001Thank you. >> Good evening everyone. Like to call this evening's meeting for uh Chainsburg Area School Board Board of Directors for Tuesday, February 10th, uh committee of the whole meeting. Uh if you would uh please rise and join me in pledge of allegiance followed by a moment of silence. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Uh this evening, in addition to who you can all see here, uh Dr. Diller is is on the phone with us and on her computer. Um, and Mr. McKe is unable to to join us this evening. Um, and we can't wait to see him back here in two weeks. >> 3.01 Superintendence Report.
002Mr. Bigger. >> Yep. Thank you, Mr. Norcross. Uh, I'm going to start off by punting a little bit to Mrs. Casteller. you have a um flyer in front of you and she just wants to go over um some of the details behind that, how that came to be and also to promote it. So Melissa, >> thank you. Good evening. Um I did take the liberty of putting a copy at every seat and just the quick quick update on behalf of the middle school family engagement committee. Um, it formed out of our parent advisory group, a strong but mighty group of people that have worked uh very hard at organizing a an engagement evening. They this has been in the works for about the last year. We settled upon the topic which will occur next Tuesday,
003February 17th, social media safety night. Um, we have invited all students and their families, students in grades 6 through 12. That is due to the nature the heaviness of the topic. There are two presenters for the evening. Um, an FBI agent heavily involved in a local case also involving the second presenter, a parent, a Shippensburg mother, founder of Live Like Levi Foundation. Uh, so the evening will focus on a very impactful but tough topic, great opportunity for families to support our students in grades 6 through 12. Um, it is very real. We had the faculty and staff of both middle schools be the audience for this exact presentation last June during our professional development. Very wellreceived and it was a a very um important topic for our family engagement group to host. So we welcome
004everyone beginning cash's auditorium 6 pm. Chambersburg Cares has also partnered with our group and has um a a door prize, a drawing, as well as beefing up student and parent engagement. So, all are welcome to attend next Tuesday, February 17th. Thanks. >> May I ask a question? >> Um depending on the results or the outcome of the the event, do you envision this program maybe a social media safety night light for elementary because it's impacting these kids as well. >> So, you bring up a great point. Thank you for bringing that up. Mr. Nelson and I talked about this um much earlier in the fall. He actually went and attended one of the presentations done at a local library just to get the nature of the material. um we left that open to students our
005first initial hearing so that parents could almost see and hear the information first and then make a an informed decision on whether or not they felt it was appropriate for their child younger than sixth grade. Um but in the event this is our first evening and our first night. So we plan on hosting something each year. I will say that it's also offered at Wesboro School District on Thursday evening the 19th. um if you aren't able to attend with us next week, next Tuesday and I was contacted by another surrounding district yesterday asking for information on how they could coordinate as well. Thanks >> to continue with superintendent report. Um we have seen some preliminary budget numbers. It's early with the state for sure. However, the one topic I continue to bring up which is
006funding the majority are our schools of distinction and one Trojan community is the adequacy funds. So pleased to see that those were included and that's been the driving force behind our approach. Uh tonight you're going to see three major arms of the schools of distinction and one Trojan community plan. The new buildings which will be presented tonight are focused in the fourth through 8th grade um along with an elementary school. you're going to see a presentation on reading by third grade all in on how we can get our kids certainly reading by the end of third grade. Um and then in March you're going to begin to hear about the 9 through 12 programming adjustments to the academy model um in our 9th through 12 schools. Um I do want to take you briefly back
007to my state of the district presentation. Um, one of the cornerstones of that presentation was it was all about the data and now you're starting to see the actions related to that data and I think it's important we continue to re revisit the data, represent the data. Is that data getting better as a result of our strategic moves? Um, if you remember also at that time adequacy money was unsure. we didn't know and one of the biggest priorities was to make sure we had a really good plan in the event we would get adequacy money. So what has happened is every year we've received adequacy money and we've moved a step closer to the plan. And so as we continue to receive adequacy funds uh we're able then to continue on a next step on
008the plan. So I get excited each year if we continue to get it. It makes our job a little easier to follow through on our schools of distinction one Trojan community plan. Um, next topic. Um, I would like to acknowledge the efforts uh, Mr. Brenni, high school principal. I've had the pleasure, opportunity, and struggle at times meeting with a few students at the high school, but they are relentless about reaching out. So, Ammer uh, joined me last week. Uh, I got to see Parker again in the high school. And if you haven't had a chance to talk to Parker, I would I would certainly do that. But, um, it's been a pleasure to get to know them. They really, you can tell they're taking pride in their school. They want to clean up the bathrooms.
009They want to clean up the the the hallways. They want to make school as welcoming as they can. And they have great ideas and I just love the fact that students want to have civic engagement in our schools. So happy to do that. Happy to continue to meet with them. But I I also hear that there's an advisory committee in the high school and there's a lot of work going on. So just want to acknowledge that and see that from my view. And the students have been uh wonderful at asking difficult questions of me. Uh Parker is probably going to speak. I don't know if you're speaking tonight, but I'm sure he's going to bring up metal detectors again. Um, but we had a long debate and discussion and he's researching them. Um, he's researching
010other schools. He's talking to kids in other schools about them. I'm not saying it's our number one strategy, but again, it's the civic engagement. It's the I'm thinking about it and I want to talk to people about it. And so, I really do enjoy that. Can't always promise we will do everything you ask, Parker, but I do enjoy that. Uh, and last reminder, tomorrow is an inservice day. No students tomorrow. Um, that is not one of our snow makeup days. End of report. >> Okay. Thank you, Mr. bigger. Um, and I have to back up about half a step here. Item 1.01. Uh, the board did meet in executive session prior to this evening's meeting uh to discuss uh personnel and uh legal matters. Uh my report is going to be pretty brief. Uh Chris
011mentioned it. Uh you know, tonight's presentation uh regarding the three buildings is is big. Uh and for the board members, we were done in record time two weeks ago. So, um, you ate up all your comp time with a short meeting last week. So, uh, you're going to start booking some comp time tonight cuz it's going to take a little bit longer, which is a good thing, but don't let it, uh, hinder your questions because, uh, I think back to about a year and a half ago, one time, Chris and I often speak after the meetings. Well, we always speak after the meetings, and I forget what it was, but we had a presentation about, you know, a hundred million dollar building or something, and there weren't any questions. And towards the end of the
012meeting, there's another smaller item and we debated it for 20 minutes. So, uh, you know, get ready for your questions and for the public, uh, you know, this is what we've been talking about for a while and we're going to start getting more information out there a little more down into the the corners, if you will, no pun intended to the architects in the room. Uh and then in two weeks uh we'll have a presentation uh on the funding side of this. Uh so two big parts here this month. >> Okay. Presentations. Mr. Bigger, do you want to do anything or are we going to turn it right over to Mr. Nelson? >> We're going to turn it to Mr. Nelson and and Mrs. Brereslin. And they are going to try a different approach of
013sitting um up here at the table to have more of a conversation with you versus the formality of the podium. So, this is all a pilot, but also uh um a different way to do a presentation. So, you have to give me some feedback. Not at the end right away. It's not like uh coaching feedback or anything like that, but give me some feedback on what you think of the format at another time. This is their fourth presentation to myself and a couple of us, right? Is it fourth, third, or fourth? >> Fourth. At least at least fourth. >> All right. So, I know they're well prepared. >> All right, everybody hear me? Good evening, everyone. Drew Nelson, director of elementary education, preK through grade three. And tonight I'm here with >> I'm Lindseay Brereslin.
014I am the supervisor of reading and I also do federal programs for the district. >> So tonight we're going to talk about one of our big goals in Chambersburg for the elementary students is reading by the end of third grade. Uh Mr. President and I have spoken at length with Mr. bigger and other administrators in the district, teachers, intervention specialists, external supports, uh so we could build a good robust plan so all of our students can read by the end of third grade. So tonight we'll present the plan and then at the end we'll have a little bit of time for Q&A. Okay. So, the numbers are are sobering. They're they're stark. Half of our students in Chambersburg cannot read by the end of third grade. And let me put that into a little bit
015of perspective for you. In order for us to determine that number, we came up with a metric. And we've talked about this metric before, but I'd like to restate it now. Students at the end of third grade have to achieve two of the following three pillars I guess we can call them. Uh at the end of third grade they'll take the PSSA for the first time. So they need to be proficient or advanced on the PSSA. At the end of third grade they'll take the MAP assessment which is the measures of academic progress. Students in first through 8th grade take that. They need to be projected proficient or projected advanced on that MAP assessment. And the third pillar piece to that metric is our Acadian screener which is given to all students in kindergarten through
016third grade. And students need to be benchmarked or above on that assessment. So two of those three they need to achieve in order for us to consider them having met the goal of reading by the end of third grade. So let's put those numbers into perspective. If you look at the 49% that's last year's third grade students, this year's current fourth grade students. So half of our students at the end of third grade according to that metric we just discussed don't have or have not reached that that goal. If we put another number to that between kindergarten and third grade that's 1,400 students who haven't met our reading by the end of third grade goal. That's enough to fill the the auditorium at caches. We need to do something about that. Why are we concentrating
017on third grade? That's when students stop learning how to read and start reading to learn. If they haven't met that goal by the end of third grade, they're more apt to fall behind in subjects. All subjects struggle with self-esteem, drop out of high school potentially. And early reading success is an indicator of future academic success and employment and overall life outcomes. So, let's talk about what we're going to do here and how we're going to address that for our students in Chambersburg. >> So, I'm going to talk to you a little bit about the shift in our literacy instruction in the last few years. Um, just as a just so you know, what we knew about how to teach reading is very different about than what we know now. Um, I there are some new
018faces on the board since the last time that I've spoken here. So, I just wanted to take a second to give you a little background on myself. I've worked for the district my whole career. I started the high school as an English teacher and so I was teaching 10th and 11th graders and um who at that point really could not read and there was a almost like a desperation to get them there because they were going to graduate and I wanted to send them into world as in into the world as readers. Um in that time I got my master's degree to be a reading specialist and I was very excited to move to Ben Chambers and I worked as an intervention specialist. That was my first spot that I landed and I could not
019wait to teach kids how to read um from the beginning, not at the end. You know, I was really excited about that. And when I started teaching at Ben Chambers in intervention with these little people in front of me, um just ready to to just soak it in. I was teaching from the old approach that was 10 years ago. I was teaching the balanced literacy approach. This is a an approach that on the surface looked like literacy. I mean, there were you were helping them see the pictures and what do you think this book is going to be about and get your mouth ready and you were using context clues and teaching pretty strategies, but you weren't doing the explicit phonics drill instruction. The students um used patterns a lot to break apart words. And
020as you can imagine, if you teach students how to rely on pictures and strategies, by the time they make it to fourth grade, when the pictures start to go away um and the texts get longer, that becomes very difficult and you start to see the wheels come off. So there's been a lot of soulsearching in the years since that I've uh learned more as structured literacy, this other way of teaching reading that has always been around but has just kind of been an undercurrent. Um structured literacy has emerged as something that now we are all turning towards because it's time to start focusing on this way of teaching. Structured literacy is grounded in years of research. Um it's explicit, it's systematic, it's comprehensive. It starts from the minute they get into our buildings. It focuses
021on all five of the pillars of reading, which is your your um phmic awareness, which is units of sound. Phonics, which is putting those sounds together into words, fluency, which is making them sound like readers as quickly as possible, vocabulary, and comprehension. So the state has jettisoned this for us by um enacting act 135 which they did in two in 2024 which is mandating that we start um doing the best with structured literacy and instruction in our classrooms and with our teachers. So that's where we are today. To build a strong foundation in structured literacy, we need to ensure that every child reads by the end of third grade and invest in three critical areas. First will be prioritize our professional learning, professional development for our teachers so we can help fill gaps in their
022education so they can better teach our students. Second would be our ongoing implementation and support that is long-term literacy leadership to provide support and guidance necessary for sustained growth. And third is our tools and supports to intervene early and often utilizing datadriven decisions. Miss Brereslin brought up the science of reading, but what truly is the science of reading? It's not a fad and it's not a trend. It's backed by years of research that tells educators how to best teach students how to read. So, tonight we put together a a quick video on Notebook LM on the science of reading for you so we're all on the same page. >> The science of >> Oh, no. You've heard the term, right? The science of reading. It seems like it's absolutely everywhere these days. But let's be
023honest, what does it actually mean? There's so much noise, so much debate. Well, today we're going to cut right through all of that. We're going to use a definitive guide from the reading league to finally once and for all demystify this crucial topic. So, right from the get-go, the guide sets the stage with this. I mean, just let that sink in. Literacy isn't just a school subject. It's a fundamental human right. That tells you everything you need to know about what's at stake here. The stakes couldn't be higher. Not just for our kids, but for our entire society. But here's the thing. For something that important, you'd think we'd all be on the same page, right? But there's just so much confusion. You have parents, educators, even policy makers all asking the exact same question.
