St. Helens School Board Regular Meeting and Executive Session February 25, 2026

001of the United States of America and to stand with liberty and justice for all. >> Howard will probably join at the regular session when we come out of executive session and add to the role when he shows up. Uh, director Walker >> here. >> Uh, director Russell >> here. >> Director Kllins >> here. >> Vice Chair Smith >> present. Okay, we are going to recess four executive session 4 RS1 192.660 660 2 I to review and evaluate the employment related performance of a chief executive officer of any public body, public officer, employee or staff member who does not request an open hearing. The state uh state school district will now meet in executive session pursuant to OS1 192.660 6602 I which allows the board to meet in executive session consent records exempt from law from

002public inspection. Representatives of news media and designated staff shall be allowed to attend. Representatives of news media are specifically directed not to report on or otherwise disclose any of the deliberations or anything said about these sub during executive session except to state the general subject of the session as previously announced. No decisions uh will be made in executive session. Topics discussed in executive session are limited to the topic from OS 192 660. When Oregon Ethics Government Commission hears a complaint regarding alleged executive session violation, the commission will investigate all members of the body in attendance even if some of the members are not mentioned in the complaint. CS190400253. This may lead to a finding of violation by all board members. If an executive session is is occurring and unauthorized unauthorized topics are being discussed, the

003Oregon Ethics Commission guides the board members to object to the discussion discussing the unauthorized topic and if necessary announce they are leaving the executive session, then leave. At the end of executive session, we'll return to open session. It's uh we'll be gone for a little while on this one. So, we are adjourned. Uh we are at number five agenda approval. Items may be added or removed at this time. I move that we accept the stated presented. >> Sorry. >> I said I make motion that we approve that agenda is presented. >> There's a motion made to approve. >> Did you need to add something around the um process for um >> the budget committee? Can I make a >> Oh, I'm sorry. Go for it. I'd like to make a motion to amen the agenda

004to add the budget committee interview process as the item. >> I second that. >> Okay. Motion made to add >> to add the um >> budget committee interview process to action items. >> Okay. >> Is there any discussion? >> That is what it's going to entail. We're actually doing >> Well, we haven't ever done an interview and because the last time we had a nomination process, only two of us really had any idea what we were doing. So, we thought it would be good to vote on it. And there should have been an action item. >> I move that the board approves the um >> vote. Yeah, we have to vote. >> Director Walker. >> Hi. >> Okay. Director Russell. >> Hi. >> Director Killings. >> Hi. >> Vice Chair Smith. >> Yeah. >> Chair

005and I as well. >> Okay. I move that the board approve the meeting agenda as modified. >> Is there a second? Second. Okay. >> Moved and motion's been made and seconded that we've approved the board agenda as modified. Is there any discussion needed around that? >> Okay. Dr. Walker, >> hi. >> Director Russell, >> hi. >> Director killings. >> Hi, Vice Sher Smith. >> Hi. >> Short is an eye. As well, >> uh, we're on to number six, community impact awards. >> The St. Helen School District Community Impact Award honors one student, one staff member, and one community member whose commitment to excellence, service, and leadership truly uh stands out. >> Okay, first uh community impact award is for Zoe. award picture. >> Sorry, >> okay. Zoe Griffin is an outstanding student who exemplifies leadership,

006kindness, service, in everything she does. With a positive attitude and a strong sense of responsibility, Zoe consistently looks for ways to support her peers and contribute to her school community. Zoe's leadership is especially evident through her involvement as a student leader with Vision Hawks and as an active member of multiple school clubs. On Tuesdays, she helps facilitate and support a student led soccer club, demonstrating teamwork, initiative, and encouragement toward her fellow students. On Thursdays, she is a dedicated and positive participant in fiber arts club, where she contributes creativity and helps foster an inclusive and welcoming environment. Beyond her scheduled activities, Zoe is often one of the first students to offer assistance wherever it is needed. Whether she is helping clean up after a school event, supporting schoolwide efforts, or guiding the school through morning announcements,

007she consistently steps up with reliability and enthusiasm. Her willingness to serve in both big and small ways speaks to her strong character and commitment to her school. Zoe's impact extends beyond the school walls. She is an active member of her faith-based community and a dedicated 4 member in Columbia County where she continues to develop leadership skills and give back through service. In addition, she is a multi-sport athlete participating in both track and soccer, balancing her academic, extracurricular, and athletic commitments with determination and grace. Zoe is a shining example of what it means to lead with heart and integrity. Her positive influence leaves a lasting impression on her peers, her school, and her broader community. >> I just have a quick question. Is this a surprise to you or did you know? >> Oh, okay. I

008was just curious. Can I call up Carly Christensen, please? >> Thank you so much. >> So, um, Carly Christensen has made an extraordinary impact on students, staff, and the greater St. Helen School District community through her unwavering dedication to literacy, collaboration, and innovation. Her passion for placing books into the hands of students is evident in everything she does from organizing, engaging successful book fairs in our elementary schools to developing systems that improve her access to resources. Uh Carly ensures that every student has the opportunity to explore, imagine, and grow through reading. Uh beyond her direct work with students, Carly is a valued collaborator across the district. She consistently shares her expertise, creative problem solving skills, and her encouragement with colleagues, fostering a culture of support and positivity. Her ability to see opportunities rather than obstacles,

009strengthens our collective efforts to provide equitable access to literacy and technology for all learners. Carly's impact extends well beyond the school walls. Through empower empowering staff, inspiring students, and building strong partnerships with families, she exemplifies what it means to make lasting community impact. Her commitment, optimism, and forward-thinking vision uh continue to enrich our schools in a meaningful and enduring way. Please congratulate Join me in congratulating Carly Carly Christensen. Okay, Steve Branson. >> No, no, no, no. Steve Francon is a remarkable community member whose dedication, compassion, and steady presence have made a lasting impact on the students, staff, and families of Columbia City Elementary. Although Mr. Steve has retired from Columbia City Elementary. He continues to generously give his time and energy to the school community. Whether he is stepping into substitute, volunteering at school events,

010supporting teachers, or offering encouragement to students, Steve shows up consistently, humility, and heart. He is someone, I'm sorry, with consistency, humility, and heart. He is someone the school knows it can count on no matter the need, no matter the hour. Steve's presence in the building is truly special. And when he walks through the front doors, the excitement is immediate and contagious. Students and staff light up and call out, "It's Mr. Steve." His ability to build lasting relationships speaks to the genuine care and connection he fosters with everyone around him. Beyond his dependability, Steve brings warmth and humor wherever he goes. He has a unique gift for lifting spirits, making people laugh, and creating an environment where everyone feels valued and supported. His kindness is effortless, his compassion unmistakable, and his heart always fully invested in

011the well-being of others. Steve exemplifies the true spirit of community leadership. His continued commitment to serving students, families, and colleagues with generosity and joy makes him a truly deserving recipient. Start with a real quick beginning. In 200 I think it was nine. This was my first building I worked in. I remember ripping up the carpet in this room and right after that 2009 Columbia City opened no I shouldn't say they opened I went down there and I went caretaker when it was inactive then I moved around to different schools and um different shifts did many different things but Columbia City called me back and I think I've been there for five years until I retired three years that I've been going back. So, I've enjoyed every minute of it. The staff, um the kids, uh

012it's been an enjoyable time. >> Item seven, we'll go to the ASB public relations presentation. Casey Warner. There you go. All right. Hello. For anyone who doesn't know me, I am Casey Warner. Um, I am the St. Hill High School's ASB public relations. So, I come to the board meeting each month and I present about school activities and big events that are coming up. Uh, tonight's agenda is going to be the Rotary team and Elks team of the month, winter formal that's coming up this weekend, loving kindness week, and the graduation timeline. For awards, the Rotary team of the month was Lamat. I think that's how you pronounce it. Sorry. Um, Emily plans to attend PCC while considering her option and she looks forward to discovering a path that best aligns with her talents in

013college. And the ox team of the month is Nate. He plans to attend Washington State University and he begins to study in pharmacy. For our events, uh, winter formal that's coming up this Saturday. The theme is one short dance in Emerald City, which is Wicked or Wizard of Oz. Um, it'll be hosted in the comments from 7 to 10. And the last day to purchase your tickets is this Friday during lunch no later. So make sure you get them. Uh love and kindness week. The leadership set up um tables every day during lunch during the week before um Valentine's Day. Uh you were able to play games like um shooting the hearts on the wall, playing Cupid, and winning baskets. Here are some of our winners. Um we had the biggest event we have which

014we do each year is you can send a crush to your crush. So, we do can of soda and you can um sign up to send a can of soda to a friend or someone you care about with a little sweet. Um the graduation timeline, this is a little bit off. It should be about 13 and a half weeks. Um but next big step in the timeline is March 20th at 400 p.m. is the deadline for concentration cords that are due and um honors diploma sheets. So, make sure to go to your counselor if you are a senior parent or if you are a senior and make sure you're getting these forms um and getting them signed on time. And that is all. Thank you. >> On to consent agenda. >> The board on individual

015cases prior to the meeting has reviewed all material. All financial report reports are available for review by the public in the business office. The board considers consent agenda item 13 items routine business and will be enacted by the board in one motion. There will be no discussion of these items at the time the board votes on the motion unless members of the board, staff or public request specific items to be discussed and or removed from the consent agenda. >> That we accept the consent agenda as stated. Second >> been moved and seconded. We accept the consent agenda as presented. >> Stated, you said >> I always say stated. >> Stated. I just want to quote it. Is do we need any discussion? >> I got to make sure I follow the lead here. Director Walker.

016>> Hi. >> Always leave you off. Director Russell. >> Hi. >> Director Killings. Hi. >> Vice Chair Smith Reed. >> Hi. >> Chair Yardis and I as well. >> Now we're on to uh new business. Um 9.1 NWRD local service plan >> I don't know I don't know the name sorry >> sorry >> 20 26 2027 >> no problem good evening uh Mr. Chair and members of the board and Dr. Chris Brown. My name is Dan Goldman. I'm the superintendent at Northwest Regional KSD. And uh we're really happy to be here tonight. Um and uh I'm going to quickly pass on to some of my teammates here. So this is Dr. Megan Carter. Um she is our chief academic office. Michelle Graham is one of our board members. >> Thank you. Are you the slides?

