dedication. For 35 years, he has shown up for students, supported colleagues and principles, and contributed to the culture and the success of Edgewood Middle School. Jim, your work has made a lasting difference in the lives of so many students and staff. And while your presence will certainly be missed, your impact will continue to be felt for years to come. On behalf of the district, thank you for your service, your leadership,

053and your unwavering commitment to education. We wish you all the best in your well- earned retirement on some amazing ranch doing crazy cool ranch things. Congratulations, JIM. I can't. No, I can't. I'm reeling it in. Reeling it in. Next up, we have Karen Mangus. We have the privilege of recognizing an extraordinary educator whose career spans an incredible 42 years. That is 42 Mays at the end of a year. That's a lot of Mays to go through. Karen Karen's journey in education reflects both dedication and versatility. Over the years, she has impacted students across multiple grade levels and roles, from teaching first grade and third grade at Wayne Elementary to fourth grade at Cornerstone Elementary and later transitioning to a sixth grade math teacher at Edgewood Middle School. Karen has touched the lives of countless students

054at critical stages in their development. She also dedicated time to supporting students beyond the school each day, serving as an after-school intervention teacher for grades four through six when she was at Wayne Elementary. What stands out about Karen's career is not just the breadth of her experience, but the heart she has brought into each and every role. She has a natural ability to connect with students, meeting them where they are and helping them grow with patience and care. Karen is also known for her incredible sense of humor. Anyone who spent time around her knows she brings laughter into even the most challenging moments, especially in the world of middle school. She has a way of finding joy in the day-to-day experiences of teaching, reminding those around her not to take things too seriously and to

055appreciate the lighter moments. I love when she calls me over with a smile on her face because I know she's about to tell me something wild that happened to her that day and we can laugh together about it. I won't spill your secrets. I promise. Another hallmark of Karen's career has been her strong partnership with her intervention specialist. Their collaboration and co-eing created a classroom environment that was not only effective, but it was truly enjoyable to witness. The mutual respect and teamwork they demonstrated served as a model for what strong true co-teer collaboration and education should look like. And of course, Karen brings a little extra magic to everything she does. Whether it's her love of Harry Potter, reminding us all that a great teacher can feel a bit like a wizard guiding students in

056their journey, or her unique hobby of collecting pinball machines. Karen has always embraced both fun and curiosity. In many ways, that combination reflects her teaching style, engaging, dynamic, and always keeping students on their toes. For 42 years, Karen has shown up for students with consistency, compassion, and professionalism. Her impact reaches far beyond the classroom, influencing colleagues, and shaping the culture of Edgewood Middle School. Karen, your dedication and passion have made a lasting difference in the lives of so many. And while you will be greatly missed, the legacy you leave behind will continue to be felt for years to come. On behalf of the district, I want to thank you for your remarkable service and we wish you all the best in your welldeserved retirement. Congratulations It's okay. Okay, you're good. So sorry. >> It's on

057camera. >> No, it's okay. Bring me >> No, you're good. >> Next up, we have Laura Gilmore. Tonight, we are honored to recognize and celebrate the remarkable 32-year career of Laura Gilmore. Laura's journey in education be is it okay to say years? I feel like okay began in 1994 at Keen Elementary where she taught both first and sixth grade. From there, her career reflects a deep commitment to meeting students wherever they are. As she served in a variety of roles across the district, including third grade at Wayne Elementary, sixth grade at both Edgewood Middle School and Keen Elementary, grades five and six at Cornerstone Elementary, second grade at Cornerstone, and as an afterchool intervention tutor at Keen. Her willingness to serve in so many capacities speaks volumes about her flexibility, dedication, and unwavering focus on

058finding student success. One of the things that stands out most about Laura is her mindset as a learner and an educator. I remember sitting in a tough parent meeting with her, discussing the philosophy and mindset behind math instruction. It was a challenging conversation, but what stood out was Laura's ability to clearly articulate and defend her instructional choices. Even more impressive was the genuine joy she had in explaining her thinking. It was evident that her approach was thoughtful, intentional, and grounded in what she believed was best for her students. What makes that even more powerful is that Laura didn't begin her career as a math teacher. She once shared with me that math didn't come easily to her and that she had to work incredibly hard to truly understand and master it. That level of grit

059and determination is inspiring. In fact, if she hadn't shared that story, I don't know that you would never know because I certainly was shocked. Her expertise, confidence, and effectiveness in teaching math reflect the effort she puts in to grow and improve qualities we all hope for in our students. Beyond the classroom, Laura has also made a meaningful impact on her colleagues. Her dedication to organizing and leading a prayer group before the school day has been a gift to so many. For those who choose to participate, it created a space for reflection, connection, and true support. Laura's willingness to lead in that way speaks to her character and her heart for others. She is truly a faithful servant. For 32 years, Laura has demonstrated commitment, resilience, and care in everything she has done. She has influenced

060not only the students she has taught, but all of us colleagues who have had the privilege working beside her. Laura, your legacy is one of perseverance, thoughtfulness, and service. While you will be greatly missed, the impact you have made will continue to be felt at Edgewood for years to come. On behalf of the district, thank you for your dedication of your many years of service. We wish you all the best in your retirement. Congratulations. >> I'm not doing it. I'm not. I knew the meaning. >> Yeah, >> but she nailed it. I was so proud of her in that moment. And last, but certainly not least, Miss Katie Talon. Tonight, we have the honor of celebrating Katie Talon and her incredible 30-year career in education. Do you want me to add? >> Throughout her time

061in our district, Katie has worn many hats and served students across multiple grade levels. From teaching second grade and grades five and six at Cornerstone Elementary to becoming a dedicated sixth grade language arts teacher at Edgewood Middle School, she has impacted countless students during some of the most important years of their journey. Beyond the classroom, Katie has contributed as an English language arts department head, a member of the LPDC committee, a RESSA mentor teacher, an afterchool detention supervisor, probably her favorite, >> usually my kids. >> She usually wrote the detentions, she said. Um, and also as a before and after school intervention teacher. She also played a key role in the cornerstone Ohio Reed summer program and the cornerstone OSI grant leadership team. Her willingness to lead, support, and serve speak volumes about her commitment

062to both her students and colleagues. One of the most unique and memorable aspects of Katie is the environment she creates for her students. Walking into her classroom feels like stepping into a truly tropical oasis. It is warm, inviting, and filled with life. quite literally lots and lots of life. Katie has a love for plants of all kinds and her classroom, much like her home, reflects that passion. It is no surprise that her room is always the favorite stop when we do tours of college students that need to obver observe different types and environments of classrooms. They literally don't want to leave. It perfectly represents the care and intentionality she brings into her work every day. But Katie's passions don't stop there. She's also loan known for her love of her pups, which she cares for

063in truly special ways, and for being somewhat of a car queen, owning some of the most amazing vehicles I've ever seen over the years. I am jealous. These personal touches are just a glimpse into the vibrant person we've all had the pleasure of working with. On a personal note, I'll always treasure the time that Katie and I spent together at a conference in Columbus where we shared a room. The conversations we had during that time were meaningful, genuine, and unforgettable. Those moments of connection are something I will always value, and I truly hope we have many more Columbus conversations over the years. For 30 years, Katie has demonstrated dedication, leadership, and heart. She has created spaces where students feel welcome and inspired and she has supported her colleagues with generosity and care. Katie, you your

064impact on this district is lasting and meaningful. While you will certainly be missed, the legacy you leave behind will continue to grow just like the many plants you have carefully nurtured over the years. On behalf of the district, thank you for your incredible service. We wish you all the best in your well-earned retirement. Congratulations. Is it too soon to talk about subbing? Any of you? No. Okay, I'll wait. I'll wait. Okay, we have two very special people um that we're going to celebrate tonight. Um while I've only worked with both of you just for a year, um it didn't take long to know why we're going to be why we're going to miss you so much. First, before I turn the time over to Morgan, um, Yuna, I want to thank you for being so

065prepared for your students every single day. Your passion for the power of reading will leave a lasting positive impact on every student you've taught. To give her the sendoff she deserves, I'll turn the time over to her longtime friend and colleague, Morgan Thomas. Okay, >> good evening. My name is Morgan Thomas and I'm a literacy coach for the district and I am here to say some words about my friend Uni King. Congratulations on your retirement and on a truly remarkable career devoted to students, colleagues, and education. Over the past 29 years, including three years with Columbus City Schools, one year in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and 25 years with Worcester City Schools, you have touched countless lives and made a lasting difference in every school community you've served. Whether teaching multiple foreign languages, guiding students in

066fourth grade, or even dipping down to teach third grade for a year, you always brought passion, flexibility, and care to your work. What time do you show up to work every day? >> Six. >> Every day. You could always count on it. Your classroom was truly one of a kind from the best classroom library in the district. carefully curated over years with books students couldn't wait to read to the joyful traditions your students will never forget. You created a space filled with warmth, laughter, and belonging. Whether it was putting on a sombrero to sing happy birthday in Spanish um or proudly carrying the owl flag for your class mascot, you made learning memorable, meaningful, and fun for every child who walked through your door. As you step into retirement, I keep keep coming back to

067one thought. No one brings a book to life like you do. Your love for reading was never just something you talked about. It was something you lived, you breathed, and shared in a way that spread far beyond your classroom. It was contagious. The way you could completely captivate students had them hanging on every word, truly eating out of your hand. and it was like nothing I'd ever seen. You didn't just teach reading, you made students experience it and connect with it and love it. That gift is rare and it is one your students will carry with them long after leaving your classroom. At Keen Elementary, you were a critical part of the adult lighthouse team that helped implement Leader and Me. You didn't just teach those habits, you truly lived them. Through your example, staff

068and students alike saw the importance of setting personal wigs, leading with purpose, and striving to become the best version of themselves. Your positive influence helped shape the culture of our building in meaningful ways. You were also an important part of the conception and growth of the district literacy committee, always keeping the focus on building a true culture of literacy throughout our schools. Your passion for books and reading helped inspire initiatives and most importantly conversations that will continue to impact students in our professional learning community for years to come. Professionally, I will always treasure the way we worked together. The way we reflected and pushed each other and stepped outside our comfort zones made us better educators and made the work so much more fulfilling. And honestly, it was a fun time. It was fun. Oh,

069those moments of growth, collaboration, and laughter are some of my favorite memories and ones I will always hold on to. Thank you for your years of service, leadership, encouragement, creativity, and heart. You will be greatly missed, but the legacy you leave behind and your students, colleagues, and school community will continue long after retirement. Wishing you all the joy, relaxation, and new adventures this next chapter brings. Good job. Erica, um, thank you for your intentionality and for your clear and caring expectations that you've set for your students. Um, you've made a huge difference in the lives of all of them. I'll now turn the time over to another longtime friend and colleague, Amy, to share some wonderful words about Mrs. Ratliff. >> Good evening. Congratulations to all of the retirees. I've worked with a lot of

070you. I wish you all the best. But now I have the distinct honor of recognizing my dear friend Erica. Erica Ratliff has been an excellent teacher for Worcers elementary students for 32 years. She has taught both fifth grade and third grade at Keen for the duration of those years, all in the same classroom. Erica is the definition of professionalism and dedication to education. She has high standards and high expectations for her students, not only in their academics, but also as human beings. She sets the example for her students that hard work along with a never give up attitude can lead to success in school and in life. Erica has brought the community into her classroom and her classroom into the community. Over the years, she has welcomed the mayor and the Rotary Club into her

071classroom to teach her third graders about their local community government and programs available to residents. She has also hosted an after-school running club for keen students modeling making healthy lifestyle choices. Erica has made a profound impact on her students and colleagues. I've personally witnessed young adults return to Keen to thank her for the support that she gave them during their time in elementary school. and I was working alongside her when one of her former fifth grade students who grew up to go to college for education came to Keen to teach third grade with Erica. It was a wonderful full circle moment. She has been a role model for her colleagues, often presenting at staff professional development days and staff meetings, something that I know that our administrators are very grateful for. When colleagues want an

072expert opinion, they turn to Erica. Erica continually refineses her teaching in response to the evolving needs of her students. And even though this current year is her last year, she has still engaged with a lot of new learning. The district has two new curriculum resources this year. And Erica has worked diligently with the instructional coaches and her team of teachers to implement the new resources with fidelity and integrity. Personally, I have wonderful memories of working with Erica around 15 years ago when I first got the assignment that I was going to be teaching third grade with her at Keen. I remember that I came to a spring meeting that was taking place in her classroom. I didn't know Erica personally at the time. Yet, when I walked in very nervously, she came over to me

073and gave me a hug. She literally welcomed me with open arms. And I will never forget the way that you made me feel like I was instantly a part of the team. And that welcoming atmosphere is what she has created for all of her students for the last 32 years. My dear, dear friend Erica, congratulations on your retirement. I could not be happier for you. And when August rolls around and the rest of us are getting ready for our new crop of students, I hope that you sit back and relax or go out on the town and enjoy this next chapter of your life. Congratulations. All right. Good evening everyone. Gabrielle Montgomery, principal at Cornerstone Elementary. And it is my honor and privilege to celebrate the retirement of Lorie McCullum, who has dedicated 20 years

074to serving the Worcester City School District. Lori has served our students, staff, and families of our district with kindness, optimism, and unwavering selflessness. Throughout her career, Lori has worn many hats um at Idisu, Lincoln Way, and Cornerstone Elementary, and her most recent post has been as one of Cornerstone secretaries, and she is often the first one to greet our students and teachers in the morning as they begin their day. She gets a lot of hugs in the morning, and when the hustle and bustle, she always makes time to make sure she stands up, comes around, and welcomes our usually girls that come in for a morning hug. Right. >> Sometimes the boys, >> some it's everybody. Everybody wants a hug for Mrs. McCullum. So, no matter the role, Lori has approached every responsibility with care,

075professionalism, and a genuine love for children. She has been a steady presence, a trusted friend to many, and a true asset to our school community. Her kindness, patience, and willingness to do whatever was needed made a lasting impact on countless students and colleagues over the years. I asked some Cornerstone staff to describe Lori, and here's what they have to say. Kayla said, "Lori is such a happy and optimistic person. She comes to work with a smile on her face, always willing to help others. When she was a kindergarten parah, she saw the good in all of the students and she worked really hard to build relationships with all of them. So, while hurting cats in kindergarten classroom, she also built meaningful relationships with five-year-olds. So, thank you for that." Um, Kayla said that Lori is

076such a huge part of Cornerstone and will be deeply missed. Kelly said that Lori is genuinely an amazing person that will do anything for you and one that I will truly miss. And she looked pretty good as a 100-year-old lady for the hundth day of school, which is a favorite kindergarten tradition. You did rock that look pretty good. >> I didn't have to paint on wrinkles. So Lori, thank you for all that you've done over the years to bring joy to our school community. You've been a great model for all that we strive to instill in our students. And for that, we are grateful. So please join me in thanking Lori for 20 outstanding years of dedication and in wishing her a happy, healthy, and well-deserved retirement. Well, good evening. I'm the recovery principal of

077Cornerstone. No, I'm the uh Eric Biso. I'm the director of transportation and security. So, I have two roles tonight, but the first one is to recognize a retiree from Cornerstone who I worked with for quite a few years. Uh, Miss Tracy Ice who has brought tonight 29 years of experience both as a MD teacher at Cornerstone and Keen as well as the General's Club co-coordinator for a long time. Um, so today we celebrate Tracy, one of our extraordinary special education teachers with 29 years, which is a remarkable career dedicated to helping children learn, grow, and succeed. As an elementary intervention specialist and leader of the cornerstone before and after school program, you made an impact far beyond the classroom. Through your patience, compassion, encouragement, and expertise, you've helped countless students overcome challenges, build their confidence,

078and discover their potential. You saw strengths where others might have saw struggles, and provided the support that changed their lives. You found ways to make learning meaningful and fun for the students and the adults in your classroom. You've also served as an example to many of our incoming intervention specialists of how to always advocate for your students and to be a team player. The relationships that you built with your students, their families, and your colleagues reflect the care and dedication that you brought to work every day. The lessons you taught and the kindness you shared with will continue to make a difference long after today. One of my favorite memories every year is the breakfast with Santa. It's always a lot of fun. Um, many of us have uh made sausage, bacon, pancakes. She's kind

