001indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> I'm going to open it for public comment. Move into retirement recognition. >> Yes. Thank you, uh, Snider. I'm going to recognize now none of our retirees that are retiring on, uh, Friday. They're all done this Friday. We're able to be here this evening, but I still want to acknowledge them for those who are listening in to our uh meeting. I want to acknowledge our four individuals who retire this Friday. So, I'd like to start with Dana Gri. Uh Dana has worked uh Dana is currently first grade teacher at Inken Elementary. Dana has worked for the district for 34 and a half years. >> Yeah. Uh she spent when she started she was an emotional support teacher here at the high school. She began emotional support and she
002taught second grade before becoming a first grade teacher. Has never left first grade ever since. And uh and that's where she's finishing. Okay. After she moved there. Um Dana did tell us when we were talking with her she was Sarah gave a little bit of a you know stuff how they work what they were thinking. Dana considers her greatest success to be having a diversified teaching career, adapting to technology, and being on the news with her students with the polar bear exhibit when it opened up at the Pittsburgh Zoo. >> Oh, wow. >> I can't even remember when that was, but I know was there. So, yeah, >> my son was in her second grade. Well, and Dana did tell us she's definitely going to miss the students and the families as well as her
003wonderful colleagues and and and friends that she has made. Uh Dana in her retirement told us that she's look very much looking forward to sleeping past 5:00 a.m. on a regular basis. And uh uh she was asked she gave us a bit of words of wisdom and she said to enjoy the little things every day and to remember the golden rule. Sounds like a first grade teacher to me. So, yes. So, that Dana Garrick. >> Um, our next retiree is Carrie Cara Pandandy. Uh, Carrie has just slightly over, it'll be just slightly over 33 years with the district. Well, 33 years overall, 29 with our district. So, she worked outside. Carrie uh some of you know if you had elementary students involved in the band. Carrie taught music started off at Aken but then became
004I think Carrie was all three elementary buildings and has just recently finished being the band director teacher in elementary and all five buildings. So um you know congratulations to Carrie and and she's doing uh Michelle Lowers uh some of you the students referring to her as Dr. Uh because that's how you say doctor in FR. I'm sorry, Spanish. Sorry, Michelle. Spanish. Okay, she's a Spanish teacher. Uh Michelle has worked at Keystone Oaks for 30 years teaching languages at both the middle school and the high school. Um she served as a department chairperson, the curriculum leader for several years. Um Michelle was also very involved, not only in the classroom, but very involved with outside activities um with the kids. She sponsored at one time the adventure club here at the high school. Uh and that
005uh she took years and years ago. Uh she took several trips and international trips with students overseas over in New York. Many of them uh they uh she took some of the students to ski resorts in Vermont and Canada. Um they did trips to New York City, Mexico, Costa Rica, England, France, Spain, Morocco, Italy. You name that they did it. it's been all over with our kids over those 30 years. So, um, I want to thank Michelle for all of her years of service here, uh, to the district and to the, uh, world language program here, KO. And finally, Kathy Marorrow. Um, Kathy is retiring. Uh, Kathy has exactly 35 years with the district. And, um, Kathy started as a high school French teacher. Kathy was dual certified. She was French and she's also has
006English as a second language, but everybody remembers Kathy and is going to remember Kathy as the English as a second language teacher here at the high school. Um, she's been the English as a second language teacher at high school since 2002. And so, you know, to do the math and there you go, 24 years English as a second language. Uh I asked her yesterday um what what have you seen change with English as a second language? She says I don't have enough time to tell you. We don't have the because there's been a huge change. Um one time you know Keith said I just had a few students and then over the past 14 to 15 years or so huge influx of children from other countries and that here in the district. Kathy, one of
007the things I have to say about her is not only was she a teacher to these students, she was like their second parent, guardian or person that I don't want to use word personal relations or whatever we use the term, but these kids really looked up to her and used Cal that she really cared about these kids well and beyond and not only worked with them but worked with their families in the transition coming to our country. Uh she p she's been Kathy worked in all five buildings. So she's been everywhere before before teaching in a middle school finally uh ending up at the high school. One of the things that a lot of people do not know about Kathy, we acknowledged her yesterday and I would bring up Kathy is really into the animals
