001[snorts] Call this meeting to order. Roll call, please. >> Mr. Baker, >> here. >> Mrs. Barlo here. >> Mrs. Bombgardner >> here. >> Mr. Herb >> here. >> Mr. Harshburgger >> here. >> Dr. Ketchum >> here. >> Mr. Syers >> here. >> Mr. Wyan >> here. >> And I know Mrs. Dixon is here. >> Mrs. Dixon here. >> My money. [laughter] >> Communication reports. Uh, school board secretary. Mrs. Lewis. >> I don't have anything this evening. >> Thank you, Mrs. Lewis. Uh, school board members. >> I just have a question for uh Mr. W. Uh being a PSBA route, do you could you email me like horses or >> Yeah, I can get you updated. >> There's some coming up here soon. >> There's one on Saturday. >> Yeah, there's one on Saturday at state
002college here. I'll send out the full schedule again to the group sessions. >> All right. Thank you. >> Yep. >> Thank you, Mr. Baker. Uh, any other board members? >> Our superintendent, Mr. Barner. >> Thank you. You have two presentations this evening. The first one is going to be an overview of our special education program. Mrs. Marsh, >> am I ready? >> Yep. Does someone want to hit the front lights? >> Okay. Hi everyone. Tonight I'm just going to talk a little bit. It's my annual report to the board about special education services in the school district and where we stand with the program. I'm going to start off first with a summary of all the personnel in the department. So, we have two administrators, myself, the director of student services, and my assistant supervisor
003of special education. And then we have uh two administrative support [clears throat] staff, my confidential secretary, as well as an administrative secretary who also is our school-based access coordinator. Which computer is it? >> This one or that one? >> It's in the point across there. [snorts] >> I'm sorry. There it goes. What do you think? >> Give it another try. I might need to rely on Mrs. Connect. >> I don't see it either. >> Oops. Is that you? >> That's me now. I got it. I got it. Okay. Thank you. Uh staffwise, uh we currently have 66 special education teachers and I did the breakdown there for you. Uh learning support of course is our largest group of teachers. Um we are growing in the area of autistic support with 12 teachers. Um and then
004there's the breakdown for the rest of them. I'm not going to read them all to you. And we are now up to 97 career professionals. >> Can I ask a question? Are all the positions you're outlining here full-time positions or are there part-time positions as well? >> Um, are we have a few uh part-time pair of professionals? Maybe five or no, maybe six or seven. I can get that for you if you want that. But otherwise, they're all full-time. [clears throat] This year we did add the behavior support teacher as a position and I will talk about that a little bit later in the presentation but she has been um she's one of our experienced teachers and she's been very helpful with a lot of different um things that have been happening in the district
005this year. I'll talk a little bit about that later. Um supporting staff continuing. We have 10 SLPs in the district. That has grown over the years as has our occupational therapists and our kodas, our certified occupational therapy assistants. Uh and then our physical therapists, our school psychologists. We currently are uh plan to have five, but we have one vacant position right now. So, we're operating with four. just uh in mid-Marchch we were able to obtain a contract with the company to contract that position for the remainder of the school year because we were getting overloaded with evaluations. So um he is here with us through the end of the school year. And then we do have one sign language interpreter for a student at Indian Valley and she is also a contracted position. >> Can
006I ask another question? I'm sorry. The vacant position for school psychologist is that the one that the position is offered and we're waiting on action acceptance. Correct. So, that is filled for next school year. Um, we're just waiting on paperwork and clearances and things like that. Has that been initiated? Because it seems like that offer has been extended a while ago. >> Lo, it like >> it has been initiated. Um, I believe the individual is currently in an internship. Um, and it's not local. So, we're waiting for the individual to get back to complete. Um, we always wait for the individuals that we hire to complete a drug screen before they're put on the agenda for approval. So, they don't have a set time period to complete it and then they essentially could [clears throat]
007then say, "Sorry, I was offered another job." And then work back to square one. Um, I mean, they could, but the reason for this instance is because of the person is in an internship. There's there's not a time limit because I didn't give a time limit because of the situation and the fact that we're filling it for next school year. Okay. >> But SOP wise is there normally for any >> we always ask for drug screens to be done within seven days of the job offer. Yes. >> Okay. >> Can I ask question? >> Sure. [clears throat] And the folks that all the folks you listed the gifted teacher where does that person fall? >> She would fall I don't have her listed here. She's so gifted is special education but it's not special education
008but yeah we do have one teacher of the gifted. >> So [clears throat] sorry. >> No you got it. Uh are you going to in your presentation tell us how many kids you have in that >> in the gifted program? I can tell that's not in the presentation but I can tell you there are approximately 40 students in the district identified as gifted. >> Okay. Do you find that uh we we possibly could need another gifted teacher at some point? >> Not not at this point. So, um, we actually just met with our with our teacher and the school psychologist last week or the week would have been last week to talk about our process and identifying students. We are going to change it up a little bit, but I don't know that it's going
009to find more students. So, you know, we do have a screening process that we had to create and every school district has to have a screening process for gifted. So, um, we've been following that process. Hope we were hoping to find [clears throat] more students with that. >> Teachers make recommendations for >> teachers are part of it. >> Is there any information publicized about that anywhere on our website? >> It's part of our child find notice that is on the website and that's posted in every building. >> Yes. >> Thank you. >> I got one question too. Uh your teacher the vision impaired hearing impaired. Is that including there two including the opening or is it just one district wide? >> She is one districtwide. Okay. She has both of those certifications. So fortunate >>
010that is still that position is still open then too. >> It is posted for next school year. Yes. >> Okay. Thanks. >> Back to the fil position. [clears throat] She's fil but we still have to vote on it. Right. We can't vote till we get the clearances. Okay. >> Could you I'm sorry. So there is the ratio for gifted students is one teacher to 40 students districtwide. >> Um I [clears throat] should know this number. I'm sorry I don't. >> How many special education students do we have then with the 66 teachers? That's that will be next. We're right now. >> Sorry. How about I let you just [laughter] No, no problem. So this will tell you right now we are at 950 students special education the diff. So So that's a good question. SP