079of roped us all into helping with it. Um, but Tracy was the driving force behind organizing that event and making it extra special with the fancy cups and the extra goodies and some sometimes slipping in little gifts for all of the students. And that is what creates memories for our students. Many of you may not know because 2020 was a little bit overshadowed by some other things, but in 2020, Tracy received the Franklin B. Walter Outstanding Educator Award for Region 9. Unfortunately, due to the closure literally a week before the award ceremony, she never really received that gratitude um of her colleagues for winning this award. So, I want to congratulate her tonight for earning that six years ago. Um but it's a kind of a unique moment for that. While retirement marks the end

080of your chapter with Worcester City Schools, your legacy will live on and many of our students, teachers, and intervention specialists whose lives you've helped to shape. Thank you for your years of service, your commitment, and the heart you brought to education. Congratulations. I'm also going to recruit her to start driving for us. >> Come on down. Uh, next, uh, I have the honor of recognizing Jim McKinley, who has been a bus driver for us, as well as seasonal buildings and grounds, done some painting, uh, lots of painting. In fact, we're not even sure who's going to paint now that he's retiring. Um, he's also helped our mechanics over the years and even served as a student supervision aid here at Worcester City Schools. Jim has 42 years at Worcester City Schools. I don't think they're

081all on the exact same bus cuz I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be on the road. Um, but tonight we're going to recognize Jim and celebrate a truly special member of our transportation family. After 42 years of dedicated service, we want to honor your retirement and thank you for all of the countless thousands, if not tens of thousands or maybe even hundreds of thousands of miles that you've driven safely for our school district. The early mornings, which many of you may not know, start very early in transportation. And Jim is almost always the first person there um before 6:00. Um usually he's fired up and ready to roll by the time I'm pulling in the parking lot. So, um, the late afternoons of taking the teams to often Jim was one of the buses that went

082to Does that mean my time's up? >> Uh, often Jim uh took football teams on Friday nights, so he was getting back at 11 or 12 with those teams. So, he started very early and ended very late on those nights. uh he had an unwavering commitment to I don't know how many hundreds or thousands of field trips that he's taken for athletics and student organizations here at Worcester for years. You've done a lot more than just drive a bus. You've provided that safety, that consistency, the kindness, the smile to generations. I even saw it tonight with some of the students of the month. You played that important role in a school day where you start with the students and you end with the students. Your professionalism, patience, dedication have made that lasting impact that they

083will not forget. While the route of this chapter in your life may be ending, the difference you made in the lives of those children, your co-workers and drivers, as well as our community will continue for years to come. On behalf of all of us at Worcester City Schools, we want to thank you for your service, your commitment, and the example you set. Congratulations on your retirement. It is welld deserved and we wish you the happiness and many wonderful field trips ahead. I got to pull the mic down now that good evening. Uh my name is Amy Welty and I'm the treasurer here at the district and I have the honor of congratulating and talking about Elaine Basden. Um who dedicated nine years of service in the treasur's office as our payroll queen. She really truly

084was. Um she also spent some time as a sub in her early years um when your kids were in school, right? So um you know she uh was certainly dedicated to our district for a very long time. So, um, I want to talk about Elaine. So, um, our our I know our school district runs on the dedication of our teachers, and we heard about them tonight. Um, and you know, the enthusiasm of our students, but let's be completely honest, doing payroll in the district is probably one of the hardest jobs there is. Elaine has to had to be on twice a month to process pay for over 500 people within the district. truly truly um for nine years she made sure everybody got paid on time. So thank you for that. Thank you for your

085steadiness. Thank you for your brilliance behind the magic. So Elaine, working in the treasures office wasn't just about numbers. It was about people. It meant dealing with complex uh contracts, navigating all the changing regulations, and answering a million questions about deductions, direct deposits, and retirement forms. Hence what we're talking about tonight. You did it all with absolute grace, precision, and abundance of patience. You weren't just about managing spreadsheets. You took care of every one of us. You knew the names, the faces, and the stories behind every single paycheck. Whether it was aa chaotic start to the school year or final push before the summer break, we always knew you were in we were in safe hands because you were at the desk. While center office has been a lot quieter and a lot less bright

086on Monday mornings, we could not be happier for you as you stepped into this next chapter of your life. Elaine, you spent nine years tracking everyone else's time in attendance many years prior filling in as a substitute in many different roles. And now the only schedule you have to worry about is your own. No more strict deadlines. No more balancing the books. No more year-end tax season stress. Instead, you get to trade your spreadsheets for whatever brings you joy. We do know it's your family. It's your grandching. You get to sleep in, you get to travel, and you just simply get to enjoy that cup of coffee in the morning and sleeping in without that payroll deadline looming over you. And you have earned every single bit of this freedom. Elaine, thank you. Thank you

087for the nine years of dedicated service to Worcester City Schools, your meticulous hard work, and for being such a warm, wonderful colleague to me. You left some incredibly big shoes to fill. May your retirement be filled with wonderful health, endless relaxation, and beautiful realization that every day is now Saturday. Thanks. All right. First off, I would like to thank everybody that presented our retirees. Each of you um made it very personal and took the time and and for each of them. And then thank you to all our retirees for your service and dedication to the district. We appreciate it. At this point, we are going to transition to the business portion of the meeting. >> It's cold though. >> So, you can leave if you would like. for the restroom. I don't know. Waiting for

088a few people to They took a quick break. We're just waiting for a few people to get back. Okay. You're fine. >> All right. Before we jump into um our next agenda topic, which is public participation on agenda items, we actually do have a board policy um that limits public participation to 30 minutes. And with some of the topics that are on the agenda tonight, we obviously have more than 30 minutes worth of feedback. And so we are going to take a motion and a vote to extend our uh public participation time to as long as it takes to get through all of the comments. Each individual comment will still be limited to the three minutes, which is what we do um for every public participation comment, but we will make sure that we get

089through each one. We want to hear what the public is saying, and so we will take the time that it needs. So with that, I make a motion to extend our public participation time. uh to whatever time we need to get through all the comments again with the limit the still having the limit of three minutes per comment. >> So moved. Second. >> Uh Kleinhands. >> Yes. >> Starcher. >> Yes. >> Goodright. >> Yes. >> N. >> Yes. >> Degan. >> Yes. >> Okay. So with that we will transition into the public participation on agenda items. And I believe we're going to start with anybody that's in the room uh first and then we will anything that was submitted online, we'll take those as they were received in the order that they were received. So

090we'll start with those that are here first. Hello everyone. Uh my name is Tate Emerson. Uh 659 North Buckeye Street. I have one page to read here and it may take 3 minutes and 30 seconds. President Starcher and board members, I don't feel that I nor anyone else can persuade you to vote no tonight on the modu modular solution Superintendent Tutor is expected to present. But as you vote, know that you are risking the fate of the cornerstone property and what happens on this property will forever impact the future of our district, our community, and our city. In the past week, you've received support from city council members to save our downtown school. Some have sent letters and others reach out to you directly. A combined effort of city council and the board of education,

091I believe, will rally community involvement and support. However, as I see it, we only have 12 months. When the last clapout happens for the final fourth grade class next year at Cornerstone, the community should fully understand the vision the district has for the Cornerstone property. With 62% of the community wanting the district to continue using the property, we're going to have big expectations as to how we can go about saving our downtown school. Prior to your vote tonight, a vote that moves our kids off the cornerstone property, I encourage each of you to commit your support for the district to save our downtown school. I believe that our community deserves such a commitment. Closing this school is such a momentous occurrence that a vote without commentary is a disservice to your constituents. Rick, you've commented

092multiple times on past generations punting the ball on Cornerstone. I challenge you tonight. Don't punt the ball on the cornerstone property. Don't leave it for others to figure out. Take a hold of this opportunity and let's build our past. Build on our past for a better future. Jody, I appreciate your recent conversations and hope you can direct the board to focus on community supported solution for the cornerstone property. Using a third party project manager is something I have advocated for in the past and agree that this could be very helpful. Utilizing a different architectural firm could also open us up to new solutions. Bonnie and Clayton, as new members of the board, I hope you can bring new ideas and a new energy, an energy that recognizes the challenge of cornerstone property of the cornerstone

093property and steps up to meet those challenges instead of walking away. And I hope you can bring the organizational leadership we need to complete such a project for the benefit of future generations. Joy, during the recent work session, you spoke such p so so passionately that I had not heard from the board in the past. You realize how important public schools are to the entire community. This passion is exactly what we need to build community support. We cannot walk away from this property, not even temporarily. There will be new board members and new city council members in the future. If ownership of this property leaves a school's hands, it will never come back. It's up to you to save it, and the time is now. Rebuilding a school on the cornerstone property, a school that

094utilizes the most architectural features of the existing structure, would be an equally momentous occurrence. A school designed with intent to create connectivity for our community and accessibility for our students and families. A school we can pass along to future generations for the next 100 years. We can pass a levy to rebuild Cornerstone on this property, but it will take your leadership and your collaboration with the community. Thank you. >> Thank you, Ted. Gilgutoo, 5278 Ashlin Road, Westerro, Ohio. Good evening board members, those who vote and those who don't. Some of the same and some more. Cornerstone trailers, $7 million for something that's temporary. That's nearly 24% of what it was estimated to renovate Cornerstone School in 2018. nearly 25% of what it would cost to renovate that school completely with some state money, of course.

095Rethink, consider, rethink. There's money in the bank now to rehabilitate Cornerstone. There's money in the bank now to do that. It was considered in 2018, eight years later, nearly $160,000 is all that's been spent in the last four years on Cornerstone. That's two person's salary in our school district. That's all that was spent the last year. The most money was spent because it wasn't spent earlier. What are we waiting for? Kicking the can down the road, abandoning Cornerstone, that concept. It's nearly insane. Historical preservation. Where's our thoughts about that? If you're so concerned about the community, where where's that where's that concept at? A new school building is destined to live about a lifespan of 45 years. 45 years. The lifespan. Then foundations need to be repaired. Heating systems, HVAC, etc., etc. Cornerstone's over 100

096years old. There's nothing wrong with foundation, which has been assessed by an architectural firm. The systems need replaced. That's a fact. You're kicking the can down the road. Moving on to subject matters with trailers that a $30,000 survey didn't suggest to do that course of action. Community input. I'm not hearing the response that the board is listening. I'm not hearing the response that the board is listening to the community. The community is not hearing the response either. Think again. Thank you for your time. Good evening. My name is Kaylee Cox and I'm speaking on behalf of myself and my husband Ever Cox. We live at 1581 Burbank Road here in Worcester. Over the last two levy cycles, our district has faced two levy failures. Now, we are confronting the very real consequence of those failures.

097The likely closure of the largest of our four elementary schools within the next two years due to mold and long-standing maintenance issues and some other items. At this point, there are very few viable alternatives. Although very frustrating, I get and understand that. What makes this even more difficult is knowing that many of these problems stem from decisions and a lack of transparency dating back 30 years ago. And yet, it is our children, my children, who feel the impact today. And although my husband and I moved to Worcester on the basis of this school system, we've begun exploring open enrollment procedures for other local districts. That's not a threat. It's simply the reality of wanting to be as prepared as possible. My husband and I want to protect our children's safety, education, and their childhood experience.

098I currently have a kindergarten kindergartener at uh Cornerstone Elementary School and a one-year-old who will be two at the end of July. My concern is not just about buildings. It's about trust. Our community has made it clear that trust is broken and without rebuilding it, passing any future levies will remain extremely difficult. And you are all in the unfortunate position of having to rebuild trust you never broke to begin with. So I have three questions for the group. While these probably can't be answered in one sitting, even tonight, maybe you're already working on these. I still want to make it publicly uh make the ask publicly. First, what specific steps does the current administration and board plan to take to ensure true long-term transparency and rebuild trust with our community? Without that, we cannot move

099forward, not as a district, not as families who want to stay and invest in our schools and in this community. Second, what is the realistic time frame for removing the modular classrooms and restoring a more typical stable learning environment for our students? Families deserve clarity on how long our children will be learning in temporary spaces and what the plan is to transition them back into a traditional school setting. Third, has the board and administration considered trying ways outside of a levy to fund new school structures for students? Why or why not? Our kids deserve stability, honesty, and a district that communicates openly about its plans and challenges. I see this board and administration trying to do that. But it it has been an ongoing effort even it has to be an ongoing effort even after

100your tenure. I want to thank each and every one of you for trying to solve a problem with so many unpopular solutions. Thank you. Okay, I'm going to start from the beginning. We have several. So, um, but we'll just start with the first one that was submitted. So, Katie Casy, 317 Eric Avenue. Our children deserve so much better than the school buildings we are providing for them now. I am sick to my stomach that my kindergarter has to attend a moldinfested school daily. Worcester is a beautiful, growing city. Trailers on our school grounds will be embarrassing and trashy. Please show the community the real conditions of Cornerstone instead of staying quiet. Laura Test Drake 1890 Autumn Run. As a parent of three children in the school district, I am sick inside to see the current

101situation as our reality. The children of Worcester deserve so much better than crumbling and outdated buildings, mold, aesus, and now the prospects of modular buildings for classrooms. Classroom and building environments matter. Safety matters. We need to exhaust and consider any and all options before resorting to modular units. Worcester is a beautiful and growing city. This will not help the future businesses growth or property values in our town. I am so disappointed and ashamed of what's happening with failing levies in Worcester. We cannot let two people who want to preserve cornerstone win. We must act and do so in the best interest of all students. Let's get a committee together like we have done in the past and do what is best for our students, teachers, and community. Lauren Horton, 1085 Bukholds Drive. Our children deserve

102better. Our children are not temporary. Their education is not temporary, and they should not be placed in trailers as a solution. When we send our kids to school, we must expect more than just a seat. We expect a safe, stable, healthy environment where they can focus, grow, and feel valued. Trailers send the opposite message. They tell our children that good enough is acceptable. It's not. Worcester is a strong, thriving community that attracts families and businesses. But when those families see overcrowded buildings and students learning in trailers, it does not reflect the true value of our children's education. Other communities are investing in beautiful, safe, and modern schools. And families are noticing this is about health. It is about safety. It is about equity. And it is about the long-term future of our district. We are

103urging the board to stop treating this as something temporary and commit to a real long-term solution. Our children, our teachers, and our community deserve a plan that reflects their worth. We love our teachers. We believe in our schools. And that is exactly why we are asking you, please do better. and do it now. Uh, Andrew and Katie Capatosa, 1335 Logan Lane. As parents of three future generals and residents of this district, we are writing to express our significant reservations regarding the current facilities proposal involving the use of modular classroom units and the implementation of grade banding model across our district buildings. While we understand the district's need to address aging infrastructure following recent failed bond issues, we have several specific concerns shared by many in our community. Safety and aesthetics of modular units. The plan

104to utilize modular units, essentially trailers, raises critical safety questions. Unlike permanent brick-and-mortar buildings, these temporary structures often lack robust security features such as controlled entry points and adequate protection against severe weather like tornadoes and straight line winds. Beyond safety, there is the issue of community pride. These units can negatively impact the overall look of our campuses, potentially signaling a declining educational environment that could affect community perception and local property values. concerns for sixth and seventh graders on a high school campus. We are also concerned about the proposal to house sixth and seventh graders in modular units on the Worcester High School campus. Placing middle school age children in temporary units on a site dominated by much older students creates an environment that may not be age appropriate. There is a fundamental difference in developmental needs

105between an 11-year-old and an 18-year-old. and housing these younger students in trailer style classrooms on the high school grounds feels like a regressive step rather than a solution for growth. Grade banding and logistical strain on families. The implementation of a grade banding model, two grade levels per building, creates an immense logistical burden for Worcester families. For those with multiple school age children, this plan could necessitate drop offs and pickups at two or even three buildings across the city each day. This is not only increases transportation costs and the commute times, but also fragments the neighborhood school feel that many families value, making it harder for parents to volunteer or build consistent relationships within a single school community. We urge the board to reconsider these plans and to continue seeking a long-term permanent solution that prioritizes

106student safety and the practical needs of our families. Thank you for your time and service to the Worcester community. Sincerely, Andrew and Katie. Tyler and Kaylee Egley, 4079 Stone Creek, Worcester. We want to applaud the Worcester Board of Education for thoughtfully exploring a variety of options and plans for the future of the district's buildings. We believe the health and safety of all students and staff must remain the highest priority, and we ultimately agree that it is time for Cornerstone to close its doors. Change is never easy, but this marks the beginning of an important new chapter for Worcester City Schools. While modular classrooms are not a permanent solution, they provide the district with the opportunity to take the next right step in addressing both the academic and social emotional needs of our students. Tyler and