017>> I will. Good evening, chair and s superintendent and board members. My name is Michelle Graham and I'm one of the Northwest Regional Educational Service District board members. And um I was elected to serve zone 4 which represents classical rainers gap St. Helens, Vernonia and a portion of the Beaverton school district. I am one of nine members of board and I'm honored to be here tonight to go over uh to help present your local service plan. We serve 20 districts. I was supposed to tell you that I was on the board of Gapoose school district for many years and I can tell you that and um unfortunately I don't think I know many of you because I've been retired from that work for a few years. We serve the >> well thank you for your

018service here. I know what it's about. We serve the 20 school districts across till class of Columbia and Washington counties and there are over 100,000 students as well as thousands of young children from birth through age five. Our size and diversity affords our district a large economy of scale than any other region in Oregon. As you can see by the diversity of services in the plan before you this evening. Each year this ESD co-develops a local service plan with district leaders which then must be approved by our board of directors and twothirds of the boards of our component school districts making up at least 50% of the student population. Again this year, the superintendent from across the region unanimously approved this plan in November, which includes core services that are made available to all member

019districts as well as a menu of services available when using service credits or contracting with our team. It also includes our student success act technical assistance plan for your student investment account and associated grant applications. The local service plan is one slice of the services provided to districts from the ESD. It does not include other grants and value added services that we execute on behalf of your school district. though we have included additional information in your packets so you can gain a more complete understanding of the breadth of our partnership. So with that, I'm going to pass this over the baton over to Dr. Megan Logan, our chief academic officer, to discuss some of the current ways we are working together with you and any highlights she'd like to call out for the year ahead.

020>> Thank you so much. Thank you for having us here tonight. Um, so I'm just here to highlight some of the amazing work that we are doing together. Um, the ESD with St. Holl School District. Um, here you can see we do a lot of the internet. I mean, it's not that exciting. I just like the plumbing. I'm sorry, but it keeps us running. Can't do anything without the internet these days. So, we actually run um internet across a large actually a large amount of state. We're doing some faculty networks to help some of our smaller um districts get connected as well. So we do um this resilience project is one of the things that we've been working on with you to ensure you guys have fast reliable internet which as a teacher when you're

021in schools nowadays you really can't I know it's hard to find you cannot run without it you know um everything is on it. Um but we also do a lot of work um just around instruction um with with you all. So, there's a bunch of different things highlighted here, but I did want to call out um a few key pieces of work that we've been working with you guys all on. First of all, we do um a decent amount of special education services with you all. So, we have uh 4.5 staff members, um special education specialists that you guys have within the district, um a school psych, a nurse, an OT, um and a learning specialist who you get through the ESD currently. Um there's also um two years ago we stood a metallark um

022academy with you all. So there's there's 20 slots for students who need help in um getting some extra support to be successful in school. So it's our social emotional learning school. So they used to only be in Washington County. Um and through this partnership we were able to um work with you all to have one here that serves Columbia County. That was a huge need brought forward from the superintendent in the region. Um, on top of that, we do a lot of professional development, coaching, consultation work. Um, notably of the programs, you can see a lot of them are over here on the right hand side in the blue box. Um, but just to call out, we've done 842 hours of early literacy training year to date. So, it's only a cat figure um with

023your staff and worked with 55 different staff members um for teachers who are home littlest be able to make sure that they can read by third grade. So, really important benchmark. Um, additionally, we've done a lot of work around school safety and prevention. Um, and we've done 139 hours of work with that 18 of your staff members this year. Um, and like I said, there's much more. I can't highlight all of it. Um, but those are a couple of >> I'm now turning it over uh, Superintendent Bulman to talk about the money. >> Uh, exciting stuff. Um so the local service plan uh every year um as many of the veteran board members know every year uh the uh the school boards in our reg region have to approve our local service plan um as

024uh Michelle explained uh that dynamic. The local service plan is made up of three components um that the superintendents together we collectively designed this so it meets the needs of all of our school districts. And as you might have heard from Michelle, uh we have a we have a lot of students in our region. We're the largest CSD in the state of Oregon. So we have school districts like Beaverton and Hillsboro and Tiger with thousands and thousands of kids. We have mediumsized school districts like St. Helens and we also have very tiny school districts. So on Monday I was with the Jewel School Board um and they have about 150 kids. So the trick is to have a plan that meets the needs of the community of Jewel Community St. All Helens and the community

025of Beaverton. And so uh the plan is big. It's diverse. Um there is stuff for every school district that every school district wants to see in this plan. And there are things that some school districts don't use at all because Beaverton has very different obviously. But these are the three components in the plan. And we did add some extra materials so you can see um uh more of what we do at the SD. The local service plan makes up about 40% of our budget. So as you can see and it's it's quite large. There's millions and millions of dollars that that are spread across um our 20 school districts. So you uh can understand the other 60% are very large state contracts. So we're the provider for early childhood special education for the entire region.

026Uh that's all the kids in these four counties who are five who um need extra supports. So on we go. Um so m uh uh Megan likes to joke that I like to talk about the money and I don't actually like to talk about kids but um but I have a superintendent so I got to do this stuff. So um one thing you should know is that the ESD is a tax generator. Uh ESDs in the state of Oregon are generate taxes just like school district uh school districts do. So, if you are fortunate enough to own your home, you see on the property tax bill that you're paying taxes to the ESD. The ESD tax is just like the local school tax goes to the state. It goes to Salem and then it gets

027redistributed um out across the state. ESDs make up four and a half% of the state school fund in the state of Oregon. Um, and so we're the largest ESD and gets a portioned out by uh by membership by average daily membership enrollment just like a school district would. And so we get about 17% of that comes to ESD. 10% of it stays at the ESD so we can have lights and uh building and uh training facilities etc. The rest of it is 100% directed by school districts. So, school districts get to decide how these resources are spent. Um, in our region, our plan is that uh 75% of that chunk uh goes into a it's your it's your district account. We have a agency account that is St. Helens. It's your money and you get

028to purchase services back from the ESD or in our in our region you can take it uh take cash in le of service. So you can just pull it in and do what you want, what you feel like you need in your school district. That is very uncommon across the state of Oregon. Usually there's not that much flexibility. But um but this is the way that we've designed the plan here. Um 25% of those funds stay in what we call the core. Um and they're basically our resolution services in the law. Uh but uh the core are shared services. So what what's in the core get this free to everybody. you know, districts can use as much of it as they need, etc. And so, we'll go through what is in those here. Uh Michelle

029touched on I'm not doing every slide, but you guys some of the uh uh Michelle touched on the superintendent approving unanimously in uh November this plan, which is a really important thing for me because the district leaders um need to feel like the ESD is in service to their district and um and in our region uh all 20 of our school districts approved this plan. But really plan development happens all year long for us. We um like to use the word co-design at our ESD because um I don't want an ESD to sit over on the side design all kinds of fun programs for districts that they don't need and then be like you know why why districts like us and so we design with our districts. So for instance um in Megan's Megan's kind

030of been in the traditional curriculum and instruction shop. Our instructional services team pulls together curriculum directors from all 20 school districts every month and we talk about the services that are needed in school districts. Then we start to design together what they could be and what needs to change for the next year. Same with special ed, same with human resources, same with finance, uh or ed gets to go to the technology one every once in a while. And so um we're always designing uh together with school districts what district and we go through a whole process. And um coming up here, well here we're on the March 1st deadline for school boards. So we're right up against the deadline here in St. Helens. And then um we will open up um basically service menu. People

031will purchase services from the ESD, but that's 75%. And then we have the hard task of of stacking things up because oftentimes what people need from an ESD is stuff that they can't provide on their own. And it's because it's hard. Um, so it's not easy to get a occupational therapist in rural Oregon, right? So it takes us time to staff up. So we need to know in advance what districts need. Please ask any questions as they go. Okay. So here are all the things that are in the core that your school district has access to and gets for quote unquote for free. You can see that um technology is a long long list here. Um please don't ask me technical questions. that will direct you ahead um on some of this stuff, but uh

032the technology portion makes up about 40% of the core. So when Megan talks about internet and redundancy, we actually have we actually own the fiber that goes across all four counties actually in Portland, we share it with ESB and it is the largest most redundant fiber network for for public services in the state of Oregon. And what's important about that is if the fiber line goes down between Portland and St. Alens, uh, we have a redundant circle that goes all the way around the coast and comes back here and you don't miss a beat. So in very rare circumstance that you would lose internet in our region. Um, so that's just an example. We also do cyber security services. So um, we do audits of your systems, make sure that things are safe. We run

033software in the background to kind of catch the bad guys and all that kind of stuff. So technology is a big part of what we do. The other big chunk um is our education programs budget. Megan uh talked about some of those services that you're um that you're participating in heavily. Really literacy especially. You also have a ninth grade success uh team. Your high school uh participates like 32 high schools in our region to make sure the kids come into high school successful and they're on track to graduate. They don't fall behind. Um we have a grant writing uh team in there as well and we have written some significant grants for your district in the past. We also um are into uh more and more into our uh workforce development uh program. So we

034are in deep conversations with our superintendents and also uh CTE type folks across the region trying to scale up uh rapidly scale up programs that get kids connected to work to work force early so they can experiment kind of see what's going on in the world uh dip in dip out or get really excited about stuff. So that's another uh really exciting thing that's going on for us. I skipped over this county allocations bit at the beginning, but I think it's important for boards to understand what that is. It's actually a quite significant chunk of money. Um, so it makes up about 25% 30% of this core program. And basically how that works is uh by EDM um we pull out a chunk this chunk of money and we send it to the counties uh