011learner because every we are um regulated by chapter 14 and case load requirements. So in gifted they can have a much higher case load than what say autistic support teachers can have. So it's all just regulated by school code. But isn't that due to gifted students only receiving services one day out of a six day cycle? >> It depends on the student and what their gifted program is. But most of the times yet it's just one day a six day cycle >> right where special education >> most getting a lot daily. Yeah. >> Yeah that's correct. So yeah so this first graph looks at the number of students receiving special ed services in the district and um I have data back from the 201920 school year. So, [clears throat] as you can see, we dipped
012a little bit during the COVID years, uh, but we picked back up and we are continuing, um, our trajectory of increasing the number of students identified as needing special education services. Is it like die out? You don't use it. Is there only [clears throat] that? [clears throat] question. >> Sure. [clears throat] >> Out of that what? 950. >> Okay, there it went. Okay. >> 150. Uh, how many were like IEPs and how many were 504s? >> So 504s are regular education students, but I do have that number here for you tonight because I anticipated that maybe people would wonder how many 504 plans we have in the district. Uh, we currently have 396 students with 504 plans. But that's that's separate from the 950 correct. >> Correct. >> Okay. >> That's correct. So 396 students
013with 504 plans and they are accommodation plans. So they don't have all the details that an IEP has, but they are students who may have um allergies, ADHD, you know, anxiety. Um we're definitely increasing in those mental health areas for sure. But um but yeah, >> thank you. >> Well, that one's not going to work now. So, let's see if this one does. >> Better. Thank you. Great. And then I just broke it down by percent and there's going to be a a graph later on in the presentation that will will look at percentage um and where the state currently is. But we are increasing the percent of students receiving special education student uh service in the district. We are at 21.6% as of last school year. So I'm using last school year, well 25
01426. This is our most most current data um that we have available to us. So the state average years ago, Mr. Barner and I talk about this a lot. It used to be like you wanted your number around 15 or 16%. Um but that has changed. Uh and now we're up over 21 point. We're at 21.6% right now. So then what I'm going to do on the next several slides is just highlight where we are with the different disability categories so you can see uh what we're we're seeing in our schools. So the number of students with autism um is increasing every year. Um, for example, I know next year we have as our students move from Lewistown Elementary School to the intermediate school, we have nine students going to the intermediate school next year
015from Lewistown Elementary with autism and we are getting eight more that will go to Lewistown Elementary School. So, our number just continues to maintain or to get higher. So, um, so just to to let you know that is Is there I'm by no means a medical person. Is there a test that you give them to for them to be Yes. >> Or is it a doctor's diagnosis? >> Sometime it is sometimes most often a doctor's diagnosis. However, we can do a school-based evaluation to give them a school-based diagnosis of autism. Our our school psychologists are trained to do that >> and we don't need to get the doctor's note then. >> Oh, >> yeah. But most of our like our incoming students are getting diagnosed from um there's a clinic in Ginger at the ADMI
016clinic um a specialized clinic in Lewisburg. A lot of our students will get that diagnosis from that clinic or from another you know [clears throat] physician or psychologist or psychiatrist somewhere else. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. >> Students with intellectual disabilities starting to flatline here a little bit. Um so those students uh you would see in our life skills programs but they're also students who just receive learning support too. So intellectual disabilities doesn't necessarily mean that you are going to be a student who needs to be in our functional life skills programs. We have learning support students who also have intellectual disabilities. emotional disturbance also an area where we dipped back during COVID and um and moved back up. So, we're sort of flatlining there a little bit right now with 17 72 students. And
017this is our this is our our growing area students with other health impairment. So, other health impairment is just another category of special education where it's typically a medical diagnosis of some sort. Most of this growth I would say is because students of students having ADHD. That's the biggest area. So we continue to grow in in this category. >> That's huge. That's that's a big jump. >> Wow. So ADHD is a majority of that. [clears throat] >> Any thoughts? I'll just ask it then. you answer how you will any thoughts why I mean that that that slant of a an increase has me concerned especially if it's ADHD >> yeah I don't know it's >> I'm just curious yeah it's just what we're seeing I think pretty nationally probably I would say it's common it's
018growing this is also where we may sometimes see our students who have Down syndrome could be other health impairment also. So, some of our medical like true medical diagnoses, but most of it is ADHD. >> Our speech and language impairment, the uh this area has grown and now we're sort of flatlining. So, that's a good thing. Um so, we have a lot of students who receive speech and language services in the district. Now, is this primarily just general speech and language or is this for does this also take into account um ESL students? >> No, ESL students are different. They're English learners. So, not we may have L's who need speech and language services, but it doesn't that's not those students. These are students who just have like articulation errors, flu, you know, fluency, which
019is this um stuttering or language like, you know, when kids are little and they say me go to the store, like that's language. So they they're they work with, you know, pronoun usage and verb usage and things like that. Okay. >> And then our largest category are students with a specific learning disability. And we took a big jump this year. uh we we jumped up 10 students and that's big that's a big jump for us in this area because we've been um you know up and down up and down but this year we took [clears throat] >> how do you segment your staff when we have jumps like that I mean is it one person per 10 every 10 I'm just using 10 as a number >> right >> how do you segment your staff
020>> right so of course by building and then our teachers will meet and at at the beginning of the school year and they they work on their case load. So the students that are assigned to them based on student schedules at the secondary level. We do it a lot based on students schedules because our special education teachers are often co-eing. So we look at if if I'm the co-teer in math class, I want to, you know, I want to see my students so I can see how they're doing in class and progress monitor how they're doing and things like that. At the elementary level, we do it mostly by grade. So, um you know, at um you might have K1 in one, you know, one teacher might have grades K1, another teacher might have grades
021two, three, >> right? >> She does take the numbers like autistic is 8 to1 ratio. >> Yes. >> Yeah. >> Just like you said. Yeah. >> I know what I knew where you were going. >> Yeah. Yeah. So that's what what hurts us with staffing concerns is you increase you know setting eight to the intermediate school that in itself is already at one section by itself maxed out. >> Yeah. >> So then if you have one more student move in you're already going to need a second teacher now. >> In the same school. >> Yeah. >> Oh yeah. >> Because that was my next question. Do we share between schools? I don't have any traveling teachers between buildings except for like our teacher of the hearing impaired travels. Our gifted teacher travels but like our