107Kaylee, Jennifer Vanderel, 1089 Hunt Club Drive. I support the closure of Cornerstone and the temporary use of mobile units to help provide needed space and stability until funding for our new buildings becomes possible. Thank you. Amanda Anderson, 323 Caldwell Drive. 8 million is an insane investment for trailers. There has to be another solution that won't put our kids in trailers. When I was in school, I spent sixth grade in a trailer classroom. We were separated from the entire school. When we transitioned to junior high, we all had noticeably less friends than the kids in the actual school building. It sucked. And while in them, we felt like outcasts, like the kids the school didn't care about. I don't want my kid in that situation, especially at the cost of 8 million. Sonia uh Pina Nina

108something 1924 Fischer Drive. No trailers for our kids. Please figure out how we can get safe places for all of our kids to learn in buildings. This is embarrassing. Jane and Steve Moore, 1716, Hila Way. To the Worcester City School Board of Education. As longtime Worcester residents, parents, and now grandparents of children currently attending Worcester City Schools, we want to respectfully share our concerns regarding the proposed modular classroom plans. We have lived in this community for more than 30 years and cared deeply about the future of our schools. Years ago, we worked alongside many other families and community members to help support the effort to build Worcester High School because we believed then, just as we do now, that our students deserve quality long-term educational spaces and that our community is capable of coming together

109to make that happen again. We understand the difficult position the district is in following multiple failed levy attempts and continued building and capacity concerns. However, we respectfully urge the board to reconsider moving forward with a modular solution projected to cost more than 8 million. While we understand the need to address immediate space concerns, this feels more like a costly temporary fix than a meaningful long-term solution for students and taxpayers. Our concern is not about change or restructuring. We understand that there may be educational and operational benefits to some of the proposed plans. Our concern is that investing this level of money into temporary structures delays the larger conversations our community still needs to have about aging buildings and permanent solutions for the future of Worcester City Schools. We believe our community is still capable of

110coming together to support long-term solutions, but that will require continued communication, transparency, and trust building with the public regarding the true need needs facing the district. Thank you for your time, consideration, and continued service to our schools and community. Steve and Jan Jaden Michael Steiner 25504 Michael Wei as co-chair of the bond issue to build the high school building on Oldman Road and former Worcester City Schools Bo schools board member I have followed closely the conversations regarding facility needs in the district the aging of all grade schools and the particular maintenance issues at cornerstone raised the stakes for the community Worcester community to find a solution With two bond issues turned down by the community and strained economic conditions, plus a citizen's effort to eliminate property taxes in November creates a climate where a near-term

111bond issue seems destined for rejection. I support the board's recommendation for a temporary solution by using modulars at the grade schools, taking cornerstone out of the facility's footprint, and working through Worcester Growth Corporation for repurposing the property. I emphasize temporary. A permanent solution is critical to the economic vitality of Worcester. Although the education experience takes place inside the buildings, the appearance of your facilities is important. Individuals, existing employers, and prospective employers look closely at school facilities in making relocation decisions. Mike and Beth Mean, 506 Meadow Lane. Good evening, board members. We would like to address the decision decision to relocate students to modular classrooms caused in part by the closure of cornerstone. As a community members, we re recognize several levies have been attempted and failed. Given the option the board is left with, we

112want to express our strong support for this difficult but necessary choice. 30 years ago, our community passed a levy with the understanding that Cornerstone will be demolished and replaced. Instead, the district chose restoration, a decision, a a decision that while well intended, has provided financially unsustainable. The facts speak clearly. Cornerstone has consumed millions of taxpayer dollars in maintenance over costs over three decades. Now, with environmental concerns added to the ongoing structural issues, we face a simple reality. Continuing to pour resources into this facility is neither fiscally responsible nor in our students best interests. Furthermore, the idea of preserving cornerstone funded with Worcester City School District funds is a blatant misuse of funds. The modular classroom solution demonstrates prudent leadership. It prioritizes student safety while providing a cost-effective educational environment rather than throwing good money after

113bad. This approach allows us to redirect resources where they belong on education, not endless rebuilding repairs repairs. We urge the board to move forward decisively with this plan. Our students deserve safe, healthy learning environments and our taxpayers deserve responsible stewardship of their investment. Thank you Mike and Beth Mean Barbara Tennant Oakill Road to the Worcester City Schools Board of Education. I am writing to urge you to reconsider moving forward with the modular plan proposal. As a resident of Worcester for over 65 years, a Worcester High School alumni, former educator, and a grandparent of three in the district, this decision is deeply personal to me. This is such a historic major decision. I believe it requires more thought and care. I have many concerns putting children and teachers in a modular school. I believe it should

114be a last resort. I would rather see the district invest in solutions that use real physical buildings and result in long-term facility solutions. If a cop's loan is being considered to purchase modulars at 12.5 million, which it appears to be based on the board agenda, then the board should consider taking a cop's loan to build a real physical building. The safety concerns associated with modulars alone should stop you in your tracks. Tornadoes, severe weather, and other threats can't be ignored. A real physical building is safer than putting children and teachers in modulars. Additionally, this two grade banded modular plan per building at Parkview, Melrose, and Keen makes it impossible for parents to get their children to and from school if they have multiple children yet alone be involved in the different schools different children's school

115activities. This is a logistical nightmare for parents. How can parents be in two to three different locations across town to drop and pick up their children from school in a short time frame each day, yet alone be involved in their different children's schools activities when they have to be at two to three different locations at the same time. It will make it difficult for parents to participate in PTO's, attend parent teacher conferences, and be involved when they have children in three different buildings. The significant burden this would place on families cannot be ignored. Additionally, this will force more families to leave the district. I know many who have said that they will leave and send their children to another district if this is the future of Worcester City Schools. I urge you to do better

116for the children, teachers, and families. I am in favor of moving on from Cornerstone if needed, but I don't think this is the right way to do it. I appreciate the board's time and effort on this topic and thank you for your consideration on this important topic. Sincerely, Barbara Tennant Lynn Clunk 301 Meadow Lane. I am a retired teacher with a 40-year career in education. My husband and I moved to Worcester three years ago from neighboring Stark County. Option A would be my choice. But with that said, I must add that I taught in a district with a grade band structure that I feel is more appropriate than the one offered in option A. I am a supporter of the grade band structure and believe it offers excellent opportunities for grade level teachers to collaborate

117and share ideas and resources. It also works well for supporting students and meeting their needs. I can tell you that in order to maximize these pros, there must be an appropriately matched educational leader in each of the grade band buildings or in this case modular groups. For example, our K1 building was led by an administrator with a very solid understanding understanding of early childhood development, extensive experience in early childhood, and who clearly understands how to best meet the needs of early learners. With that said, I feel it's very unfortunate to have fifth graders at a middle school and out of the elementary setting and eighth graders at a high school campus away from s grades six and seven. In my former Stark County district, we had and continue to have great success with the following

118elementary grade bands. K1 2 3 4 5 middle school is grades six 78. I am a firm believer in and supporter of public education. If Worcester wants to attract new business and industry, it is imperative that there is a strong partnership between the school system and community business leaders as well as higher ed. I feel very concerned about this unfortunate situation that the board school board and superintendent have been put in due to failed levies. Being new to Worcester, I have no knowledge of what efforts have been in place with the past failed levies, but I would sure love to see a strong involvement and collaboration between the business and industry leaders with the board members, administrators, teachers, and volunteers in the various school buildings. In my opinion, modular units are not a good look,

119and I fear that families looking to relocate will opt for the surrounding districts with new, modern facilities. I also don't feel modular units can be as safe as a traditional school building setting. I want better for my grandchildren and for all the children in Worcester. My husband is a former former school board member and city council member. We would both be interested in helping with a future levy. Lynn Clunk Susie Parker 1111 Hunt Club Drive. Dear members of the board of education, I am writing to express my full support for the decision to finally move forward with closing Cornerstone for the health health and safety of our students and staff. For far too long, this issue has continued in circles without resolution. While change is never easy, I am grateful to see the district making

120what I believe is a wise and necessary decision. Our students and staff deserve safe, appropriate learning environments, and it is important that we take meaningful action rather than continue delaying difficult choices. I understand that the use of mobile units at schools is not ideal. However, I also understand that the community community chose not to pass a levy and under the current circumstances, these temporary solutions are something we will need to accept as we move forward responsibly. At this point, I encourage the board to finalize this this decision so our district can move forward together. Continuing to revisit the issue only creates more uncertainty for students, staff, and families. It is time to close this chapter and focus on en our energy on supporting students in the best way possible. Thank you for your leadership and

121for making student and staff safety a priority. Brandon Dodson, 640 Stib Street. Thank you to the board and administration for the opportunity to be heard tonight. As a taxpaying citizen and alumni of Worcester City Schools and now a parent with children just beginning their own journeys through this district, I care deeply about the future of our schools and our community. Professionally, I work in the insurance and underwriting world where a major part of the job is evaluating long-term risk, sustainability, efficiency, and outcomes. is not just about what works today, right now, but what is going to position people for success years down the road. From that perspective, grade banning with modulars at the elementary schools makes sense. Like many others, I was disappointed to see not just one levy fail, but two. Those results were

122difficult because they reflected real challenges to and division within our community. When something does not go according to plan in any circumstance or situation, you don't just abandon the goal. Failure is not a strategy. Standing still is not a strategy and nostalgia is certainly not a strategy. Grade banding with modulars at an elementary school is an opportunity for those levy failures to still move us forward to fail forward by continuing to build towards a better future for our kids even in the face of financial limitations. At its core, grade banning is about equity and opportunity. It helps ensure that all students at the same grade level have access to the same resources, programs, intervention supports, and educational experiences regardless of what building they attend. It creates consistency for students and families and allows staff to

123collaborate across grade levels. In insurance, we often talk about reducing gaps in coverage and creating consistency because inconsistency creates inequity and instability. The same principle applied here. Grade banding helps reduce those gaps between buildings and creates a more unified educational experience for all students. Beyond academics, I believe this can positively impact the culture of the district. Instead of dividing communities by neighborhoods, it encourages students, staff, and families to move through the district together as one system with shared goals and shared opportunities. Most importantly, this decision should be centered on what best for kids, not simply what's most familiar or comfortable for adults. Change can be difficult, especially in a community with strong traditions and pride in its schools. But sometimes the best long-term decisions require us to think beyond that immediate discomfort and focus on

124sustainability, equity, and opportunity. Pride and tradition matter, but not at the expense of progress. The district made it very clear to this community that support was needed to maintain and improve opportunities for students. Voting no once then no a second time did not suddenly make those needs disappear. That financial realities, operational challenges, and equity concerns facing this district still exist, whether they are politically convenient or not. Real leadership means responding to those realities instead of pretending they went away because of a ballot issue failed. It means finding responsible ways to move the district forward anyway. Sometimes leadership means making thoughtful long-term decisions that may not be immediately popular but are ultimately better for students and the future of the district. Daniel Fagert 1061 Hunt Club Drive. Dear board of education, I fully support the decision

125to move on and close Cornerstone School. Our students, educators, parents, and community should have a safe place to learn, grow, and develop. Bridget Oconor, 907 North Grant Street. Dear Worcester City School Board and Worcester City residents, I am submitting and writing my observations concerning our public assets. Here is my brief history of the Worcester City School saga. In the early 1990s, a campaign against the old high school building began to gain traction. That traction was fueled with allegations of the building unfit state and repair and unstable foundation. A levy passed aimed at the construction of the new high school and a new elementary school to be built on the now cornerstone site. After the completion of the new high school, it became evident that the remaining funds for the new elementary were insufficient for what

126it was designed. The remaining funds were barely enough to construct a cinder block shell of a building with a few amenities, not even air conditioning. At the 11th hour, a moratorum was declared to halt the demolition of our iconic collegic Gothic tutor revival building. This redirection paired with the remaining levy funds paved the way for the successful and affordable renovation of the old high school into Cornerstone, winning national recognitions recognition for its successful transition to Cornerstone Elementary in 1996. Our iconic building has served the community and our students well for the past 30 years. Fast forward to the years 2018 to 2026. That very same playbook is being revisited. Tours and bad press about the iconic building started all over and are ongoing. However, despite the story being told by a school board somehow intent

127on placing our students in trailers, in fact, the school renovation in Lachland, Ohio serves as a perfect example of a school board that listens to its community. Lachland, Ohio successfully renovated from the top to the bottom the same size and age school as cornerstone for just over 30 million. With the 33% of the OFCC money we would receive in Worcester, we could have completely new we could have a completely new school with the existing walls of cornerstone for well under 30 million which is a school board already has without another levy. Why would we abandon Cornerstone a building insured at 22 million to place our students into trailers wasting another 7 million? Keeping tradition a part of our future. Worcester's motto should guide the school board in its decisions regarding our public assets. Sincerely, Bridget

128Okconor. Connie Stork, 2583 Taylor Street. With all due respect to the board of education, as an educator and a community member, I have serious concerns with the with the proposed purchase and use of trailers as elementary classrooms. While it is laudable that you have decided not to put up another levy, you are now considering using taxpayer dollars for the purchase of trailer classrooms. During the levy campaign, voters were promised that if the bond does not pass, redistricting would take place in the 202627 school year. Grades K to2 would be in Keen, Melrose, and Park View. Grades 3, four would be in Cornerstone. This plan is still on the district website. Trailers were never mentioned as an option. When the voters went to the polls, they relied on the information provided to them. They did not

129vote to purchase trailers. This new plan seems like a classic bait and switch. Trailers are not short are a short-term and short-sighted solution. Paying millions of taxpayers dollars for temporary trailers throws good money after bad. Those dollars could be used for permanent long-term solutions, including repairing or adding to the permanent structures you already have. As an educator, I did research and found many negative associated negatives associated with trailer classrooms, especially for students in an elementary level. Here are just a few. There is a social stigma linked to trailer classrooms. Children often view themselves or their peers as less than or secondass citizens, which creates an environment for bullying. Students and teachers face isolation from main building activities, especially impromptu events. According to a National Clearing House for Educational Facility study, students who attend school and

130trailer classrooms are more likely to experience distractions and less likely to work in a collaboration, impacting their overall performance. Law enforcement views school trailers negatively due to the obvious safety issues including vulnerability to intruders, intent on harm, vandalism, breakins, weather emergencies, etc. The board should rethink using taxpayers dollars to purchase temporary short-term educationally unound trailer classrooms. The community deserves to have their voice respected and the children deserve better. The board needs to keep their word. Dr. James Guestler, 1400 Hunt Club Drive. Passage of the bond issue in 1991 directed the Worcester School Board to build a new high school, add on to Keen Elementary, and build a new elementary school on the old high school site. $5 million of private donations were raised to enhance the new high school, including the Ellen Shapiro Natitorium and

131the Gul Recreation Center, facilities that are open to and enjoyed daily by the Worcester community. As a past member and former president of the Worcester City School Board, our decision in 1994 to repurpose the old high school as Cornerstone Elementary had widespread community support. Although initially popular, I think in retrospect, our decision was very short-sighted. Preserving cornerstone has become an extremely costly burden and significant ongoing financial drain on our district. Over the past three decades, Worcester City Schools has been saddled with huge capital improvement and expenses to upgrade the aging structure, coupled with annual maintenance cost of nearly a half million dollars. An estimated 35 million is still needed to properly restore this outdated and deteriorating 111year-old building. I applaud the recommendation of the current school board to finally say we can no longer afford

132to sink any more taxpayers dollars into Cornerstone Elementary, an institution that has served our community well, but now whose time has finally come. As a school board member in the mid 90s, I voted in support of closing two elementary schools for financial efficiencies in our district. That action led to school consolidation and a major redistricting effort based primarily upon community support for preserving neighborhood schools. Since that time, a lot has changed both nationally and regionally that has brought the issues of school safety and mental health to the forefront of education. Our local neighborhoods have evolved and our student population continues to shift within our district. All these changes pose significant and ongoing challenges for our schoolboard as how to best address the educational priorities, facility needs, and safety of our students and staff. While modular

133school buildings may not be ideal, I believe the lack of community support for the past two bond issues have left has left our school board with difficult and limited choices. Contemporary modular classrooms are surprisingly quite functional, adaptable to current teaching methodologies, and unlike traditional brick and mortar schools, they can be resold and moved should they no longer be needed. As in the past, shifting our families residing within our district, the closure of an elementary and consolidation of our schools may once again lead to redistricting in Worcester. However, I believe that the use of module classrooms will afford our schoolboard more options to best balance the needs of providing quality instruction and a safe environment with the community's expressed needs for neighborhood schools. respectfully submitted. James Guestler, Debbie Dunlap, 1116 East Hutton Road. My name is