024Okay, but what is it really? So, let's finally get an answer. But hang on, before we jump straight to the definition, it's really important to understand the urgency. Why is this conversation happening with so much intensity right now? First, we've got to look at the why behind this whole movement. And the why is, well, it's a big one. The guide calls it a moral imperative. The goal here is to prevent what they call the collateral damage that happens from reading instruction that just doesn't work. And that damage, it disproportionately harms our most vulnerable students. So when you peel back all the layers, this movement is really about achieving educational equity. And that's exactly why having one single clear definition is so critical. You know, this isn't just some academic exercise. It's a practical tool that
025empowers everyone involved. It helps teachers and parents know what to look for. It pressures publishers to create better materials. And it gets policy makers all pulling in the same direction toward that goal of equity. It unifies the entire effort. Okay, so we've established the urgency. We know why this matters so much. Now it's time for the main event. Let's get to the heart of it and finally answer that big question. What is the science of reading? Here it is, straight from the source. And let's really pay attention to the key phrases here. A vast interdisciplinary body of research. This isn't one person's opinion or some new idea. We are talking about a mountain of evidence from thousands of studies conducted over the last 50 years in multiple languages. It's this massive convergence of evidence from
026fields like neuroscience, linguistics, and psychology all pointing in the same direction. Now, it's just as important to understand what the science of reading isn't. And this is where we get to do some major myth busting. It is not a fad, a trend, or a pendulum sw. It's not a philosophy or an ideology. It's not a one-sizefits-all program you can buy off a shelf. And this one's huge. It is definitely not just about phonics. Phonics is a critical piece, for sure, but it's not the whole shebang. The science of reading is the entire body of evidence explaining how the human brain actually learns to read. So, what does all that evidence tell us about how we learn to read? Let's dive into two foundational scientific models that explain this incredibly complex process in a way that's
027actually beautifully clear. First up, we have the simple view of reading. Now, don't let that name fool you. While the name is simple, its power is immense and it's been validated by over 150 scientific studies. It shows us that reading comprehension is the product of two key components, not just the sum. And here's the formula. word recognition times language comprehension equals reading comprehension. Now, that multiplication sign is everything. It is not an addition sign. And think about why that's so critical. With multiplication, if either of those first two numbers is zero, what's the answer? It's zero. The whole thing breaks down. You can't compensate for one with the other. You need both to be a skilled reader. Period. The second model gives us an even more detailed picture. It's called Scarboro's reading rope, and it's
028just a fantastic metaphor for how a reader becomes skilled over time. So, picture a rope. It's woven from those two main strands we just talked about. Language comprehension at the top and word recognition at the bottom. And each of those big strands is made up of smaller threads, things like background knowledge and vocabulary, or phological awareness and decoding. In the beginning reader, these threads are all separate and loose. But through really effective instruction, they start to weave together, getting tighter and more integrated until they form one strong, solid rope. For a skilled reader, it all becomes so automatic, they don't even have to think about it. Okay, so if that's the science of how we learn, what does that actually mean for the classroom? Let's look at how this theory translates into practices that are
029aligned with the research and practices that really aren't. For that word recognition strand, aligned practices are explicit and systematic. That means they're taught directly and in a logical sequence. You're actually teaching kids how sounds connect to letters to read words. This is a world away from unsupported practices like encouraging kids to guess from pictures or just hoping they'll absorb how to read through exposure. And for language comprehension, the science points to building knowledge. You do this through things like readalouds of complex, interesting texts and having rich conversations about them. This is fundamentally different from just memorizing isolated vocabulary lists or keeping kids in simple leveled texts that don't really expand their worldview or their language skills. Understanding the science is the first crucial step, but the guide makes it incredibly clear that just knowing this
030stuff isn't enough. It ends with a powerful call for real systemic change. Because this is a job for everyone. And when I say everyone, I mean everyone. This isn't just a job for classroom teachers. The guide calls on universities to align their programs with the research, on administrators to provide effective training and coaching, and on parents to advocate for these practices in their schools. It truly has to be a collective effort. And this brings us full circle right back to why this matters so deeply. This is the ultimate goal. Literacy is empowerment. It's the tool that gives children the power to defy low expectations and to write their own futures. This is the whole point. So, we're going to end this right where the guide does by turning the question over to you. Now that
031you understand the science, how will you commit to this movement? What role will you play in making sure every single child has their fundamental right to read >> notebook LM and AI tool very powerful when used correctly that summarized very well for us uh the science of reading. if you want to talk >> the next one. >> All right. So, our next um slide is going to show you what we believe is our first step in making this happen. So, the first thing that we need to do is do a comprehensive professional learning initiative with all of our classroom teachers. It's important that we do this because this is critical in transforming the instruction that's taking place in our classroom. Our teachers need to be trained on science of reading practices. We're recommending that we
032um provide training through the AIM Institute for Learning and Research. This is a state recognized um quality structured literacy training program and it is one actually that was used in the state of Mississippi. I'm sure at this point you guys have heard of the Mississippi Miracle, how Mississippi went from the bottom to the top. Um they use the AIM Institute and have 60 plus cohorts running across their state. Um it is a comprehensive um learning right into practice for our teachers that would really change the game. We're looking to train all of our K to3 teachers, intervention specialists, learning support teachers, principles, and district administrators. Overall, this would be a huge largescale change. We're looking at training about 200 people in this. And this is something that probably would not have been possible, I shouldn't
033say probably, it definitely would not have been possible to have this large scale of a training if we did not have the calendar that was approved earlier for next year. Um, that calendar allows us to have professional development days throughout the like each month. And that is so I'm very thankful for that because we would never be able to do something like this if we didn't have that time already built in for our teachers to get this training. In the video that we showed you, um they mentioned the rope, the reading rope from um Hollis Scarboro. She is on their advisory council. This is a very quality training and it's something that I think could really change the game and overall instruction for all of our K to3 students. >> So after professional development, the
034question always what's next? What do we do with that knowledge? We need to take the knowledge we've gained, take it into the classroom to affect instruction, and to meet the goal. Referring back to the Mississippi Miracle, the state of Mississippi deployed reading coaches to all schools. Pennsylvania is not doing that. So, we need to be proactive and we're going to be proactive here in Chambersburg and we're going to take that bull by its horns. So with this training, our staff will work with external experts in person and virtually to assist with classroom implementation. And once our processes are in place, we will become self-sufficient with the implementation of an internal lead literacy specialists. This new position will take over for the external experts and allow us to continue the professional development implementation and work with
035small groups of teachers and individual teachers in classrooms. So we know we need training but we also need tools and supports to support what is going to be done in the classroom. So, one of the first tools um that I wanted to highlight for you all tonight is our walk to read intervention model. This is currently in place. We've been we've been working with this. This is our second year. This is in currently in place at six of our elementary buildings. We started it last year at three at Falling Spring, Fagetville and Stevens. And this year we are starting we've started it at Gran View, South Hamilton and Buchanan. Next year we want to start it at the remaining seven elementary buildings. This is a very um structured model of intervention for our kindergarten and
036first grade students. All kindergarten and first grade students. This is different than anything we've done before. It's a daily small group um rotation with a classroom teacher, intervention specialist, and para educator. Um it's skill-based and it's targeted with lessons that reflect what they've just learned in their whole group instruction from the classroom. So, it's nothing new. It's not a new book or story or skill. It relates very much to what they've already learned for continuity. The students are divided across a grade level um across an entire grade level, not just within a classroom. So when a teacher gets back their first grade reading data, they um work with their counter. They used to just work within their own classroom to decide how to group their students and support them. Now they're looking across a grade
037level with a blind data look because numbers are numbers. We don't have any stories with that. It's just the numbers of what they can and cannot do. And then those students are regularly monitored for their progress um every 10 days. And we use data to determine how where they move next. Um with reading instruction like this, daily targeted reading instruction like this. Um there are consumables that we need constantly. There are never enough black um expo markers and whiteboards for these students. So it is a it is a consistent consumable thing each year. But it has been an amazing thing to watch and has really made some real gains for our youngest learners. Mr. Rabber actually was got a chance to go down to Stevens and watch Walk to Read in person. Good. >> So,
038I'm glad you got that chance and offer. We'll extend that again to the board and I know we've done that. If you'd like to come see Walk to Read in a building, just let me know and we can set something up. >> I forgot to say something before you jump into Amira. I did want to mention um how thankful that I've been. I've been working with the intervention department for a while now and this is the most intervention specialist I've ever had the privilege of working with. they are. This is something that could not be done if we didn't have those individuals because a lot of building of this comes from these specialists in each building. So, thank you very much over the years for approving those positions. It's been very helpful. >> Something revolutionary
039in education is next. Amira is an AI reading assistant that's unlike any other program you might have seen a student or a child use on a a tablet or a Chromebook. And if you look at the picture on the screen, that's Amira right there. She's a one-on-one bilingual tutor for our students. She listens and responds in real time and guide students in their learning. for teachers. She's a guide that analyzes individual student data and helps determine differentiated instruction opportunities during our walk to read or during our win time. Amamira any instructional assistant is not to replace teachers. This helps us provide one-on-one assistance to students during the school day. So, picture you're a second grade teacher and you have 24 students. We've already established half of our students can't read. So 12 of your kids
040can't read. Three times a week, 12 12 reading assistants, all named Amamira, will come to your classroom and work with your students individually for a half an hour. And when Amamira leaves, she'll write up a nice report. You'll be able to get online and see what happened with Drew. During that time with Aamira in Chambersburg, Amamira is going to be working with all kindergarten students, all first grade students, and targeted second and third grade students based on need. >> The last tool, this is more of a support um to intervene early and often is the family learning toolkit. And I think Mr. Nelson has talked to you all about this before, but this is something we're developing with the help of teachers um kindergarten teachers and um some first, second, and third ones as well,
041but I wanted to highlight this because in order for us to get our students to read, we're going to do the best we can in the district, but there are so many um things that we need our families to help us with even before they come to our school. So our our parents and our families are not educators, but there is so much that they can do for us in the home to help us get their students ready. So this is something we've been working on for the last couple of months and we're getting there. We're very close. Uh we've developed a very familyfriendly readiness checklist to put out within the community. These are things that parents can work on at home. There are activities and manipulatives we have for our families to use. We
042have a few links to some vet vetted good online resources. Something we're really happy and excited about are some conversation cards that parents can take with them wherever they're going um with different topics like out on a walk or in the grocery store, at the doctor's office of things they can talk about with their students. We have um we'll have the opportunity to send lots of books home and all of our interactions with our families. So, and the the good thing too is, you know, our families are very diverse. We will hopefully have this in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole so that families could get what they need in the language that they need. >> Some other extended learning opportunities. We've discussed, Mrs. Cash dollar and I have talked about the opportunity we have to
043adjust third graders going into fourth grade when we have our four to six building in an adjusted schedule for them to give them more time to read to learn how to read in in fourth grade. We're also looking into tutoring be it virtual or in person before or after school. We have the technology for that and extended summer learning opportunities for targeted grade levels and grade and targeted students. Our plan seeks to move beyond the traditional teaching methods. There's a few notes in here that are brand new to us in Chambersburg. Uh AI for one, a lot of professional development as another. We need to do this to meet all students where they are so they can learn to read. Not just by the end of third grade, but to be successful in life. The
044video we showed at the beginning ended with a couple questions. So, I'll end with reiterating one of those questions right now. What role are we going to play to ensure that our students have their fundamental right to learn how to read met? Bless you. Okay. >> Board members, questions, comments, thoughts? I have a comment. Uh, I watched the uh Amamira little clip over the weekend that uh, Superintendent Bigger put out on the weekly report. I love a mirror because I have a friend named Lily who's my language app little person and you know what I feel like that person knows me that person gives me encouragement when I think you know whether I need it or not and I that makes me feel good and I think these AI tools are going to be awesome.
045The only question I have is it's kind of maybe out there, but many of us are familiar with how reading was taught old school. It may have been phonics, you know, before the new stuff came in and now it's back to phonics and all that, but we were taught to read books and our attention span was a little longer than most attention spans are these days. is reading that's being taught different from what like I may have learned because students aren't expected to like read a novel. They're just supposed to skim or grab, you know, 15 minutes or something and move on. So, I'm just curious about the change in that regard. >> Do you want me to take this one? Okay. >> Um, I think reading instruction has shifted to a way that may
046look a little more familiar to how you would have learned how to read. Um, but I'm thinking strictly, not necessarily novels because I'm thinking more along the lines of the elementary level, but definitely the way students are interacting with books now is a lot more systematic and targeted than they would have been 10 years ago when I was teaching it. So the explicit phonics instruction that you probably got whenever you were learning how to read is very similar to what our students are getting now with a little more I would say let's a little more paying more attention to some of those other pillars as well like comprehension which is something that I think is lost if you go with a strictly phonics based um inter or reading instruction you're not checking if they actually
047understood what they read so the books that they read now are It look they look a little different. Um I brought one along. I'm not going to dwell on it, but this is one I get. Um I get these decodables sent to me a lot, but decodables are the new kind of book that our students are getting in the classroom. And Mr. Raber, you may have seen some of those when you went down to Stevens. They're what they would have used in small groups. These are books that students are not reading for the plot. Let me just say that. These are books that are going to be um testing specific or highlighting specific skills. This one is called Pig in a Pit. It's about the short I sound. So, you probably had these are very
048similar to um Dick and Jane books, I would say, if that if that these are books that are designed to um focus on a specific skill. They're going to put some colorful pictures in, but pig in a pit is going to be a story that could be a tough cell for someone that's not interested in it, but they will start to learn how to read it because it's going to be words that they should be familiar with instead of just pretty pictures. They're actually test. They're actually taking what they learned during their classroom instruction on the short I sound and they're able to apply it to a book. And while they might not know the word pit, they do know that I makes the I sound. So, they're able to tackle some of these these
049words in a different way than they would have done um when we just had really pretty books and ask them to guess what the picture was telling them. That was a roundabout way of saying I think this is very similar to how you would have learned how to read. Um but >> Sure. Yes. Sorry. Yes. >> Um, I have a question. How are the teachers that are going to be implementing this? Are they receptive to this? Are they excited? Do you anticipate a little bit of apprehension because it's something new? I'm just curious whenever we're getting ready to implement something, how the staff is feeling about it. Um, it seems to me that there's been a lot of changes thrown at a lot of our staff since I've been on the board specifically and I'm
050always curious as to how the they're they're handling that and and how everyone's feeling about that. Um, I never worry about the implementation of it because I think that the administrative staff has done a phenomenal job of moving through the changes with everyone, but with this specifically because it is so new, they're kind of learning on the fly as the kids are learning. And so I think that might be a little bit I'm just curious if if people seem excited or if there's a little bit of a mixed bag. >> I'll say that our teachers know our data and they know something needs to change and they're looking for and we've had people come to us say, "Do you know any classes I can take? What can I do to get better?" And once we
051share what this will do for them, I'm speaking specifically to AIM the the PD, they will really embrace that. Now, are there going to be some folks that are apprehensive? Of course, it's new. When we say all teachers are going to be trained, I'm we mean every single kindergarten, first, second, and third grade teacher. And some of those third grade teachers, if we're departmentalized, are math teachers. So, this is going to be new for them. But in math, we read >> and we have to learn how to read in math, math vocabulary. So we see the the benefit of this training going across content areas, not just math but science, social studies and all of that. So there will be some people with apprehension and majority of the folks are going to be appreciative so
052they can get better at their craft. >> Stephanie, I think I'm going to take a little stab at that. If you asked how we train teachers in the past, usually it was jamming in the summer and good luck if you remembered it and applied it in the fall. the the approach we're taking now will be very telling if spread throughout the year if that time and support delivers a better result into the classroom likely to actually implement it and so they've never experienced this before. So I have high hopes that they're are going to experience this over the throughout the year versus shoving it in in the summer because that's generally what we'd have in a couple inservice days throughout the year. So, I have high hopes that they're going to slowly acquire this and
053implement slowly acquire implement um which which um yeah has a better chance making in the classroom. >> Thank you. >> I'm going to hitchhike on that but I was going to one of my questions was going to be the comprehensive professional development training and Chris just touched on what does that look like and I don't want to know about the content I want to know the format. >> Go ahead. um this will be an asynchronous virtual training. So they'll be able to access this on their Fridays. However, um what will there are built within that some virtual live sessions with an AIM trainer throughout the year. So it's not all on their own. And we also have delineated some different pathways for the different groups. So the principles and administrators will take a different course
054with a different hour requirement and length than the classroom teachers will and the intervention specialists will take a different course than the others because they're coming from a different angle as well. But this will be a virtual training that will have some live opportunities through the computer. >> Is there any hands-on components, in-person components, or is it all virtual >> in the Go ahead. as far as people coming here to meet with our staff >> or our staff are what I'll call our >> staff will have a chance to learn >> subject matter experts talking face to face to staff >> with our intervention specialists taking their classes and the administration taking their classes will all have a common language in order to talk during some of our day-to-days some of our other professional development