022learning support teachers work in their build like learning support, emotional support, they work in their buildings. Okay. >> Full-time. Yeah. [clears throat] >> All righty. Um, so I'm going to talk about students in in a special education placement. So, we contract with two licensed private schools to uh support our most needy students. So, the students that we have exhausted all of our resources. So, we've tried learning support or I'm I'm going to say these schools I'll back up a minute. We contract with these two schools. Soaring Heights School and there are two locations. We have the one down in Mifflin Town, Mifflin actually >> and one in State College and then we have the Marake School which is located in State College. So we will transport students there to and from school every day. [clears
023throat] Um and as I was saying they are students for whom we've exhausted all of our internal resources and they mostly go if they have if they need more restrictive autistic support or more restrictive emotional support. So they are um so these are students who we've done everything we can. They've been in that supplemental full-time. That means they are in the special education classroom most of the day and we have done everything we can to support them and they are still not making progress. They may have significant uh behaviors, physical aggression, verbal aggression. um those situations where you know sometimes we've had some some students who do they they attack our staff, they attack other students and we can't have them in our schools. We just as much as we try and we can't meet
024their needs. So um this is where we are with students in placement at this time. So um we did increase over the past few years and it seems that we are flatlining a little bit. >> Question for you. Do students typically come back after placement or they there are a certain number of years as a >> depends. Okay. >> So it depends. Some students do um make great progress. Next year, as a matter of fact, I'm bringing back two students from uh one who's over at the Mar School and State College and one who is down at Sarin Heights in Midland. >> Okay. >> Um they're doing really well. Um they're meeting their goals and they're ready to return. So >> some students will stay there all through 12th grade and they will they will
025graduate. They get a Mifflin County High School diploma. They do get our our diploma, but they will remain there just simply because they need that that specialized instruction. >> Could you talk a little bit more about like what the criteria is for that? Like what what what's the what what triggering events or observations do you >> Yeah. So it's an IP team decision honestly. So, and it looks different for just about, you know, every situation is different, but really like we will collect data. >> Um, and we we look we collect behavior data and we look at the intensity of the behavior, the duration of the behavior, how often we're seeing the behaviors because these students are typically students who have behaviors that we cannot manage that they are unsafe to be in our school.
026Safe unsafe for our staff, other the other students. >> What about the learning of like to make sure they they can because I I'm not sure. I'm not I'm I don't know everything how it all works exactly, but >> when they when they're in the mainstream classes during the day and then they're they move in and out of class, right? So like is it just their behavior in isolation or is it also how they um interact with the other children when they're >> It's a combination of both. It's everything. >> Yeah, it's everything. Most of the students before they go to one of these placements, they are already in our most restrictive placement that we have available in the district. So they're already spending most of their day in a special education classroom. >> I
027see. >> And even in that classroom with all the paraprofessional support and our special education teacher support and everything else, they're still >> Yeah. Too hard. [clears throat] >> Thank you. >> Sure. >> Can you make the determination when they're ready to come back or does the placement? >> Yeah, we do it together. It's an IP team decision as well. I tend I um attend all of these IP meetings and I'm the main point of contact for these students in placement. So, you [clears throat] know, I head down to Soaring Heights, Mifflin often. I was there twice this week for some IEP meetings and I have another one next week, but we we I closely monitor collaborate with those directors of those programs and those schools and we just talk about how students are doing
028and we look at the data. It's all driven by data. >> Do they have a limited capacity that they can take or >> they do? So they're they have to follow the same requirements that we do. So they can only have eight students with autism in a classroom. Yeah. They they have to follow those same requirements. What are their classroom hours? >> Sometimes they're a little shorter than our day like um they they go like 9 to 2:30 and then they still come home. And >> yeah, >> that does we have transportation concerns. You as you can imagine there's a lot of extra vans. I mean Mr. farmer. Do you have ballpark how many extra vans >> are running? Oh my gosh. >> Off the top of my head, I don't, but I can certainly
029get that information. >> It does create a scheduling. >> I mean, I know there's there's two or three going to State College between Soaring Heights and Maria. And there's >> probably three or four going down to to Mifflin. >> Yeah. >> And sometimes you can't transport a bunch of It's not like you load up the vans either. >> Yeah. We have to be >> personally. We right now as a matter of fact um have a pair of professional one of our paras who is riding the van with one of our students with autism to mifflin every day because he is so difficult to manage. [clears throat] He has broken the inside of the van. >> He has um screens you know he can't it's he has autism and he really struggles and we're trying to
030work with the family and the family is working with us to try to figure out but it really has helped to have a pair on the van with him. Are you ever in a position where you would want to send someone but there's not enough space? >> That's not happened. >> Okay. [laughter] >> I think they will make space or they Yeah, it's very expensive. >> We're paying 280 a day or more >> for them to be educated in those settings. >> Yeah. Plus transportation. So, I wanted to show you just district enrollment trends. Um, again, I took this back to 1920 and up to 2526. And I just wanted to show you that um our regular our total student population is declining. Uh, and you know, and I know that you have all talked
031about that here at the board table, but our special education population is increasing. Is that from within or is that from outside or both? The increase in the special education is that from within like we've just identified the regular education students and they've now fallen into the special education category thusly increasing that >> sometimes so to speak sometimes. And I'm going to have a slide here that shows you kindergarten uh enrollment because that's they when they come into us with IEPs. But um yeah, I mean some of the students do come in this year. That data will be coming up here soon. You know, students come in a hundred students with IEPs from preschool. Um so yes, sometimes they come in with them and then as they're here, you know, like then we identify more.