008and into the the res the rescue. Well, in case you did, I know Teresa did uh rescuing the pets and so on and so forth and really just a love for the pets. So, all four of these individuals will be missed and I just want to thank all of them for their services and it'll be really great because uh we'll get through Friday and when they wake up on Tuesday and they hear that we're supposed to have snow every day next week, they won't have to worry about trying to get here in the snow. Okay. So, it's it's a great time. So, I want to thank all the years of service to Dana, Carrie, Michelle, and Cal. >> Yes. >> Lot of years of service. a lot of years later. I think when you add
009them all up, I think we what around 150 years. >> Oh, wow. >> It might have included Jack too in that. Include Jack. Yeah. So, but we'll talk about Jack a little bit later. Um I do have another recognition um at your um seats. Every year, the Pennsylvania School Boards Association asks the superintendent on the behalf of Pennsylvania School Boards Association to recognize school the their school board. Why? Pennsylvania School Boards Association declares every January as an annual observance of school director Recognition Month. And it's a time to honor the commitment that you do to working with your superintendent and other administrators as the services that you provide to the district and to the administration. More than 85% of the student of students in our commonwealth attend public schools. 1,9 as of today we have
0101,949 students here at E7. They fall under your your your leadership and so on so forth. what you got um together with the the superintendent and the nine school board members. It's us as a team that works together. Uh as we all know, uh uh you know, you you as you do this, uh school directors play a crucial role in the public education system. You devote I stress it, devote countless hours all all on a volunteer basis. It's all volunteer work. No pay here. Okay. No pay for you. It's demanding. We've seen that happen throughout the years. you what we've seen the tough issues you've had to make uh at times um that you that we've had um the demanding work uh on not only governance and developing policies and talking about policies but also
011approving budgets uh looking at long-term strategic planning like tonight you'll what I first optioned this wonderful textbook knowing that the administration has gone through this and so on so forth so I just want But on behalf of myself, Joe, the entire administrative team here at Keystone, Marin, and and everyone else that we have here, I just want to thank all of you for the work that you do. And what what a better time to do it after. So, thank you. Continue to do what you're doing. We love you. Love what you do. Okay? And uh I'll try to get you a pay raiseer. >> We'll see what the best we can do. >> All right. But thank you to all. So yeah, and there's a little certificate from PSBA that you're there. So okay, that's
012okay. That's all the recognition. We're done. >> Thank you for both of the >> absolutely >> nice tributes. Um I am going to move into president's report. Thanks everyone for your patience as I navigate president's report. Um, so next week we're going to have approval of uh board minutes from November uh 11th and 18th as well as the reorg reorganization meeting um December 4th. It's also going to be two uh student agreements as listed there. Um and then this will be updated for next week's agenda. Mr. Rozo has graciously accepted the Shazda um report um reporting on Shazda. Uh thank you. And um Mrs. Leiden has also graciously accepted PSA. Um um and Mrs. Shaw, did you have anything for Parkway? >> Um anything for Shazda or >> No, it's a new year. We'll see.
013>> Okay. New year. New Shaza. >> New year maybe. Okay. >> So, things will be coming down the pike, I'm sure. >> Cool. >> All right. How about PSBA? >> I don't have anything new. Um, just I I think some folks have signed up for the January training. Um, that'll be at au >> doctor. Did you hear anything about that shet of late holidays? That'll be quiet. >> Quiet. Um just for information only um the committees are listed here um for 2026. >> Um and if everyone could work on um getting dates to Moren so she can advertise. >> Yeah, Moren wanted me to show. We'd like to advertise one time to get cut the cost on. >> Now we advertise. >> Well, we don't have a paper. Well, well, >> that is a great
014question. >> That's going to be a great question. So, that has come up. Sarah and I have begun to talk about that and that is going to be on the superintendent's agenda. We'll start discussing that the at the AIU. It's on our agenda for Tuesdays. With the announcement that there will no longer be a Pittsburgh Post Gazette effective May 3rd, we basically do not have papers in circulation anymore. >> Get the school code set. I would only hope that through PSCA and through legislation up there that we can go to what almost passed the number of years ago, everybody has a website. Just post it on your website and let the people go. So, I don't know what we're going to do. So, I'll turn to our solicitor at some point and say, "Help." Okay.