055times on those Fridays so it's not they're going to be learning alone and going into their classroom alone alone. We always have to have that followup with our whole group of trainees and our trainers to make sure that we're implementing correctly and we're implementing consistently across the district. >> Just maybe if you don't know that's fine, but how much time is virtual? Is it 4, 8, 10, 12 hours? >> Um the course for the teachers is over two years. So the first year it's um like 23 hours of training to be done over the course of all of the professional development days built within the year. So it won't be all it won't be the whole day of those. And then the and then the second year would be about 25 hours. >> So on
056those Fridays we have >> so six half days roughly each year. >> Yeah. >> On those Fridays we have we have five hours of professional development time that we as a district can determine what we do. It would be approximately half of that time for those teachers and then the other half would be building specific with our PBIS or MTSS or our schools of distinction plan or our title one plans whatever those schools and principles need to do. There'd still be time for that. >> Can you differentiate between this lead literary or literacy specialist and the intervention specialist? How is that role different? Yes, that's a new role that we'd like to to bring to Chambersburg. That will be the next step from the intervention specialist we have now. We haven't determined a number of
057specialists yet, but what we need to do is train our intervention specialists and frankly we think they might come from that pool. They would be our professional development trainers that could go into the classrooms in multiple buildings. Right now, our intervention specialists are assigned to a building. These folks would be in a cohort of schools and work with the intervention specialists and get that back down into the classroom with the intervention specialists and the administrators and them they themselves going into the classrooms. >> An intervention specialist is one that would work in the small groups with students each day. They are um a lead literacy specialist like Mr. Nelson was saying would be the ones that would be targeting more of that classroom instruction, how to support the teachers with their new learning and the
058intervention specialists are the ones that are applying in to the kids who are in need of more. >> So it would be like a coaching of the staff person. Yes. Versus >> Yes. It would be very similar to that. What about the student who is for instance in third grade and is at a third grade level in math but a first grade level in reading or vice versa. You know, we are so age oriented as far as school is concerned rather than ability oriented. And is there going to be opportunities for the student who excels in reading for instance in first grade to be advancing versus being so to speak held back? >> Yes. Our our new schedule next year adds 15 minutes to the academic day. So what we were able to do in
059the elementary division is work out a time for our students in second through fifth grade to have approximately 55 minutes of what I need now or when time which is similar to walk to read where the teachers look at student data reading and math and say okay Drew's like you said very good at reading but he needs to be helped a little bit more in math or vice versa and then they have 25 to 30 minutes in half of that wind time as a grade level across the grade level with their uh counterparts. One of the concerns I see in the community is the preschool kids, infants on up spending time being read to but in front of a cell phone. Is there any education for the community? You know, I I the social media
060safety uh thing is so valuable, but young parents need to understand that words being spoken to their infant >> makes a difference. And I don't know that that is understood or at least it just seems like it just really bothers me whenever I see young young children just playing these games on a cell phone >> like a babysitter. >> Our toolkit that we're putting together is targeting ages three to six. So, we're trying to get them a couple of years before they enroll in kindergarten and then all the way through first grade because by the time they're in first grade, we'll have them in the school and we'll be able to help those families more. >> So, not related to this presentation, but we've been talking internally about really minimizing the use of computers K
061to three >> to specific tutor oneonone air only but not for regular instruction whether we send them home or not. right now we don't send them home and we're really I think we know that what the research is starting to say use less technology especially in the younger grades so we just have to provide more of the consumables materials so that staff can do that but we've been talking about that in the district quite frequently and I think if we model that and say stop using some of that technology the better off we're going to be and there are the right times to use the technology too so we're studying that and it's it's a fascinating uh uh place to study but we talk about all the time you know so but We don't want
062to take away a tool away from a family either that could use it. >> That goes back to comment thought on Mr. Hadex's first question is, you know, do we learn do we teach do we learn differently or do we teach and learn differently? And someone mentioned to me just not so long ago to this idea of technology uh some European countries are intentionally going back to textbooks and I remember about five years ago in this room we had a big presentation. You don't need a textbook but they have Chromebooks now. So I think I'm hearing the same thing a >> little bit in this room. Yeah. >> I'd like to add a ask a couple questions. Go ahead. >> Okay. Um I was thinking about the decodable texts. Are they going to be sending
063them home uh districtwide? >> So decodable texts are um in our core curriculum and there are a lot of take-home decodable texts that go home uh weekly. I'm just thinking about first grade. First grade is always very heavy like just baskets full of these books that they practice with. Yes. Um, and so decodable texts are great to go home after the skill has been learned and they have practiced with them because those books go home for practice. But they do that's built right into our resource. >> Yeah. But is that going to be a district-wide expectation? >> Those books go home now with our open court reading. The Dottos go home now. >> Yes. >> Okay. And then what books are being are books do you do you really do you think the parents have
064enough books uh for kids that are uh beyond the decodable text or should we be sending some home for them to you know to help with the parents? >> A few years ago we received scholastic books in all of the schools uh on our elementary principal agenda this week. I have put already what we're going to do with those books. I want to get them into the hands of students, send them home if possible or at least into the classroom because what we see now is they're not being utilized to the how we think they should be, but we want to make sure they are. So, that's on our agenda. Uh your your question probably some houses have way too many books. I know my house does. I can't get around my daughter's room. Uh
065and others don't. So, we need to find that happy spot in the middle to make sure the students get books at home with the families. >> Yes. and and perhaps have it be districtwide, not depend on what teacher you have as to whether books are coming home >> would be I think would be helpful. Um, also the title of the presentation, reading reading um by third grade. Do you think we should put something in there reading proficiently by end of third grade or reading on grade level, I don't care what word, but you could be reading at the end of third grade and still be on a first grade level. >> So something just to think about. Yeah, it's we can we can definitely adjust that. Yes. >> Okay. Um, I also I'm I'm very
066pleased that you're looking into the to the training and uh it it's it's going to be a great endeavor that you're going into, but is there any way to jumpstart this training because, you know, I I I know what Chris had just said about the summers, but there are some, you know, can be some some coursework in the summers to to help to help the teachers too, especially your reading specialists that have not had the science of reading training um to, you know, to go through a two-year year program or even a one-year program. Is there any way of jumpstarting it? >> We've jumpst start already the walk to read training to make sure that their the teachers and the intervention specialists and the principles at the buildings that are going to be starting next
067year are on board and ready to go in August. Like we don't want to have any any fall off there. as far as the AIM professional development and us having classroom teachers take that in the summer that would be voluntary on their part. So for us we're going through the budgetary process now we need to make sure that we have the training up and running and set for all of the people that we want to have trained classroom teachers intervention specialists administrators in August so we can get it going the right way correctly the first time. You know, I I I agree with you that it's great to have everybody trained, but I also think we're losing out on on not offering um summer trainings for for uh to help the teachers. Um because that's
068when they're laid more laidback, it's it's easier. Um so, you know, I I I would like to see training trainings in the summer, but whatever. Um I also looked at the slide for year 26 27 and year 2728 800,000 to a million will that be every year and what does that look like? >> So some of those costs are recurring and some are one time. If we look at the walk to read next year it's going to be a little bit higher uh because we're onboarding new schools but after that it's approximately $1,000 per year. So that would drop down from the 41,000 down to 13 until we close a couple elementary schools. Uh the the AIM or professional development is approximately 70,000 over two years. Teachers who are hired new and that's one of
069the nice things about the AIM professional development is new hires don't get lost in the mix. Sometimes we have professional development and we hire new people and they're never caught up, but since it is asynchronous, we can get them up to running or up to speed and running relatively quickly because they can join cohorts that are already existing in other districts. So, we've looked at that, too. Um, our family learning toolkit, that's relatively stable over year-over-year. The change from the external experts to our lead literacy specialist, that would have to be determined as to what that number would be. So the total that you're uh anticipating for next year for I mean I believe that you you have to put this money into this initiative to make it work. But I I was confused on
070how much is going to be spent next year. What are you budgeting for? I I saw different numbers. Are they all added together or are how does that work? They're broken down in the presentation and then at the end we put them together to give a range because we haven't signed the contract for AIM or Amira yet. So we didn't want to get tied into one number. We wanted to give a range. So once we get that we'll be able to get that information to you. >> I think maybe hold on a minute Dr. I think maybe Dr. Diller's question is and correct me if I'm wrong here Dr. Diller you would like to see a startup cost i.e. 26 27 and then the reoccurring operating costs year-over-year after that. Is that what you're asking?
071>> Yes. I I Is it a million dollars going to be for 2627 and a million for 2728? Is that what we're looking at or is it is that million that you listed there? Was that for everything? I was a little confused. I I think let me let me jump in here because I know at the at uh uh closer to the ninth inning I've increased the budget as we get notice of the adequacy money. I was able to provide more dollars to this presentation. So uh they've initially started um Dr. Diller at that spot. I would anticipate between $800,000 uh $2 million on an annual basis moving forward, but it all won't be spent the same way. You're going to start out heavy in training and then it's going to transition to coaching and
072then it's going to transition to your interventions before and after school and summer opportunities and additional. So it'll be a moving growing target throughout the multiple years which leads to your startup cost and then the changing where we're going to be spending the cost in the out years. >> So it is about 800,000 recurring. Correct. Okay. Correct. >> Yes. Well that's that that's great. I mean I have felt for a very long time. I've been on the board for four years and it's finally coming to fruition that we're putting money in helping these these these young kids to make sure they're successful. We've got to do our part with it. So, I'm very pleased that we're we're headed this direction. And it's it's it costs money, but yet at the same time, those little wins,
073it it builds and all the things that you had said previously in the presentation about what a difference it makes. I mean, everybody knows I've been on a soapbox about this ever since I've gotten on the board. So, I'm glad that we're putting this kind of money to help those little kids get where they need to be because once they have that foundation, they're they're they can go forward. Thanks so much, >> Dr. Diller. If you have your camera on, you can see that I'm smiling because I thought I've been thinking about you and Mrs. Brereslin's pre one of her previous comments when she mentioned about thankful for intervention specialist. I put a that put a smile on my face, too, because you've been preaching to me since before you were on the board about
074inter Absolutely. Absolutely. I even came in before I was on the board to talk about at that point we had taken out reading specialists which just really had me upset and that was one of the reasons why I wanted to be on the board was to see that we we were providing a quality education to these kids because these kids are coming into school at so many different levels and the you know when they say no child left behind unless we provide what they need uh in those formative years in in school it just it it it'll catch up to them. I mean, they just go through go through their years struggling and I just hate to see that happen and anything we can do and I'm excited about this Amira situation because I think
075that could really help with some remediation for the students. So, I'm really glad that you put this presentation together. It's extremely well done and I'm hoping that we lean more towards the million dollars instead of the 800,000. So, I'll be watching for that. >> Thank you. Other questions, board members? >> Yeah, I have a few questions and points. One is uh in regards to prek, what could the district be doing to improve the quality of prek >> communitywide um and to increase the percentage of students that are participating in that, which which may, you know, we might need more of that in our community. Um but what what is the district's role in that? Are there pieces that we could assist all of the existing preschools with and are there ways that we could help
076maybe there are other people thinking about doing that? You know, uh it's it's not Yeah. So, >> oh, Mr. Rabber, that's a heavy question. Um >> Yeah, Lindsay, I want to know the answer. >> I don't know if I have the answer to that. >> You don't have to answer it all tonight, but I think we should be thinking about that because that's really crucial when you have kids. Some of our kids enter kindergarten and they know all their letters, right? They can read some words and then other kids. Yeah. >> I think the most important thing we can do and I don't know the is the sooner we can start investing in these students the better. The sooner we can start working with their families and supporting them the better. And that is definitely
077something I feel as I you know as we go out in the community that's definitely something the community stands behind. There are so many organizations that want that very same thing. >> We just happen to see it when they all show up here when they're five. You know, we we're seeing it at that one time. >> Um the work that we're doing as we build this toolkit in helping our families know how to help. I mean, Mrs. God, we were talking about that of, you know, it makes you sad when they're on the screen, but helping our families know how to help is going to be something I think we can start controlling here a little more than we have before. um starting that outreach earlier than we have before, earlier than are you ready
078to sign up for kindergarten, but now saying, you know what, how about at three, can you start doing these things with your kids? Um that's helpful. We've I mean continuing to build, and I know I've talked to Mr. Nelson about this, but continuing to build the community among our local preschools >> and daycarees because they're not all schools, some of them are daycarees. Um and then also trying to continue to work with our partners and first our partnerships. We have nine classrooms that we have in our district. That's 164 kids that we can that come here that we have some influence over. Um so continuing that partnership is it >> that I don't know if I have a perfect answer, but I know what you're saying. Yeah. >> I think the last time I asked
079about this uh we didn't even have a a number like you couldn't you didn't know the percentage of kids that have been to preschool. I think now you have that data. Is that right? Do do you know this year's kindergarteners? Do you know percentage that went to preschool? >> I don't I don't think so. >> I think that would be something we ought to >> I don't think we have that >> start tracking and then how do we in time increase that, right? And then it might be good to how do how do we you're talking about you know there there is some relationship between some preschools. So that's that's great. I don't think we're necessarily all aware of that. But I would love to the district could play a role in improving the quality
080of all preschool. I serve on a group that is uh um an advocacy group to expand prek counts and also dollars and resources from the state. I think it's challenging for us to tackle a budget in prek when we need to make sure once they get to K we can do a great job with them. But I am on the ad advocacy group. I think um Rody Benedict uh who's a retired superintendent from Tuscora is joining that cause and trying to drive that. But we see it from the business side like businesses want quality daycare >> and and so it's not more it's not just pre-k it's quality daycare and quality engagement with children. So it's a wider audience than a school problem >> and I think it's the most expensive school problem if we
081just add pre-k and just keep funding it. So we need a public private partnership, >> right? >> But more importantly, we added kindergarten back in my day to improve reading, but if you don't have the solid K1, two, three, the investment in pre-K can be not for a lot. And so we have to be cautious of what comes first from from my view anyway, from public dollars. So getting this right from what we can control and then advocating for more pre-K count dollars. And if they did give us more, we'd have 10 classrooms, 11 classrooms, 12 classrooms. Does does the district have a point person for all of the prek? Like are you it? >> She's it's us. >> Okay. So you're >> working on Okay. >> It's us. >> Actually, Miss Brereslin, uh I
082think last week you went over and did an observation on one of the prek teachers. So we work with with their teachers and and go observe the classroom and give suggestions. And she had a great time because a what a three or four-year-old little boy rolled up on your lap and just sat there on my lap. >> I loved it. Uh my second question is about um the walk to read and what I need now. Uh I I I think that's really powerful. I think one of the things that's powerful about Walk to Read is the small group learning that happens there. Um uh we have 38 openings right now for instructional support staff. Is there a role that could be played if we had those positions full? And if so, what do we as
083a district need to do to attract people into those roles? And then I also wonder about interventionist PE people that have a bigger skill set. We've we've pushed to increase that. Is the level we're at now sufficient or should we really be at the drawing board at some point in increasing that? >> All right. Um I would say >> you don't have to answer that. >> Those are really tough questions. >> Yeah. I'm not expecting full answers in the moment. I'm putting you on the spot. So, I will say just you you saw um a thing of beauty down at Stevens when you went and saw Walter Reed down there and I will say the the critical role that the support staff plays in that um in making that happen. Our support staff is an
084actual I mean they're doing a rotation with our students in small group. They are assigned to a group and they get three or four groups of kids rotating through them to to do a specific reading school as are the intervention specialist. >> Yeah, the intervention specialist and the classroom teacher. So there's a lot of uh work and time that goes into it on the part of the um intervention specialist and classroom teacher to help the the um support staff to know what to do because they you know we're trained reading specialists and trained classroom teachers and we're helping them learn how to do a piece of the training too. Um and they are so they're critical and such a great help. Um but there is always there there's never enough time. We always want to
085train them more to help them to do that. Um, more adults would be great. >> Uh, then my third, um, I think I'm very much supportive of all of this. I think the one that I might be the most skeptical about is Amira, just because we've talked in the past how much, and somebody's already highlighted this in this conversation, so I might be redundant a little bit, but how much screen time should kids get, you know, like how what what's what's the limit? What what is the research showing? And I think we had kind of landed on at least some of the preliminary studies were saying like uh what was it 10 minutes per grade per day. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Right. >> Pediatric recommends that. Yeah. >> Yeah. So we're you know if you
086>> more than 60 minutes of screen time for a six-year-old. >> Okay. >> For the whole day. >> So we're really eating up a very high percentage of that. And we know that kids are getting a ton of that. Maybe not every family, but many families are getting a lot of that at home. So >> which is different. But I I think it's the piece that I'm the most like I kind of want to see this in action. I want to see it piloted. >> I asked for I asked a mirror a rep. I said, "What's your sweet spot of minutes?" Right? Because we don't want it to be too much and we don't want it to be not enough. And it's three times a week for 30 minutes. That's it. Capped out. >> Three
08710 minutes. >> So it's three >> three 10 minutes, right? That's what you mean. >> Yes. >> Three 10 minutes for 30 minutes total the week. >> 30 minutes total. Oh, 30 total. >> Yes. So, it's they when they would rotate to a mirror, it'd be a 10-minute pop. Just like in a walk to read rotation, if they went to a mirror, they would just have her for 10 minutes. >> I I love the focus on books. I love the focus on reading. I'm on board with everything Sherry and Fay are saying. The the reading to a computer for 30 straight minutes did not excite me. But 10 minutes, >> 30 minutes a week. I I miss >> I think I can handle that. Um >> Yeah. Good. I'd like to comment on Mr. Ray.