032>> Okay. >> Are you able to share the data similar to this but by grade level? I could. I don't have that, but I could if you were interested in that. >> That would be interesting. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> The biggest thing that I've seen in my time here is how many students come in in the kindergarten with an IEP already. That is just something I've really had a hard time getting my head around. But it also could be a good thing whereby the CIU >> offer a lot of services and testing try to identify students and that that age 2, age three, age 84 when really developing the brain has the largest growth at age three. So they're trying to get the services and >> it's but that's the biggest thing that I think
033I've really been shocked in the last 15 years. >> Yeah. Well, I was also curious. So if you look if you took like a random sample out of the 767 people in 2019 and a random sample out of 950 would you and you put them next to each other would you see would they be the same? You know what I mean? Like you know like or are people getting in that don't have as great a need or less of a need? You know >> I would say we call it acuity. The need the need of our students is greater than what it's ever been. >> Like if you were just I would say the the needs of those 767 was far less than the 950. >> And I will go on and say you have
034more autistic percentage of autistic students and then you go from the you know maybe a 30 case load 25 case load to 81 which is also forcing us with the staffing. >> Yeah. So this is that incoming kindergarten enrollment trend I [clears throat] was going to show you. So back to 2019 and we um you know and to where we are today. So again our kindergarten enrollment it's been a little up and down but we're sort of on a downtrend. But then if you look at the the incoming kindergarteners uh through preschool transition we call it but that's those students coming in with IEPs from preschool and uh that is continuing to grow as well. How do they get an IEP from preschool? >> Oh, they um well, students with autism are getting um have
035services when they're 3, four, five. Um you know, speech is huge. Speech is huge. That's our biggest group, speech. >> Um anything that >> and and a lot of them are so the regulations change from preschool to school age. So, a lot of them are identified as developmental delay. So, it's an it's it's a different it's just a category that um that we don't recognize. Although the law I'm I'm hearing from the Bureau of Special Ed that that's going to change for next year, which is good for us because federal IDEIDA allows the developmental delay to carry through to the um to entry to start of school entry. So, it looks like Pennsylvania is going to change that to align with what the federal law says. But um but developmental delay is the big like
036developmental delay and it's usually speech um also um just like um like social emotional and for the little ones it's just like being able to sit at circle time and pay attention to it like complete a task you know so but they will they will be eligible for that >> age. >> Yeah. And a lot of it I think is they're they're four years old by >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. So, um, I did this I I put this together today actually because this morning I thought I dreamt about it honestly in the middle of the night and I thought, you know, where where are we? I thought it would be good for you to see where we are in regards to um, state enrollment trends. So like there are and the next the next
037graph will make a lot more sense but basically what this is saying in the state and the whole state this is not county yet that is how many the blue is how many regular education students receive education in the state of Pennsylvania and the red is those student is the number of students who receive special education services. Now, I do only have data through 2425. So, that does not include this year yet. That that release won't come till May. But I think Oops, I did the wrong button. Oh my goodness. But this is the one that probably makes the most sense to really focus on. So, they always say that we should not be higher than the state percent. like we should be at least at the same level as the state and special education
038percent of students. So, um, as you can see, the light purple is Mifflin County and the dark purple is the state. We're we're we're getting close to what the state is 2425. You know, we have 20.4% 4% during that school year who were in special ed and 20.7 at the state level. But we are still staying lower than the state level. That's good news. That's good news for us. Like even though our percentage of special education students is increasing, we still don't have as many as like with the state target. Like we're below the state target and that's good. >> What happens? >> Well, I don't know. We haven't. That's so we were >> a bit of a disturbing trend and I don't see a sign that it's going to come back down. >> No.
039And um we were told at um the Bureau of Special Ed told us last year that if we get over 20% the state of Pennsylvania will go into improvement. That hasn't happened yet. >> Like at the state level they we will like there will be improvement at the state level, but that has not happened. So that's good. I guess maybe they're seeing a rising trend across the nation. So maybe the federal government is changing up. >> What do you mean improvement at the state level >> to reduce? So like there are state targets that the department of ed has to meet for um special education and we get um they get monitored just like I like our special education program gets monitored. So when they get monitored they have targets that they have to meet
040at the state level and if they don't meet them they also have to implement an improvement plan and and talk about how they're going to improve in that area. So, Pennsylvania, I think we just got a letter. Well, we get them every year that we are meet or exceed expectations. So, we're doing okay in the state of Pennsylvania. >> Yes. The feds we put them like on an improvement or [clears throat] something. >> So, we're doing we're staying less than uh the state percent, but we are hovering. We're getting closer. So, but that's good news for us. >> But ultimately, that's something that's completely out of our control. We we have no way to control this >> to control what Yeah. >> the percent of Yeah. I mean, we there's nothing we can do, >>
041right? Or am I wrong? >> Well, I mean, there's probably not a whole lot we can do, but there's little things we can do to try to make a difference. >> But yeah, we can't we can't control something. >> Who has autism? We can't control the ADHD. We can't control >> Yeah. and and intellectual discipline like we we can't >> you might be able to get in a perfect world some learning disabled students get to that cusp and then become regular ed that's but >> but it's it's not a ton >> this is just a lagging indicator you watch because it's important for knowing where you're at but it's not as any control they're doing right that's independent >> all righty so now I'm going to talk a little bit about what we've been working
042on this year we've been a little busy we're always busy um aside from attending a gazillion IEP meetings and parent meetings and all that good stuff. I like to focus on like some of the big things we've been doing. So, this year we did create two autistic support classrooms at Indian Valley and that is um is a great thing because it enables our students with autism to attend school in their home building before we were we were driving them over to Lewistown Elementary School. Um and then what we also did is I'm um so reduced our enrollment of autistic support students at ELES and that that has been a bit a big help over there because their their classrooms are full even by us doing this. Do >> we have more space in that building?