015What do we do? I don't know. We just know that we're not going to have a newspaper with the >> It's not in general anyway. Nobody else has to be in general press other districts. >> Well, I think Pittsburgh public is going to face this because the city paper also went down at the same time. >> So, there's some concern there. I know they were raising we've been after them from the solicitors association for years to make it not the newspaper, but there hasn't been. I'm hoping that this will push people. >> Yeah. Isn't the trip still train? Like why don't they qualify? >> They don't present Pittsburgh. They only for these >> West Morland County. >> The way the school code is defined, it says it has to be in general circulation in your
016district. So in our case, it would have to be something that's in circulation in Castle Shannon Dormon and Green Tree. So like even if let's say the Almanac was published through those places, if it's not published in all three, it doesn't count. >> Okay. I was only asking because I know the trips still at the BP. >> Yeah. >> Green Road. >> Yeah. >> But >> I don't know. >> That's probably going to be my recommendation if we can't find an alternative or if the law doesn't change. >> Yeah. >> Well, that will affect also um bids, right, doctor? Like for >> affect everything. >> Everything. And not just that, us municipalities too. >> Municipalities. >> It's going to affect everybody. So something has to happen between now and May 3rd. >> Something. It doesn't
017prevent you from putting it on your website. It's also required in the newspaper. So to your point, we can still put it on the website, but now they have to check each of those individual websites. >> Should be continued, right? >> Should be continued. Waited for a budget for you. I want to wait for the governor will come up with his new budget February 3rd. It's already been announced. Thank you so >> um news from the burrow. >> Um um can we just back up for >> Oh, sure. Um I wanted to see if we could get the finance committee scheduled um throughout the rest of this year. >> So the we're going to try to combine it with buildings and grounds. >> Correct. So the fourth Tuesday um of every month would be finance
018followed by buildings and grounds or just combined combined combined because it's all together at 6:30 if that works for anybody. Um, for Chris's sake, I know that we all we >> you have separated committees, but any committee, any person can go to any committee meeting. Um, and finance is one that used to be for everybody. Um, >> but you can attend any committee meeting at any time that you want to. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. >> So, should I send an email to Moren just to let her know? Are you sure? Okay. Thank you, Joe. Thank you. >> And to help everybody out, Rianne has a good point. If there's another committee that there were two other committees and you might want to piggy back off of each other and keep it separate. That way
019it's not all these nights out and maybe with something else. That would probably be great to help just everybody out, >> you know, so the committee if another committee wants to pay. It does make the most sense right now for those two committees because of the remodeling of the buildings. >> That makes sense, >> right? >> Okay. Any other comments on the committee? >> No. Okay. News from the burrow is closed. Just know that where the hill to whiten down. >> It's like periodically. >> Oh, periodically >> stay off the street. >> But not 100%. >> Um, we any >> Yeah. Okay. >> No. Um, we did meet in executive session to discuss uh personnel and student matters. >> Um, Dr. Stro, >> thank you. Miss Snider, it's uh we just have for next week
020for you to approve these three individuals to attend the professional development center listed there. Um, it's all gone through Mr. Kiaak and Dr. Barley over there. So just you can read that things. Any questions just let us know. >> Say what those are. >> Oh yeah. Yeah. So PFCS, Pennsylvania Association of Family Consumer Science Teachers. >> Yeah. Uh PMEA, Pennsylvania Music Educators Association. PSAD, Pennsylvania. >> Uh it it's the Athletic Directors Association. What's the act? state >> Pennsylvania state or school whatever. Yeah, that one I don't know. So I I I only get a 67% tonight. I do not have that one. I I'm sorry. You have a P. And for information only, um Miss Brill, who is our family consumer science, one of our family consumer science teachers at the high school is going
021to be doing a whole presentation on the new personal finance standards here in Pennsylvania. So it's always nice to have our faculty up front there and to be the presenters makes us proud. So thank you. Um I'll figure out the Yes. >> All right. I just wanted to make sure that shared what >> absolutely >> what section what it was about. >> Yeah, that's all for the >> Thank you. >> moving to education widen. >> Education. We'll have one item and that is to approve the um statistics textbook to be put on display. Very thick for being an introductory book. Um >> and I Yeah, we're going to look into that too because there has to be online. I can't >> I am pretty sure Dr. Now I've had this in my office for over