088>> Mr. Piper, I think you were. >> Yeah. Just a just a quick question. Should be pretty easy because you had some tough questions and thank you for presentation. Really, really good. But, uh, I was just interested in uh, five years from now, how confident are you that you can see scores improve on a one to 10? What would you say right right now sitting here? How confident are you that we we will see a substantial increase in scores? I'd go eight. I would say our our professional development that's going to play a huge role. The extra time in the day for win and when we couple that with the other pieces that we described tonight, I don't think we're ever going to be at a 10, right? Because we can always get better, but
089I have high confidence in what we put together and the teachers that we have in the district putting that plan into place. >> I would totally agree. I think we've we're building a system and we're starting to see it come together. We've been slowly putting pieces in place over the last few years and these larger pieces like a comprehensive training is what has been just missing and I'm just very excited to see that happen. I'm very excited about this for the um first the kindergarten to third grade. What are we doing for the students who are already behind and they're in fourth, fifth, >> eighth grade? Um, >> great question. >> I it brings to mind I'm I'm doing some research, historical research, and an educator in 1890 gave the following advice about planning and
090financing public education. In sewing the seed for a harvest in 1900, we ought not neglect the present year's crop. And my concern is that what you're doing is very needed, but we have this large number of students who are already past third grade and they aren't reading at grade level. And what should we or can we be doing to build that end? Because as my quote, that's the present crop. We're we're getting the future crop seeds planted, but we've got kids who are way behind and they're beyond where you're going to help them. >> They're not forgotten. They might be beyond third grade, but they're not forgotten. Every school has day-to-days. We have PLC's where we look at student data all the time. We're constantly looking at how to differentiate instruction, change up our small
091groups in the classrooms as grade levels and across grade levels and and as Miss President said, our intervention specialists play a huge role in that, not just in K to3, which is what we focused on tonight, but they're also heavily invested in helping our fourth and fifth grade teachers and students right now. So, they might be past the third grade, but they're still there with us, and we still need to do something and work with them every day. Yeah, I I agree. I agree 100%. >> Mr. >> Hern, okay. Well, Mr. Raber and I had had this conversation over some time now about AI and its value in the class and so forth. Um, but with respect to screen time, I look at it. If all kids eating is junk food, all they eat is
092junk food, don't you think it's time to introduce some like fresh fruits and vegetables? >> So, I'm just saying it's quality of what they're looking at as well. So, >> yeah. >> I'm not that. >> Okay. Thank you, Mr. Nelson. Thank you, Mr. President. >> Thank you. Great answers, great presentation, great questions from the board. >> Well done. >> You're going to make it difficult for the architects next. >> They just build things. They don't teach people. They just build things. Okay. Uh Dr. Long, you're gonna kick us off here. Following a presentation like that is kind of difficult because uh that presentation was near and dear to everyone's heart and that's the little kids. I mean you got to make you got to make them uh read and that way they can be us
093someday. Correct. So uh good evening and we're going to present tonight concerning the two buildings. I just want to give you an oct introductory u before the architects come. So it has been really neat the last month and a half what how fast we are moving. Um I don't know if they have sped up the process for me a little bit but I I'm thankful. Um they're saying no. So thank you. You know it made me feel really good. Um but we have in my opinion made great strides with the buildings. uh when you get people together and I'm going to talk about the staff coming together and giving their ideas and things buildings tend to grow a little bit but when we have to go back to the two premises of why we're doing
094this um one the elementary was out of space and then the second was the middle school had in uh infrastructure issues. Um it brings it back to we need to complete those goals. Um the third is for the high schools and things. So, uh, we have met 23 times with different people, uh, over the last month and a half. Um, administrators, teachers, um, security, athletics, and and other many other staff members um, for a really neat learning experience. Uh, because when you start listening to them, when they architects ask questions uh, to them, they bring out regulations. They they bring out all kinds of different uh, aspects that we need to follow. Um, I've learned a lot from many of my staff members that I really didn't know after 30 years of experience. Um, I
095thought I had a basis. Well, I have a new basis now because I've learned so many things from different people and and I'm sure that the people that were mi in mixed groups have learned from one another as well. So, this experience has really been fantastic. So once again when we reviewed the buildings uh after everyone gave their needs um or wants so to speak um the the buildings grew uh larger than what we expected. So at that point um we started to look at reducing square footage and I believe we have done a a very good job in that and that's what's going to be presented tonight. So the Green Village Elementary K to3 uh is really tight and it's at 97,000 square ft. Uh the intermediate school of the 4 to6 uh is
096still on the premise of 700 to 800 students per grade level and that is the capacity of 2100 to 2400 students. That's going to be one big school about 351,000 square feet if I remember right. that that design in that school um will and we're going to use the measure that we grow 1% each year. Uh that school will be able to handle everybody uh for 15 plus years with that number in mind. So um the middle school was designed um close to that same premise. It was designed for 700 to 850 per grade level and that's seven to eight grades. So that's two grades. Um, it was also reduced in square footage, but we still have plenty of square feet in order to maintain up to 850 students per grade level. So, that's what's
097really nice. Uh along with uh that property at South, we did a an athletic study and that athletic study basically said that we need to get students, high school students and other students home earlier from practices and games because some of those practices go to 9:30 or 10:00 at night. That leaves very little time for for them to have any kind of free time, but also any time to do their homework. So, we are looking at um athletic fields on that on that property as well uh with the um middle school. I did want to update real quick on the two engineering crew groups uh with Crabtree Roarball, KCI Technologies. Uh what they have done um has been reviewed a 999 page Leonard Kenny Army Depot uh review of all those um chemicals and and
098vapors and things like that. So, if you want some really good reading, it's 990. I'll send it to you. Um, I'm not going to print it. I almost hit print. >> That wouldn't have been good. Uh, Tammy would have been yelping at me for that one, would you? So, but with this, I I just want to make sure that the board understands. Uh, it was um a potential of volatile organic compounds in the subsurface. So, what will take place is um Crabtree Architects already said that they were going to put this vape uh this um subslab vapor intrusion mitigation system in the building anyway. Um so, since we're doing that, um that's closed with Leonard Kenny. So, we have no worries then. Um with that, we're also um working with PENDOT. KCI is looking for
099a time in the latter part of February to do a submission. In our meeting, we talked about the three entrances and exits on that Green Village site. Uh we're looking at one red light on that site for those three entrances. So, we're most likely going to be picking the one that has the buses and the vans going out. That way, they can get on Route 11 and turn left or right. The other entrance and exit to Route 11 most likely is going to be a right turn only. Right right turn in, right and right turn out. And then the one on 997 uh we've talked about a unique concept that Maryland has uh a roundabout. So KCI is going to be doing some more investigation to see uh if that will work and then they'll
100come back to us uh and give us a presentation and then we can move forward with the submission to PENDOT. HRG um is a downtown um company. They're with RLPS. Um we've been working with them with the burrow. We've already had codes um looked at. We has also had the variances taken care of and now they're looking at utilities and things like that and also the testing pits and things like that that will uh allow us to know where to build what what structure to build and things like that. So with that um we're also working with Barton Associates. Barton Associates U is the mechanical and electrical engineers and they are um assisting with the civil. It's been a very good team on this project. So at that point I I think that my introduction
101um you're going to hear an awful lot more from the architects. I would like to introduce Crabtree at this time, Mr. Anthony Coletock, Mr. Sha Dowy, and M. Nicole Niles. And then RLPS is Mr. Mr. Prince Slinky, Mr. Andrew Bladen, and Mr. Gary Ashby. Gary came the whole way from Pittsburgh. So, >> hello. >> Yes. So, at this point, I'm going to have RLPS start us out and then Crabtree will be second. Diana, I'm going to also use mic number 13. Okay, it's up to you if you want to. >> Great. >> Special seats >> like that. All right. >> All right. Hello and good evening everybody. Uh, thank you for having us here. Um, again, my name is Chris Linky and this is >> Andy Bladen. >> So, >> I was looking for the
102presentation that's on. >> Oh, yeah. >> There it is. >> Gotcha. >> All right. Thank you. Um, so it's been about three months since we've been here, so we're back to give you an update tonight. And as we go through the presentation, um, if you have questions along the way, go ahead and ask them. If you want to wait till the end, we're flexible either way. Uh, in general, we're going to Dr. Long just covered a lot of what we were just going to talk about, what we've done in the past three months. We're going to spend some time and go through where the design is currently. And then we're going to talk about some metrics, how we measure our buildings, how they're standing up to our standards, and talk about the budget. And then
103we'll talk about the big schedule. and then our immediate next steps. So, um, we la last met with you November 18th, you know, immediately after that we had the zoning hearing where we got approval for the parking and the building height. Um, and then I think the other big thing to round out last year and Dr. Long talked about is the first meeting with the faculty. So, we will have multiple meetings with the faculty before we get to the end so they know what they're getting at the end and they're getting a new tool. So, we want to make sure they know how to use this tool when they get into this building. Um, working into uh January. Uh, so there's three phases of kind of like design and documentation. Schematic, design, development, construction documents.