043>> In what building? >> Indian Valley. >> We we did have space. Yeah. >> Yeah. I mean I toured that building when I first came on the board and they were looking for space for other things too. Yeah. >> So, that behavior support teacher position that we added for this school year, she has been um amazing [clears throat] at helping us to get these programs up and running. So, she consults two plus days a week out in Indian [clears throat] Valley still. I mean, she's not spending as much time there as she used to, but she really did help to support the successful startup of those classrooms. Our goal was because EES's autistic support program has been so successful. Our students do great there. They make great gains. And so our our idea was we
044really want to copy and make them very similar as similar as we can. Um so she used this our behavior support teacher used to be an autistic support teacher at LE and so having her consult and uh setting up those classrooms has been really helpful. I have a quick question. Is there any funding or grants or anything the state can get to help maybe add concerns or add? [clears throat] Yeah, I'm not aware of any. >> Yeah, I mean I get I get notice of all those grants. I haven't seen any come through. Mrs. Kep, I know you see grants, too. Not usually for special education. It is really an unfunded mandate. You hear that a lot. Special education is an unfunded >> but it's also would not be permissible. Let's say we wanted to
045add an autistic classroom to stroke a you know so we bring in action mobile put a mobile classroom that's where you take your autistic >> you put a third grade classroom and modular classroom but your your special education students have to be in the main building. Yeah, they have to be in the eb and flow of your building >> and the state must measure how good the classrooms are per student for like your third grade. It's not necessarily it's important. >> So, we're going to need a fune specialist or what? >> Is it still 25 square feet? >> Yep. >> Funue specialist. >> Last year we started a partnership with Penn State on um the implementation of this all reading curriculum. the all reading curriculum is accessible uh learning and it's a reading curriculum for
046our non-verbal students and um we've been implementing that in autistic and life skills support and that is going very well and we've loved the partnership with Penn State so that's been very helpful this year at L and the middle school we also implemented a curriculum called essential for living um and it is an a very functional life skills curriculum and um that is going very well and we're really happy with what that is look like. Um we went down and visited classrooms in Elizabeth Town and in um like the York area um and looked at what they look like and and you know because it's an evidence-based curriculum and it works. So that again our behavior support teachers helped us with that too and getting that up and running. So it's been it's been a
047great success. [clears throat] uh we have uh selected some teachers to attend the three session behavior boot camp training at the IU this year. Those three points there are just some of the topics that were touched upon and it's been uh well very well received and um you know we're looking to bring some of that training um to the district next year for all of our staff and our care professionals. Um it's been very good training. Um we are working on our application for lees to use response to intervention as a method for identifying students with specific learning disabilities in reading and math. East area in Indian Valley and Strods already have that approval for reading. So Miss Barl when you talked about how we can reduce our numbers. So there are two methods that
048you can use to identify students with learning disabilities. One is the traditional discrepancy model and that is where you look at IQ and achievement and if there's a discrepancy in there then they they could receive service as a specific learning disability. But the new model response to intervention is actually where you don't wait for kids to fail. So you you respond immediately, you intervene, you give them interventions to try and close the gap. So, as we're doing that, um, you know, the hope is that with that early intervening with, uh, different reading or math interventions that we close the gap and then they wouldn't need they wouldn't need special education. That has really helped us at least. I'm going to tell you, you want those numbers. ELES is our lowest SLD group in the district
049because they are they work hard at it. So, that's why they they should be approved and they just never did the application. But um that will help to reduce those numbers. The problem [clears throat] is it is it it does stop at third grade. So then our numbers tend to pick up in the fourth fifth grade area. We identify a lot of students um with SLD in that level. Um and then our special education plan, I'm working on that now. It expires in June of 2026. So I'll be able to report out on that next year and what we're working on there. I'm really proud of um this here. This is um our secondary transition. It's part of what is required when a student turns 14. We have to start planning for life after high
050school. And so we are required to have a secondary transition coordinator. Uh that person is our life skills teacher, one of our life skills teachers at the high school. So, she just gets um also gets this title to help do a lot of different things in the district, but she has built a lot of partnerships with local businesses um to provide community based work experiences, volunteer opportunities, all kinds of things. So, we've got um work bait work site instruction um community work site instruction established at Gisinger, Goodwill, and Giana Valley YMCA. So, our students go out and they go to work um in those places during the school day. We have um school-based work site instruction. So we have at the high school we have students who are doing janitorial work and we have students
051going to allees in the cafeteria and those students who do that have a a coach like a pair professional with them who's done some training and job coaching. So she um goes with them and and sort of supervises them because we can't have our custodians supervising and we can't have our cafeteria staff supervising uh because they have to do their job. So the parro does that. Um we have the my works program which is an OBR sponsored work program that includes job coaching and we have eight students who who will be participating this year in that and that happens in the summer. And so we talked with Mr. White about you know different things that those students will be able to do here in the summer to help help his his crew get things done.
052you know, [clears throat] doing the work that, you know, they can spend time doing things that that are more important than our our guys can like, you know, wash lockers or, you know, weed or, you know, whatever needs to be done. So, that's in in place for this summer. And then our first ever youth ambassador program and we have a day. He is our first time ever of an MCST student that was elected to this. He's actually the first student in the central region of Pennsylvania to ever be um selected as a youth ambassador. And so he's working around all kinds of different things about building advocacy, leadership, um different things in the community, um about um students, people with disabilities. >> His um personality is infectious. >> Amazing. >> On Tuesday, I did social
053media post a while back. Um, I wish every student had the personality, you know, life has not been fair for him and he is excelling and does it with a big smile. >> Yep. Yeah, he's amazing. >> So, yeah, comes into school twice a week and does trainings, but he's starting to like go out in the community and he's creating powerpoints and he's doing all kind of stuff. He's he's a cool kid. Mr. Barn is correct. And then our Pays Lab. Um, our Pays Lab is where we identify students to go work in what's called the Pays Lab. really is it helps them to identify what their strengths are. Um what their areas of need are, but also in helping them to figure out what they want to do someday like you know. So they
054go through and they work various areas, construction, they do kitchen stuff, they do cash register and it's all simulated and they go in and they they clock in. They do their work for the day and they clock out. But it teaches them at the end we get a really nice report what their strengths are and then it helps us to design IEPs for them focused on you know where their what their what their strengths are. So it's been really good. So a lot of that has been done. Our secondary transition coordinator has done a really good job. So appreciate all the work she does. And then just moving forward some things we're looking at. So we do work with the IU and patent we call them our partners and just trying to refine still some