134Debbie Dunlap. I'm a community member and a proud supporter of Worcester City Schools. My children were educated in this district and now my grandchildren are going to be educated here as well. That personal connection is why I support the proposed modular classrooms and grade banding at the elementary level. From what I have read and learned, grade banning is about equity and meeting students where they are developmentally so every child has a fair chance to succeed. That should matter to every taxpayer. Voting no doesn't make the need go away. It just limits the solutions available to address it. The district still has a responsibility to do what it must to best meet the needs of every student, not based on adult preferences, but on what is right for kids. Our community spoke during the levy process,

135but the needs of our students remain. Now is the time to embrace change, pivot where needed, and move forward with practical solutions that support both students and staff. I believe in Worcester City Schools, and I support doing what is necessary to ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive. Thank you for reading through all those. And thank you to everybody. Yeah. And just certainly thank you to everybody that submitted their thoughts. We do we do appreciate it. So um with that we are going to transition into uh the rest of our agenda. So uh starting with the consent agenda for the treasure. If I could please have a motion for that consent agenda. >> So moved. >> Second. >> So uh tonight I have the financial report from um month end April 30th 2026. Um

136a as you'll so this is based on the forecast our financials based on the forecast that I submitted in February but you'll see on my regular agenda I am submitting a new forecast for your approval to send to um the department of education. So this forecast um obviously is way off because revenue-wise we transferred that 23 million. You approved that at the last um board meeting. transfer it from the capital projects fund back to um the general fund. Um and um so that's why we're we're showing revenue um exceeding that much. Expenditures are showing favorable. So we're continuing to watch our expenditures as we close the fis fiscal year. So we're looking good in that regard. Um so obviously we we are favorable overall. Looking at our donations again, we um have a lot of

137support for our football team, volleyball, uh class of 27 in support of um the the prom activities, the baseball team. Um Cody Austin, um gave financial books, a financial book to every senior this year. Um so, um appreciate that. We had s some donations for lunch fees and delinquent courts fees as well as a uh speech device for student use and then um the uh support of the general's closet. I have one new fund to bring to you tonight and that is for a grant re we received for the United Way microrant in the in the amount of $7500 and uh so bringing that fund to you. I have one transfer of funds. We have an Edgewood drama and music fund that has not been used in over five years. And looking back, um, it

138was for a drama program, drama music program, extracurricular, um, that, uh, nobody really wanted to take on from what I found. So asking that we transfer that money back to the general fund. And then the last thing I have for you is the contract for the next three years for our GAP conversion services with Julian and Groove. And that's to create our financial statements for fiscal year end at the cost of $9,600 for the next three years. And that's my consent agenda. >> Any questions? >> So that um Edgewood drama that's just going to the general fund. It's not going to stay at Edgewood in some way, shape, or form. >> Um no, we were going to move it to the general fund. That was just my question. >> I think the rational uh was

139I think partly um they don't have a middle school drama at this point. I think that was why. So it's kind of been sitting there for a long time. >> Uh they came from donations. >> I I'll be honest. I have no idea because it's been so long that since anybody's even utilized the fund because we don't have any programs at Edgewood >> and that's partly because our high school drama does incorporate middle school opportunities. >> We don't know how the dollars recreated for that. >> I mean were the dollars do we know if the dollars were created to be at Edgewood? >> I could not find um through board docks. How long have we had board docs? 201 10 or 11 something like that. >> Yeah, there's no history in board docs to show

140any of that. So, I I did not go back to all of our paper. >> Okay. Well, no big I just felt like it was Edgewood's money. That's just my take on it. But put it wherever you I'm not the treasur. >> Okay. We're good. >> Yeah. >> All right. >> Uh Starer, >> yes. >> Goodight. >> Yes. >> Kleinhens, >> yes. Ner. >> Yes. >> Degan. >> Yes. >> All right. Uh motion to approve the consent agenda for the superintendent. >> So, sorry. Go ahead, Rick. >> All right. Uh this looks really large, but uh a lot of it was from last month. So, I'll go through it fairly briefly here. Um we have on our on our certified personnel, uh some new pos not new positions, just replacement of current, uh employees. Some

141great hires there. Uh our administrative contracts are you'll not see every administrator on there and just like teachers that last month maybe were not on the agenda because it wasn't their year for renewal. Same thing for administrators. Uh extended days, we have some uh teacher contracts that do require extended days, school psychologist, speech language pathologist, those kind of um things. And so that's just the approval for next year. Uh no changes from from previous year. Um we have uh on the classified side um most of that is summer work a couple other employees but we are continuing to do summer school this year uh for our students using title funds um and so that uh is most of what that is along with some additional again not new positions just um replacements of positions our

142substitutes every year if you substituted this year we just guarantee that you have the unless you're you're you know been told otherwise every person has the ability to sub again next year. It's kind of an unemployment concept that is needed for for the state. Um the Calamity Dayou uh established u uh it was very great grateful that we were able to do that to allow our retirees, many of whom are here today, the ability to finish their contract before June 1st uh if they wanted to. That's important because STRS and STS contributions can start in June. And so it does not change the amount of time that anybody has to um complete service. They just allows them to either do a Saturday or the Monday, June 1st if they wanted to. Um we get to

143honor our graduates soon in a couple weeks, but this is conferring that list for graduation. Obviously, they still have a little work to do, but this is based on where they're currently at the the list that would be recommended and approved at graduation. Couple um we have an overnight trip for wrestling that we do every year for training. Uh and also the dean of students with Mr. Spitler is just a renewal. We've had Mr. Spitler as a dean of students uh helping out with student behavior for several years there at Edgewood and he does a wonderful job. Uh we have a general monitoring technology notice and it's really just because of our new software and just uh what it's able and capable to do. It really the important part here is if if a student

144talks about harming themselves or someone else or puts a a concerning thing about um how they're feeling um AI will trigger that and actually give us notification of that. And so it's just to kind of alert people that that happens, but at the same time it is not 24-hour monitored by an individual. So obviously it's putting that disclaimer and this would just go in the handbooks. So it's an addition you've already approved the handbooks and so it just approve it just adds that um layer of protection for our students. uh a couple individual contracts um based on um student uh needs uh special education wise um both um for thirdparty services for some of our students that um are out at other schools where we still have a responsibility from a special education point to

145serve um or also some contracts there with uh specific schools for specific student needs. vast majority of our special education students can be served by our district, but there are students that based on their uh specific needs um do require alternative placements and that's an IP team decisions that are determined in that second reading on all policy. We really went through uh those um last time a lot of those related to um a couple bills like with the grading system that was really related to some uh CTE changes. uh purchases and bidding was really about travel and how uh to adhere with some ethics law. Um NIL, which was uh the name, image, and likeness. The OSAA approved a referendum to allow uh student athletes to um compensate or make money off of their ability

146and kind of popularity and to sell things. And so we had to have a policy for that. And we have our AI policy on there as well. and um our AI policy um really was was kind of a nice affirmation to the AI guidelines that you approved last month as well that our team um worked on. So happy to go through any of this in any more detail, but obviously um just sake of time and a lot of things on the agenda uh and some of these being second reads, I I thought I'd just kind of hit the highlights this evening. >> Any questions from anybody on this? Okay. >> Uh, Goodright, >> yes. >> Starcher, >> yes. >> Kleinhens, >> yes. >> Degan, >> yes. >> N, >> yes. >> All right. Uh, transitioning

147to the regular agenda for the treasurer. So, uh, 7.01, a motion to approve the May 2026 revision to the FY26 2026 5-year forecast is prepared for required submission to the Ohio Department of Education. >> So moved. second. >> Um, so just want to make a couple comments in in relation to the May um update of our forecast. So obviously as I talked before uh fiscal year 2026 reflects um the transfer back in of the 23 um million um in 2.060 060 other financing resources transfers in. Um I um want to just make a comment about all of our revenues and expenditures. I have um um linked back to our actual 10 months of actual expenditures to of expected for the next two months. So in our in our budgeting, the reports that I bring you

148every month that show actual expenditures, we um have a link to those back. So when you look at fiscal year revenue expenditures, that is what I'm predicting it are going to be our final numbers or close to for the end of the fiscal year. Um and then also operating transfers out um for fiscal year 26. This reflects about $400,000 um that I will be transferring to our termination um benefits fund, which is all the severance we pay out to the retirees that we honored today. And then 50,000 of that will go to our Gul fund um the 013 fund because um we cannot close that fund with a negative balance and we're looking about $50,000 of our Gulf fund um this year. When you look at uh fiscal year 27, 28, 29 beyond with our

149transfers out, I'm also including in there about $1.25 million potentially that we would transfer from the general fund um to debt service fund assuming that um we borrow our cops loan. And you can see that um you know our our revenue is very flat. We've talked about this for a long time. property taxes. We are not going to see an increase and we will not see an increase in state revenue as well. So, bringing that 23 million back into the general fund is um you know going to eat up that cash balance pretty quickly. Going to be looking at going out for levy in 2829 just to support um you know the the operations of the district. I believe I covered it all. Gabe, anything I might have missed? >> No, I think so. Yeah,

150primarily this was just putting the 23 million back in was the primary which was based on uh the the action you guys took last month. >> Any questions for Mrs. Oh, yep. >> Just to confirm, including the 23 million. >> Uhhuh. and doing nothing else. Just existing and moving forward, doing the excellent job that we do, which you know, I could go on and on and want to cry because there's so much good going on. But regardless, we move forward, we continue to do excellent education, we move the 23 million, and we need an operating levy. Yeah, >> I want to make sure I'm following the basic facts and I mean that very respectfully because we have so much problem solving to do and I'm trying to be clear and transparent with respect because the

151facts kind of matter when it comes to the paying the bills and I mean that very sincerely. Is it correct that just at flat level let's pretend we're doing nothing? >> I'll let you maybe >> well yes you are correct. So when you, you know, when you look at our um property taxes and and all the property tax reform that has happened um this past year and not really knowing the future of property taxes as well, um you know, we're really flatfunded. We're really restricted in terms of revenue there. We're also will not see um you know, actually going to see a decrease in state funding because we are moving to the guarantee. Yep. >> Which means uh our enrollment really we're not paid based on our enrollment anymore. We're just guaranteed X amount of

152dollars. So that's where we stand with with state funding. And because of that, obviously our expenses continue to rise every year >> for all the reasons. >> When you look at salary and benefits are our biggest um expense, >> gas >> and uh yes, everything >> utilities, everything is rising. So, you know, we really um will be looking as well at um our expenditures and where we can potentially make cuts. And and if you remember from my February forecast, we did uh we did institute some savings through attrition retirement. There are some positions that we did not um we had about a million dollars. Is that right, Gabe? Yeah. Millions dollars in savings of salary and benefits. Um, and but I I I do believe we're going to have to continue to look at that

153because you can see that our deficit just continues to get bigger every year. >> And then, Gabe, isn't it correct, respectfully, that we've been through multiple iterations with the state? And to keep it simple, the most recent fair school funding, >> like I think there was action and then it was batted down or ignored. I'm not trying to be rude, but is that in essence correct? Yeah, right now we're still at 22-year uh 2022 uh cost >> set in terms of the state's responsibility to educate its citizens that get clear. Thank you. >> So I always think the simplest way last thing is uh look at the bottom right. That's really what you want to look at right because the bottom right is you know where your what cash balance you have as you kind

154of you know continue to spend based on your expenditures and your revenue. And that starts to decline pretty significantly. um over the next few years, which is why we've talked about, you know, a potential operation. >> So, we have legal obligations to students. We have the minimum obligation to educate our citizenry. >> Most of the things are outside of our control in terms of costs. We want to provide an excellent education, bringing the best staff in, and we're looking at financial um strength. Is is that a fair summary respectfully in simple words? >> That is >> for a simple person. >> Yes. >> Thank you. >> Any other questions? >> Thank you. You're welcome. Thank you. >> Uh Degan, >> yes. >> Nair, >> yes. >> Kleinheads, >> yes. >> Starcher, >> yes. >> Goodright,

155>> yes. >> 7.02, 02. A motion to approve the FY2026 general fund and other fund permanent appropriation measure in the amount of 94,166,000. So move >> second. So this isn't typical that I bring this to you in May um because I will bring this to you again in June at our financial meeting as we close the fiscal year. But we're to a point where our appropriations uh that we passed in September uh will not fulfill financial obligations. So I will not have the authority to spend the money that was approved in September if we don't pass um this resolution or this permanent appropriation measure. So really we only had um the general fund um I'm increasing that the permanent improvement fund food service gul fund our capital projects fund and our federal grants that we

156didn't have enough spending authority um back in September. So, um, those are the funds that I will be sending to I have to send it to the county auditor for approval, um, and show what our resources are and our expenditures. So, basically, again, when I brought those to you in September, we'll be spending more than what was appropriated and approved back then. So, it's it's really just my legal authority to spend the money. And let's just shifted to to more expenses than we expected at the beginning of the year when we approved it >> initially. Yes. >> Right. So you think of like one might food service when you think about that you know um all the costs related to our um being reduced. We've had more >> um employees that we've needed. You know

157our salary and benefits for those employees have exceeded the amount that we proposed because more kids are eating. So just one example, our federal funds um we receive more money than um you know through um additional allocation of dollars. So we just have the ability to spend um more money in in those regards. Okay, any questions? All right. Okay. Uh Starcher, >> yes. >> Goodight, >> yes. >> Degan, yes. >> N Kleinhead, >> yes. Right. Um 7.03 a motion to approve the funding agreement with United Way in relation to the United Way micro grant. >> So moved. >> Second. >> So this is just kind of piggy back on the new fund that we're creating um with um the United Way microrant um that we received. And this is just the terms of um the

158agreement and and spending of those funds questions. >> Uh Kleinhens, >> yes. >> Starcher, >> yes. >> Goodight, >> yes. >> Nice. >> Degan, >> yes. >> 7.04. A motion to codify an agreement with the Ohio School Council for Generation and Transmission of Electric Supply at a fixed rate of 0.0553 05535 cents per kilowatt hour. Did I say that right? Beginning June 26 through the June 2026 through the June 2027 billing cycle. Sorry, I'm getting a little sleep. >> So moved. >> Second. So, uh, our, um, electric agreement is expiring at the end of May. And so, I actually went out to a several different, um, providers for electric to see who could give us the best option. And, uh, we we are actually moving to go through the Ohio school council and which is

159where our gas program is as well because they provide us provided us the best uh, fixed rate for electricity. So, I'm bringing this to you today. The reason it will only it will begin in June and only go through June of 2027 is because the Ohio School Council will be going out for bid next year and they didn't want to lock us into this rate because we could get a better rate next year when they when they actually go out for bid. >> Questions? All right. Uh Degan, >> yes. >> Nice. Good. Right. >> Yes. >> Starcher, >> yes. >> Klein, >> yes. >> All right. 7.05. A motion to approve an agreement with the OSC for electric supply beginning July 2027 pursuant to the terms and conditions of the agreement. >> So moved. >>

160Second. >> You're fine. >> So it was Joy and who? >> You're fine. Yes. >> Okay. Sorry. >> No worries. No, you're good. >> Um I didn't have that as action item. I'm sorry. So, the reason I'm bringing this is to actually give us the ability next year to participate in the Ohio School Council um p purchase program um should we choose. So, I'm just getting ahead of the game and they um had sent that to me so we can participate next year. So, that's all it is and is an agreement to um uh participate in next year's um solicitation for the program. Okay. Um, Kleinhens, >> yes. >> Searcher, >> yes. >> Goodright, >> yes. >> N, >> yes. >> Degan, >> yes. >> Uh, 7.06, a motion to approve the contract with MCB

161Paving LLC for summer paving in the amount of $199,23622. >> So moved. >> Second. So, we went out to bid uh a couple a month or so ago for the summer paving projects um within the district and um this is the contract with McB paving. They came in as the lowest bid. Um so, this is the the contract for your approval >> and this is regular planned every year we do it. This is middle school, Keen, and Park View. Um and uh obviously we have a lot on the table right now with facilities and other things. Uh the these uh areas would not be impacted by any other decision that we would make related to facilities. >> Good. Right. >> Yes. >> Starcher. >> Yes. >> Kleinhens. >> Yes. N. >> Yes. >> Segan. >>