022a month >> and I'm pretty sure she said to me, "This is not the this is the text, but all the students will have the online version. They will not be carrying this around this way." So, okay. But I have to ask her tomorrow. >> They cover the whole book. >> Uh well, for AP, I don't know if you'll cover the whole book, but you you'll have to cover everything that the AP >> division says. You have to there are an awful lot of problems that happen. >> Statistically possible. >> Covering every page is one thing, but but it does cover the elements of statistics. I went through the >> Yeah. the um contents of it and there were only a couple things in there that were um more advanced or new. >> It's heavily
023uh >> Can I look at it? >> It's heavy. >> Sure. It's heavy. It's It's heavily. >> It's heavily >> heavy. Yes. So, >> be very careful. >> By the time it gets over there, if anybody gets carpal tunnel, I have nothing to >> spotted. I I do want to mention one thing. It did not make it on the agenda. I do apologize. The programs of studies for both the middle school and the high school will be on here next week for voting. >> Apologize. It was inadvertently left off. It will be on for next week. If anybody here has any questions, it was in my capsule last week. If you have any questions regarding the um uh the what's there in the changes, Dr. Farley said to please reach out to her because she
024knows all this. And I do have to apologize. Did Did you get my weekly counsel last week? >> I bet you did because I just found out that you did. Okay. But I just want to make sure because I asked for all the distribution list to be changed to everybody's name and then in one thing I didn't see your name, but So you got let me know if you did. Yeah. >> Yeah. So I want to make sure. But that will be on the uh uh agenda for next week. So there'll be two more items on our program of studies approval middle school program of studies approval for the high school. um pupil personnel >> uh the pupil personnel report. There's just one item and it's every year we approve an agreement with Western Psychiatric
025Hospital for any students that we need to um work with placed there in the education uh uh back and forth with the district. So um just asking the board to update that agreement which will go from January 21 2026 January 20th 2027 it's always good for one year so renewable time that's all for >> thank you personal >> thank you um next week we will be uh going over some replications um one replication appointments for food service, longterm job, >> um activity and your mentor teacher. >> Is that activity siphon for swim? I don't think Annie was >> change. >> She was not getting paid before. She was a volunteer. So, I'm glad to see her getting paid. But how does that work? Didn't we already have an assistant? >> No, the assistant resigned. Um,
026so they will be paid for the days they worked. Um, and then Danny picked up the remainder, so she'll be paid. >> Well, it's good that she's getting paid for the work she's doing. Um and then also um approving unpaid leave and intermittent family and medical leave to thank you. >> Uh finance, Miss Lindsay. >> Thank you, Miss Snider. Um so we're going to have a couple board action items requested. um accounts payable approval list December through November and December we're going to have to review and then the resolution um for the tax index um Joe if could you explain that? >> Yeah. So Chris, so what this does um the board will not be allowed to raise a tax above the um index that is set by the state. Um in order to do
027so you have to either qualify for exception um or go out for referendum. I can say since I've been here, we would never qualify for an exception. Um, which is why the board always passes this resolution um to say to taxpayers that the highest you can go um is to that index of 3.5% for next year. It doesn't mean you have to go to that. Um it just gives you the option to go to that um if that's what's decided once the final budget is passed. So um we're required to pass this resolution every year. Um but like I said um I have tried for exceptions in the past. um we would never qualify for a dose. So, it's just not something um that we wouldn't be able to. I think the state has also
028reduced the number of exceptions that you used to be able to very minimal. The state has really changed their process. So, there's very little you can do. >> There were years when that number was very well and that would be the only reason. >> Oh, correct. Oh, absolutely. >> This is lower than last year. >> It is. It is. It is >> so 3.5% closer. >> Yeah, last year it was 4.1. So the index that we were given this year by the state, >> this is the base index 3.5. >> We just get the base index here >> in the district. There's neighboring districts around they're higher than that. >> It's adjusted to that. But we are >> we're considered in the state's eyes financially stable >> and we have we haven't we've always 14
029years I can say we've been financially stable. >> It's not the same. >> No, they're adjusted. >> So same. >> So neighboring districts, you know, you can I'll see if I could dig up the chart. I know I have it. I can send it to all of you. I'll show you what the neighboring districts there. >> Yeah. Is it? >> Yeah. It's just on their budget finance. I'll put it in the cap or or just send it to the report. Put it in the Okay, whatever. Yeah, put it in. Yeah. >> But is the when they adjust this, do it is it considering just the school's financial health or does it also consider other external factors like the community's financial health? >> Yep. >> Looks at the community, looks at your percentage of economically disadvantaged.