055of those systems of providing interventions to students. So um intervention that is not special education program but it is so close to special it impacts special ed every day like the interventions impact what we do. So if we would not do that and rely solely on special education to provide intervention for students, it would not be fiscally sustainable and it would not be feasible. We just couldn't do it. We would never have enough special ed teachers or pair of professionals. So that's why we really need to talk about what are we doing at tier one, which is our core instruction. What reading curriculum are we using? What math curriculum are we using? Is it meeting our students needs? Are we making sure we're giving them interventions? that is not special education. But I I advocate
056very hard for that because if we don't do that well, they become special education. So this summer um we have our MTSS manual and we update that um every few years. So this summer we're going to take another look at that and update again as necessary. So we'll work with the principles on that and our school psychologists [clears throat] and interventionists and so forth. Um, we're going to continue to evaluate our instructional resources specifically in ELA due to the new uh structure literacy requirements and so we have to make sure that we are using evidence-based curriculum and materials. Um, so always looking at that. Uh, we did do a curriculum audit this year so I do now know everywhere what who's what people are using, what's outdated, what's what's not evidence-based. Like I'm starting to
057learn all that, put all that together. like I have it all on paper now. So, we'll be we'll be teasing through all that this summer and and you know make making sure that we have consistency K to 12 um continue profession professional development on those uh supporting students with social emotional needs and then we're going to continue to grow our secondary transition services and that's the end. Questions, how often do you do that audit? >> So, we haven't done it in a long time. >> It's been a very long time. Oh, not since I've been like I've been doing like um going out and talking to teachers and we're finding out like what they're doing, but I have never actually put it on or our special only special education. So, I'm not doing the regular
058ed, but I have never really just had it like all in one place. This is everything that we're using. So, with some of these structured literacy requirements now, it's like I got to make sure that people are using good evidence-based resources. So we are going through we are already doing that anyway but like there are teachers who like to use teachers pay teachers and that's not going to be allowed in the future. So but I mean do I know what teachers are using? Yes I do know what they're using but now I'm I actually have it in the spreadsheet. >> Just out of comparison Mr. Gar maybe this question is for you. How often do we do those types of audits for regular education? >> So, we try to as far as curriculum review, we
059try to do it on a three-year cycle is what the state asks us to do. So, we I mean we that that's typically [laughter] >> I mean I I would probably make a pretty strong recommendation that special education falls in to alignment with that on a regular Yeah. >> So, when I first got to the district, I've been here for almost it'll be 10 years in in November. When I first got to the district, um people were making copies of workbooks and things that were outdated. So, I'd asked Mr. Eastep at the time, can I please increase my special ed budget and update our materials? So, we started doing that little by little. And so now everybody is finally using current I mean we're finally at a spot probably within the past five years that
060everyone's using current resources and we're not copying because that's a copy [clears throat] issue. So you know we're not I said we're not doing that anymore. Like it's not okay. So that has ended. Um and now we're just working to make sure that everything remains current and remains up to date. This is Marsh going back to the 25 square foot per student that now I'm trying to check my memory here. That applies only to learning support classrooms, autistic classrooms, >> all special ed classrooms. >> Okay. But special ed classrooms, not necessarily a child that has an IEP that's in a regular setting. >> Correct. Okay. We're running out of room. Where? How do you get this? Like where you get the rooms? >> We haven't run out of room yet. >> We have talked about
061like I've worked in places where I hate to say this, but like art on a cart. >> Could you repeat that? >> We don't do it in Mifflin County, but there's been places that I've worked where they do art on a cart and art travels and goes into class. farm teacher, >> the art teacher, art on a card would call it. >> We don't do that in this county. We're very fortunate. >> But we see the trends. >> And what I'm hearing and translating is we aren't thinking proactively to come up with a plan. We don't have a plan if we get to the point where we don't have enough space required. >> You mentioned we would have to get >> we don't have any more space, but we also don't have a plan for
062when we get that. Well, I would say that we as a central office staff really collaborate on that. Like >> you might have some regular ed classrooms, you might have a building has three a sort of grade level and then now we're going down to two. >> So we that's how we got some extra space at Indian Valley. >> So it's not just like it's it's not just like I work in this silo by myself and I have to figure out where I'm going to get classrooms. like we talk as a team with our principles like they know, hey, I'm I'm going to need to add autistic support. Like we work together on that. It's it's a collaborative process. >> I just remember when I first I for Mills and one of the concerns up
063there was either the music or the art were going to lose their classroom and I >> you need to figure something else out because I don't think anybody should be losing their classroom. Correct. Yeah. I don't disagree with you. >> And you I'm sorry. >> No, go ahead. you when it comes to that level, you can turn around real quick to add modular classrooms. It just they just can't be the special education students. >> So like if you want to put a grade a class of, you know, second grade or third grade and and like that's kind of what you do before you do a building expansion. It's just we keep losing students. It it's this population is going up the general population is going down and you know we look at the is it
064Mr. John the current fourth graders fourth grade class [clears throat] I mean our attendance is there's going to be a big shift when these fourth graders are at the high school >> down that down enrollment always going to be a difference then that one grade just as that to use that example one grade goes down so that gives you that extra space that seems to me like we're just getting lucky >> to that regard if I can kind of chime in on this. So like at LIS, we might have two learning support teachers that share a room. There was a divider in the room. They they're not pulling large groups of kids. They might pull five kids from this classroom, five kids from this classroom. They're getting pulled at different times. So there's never more
065than 10 kids and typically there's not even 10 kids in a normal classroom. Classroom being 800 square feet. I mean, so there's 80 square feet per kid. So when you look at it's it's the autistic support that's really >> makes it challenging. Sometimes the life skills for the kids spend the whole day in the classroom. But when you're pulling for learning support, you can you can share space but you got >> they're only in there for a certain amount of time. >> Okay. So because they're getting >> regular education and special education. No, we might have a classroom where um some kids are pulled from their regular education classroom to get >> to get an intervention, a special ed, you know, like Mrs. Marsh was talking about, they might pull a group of kids of
066five kids uh for a 30-minute reading intervention. They might have an hour and a half of reading and they spend an hour in that classroom in the regular ed classroom, but for 30 minutes they'll go and get that specific intervention. >> Okay. I think my point and maybe correct me if I'm wrong the rest of some of you, you have to have [clears throat] that space in the first place. >> So, are we going to be running out of space in the first place or you know it I'm just getting the impression it's been the luck of the draw that we've been able to make space in the valley being the example. What's going to happen in the future when we say we need that space? Are we going to all of a sudden have