162Yes. >> Right. 7.07. A motion to approve the declaration of official intent and authorization of reimbursement resolution. >> So moved. >> Second. So, this resolution, Gabe, you can jump in on this one as we move forward, is is to give us um the authority to be the general fund to be in reimburse for any expenditures um related to um uh you know, remodeling, renovating, equipping um any buildings or facilities in the district should you know we go out for the cops loan. So yeah, there's this is kind of a technically this doesn't do anything unless other board action is approved. Um so um Amy and I have discussed and are if uh a modular configuration um and you know resolution to to do that purchase moves forward. Um uh we would um recommend um as

163you saw the forecast, we would recommend a small cops loan um to be able to pay for those modulars and a few other minor facility projects um just so we can avoid a levy I think until 2028 just based on um I think where society is and also our district is. Um if we we don't have to do that. we can purchase if we if if it's selected to purchase modulars, we can do that outright. Um but uh um you know, our recommendation I think right now would would be that. Technically, this doesn't do anything besides, if we so choose, uh, allow us to reimburse anything we would take out of the general fund related to those few projects depending on. So, um, if we decided to pay it outright, it would m would matter

164or if we uh didn't do the the modular project, it's just simply it gives us the ability to go back to do that. Okay? So, there would be a a COP's approval for you in the future. This is not the cop's approval. I hope that helps >> prerequisite. >> It's basically if not then anything um that we would have to do because for example the modulars require a 25% down payment. So if you would select to do that you know that's that's significant money from the general fund and so that's why we wanted to at least bring it here so that flexibility would be available. I have one one quick question. So with this, it has the dollar amount for reimbursement and I assume whatever in any configuration of cops you can be reimbured. >>

165Can we change that later or do we have to have the right dollar amount in this one? >> We we went with like you don't have to do that much. We went with a a maximum amount uh of what we felt like we would need reimbursement for. So yeah, this resolution you could put on it for any thing that you were doing at any time. What we factored in was uh modular purchase and a few uh facility projects very a couple connected to the modulars that we could incorporate. >> Okay. >> Questions on this. >> Okay. Uh Degan, >> yes. >> Uh N. >> Yes. >> Kleinheads, yes. >> Goodright, >> yes. >> Starcher, >> yes. >> 7.08. Uh motion to approve then now certificates as recommended. >> So moved. >> Second. >> So I

166just have one then announced certificate to bring to you. Uh Whistler Plumbing um had to repair an emergency air handler coil at the high school and we did not have the PO in place obviously because it was emergency. >> Um Goodright. Yes. Degan, >> yes. >> Nar, >> yes. >> Starcher, >> yes. >> Fine, >> yes. >> 7.09, a motion to approve the contract with Fanny Fanning Howy for the HVAC replacement project at Worcester High School in the amount of $1.68 million. >> So moved. >> Second. >> I can take this one if you want, Amy. Just I mean, this is really Mr. Madigan's department, but um uh you know, our the high school is over 30 years old. Um and so uh this is a major component of uh the HVAC system there uh

167that's been kind of hang on hanging on for a little while that that we have to replace. It's a pretty significant project for the entire building. Um it is included does we we need to do it either way and if we choose to use general fund, we can use general fund. We did include it in our estimate of the declaration of official intent. it is the one project not related to the modular project that's really connected to that. Um uh so that's but either way we would recommend doing the project but it's just different ways that we could we could pay for it but depending on what we do with 707 >> then the timing of this is actually next summer Kurt is that is that right when's the timing of this getting >> takes

168two summers to complete >> two summers but it but it would start next summer not this 27. >> Okay. Any questions? >> Did you have something to write? >> Nope. Okay. Uh Degan, >> yes. >> N. >> Yes. >> Kleinheads, >> yes. >> Goodight, >> yes. >> Starcher, >> yes. >> All right. 7.10 a motion to approve the resolutions regarding retirement pickup for teachers, administrators, and superintendent. >> So moved. >> Second. >> So um this these resolutions that we created actually uh were we were asked by STRS to update what they had on record. So they didn't have updated resolutions since like 2003. And so this really these resolutions just really reflect what we're currently doing and what is in our negotiated agreements. So it's >> these are no changing. >> There's no changes at

169all in what we're doing. Um it's just that STRS did not have those >> uh resolutions on file. So they are going back and updating and we just needed to get uh board approval for that. >> Okay. Any questions? Uh, Degan. >> Yes. >> N. >> Yes. >> Kleinhens. >> Yes. Good. Right. >> Oh, Jessica. >> Yes. >> Okay. Um, starter. >> Yes. >> Yeah. >> Confirming there was no conflict there, right? Yes. Okay. >> All right. Thank you, Mrs. as well for taking us through that. Um, all right. Now, moving to the regular agenda for the superintendent. Uh, 8.01, a motion to approve the new single event athletic ticket price or prices. >> So, moved. >> Second. >> Yeah, my first two agenda items are not the most exciting. Um, and I wish I

170didn't bring them to you, but I do feel a responsibility to do so. This actually will put us in line with the rest of the uh schools in our league which is appreciated by the league you know as uh in general we you know so that we are kind of mirroring each other. I would also say that you know our athletic budget um uh is not been in the black or in the positives the last few years and this does assist in that. Uh it's a $1 increase at the uh for adult. It's no increase on high school student. It's a $2 increase for middle school both adult and student. Um we also I think it's important to note here as well um we have a lot of different passing passes uh available for our

171both students. Students can get uh especially the high school with the drug-free club can get it free but we also have very pretty affordable passes even for students and families. Um we are not doing any changes in those. This is really just aligning us with the league. Um uh you know I love to keep our prices low um um but at the same time uh costs continue to rise in our athletic programs. So and this uh if not then the general fund picks it up. >> I probably should know the answer to this. We talked about the gap um with the Gul. Is that are they are those together or separate? No, we separated that at this point so we could uh because we we do not make money on the Gul but we didn't

172want to put that in the athletic budget where then it would not reflect an accurate like um you know budget expense statement for athletics. >> Yeah. Okay. And I you might have mentioned this and I missed it. Military does still get a discount. >> Yes. No change there. >> Yep. Okay. Any questions? Okay. Uh, Kleinheads, >> yes. >> Starcher, >> yes. >> Goodight, >> yes. >> N, >> yes. >> Stegan, >> yes. >> All right. Um, 8.02. A motion to approve the discontinuation of the community eligibility provision program or C for the 2026 2027 school year. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Be honest, I'm really disappointed to to bring this to you this evening. Uh if you don't know what C is, that is our free um free lunch program that we've provided to

173our entire um district this year uh without a cost to any of our families. Um we decided last year to give this a try um because uh we'd seen some other schools do it and and there had there had been um you know between increased participation and also some u other funding sources that you get in state grants in the past. Um we knew we would lose a little money off of it. that wasn't the what we were hoping that it was more reasonable. Um more along the lines of you know maybe a $100,000 uh which honestly sometimes is what we struggle with from the lunch fee portion. Unfortunately um we have lost significant money on the program this year. Now it has not really hurt the general fund much yet because we've had a

174surplus in the food service account due to years of of o overall profit for food service. But we are we are over $400,000 um in loss. >> 400 400,000. Um and so as much as I would very much love to recommend to you to keep it um I didn't feel it was fiscally responsible to do so and obviously neither did Amy. Um I if um once this if approved uh we just notify the state because it's it's a five-year program but it's a one year at a time renewal. Um this is not uncommon. Triway did this last year. Um, unfortunately it's it's really related to your free and reduced lunch count. And even though we are above 50% free and reduced lunch, um, the program financially typically makes sense when you are, you know, closer

17570 to 80% um because you get such a high level of reimbursement from uh the government. Um and so if approved, I what I would want to tell you is we will work very hard uh to communicate this um to families and also we'll have an action plan next fall um when our kids come to school. So and what I mean by that is um the first until October if a student has not completed their free and reduced lunch form and they do at some point between a date in before there's a certain date in October it will retro back to the beginning of the year. Right? So, if a student for the first three weeks of school doesn't fill out their free reduced lunch form and then they do um and they had an

176account balance, that will go away because of it. After October, that can't happen. We will start making notes and do individual um reachouts to students that ha that we recognize that we know need to fill out that form or at least at the very least are charging every day. And you know, obviously it's the parents choice to do that. So, um, again, I I I wish I was not bringing this to you, but we just, you know, we just talked about the forecast. We have declining revenue and increasing cost and, um, I'd love to keep it, but I don't feel that I can recommend that to you tonight. >> May I ask a question? Do we have just a rough gauge of a number or percentage or what have you that if they filled it

177out, we'd get more money? Do we have an understanding of how >> we we really I mean we don't have and overall most of our kids fill it out. Yes. And we did have increased participation of lunches this year which actually does increase your reimbursement and offsets your cost. Okay. >> Um but even if every single kid >> That's what I want. Thank you. >> We would lose hundreds of thousands of dollars >> because the reimbursement is inadequate. the reimbursement and the offset from other state funds that for the first few years if you remember a few years ago districts started to try this and for a few years based on the funding formula they were getting funds in like DPIA and something else I think maybe Amy was it student wellness or there was

178another they were getting like there was increases in funds coming based on your >> um kind of overall uh financial situation that hasn't happened the last couple years and so that hasn't offset the cost. Um so again, it's just kind of a perfect storm of I'm thankful we were able to do it this year. Um but uh I you know I if you guys continue the program, of course we'll support that. Um but didn't feel we could recommend that at that amount of um discrepancy between profit loss. >> I guess it's always the the conflicting needs and pressures because who doesn't want to do the right thing? I would love to. I want to but then what do you do and how do you justify the decisions when you have like eight vice grips you

179know pushing down from all ends and you are utilizing the resources that are not yours >> and so it's I guess a little sad >> and stressful to try to grapple with kind of these things because >> the importance of a meal is well known for student flourishing in all ways and you know it's just it's just um of you are making I mean for me personally I'm willing to say that I understand why you make the recommendation and I agree with why you're making the recommendation because we are again stuck kind of the theme and I mourn it and I'm just want to publicly clarify the issues that press down upon schools I guess is I think what I feel I need to do because I believe good people are trying to do the

180right thing every day all day and the forces and the mosaic of pressure coming from all ends doesn't allow us to do always what we wish. So, I just needed to add that because I I feel that the recommendation you're making is the right one and you're doing it knowing that it's a difficult one and I appreciate that you have thought it through and I'm acknowledging that I think it is difficult and I think we all feel a little bit sad that it's even here. Not meaning to speak for anyone though, but thank you for letting me say that. Do we have an al alternative plan or will we be creating an alternative plan to make sure that all children can eat at school? >> So, a good question, Bonnie. We we technically we we

181don't ever decline someone a lunch and you actually can legally provide them something that's an alternative to lunch. We have never done that in our time and even in Dr. T's time. If a student asks for a lunch, we give them a lunch. We charge them for it technically. Now, obviously they may not have the money for that, but it goes on the account. Um, anyone that qualifies for free and reduced lunch will continue to get that. Um, like I said early on, we're also going to do some purposeful engagement as we recognize kids that maybe are coming through each day that are not filling out the form and are charging. Those are the ones we'll reach out directly. and our administrative team is going to discuss that this summer as well to think about

182how we can kind of put some of those parameters in place um to see if we can at least in the end not every family will will fill it out but to at least make sure that we make personal reach out to them saying your child has continued to charge for the last three weeks right now it's okay but but once October hits it won't be take that opportunity and fill that out now >> I'd like to hear updates on this >> okay we'll Okay. >> Do you appreciate uh you and Amy trying that for a year though? >> Typically, you're right. It's poverty rates are 80% or more where it's more beneficial than because we're around 50. Right. >> Right. >> Yeah. >> Um Kleinhens, >> yes. >> Uh Starer, >> yes. >> Goodright.

183>> Yes. >> Nice. Degan. >> Yes. >> All right. Um 8.03. A motion to approve the elementary modular configuration with the accompanying resolution granting permission for the superintendent and treasurer to negotiate and execute a contract with McGrath Rent Corp. DBA mobile modular management corp not to exceed the quote of $8,376,7160 with a 10% change order threshold. >> So moved. Second, >> I'll explain what all that means. I was going to just sit here because I didn't want it to be like a formal presentation, but just based on the fact that I'll be the one with the clicker, it's going to be easier, my tech director says, for me to go over there. So, I'm going over there. Um, but uh just a conversation here that we need to have. >> We're sorry. >> Thank you.

184I feel like I need to get the microphones working. >> No, I don't. >> Very. >> All right. So, what I I can start here while Alex is getting this up is I'm I'm gonna I'm gonna make some recommendations on what we could do with I'm going to talk to you about the uh configurations that we tried um or that we explored to see what was feasible and ultimately recommend recommendation and I will explain to you um kind of what that verbiage meant uh there um you know with this as well. All right. All right. So, first I think it's important to know um not only have we reviewed where these fit and how they work, uh we did enjoy a a tour there on van 79 down to uh Columbus uh to Grand View

185uh which is in uh um in Inner Columbus there where we viewed a um module concept uh at of an elementary that was uh with the company that we are recommending um that was very helpful to us. So I think I just want to uh a couple things about modulars. Um and I think I need to step back one second. I I don't want to take too much time with this but this is really important too. Um you know I am making a recommendation today to move uh to modulars and um and to to close cornerstone. You know um it's a bittersweet recommendation. Um you know it's not exactly um you know what what I hope for us long term. I definitely want to view this as a temporary solution. I feel like based on

186where we are um and exploring all the options that we have both with levies and other things which I really feel like we've really dove into um in great detail um I do feel comfortable to make this recommendation to you this evening um but it's it's it's not that it's not bittersweet. I do think we can make the best of this. I do think that these modulars are um not exactly what you think about when you think of a modular or a double wide um by any stretch of the imagination. Um, and we saw that when we went to Columbus. Um, but at the same time, this is not our permanent solution. This is not to be viewed as our permanent home. So, um, you can kind of see there, um, you know, modular, um,

187has a deck where you kind of go in at, um, awnings there. There are decks that connect that you can connect actual different wings, um, as well. Uh we were very impressed with the quality of of craftsmanships with those decks and those awnings um as well um to keep people dry. And again, Grand View is very nice school district down there that is using those uh bathrooms look very typical to a student bathroom um uh are accessible in in each of the units. And I'll explain what that looks like when I show you the site plans with multiple stalls. As again, we're putting modulars together. They're not sing you can do them single like they are at Keen. Um, but this is more of like a unit uh where several modulars are built together. Um,

188and really when you're inside it kind of looks like a typical, you know, uh, school building. 10 10 ft hallways which are actually wider than many of our current uh, hallways um, and classrooms on each sides, restrooms in the middle. Again, that public restroom in the in the middle for um, for everyone. Um, the classrooms are actually very large. I did uh the recommendation does include the larger option for classrooms at 850 ft. Many of our classrooms within um our school district are not 850 ft. These will feel pretty spacious um to many of our um teachers and students. There are multiple windows in each classroom. That's a question we get like is it like really drab? No. I mean some have three at least. Everyone has two um windows. Uh, and we chose the

189carpeted option which keeps um keeps some of the sound down as well. The hallways would be um vinyl tile um while the classrooms would be carpeted. Um the modulars are bolted to concrete and uh so they do have a foundation and uh while because they're tied together um they are more stable in an event of high winds. Um a tornado drill is still going to move students inside. Okay. um but they um are more stable in the event of high winds as I know that's a question we received is some of these I wanted to to to kind of address just basically um based on some questions we've had um each room has its own temperature control that would be a big change for many of our um current classrooms is especially at like cornerstone

190for example there's definitely not that um so they would have their own temperature control uh they come with fiveyear roof warranties HVAC warranties things like that also modulars can be tastefully fenced this fence actually you can't see real well in this picture, but obviously it's also on the uh it's on the board agenda and you can see it is does have a really nice row iron fence. It's more expensive, but you can you know do kind of things like that if you feel like um you need to fence around or or or different things like that. Um uh you know when they when they are furnished spaces they they they look like you know classrooms that you'd see every day. Um and uh we we were very pleasantly surprised um when we went down there

191at the quality of what they were building that had uh they had two buildings and a and a single building they were using for uh music. Uh their two buildings had one had 12 classrooms and the other had 10 um and they were connected by um a deck in the middle with an awning. Um and so um and they had like teacher workspace in there. They had an office um other things like that. All the doors um lock from the outside. They also have the doors themselves and then the windows on the door uh have a shatterproof glass. So they're not easy to get into quickly or to break the glass and then open the door from the inside. Okay. So we explored three different options and I want to explain all three to you