035and the county superintendent gets to plan together and I get to be uh get to plan together how those resources are spent for the betterment of the of the county because you have very very small uh districts in your county as well like for instance and they don't have the stuff that St. Helms has. And so the five superintendents in your region meet uh monthly and this is something that we talk about a lot in in your county. What we have used this money for most recently is to build out uh the metal art program which is over at Busen Clark at the Sak Jia building. So we're serving kids with very very high uh special education and social emotional needs. So that's kind of what we've been doing recently. In the past, we did

036a whole bunch of social emotional learning stuff um using uh the EESA and these other assessment tools working with your county mental health um operation here in the county. But right now, we're using those funds for the special education program. Okay. Um the menu of services are long and uh very technical, so I'm not going to go through them. You know, I'm not going to uh bore you to death, but I do want you to ask questions about things if you have them. So remember this is where you get 75% of that chunk and it goes into St. Helen's account and then the district makes purchases for the ESD or things that you need. So we have a lot of stuff in administr basically general administration so human resources investigations one for instance um we

037have educator pipeline program it's formerly called grow your own where you have like high school students who potentially want to be teachers and we have connectors and we connect high school kids to uh to the field of education. Um and uh you have I do believe you have a one person in um our uh what we call aspiring administrator program. Um so we have uh somebody who's been tapped here in the district to potentially go into administration and they're in a cohort with about 75 other people across the region and we are mentoring people to become uh administrators. So that's another example. um we do all the early learning um education evaluations which is a requirement under federal federal law that we are actually seeking kids with disabilities in the community um and finding out

038if they need extra support and services. Um so oftentimes the big referral points are doctor's offices etc who see kids and like oh this kid needs to be evaluated. We do that. That's a fee for service. Um and we do it for all 20 school districts. So everybody uses um that service of us. Uh in our education programs, we uh often blend um our resources from the core and the stuff that I'll talk about later from the student success act. Just looking up here and thinking about what you all are doing. I think you u participate with our promise tool credit program. Um so that is uh um an agreement we have with Western uh Oregon University and Oregon uh OIT Oregon of technology and uh we provide kids access to college courses um and

039uh and support your teachers to teach them college courses and get kids transcripted. That's just an example of something that you participate in. Here's the big uh big enchilada, so to speak, is our uh special education um programs, ESDs. This is kind of ESD's bread and butter um across the state. Uh where uh for instance, I use the occupational therapy example where you would purchase occupational therapy um services from us. And the example I use and why this is important for school districts especially uh smaller school districts is let's say you all of a sudden have your one deaf heart of hearing kid that comes to your district or it's born into your district. In order for you to serve that one child they probably need five specialists minimum five specialists occupational therapy dearted hearing

040specialist um all kinds of uh of other services physical therapy etc. Um, so you would need need to serve that kid under the law and you would have to buy buy a PE of specialists to do that. Well, there's lots of defined hard nots, but there are plenty of kids who are have that kind of um constellation of problems in our 4count region. And so we split IP um between districts, right? So we can hire a 1.0 OT and meet their point 2 here, three in stat booths and that kind of thing. So we're we're really think of us as a co-op when it comes to those kind of services. So it radically reduces your cost in a school district to serve those kids. And we also have highly specialized people because there's not just

041one OT by themselves in we have a series of OT's that work together. So lots of stuff here and you participate as Megan shared and a lot of our special education services. technology is, you know, where my brain goes dead a little bit, but um these are things that you can purchase um on top of what is provided. So, for instance, the synergy student information system because well, every district in our entire region uses synergy and purchase that purchases that through the ESD except for Beaverton and Hillsboro. They're big enough to have their own their own instance. Okay. And lastly, uh the student success act, uh what we now call integrated programs technical assistance grant. Um so the student success act, you guys, uh receive as a district the student investment account resources. Actually quite

042a lot of money for your school district's uh budget. Uh the ESD gets a small grant called the technical assistance grant. And our job is to help you do a couple of things. Megan always talks about it is one thing is helping you get and keep the money because the applications are quite intense. And so we have we have been able to uh staff up a team that helps with community engagement with the grant writing process itself with all the reporting to the uh state of Oregon and we pull people together from the district on the regular um to with all of our other districts to help u help with that process. It's quite significant. Um and then we uh and then we have a lot of programs to try to maximize the impact of

043what you're doing. And so we look through um through all the districts what your strategies are with this new investment account and then we scale up professional development services to support your teachers to do the best work that they can do. So that's what this um what this grant is about. And you can see that there's these are the programs that we've stood up to support that work. You will see in the next two slides there's a bunch of stuff that's highlighted in yellow. Um when I talked about this in November with the superintendent at that time was December at that time the state of Oregon put out there the sky is falling and there's a massive cut list that might happen. Um a lot of the things um that were on that cut list

044are significant programs at the ESD and they're programs that we support school districts with. So, um, I highlighted the things that were in that cut plan for the superintendents just to let them know and they were like, you need to show reports this stuff um because they need to understand that if the state makes these kind of cuts, what's not going to be in your school district. So, one of those things is um our early lit literacy supports um program is funded uh through resources that are slated to be reduced. I don't think they will anymore, but at that time it was uh it felt like they were going to be. So I think that is you know knock on wood I think that is safe but um obviously we work a lot with your

045school district on literacy practices and improving literacy outcomes for kids. Um other things uh these are things that are not in the LSB by the way. So this next slide are things that are just stuff that we do at PSD but I did want to show you how much yellow is on this uh on this screen. So these are all things that are on a uh reduction list at the Department of Education. Uh Megan talked about our work on school safety with you. We are also part of our attendance um network of people working on to improve school attendance. That's like the first thing on the screen. Um so there's a lot of stuff and I won't bore you with all of it. I do want to point your attention to the upper right hand

046corner. Um there's a grant that we get from the state called the regional educator network. We serve all 20 of our school districts with it. We do see the programs there. early literacy supports, instructional coaching network, regional mentoring, and we have a studentled conference um called our Cascade uh alliance for equity. But the regional mentoring program like we support you have mentors in your district. You don't have any mentees right now. You did, but you don't now in your budget uh situation, but you do have mentors and those mentors work with our staff so that they actually do a good job mentoring new teachers. Um that's a highly utilized program across like we have hundreds of mentors across uh mentees excuse me across our full county region. So that would go away. Um instructional coaching

047network are us working with your instructional improvement staff so that help be their very best. So that's just a couple of examples of things that are really on the hot list right now for us at the state. >> Okay. in we advocated strongly for some of the same cycle. >> Yes. >> Thank you for coming down. >> Diana, I'm curious. Why does our district have the ability to pull cash if it's un it's >> why do we why are we so nice like that? >> Yeah. Why is it why do we have that exception? Um well different thing about ESDs is uh in the law they are you're required to be locally responsive to our school districts. So school districts um have a lot of power about how we split these resources up and ESDs

048look really different across the state. Like we're um some look like this. Uh like for instance, Clacamus ESD is very similar to our ESD, but Wanda ESD and WA ESD 100% of the money goes to school districts and is purchased stuff that so there is no core like I just talked about. Yeah. And that works all the districts are giving up that they can have their own technology staff or staff. That doesn't work in our region because we have so many small school districts. 10 of our 20 school districts that are considered small group and they just they without us they don't have a special ed director. They don't have you know that kind of stuff. So we've designed it this way but district the big districts need the flexibility because they don't need a

049curriculum director or that kind of stuff in Beverton. um like I was the assistant superintendent in Tiger many moons ago actually and we wouldn't use the ESB for these kinds of services because I had a whole fleet of instructional improvement folks. So we've created this flexibility with the district so they can pull money and actually support um and support their own own programs. Most of our small districts spend more money at the SD than we actually can provide them because um because our services are things that they just can't do. >> Okay. Thank you. I have a few questions. Um, when we talk about I look at our budget and I see that our largest numbers are going to you guys like millions a year for meark and like almost it's kind of it's a

050little concerning to me like in the nicest way. And so I'm trying to understand um I might jump all over the place because I'm really just trying to piece things together. So Rainineer no longer uses you guys. Is that correct? Or did they just stop? >> Okay. So they just don't use you for like substitute services anymore. So you can pick and choose what services. >> Yeah. Okay. >> So um like Rainer, we used to be their business office. >> Uhhuh. >> And then they were able to hire their own. >> Right. And so because I was like they no longer use you for substitutes >> for substitute we no longer provide sub services in the same way that we used to do it. So, we um help districts with the contract, but I think

051it's edgy edgy blank edgy stack edgy stack. Um but uh I'm not sure if Ringer uses us for that or not, but >> So, you can just pick and choose what works best for us and then does that determine our membership fees? >> No. So, we're we're paying a certain amount no matter what we But then we get to go choose it. >> No, no, no. I'm sorry. Membership fees is uh that's not that's not how it works. So uh like reineer when they don't want to use subervices, they don't pay for it anymore. >> Okay. >> So they use their money for something. >> But I thought you were mentioning that there was membership like that there's a membership, right? >> No. >> Oh, I wrote that down because I thought you had said

052the word membership. >> Membership. It's it more functions like a co-op. >> Okay. And um so the so the service it's the services in the core um that everybody gets. Okay. >> And like sometimes people don't use what's in there, but oftentimes there's a great number of districts. Everything that's in the core um kind of the litmus test for being there is that a lot of districts want it and need it. Um once we get to like only three districts that are using that then it becomes a purchase service. >> Okay. >> Yeah. And forgive me because I'm just trying. I'm new and it'll take you 10 years. Not too sure. Mhm. >> So then, and I I I don't want to sound I've been in this district for a long time and watched how

053things have come about. And I know that you mentioned two things that I'm just maybe maybe we didn't purchase that and we need to, but one was you mentioned like that you help with attendance tracking. That is something our district has not ever really done until Karine got here and has was actively trying to make change in that. So when you say that that's something you've offered, I look at it and think uh and and then same with like curriculum directors, right? like I happen to my opinion is that we've sat in the same curriculum in this district for decades and there has been no change and I and so I I hear you saying these things but I'm trying to see where it's been advanced like it's yeah >> it's been advantageous for us