067the expense of a mobile classroom? I mean the trend is we have more special education students. That's what you've presented to us. And >> the decrease in regular education students. So it's going to get to a [snorts] point where >> we will need the extra space >> and we need like my thing is being [clears throat] prepared and having a plan. >> We're we look at this all the time. We do. >> We look at the student enrollment, student population, how many classrooms we're going to need every year. We're looking at that constantly. I I don't know. I mean, the the K last couple kindergarten classes have rolled in, they're about 310 to 15 the last couple years. So, we're seeing a decrease in [clears throat] overall student enrollment, which we have decreased the number
068of teachers at some of our buildings the last couple years in in elementary. And so, as those kids are rolling through and there's less of them, there's going to be less of a need. I mean, I I can tell you we're looking like at LIS in two or three years. Right now, we have 11 teachers at each grade level. We may only need 10 and still maintaining a regular ed normal class. So, that frees up two more classrooms in a couple years. So, we're we're certainly looking at that. >> So, the education the decrease in regular education, freeing up classrooms is essentially the plan. >> Just the overall decrease in enrollment is freeing up classrooms. Yes. Because you're very correct. I mean, if if we maintain the current enrollment, especially populations going up, we're going
069to run out of space at some point, but we've seen a decline in employment. [clears throat] >> We also have the nuclear options. I just don't want to say that loud and have certain groups be like, "Oh my, >> am I right, Mr. White? We've talked about it. We we we do have that. We don't necessarily have to go to an action mode to classroom, but we do have some other but it's it doesn't look nice. >> Is there a projected time frame? Are you talking 5, 10, 15 years like of [clears throat] when that might become an issue? Looking at the trends where the numbers are going >> right now looks like we're going to be okay, but if that enrollment trend at the kindergarten level changes, like you said, from that fourth grade
070back, it's it's going down at a at a rate that looks like we're going to be okay. The change is certainly we may be there. >> Come on. >> That's my feeling [clears throat] very this year again probably going to roll in around that 300 to 315 number again. So that's becoming a very common class size. I mean when we merged it we were 400 plus. >> Yes. >> Per class like per graduated class. >> 400. And that's why at the last board meeting you heard me, you know, publicly say if you haven't registered your children for kindergarten, please do because we're looking at budget numbers. It's not just enrollment numbers are also tying in the budget in Louistown Elementary School. You know, there have increase autistic kids students. I mean, there's a lot of
071moving parts here. So, as we continue to see this decrease and we're counting on regular education classrooms being able to transition to special education classroom if the trend continues as is, we're never really then looking at decreasing the number of students per teacher. So, reducing class size for an overall higher quality education for regular education students. So, how many kids what's the maximum number of kids in a second grade classroom at this point? Regular ed. Yeah, regular education. >> Is there 25? >> It's it's a lot less than that. >> So, what are we 20? >> I mean, >> we have the numbers. We're going to bring up the seventh >> May 7th meeting. I I mean and there's there's es and flows in it because like this happens at strokes sometimes it happens at
072east are the small schools I mean we were rolling through with 25 in or per grade level for there was a year we had 25 I think there's 70 in third grade at least area among three teachers there's some bigger groups but there are second grades 54 you know and there's just you have to roll with the es and flows so sometimes there are bigger groups that come through but we don't want to see 25 in an elementary classroom. We certainly keep do our best to keep kindergarten under we really look like 18 at the max for kindergarten. The lower levels as they get a little older, you know, we intermediate school, we certainly can look at 23 to 25 as >> right groups. That's what I was going with is we we could look
073at if we [clears throat] had the space and had another plan, we could look at maybe reducing class size though too for regular education and that could then potentially help the PSSA scores and everything else. But it seems like that's not being considered. We're just fully relying on the regular education classrooms to turn over to special education classrooms and then our regular education to children are maybe the ones that are missing out on the extra opportunities that they could have as well >> and that's fair but I will also say this we operate within a budget and the budget goes up every year and we have to there there's a balance with that because the fewer kids we have the fewer state reimbursement we get. So I mean if the if the board sits here
074and tells us we want to we'll do it >> I 100% agree. Yeah, >> we would if you have five board members here that say let's do that. >> We have been directed by the board. I mean you raise taxes once in 12 years. >> It's been to not raise taxes. Every single person that is retiring look not to replace them through attrition. We never want to furlow again. >> Right. >> But that has been the really since the merger at least Mr. Barb that's been the flavor. So we're looking at shock. If if that's the direction the board wants to go, then that has to be you coming to us. Hey guys, this is what we want. You the administration make it happen and then we got to we have to sit here and
075think a little bit and then start. It's a'll be a different perspective or direction of the board. Well, I understand. But I mean, I think that part of this, especially now that we're in budget talks, is also looking at our current expenses and see if there's a way that we can reduce our current expenses so that we can focus on directing money back into education. [clears throat] >> Any more questions? Thanks, Mrs. Marsh. >> Thank you. >> Now, we're going to go um invited I know the board members had some questions. Um, I invited Coach Shane Bion, our head varsity football coach here. Great guy. He's gonna go over um his selection practices and procedures he utilizes to select assistant coaches and volunteers for your program. So, we're going to thank you. >> Hey, you're
076bigger than [laughter] me. Go wherever you want to go. >> Um, yes. First off, thanks for making time for me to come speak. Um, kind of guy if there's questions or anybody's question, get them resolved. I don't know what things are faster behind the scenes. So, appreciate you guys having me making time for me. Um, you know, I'll start by saying when I I first came here four years ago, you know, it was commented to me that I have full control of the staffing and that is standard across the board. Any coach in football coach in Pennsylvania, they pretty much have [clears throat] full range of who they want to hire. Um, now there's different ways guys do that, but they have full rank um who they want to hire and that's the pool program,
077junior high up through varsity level. Um, you know, as head coach here, you know, I take every decision I make is is taken very seriously. Um, you know, whether that's staffing, whether that's something we want to do at the boosters to raise money for our guys. Um, you know, I take every every decision very seriously. Almost I'm almost too too bad at um, [clears throat] you know, there's a word for it. I don't know use it, but you know, almost too uh, I think not too much a lot of times. So, just want you guys to know every quarter I make, every decision I make here, uh, is done with the best interest of the program in mind. Um, you know, the guys I have coaching with me, you know, I trust and respect every
078one of them. Um, or they will not be coaching with me. Um, there's certain things I can look for, you know, personalitywise, um, and things like that, experience wise, but I can assure you that any coach that's here is because I trust and respect them, uh, regardless of whether I knew them coming in here or not. Um um that was some of the questions were asked. You know, how do you get in here if you don't know me? You have that basically ask, but I'll go through some of that stuff later. But um I'm [clears throat] looking for the best guys for our kids, best coach I can possibly get for our kids. That's the bottom line with it. Um you know, I first got hired. Um I looked at existing staff. I looked at