104We got through the schematic, design package by the end of January and forward that to the school district. Um, and immediately after that, we had the athletic and security update and then we're here tonight. The rest of that information up there is um kind of the nuts and bolts of our our process. We do meet with the steering committee every three weeks. Um that's different parts of the administration and then they oversee the other conversations that we have with coordination with the other engineers and other departments throughout the school district. So at this point, Andy is going to give us a rundown of the current state of the design of the uh the middle school. >> Absolutely. Thank you, Chris. Okay, we're going to move on here to the the next slide and we we'll
105start out with the site plan. We'll work our way uh into the building. Uh uh this is the the current latest and greatest site plan. We'll zoom in here to the uh circulation here on the next slide. But uh I want to draw your attention to uh plan plan uh just orient yourself right now. Uh on the lefth hand side of course we have Style Avenue. We have McKinley Street on the planned south there that's shared with the burrow property to the south of your site and then the I 81 corridor on plan right and above the fields there is the uh adjacent uh business park with residential kind of rim uh rounding out the rest of the site itself. Uh all the work that's proposed here is within the uh the red boundary of
106the site. Um, and what you hopefully see there are the new parking areas, very similar to what uh those of you who follow the zoning process and what we had discussed last time that we were together in November. That parking and uh van and bus drop off are a very similar location to where they were there previously. And that's where your existing uh Chambersburg Area Middle School South building is. And so that new building in blue is proposed to be located uh between the existing south building and your property line to the the right plan right. Um that new building there shown in blue. We'll look at that in a moment with a three-story classroom wing and uh two and onetory areas of that building as well. And then along the north side of the
107site you should see the uh the three athletic fields and track and bleachers there. Now the the base project as we showed and contemplated this last spring is the building the site development uh one artificial turf field and two grass practice fields as Dr. Long had uh mentioned in his introduction. Uh we're thinking about this holistically as a design team is really an extension of your secondary campus as we should. Um, but what we're showing you there with the bleachers and the track and you would have the opportunity to potentially to put some additional artificial turf fields there in those field locations instead of natural grass. Those would all be add alternates to the project. So the budget you see tonight is for that base project, but uh going through zoning and sharing with the
108burrow and as we develop the site plan wanting to plan for the full future buildout of the site. you ask questions as >> absolutely sure >> I had mentioned this many months ago but I'm just curious to know >> my own take on this was if we could get that field away from 81 be a little bit less noise when you're when you're watching the game is that just not feasible or how did this particular approach emerge oh understood absolutely so uh there were many different locations and sites for the fields I I didn't go Mr. bigger through my typical, you know, 13 13 plans to get to this one. Uh, but I've done that in the past. Uh, >> the artificial turf field that's in your project, it it is uh pretty strategic. That
109end of the building is where your athletic uh spaces within the building are, as well as your public restrooms. And so, it's it's kind of a a um justosition of that existing building, an existing I 81, uh where the building fit logically on the site from a cut and fill standpoint. HRG as our design partners has done a really good job of analyzing your site and uh with with drainage and everything else that really is the location it wants to go or at least as the project has developed. >> Is turf impervious or pvious in your >> Oh, that's calculation. What's that calcul? >> There are storm water provisions that come along with the artificial turf fields. >> Go ahead. >> It's impervious. >> It's imperous. >> It is impervious. That's a big problem. >>
110Yeah. >> Or a big geek. >> Absolutely. And thankfully with your the partnership that you have as a district with the burrow, those other impervious areas such as that parking count that Chris mentioned, we got the variance. That's what you see here. So um don't disagree with that with with the um with with ID1 necessarily with the track, but or with the field. Uh but just know it's it's kind of thinking about we have the public restrooms for that field located at that end of the building and uh works pretty efficiently for you as a district. >> That makes sense. Thanks. >> Sure. >> All right. Zooming in then uh we won't spend too much time on this because again this was but this is really what was discussed with the burrow. I think I
111want to draw your attention first to Staffer Avenue and McKinley Street. The four driveways that you see there are your existing driveways for the site. That was very important to the burrow. It's also important to you as a district. Uh and frankly it's important to get folks on and off of the site at pickup and arrival. Uh yeah pickup and departure. Uh so um uh the the driveways there looking at McKinley the first the driveway immediately across from the entrance to the park. That's where your parents will be arriving on site entering the site. You'll see the kind of loop road uh leveraging some of those additional grass parking spaces that the burrow does allow similar to what you did with the high school. Uh that driveway there allows you that queuing area on site
112for the pickup lines at the end of the uh the school day uh for the parents that do choose to drive their students to and from school. Uh we have the large parking lot there for events but also for faculty and staff. Um, you'll see those red and blue cars exiting the site either in a likely what will likely be a right turn lane only onto Staler Avenue or onto the driveway there at the uh near the intersection McKinley Street and Staler there planned South. Um, moving up Staler Avenue then you see the fourth driveway that shows orange vans and yellow buses. Uh, that is your bus and van arrival departure uh point for the site keeping those separate from that parent circulation. those vans come in and they fill in that loop in the
113center of the site plan. Uh we have a number of special education and specialized programs within this building where students will utilize those sorts of transportation vehicles and so getting them up to the front door is very important to your administration as well as us as designers. Uh that parking area serves as visitor parking throughout the day then. And then last but not least, the bus drop off loop on the plan north side of the site, dropping you off there at that event entrance and the athletic entrance of the building. So, three entries to get into the building itself there shown in blue. Uh, but that uh kind of rounds out the site plan within a loop service road that does encircle the entire building. Uh not only would we want to provide that uh
114as designers and for yourselves as a district, but also um your dis your burrow emergency services were very keyed in with that access as well. As that loop road comes around, you'll also see a small driveway coming in there plan south to the technology education areas of the building. Uh certainly with those functions within those spaces, they need some exterior access as well. Um for the next plans here, we're going to we're going to kind of uh rotate the building uh counterclockwise 90 degrees. So, just want to orient yourselves as we uh move on to the building plan itself. So, these are the current floor plans, a a threestory building. Uh and we'll look at each floor uh individually briefly and then Chris will get back to the the metrics and the and the dollars
115associated with the project. Um this plan is is uh different than what you saw has developed greatly since November. Uh we still have the same types and and numbers and quantities of spaces within the plan. Uh but the uh things such as the performing arts spaces are moved up front. The athletic spaces uh in in the back there with the orange uh located adjacent to the track as I said. Uh but that three-story classroom wing uh kind of being that common footprint throughout the floor one, floor two, and floor three. We're going to look at floor floor one first and then move our ways through. So the main uh floor plan of the building here is shown the first floor. It's all mostly on one level aside from some areas there with the auditorium. Uh
116we do have the key on the left hand side. Um but uh you'll hopefully see that whole plan is really organized around what we would kind of call within design meetings maybe a town square. Uh you know driving home that idea of uh the one Trojan community with the building design bringing all your students to grade together grades seven and eight. Um plan south of that centralized cafeteria that town square space for congregation. In lime green, you have the administration and nurses area of the building. That's adjacent to two of those main entrances coming in uh planned south. In the lighter orange, you see the performing arts spaces of the building, the band orchestra and the music classrooms associated with the auditorium. Uh, one of the fun things with the auditorium is we're looking at
117a ways ways to subdivide that so that you can have a flexible LGI space, large group instruction and the back part of that auditorium while the front part of the auditorium is still available for ensembles and classroom functions and the fixed seating. So, I guess something that we're all excited about developing as the plan moves forward. >> How about separation? The kitchen is separated from the cafeteria by a hallway instead of adjacent. There is so there is circulation throughout the building and you're right we are showing that that hallway route there but if you think about your kitchen and serving areas uh functioning for maybe three periods during the day um when that that that allows that kitchen and serving area to be closed off and the operations taking over at that point and that
118really allows that centralized town square cafeteria area to be leveraged uh by other functions within the building. You know namely uh if you think about the purple areas of the building those are your technology education areas. So if you think about uh those of you who went to the United Academy, how some of those shop shops and technology areas in that particular building opened out onto I believe a central core very similar but but different. This is your own design here with that town square. Some of those technology areas and classrooms have that opportunity to engage that larger area. Uh while there are certainly areas within the purple uh three shops, notably on the right hand side, as Dr. Long calls that kind of the outboard portion of the the building uh where those larger
119lab spaces get those exterior uh uh you know facets that they definitely need to function as uh technology lab and shop spaces. Um >> I've got another question about cafeteria please. >> So um you mentioned um there's one cafeteria so there will be staggered lunch periods. I'm assuming >> three periods. Yes. And I don't know exactly how many kids would be in a lunchroom at any one time, but I know what it's like at say the middle school and it's crazy loud. So, um that's almost like a health hazard really with people's hearing. >> Understood. Understood. >> So, what's what's the how do you mitigate the sound and like if you probably have 500 kids in there at any one time, I mean that's going to be a lot of noise and just wall covering
120or how does that work? Well, there's some acoustical uh considerations certainly within that space, but I think the the thought of it being a Terzo floor space with your workhorse rectangular tables with 12 students per table is likely what you will not see or what we do not envision for that uh that that space. You certainly will have some of those larger capacity tables, but the opportunity as you go towards the auditorium, we're envisioning some some some uh other soft seating opportunities or smaller seings that also help to address some of those sound and also kind of disperse that student body throughout that cafeteria during that lunch period as opposed to have them congregated as you're experiencing. I think like in uh the existing Chambersburg Middle School South uh the existing South building uh you
121have those two seating areas that are kind of uh concrete block and glass boxes that those students are in and they're low ceilings and that's where you see a lot of that I think proliferation of that sound during those lunch periods. >> Okay. Thank you. >> So we we have acoustical engineer on staff that's going to help us through that. And then the other idea is the threetory uh classroom wing to the right is going to be separated by doors. to so there's a complete separation from the educational piece from the public piece and the noise that comes along with it. >> Absolutely. >> Thanks, Mike, for not asking us to keep the middle school kids quiet. >> Yeah, that that has been part of the design conversations that we definitely understand the age group
122that we're working with. >> Absolutely. As as you look at the plan then this is this kind of diagram that kind of lays out so we can get into those academic areas. uh you think about the the similar that we saw last time the lefthand side of that plan and really your public your your spaces that are supporting your academic functions during the day but also available for before school and after school functions. It's important for us to draw that delineation as Chris had just indicated having those doors available uh to segment off that three-story academic wing from those public areas of building to allow you to have uh you know different types of afterchool activities or weekend activities throughout the year without having folks you know walking through your academic corridors. Um those public
123areas are oriented to that parent drop off and that bus drop off. And as you see those arrows kind of work their way to plan left. You see the darker orange areas. Hopefully, those are your athletic areas of the building. So, you have a full-size competition gymnasium, a fieldhouse if you will, associated with some locker rooms. You have a a another gymnasium type space called a mult we're calling a multi-purpose room with likely maybe a synthetic type flooring system in there. And then you also have what we're calling a fitness studio at the end of that multi-purpose gym that looks out upon the artificial turf field. And that's where your cardio and weight type equipment would be and and some other um open areas for students and PE classes to operate. So that kind of
124rounds out that public side. On the academic side, we we we do have a three-story wing. Uh the heart of that wing on on each floor is a STEM component. Science, technology, of course, engineering, and math. Your purple areas on the first floor being the technology education components of the plan. We have some business classrooms and some labs in a lab shown inboard adjacent to that cafeteria space again outside of those uh lunch hours. That space can be leveraged for those programs. Then we also have some of those purple labs and shops on the right hand side that leverage that exterior uh openness and views and also just the the courtyard opportunities that can be developed between the classroom wings. Upstairs we'll see some science labs above these technology education place spaces to plan south
125and plan north. We see the grade bubbles. I mean think about that this building giving you the operational flexibility to um mix grades up but also as we're showing it here having kind of one grade per side. On the lower level you see the three purple circles. Those are three teams three groupings of uh grade level classrooms there. So three teams on the first floor. And as we go up to the second and third floor, we see two uh purple circles there at two teams per grades. That's your seven teams total within this building facilitating that um uh student enroll that capacity between the 1400 and 1700 students uh within this building. On this second floor, we see those dark green areas. Those are your science labs again above those technology education spaces on the
126first floor. and to plan left of those, we do have a two-story atrium space that looks down into that cafeteria area. Uh, a ringed around that. Then, as you go plan left, we have uh counseling above your administration down below. Uh, dynamic learning commons that again has that opportunity to leverage those spaces um with some other technology and uh art education spaces there to plan north. Last but not least, we have the third floor of the building again with the science in the middle and then another two sets uh on either side of your teamed classrooms. The the kind of steel blue areas of the plan are your special education learning support uh classrooms within the building. Some uh earmarked for specialized programs, some for general generalized learning support for your uh students uh throughout
127the different grade levels. Uh and those are all tied together with that science corridor again in the middle. Um guess before we move on to the next slide here which does get into the the values and figures associated with the plan. Are there any uh further questions about the floor plan? >> Oh absolutely I if you don't mind I will answer that because there there is there are elevators uh within within the building. I did not identify those at this small scale, but right now there are two elevators basically one for either grade level grouping on either end of the plan. So elevators along with ample vertical circulation via stairwells are what we are planning to get up and down throughout this building. >> Thank you. >> Okay, so as we talked about in the
128beginning, like to come back and you know do put some metrics to the building. Uh but just to reiterate um what Dr. Long said in the very beginning is when we started back in April we had about 260,000 square feet into this project. By November we were up to 265 and then after we had that meeting with the faculty it ballooned up to like 279. Um you know we're taking all the ideas trying to put them together. It takes us a while to get it efficient and get it organized. So we are back down to about 267,000 square feet now. So uh looking at the first piece at the top uh we call the footprint um try to measure the quality of space. So we have program space we have a little over 177,000 square
129feet that's educational space for the students. There's a certain grossing factor that we like to stay between when you add stuff like bathrooms, quarters, other square footage to the building. uh PTE used to have a number of 1.58 that if you went over 1.58 you had to justify why your support spaces were getting bigger. So we try to keep it between 1.45 and 1.60 and this building right now is measuring about 1.5. So it's really where we like to be. So quality of space we have 267,000 ft but we have a good amount of it going towards directly towards the education. So we don't have excess hallways, other things like that. For the next component down, the program again is grades 7th through 8th. We have 17s per grade and our capacity. So we talked
130about the square footage going up and adjusting square footage and program. We are still at the the ballpark that we wanted to be with the capacity the 1445 to 1720. And that is really going from 25 students in a classroom up to 30 students in a classroom. So we have a metric that we use for secondary buildings, middle schools that we try to get between 160 and 180 square feet per student at that level. And on the low side, we're a little high at 184, but as this building grows to the full capacity, we're on the lower side of 156 square feet. So we straddle that metric that we are trying to hit. So both with the quality and the efficiency of the building, we're where we want to be and we think it's developing
131uh nicely along those lines. Uh the last piece with the metric we're talking about the budget, we have construction costs and then we have total project costs. Right now what you are seeing was we are probably up about $3 million from what we showed you in November. And we did a we had a site uh cost component that we put together a cost estimate and we just had a cost estimate come back from a site contractor and they were up about 3 million. So that's the increase in the overall cost at this point. So any questions about any of the metrics or where we are with the size of the building and the budget? >> Board members questions, comments, thoughts? We do have a couple more slides on schedule. >> Sorry. >> But if there's
132anything on that >> um next immediate steps, uh immediately we are meeting with the bureau tomorrow to talk about our our code plans, our code interpretation. The bureau has been great to work with. They've been very proactive and very supportive. Um we're also having our second round of meeting starting our second round of meetings with the faculty tomorrow after our borough meeting. But as we go through February and March, we meet with our steering committee every uh two to three weeks and we will have additional faculty meetings and the other components up there that we will get all of our other engineers involved in as we develop it. So those are immediate next steps. Our larger calendar are are looking out to kind of the endgame. Um our next completion date for milestone is design
133development at the end of April. So we're working towards that. Um at the end of design development, you're required to have act 34 hearing through the PA school code. So in general, we're anticipating sometime in July for that. We'll fine-tune that with you. That is, you know, a board action to approve the act 34 booklet. So that's where you'll get involved again in the development of this project. And then as we move into construction documents, uh we are looking to have the construction documents done by the end of September. And then we are going to have about a month of quality control where we um send the drawings to you to review and we have our inone in-house quality control process. So we will have our drawings ready for bidding at the end of October.