054especially when I look at meark so please forgive me I'm just trying to understand because we're looking at like such huge deficits I want to make sure that this is the most prudent decision and ask the right questions and so >> please know that I'm doing this out of the most respect and just trying to understand but also the things you're mentioning here our district has definitely not seen that and like the attendance or the curriculum or um you know you mentioned we don't have any mentees right now but I thought we had a CFO mentee that was taking over for us. >> Not through. >> Oh, I'm sorry. I thought that was from Northwest Regional. >> Okay. So, so I'm just trying to see. >> Sure. >> I'm just trying to make sense of

055it all. So, how does that work? Did we just not pick that? >> I'll get you right now. >> Okay. >> All right. Let's do it. So, uh so um it So, I'll address uh the curriculum >> uh issue uh metal cost. >> Yeah. Um and uh the attendance piece because those were kind of the three pieces. >> So um I'll go with the one that I'll forget the quickest switch is the attendance piece. Um because what we do for attend we we do a few things with districts on attendance but one thing to understand about the ESD is we're not your direct service provider in those types of areas. We are special for special ed but like um the attendance collaborative that we have is a professional development collaborative where we bring people together

056to with best practice research on how to increase attendance. So >> and then you would choose to like that would be where Karine jumps in and is like we need this I'm going to attend this where maybe before someone did not. >> No we are attending. >> Yeah we attended. Okay. So, >> but like previously someone could have chosen not to. >> Okay. >> Yeah. It is the thing about our services um many of our services is they really are optional like um >> I'm going to use my line Megan but ESDs ESDs have little power and great influence. >> Okay. >> Right. So like we can't force you as a school district like you are the school district court. you hire a superintendent, they manage the operations of the district. We can't force anybody

057to do anything. Okay. >> Um so yes, mostly is it's optional programming. Um on the curriculum side, like so we don't adopt your curriculum for you. Um and actually we do very little right now on the curriculum selection side because districts do that on their own and they feel very strongly about their curriculum. Um what we do is we organize curriculum directors and we talk about teaching and learning, what we're working on, how we can support you with professional development. So like that's how we established we really need to work on reading together. About five years ago, we're like we've got to put together a reading team that supports districts because kids are not reading very well. >> And uh so we're more on the instruction side, okay, rather than the curriculum side. Having said

058that, we have helped like uh one of our teachers was on the Beaverton curriculum adoption team and helped them think about their reading adoption um materials. So we are super flexible service is our middle name and so like literally we will like if a district said hey we really need some support with our math curriculum process we would surely roll up our sleeves and help you out but it's not like a required thing and you don't take direction from us. Okay that was the easy one. So um those are the easy so then metal art which is which is harder. So one thing on the finances of Miller um that you that the board should recognize is the program at Lucen Clark used to be run by you, >> right? >> So you the reason

059why we were asked to come and do that work is because the program was really and it was really intense uh wasn't functioning well um and kids were not doing well in in those programs. So, um, so we, you know, we roll up our sleeves and we go get it. If you were to cut that program with us, you would then take those costs on you. It's not like those costs go away. So, we just shifted in your budget. We used to spend this much in our budget on the special ed program there and now you have shifted that over to us. And actually, in terms of staff salary and that kind of thing, we're actually a little bit below you. So the only way that you would save money on the metal program is

060if you would have less people in the you have less people serving the guest >> and we're going to present on that next board meeting to do a sidebyside view of what that cost would be and what it was in that next >> the other program. So there's kind of two sides of that program. There's the classrooms that are in the school. We call them SLC, social emotional learning, right? >> Classrooms. >> Yes. >> I mean, it's different every district. So, okay. >> Yeah. Right. So, um so these seven that are in the school, those are the ones that you used to run on your own that we have um that we have taken on. >> Uh there is a countywide new program that's in Sack Jia where um where the districts can purchase slots

061into that. And what used to happen before is that he'd be sending kids to Washington County. >> Correct. >> Yeah. So, and then you get the Rainer as you mentioned or Ronia or Clask and I this is just too far and so those kids were in like home instruction really not being served uh as as they should have and everybody recognizes this is a world oriented issue actually. So, um, that was, uh, something that we were asked to take on here and, uh, and we did through that county allocations fund. So, that didn't cost the district like we actually did the construction in the building through that through that funding source. And so, that's the other half the program. And you you have I believe like two kids, >> but we've purchased like 10 spots.

062They're just >> Not yet. Not yet. But you so the the you've purchased what you this year in this year's budget you're only paying for the kids who are in there. >> Okay. >> Um in order for that program to survive. We actually need to have the program with kids in it, right? We can't staff it, have kids there. >> It's like certain districts will buy certain numbers, right? So like Renee might say, I want 10 seats and then they pay for them whether they're in there or not. Right? But that way if someone comes up that has that need, they have a placement for that. >> That is one way that you can stabilize the funding in the future. Ringer will never have 10 10 kits. Maybe maybe one. Um they're they're a small

063district, right? Um >> but uh one way is that you say everybody's going to pay for slots whether you use them or not. >> Um that is how we run them in Washington County. like Beverton buys 45 slots and >> because they've got to have a place for its to be. >> Um what actually happens though is if Beaverton only does 43, Tiger Twalin might purchase the other two. There's just bigger economy of scale. So there's there's kind of like a wait list there. So what'll I would expect once we stabilize this program and get it going for a year or two is that those will get filled by real kids real fast. We'll talk a little about that next time actually. >> And so then that would cover like the cost analysis like what

064we're looking at costwise. >> Thank you. >> Do we get more funding because we're the county seat and have a higher rate of special needs children to use that service. >> So um but yes yes yes and no. Um so uh you get funding uh from the state school fund based on your weighted uh or weighted student average. So for kids >> there's so much right >> because that's the we're the county. So we might get 20 kids but have 20% who have special needs. Right. >> Yeah. So the way the state uh funding formula works and it is quite broken. It has been my whole career. I was a special educator. Um, so, uh, the way it works is you get double weight. So, you get twice as much money for kids who are

065identified as special ed up to 11% in your 11% in your district. >> Then there there's a little bit of sauce on top. There's like a bucket for overages, but everybody's over and so it just gets spread out really quickly. You do get more fun to more kids. I mean, you know, that >> but only up to 11%. Yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. 11% of your district is is matched no matter how many kids have. >> But we can take 50% 100% of our kids could have special needs, but we're still only ever going to get 11. So the needs for those students still have to come from our general fund. >> Yeah. I mean, this this is the problem across the state. Um I would >> we talked about that too. >> Yes, we

066did. Yes, we did. There are really four main buckets to special ed funding. There's like a fourpart puzzle that have got to work together in order for this problem to not be such a big problem. They are the weights that we're talking about that 11% cap is a significant problem in the state um the state budget I guess program. There's another one and it gets very complicated. I will try to not complicate you to death but there's a grant called the regional inclusive services grant is on a on a slide here. It's on this slide here. Regional business services right under that um part on the on the right hand side that I was talking about. That grant comes to DPSD uh in our region comes to ESDA goes to other like Portland public schools

067runs this for a region county for us. we get this grant and that grant serves kids. You can see the um the disability categories that kids have and that grant um it basically uh provides the services the high intensity services kind of the services on top that you really need for a kid who de heart of hearing. Um and when that grant is underfunded, you all have to purchase those services from us on top, right? So that also drives your costs up because this grant has been habitually and really um uh unethically funded. So it has for the last 12 years the state budget has been flatfunded. Has anything stayed the same on cost? Right. These are staffing services. So you know we're like dying on the vine in that grant. So that plus your

068gap create those conditions for very very high expenditures out of your general fund to support those with disabilities. And then there's early childhood special education services that we provide. Um that program is wolffully underfunded when you look at Oregon or California or Idaho. Um and so kids don't get the services they need up front and you have kindergarteners who are coming into your system who are really uh have severe severe needs. So that's another uh piece of the puzzle. And then there's the last one is called the high-cost disability fund and that's actually very appropo appropriately talking about that with the battle program. So those funds in other school districts like in Washington, other states, excuse me, in Washington, uh they have a high cost disability fund. It covers the full cost for kids above

069what you get from the state. So like above your state school fund allocation in the double weight. Anything above that would get covered by a state grant called in Oregon we have a high cost disability fund. It covers right now about 25% of those costs and it's a reimbursement. So you spend it and then the next year they reconcile the budget and give you 25% of those costs about 25%. So that bucket by being that underfunded creates the conditions for very expensive placements like we're talking about at that. So there's those those are the four big buckets. >> Who do we talk to to get a grant like Washington? >> They call the net and it's done. Like it's >> I mentioned it. >> That's amazing. >> Yeah. So, it's a really uh we have

070not in Oregon prioritized this population for all our big words. Um we have a really underfunded um programs that serve kids who are furthest from back success. >> But um well, I don't know. I I uh >> I do know it's such a great we um we have been extremely vocal. Last year we did get more money in the early childhood special education um grant for the first time. We had we had cut 80 staff members at the ESD ald alone two years ago out of early childhood special education. Um and we got a little bit of relief uh last year not bad that much but we got a little relief. So we are being heard on special ed. There is just a massive state budget crisis. is special ed I mean uh nationwide is

071it I mean are we high for special ed students comparatively or like why do we have >> I mean the great thing about being here with Michelle is she's actually comes from the medical field um but like honestly uh I don't think there's something in the water in Oregon >> I wasn't sure >> um like you know we're talking about distribution curves in populations um there are some things uh in highly functional school districts where the numbers are where the percentage of kids are not as high. Um, and typically what you see is intervention, a lot of intervention programming >> that happens outside of special ed and it's very systematic and you also see much higher class sizes in those districts. So think about that because they're they're using their resources to create intervention systems

072and the teachers in those districts because of Oregon only does have so much fun emergency all one pie. So you see is some higher class sizes and you see uh a lot of systematic um intervention programming with researchbased uh materials and tools and you see a far reduced rate of kids who are needing this level of service. It's all series of trade-offs. That's what I That's what I see across the And I get to see a lot of school districts. >> Is there also a a significant increase over the last maybe 10 years of diagnosis and recognition of what qualifies as special needs like kids who maybe ADHD in the past were considered behavior problems versus actually having a learning disability or something. >> It's like you're talking right at me like you're describing me

073perfectly. Um, so, uh, yeah, I think we have gotten, uh, I think we the science, you know, science improves. I think we've gotten better at understanding things like autism. Um, and like the explosion in the numbers of kids with autism is nationwide. Um, I mean, I can think about my own elementary school and kids who had autism, but we just thought they were, you know, different, right? Um, so autism rates have exploded. Um, yeah. So I think I think we have uh definitely increased identification rates. I think in general that's a good thing. I think it's like okay so the secret sauce isn't to identify kids. It's actually intervene with them and help them be as engaged and connected to in this case classroom experience as possible. We just don't fund that kind of thing.