030They always use that number, you know, in their formula. And I don't know, we always know what kind of goes into it, but they never tell us how they come up with it. That's a typical Department of Education. It's a secret. How do we come up with the number? >> We know what goes in. >> Yeah. It's like a secret recipe, but we just don't we've never expected this >> for us. Yeah. But I think it'll give you some idea. We we'll share it with you this week. the list of all the school districts, 501 states, so you get to see everybody. >> Um Joe, I also I wanted to I was going to email you, but I wanted to ask um since we do have a new board member, you do a presentation sometimes
031that talks about what 100 means, 200 means, 300 means. I didn't I didn't know if you could maybe do that again or just maybe meet with Chris separately just to make sure that >> Are you going to the January training at the >> Yeah, >> they go through that in detail there. >> They do. >> I haven't been to the full training so many years. >> They do go through that. >> Okay. They they they provide at least they always did. >> They do. Yeah. Okay. They still do that. Chris, what they're talking on that chart that Joe has pulled up there. You see those first numbers 100, those are codes. Those are your big area codes every school district has. And then your budget breaks down from there. >> So yeah, we usually Yeah.
032County I'm familiar with the how structural. >> So that's right because yeah, >> what they specifically mean on this particular budget, so I'm familiar with the structure and how it's supposed to work. If you have further questions, I'm more happy to meet with you and I'll explain my budget process of what I do. But, you know, any questions if you're curious, we can schedule time and I'll explain what I do. >> Yeah. Okay. Thank you. >> Great. Thank you. Um, any public comment? >> Gentlemen in the blue sweater. >> I have one item. Um, Bill and I, we are working on um for next week to have um a bid approval for Windows. Um, we were just going over some finalizing um to make sure everything's okay, but we'll hopefully have that on for next
033week. So, um I just want to let you know that'll be on there. Um we were just making sure everything in line with what we need to do. So, that should be on there for next week to award those um to get those started. And the bids were the bids were open last week for the first phase and this is the windows for the bid. Everything's being our solicitor. >> Joe, are you going to upload some um supporting documentation in the council? >> Yeah. So, >> I'm happy to look at it. I don't know if everyone else wants but if you could include more than less just >> Yeah, I'll give you everything that we have. I'll just wait for AJ SDR to send everything over. Yeah, I'll include everything that way. And if you
034guys have questions, please reach out and let us know. But I'll include everything. >> And we've been waiting. So now that there will be a buildings and grimes committee meeting, we know the date at that meeting. Uh we will also present to you the three quotes proposals for the remodeling of the playgrounds both at Aken and Dormmont. We will need you to approve those in February after review so we can get that project going for when the weather when the weather breaks. So when the weather breaks, we need to get more project coming. >> Starting this month, >> are that's a good question. Are your grass finances you want it for this month? >> I don't know if that's a date in there. >> I'd like to be this month, >> the 27th. >> Yeah,
035we're do one in January. >> Did we only We could put it on >> we only bid the windows. >> Yeah. So right now that's the only bid. We are working on the infrastructure which will bring up the committee but right now you have the only bids that went >> right now. They're working up on the bids for the HBAC the electrical roof >> the roof >> and that's all that's all next. >> Yeah. And and you will probably approve those hopefully in March if not April. depends when when the bids get up. So if that gets going I think April was it April. >> What's the timeline for the um playground >> have them done for when school starts. So we the playgrounds may be out of keep our fingers because you know how
036supplies are. So keep our fingers crossed if the playgrounds have to be shut down for the month of May. Oh well we're we're getting them started because we're under school start. So that's >> it'd be nice if they still have access but >> yeah we need to get and once again playgrounds are just Aken and Dormont >> right >> you know not Myrtle because of the restructuring of the site at Myrtle >> the potential restructuring >> refrigeration >> and they're two >> cool nothing else I'll make a motion to second >> all those in favor I I impose.