192um briefly here. Uh we explored a high school option which would have put the um modulars behind the high school by the um greenhouse. I'll show you the uh the locations of that in a minute. One east west at the greenhouse, the other north south parallel of the teacher parking lot on the east side of the building. Um this would not have required a warming kitchen and that's that's a large space that you can add as well. Um it's not a pole barn, but think of it like a like an open space like a gymnasium or something like that where you can put you we would you know we could use it for a cafeteria. Um the configuration you can see would keep 912 at the high school. And really we would have added two

193grades here um at the high school to put six and seventh grade here. Um and so you'd have a six, seven, and eight middle school. And if you did that, then you would have an intermediate school at Edgewood and then you would keep a K2 uh through two option there at um the elementaryaries and Keen would take the uh preschool. Um there are pros and cons to every option and there is that is it's very clear that every one of these options has good things about it and every one of these options has challenges. I am not presenting to you a perfect option today. That is not possible. Okay, these are we are placing additional units on already existing bill buildings, right? It's not a perfect option. Some of the pros, we could have used

194our shared spaces. Well, um shared spaces like um the gymnasium, the g cafeteria. Uh we probably would have moved middle school athletics totally to the high school and created a traditional traditional middle school. would have had no additional transportation cost with this because um we already bring eighth grade to the high school. We would just bring sixth and seventh grade here as well, right? So, uh pretty pretty simple from the that standpoint. Some cons we felt like it does require redistricting. Uh overall, I think redistricting is uh would be a challenge for us and it also will be an impact on families. um as uh you know I don't think it's as simple and also would not recommend if we did redistricting that you simply just move the cornerstone students to the three elementaryaries. If

195you do that evenly, you are going to continue to have significant socioeconomic discrepancies because the buildings already have that, right? So, Park View would just become a little lower socioeconomic Melrose from that and Keen and so that the discrepancies would still remain. I think to truly redistrict, you have to truly redistrict your district, not your cornerstone students. I also don't know that that's fair for our cornerstone students to be the only ones impacted by that. Um and so redistricting we felt was a negative of that. Logistics of middle school class changes. Obviously the elephant in the room here is people already get concerned about eighth grade being at our high school, sixth and seventh grade at our high school is more significant, right? And even though we would have done a lot to try to

196keep them separate, that's a challenge, right? That's going to be it would be a continued challenge. We also, I think, would have had to close the gaunt for the day because you would have to use the ga for PE all day and I would not in in good conscience be able to let the public be in an area where you would have students all day in physical education. Um, main office pretty far away as well. So, that was a challenge as your main office would be here and your, you know, your schools are way back there. So, definitely a concern there. So, that was the high school option. I'll go ahead and jump to the solution there. We did not recommend this one. Okay, just to show you though real quick, that's where the buildings

197would go. You'd have um one going north there by the parking lot, the other there where the greenhouse kind of is. Um the option on the far south there, that would be a warming kitchen if you needed it. We actually would not need it in this model. Okay. So, moving to our elementary options, which we did feel had a little bit more merit um in terms of like that we could we felt like we could make them work a little more. Um again, I don't I didn't present to you any option that doesn't technically work, right? All these options at least fit. All these options could be done, but I think that there's a best option based on all things considered. And that's why, you know, but so I I mean we we explored a

198lot more solutions than just this. Um but these are the three that we at least felt like could feasibly work. The elementary option A is basically putting modulars at Keen Melrose and Park View and keeping Keen Melrose and Park View as K4 buildings. Basically moving the cornerstone students to Keen Melrose and Park View and closing that building. Um, if you did that, the rest of your grade levels don't change. Um, some uh pros and cons here. Grades 5 through 12 do remain stable in this. Uh, we have a wonderful uh high school and middle school. Uh, we have wonderful elementaryaries as well, but it does it does create less impact or change for both students and staff. Um, and it maintains our current grade banding that we have 5th through 12th grade. uh and it

199limits student transitions as that is you know something that you know we do we do have concern on a little bit uh is just the number of times students have to move schools. Now, we have things we we already do wonderful things. Fourth grade with Brains and Bronze. They also go to Edgewood. The seventh grade go to the high school. We have things that we can do to help with transitions, but student transitions, this does limit it. And it maintains a neighborhood school concept uh or at least area geographic school. Neighborhood wise, we're we're not quite neighborhood at this point, just having three elementaryaries um within our, you know, our district. Cons here. It's three sites to develop. Um, you know, because site work will take sewer, water, electric. Um, and so, you know, that

200that's a challenge. It's all included in your quotes. Um, the only things not are just more auxiliary things we want to do like additional sidewalks or add additional fencing. All that's included. It's a turnkey solution. But three three sites are are a ch a change there. Without warming kitchens, it's quite a strain on the cafeteria gymnasiums. Um and that would then impact without those we would be concerned about physical education classes. Um we would not be able to have fizzed twice a week with this model um because the gym would be overused. Right now gym PE is twice a week while um the other encore or elective classes at elementary are once a week. Um uh it um probably the two though that were all of these were significant but the redistricting it would require

201significant redistricting again which I've kind of mentioned as a concern um and a challenge there. Um and also um an additional one here with Keen. Um Keen is a little tricky and I've mentioned this a little bit before I think in our our work session uh with modulars being placed because of the water tower and the easement limitations of Keen with the city. Not the city being difficult just simply they have to be able to get to certain water lines that feed off that water tower. So where we would have to put the um uh the modulars at Keen are fairly far away from the building um or we would have to use up significant parking lot playground space and we're not even sure that that's feasible because there's actually easement issues even on that

202side of the building. So the only place we know we can put them right now is there um pretty far east almost to the walking trail. Um which was a big concern for us as we really do want the modulars uh you know the modulars are not their own school and Keen is its own school. It is one school and we want that to be pretty connected and as close together as possible. So that was a big concern for us if we did this. This is where it would go at Park View. You're looking at Park View from the north there. So that would be just you know a line of modulars to the north. You can see how at Park View it's very close and adjacent to the building which is our desire. And

203at Melrose you Melrose you can actually do either side um of that uh again adjacent to the building but that's not that we need both of those with this option but you could use either one. Okay. Ultimately, this is an option that is doable and I think there are some pros to it such as the limiting the transitions um and also um you know kind of keeping some of our current grade band structure but it is um is not the recommended solution that I'm going to give you this evening um due to the the redistricting issues um and I think the lack of efficiencies that we can ex um that we can better capitalize on with option option three. Okay. All right. So, the other elementary option places modells only at Melrose and uh Park

204View. Um again, partly because of what I said earlier with Keen having the challenges of the modulars being placed close there. Um it um would have basically eight modulars which are 16 classrooms at each location. um we would with this one. Uh and as you can see, it is a little more expensive, but I think it's the appropriate choice. And in the long run, I think it will actually lead to the most significant cost savings. Um and so, and the reason it cost a little more is because we would recommend the warm uh the the uh warm kitchen cafeteria so that we would not have to use the gym uh all day long for cafeteria with PE with all of the students there. Okay. So that's why we've recommended the two warming kitchens which does

205increase that cost. The district configuration in this model um has no change again 5 through 12. Um it um uh what it does though and really kind of the significant uh piece of this is it grade levels us uh starting in prek. So prek and K would go to Keen as again they don't have modular so that's what they can fit at their site. Um and then Melrose would take grades one and two and Park View would take grades three and four and then again they would go to Edgewood starting in fifth grade as they do currently. Okay. Um so some pros and cons of this you know uh grade banding is of is educationally of great interest to us. Uh it does uh I recognize there are valuable pieces to neighborhood or going to

206a school for many years. I understand that. And also a lot of our constituents have had positive experiences in those elementary schools and so they like staying at Parkview for 5 years or Keen for 5 years or Cornerstone for 5 years. Um we you know from a staff standpoint putting all of your first grade teachers in one location has some real value um uh in terms of collaboration. It's also it helps a ton um with efficiencies and equity um in terms of special education services, gifted services, being able to provide those. If all of your third graders are in one location, it's easier to to identify and provide those than for your third grade students um or your second grade students or whatever it is. Um uh it also is a lot higher from a

207staffing efficiency. So right now, let's say we have 200 uh kids and we have 10 first grade classes. You would think, oh great, I put 20 kids in each class. That's not accurate because of the four elementary boundaries. I might have 17 kids per class at Melrose because that's how many second graders are at Melrose and I might have 23 at Keen because that's how many students are placed at Keen in terms of their geographic location. And so it creates a lot more um kind of efficiency and equity um to you know um even to the point where you know um at times you might not need as many class sections because you've been able to be more efficient in offering them at the location that you're at. Um you know we also uh feel

208that um it does create I think the most clarity. I think one of the things you're going to hear from me is I do think we need to u kind of take a step back on master planning and re-engage a little and and talk about master planning again in terms of what we want to do long term because again I emphasize this is temporary. Um, and the better we do master planning and re-engage, the more temporary this is. But, um, I I I think in most of our plans that we've talked about and especially with our, you know, demographics changing uh, in our population, you know, I think it's going to be likely that a a grade level school at in some capacity will be what will be recommended in our master plan. Where it

209goes in what grades, I think that's a lot to talk about. Um but because of that um you know as many schools are kind of moving to that model it kind of aligns with that. It also does not take redistricting. Um I think it's the most fair approach um as well um as it and it it provides full clarity to our entire public as soon as it's selected by the board. Right in 2027 if you have a second grader you're going to Melrose. If you have a third grader you're going to Parkview. Right. Um we do recognize that when you look at the cons this has increased student transitions and that's a valid concern. Um one of the things that we will do is uh we will have a lot of purposeful action to try

210to connect those schools and in a way I'm excited for that. I'm excited for Worcester to be one Worcester right not a student at Keen or Park View or or Cornerstone or Melrose. I think there's real value in that especially in a community as diverse as ours. But we also want to do things to connect those students and schools as they make those transitions. So things we've talked about like instead of having so much of a focus on a Keen PTO or Parkview PTO, you have you know our elementary PTO is more organized and developed with like some subcommittees. I mean that's just one simple example, but there's ways we would try to combat some of those student transition issues. Um it does still require two sites to develop. Um and obviously it does lose

211our neighborhood schools which you know two months ago we were talking about considering a levy for a K5 building that would have really done the same thing right um so I know this is change um and um and change is hard um but we feel that um I feel very comfortable today that I'm recommending what I think is best for kids and and that's my job and that's what I'm most passionate about um and I uh I understand that It is not um a temporary solution that doesn't have challenges, but it is a temporary solution that um I think sets us up for future success while at the same time addressing our immediate needs. So, just to show you what those look like real quick, Park View would have um two um lines of four

212modulars basically where eight classrooms. They would have the awnings and decks connecting the two and they would obviously then be able to go in both the front entrance and side entrance for easy access. And then your area over here to the far what I'm looking at is the far right. Um that's your that's your cafeteria that would be included. Okay. And you can also see its location and you know connection there of how close it is to the building which is again of great value. Something I would mention that we're still working on, but we are committed to uh working through and actually we have talked about this for a few years with the city and now that we're going to stay here, it's definitely a reality. Oakill's a challenge already, right, traffic-wise. So part

213of our potential cops option actually is also we would be doing an some interior road access so we could line cars up on on our uh property and avoid kind of the burden on Oakill and then Melrose. We would actually use both sides of that L that or of that um not L but of that W that we would thought about. And then the warming kitchen there is on uh the far side there on the one on the left. So overall, um, again, I'm happy to take a lot of questions. I know it's a lot of information, but, uh, wanted to at least get through it as I know we've been here a while. Um, my recommendation is the elementary modulars, uh, option B. And I do recommend that we do move forward with modulars,

214um, for many of the reasons that we've talked about many times, uh, with, uh, Cornerstone. I would love to see Cornerstone stay as a building and I do think there's a potential for that to happen. Um, but obviously there's a lot of decisions that have to be made uh with that moving forward. We've talked many times about the challenges of renovation. One of the biggest things besides the cost alone, which is easily over $30 million um is long-term. I don't I would not recommend that as our educational solution. That building uh was built as a high school in 1920s. That's that if we were going to have a clean slate to build a new school, that's not how we would build an elementary school today. Um, so my option is Melrose and Parkview, which would

215do the grade level approach. Um, the rationale is all those things, the collaboration, the equity, the clarity, which I know a lot of people, both students and staff are looking for now, and the efficiencies that we could experience. And then I emphasize that it is a temporary solution. And even though we have a lot of work to do on this, if approved by the board, um it doesn't change that we also have a lot of work to do on master planning and really just on our fiscal awareness as we're going to have an operating levy upcoming um as well as needing to address our facility needs. So, our next steps, what's in front of you today in terms of the motion or resolution that I've made, um, and really what you're doing there is you

216are giving Amy and I the ability to finalize the contract with mobile modular based on the configuration that I've recommended. Um, we obviously will use our legal team with that. Mobile is also a consortium or cooperative purchase. Uh, so it's pretty standard. At the same time, there are nuances obviously that we want to make sure we get right more in the legal ease and things like that are really important. And so we would be able to finalize that contract. Once I if you gave us that approval tonight, we would work to finish that and sign the contract with mobile modulars. Our current recommendation and and that we would bring to you. However, obviously that's a decision of yours as a board. Um and obviously we would bring that with discussion probably at our next meeting

217uh maybe July depending on how long it takes to get that together would be to secure the certificates of participation to purchase it. Um um and then obviously recoup the down payment that we would be required to do if you selected this prior to the cops coming together. And then implementation would be August of 2027. Um so we would go one more school year in Cornerstone. Um and then we would move um next summer um and start the school year after uh in this configuration. Um I do want to make note um I think timing is important. Um the modulars themselves uh the ones that we went and viewed at Grand View came in on the uh on the semiis starting in January and they're they're not yet able to be accessed. Like the punch

218list is still being done. they have not been uh available for occupancy. So from a time standpoint um that's important. On top of that, the lead time to build these um is about the first of the year. So they do feel I mean there's no promise, but they feel very comfortable right now that we are okay. But in my opinion based on our conversations with mobile modular, the lead time um and the fact that it's not a simple like plugandplay, there is work to be done. There's foundations to be laid. there's sewer, water, different things like that. Um, this is not something that we should delay making a decision on. Obviously, I think our community wants clarity, but also based on the timing of being able to successfully uh open in August of 27. Okay.