074But I don't think we've I don't think we have like uh overidentified kids as a whole in America. I think we just underresource. >> Can I ask what we're voting on? Just the um plan, the menu of service that option. >> So what we're voting on really? I'm gonna go way back. >> But like financially, do we know that tonight? >> No. So, you're not voting on on like how much money you're getting on the but you're voting on tonight. >> But don't we pay you? I'm so sorry. I'm trying so hard to understand. I want to know how much we're going to pay you for this. >> Yeah. So, just remember the money that we're talking about comes from us to you. >> So confused because I also know we write you a really

075big check every >> I'm Linda Murray. I'm the interim business manager at the moment. So there's just a bucket of money based on your ADM and all of that that you get from the ESD that you can buy these contracted services or these resolution services. Then you also can buy contracted services. So this bucket of money is what you have. >> Say you have $2 million and you start buying services and set services that's gone. >> You can't you don't have enough resolution dollars to buy everything. But then you can go and contract it for any of these other shirts. >> That's never going to buy every shirt they own. Okay. Thank you. >> I just didn't understand what I'm voting on and I wanted to make a prudent decision. >> Thank you for asking

076confused. >> So the the main thing that you this is really what you're voting on is the structure of this plan. You're not voting on what you're getting for the money. Like we can't control that, right? like that's what we get from the taxes and the state of Oregon. What you're voting on is this structure that 25% is going to go in the score resolution services that the all the district superintendents are telling you they need and that you're going to have 75% of the money in your district account and you can choose to buy this or not. So you're not voting on metal work tonight. you you will decide as a district how you will spend your money via the budget process. >> That makes more sense. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> And

077it's a long presentation. >> You would have just started with that. We could have I just want to ask on your one page where you're showing I call the yellow things that might be should probably be red if you're gonna maybe lose them. And I can just I can think of a couple right off the bat that if if you lose them then are they actually just gone and then Right. So they're not available in any place unless somebody else decides to pick up the tab in a different direction which is probably not real likely at this point. >> Yeah. No, these would be gone. So, has when you're making those choices up there or statewide, I'm not sure how those choices were made, but um has it also been been looked at that you

078can't go get somebody in trouble for not providing the things or not taking the classes or not doing this if there's no resource for that? Yeah, that would be uh that would be something that the state doesn't reconcile with very well. Like which statutes go away when this stuff goes away isn't something that we typically see from the state. So this cut list came from the governor directing the department of education blanket number of dollars at their budget and these were the some of the choices that made um these are the ones that touched the ESD which touch districts. There are other choices that also in education that are on a list somewhere um that would go that would go away. There isn't like a a commensurate and so therefore we will get rid of

079this law conversation. >> Just one other quick question when you're talking about 11% that is at 11% across the board to every single school district >> for special ed. >> Um yeah I just want to go on record this is not my policy decision. So, so 11. So, yes. So, in the state of Oregon, um, you get double weights. Any school district in the state school fund. We have a couple districts who aren't in the state school. Um, but if you're in the state school fund, every district gets double weights. So, uh, you know, whatever you get for every student, you get twice as much money for a kid in special ed up to 11%. Every district. And then if you go over that, there is a small bucket of money that was supposed to

080cover the one or two districts that went to 12 or something like that. But but most districts are functioning between 14 and 17. Most districts something in there right now. There are examples though of large districts that don't have those kind of numbers like >> So could they give some of the >> Well, they nobody's under 11%. No. >> Is that 11% anyone diabet like on like high functioning to heavily impacted or is it just >> Yeah. So that other grant that regional inclusive services that's like for much more intense that's what that was supposed to cover. But now you've underfunded that as well. So >> thank you so much. >> Any further questions for the board? >> Thank you very much. Thank you. >> Move on to sorry 9.2 budget priorities. >> Sorry. >>

081Yeah, these chairs >> uncomfortable. Gotcha. >> All right. Um I have the pleasure of talking about the priorities that rose to the top um through all of our listening and learning um our budget surveys, our conversations with staff and students and families, superintendent equity advisory committees, um union leadership that's in the room. Um so I wanted to take some time to share these amazing priorities that rose to the top. Of course number our first priority would be academic excellence and ongoing ontime graduation rates. Right? This um commitment is where we would prioritize programming for staffing um that directly support our student achievement um and growth in career and technical education pathways and on-time graduation for all students. This priority is anchored in academic excellence um directly impacts students outcomes and district performance. It supports college

082and career workforce readiness and ensures um that we remain on track to graduate students in budgeting forward. These boutique focus areas, core instructional staffing, graduation support systems and credit recovery, CTE pathways, advanced coursework and college readiness and data informed interventions. Priority two and the next priorities are in any order. I just want to make sure understand that um is direct that we would protect direct student service and staffing. We are committed to preserving classroom staffing, student facing positions, and essential FTE to maintain disruption to teaching, learning, and to minimize, excuse me, not maintain, minimize disruption to teaching, learning, and student wellbeing. The this priority aligns with student centered decision- making, reflects community feedback to maintain staffing, and protects class size, stability, and instructional quality. We want to it maintains consistent adult relationships for students. Focus

083areas with budgeting um would be to maintain classroom teachers and instructional support staff, preserve counselors um instructional assistance and interventionist and minimize changes that increase student staff ratios. Priority three is to sustain and align with the spe um superintendent um goals is to sustain sustain special education and equity based supports. This commitment maintains high quality special education services and equitydriven supports using the Oregon Department of Education and equity lens. This priority is anchored in equity and inclusion. Um, strong shareholder and emphasis on protective supports, legal and ethical responsibilities to serve students with disabilities and protect students furthest from our opportunities that Dan was talking about earlier. When budgeting, our focus areas will be to preserve special education staffing and compliance supports, maintain behavioral health and intervention services, ensure reductions do not disproportionately impact historically underserved

084students. Priority four, and I'm going to pause for a minute on this one because this was um highly um it was very important to our students and it was very important when I was in Salem as well with when I was sitting alongside Parkros and Portland public school students. So, we're talking large school districts and then our St. Helen school district students when I would listen to what they needed and what their priorities are in um the non-negotiables right when we come to talk about budget reductions and it was to preserve whole child opportunities the things that connect students to school the reasons why students come. We talked about attendance right that engagement. So this this priority we are committed to protecting programs that support academic excellence, student engagement, and school connectedness, including fine arts

085and athletics. This priority aligns with academic excellence. It reflects community emphasis on band, music, and athletics. It supports attendance, belonging, and graduation outcomes, and enhances college and career readiness. And it contributes to enrollment, retention, and community confidence. Focus areas um while budgeting would be maintain fine out arts programs where feasible, protect athletic opportunities to the greatest extent possible and preserve enrichment programs that strengthen school culture strategically to scale rather than eliminate when reductions are necessary. Thank you and I look forward to doing this work together. And the budget priorities are designed um to uphold our commitment to equity, inclusion, and belonging. >> 9.3. You were going to copier Northwest lease agreement renewal. I can't jump over the table. >> We do and I look at each other like >> Hello. leader. I'm the director of

086technologies for the school district and we're here to talk about tonight our district copier fleet lease renewal. Um we're currently using Cruise Northwest. Um most recent agreement uh started in July 2021. It's a term of five years and it ends this June. Um, as you can see here, there's the the years of the lease, the costs, how they started when we first year and where we're at now estimate. Um, you know, we're still in February. So, it's pretty accurate based on kind of usage first part of the year through through February. Um, as you can see, it's been a drastic reduction in costs. Um, most of that's been the actual usage. So on a lease we get charged a fee for the lease for the equipment. Then we have another charge that's based on when

087toner goes on a page and that covers the toner we get the maintenance repair um that kind of thing and prevent the maintenance. So what we control on these is when people print things out. So things like efficiencies reduction of waste that's the kind of stuff that really can drive down our cost kind of long term as you can see that we've been doing also you know we kind of transition a lot of digital curriculum so there's less printing in that manner but also um currently we implemented a system called paper cut which allows us to kind of you stab print to one printer it goes to this big print queue and then they walk for the copy of was most convenient for them to have their badge and spits out. So, it's really it's

088been a huge reduction in waste of used to see bins with overflowing stacks of paper with toner on them and you kind of see the results of that um from where we started in earnest to now. Um so, makes me really happy to see that happen. It was kind of a wasn't a fight. who was a a long-term um talked to the superintendent about it. He wasn't sure about it. So, but he finally acquiesced and allowed us to deal with the paper cut system. I think it's been overall pretty positive. Um allow such things as they can go up and scan directly with their email. Allows us to maintain our email lists for the whole district. So, previously that was challenging with, you know, onesie twoosie copiers. we had to upload like one school's list

089versus another. So, it gives staffs a lot of uh options to utilize to scan directly to their Google Drive or their local network drive or a copy or print. Um so, kind of been very helpful. So, uh the current cost we're paying it's um cost us about 44,000 a year. So, you can see on those costs the rest is like surface and copier. So as you know the first dates there I was right in COVID and our machines got hammered. They were being used even though we went you know virtual remote as we transitioned back to school there was a lot of copying going on and our machines really did take a a large uh a large increase in usage uh than what I would have expected. So now we're on year five. our machines