134But there's kind of the building portion of it and then there's the land development portion of it. So, um right now we are we are bracketing that we think that we should get land development approval uh by the end of December. There's a chance that we can get as early as beginning of November. So, we want to have our drawings ready, but there's a chance it could push into February. We um across the road from I 81 is the Falling Springs Creek. So that is a high quality creek. So with our NPD EDS permit, erosion and sediment control and storm water there, we have to go through not just the county, there's a D process in that. So we're never sure about how long how that process is going to be. So that's why we
135give that bracket. We want to be ready beginning November if it goes quickly. Um, but it it may take longer than that. We'll just have to see as we go. So, that was our speed reading for tonight. So, uh, any questions? >> Board members, additional questions. >> Yeah, I have a question. I'm assuming there's some type of building automation system that's built into the building. Have we given any thought to uh having any kind of dashboard in the lobby or in the public space where students and the public could learn about how that all works. You know, I I've been in buildings where they do this and it's educational. >> Um I think it you know, it's it's in the direction of STEM to some extent. Um, so but you know that system is monitoring
136our energy use, right? It's it's optimizing our scheduling. Um, and so I'm just curious to know if there's a way to do that. Is that something that and that might be, you know, that might be a question for Dr. Long and Mr. Varner and and next step, but how do we how do we do that? >> I think it's the perfect discussion at this point because, you know, getting into your building systems and how you monitor them. You know, up to this point through schematic design, we really have a narrative uh laying out what those systems are. Now, we're going to get into the nitty-gritty of those systems. So, we can pull some information together, pull some ideas together for that. But we we love that idea. >> Yeah. Cool. Well, you know, kind of
137knowing what your aspirations are for your students after they leave seventh and eighth grade and moving on in their secondary education, maybe with that technology education piece, you know, not even being down a back corridor, but being front and center in the in the heart of your building, that might be a great opportunity to have a dashboard like that to kind of support and maybe get some students interested in those sorts of aspects of professional life. I wanted to make sure I understood that on the construction cost that range was uh the turf fields and the grass fields that that was part of that range whether that would be completed or not. The um the the development of the site and the building itself and that one art artificial turf field as we had presented
138the original concept uh back with you last beginning of summer last spring. Those are part of that construction cost. The the art the track um the bleachers and uh any additional artificial turf fields that you may want to pursue with this project would be add alternates. So they would they would be in addition to that or if that if the dollar amount the final bids came within that range. It would give you that opportunity to pull those levers so to speak after bid day and move forward with uh that additional site development. But from a site planning standpoint and and what we've we've shown the bureaus so far as we go into those approval processes, we really need to show the full site built out. And that's what we're sharing with you this evening. Uh
139just so you understand how the the opportunity there for your full site. >> So it does it does not include the track. >> Does not include the track. >> Only a turf field and only grass practices. >> That's correct. >> And the full site development. >> Yeah. Should we should we know what we should know what kind of costs we're looking at if we add that? Right. >> That's what it'll be as it'll be an ad alternate. Yeah. >> And we we can give you those estimates for those ad alternates. >> Okay. >> Uh one question I have. Uh we have a lot of lovely mature trees on the property. Um and I know some of them are going to have to come down. Um hopefully the ones in the perimeter can stay as many
140as possible. I'm curious to know uh the next iterations of the drawings will you have potential trees on? I of course appreciate trees just as the value they bring, but I also know they have a lot of value in terms of saving on heating and cooling, uh keeping the bills down, that type of thing. So, >> absolutely. Uh that's one thing uh from almost day one as we started to look at the site and where your building could go on the site in relationship with the existing uh your administrators and the design team as well. We shared that goal of maintaining as much as possible of that existing tree line specifically along the I81 corridor as well as uh McKinley and by and large the way the grading is working out now. Yes, almost all
141those trees are showing that they're remaining as we work out the final grade that we might have to you know get a little bit into that that fringe but uh that is a shared goal is what I'm trying to say. >> Cool. >> Because you have a lot of great mature trees there. Uh, so let's keep them. >> Yeah. And then I'm assuming new. It I don't see new on the drawings yet, but that's coming. Is that is that >> Yeah. HRG will be developing a landscaping plan uh commensurate with the your zoning regulations here within the bureau. >> Cool. >> Other questions? >> Thank you. Appreciate your time. >> Thank you. >> Make it 11:15. Okay, >> now we get to talk about two buildings. Okay, thanks for having us. Uh, I'm Anthony Coloultock.
142We have Sean Dowy and Nicole Niles also from Crabtree Rubball. So I'm going to give you an update on the Green Village campus. Uh a lot of our presentation is going to be very redundant from what you just heard from RLPS. Uh we have a couple different metrics on how we measure some things, but um set up very similar. Uh the project last time that we saw you at the end of November, we were wrapping up schematic design. Now we're moving into the design development phase and this is really uh the phase where I identifying what the scope of work is. So what we were going to do with our presentation is share with you an update on the campus plan and then the intermediate school separate and then Green Village Elementary School. Uh then
143we have the cost estimate that we're going to share with you for both of the projects. I know a lot of times when we give these presentations, the first thing that people want to turn to is the cost estimate. So I'm just going to share you I'm going to share that number with you right now. So we are looking at a range of $174 million to $179 million. Further in the presentation, I'll give an explanation as to why we have that range and what does it mean. and then we'll talk about our next steps and the project schedule. So as we move into this design development phase, um if you recall the schematic design, big portion of that is identifying your educational program, but we also realize that this project is budget driven. educational program
144the biggest impact is it just means more square footage which also then turns into larger costs. So what we did with the administration is we start to look at what are the wants and the needs of the district of these projects. Uh so we went through this effort to identify those spaces that are needed for the educational program and are there some spaces that are more of a want that we can include as an add alternate to the project to help keep costs down. Uh so this checklist that we have these are just some of the big picture items that we're looking at in the design development phase. So that verification of the educational program and your budget that is very critical for these next steps because we don't want to have to do all
145this work and then come back later on and have significant changes because then we just we lose time in the design. We are uh we're also at that phase where we're going to start meeting with more individuals from the administration. Uh tomorrow we have a meeting with um uh intermediate school faculty. We've already had a meeting with elementary school faculty. We had a meeting last week where we had the director of transportation, the director of security. Uh these types of meetings are going to continue as we go through this design development phase where we're going to bringing in our consultants and we're going to be looking at uh getting some more input from uh more members of your of your district and administration. So for the site development, our civil engineer KCI, their big uh
146task that they had to do was the traffic study uh and the impact of the highway occupancy permit which is the critical the critical path of this project because highway occupancy permit could take up to one year. It has to be reviewed at the state level. Um, it will be a condition of land development approval from the local municipality. So, we really want to get a jump start on what is PennDOT going to want to see with this uh with this campus plan. So you if you recall from our previous um uh presentations uh going left to right at the top of the page that is uh state route 11 and then on the right side headed north and south that is 997. the design. We wanted to make sure that there was a separation
147of parent um parent drop off parent traffic from the bus and the vans. So, it's you kind of see it faintly, but this left driveway on the plan, which has the blue outline, this is where we were proposing the bus drop off and the bus entrance um into into the campus off of uh State Road 11. And where you see the blue arrows at the intermediate school, which is this the larger footprint on the north end, that would be the drop off bus drop off where students would enter in two entrances. And then uh at the elementary school, you'll see a a purple entrance which um purple arrow, excuse me, which would be the entrance for all the students at one location. Uh but the bus drop off would be on that south end of
148that driveway. Then off of uh 11 and 997, that driveway represents the parent drop off and where faculty would be coming in and visitors. And you you'll see the three academic wings. Each of the academic wings holds a grade level. And um at those red arrows is where the administration for each of those grade levels would be located and where the parent riders would be dropped off into those driveways. So this was our original our original plan. We felt that it worked really well with uh keeping that separation of parents from bus riders. Uh the parking requirements meet what the local municipality uh is requiring. Um we also managed to uh include some multi-purpose fields. We have plenty of area left over for storm water management. We also considered evening um evening events at both
149of the schools and making sure that there was ample parking for an evening event and again into the intermediate school or into the uh into the elementary school. So the next step was to have civil engineer do a traffic study and based upon best practices and what they would expect the requirements of PennDOT uh for the HOP they provided some recommendations. What they found is that the traffic light um at 997 and Route 11 that the distance from that intersection to these two driveways are pretty close. And it's not conducive to have two more traffic lights at each of those driveways, but rather one traffic light. And best practice is that traffic light should be for the buses that are making lefthand turns onto onto 99 excuse me um from 11 onto onto the campus.
150So, what their recommendation is that the east driveway on the right hand side on um on 11 is that there would be no traffic signal and you could have a right into the campus and a right out of the campus and you could have a left into the campus but not a left out. So for parents leaving trying to make a lefthand turn onto Route 11, that would be it would be very difficult. Um it' be very challenging, be dangerous. So the suggestion is to take those parents trying to get on to 11 and then merge them in with the bus traffic um in the intersection on the westand side of the campus where there would be signalization. So the buses could make a left in and a left out and parents could also make
151a left in and a left out. So you'll see that slight adjustment of that roadway. Um and this is so that to allow for ample queuing at that traffic light at dismissal, which is when you're going to have most of the traffic on the site. and then also a roundabout um as a way to get the traffic through there without having the stop sign and just to keep traffic going. Then the other suggestion that um the traffic engineer had as well with the amount of traffic that would be coming to the site on 997 and the driveway into the campus. Um, also introducing a roundabout so you would not have to introduce a lefthand turning lane on I97 into the campus. And we feel that this is a pretty good design that it's just going
152to slow traffic down. Uh, this is directly across um the road from a driveway of of the farm. Uh there are some houses that are residential uh houses that are to the north and to the south. Uh but um feel that this is really going to help manage the traffic through the site with this roundabout design. Any questions on this before I move on to the schools? >> I just have a question. Um there is going to be out there on Route 11 facility going on as I understand it that's going to be warehouse type. So, you're greatly increasing the truck traffic here in the not too distant future. >> Sure. >> So, how does that affect what this traffic study has done? Is that going to clog things up? Is the roundabout going to
153be sufficient to account for that additional truck traffic? Just looking out into the future knowing that that's coming in the next year or two. >> Sure. That was actually mentioned at our meeting with uh the traffic engineer. Uh there there were a couple other intersections that PennD dot had kind of highlighted with the traffic engineer. However, they were in the opposite direction. Uh but with his discussions that he was going to have with uh their plan reviewers, that was going to be something of note and it's quite possible that they already uh know that this project is in the books and um um that could also have an impact. But, uh, one of the things we want to try to avoid with your project is off-site improvements that aren't directly on your campus. >> How
154how far along is the HOP on the warehouse site? Any idea? >> We don't Yeah, we don't know that. >> Might depend on who gets >> who gets to the plate first. >> Sure. Yep. Any other questions on the campus on the site plan? So, a couple of revisions with the floor plan for the intermediate school. If you recall um each of the academic wings similar to your middle school design that we are keep trying to keep that separation of the public large box assembly spaces on the north end and then all the academic spaces in those wings to the south that each of the academic wings can be closed off from the main street that is going to the left and to the right. Uh we are currently at 350,000 square feet from our
155study. Uh we made some assumptions about your educational program and we were we were calculating about 330,000 square feet based on those assumptions of your ed program. uh when you uh when you had us move forward with this design and we did that educa educational program development, there was about 20,000 extra square feet that was built into the design. Uh those areas are variety of classrooms from special education, art, music, uh STEM, steam, and auxiliary gyms. So that's where that that's where that difference is and that's why you'll see a difference from the cost estimate from the study from what we're going to show you today because this is the the dollars and the dollars is a direct reflection of the size of the building. um what we are proposing for ad alternates when we
156did this review of what are the needs and what are the once there's um three alternates that we are proposing. Uh the first one is six classrooms between fourth and fifth grade and this is approximately 10,000 square feet. a second auxiliary gym and then also the walk-in health clinic. On the plan, we have included the auxiliary gym and the health clinic which you can see is in the top leftand corner. uh just one of the auxiliary gyms. And we feel that this is a very um this is a good delineation for a contractor that we can say how much does it cost to build this without the auxiliary gym and with without the walk-in clinic. They will provide that price. We'll then ask for the ad alternate price to do the auxiliary gym. And then
157we'll also ask for a price to do the auxiliary gym and the walk-in clinic. So our understanding of those two spaces, the auxiliary gym would be the priority and more than likely uh you would do the auxiliary gym before you would do the walk-in clinic. Uh the academic wings are each three stories. Uh the main level of the school happens to be the second floor of the academic wings. So that when you enter into those academic wings are either going one floor down or one floor up. And the classrooms for the fourth and fifth grade. Uh there would be three in each academic wing that would be ad alternate. You kind of see the outline of those classrooms on the academic wings. It's in the middle and on the left hand side. Uh the academic
158wings uh each have 30 classrooms and for the fourth and fifth grade they are clustered into teams. So there's 10 groups of three classrooms. And then for the sixth grade which is on the right hand side that's seven groups of four. One of the other things that we did uh through this analysis is we also looked at updated projected enrollment um which is very similar to what was shown in the study in 2023. So the highest projected enrollment within the next five years is approximately 2,100 students fourth fifth and sixth. So we want to develop a plan capacity. uh we don't want you to max out this building within five years. So we take that highest projected enrollment plus 10% to come up with a plan capacity. So that right now is 2,300 students. So
159then what we'll do is compare how many classrooms with uh with that plan capacity number. And the way that we arrive at that is understanding what's your max capacity for each classroom and it's different uh for your fourth, fifth and sixth. So it's uh 26, 28 and 30 students respectively. So then we develop what is that educational capacity if every seat was filled within the building. uh 90 classrooms, that's 25,520 students. But again, we don't want you to have to operate at 100% capacity. So, a rule of thumb the Department of Education has is operating at a 90% utilization rate. So, with the base bid, 90% of that capacity would be 2,268 students. So we then compare that to that plan capacity. In this base bid, this base bid solution, you would be two classrooms
160under your plan capacity. Okay. Um if you add in the alternate for the six classrooms, you'll see those numbers. You would then be roughly about eight classrooms above the plan capacity. But on bid day depending on what the cost are you as a board that will have to be your decision on which way you would want to move forward. >> Question if you don't mind. >> I'm not following your math there. So the building the first middle part building capacity two classrooms under planned capacity. >> Yep. >> So you're two we're two under two classrooms under plan capacity. >> Yes. You add six classrooms, now you're eight classrooms above capacity. >> 10 classroom difference. >> Yeah. And it's because of how the capacity for um the capacity is different for each of the grade levels.