219Any questions I can answer for you? I don't have a question, but I will congratulate you and your administration on the work that you've done. I understand the the need for being expedient with this simply because we're tminus 15 months or whatever the math is on that. Correct. So, I do appreciate that. But, um, so this is significant. That' be the most significant thing that probably happened to the district since they built the high school 35 years ago. >> Yeah, I think it is. Obviously, it's a big it's a big uh decision and big change for our district for sure. >> Yeah. So, appreciate your leadership and and willing to lead from the front. >> Thank you. I just this is a a minor thing I think but just furnishings would they come from Cornerstone

220or >> there would be some furnishings that we would purchase like certain like closets and things that would fit in there but yes overall like desk and things like that will come from other buildings >> and cafeteria seating. Yeah. Okay. >> Yeah. Not all of it but as much as we can. Right. >> Yeah. I guess I mean I would just echo uh Rick's comments just a a thank you for for all the work. I know this has been a significant undertaking um to put this together and create options. Um you know I guess to me you know I am supportive of moving in this direction. Um you know I do think it is important that we continue to say we do expect this to be temporary. Yeah. >> Um in some ways I feel

221like this gives us some space. I recognize it's a lot of money but there also is an ROI with this. I mean we we are going to have an annual savings with this and I think that you had shared at one point that that we have learned we can sell these at the end of their life for about 25% of the cost. So so when we think about million million and a half of annual savings plus being able to save uh sell them >> you know it's it is a short-term solution. Mhm. >> Um and I guess I would I would also say, you know, I feel like when you when you started um here um you really inherited um a master facility plan that was in the works, a committee, all those types of

222things. And and certainly I'm not being critical of anything that was done before, right? >> But we've been trying to make that work. >> Um the community has said it's >> what we were doing is not working. And so, you know, to me, this gives us some space. And, you know, I think if if if as a board we decide to move forward with this, we need to be very diligent about starting kind of getting a fresh start on what do we want our master facility plan to look like long term. >> And I think from my perspective, three goals. I mean, first and foremost, what always what's most important for the kids? What's best for the kids? Second, I think it needs to be a solution that works for the city. So, I think

223it's important that we engage with our partners in the city. It's not just a Worcester City School Board or Worcester City Schools solution, but what is best for the community as a whole. And then most importantly, we have to come up with a plan that that the community will support. >> Correct. >> And we cannot move forward without that. Um, and so to me, we just need to be really diligent and, you know, and then very transparent with the community about what we're doing and how we're progressing on that. And the one thing I feel, we've talked about the operating levy >> tonight, but we we need to move forward with our facilities, >> but we need to keep an eye to the fact that we need operating dollars in a couple years. >> And

224if we can't pass a levy on operating, that's where kids and teachers will feel the biggest impact. And so, >> you know, I'm I just think that that needs to be our priority. And potentially, I'm this is kind of blue sky, but potentially we go to the if we can come up with a plan that the community will support. Do we go to the community with an operating and building levy? And and you know, we have communicated over a couple years what that looks like. People are very aware of what we're asking and why. >> Yeah. >> And you know, we heard a lot of public comment tonight about people that want to be engaged and want to help us solve. And and I'll be fully honest, I didn't I I don't know that a

225lot of those people were involved the last two times on they may have supported the levies, but they weren't actively helping us pass. And so we need those people to step up and help us. M >> um you know so so that's where my head is. >> Yeah. >> Well, I appreciate you listening and uh I know it's a difficult decision and um you know, happy to continue to answer questions and depending on the decision you make, we'll uh we'll move forward as such and and I think if if you do move forward with this again, I think it is it's simultaneous. there is master planning to be done at the same time as we can we we do this with fidelity. >> And I think the last thing I would just say is I

226do feel our our our our students and our staff can do this well because we have an amazing staff. Um and um you know we will obviously we'll have a lot of work to do and collaboration to do but I I think that they can uh and will uh do this well. >> Yeah. I just I thought of one other thing I wanted to say. Sorry. Um, but you know, again, there's a lot of conversation about, you know, Cornerstone and and again, I I do not believe we should be renovating that building. I think we should, you know, not stay in that building. But I that does not mean that that location cannot be part of our footprint in the future. We have talked about, you know, giving that building to Worcester Growth, if if

227we decide as a as a group to move forward with this, that Worester Growth doesn't get the building tomorrow. We we do that when >> when we feel it's appropriate. And so again, my personal vision would be that we take time on what a future looks like and something that that site could is absolutely could still be in the mix. >> Yeah. >> Um for sure again for no commitments on that, but to me we start with a clean slate >> um of what is optimal. >> Yeah. >> So >> thank you. >> Sure. Um I'm just going to weigh in briefly. I don't want to beat this. you know, I still think um the modules don't quite bring the the safety leveling level I would like to see for a solution that we're investing

228at this level in um safety. We talked about whether you know incidents bullying I was kind of surprised when I looked through the impact group uh results that bullying was a topic that was brought up at every school, every grade level. Um so I'm really cognizant of that as it comes to uh taking the kids from being split up now to being split up in a different way. Mhm. >> Um timing. I I know we're kind of pushing towards trying to get this done toward for the start of the 2027 school year. Um you know, I suppose if we had passed an operating levy, we would have another two years of run after that while we built something. So it's like today, you know, and we're just we're just getting into this. We've been talking

229about it for like, you know, maybe a couple of weeks and like the rate that we really discuss it at is kind of, you know, we're not discussing outside these meetings. So um I I think there's the plans are are very different. each of those each of the three is really quite different like it brings a whole different set of questions in it. >> Um, >> another thing I think about is retention and return. Um, we we know that as it stands today, we have a lot of families, maybe even Worcester families who like went here that don't send their kids to Worcester City Schools. I don't know if the modules are going to move the needle on bringing anyone back. >> Like Cornerstone could be closed, but then if they're going to a modular,

230is that going to move is that going to bring any of these students? we would really like to have be a part of the district back in um as a concern and then now at the end of the day we're going to take a cops loan anyway which I think as a as a group we discussed and had some moral hazard with taking a cops loan and here we are taking a cop's loan so at that point double the cops loan would basically put and we bring the OFCC funds back into it pretty soon for for just double the size of the loan we're flirting with back to the three to five size building investment it just takes a lot of talking about this stuff because we because we're only talking about it here so

231Like that's something top of mind for me is like now if we're past the moral hazard of the cops loan, are we are we gauging where our comfortability is with the size of the cops loan when we do that? Um you know and we can all have different levels but that's something I'm open to other scales that remove the temporariness of this. >> Yeah, understand. Thank you, Clayton. And yeah, and I I would say the um you know the cop really do compartmentalize it as two decisions. They're both very big decisions. The one is the modular decision, the two is the cops. They are they are connected but they are not the same thing. There are two different ways that you could do that. >> So I'm gonna follow up and ask a couple questions

232respectfully. So >> what was the cops for the 3 to5 and what is this if we do cops? I don't I'm not >> the cops for the 305 was about 40 million >> 40 million and this is >> um if >> again respectfully forgive >> around let's um with with the facility with the facility projects that we were considering including which is the Parkview road which we have to do anyway regarding your recommended plan >> 12 million >> 12 Thank you um and then I'm just following um you know like I'm always looking way from 50,000 ft not the details. Whether that's good or bad, I don't know. Um, everybody should have a voice because this is a democracy and it's important that people talk and this is valid and it makes us better when

233we get everyone's input because everybody thinks of something and then everybody thinks of something like the old brainstorming thing I used to do when I was in school like in the olden days. But it's good and I respect every comment. Um the only um I guess the hard thing is like then you're you're at that like whack-a-ole >> because you cannot solve everything, >> right? >> So I'm just stating that because I need to state what I think are truths because I think legitimate effort is being put forth here by people who want to do the right thing. So I do think people are listening and I do think the comments are valid but every single comment cannot be addressed to 100% satisfaction. So that's just like a problem. >> Everybody cannot get 100% of

234what they want. And I think I said this at one of my other times. It's like we have to come to a point where we can all give a little and find the best option. So I'm I'm stating that because I need to state that because I do take this seriously and this is huge. like everybody else, it's like the kids, the kids, the kids. The environment matters, but it's the kids and it's our staff. And the reason I say that is because Cornerstone is a beautiful, lovely building and there are many important things and they are acknowledged and respected. And if if it is determined that we can't use that building, it does not mean we don't respect the feelings of the people who love it. I'm just going to say it. But maybe

235we cannot see it as a school building anymore. that's said with respect and acknowledgement that it causes pain and loss. That's kind of my summary on that. But like we have teachers working there and I think it's difficult and complex. >> At least that's what I've heard. You know, education is massive. It's important. It's fundamental. And when we make it eight degrees more difficult, like it's eight degrees more difficult when it is difficult and it isn't. So, I just want to say these things because I want to be transparent and I want people to understand that I do believe we're thinking hard about this and it is a difficult decision with two million moving parts. Yeah. So, I guess I'm saying the factors that I think I need to be said so people understand the

236decision. I believe everybody has good input and everybody does understand. You've taken a complex thing and presented it like in a PowerPoint and it makes us all feel like well I don't like bullet point three and it's much bigger than bullet point three but you've done such a nice job portraying it. So I'm stating the unstated that I need to state. Um timing is a big thing. It's like and back to like everybody has a voice. It's like if we talk for four years, we're taking too long, you know, and if if we feel we're ready in two weeks, we're not spend, you know, like you just sometimes you feel like you cannot win and you're trying to meet external expectations where most of everything is out of your control. I'm not saying that because

237I don't want to make the decision. I love making decisions. I am willing to make them and I'm willing to live with the consequences of the decision, but I'm trying to lay out some of the complexities that everyone's grappling with so that they can maybe partly believe that we care and they maybe believe we are transparent because legitimately I would like to be >> and I want this stated on the record because it is important and we do care and I think you're trying to do the right thing and I need to say that but it it's not simple and everybody will not be happy 100% of the time because this is life, if I may be so stupid as to say. Um um and I guess I don't really know the answer that will

238give us all the support we need. So then it's like what do we do? What we think is right, what is educationally viable, and what our students and our staff need. So I guess those are the things I'm thinking about. Safety has been I'm going to jump back for a minute. Many many many emails came in about like please think harder about a better option and I am saying this I mean I have been putting 45word Google searches in to find the magic bullet that somehow we didn't think about to solve this problem to everyone's happiness. It's like I keep looking and seeking and reading and I feel like we have cornerstone and some people want to renovate it but I believe we've kind of talked about not doing that with respect for the pain

239and the loss. So if we take that off the table our options are a loan, a levy or modulars. I can't think of the option that people are begging us to find and I have tried because I care deeply and I want to say that because I don't want people to feel disregarded and I don't know what the other option is. Safety is a thing. I'm going to make another comment like wouldn't it be grand if we didn't have to worry about safety and I'll leave it there because I don't want to get into anything. It wouldn't be great if we never ever again had to worry about safety for our children in our community ever. Wouldn't it be great if they could get on their bikes, ride about? I mean, like unicorn land. I'm

240there. So, there's so much here that I understand people are fearful of and it's valid, but a you know, a lot of it is just bigger than what Worcester City's can schools can do. I'm gonna say like I sat up there and listened to all the good things Worcester City School does and it's like yes I guess somebody was bullied or felt sad and that I regret that and I want to help with that. I want to write a plan with that. Kids are hungry. I like we want to do it all. But why I'm saying that is I'm going to continue to believe that most people are doing good things in classrooms and we need to support that. As far as safety, I I made that comment. I think that's all I'm going to

241say. I wish people would contact me if they want to converse because I desire to be transparent and I believe everybody else does as well. I'm going to stop. I do believe that grade banding is our best option because it is equitable and I think the best example would be classroom size. I mean, we can discuss equity from now till the cows come home. And I'm stopping soon. But but we can equity has about 8 million meanings in education easily. But the basic thing would be classroom size. Like everybody can get their arms around that. Isn't it right that everyone should be have about the same size? Is it is it fair that Mrs. Smith has 10 kids and Mr. Tomkins has four? Like of course not. Like like that is understandable. hopefully being transparent

242about what we mean let alone all the things which we won't go into. So I am specifically saying I am taking responsibility for my decisions. I want to be transparent that I do believe grade banding is the right thing which is the plan you recommended. >> Yes. >> I want to say that we must be aggressive about planning forward with an open mind. I agree with you Jod completely. I I I can't say what that means today, but I I would like to know that we're doing it. I think that's it in my attempt to do what is right, to be clear about my personal decisions, and to try to state why I think you are doing a remarkable job, your staff has done a remarkable job, and what our next best step is given

243the 8 million things we can't control. >> Trying honestly to listen to people. end of story. Thank you. Sorry. >> Thank you. >> All right, I'll take a minute here. >> Um, so yes, thank you so much for the options you brought up. I do want to um add to the part about bullying. So in the the portion where we're putting these in the elementary schools, my assumption is back when I was in elementary school, those children are in basically one classroom most of the day. So that means certain kids will be in the modular classrooms most of the day. And I agree with Clayton, the portion about bullying. I think that is where that could be a problem. I honestly thought that the portion where we put them at the high school where children

244are in and out of the classroom often every period it's a different class in there. So that some children may have one or two classes in modulars. or as I mentioned before, why not put guidance counselors in there and free up some of those rooms or some other um office type of of folks in there as opposed to children? Additionally, when the when the weather is bad, and I don't mean, you know, tornadoes, I mean, our regular Ohio winter weather, how are these small children going to navigate going in and out from one building to the next if it's a snowstorm? I mean, he's going to be out there shoveling. It doesn't seem like there's a covered area going from the building to the the modulars or the the part where there was a a

245deck between the two seemed like well it had an awning something over top of it. But we know Ohio weather. I mean if if we're going to have anyone navigate cold weather outdoors, I think the older children would certainly be able to do that much more easily than the younger ones. Um I thought the high school option was a much better one as far as how you can't really see the modulars from the road. I mean, they would be kind of be condensed behind the building, so it's not as much of an eyes sore even. Um, >> there's just a lot to consider. I love the three options that you brought, but I think we there still could be modifications to those options and different things to consider, especially bullying because bullying is a very

246big problem in our school district. >> Yeah. Thank you, Bonnie. >> May I ask a question? Are I I might have misheard. You said that Clayton said bullying happening in the modulars or I maybe I didn't understand and I'm just very respectfully trying to understand. Do we think more bullying happens in modular classrooms than regular classrooms? I I don't understand. >> Sure. Thank you. >> Here's what I interpreted from what Clayton said is that children at certain point will bully each other no matter what. And I can imagine I'm visualizing children bullying the kids in modular saying, "Oh, those are the trailer kids." You know what I mean? having negative connotation to the kids who are forced to be in those classrooms all day as opposed to the ones who are inside of the building.

247But it could go the opposite way. I mean, it could be that >> maybe the children love the modulars and then they'll make fun of the kids who are inside of the school. It's simply one more way to divide children to make some reason for them to >> behave this way. So for example, if we decide as a thought experiment, if we decide that we think modulars are going to exacerbate bullying and we're not keeping cornerstone, what do we do? >> Actually, just to understand for a thought experiment, >> I said put them at the high school because in an elementary school level, you would be in the same classroom all day long whereas in a high school, you may be in that modular for one class during the day and that's all. If every

248child in the high school is only in that modular for one class and they each experience it in a brief turn, I think that would reduce a lot of bullying or exclusion. >> No, that's good. May I make a comment respectfully back? >> Certainly. >> Not disagreeing with you. Um, so for example, when my daughter was in sixth grade, if she were and I let me be clear, my kid could be in a module. I don't care where my kids are. I want that. know this is not about my kid but I'm saying as an example if she weren't a modular in grade six she would have been in and out of the building five times she would have gone in and out for math she would have gone in and out for gym she

249would have gone in or I'm sorry track in and out for band in and out for lunch in and out I forget all the things newspaper I I I don't mind I personally as a parent am glad she walked from Edgewood to the high school I'm all in but it's not about me but a child would have to go from a modular to the high school from a modular to the high school just to get to their classes if they were in specials or if they were on an advanced track for math or ELA or all the things that we don't know all the things. And again, I don't mind if my kid does that, but what I'm saying is that's a lot of transitions depending where lockers are and things. So, I understand what

250you're saying because in all things in the world, there's good and there's bad. There's black and there's white. you know, it's always going to be and so I don't disagree other than I am willing to say as an educator that the number of transitions the seventh graders would need to make simply because of the way seventh grade is structured makes that much more complicated. Where are lockers? Where are backpacks? Do they carry backpacks? I I'm not saying I believe Gabe and his outstanding staff can resolve almost anything, but five transitions in eight periods is a lot for seventh graders. I do understand I guess that there might be more bullying if you're in a modular but at least the little children are moving less often if I can say and if the classroom is beautiful

251and lovely and welcoming and the teachers are as awesome as they are those reduced number of transitions are potentially to the benefit educationally is all I'm saying in response to that but I mean I can't say who's going to be bullied more and I'm not disagreeing I just wanted to understand it weren't weren't you expecting um 67 and 8 to be completely contained in the modulars. They would not have been coming in the main I mean except for you could have done >> except for like cafeteria >> or we could have put some high school options like both were both were kind of on the table middle school solution. >> Yeah. I think what I would say that I think actually affirms all of you on this is um there will be challenges we have

252to work through, right? Um and and all of them will ha all of any of these decisions and and the one I recommended is is where there will be things we have to think about of how we can support kids, how we can make sure that there's connection, different things. Those are all part of, you know, that's another reason we talked about on our end um a decision sooner or later because there's a lot of work to be done uh before that first day in August of 27 to to address some of these concerns and just the fact that um not any of these plans as I said when I started is perfect, right? So, I appreciate you guys' feedback. What we do know is in 2027, the nicest classrooms in the district will be

253the modulars. Be the nicest classrooms. I have experience with modulars. They're the very nicest classrooms we're going to have. Teachers are going to want to be in those. I mean, it's brand new. Um, you know, personally, it's to me, um, having a grandmother who lived in a trailer mobile home is what we called them. I did for a while out of college. Um I still have family members living in a mo mobile home. So when we talk about um kids in trailers, to me that's offensive. It's really offensive because um you know people have to have a place to live. We have a Melrose trailer park. We have Shelmar trailer park. We have trailer parks that feed our school system. And for people to insinuate that being in a trailer is a negative to me