090are kind of like tired. And so uh when we started this process, one of the things we did was uh survey the schools and staff. What's the biggest pain points? What are you using? What are you not? And reliability is the number one. You ask the question before you finish asking it. They're like old because some of them they're out multiple times a week for a device and there's like bad device and liquid device but they're all kind of tired and we're at the end of our lease. So um uh the current cost is about let's say 44,000 here. So roughly equals it's about 3,700 a month. The new one uh which you have all the data there it boostes up to about 3,900. So, our goal was to keep cost reductions capped. And what

091I've been seeing here from my cohorts and from the vendors with tariffs and this normal pricing increases, there's this kind of cliff coming up here in the near future where uh it can be up to 50% increase in a lot of these systems. So, we're trying to beat that and also give our staff a win because these are if these machines go down, I hear it immediately and it's directly impacts classrooms. I mean, it's almost like a utility down. I hear it cost me some I think it's a huge win for the district. We're getting a mild increase. That might even be too strong. It's a pretty small increase in the cost locks it in for five years. And then the service cost is um while it's a little bit bigger increase, it still is

092within it's uh a new one. They That's kind of hard to read. It's um so basically on like black and white we pay it's it's a percentage of a penny per black and white per page. Um color is about 5 cents. So color went up just a hundth of a penny. Um black and white um a little bit as well. Um so we're still kind of really within my views of positive um renewal where we're not really getting right over the coals. I was really pleasantly surprised that we were able to kind of blunt the cost increases going forward. So, this here shows the current service costs and we're about three um the average monthly volume. It's about 300,000 copies. That's quite a bit. >> Yeah. this >> significant >> the last page of the

093memo that shows a breakdown of each device across the district and some are quite expensive. So the current cost it's about with color about 2500 a month with the new one it to just a hair over 2900 with current usage. So, one of my goals um is also to capture what does it actually cost us when we print on a copy or print on a piece of piece of paper and the paper cost and kind of let staff know because a lot of staff kind of aren't really sure what it is. So, so everyone has clarity that when you print on a piece of paper, what it's costing the district, what's costing your school? Um, this awareness is a huge thing because some people just don't really know and frankly I didn't really know either

094that specific number. Um, so I had to dig down and and really drill into it. Um so um that's about a 60% increase for current usage but I feel we can beat those numbers and keep driving down through efficiencies awareness. Um with current machines that have failures it causes print jobs to maybe fail in the middle of it. So they have a waste they have to redo it when they go to submit it. It's a time waste efficiency that staff and teachers don't have. >> With newer machines, you get better efficiency, you know, better, you know, power usage, so it's cheaper to operate. Um, and it's kind of it's a it's a attainable goal to reduce those cost. So, as part of this process, um, we're only going to get an early upgrade and have

095them deployed stream break. >> Is there any chance to decrease the number of units we have? There's a couple machines that have under a thousand. >> We are um taking away one from 25 to 24. Um, >> some of those really because they're in high usage or they have breakage. um they're not used as much and so we're hoping by reducing by one we can retain kind of our usage and >> that St. um the maintenance department one are the one that you're thinking of reducing is that the one that lives and Clark that one >> from when we had nurses down in Julia >> okay >> um we'll take it the building it moved up to Louis and Clark and it will us >> so the St. Helen's um maintenance department has also really

096low usage. What what about can we reduce that too? >> Well, no, that was a specific uh request given the number of plans that uh they need to generate and work with. It was a huge time waste for them to you know get document created drive to district office print it out at the office um where they give them the capability down there to do it >> and it's by usage so to use as much a service cost is is kind of a big one okay individual device by itself is relatively low >> okay just a technical question um when it's per page is it uh is it the same if you're printing two-sided or two sheets of paper or is two-sided less expensive? >> You're saving you're still getting the toner cost there. >>

097Okay. And are we charged also for pages that are scanned or is that just kind of >> those are free scanned? Yeah. Thank you. So try to have equal distribution against suppressor buildings. Uh Plymouth has one. That's one of the ones posted to the district office. >> It's actually over there. >> Um >> are your machines defaulted to black and white? >> Yes. That's physically choose color. >> It's only one ice per building. >> Okay. >> Um the shares with the history office. Okay. >> Any further comments or questions? 9.4 uh budget committee. In December, the St. Helens School District Board of Directors announced five vacancies on the district budget committee. The positions were publicly advertised with applications accepted through January 30th of 2026. We are grateful for the strong interest shown by community members

098who are willing to dedicate their time, expertise, and our service to our schools. Due to the number of applicants, I recommend using a structured written interview process to ensure a thoughtful and equitable review of each candidate. Under this proposed process, applicants will receive the same set of interview questions via email from the board secretary on February 27th a Friday at 4 p.m. and would be allowed to or would be required to submit their completed responses by Saturday, February 28th at 4 p.m. To maintain fairness and consistency, late submissions will not be accepted. >> What? So they get the letter Friday and they have to respond within 24 hours. Both are vacerast. Sunday night business days too because I mean all >> Yeah, I I agree. >> I don't think that we should say you have

099a weekend day. How about Tuesday the 3? Would that work? >> Whatever you guys choose. I would like it to have 72 business hours. That seems fair. So if we send it on a Friday and have it completed by a >> Tuesday, >> like Friday morning to, you know, >> or Monday at 5, something >> something. Just put it, you know, they're not spending their whole weekend. >> Yeah. >> Voluntary time, >> right? Seriously, we don't want to discourage them from someone because our I say Tuesday at 5 p.m. >> And did they did they send in res like their resume with this or they pulled out application work? >> Did we get resumes from it or just finish? You want to finish reading it? >> So, let me back up here real quick then.

100What date did we decide? Tuesday at 5 p.m. >> Tuesday. >> Pardon me. >> You said Tuesday the >> 35 p.m. >> in March. Okay. So, I'll back up real quick. Um, let's see. Will be sent via email. Questions will be sent via email by board secretary on February 27th, 2026 at 4M and would be required to complete their responses by Tuesday >> March 3rd, >> 2026 at 4 p.m. >> 5 p.m. Okay. >> Okay. To maintain fairness and consistency, late submissions would not be accepted. The board secretary would then compile all applications and interview responses and distribute them even in individually to board members on Friday, March 6 at by 5:00 p.m. The timeline would provide adequate time for careful review in advance of the March 11th, 2026 budget meeting at which the board

101would vote to appoint five new budget committee members. And I think from the superintendent uh supervisory commission we have to have bylaw there has to be one superintendent equity advisory committee person on the budget um committee and there's three people that apply from that committee. Okay. And I'll let I'll let you know why I'll read them off. Oh, you got >> I got Oh, I don't know who they are, but I just have a list of names which ones are on that committee. >> She'll say, >> "Okay." Hey. Yeah. >> Yeah. So, it's uh Mariah Flenry. >> Yes. >> Is she on the budget committee or the supervisor >> superintendent equity advisory committee? >> And we got Patrick Berkeley, Tracy Nelson, Stephen, and I'm gonna mess this up. >> Tachi, and Brady Preheim, and Tammy

102Megra sorry Tammy >> that's okay >> Matthew Douglas >> he is on the superintendent equity advisory >> okay Thomas Weaver >> he is on the equity >> okay Boswell and Carmen Dunn >> Tom the guy that had wears the hat >> I just met him quite a few times at represents. >> Okay. >> So, technically, does that mean only one of those three can be on the committee or >> No, you can pick how many whoever you want by law, at least one. Okay. If there's an opening, like if there wasn't an opening, then you would just remove some of the >> So, we have five positions and they all have different terms and do we have to have them one of them on for a specific term or does it matter? It doesn't really

103matter. They just we just need would have need to have representation every time there's a vacancy. Okay. >> You are but you can't be on the motion. >> Yes. >> You are but you don't vote. Like you >> time you start voting. >> Yeah. You are part of that. >> Okay. Any further comments on that >> and then we'll move to public comment. >> I'm sorry. I have a question. Go ahead. >> Um are we get out of here? Um, are we talking about how to do the nomination process in this part? >> I've got it. >> Okay, great. >> I'll I'll make the nomination. That's I wrote it out just so I wouldn't >> I'll blow right past it, but I don't >> public comment. The board welcomes and valued comments from district patrons

104that improve students education quality. A person wishing to provide public comment will sign in on the public comment sheet provided complete and submit the intent to speak card to board secretary part of the board meeting prior to the 14th. Request to give public comment in person or electronically does not guarantee time will be available. The board at their discretion will recognize emails comments sent 72 hours in advance of the board speaking of the board meeting. The public comment uh opportunity is not a discussion, a debate or a dialogue between the speaker and the board. It's the citizens opportunity to express opinions on issues of the school board business. Uh we must require that uh complaints go through the administration for resolution. Comments made during this session must be free of abusive language and personal attacks

105on district personnel and are not directed towards any department which due to low staffing would amount to an attack by naming by in effect by naming district personnel. We also ask that presentations be limited to three minutes per person and no more than 30 minutes for public comments. And if you would please state your name and if you are a resident of the district. >> And we'll start with Patrick Berkeley. also remind people that our superintendent is >> a district employee. >> Yeah. >> Tom Weaver uh is uh >> nice hat. >> Not that hat. >> Oh, that hat is >> it's like a golf hat or something. >> No, but Tom We No, Tom Weaver is going to be directing Fiddler on the Roof this summer. I have any uh tests. He's already done

106this twice and he puts on a show. Anyway, >> we'll start. >> Okay. Um Hi, Patrick Berkeley. Um resident of the uh the district. I want to make comment a little bit about the budget and some issues coming up and just maybe help public at large to understand some things. Uh, an interesting news item, Portland public schools just announced $10 million budget cut effective again this school year. And so I know the last time I commented was uh when we were facing our 5 million budget million uh deficit to put into context that is the five million is not due to any kind of malfeasance or disappropriation funds for use of uh St. Helman's funds. I know there is still question about um getting access to credit card statements um from prior years. I personally