161That's why that math doesn't quite >> math. >> Yes. Yeah. >> But it's a class. >> So what we're doing Yeah. >> Classroom is a classroom regardless of the >> size. So we have to do is what I did with that is it was just an average of the capacity. Um, and that's why that's why, like you said, it's not quite mathing, but does that answer your question or >> kind of >> and keep going? >> With the additional classrooms, with the additional six classrooms, uh, what that means is with the room that you would have to grow, you have two options. The one would be that you have enough faculty to occupy every classroom, but then you would operate at smaller classroom sizes. Or you fill each of the classrooms to capacity with your
162enrollment that you have for that year. And you could potentially have some classrooms that would be empty that you could grow into that you could use as a bubble when you have that grade that comes through that may have a little bit larger enrollment than the other two grades. >> Uh when we're talking classroom and I know it's going to be a presentation later. So when we talk about uh synergies with closing three elementary schools, you know, so do you plan for 96 classroom teachers or 90 classroom teachers in the new building? Mr. Woodman or Mr. Bigger, Melissa Kirk, you want to just talk about those in general? >> Well, we're looking at the efficiencies right now. We just had a meeting last week where we're looking at those efficiencies in, you know, fourth grade,
163fifth grade. Um, not as many efficiencies in sixth, seventh, and eighth right now because they're two buildings and they're pretty much, you know, set, but uh there are efficiencies in fourth, fifth grade currently where by bringing all of our kids together in one building. Currently, we have 24 core teachers that we have like in sixth grade um per per building. So, we wouldn't need as many um you know for fourth grade right now. I think it's at 31 to 33 Melissa 33 in fourth grade. So, that that's some of the efficiencies that we're looking at if the synergy that you're talking about Mr. Norcross. >> Thank you. Should I be pointing this at a certain direction? >> We need a manual advance. >> Need to call a mirror to get our remote working. So, the
164update for the K3 building, um, we're about 97,000 square feet. Uh, this building has grown a little bit in size from, uh, the educational program from the study. However, the cost estimate has not uh we feel that um for this design uh the study did capture what we feel a cost estimate a good cost estimate for bidding this project in late 2026 early 2027. Uh so the the plan similar building organization with the intermediate school that when you walk into the main entrance that main street you have all of your big box assembly spaces media center uh cafeteria multi-purpose room. You also have your specials of your art and your music. Um and then your academic wings can be shut down for evening events. And on the first academic wing, uh we're looking at putting
165on the first floor kindergarten wing and then potentially the first grade um in the back the second wing and then second and third grade on the second uh the second floor of each of those academic wings. And you'll see the the classrooms are colorcoded. One thing to point out, the general classrooms are blue, special education classrooms are green. uh similar uh similar color legend on the intermediate school if you want to go back and look at those uh floor plans. But this is sized for uh 500 students and this project we have already had meetings with faculty. We're we're going to be looking at having a second round of meeting with faculty hopefully later on in the spring, if not uh early early fall of of the next school year. Any questions on this design?
166And if I could have if we could move to the next two slides. This one right here. Okay. So before we presented the cost estimate, I just wanted to show you an outline of all of the items that we're trying to capture within the total project estimate. Uh so we have three different categories. First one is the construction cost. This is your bricks and mortar. This is the cost that you would see on bid day. The second item is your construction related soft costs. So these are other costs to get the building built. Uh there's a construction t contingency that we want to set aside in your budget for unforeseen conditions and change orders. We have multiple agency reviews and approvals that we have to get through during construction. There will be need to be
167some testing and inspection. And with the size of your projects, um, we're also understanding that there's a potential to also have a construction manager to be the district represent representative from uh, daytoday at um, on site uh, for all three of your projects. So, we also want to try to capture those costs as well. The other soft cost are your design professional fees for your consultants and your architect and your civil engineer. All the surveys and studies that need to be done from traffic, the site survey, geotech report. Also setting money aside for financing your bond and then also looking into the future um and setting money aside for technology and furniture and equipment. So those are the so those are the three components that make up a cost estimate. Uh also want to note
168that with these projects when we publicly bid these uh we are we are recommending and proposing that there would be five prime contracts. So you would have a general contractor that's just dealing with the building. you would have a separate site contractor because this is a very large uh large project for site development that you'd have a separate site contractor and then an HVAC contractor, an electrical and a plumbing contractor. The other thing that we would propose because we're bu bidding these projects at the same time, we would bid each project individually. But then we would also give the contractors the option if they would want to do a combined bid to give us a lumpsum cost for both of the projects and to potentially capture some economy of scale and potentially reduce the cost.
169And then on bid day, we'll review that with the administration. Whichever scenario is the lowest cost would be the one that we would recommend that you would move forward with, whether it's individual or whether it's combined. It's quite possible that you could end up with a combined bid for general construction, but then for HVAC, you may have one contractor uh at the one school and then a different HVAC contractor at the other school. So, however the numbers work out best to your advantage with the lowest cost, um that's how we would recommend it. question on pros and cons of separating general and site construction. >> The other ones are normal. That one is a little off normal script, >> but for site development of this size, um it wouldn't quite be off that off script
170that much. The reason why is that the general contractor, if they had the site contractor as the sub, they would just have to include the bond for the site contractor on top, which could potentially increase their cost on bid day. >> The site contractor wouldn't have to have their own bond on their own contract >> under Yes, they would. So it's the same bond amount whether it's combined or >> but there would be a markup under the general contractor's >> bid. The other thing it also does is it kind of keeps that separation that in the event that one may be done before the other one. Um the general contractor then doesn't have to, for a lack of a better term, babysit the site contractor until they're complete with with their work. >> Anthony, the
171site is all one bid for both buildings. >> Correct. So that also eliminates that like where does the site come where does the site separate from the intermediate school from the elementary school. This captures it all under one umbrella so that there is one site contractor for sure doing the whole thing >> and the site contractor would pro they're going to have a few months of work prior to the general contractor being on site being ready. So the delineation between where the site contractor work ends and where the general contractor works begins is that the site contractor would have to prepare the building pad. So that they would have to excavate it and grade it. General contractor would come in. Then they would do the trenching for the footings and foundations, pour the slab and
172then build the building from there. I was anticipating one of your cons might be who's responsible for schedule. I can see that being a when the general contractor has the site in their package, they are in control and therefore they are responsible for schedule. >> General contractor. This might does this maybe make it more important role for the construction manager >> because you have another instrument in your orchestra >> that the construction manager has to manage instead of the site instead of the general >> Sure. Yeah. We would what we would propose is a milestone date for the general contractor to have the building pad ready for the general contractor. But the general contractor would be the lead for the schedule with the building. But then for the site development, the site contractor then has
173a somewhat of a different schedule. Um, still have to be substantially complete by a certain date. But we feel that this separation with a site package this large, it'd be advantageous um to separate the two. And we feel there could be some cost savings as as well. Uh, next slide. So, this is just a summary of the cost estimate for both of the projects. So, on the top is the intermediate school. So, you'll see the new building construction cost. This is including the bricks and mortar for the general, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing. Uh, the base bit amount is approximately $12 million. Then when we add in those add alternates for the six classrooms, the auxiliary gym, the walking clinic, that brings that cost to roughly $17 million. Then for um site construction, we're looking at
174approximately $12 million. Uh you you'll also see on the elementary school below we're carrying about a $2 million uh cost there as well. When we work through the design we understand what the pendot requirements are going to be. Understanding what the land development uh requirements are going to be have a better um uh better hold on the cost. We'll adjust these. As Sean pointed out, uh the site development uh is going to be for the entire campus. It's going to be for the uh this entire site. We'll then break out those site development costs in their own category. Um the next line item, uh this 114 to $119 million for the intermediate school. This is what you would see on bid day. And then the two line items below that, that's the construction related soft
175costs and the project related soft costs. And you'll see the subtotal for those. So the intermediate school is approximately $137 million to $141 million. Then with uh Green Village set up the same way with the structure cost, site development, and then the soft costs, which is uh totaling roughly $37 million. And when you combine those two uh with just the base bid, $174 million. And then with the alternate of the additional square footage at the intermediate school, that is the $179 million with the uh original educational program that we had put together that 300,000 square ft. Um the 46 intermediate school cost estimate that we had during the study was between 123 and $128 million. So that additional square footage is what the increase in the construction cost from the study to the project. If
176we can go to the next slide. Uh next one after that. Yep. So this is just some of the next steps that we have as I mentioned just bringing in more of our consultants talking to more of your administration and then continuing with uh the HOP and and land development submissions. And then next slide, this is just looking at um big picture schedule that uh we want to continue with these faculty meetings this winter and spring and then finalize design development over the summer and then we would move into construction documents in the fall. As RLPS pointed out, we'll have to have the act 34 hearing. We'll have to have two act 34 hearings, one for each project. We would suggest that you do both of them in the same night. And uh we would
177also suggest that you wait until the school year starts. You'll get more attendance if you wait until the school year starts rather than doing it over the summer. And then depending on the municipal and the state approval, we would then look to uh release the project for bidding at the end of 2026, early 2027 so that we could start construction in early spring of 2027. Then the next slide, this is just to show your involvement with the project. Uh Dr. Long has asked us to come back in May to give you another update to start showing some of the renderings of the exterior and the interior spaces and some of the design concepts. It's going to show the material and some color schemes. Uh as as RLPS pointed out for the act 34 hearing, you
178will have to adopt a resolution of a maximum building construction cost and a total project cost for each of the projects. Uh once you approve that resolution, then roughly about 3 weeks after that, we can have the act 34 hearing. So this is a community meeting to invite the public uh to understand the need for the project, how you're going to finance the project, and where the details of the project. Then in late 2026, we'll ask for your approval to release the project for bid. Um once we receive the bids, we'll come back and review uh the bids, the base bids and the alternates with you. and then at a future board meeting after that we would ask you to approve an intent to award um with an agreement for those low bid contractors. So
179I know that was a lot if you have any questions or the schedule will as we get closer to those dates or that time frame we'll actually have actual dates that we'll share with you. questions, board members, thoughts, comments? >> I don't know if they're tired or they just all have sticker shots. >> Probably both. >> I'll say the same thing I said to the last architects. A dashboard >> before the >> building automation. >> Okay, cool. >> I have one question. Uh attended a meeting a few weeks ago and there was a major HVAC U improvement project going on. And they hired a contractor that would um guarantee energy savings. If there were any uh excessive energy cost, the company that built that stuff would eat it. Is that an op some possibility with
180the new construction or is that is a different ballgame? uh with we could request our um mechanical engineer to put um to put an analysis together on your energy consumption and what some potential savings could be. Uh but what you're speaking of is a a Giza project like an esco project. >> Yeah. um they have limitations as to the projects they can do uh for new construction, right? And it's just mostly limited to renovations. That's what I thought. >> And only 15% of the project can be new construction. >> Okay. >> Um but um our engineers can do something similar with um with energy cost analysis that's similar to what to what they do. But I want to point out um with those guaranteed energy saving costs that they tell you how to run your
181systems and the limitations and the parameters and the set points that you have to run it at to realize what those savings would be over that course of you know 10 20 years. um you're not tied into those types of uh of requirements or restrictions when you go uh through a um through this type of project with us and our engineers. So, um we can we can definitely talk to them and have Matt talk to them about a energy cost analysis. Um but um yeah, it's a little bit of a different procurement method. >> I thought it was kind of apples and oranges, but what Thank you. >> You're exactly right. Yep. >> I'm assuming there are ways to I mean your building automation system if you're monitoring that it's you you're optimizing that in
182time, right? >> Yes. >> Yep. >> Yeah. >> Other questions. >> Okay. >> I have one. Um and then I'll bring this I'll bring you'll see hear the rest of this under new business. This might be um for the administration as much as the architect even though RPOS is gone now. How close do we coordinate bidding schedules? I I've told Chris a long time ago I felt your HOP is going to drive this schedule and it is uh which is out of a lot of people's control. I have a thought on that, Chris. We share privately, but uh you know, so how close do we coordinate bidding schedules if if one's ready to go to bid due to regulatory approvals, five months before another one is? That might be more of a Chris question. >>
183Yeah, I think our goal was six to eight weeks between bids as we developed. That was our goal. And you can see if you look at their timelines, they were looking November depending um certainly uh D though was a variable that recently came into play at the middle school. And so our goal was 6 to 8 weeks. >> And I think with projects of this size and scope that that is a lot of work for contractors bidding on it to put proposals together and even more strain on the subcontractors. I'm more worried about I'm more worried about that bid separation widening >> and then the board making an award decision. >> Yeah. So, the contractors they're they're supposed to hold their decision. >> They're supposed to hold their bid for 60 days. >> Two months.
184>> Yeah. That's the six months. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you, Anthony. >> I'm realizing I should have got a hotel because I have to be here at 8 o'clock tomorrow morning with uh the faculty. >> How long do you >> We have them >> 45 minutes. Come on, man. >> All right. Uh, board members, I don't think we have a long agenda to get to the end, but would you like a break or do you want to just keep chugging through it? >> All right. >> People have long drives, I guess. >> Okay. Uh, group five consent agenda items. Uh, 5.01 through 5.08. First, administration. any of those seven items you or eight items um you would like to make additional comment on or any comments on. >>
185I'm just going to ask Tammy to talk about the FLC capital project just how we're funding it from the school district side. >> So our portion of the FLC project is roughly seven seven excuse me the project is roughly 7 million. Our portion is 2.9. So our proposal with this item that you would be approving in two weeks would we would utilize the assigned fund balance which we did assign funds at the end of 2526. I can't talk it's too late. 2425 but >> you don't have a long drive Mrs. I >> know but I know >> your drive might be even shorter than Mr. Hex. >> It well he walks so I my drive probably Yeah, it's pretty short. Um, we did assign funds at the end of the 2425 fiscal year for this
186project knowing that it was coming up and we didn't have it in the budget. So, thank you for being patient with my stuttering. >> That was it. The rest are are your >> Okay. >> No, no public comment will come next here um eventually. So, board members, uh, if there's any of these items you would like to Well, actually, it's committee hall. We're not voting tonight. What am I thinking? I am. Nope. >> Okay. Board members, any questions on any of the items? All right. 7.01 gifts, grants, donations, administration. >> Nothing. >> Hope the list grows. >> It's a low month for us. Usually, it's Yeah. Yeah. It's a small month. >> Thought there'd be 300 million for a building on >> Yeah. >> Okay. Board members. >> All right. Policy and legislation. Second reading
187of policies. Administration. Any comments, additions? Nope. >> Board members, any discussions on second reading policies? Okay, item 10 is is privilege of the floor. I will start as I've always done with those who have signed in. Uh if you didn't sign in, don't worry, you will still get a chance to talk if you forgot to sign in because I know there were some that uh came in later. So Josh Troutman, did I get that right? Item 4.02. Yes, sir. >> Up there and grab a mic over there. Drew, can you help him out with the mic? >> Uh, welcome. Uh, well, welcomed. Anyhow, uh, I'm Josh Charmman. I'm a teched teacher at CAMS North, also a parent, uh, also a, uh, community member. Um here in regards to our new building projects, uh especially our
188teched programs and especially the wood shop programs, uh we are, as you can see, building new schools. Um my concern is that in recent meetings that we've had that the trend is to push away from our wood shops. Uh to me, this is a concern. uh without our deliberate action uh this building project risk permanently potentially eliminating wood shops. And I say wood shops as in like kids learning with their hands doing things with machines. Um learning the the skills that they need potentially as maybe in a career, but more importantly as community members. People who are going to own houses someday. people are going to have kids and prone projects and um you know go to the Lowe's on the weekend and and pick something up. My concern is that we uh are going
189to get away from this and that the future it's going to be really hard to add something back in that we've gotten rid of now uh versus planning now and then later saying how do we change? Um our middle school program right now is really really strong. We have some really good equipment, some really good programs that are serving our students really well. Um that moving away from that in a new building would be a shame. I think um I also think middle school is a critical point in a student's development. uh teched especially at this level provides a meaningful early exposure for students before they reach high school where we are expecting them to choose an academy to choose votech to choose electives and they will potentially have never had a chance to do
190any of that stuff at the middle school if we get rid of some of this stuff. Um, so that being said, I strongly urge the board of education and the district admin uh to recognize the lasting impact of what we decide here in these building programs. Uh, planning to intentionally for the wood shop programs and new buildings is just not about preserving a program, but about investing in our students, honoring our community's values, and ensuring the future generations are prepared to be successful beyond our classrooms. That's all. >> Thank you, sir. >> Thank you. Mrs. Valerie Jordan, item 5.01, please. I think I'm going to go off script. Uh Tammy, did I understand you that the um the school our school district's uh portion of the um Franklin County Learning Center is going to be
191paid for with money we saved already? >> Money. >> Well, banks, >> it's money that we have in the bank, >> basically. Okay, so that's good. Uh because I'm going to scrap this because I took it down to a number. if we had the bond. Now for everybody's um information when you get your amate am I want to say am your your list of 20 years. Okay. Amtoriization chart. Okay. I'm gonna take it down to a number so it makes sense for everyone because the biggest and I'll say this um we all pay differently in our school tax bills but let's appreciate our highest tax rate tax payer rate taxpayers here our corporate taxpayers in an endeavor for our school district meaning wellsp is going to be paying the biggest share of this if it's
192the most um if it's the company that pays the most to the school district if you're following me. Uh I know what and I'll figure mine out and I'll figure somebody else's out. I'll be fair and so it doesn't scare the community. And I think with the um wood shop, it may be liability. I know they've done away with it in other school districts because of liability, and that's a shame, but they're doing away with it. They did away with it in New Jersey a long time ago. My son and daughter had cooked. >> Mrs. Jordan, please direct your comments to the school board, please. Well, be respectful of our audience. Thank you. Well, I can look out in the audience, too, Ed. Um, they did away with cooking and sewing in 8th grade in
193Highbridge Middle School. I mean, that was years ago. So, I feel for the kids. There's technical schools and I don't know. I don't know what to tell the community here, but I know I'm going to put it down to a dollar amount for that it makes sense for the community, not to scare the community. I did this back in New Jersey. Thank you. >> Thank you. Okay. other members of the audience who would like to make public comment now would be your time and just ask you please provide your name since we don't I don't know who you are and it will help us with our public record minutes I'm a parent uh professional in the community I'm a realtor for Coldwell Banker I also go into multiple schools Herford County Glenn Elge country school.