254is ultra offensive, especially since I'm an ed former educator on the school board. So that's just my statement on that. Okay. I had to spit that out because I've heard that. I've seen that in online comments and things and to me that's ultra offensive and um every time I hear that I will speak back about out about that. Thank you. >> Well, I appreciate all of your guys's comments and feedback, and I know that you guys have been thinking about a lot of these things for uh you know, sever several weeks. >> You I'm I'm just you you talked about retention and getting like some families back. I mean, I guess what do you think would do that? The the three through five building. >> I think >> I guess I mean I guess on

255what again what the solution is. >> Yeah. like any permanent building that rearranges things so that cornerstone's not in the mix and modules are not in the mix would I think the range of solutions at work is really broad there right >> I guess like for me um like I you know again I I don't we we talked about that but like it felt like that was another thing we were jumping to without figuring out what the right long-term total district solution was like I mean that the three through five came after we failed >> right for the second time. Again, it just feels like again a little whack-a-ole. Um, for lack of a better term, um, you know, and I guess I'm just like for me like doing the modulars just gives us some

256space to figure out what the right approach is. Um, and maybe will be three through five and maybe it's a three through five at the cornerstone site like not in cornerstone but at the cornerstone site, right? And it's a district building, right? So there is not a, you know, any kind of stigma with that building, right? I think that's everybody's long-term desire. >> Right. Right. Right. And then, you know, you figure out K through two. But again, we get everybody together that key stakeholders and figure out what what we want it to look like long term. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thanks. >> Yes. Other thoughts, comments? >> Choosing between the two. I I like option A only because B, if you have three kids, it's going to be tough to accomplish drop off pickup

257in the window that exists, >> I guess. How are you guys think? Have you thought about that at all? >> Um, you know, we uh uh we could change start and end times at the buildings. I don't know that we'll do that. That'll be a transportation discussion, but we could move to another tier of busing. So, we're in two-tiered busing right now, elementary, high school, or elementary. So, uh, it's, you know, it's it's not off the off the table. I think what we would, you know, um, again, that is one of the negatives of of the recommendation is that there are more transitions with >> we have to find a solution to, right, >> 30 minutes, but it's not >> Yes, we might be able to con consider, you know, a third tier. Um, that

258would be a cost to that. So, we'd have to look into that. Um, you know, and again, that's not and then some of it's cultural, right? like what can we do to kind of try to connect the buildings and things like that. You know, is honestly one thing I'll say one thing I'll say on the on not the bullying front, but just on kind of this piece of like supporting our kids. That's one of the reasons why I I I I do like the grade banding is because all of our students are together and supported together. Um and there's not so much of a uh we move away a little bit from uh the cornerstone kid, the Keen Kid, the Parkview kid. I do think there's value in that and I know long term that

259was an interest we had um you know if if and when we get to build a new building which I know is everyone's ultimate goals but yeah there's there is definitely still a lot to figure out with this. I think there's less things to figure out with this plan with my recommendation than the others there but it doesn't mean that I'm going to be able to tell you everything. What I've been going around to staff with just the options I've been telling them I'm like right now I'm trying to put the skeleton which is where we're going to put them and where kids are going to go. There's a lot of continued discussion that we have to do. >> Did you have any more thoughts, Joy? It seemed like you did. >> I mean, of

260course I do, but I'll save those for next time. But I made my position clear on what I recommend, and I'm just trying to communicate what I hope people want to hear about what we've tried to do. Um, equity is important. And so that's why I like Gab's recommendation is all I'll say >> with you. >> Any other comment before we take a vote? >> Confirming we're voting on Gab's recommendation. >> When you say take a vote, I don't mean to be silly. I'm confirming what we're voting on just for understanding. I'm not >> resolution. Yes, sir. >> Confirms our ability to go out and finish the contract based on option three, >> which is that's what I'm asking. >> Elementary. Yes, that's what my That's what it's reading as. Yes. Yes. I just want

261to make sure I understood. >> No, I think it's very important for everybody apologize everybody >> before they cast that vote. They need to understand what they're >> and we do appreciate everyone's input >> and we recommend everyone doesn't agree and no matter what we do, somebody won't agree with us and that's okay. I am at peace with that and I mean that. And some people might not agree and might not say so. Some people might not agree and say so. But we know that not everyone will agree. You have a respect for your position. It's a democracy and we are trying to do the right thing. >> Thank you. >> Can you say again what are we voting on? >> Yes. Uh what you're voting on, Bonnie, is you're voting on basically allowing Amy

262and I to finish the contract of that price amount based on the configuration which puts modulars at Keen, not Keen, at Park View and Melrose. um so that we can then do the purchase for those which would then obviously implement in 27 and it would be based on the configuration I rec of prekk at Keen first and second at Melrose third and fourth at Park View. Um, so it it it allows us to finish because the quote that's reflected is what you saw up there, but we uh did not put a contract on here yet because we still want to confirm that we feel comfortable with that with our legal team uh to make sure that all of all of that's buttoned up. And it provides a 10% change order, which is typical in construction.

263Um, so that if something we ran into that cost us uh a little money, we would have to come back to you for additional approval if we were above a 10% threshold of the cost that's on that on that document, which is 8.3 million. >> So once we vote on this, we cannot change this in any way. >> Um, >> we cannot modify this in any way. >> You it would take a new board action. Well, I think in concept you're if you pick option B, the contract you sign for the modules is going to reflect that configuration in terms of the buildings and uh how many units and warming rooms and stuff, right? Yeah, >> question. Good clarifying. Yes, this this would be for this specific one because each quote is built off of

264whatever is required to make that configuration work. There's subtle differences in like whether they get warming kitchens or how many rooms exactly, >> how many sites they have to develop, stuff like that. >> Is it necessary to vote on this today? >> My recommendation is yes. Um, and it's uh for two reasons. Uh, one uh not as important but still important is the clarity for our families and our staff and allow us to get planning on that. But more importantly is uh um for if we're going to actually implement this in 27 um uh we need to get the contract completed so that we can get in line for our order so that they can start building our product and then get it here in time to install it. I'm going to add that the

265day after the May 2025 levy failed, we could have at that day said, "Hey, we've had two nos. Let's move to modulars right now." That would have been a year ago. It can that be respectfully. Um, so instead in goodwill and professionalism, we talked about numerous plans. We tried to listen to people. We said, "Hey, let's try a less expensive cops at 3 to 5." There was outrage. Understandable because it's a democracy. So, we backed off that. I believe we had new board members. We started talking about K to 5. Then, we ran into the financial issues that are way outside of our control. The reason I'm saying this is time. Is it fast or is it slow? If you woke up the day after the May 2025 levy failed and you were ready for

266modulars, this has been exceedingly slow. If you like the fact that we tried to listen to the community and listen to our staff and problem solve, you would say it's great that you took a year, it feels whack-a-ole, if you will, but then on the other hand, it was a year of consideration, reflection on the behalf of by professionals doing their job. So the crazy thing I'll keep saying it over and over. It's like it's right and it's wrong. It's good and it's bad. So respectfully it feels fast I guess if you and I'm not being rude like you just started thinking right right because this came because of the financials but if you were realizing that the writing was on the wall a year ago this would be slow. No disrespect, but to say

267these are the complexities of the decision and the kids are in Cornerstone another year with respect to the lovers of Cornerstone for the rest of the people who have decided it's not working. It's yet another year. The teachers are there another year. The roof's leaking another year. Preschool assessments are being cancelled another year and go. And that's okay. That's life. And we will do whatever is needed as we always do because that is what schools will do. whatever is needed all the time with whatever resources we're given or not despite the fact that we're not perfect and we fail and children feel sad at the end of their I mean everything's going to happen but nonetheless I'm just tossing that out. It could feel fast or it could feel slow and that doesn't mean anyone's

268even right or wrong. Do we deliberate? If we deliberate and we show transparency then that's good but then now trailers feel like it's too fast. If we don't deliberate then people say why aren't you deliberating? We deserve deliberation. I'm not even saying anyone's wrong. I'm saying like this is the stuff that makes this hard. And I'm saying that because you're you're in a way, Bonnie, depending on how you look on it feels fast, right? But then it also feels slow. And that's the crazy. I I'm just trying to I'm I'm trying to do what is right and communicate, but I feel for me respectfully, I not disagreeing with you because I have much respect for you, but I can vote today on this if we are voting. I mean, I'm capable of it. >> We

269had a motion in a second. The next thing is to vote. Yeah. >> Where are we in that motion? Second to discuss. >> Any more questions? >> And I I mean, I do I guess I would say you did lay these options out at our work session that we had in in April. I mean, not the I think not the K through four, but we talked about the other ones. >> Yeah. The detail that we could put them in a couple places. >> So, it's it's Yes, it's been out there for six weeksish. Yeah. >> Yeah. Just the conversation at least. >> The conversation maybe not all the details. Yes. Okay. >> Okay. Are we ready to vote? Any more comments before we vote? >> Kinds. >> Yes. >> Degan. >> No. >> N. I

270will vote yes, but only because this is a temporary solution and I want to move forward with a permanent solution. I do not I think we were being very hasty about this. >> Good, right? >> Yes. >> Starter. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> You got school tomorrow. >> So we still Yeah. So I'm sorry. So >> you got to tell us about So, we're not >> She has a lot of witnesses. SHE HAS A LOT OF WITNESSES. >> OH MY GOSH. OKAY, hold on. We're not We're actually not even to her yet. So, if I guess if we can stay on track here, we have if we can just take 10 more minutes here and finish up. >> Um, so we have public participation on non-aggenda items next. And we have one Ted Hill, 735

271Bell Avenue. This month, the schools mailed out a newsletter newsletter to everyone in town. I think this is a great idea. I think the a community newsletter that is quarterly or even twice a year is needed to keep us connected to the schools. We all pay for the schools. We should hear about what is going on. I think this is a good start at bridging that missing community connection. I would like to see a clear way to gather feedback on what kind of news the community would like to see. I think this is a first issue with a good starting balance. >> Thank you, Ellie. All right, so now we're at comments and questions. So, take it away. You've only waited four hours. Yeah, let's see. Thank you for coming. Thank you for seeing this

272through. >> Highlight of my month. Let's go. >> Okay. It's actually kind of long for me, too. So, it's kind of fitting. Lucky everybody else. >> Take your time. Take your time. >> All right. You waited on us. We'll wait on you. >> Perfect. Okay. From spring sports, they have reached their postseason. Boys tennis won the Ohio Cardinal Conference Championship tournament on Friday, May 8th. Henry Pazeski Pazfki, there we go, was named the 2026 OC Player of the Year. And Justin Krooks was named the 2026 OC Coach of the Year. Baseball will host the sectional final on May 21st at 5:00 PM. If they win, they will host the district semifinal on 20 on May 26th at 5:00 p. M um they will have to win their final two league games against Lexington and West

273Holmes for the share of the OC Conference Championship. Um there's a softball game that happened tonight, so I'm unsure of the outcome of that. Um girls lacrosse opened up the regional tournament on Monday, May 18th with Highland. They won the game and will host the regional quarterfinal on Thursday, May 21st at 7 p.m. Boys lacrosse won their regional qualifier match on Thursday, May 14th for Cardinal Mooney and now will host Kent Roosevelt on Wednesday, May 20th at 700 p.m. in the regional quarterfinal. Um, boys tennis won Oh, wait. I already went over that one. I did that one twice. Sorry, guys. Track and field completed the OC championships on Friday, May 18th at Ashlin University and then the district championships on Wednesday, May 20th. And then Friday, um this coming Friday, um they'll be at

274Talmage. Um National Honor Society just had their last meeting of the 2025 2026 school year on Wednesday, May 13th. Uh this year, NHS members served a total of 1,962 hours in the community. They had many organizations that were especially grateful for their help, including the Worcester Hope Center, um Mel Melrose PTO, um Wayne County Humane Society, Salvation Army, Wester High School tutoring, and then improveners night to shine Buu and many sporting theater and musical events throughout the year. From the March Blood Drive hosted from the American Red Cross, the group had enough blood donors to earn scholarship money. And specifically, Adrienne Johnson and Thomas Wilds will have $500 each sent to their college. a plan to tend to attend in the fall. Um lastly, NHS has introduced its new officers for the incoming school year

275and it's already planning to make this the most meaningful year of service. Um Best Buddies is happy to share that they had a successful um first in inclusive field day at Falls Field on May 13th. Best Buddies members from Edgewood Worcester High School and with visitors from Idasu School participated in races and field events. The event concluded with medals and lunch. The group looks forward to hosting this event event again next year. Um, the General's Leadership Council will hold its final monthly meeting on Wednesday, May 20th. Uh, the drama club finished up the season with a visit from John Michael Peterson and he's in the Outsiders Broadway cast. Um, and then the Thespian induction drama award and fall 2026 musical announcement went well. Um, next for them is assisting in summer stage Worcester with 1776

276and then getting after Frozen in the fall. Um, I guess I just read that as numbers. It's 1776 the music school and I'm now just processing that. Nobody say a word. Thank you. Um, I'm It's 1000 p.m. on a school day. >> You caught it. >> Okay. That's so embarrassing. >> You're doing awesome. You're awesome. >> Okay. Science Club concluded its plant sale last weekend with the greenhouse. Um the group raised over $1,000 and they are done for this year and looking forward to next year. And lastly, the student council inducted its officers for the next year and they worked on the pep rally where they showed the new general design. Um and the student council will also help at graduation. And that's all I have. >> Thank you. DID YOU mention Did you mention

277prom? >> Prom? >> Oh, it was so fun. >> Yeah, I heard it. Great. >> I had a wonderful time with all my friends. >> Yeah, but I heard it was really great. >> Yeah. And then the best buddies inclusion day. I was also at that and that was so fun. I'm so glad they planned that. It was a little bit chaotic because it was I mean the first time, but it was awesome. I don't know that a lot of people in the community now realize that now I mean dinner or appetizers are served at prom and it's at Greystone, right? So I had a number of people ask me about what prom looked like now from still here and >> you know I mean it's not a full dinner but it's not like heavy

278appetizers, you know, >> and it maybe avoids kids from traveling before like before prom and those types of things. So >> the only downside was the downpour that happened right when we got there. >> Yeah. >> But that was rough. >> Yeah. good time afterwards at Acres of Fun and Yeah. Good. >> And you've got two weeks till gradual. >> I know. My last day is Friday and I was literally during the retirement stuff. I was all that's all I was thinking about and so my eyes were watering and I was about to start crying. But >> it's okay. We're going to make it till Friday. Friday is going to be a rough day though. >> Yeah. >> Shout out Miss Davis. >> Yeah. >> Well, this is this is your last meeting with us.

279So, thank you very much. You have been a great Yeah, really you have really done a great job. Um and we wish you the best as as you graduation of course, but um >> we wish you the best in your next chapter. So no doubt you'll do great. So thank you so much. >> Um any other comments or questions um that we want to cover off? >> I would just say one quick thing. Um want everybody's patience. I know it was a long meeting both for uh everybody that was watching and and and up here, but um so thank you for for your time and attention to that. The other is uh you know obviously uh we lost a student in the past month, Maddox Grazer. Um a sophomore uh great kid. Um there are

280really no words to say on that to to make that more comfortable. Um um but uh I appreciate how our team, school, and community came together to support each other and uh honor Maddox um uh in many different ways and and so um one of the hardest things I've I've seen, but very thankful for the way that uh um people supported each other through it >> and we'll continue to do so and continue to, you know, support Matt and honor Maddox. Yeah, he just he was just recognized with for the OC. Yes, he was. Yeah. Which is which is Yeah. Which is outstanding. >> I think I mean and not to make this like about process and tactical but um you had done some work on a crisis. >> Yeah. And and to me everybody

281responded very quickly um and you know adults were accessible to kids and my understanding is a lot of kids took advantage of of that um and I think the staff did a fantastic job. So, yeah, we'll continue certainly to think of all of his friends and friends and family. Okay. Um, anything else? >> No. >> All right. Um, this is probably going on record is the longest meeting >> ever in my time. In my time for sure. >> Um, future board meetings that probably will be shorter. Um, so, uh, Tuesday, June 16th, we will have our regular, uh, work session. We do have an executive session prior to that meeting to do evaluations for Mr. Tutor and Mrs. Welty. Um, Monday, June 29th, uh, we have our fiscal year uh, meeting at the board of

282education office at 8 a.m. and then our July meeting is on the 21st again back here at 6 o'clock. Uh, so with that uh, we will adjourn. So a motion to adjurnn the the meeting tonight. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Uh, Degan, >> yes. >> Nine heads, yes. >> Starcher, yes. >> Good, right? >> Yes. >> All right. Thank you everybody for the time. Bye bye.