107believe that um there is a right to those statements, but it's you as a as a a board I think also rightly u because there is an impact on uh employees to take the time to um put that activity together. it needs to be paid for and um uh it should be paid for. And I I think also it's it's unfortunate that it has become such a controversial issue because basically uh it doesn't have it's it's not going to have any impact. it doesn't have an impact. Whatever is found out uh if these records come come on to the point is not going to have an impact on what is really important for our district the safety and education of our students. So what I guess last time I spoke, I just asked for grace

108and empathy from the community and I just hope that the rest the community as we continue to go in the supportive budget process is having grace and empathy and particularly for our hardworking staff, including our district staff, including our superintendent um who has done more uh in her time here in terms of student engagement than pro previous U superintendents have since arriving at this district. She has been actively engaged in summer school programs, this and that. Uh that type of thing, visiting classrooms. I as a substitute um in my four years as an employee. I did not have district uh administration ever visit my classroom as a substitute. A few weeks ago, uh Dr. KBB came into the first grade classroom where I was substituting to check in. So I just plead continue to plead

109for just grace and empathy and the situations we have uh a daunting task ahead of of us. You have a daunting daunting task and we just need to have grace and empathy for all involved. timer. >> I gota throw you a curveball. >> Well done. >> Five minutes for the group. >> Sorry. I don't know. You got to call her name. >> Yeah. Uh Heather Fox. Okay, you set it for the three and then we'll just do it again. >> She got it. >> She's got it ready to go. >> Sorry. Hi, Heather. >> Hi, I'm Heather Fogs. I am a resident and parent and employee of the district. And I'd like to thank the board for this time today, allowing me to speak on behalf of our district office classified staff to address a

110statement made by Director Russell at the January 28th board meeting. Director Russell stated that she wants to see cuts at the central office, what she called extra secretaries. These secretaries require a high level of trust, accuracy, confidentiality, and and adherence to district policies and legal requirements. These seven employees go above and beyond for our students and community. And she made us feel disposable, targeted, and non-essential. We'd like to inform Director Russell and anyone else who may question our positions of how essential our non- studentent-f facing roles are to the functioning of our district in areas that support critical district operations, management of sensitive records and communications under strict procedural guidelines. We may not be what was referred to as studentf facing, but our studentf facing secretaries do not have the time to complete the essential

111office duties that the central office secretaries provide. For example, as student services secretary, I work from the district office. Some of my duties include supporting our special education students. These students make up approximately 22% of our enrollment. I support them by maintaining their special education records that are completed by district staff, which includes the filing of paperwork for more than 500 law required meetings held annually to support just these students. I support several OD collections and compliances that require accurate reporting to receive district funding. I send and receive records for these students coming and going from our district. I support purchasing and expensing for special ed and other departments. I track funds used for our grants to support the business office reporting. I track contracted employee invoicing. I schedule transportation and get special ed students

112to and from school daily. And I support Medicaid reporting for which our district also receives funds. These are only some of my duties, many of which require my level of entry and next level approval before processing and payment to asssure checks and balances are done. Some other non- studententf facing positions that were referred to as overstaffing, but provide essential functions within our district include but are not limited to people who do HR, data, accounting, records, grant work, and more. Without these people, who will submit the OD collections that are due monthly, quarterly, annually? These are all supported by non- studentent-basing staff over multiple departments. Many of these collections contribute to the funds that our district receives. So without these reports being submitted timely and accurately, the district receives no funding. Who will support building staff

113with training and new data systems and system navigation? Who's going to do the onboarding of new employees? The posting of new positions when we have vacancies. Process resignation paperwork. Process peer forms for staff licensing. Do background checks for employees. Create 13 school calendars supporting different positions. Assure bargaining your agreements are complied with. Complete employment verification. Support annual staff contracts. Archive records for state compliance. support email and technology account setup and support tuition reimbursements for our licensed staff continuing their education to support our students. Who is going to support our grant-f funed title areas to help our students in reading, writing, and other areas? Who will support our foster families and students experiencing houselessness? Who will provide bookkeeping and expensing for student accounts and handle deposits? Who is going to process paperwork for families transferring in

114and out of the district? Compile and report attendance and enrollment numbers within our schools. so we can receive our funding to operate. Who will support state testing requirements and responsibilities? Manage access to data systems and troubleshoot access issues. Assure data system compliance by attending regional meetings to asssure we're stay compliant for federal and state data reporting. Support data system programming and maintenancees to do to meet school needs. Who is going to handle accounts receivable and payable? Pay the bills for lights, heat, water, etc. to keep our buildings operational. This is only a tiny glimpse, a 30,000 foot overview into the abundance of central office duties completed by central office secretaries. Director Russell, despite not having the authority to make such staffing changes, you may suggest these positions be reduced or dissolved. But who will do

115the work without these few essential employees? Our studentf facing staff already carry a full plate. Bless them. They support the teachers, building admin, parents, and students coming to them daily. You cannot put this work into the buildings. It's too much. And there is a level of security, consistency, accuracy, and oversight that is necessary to asssure the district level operations are being completed for the district to function efficiently and provide accurate reporting to receive our funding. You cannot expect to remove the hardworking people from these essential positions without it causing a trickle down into all areas of our building for which our student-f facing staff do not have the time, resources or training nor the time to retrain to support these essential areas that keep our district operational. Your time's up. >> Thank you for your

116time. >> Thank you. We only had two comment cards. When I got here, they were gone. >> I wasn't out of here. I don't know. >> Okay. Yeah. The cards were picked up after we started for policy. you pick them up. >> When I walked in, I walked in a couple minutes late, but you went right into executive session. >> I don't We did go right into >> No, we did salute and roll. >> When I got when I got here, >> I did say no. Sorry. Okay. Action items 11.1 in executive session. Is there a motion for super evaluation? >> I move that the board accept the superintendent's evaluation from the executive session. Second. >> It's been moved and seconded that we approve the superintendent evaluation discussed in executive session. >> Director Walker. >>

117Hi. >> Director Russell. I >> director killings. >> Hi, >> Vice Chair Smith Reed. >> Hi, >> Chair and I as well. >> And I blow this one off. Can Before we move on, what does NW >> Northwest district >> resolution 2025 26007 Northwest Regional Education Service District? >> Okay. Local service plan 20 22627. Uh, is there a motion for that? >> I move the board approve resolution NWRD local service plan 202627 as presented. >> Second. >> Okay. It's been moved and seconded that we approve the motion or the uh resolution for 2025 26 007 Northwest resolutions. >> Yeah. Thank you. Local service plan 2026 27 as presented. Any discussion? Okay. Director Walker. >> Hi. >> Russell. >> Hi. >> Sorry, I'm having a hard time here. Director Killings. >> Hi. >> Vice Chair Smith

118Reed. >> Hi. >> Chair Yard is as well. It's easier. Um 11.3. Uh St. Helen School District budget priorities. >> I move that the board approve the St. Helen School District budget priorities as presented. A second. >> Okay. Motion has been made and second is to approve the uh St. Helen School District budget priorities as presented. Any discussion? >> Director Walker. >> Hi. >> Director Russell >> I. >> Director Killings. >> Hi. >> Vice Chair Smith. >> Hi. >> Sherry orders and I as well. Uh 11.4. Copers copies Northwest lease renewal agreement. I move that the board approve the copier northwest lease removal as present. >> A second. Okay. >> It's been moved and seconded that the board approves the copier northwest leash removal as presented. Do we need any discussion? >> No. >> Director

119Walker. >> Hi. >> Director Russell. >> Hi. >> Director Killings. >> Hi. >> Vice Chair Smith. >> Hi. >> Cherry orders and I as well. Then I am adding 11.5 to the action items that we >> um for the budget committee. Uh I make a motion that we approve the budget committee application process as stated with the modification date of the uh Dave due back >> March 3rd at 5:00 p.m. >> Second. >> Okay. Been moved and seconded that we accept the budget committee application process as stated. Is there any discussion? >> Director Walker. >> Hi. >> Director Russell. >> Hi. >> Killings. >> Hi. >> Vice chair Smith Reed. >> Hi. >> Short is an I as well. >> Uh number 12 public record integrity and response to public comments. Give me a second.

120>> Do we have it? >> Hold on. in the packet. It is supposed to be >> uh >> And is it in the packet? >> It's not in the packet. Do we >> Yeah, we can. Do you want to table it and move it to Sure. >> We can just present it at the next meeting. >> Yeah, that's fine. We were just so respond. But I have it right here. It's not going to be up on there. Well, can sheare? >> Oh, you don't want to share your >> I don't know how to do that. >> Do you want to send it to me? >> Give me, >> but we don't have to. >> We don't have to do anything. We We just We want to have the opportunity to respond if there was a

121public comment that so that we acknowledge that we are responding because we can't respond to public comments while we're sitting up here. >> So, we just you had to respond to those. >> Yes, >> it it is. Yes, it is. And and if that's it is you can direct me to I shared to you >> direct me to respond to them. Um and they created a wonderful PowerPoint. It would be the same thing. I would share too with folks, but I would agree that it would be my role to do that. >> Yeah. I don't know what that even means. Okay, great. >> There you go. >> That's not it. And we'll just do it the next time. >> Yeah. Or we can ask >> or we can ask. >> She has it. Yeah. We

122need a motion to move it. >> I don't mind if we table it if you don't mind. >> Is it okay? >> I am fine with either way. >> None of it was time critical. We were just likeing a couple things. >> We'll just table it and or not do it. That's fine. >> Do we need a motion? I know that we table the public record in response to public comments to a future meeting. >> Is there a second? >> It's been moved and seconded that we table. >> What are you doing table the public record and take a response to public comments. >> At least I'm not the only one. Walker. Okay. Dr. Russell Vice as >> superintendent report. >> Yeah. So, I have two people that are going to be presenting in the