194I oversee the wastewater and water treatment at um Mount St. Mary's University. So, I respect everything that everybody's doing here and the the plans for the new buildings is absolutely phenomenal. However, I'm here on a different situation and it is involving kind of the K through third grade that Mr. Henson has spoke about because um now let me try to get my bearings because frustration does get me a little bit givingven how hard it is to and close to my heart the situation. Okay. Um I'll say it like this. My daughter, she's a speed reader. Um she has three music albums, makes over three grand a month playing Minecraft on a computer. She can read a 300page novel in three days. I promise you, she's at the top level of a lot of your education
195and and students. And unfortunately, that's very unfortunate that we're only going to look at them at kindergarten through third grade on their reading abilities because my daughter came here from Big Spring. Now, I got full custody back in the beginning of the summer because unfortunately her mother was not a mother. You know, it happens. So she come in here from Big Spring and this year in Chambersburg and in Big Spring she was to the point where she was selfharming all but to the point of where I didn't know if I was going to pick her up from her mother suicidal. It's sad. Now, whenever I have a meeting with this principal and the other gentleman that was sitting down the other end of the table the other week, they tell me that unexcused absences, education
196really don't matter because it's unexcused. That homework is not expected or even matters in the grading. Now, whenever I went to school, if you were sick, that homework came to your couch. And I appreciate you, ma'am, on the old education. I respect that 100%. And your last name reminds me of a teacher that is near and dear to my heart. Franklin Goggler. Amazing man. Business data processing changed my life. Now I have an associates in business management. I minor in accounting. Now I didn't like high school. Did not like it. I was happy to miss school. But you know why I didn't miss school? Because my books came home with me. And no matter what, my homework still mattered. So when my daughter is upset because well I'm busy. I'm extremely busy. I I make
197the joke with him. I barely have enough time to use the bathroom half the time. You know, I run three facilities, two employees. I have houses on the market, clients calling me all the time. I don't have time to put in a a excused absence within three days sometimes. And then my daughter pays for it. And now I have a child who is an exceptional student that wants to go back to Big Spring. >> Might give you a little more time. We do have I know you're new. We do have a threem minute limit. >> Apologize. I'm going to make it real quick. >> Give you a little more time. Just >> wrap it up. >> I'll try to make it real quick. It's my first time in here. Thank you for everybody's patience. So
198my daughter wants to go back to Big Spring because of your lack of education. No offense, but you're letting your students down. His excuse was, well, if a student's ed if homework doesn't matter, why would they if if they can get the homework at home and it matters, why come to school? Well, you have to go to school to figure out what your homework is because you're still going to fail it. And if your attendance matters and your ed and your homework matters, even if you take it home, then you're going to be at school because just like me, whenever I was in school and I didn't like school, if I still had to take it home, I pushed myself to be in school because no matter what, I had to get it done. So
199even if it's unexcused, it should still be counted. So, if we're going to push kindergarten through third grade and push a million dollars on that plan, well, you need to push it kindergarten through 12th grade and stop letting your students down. Because his excuse is saying the school is accepting the ability to let the students down. >> Thank you. >> Please let the students let themselves down. This unexcused stuff needs to change. My daughter is leaving. >> Thank you. >> And other students are too. Hispanic students. Does the percent Let me ask you this one question. Is the Is this district >> I think we have a couple other members of the audience who would like to speak. So, if you could just >> I just have one question. Does this district have a score
200based on how many people fail per year? Because if they do, that score has to matter more than it does. >> Thank you. Other members of the audience who wish to make a public comment. Okay. Hearing none. Uh item 11 for information. Enrollment sum summary curriculum map and disposal of books, equipments, and supplies. Pretty normal fair. Questions or comments board members on any of those information items? Uh item 12, new business, discussion only. Uh this is the open forum, open mic for board members, uh questions, thoughts, discussions for future discussions, if you will. >> Any thoughts or comments? I just as we're sitting here tonight and it's 9:49, >> I'm wondering if there's any way to move the privilege of the floor during the committee of the whole up further so that people don't have
201to wait. Uh I'm just curious because I know a lot of other school boards do it a lot sooner. I know in our second meeting that it's moved up sooner. Um but it's a long time to wait when we have major presentations like that if people just want to come in and say their piece. Um, and then not that we don't encourage them to stay, but are we being as respectful of their time as we can as well, especially when they can comment on non-aggenda items. So maybe that's not something could be done. Maybe it is. But I if there is an appetite for that, I would like to just see if that's something other members would like to do because I I encourage public participation and I appreciate people that stayed the entire time
202for those presentations to make their comments. Um, but I also know that we are here. we got elected to be here for this period of time. Um and and other people have uh not chosen to do that and so can we be um cognizant of that and and maybe make an adjustment since we do have it earlier at the second meeting. >> What if we did right after the presentations? I think the presentations are excellent. It's great when members of the public hear them, but the rest of it to me >> is not necessarily I'm just >> Yeah. and and for this point like tonight maybe before and not that you don't want to encourage them but that those were two very very long presentations to sit through if you were commenting about something that
203wasn't >> related to those things and if there's not an appetite that's fine that's just where I was at today with the comments that we had and the people that stayed here to comment on things that weren't necessarily related to all of the things we were talking about. So that's just me. Well, I appreciate >> Mr. Haydock, I think you have a comment. I think >> Yeah, I was just gonna say I have an appetite for what Stephanie just suggested because I think it's appropriate that people come here in their busy lives and want to say something that's unrelated and maybe they already know this stuff that follows in presentation. Maybe they don't care, but they're here on their time. And I like the idea of being respectful for what they're giving up to be
204here >> as well. Other thoughts or comments? have been able to respond after thoughts or comments. So sir, sir, we're going to stay with the board right now. >> Thought I appreciate what she said. My my thought I I don't know my personal thought and comment is I still have to process a lot but my initial thought is um my guess is and Chris might even be ready to say this and I don't know but >> maybe because where it is on the committee of the whole agenda versus the regular meeting is the committee the whole agenda is here for discussion right >> okay it's board discussion but it's also public awareness transparency if you will use a buzz word, you know, if you want to, you know, we don't tell the public enough and
205we don't go on talk shows and everything else. So, it's transparency. It's a comment. It's for the public as well. Whereas in our second meeting, we're just here to vote and not as much discussion. So, I don't know where that maybe that's some of the initial thought. I can go either way on it, but you know, yes, they're long presentations, but by golly, I think they're pretty good presentations, and I think the more people that can hear them, the better off everyone is. >> Mr. Bigger. >> Yeah, I'll just I mean, you have a two-step process. So, if you agree to want to talk about it later, we would agree to go to the next step and have a more full discussion. I will tell you the intent of that was to make sure people
206did hear conversations because it answers most of their questions when it is related, but I think your point's valid. At any time you can amend the agenda when you approve the agenda at the beginning. If you would notice a lot of people in the room, you might want to move it for that meeting, but may maybe not permanently. >> That's a great idea. >> So that's a strategy you could use, but that that's for the next discussion if you want to choose to go there. >> Yeah. But don't forget we have the opportunity. I say the audience. >> Yeah, >> they might be doing laundry or doing this stuff on you. >> Right. Right. >> Yeah. >> Fun time doing laundry. Listening to schoolboard meetings. >> Your twostep process. >> Dirty laundry. Air your dirty
207laundry. >> Okay. Any other new business discussion items? One of the things that they discussed at the um PSBA budget review was the importance of boards um communicating with the legislators the impact of the adequacy funding. And I was wondering if it was appropriate for us to do that individually or should we do a resolution um from the board to communicate with legislators what we are using our adequacy funding for and the value of it. What if we did a resolution and then those that wanted to email individually on top of that also do that? I I like your idea. It's great. I'm a fan of individual, but I'm can go either way with it. >> I think a lot >> I say it at every meeting. >> Yeah, just another comment and speak about
208adequacy funding. I had this conversation with with Chris and don't misunderstand this for certain people in the audience who love to misunderstand my comments. But anyway, you know, adequ adequacy money is very nice and we're going to take every penny of it we can get. So, don't get me wrong with my comments here, but it's the the issue with adequacy funding is funding, additional money is one of the re the reasons we get it are not good reasons. >> Oh, absolutely. >> Okay. The primary drivers for adequacy funding are poverty >> and what was the other one? special need just needy students in general, poverty. Yeah. Demographics. >> Whereas the adequacy funding is great and we'll take every penny we can get. We'd all rather have less needy students >> and less poverty in our
209district. So, it's my other and to that point, we'll take I'll take every penny of it we can get and would always love more. But my concern with adequacy funding is now Chris explained to me it is a law so it's probably not going to go away or it's really difficult for it to go away but eventually I'm afraid it's going to go get less and less and less >> and my one of my rationale for this right there's halves and there's have nots right now we're one of the have school districts but there's other school districts who are have nots well they're going to start having their own building project needs and eventually they're going to get a louder voice in legislator ears and the adequacy money is still going to be there as
210a whole but it's going to be divvied up separately. That's my concern with adequacy funding. That's sort of off script but that's my soap box on >> well FA would you and this is just me going based off what you're asking whether we should do a resolution or individually. would you like me to reach out and see what would be more um effective? Because you can talk to our local reps and say, "Hey, if we all send you something, is that going to get more of a thing than if we make a resolution?" What is going to give you more clout when you go and say, "Hey, this is my school district. Hey, this is our school district." You know what I mean? Because maybe there's there's a play one way or the other that
211would be more beneficial. Or do you just want to pick one? Well, I I I just heard them say this on the review and I just felt it was something that we at least ought to consider whether we were going to do it individually or as a group. >> Okay. Well, I can do some research on that and then see and and ask around and see what would be uh most helpful, you know, as far as hey, this is what we're getting if if more if uh quantity is better or if a solid, you know, document from a from an entire board that's signed on. how which would maybe have a little heavier weight or maybe both or maybe neither. It's just going to be, you know, six of one, half a dozen the other.
212But I'll check into that for next meeting. >> Either way, could uh member of the administration outline a few points in terms of h how that money has been used just so we >> absolutely >> a really good understanding of >> what specifically that has done. >> Well, that's the next two meetings. One is about bonds and the other is a three-year budget. So, the next two meetings are perfectly lined up. Perfectly lined up. I just want to confirm Stephanie's comment for you that we're bringing it back to another meeting on the public comment or not bringing it back to another meeting because we usually do a two-step process there. So, >> um, what's the board? I I like your recommendation. >> I like it on the as needed basis. I didn't know that was
213an option. I'm totally fine with that. Yeah. >> So, if we don't have to talk about it again and we're all cool with, hey, >> 37 people here, maybe somebody wants to talk about something and then we can move it, you know, or if we anticipate the presentations are going to be super long to give that option. I'm totally cool with that. >> So, we will have to add that on our agenda historic, >> right? >> You know, we do that on our second meeting. It is an agenda item to approve the agenda. an agenda item to approve the agenda. >> But that has to be an added item on the committee whole agenda. >> How many times can I say agenda in one? >> You're going for >> Okay. Other new business items, topics.
214I don't want to get too late here, so I'm going to throw it out quickly and we can talk about it more. So, probably in two weeks with Mr. Fry. But when the architects was were here, I asked the question about the lag because several months ago we talked about what would what would be the >> what would be the sequence of buildings >> and the sequence of the buildings were the north end buildings before the 78 building. But by these schedules, it sounds to me like the 78 building might be ready for bidding first. So just something to think about between now and then, >> which might be beneficial given our situation. >> Yeah. >> Well, it's not going to make much of a difference on completion, but it's going to make a difference
215on award. The punch line is >> do you award all three? >> We'll be ready for three plans next week for all three versus a delay. >> Yeah. >> Yep. Yep. >> Thoughts? Anything else? Are we going to talk about like if we do have to delay what gets delayed? Is that what you're asking to have? >> I want you I want everyone to think about that. Yes. Yes. >> Yeah. That was a discussion we >> I just wanted to make sure I understood the concept of what you were getting at. Yep. >> That was a discussion we had I don't know a year or so ago. Yeah. >> Okay.