123superintendent report. first will be our interim um business manager business manager and she'll be giving an update on the audit and then Joseph would like to say a few words. >> Okay, perfect. >> As I mentioned earlier, I went to Murray um the interim business manager for you guys. I've been here about um three weeks on and off. Um, I uh was unexpected. So, I have some prior commitments, but I won't be able to be here all the time, but I'm doing my best to put in plenty of hours to get things done. So, I wanted to update you on the audit progress. Um, we have completed all the paperwork that the auditors have requested as of about 7 o'clock tonight is when I shut them email on that. Um, we've answered everything. We've given

124them all their samples. They are starting to work on financials which they say will take about three days. Um that's if there isn't anything Dave that they find that they need. I need to work on the MA management discussion and analysis. That's our part. They put together the financials and the notes. Um I can't do that or finish that until I have the financials. So um they are trying to get the report report to me to review by February 28th. um but they think they're going to be a day or two later than that. We need our report done and to OD by March 4th um in order to send in order for us to get our state school payments for the month of March and get caught up from February. Um I'm going to

125do everything I can. It's really in their in their ballpark right now because I we have given them everything. I want to say that Beth and Tracy have worked very hard along with a few other people in the district office including Mary and anyone that I asked. If I said it was audit, they dropped everything and we got the answers and got things going. So, I I feel like we're in a good spot at the moment. I'll be watching um emails about watching for emails from the auditors through the through the weekend and hopefully we'll get we'll get to the point where we want to be. Once the financials do get done, I do need to review them with what I believe should be the right number in those financials. And so I it won't

126be an instant, oh yeah, that looks great. I will need some time to look at those, but I I will turn it around as quickly as I can. Um, as far as financial reports to the board, I'm not prepared to send to give anything yet. I haven't been able to validate all the numbers that are coming and going. really want to know for sure what our ending fund balance is for the prior fiscal year that ended June 30th before I work on that. Um, Northwest Regional ESD is uh working on a cash flow report for us. Um, it's similar to things I've used before. Um, I am trying to get to with the guy that put it together and make sure that I'm totally understanding what he's thinking we should provide and we'll go from

127there. Um, we are also working on uh providing financial reports that are similar to Ashland's because I understand that you've asked for that. Um, Ashland is not the only district that uses that. Plenty of districts in the state use it. It's it's a really good report. Um, Christy and I had already talked about using a report similar to that. I don't want to promise that all of this will be done by your March 11th meeting, but I hope to have some sort of financial update. whether it'll be the new way or the old way. We'll have something um March. um budgeting. Right now I'm finalizing the May reconciliation and I don't know if that's something that you guys even know what that means but in May of your prior year get um gets finalized as

128far as state school funding um along with your part your high cost disability and then they also update your current year with the current year that we're working on. find if you review everything your audited numbers from the prior year you can get a good idea of what might happen with your final payment for the private year. So I'm about done with that and uh hopefully we'll report on where I believe that'll be in the March 11 meeting. Um I haven't had the time to start on the budget yet because my focus has been the audit because it's important that we get our tools. Um once that's done any questions for me, >> can you tell me how we were affected by not receiving our funding for February from OD and what it was that

129caused us to not receive funding from OD? >> You can't get your funding um normally uh in years prior. Um, if you didn't have your audit in by I think it's the first Monday in January. I can't remember the exact date. That was not this prior year, then you wouldn't get your January state school fund and you would continue not to get your state school fund until your audit was hand to the state. Um, they this year if you had a single audit, which is um to do with how much you get um awarded in federal awards and we St. St. Helens does have a single audit. They um moved the deadline to February 2nd, but our audit was not and still is not complete. So, we wouldn't fund. The effect for us is that

130we don't get interest on that money that would normally come and be in our um elig. >> So, it didn't affect how we're paying other things or >> No, we have enough money to pay the bills and pay and make pay and we can do that again in March if we can get it. We're we're just losing out on some interest in coming from that >> and we can turn around and get February's back. >> We will get February back and if we miss March we will get March back. Yes. Um I have got uh in writing I got a way that they will get it back to us and um in speaking I got a different way. So I don't really know if the people at OD know exactly but basically what I believe

131happens is that um so we only have uh March, April and May state school fund. We don't get state of school funding in June. We have three left. So what they owe us for those three months or what they believe they owe us for those three months for the 25 26 school year they divide it into three and that's the person that I spoke with said that no you'll get February and March when you get March if you have it in time. So there was some conflict there but basically we're not going to lose anything. we will do. >> Can you tell me why we're we're what we're experiencing that's like creating such a delay in our audit? >> Um I I'm just working from today forward. I can't go to the past. Um there

132were a lot of things the auditors needed that they didn't have yet and I provided those and so were we. >> So the documents are there. They just >> you know that's my goal. Um, I can't change anything that's happened before I got here. Just going to move forward and we'll try trying best I can with the knowledge that I have to get the information. And I I'm probably um getting anywhere from three to 23 emails from auditors a day. So, just depends on the day and how much time they have. We have to remember they have moved on to other clients and they have other clients, not just St. Helen. They are doing everything we can to make sure we get our things. I'm not promising that >> and there's a shortage in auditors

133too, right? So that's pretty as well. Last year was horrendous. I did hear in a meeting today there are 15 school districts that don't have the in >> and that part of that is because you submit your audit. This is just from what I'm understanding. I literally know nothing about budgets. um you submit your audit and then you have to wait for an auditor to look at it and choose line items that they want more details on. Right. So >> yeah, you you submit your your financial information. It's not the audit yet, but you first submit it. So you submit basically your trial balance and every transaction that has happened in the district for a whole year, which is thousands and thous tens of thousands probably transactions. And then they um usually um uh divide

134it up by grant funding and general fund and capital projects and all of that kind of stuff. There's a lot to it. Um if you have probably you've all read it audit report there's a lot of pieces and all of those numbers to be verified. Um samples alone just for say student body funds were probably Tracy 25 30 samples for student body funds. So that's just one comment. Um, and that's that's how they work and that's fine. We can provide chant. We do know there will be findings. Um, but we'll make corrective actions and move forward. I doubt I'll be here to do anything about those corrective actions, but I will have something written for someone to follow. >> Okay. Thank you. I know that that was a an issue with last year's audit that

135it that our internal structures were from what they had said that our internal structures made it difficult for the next person to carry through and so I'm just wondering you know it is nice to hear that you'll offer some opportunities for those structures to be put into place. It looks to me I don't know what the structure was prior. It looks to me like there's there's very good um language in a folder that is shared with the whole business office where you can work on individual items if you are in charge of um AP or AR then you can work on those things. um I've reviewed what's written and it's um just an overwhelming amount of work to get it all done and it is for any district and to have things is not um

136detrimental. They're trying to help you get better and we're trying to be better. We want to be as open and transparent as we can. I like the fact that for student body funds they pick 25 to 30 items. Go at it. We want you to verify these things. We want to be able to say we're thorough and it was done well, right? >> Well, the business audit is to find things to help management improve the whole purpose. Correct. >> Aha moment. >> It's not it's not a they're not there to go gotcha. They're there to say, "Hey, we can do this better. Let's do it better." Well, um they are encourage they have encouraged me that we will get a permanent and that's the best thing you can do. That's what we want. >> Thank

137you, Linda. Thank you, Linda. >> So, Linda, when you said you wouldn't probably be here that >> I already told her that all the time, but well, the other night it took me an hour and a half to get home and the other morning it took me almost two hours to get there. probably not gonna stay on. >> No, I've been at my house. >> Touch on some of the athletics and stuff that we've had. We for let's start with like wrestling which is my my territory. We had three girls take district champions which was huge. Uh we are sending 12 K 12 eight girls sport boys across the program to the state tournament tomorrow. We're hopeful that we will come back with a minimum of a three-time state champion. So that's the goal. Another

138couple things we got coming up is not this Friday but next. We are hosting a boys playing game because we are league champs since the first time in 198 holding a pep rally for that to get everyone excited. So please come. It's huge for the community to come out and try to pack the house as big as we can get. As an athlete myself, nothing compares to when you look out and you see everyone is there. >> Remind me the date. When is that? >> Friday. Did we miss >> I thought you were supposed to speak. I'm so sorry. Did we skip over you? >> What? >> Yeah. >> Oh, um I think you guys approved the uh it was just the grant >> that we received. It was over $10,000. >> Okay. Sorry. I

139just felt down the list. >> Sorry. >> What does that really mean? I mean, do you guys like do you barbecue? I know, but what does it mean here? >> We aren't sure yet. We were discussing it today. >> And where does that >> Friday during school? It should be >> Oh, it's during school. >> Yeah. 30 minutes before lunch assembly. >> Okay. >> So, we can party all day. >> Okay. Great. So, you want us the pep rally or you want >> No, come the game. Oh. Oh. >> Uh, our girls have a game on assuming that we win that, which we should, we will be the champs, which propels us to host the game on Saturday, the day after the boys. So, if that happens, come out to that as well. >> Do

140you know what time that would be? >> No. >> Okay. >> Well, they're gonna win. >> Already got a plan. Um, March 17th there is Sabotage Basketball. Uh, all proceeds go to Dor Decker and so I would hope that the community shows up to help out. >> Explain what that means. Yeah. >> Yeah. What do they do? >> It's staff basketball game. Then you can pay to like make things horrible for them. So like in the past >> staff students. >> No, is it staff versus students? >> Okay. Staff versus students. Like last year we had junk goggles, clown shoes. >> Had to shoot with a different ball. >> So, but it only works if you have community involvement. So, please come out and have a >> cash. Make sure you wear green. Also, >>

141a quick question then, superintendent. It sounds like all board members are gonna probably be present. >> We can be present. Well done. >> Superintendent. >> Oh, that's it. >> Go quick. >> Upcoming meeting board meeting. March 11, 2026, regular session with the budget meeting. >> April 4th or April 8th, 2026, we're going to have a work session. April 22nd, 2026, a regular session. Oh, your time. April 29th, 2026 budget committee information and training session. I want to thank everybody for being here for such a long board meeting. Um, and I am a journ. Yay.