079guys I knew down in the mid pan in the York league that that actually lived on this side of Harrisburg that might be interested in coming down coming up here and coaching with me. Um I looked at guys that coach formally [clears throat] in the district. Um so it's not you know didn't come in here and said I'm just going to have these guys. Didn't have a lot of time. So that's kind of the process that I went through. Um and that list I contacted those guys had a list about 20 different coaches. [clears throat] Uh that list went down real quick. Um, but I was fortunate to end up with the right guys. Um, you know, my original staff, you know, outside of a a good young coach, um, getting married and decided to
080move up, move out area, my staff has been intact. I'm very proud of those guys and what we accomplished, um, today. Um, and they buy into the prom county. >> Let me ask you a question. Y, >> how many of those coaches that you tried to get from other areas were willing to come here? >> No. and they're friends. They're coaching colleagues I have a lot of respect for. Um, coach with a long time or against for a long time. Um, and that's that's one of the things with where we're at geographically. Um, you know, get somebody to come over the mountain. My brother did, he lives in state. He come over the mountain. But, um, you know, it's hard to get guys from other areas to come here. They had guys that taught at
081Susan High School that I coached football with. A couple guys I really, really respect as coaches. Um, and they didn't want to come up here either. They caught in Susan. I thought they could run up here. Uh, you know, up, but nobody wanted to make the trip. So, it's kind of, you know, geographically, we're kind of in an area where it's it's hard to get guys from outside of here. Um, I will say I'm kind of getting off my script here, but I've been blessed with I really haven't had to I don't feel like I've had to go out as solicit guys since my first staff was formed. Um, you know, I had good guys coaching with me. Like I said, up until this year, I'm going to have some turnover this year because of
082family priorities. But, um, I really hadn't felt the need to go out listed, you know, on the school district website for coaches. Um, my second year here, one of my guys was having a child and I had another guy step up that, you know, played football at Lewistown and started the three years at uh, Shinsburg University, you know, as a line coach. So, I didn't really I really had to the felt [clears throat] the need to have to go out and get guys. I think we have quality guys here. Um I was fortunate in that respect when I needed somebody at the junior high level. Seems like I always have somebody step up and want to want to want to help out. Um some of those guys, you know, and I have some had some
083changes down there that I needed to make. I thought I needed to make and I did. I've also brought guys from the junior high up to the varsity level as volunteers. um with the turnup of having the varsity staff this year. Those guys kind of filled in right filled perfectly with the position uh groups that we need needed them. Um and they're going to be able to seamlessly, you know, come into our staff and do a great job for us next year. So, um again, um I don't feel like we had the need to do it. So, I do appreciate the questions that have been asked of me, but I just don't feel like I've had, you know, been in a position where I've had to go out and try to really solicit guys. I've
084had guys come to me or been referred to me or I've reached out to guys that I've known in the past to see what their interest is and it's always seemed to work out for me. So, um, any question? I know I talk fast, so you have any questions, please raise your hand. Let me >> I do have a question. Um, so I I heard you indicate that you want the best and that you always do everything with the best intentions for the team, >> but do you feel like referring on friends, family referrals is the only way to attract the best? Do you think that the best are waiting for somebody to say or do you think by advertising and letting people know that you're looking for somebody, you open up your candidate pool
085to attract people that you may not have had connections with you? Well, I think that that's a good question and I'll answer this. Um, I got my start pitching football because I reached out to somebody. You know, [clears throat] somebody's in this district in this area wants to reach out. That's great. Like we talked about, it's hard to get people come from outside this area here to coach me. We got to travel to be honest with you. That's what I came to with some of my guys was just travel time. But, um, you know, if anybody's interested, you know, all you have to do is reach out. You know, we've had a lot of our guys have reached out to Miss Money in the athletic [clears throat] department or myself directly. Now, we'll get back
086to them and I'll go through kind of how I evaluate them here in a little bit. But, um, you know, I'm always and any coach is always looking for anybody, especially volunteers. Anybody [clears throat] wants to volunteer and help out, I can guarantee you there's a lot of high school football coaches out in Pennsylvania that would could use to help, okay? Especially in the offseason. So, [snorts] um, yeah, that's something, you know, unfortunately, like I said, I haven't really felt the need, but that's a great question. And, you know, going forward, you know, maybe I can do something different along those lines. But, um, when you do have an opening, how much interest do you typically have in people reaching out to you? [clears throat] >> And then with that, how many you have to
087turn people away >> or do you take on everyone? >> Yeah, I I've not turned anybody away that I that I Well, let me that I I trusted and felt was a fit for us. I haven't turned anybody away unless I had a problem with that person. Can >> Can you give me not I don't know all the football. >> Can you give me a rundown of the number of coaches for each team that you're looking for? And then and I know it doesn't have to be exact paid versus volunteer. >> Yeah. So right now we have six paid varsity coaches. That includes myself. Okay. >> Um and we [clears throat] have four junior high coaches that are paid positions. >> Okay. And for volunteers, is there a limit that you >> I have no
088minimum volunteers. Like I said, I had four volunteers last varsity. >> Okay. >> And those guys have been able to >> You said like six. Does that include JV and varsity together? >> Yes. Coaches varsity. [clears throat] Mrs. far up to see there used to be back in the day a limit on the district how many volunteer coaches but that's since been removed the number of coaches are all tied into the teachers contract just so you know do you have a seventh from eighth grade and then a ninth grade team >> yes in fact we're working on having a couple different games for the seventh grade kids this year that was a big concern because the youth le you know with the youth league kids now seven and eighth grade kids from the youth league
089coming under a school umbrella. >> And that's another thing I want to talk about. We have a great need for volunteers down there right now, too. I mean, four guys, and last year I think it's 75 75 kids. >> Do we have a seventh grade team and an eighth grade team or is it a combined [clears throat] team? >> Right now, they're combined. Um, but we are one of the complaints that I had from the the parents of the youth kids that moved up with seventh graders was they didn't feel experience. And that was tough on my coaches, too. We had like 45 kids in seventh eighth grade. Um, and to try to get them all in the game and compete and win the game, which is, you know, everybody wants to win, right? So,
090that was really hard for them. So, I thought this one, we're starting try to get some seventh grade games separate. Um, and what I'd like to do if possible is have a separate seventh grade coach, eighth grade coach, and then a ninth grade coach and [clears throat] three different things going with the with that said, seven, eighth grade do fundamental drills together. Um, so they're getting good coaching, best coaching they can get and then split off with two different teams, but I have enough guys right now. I don't have coach team and that's just through um guys reaching out to me. I haven't had to go out and solicit anybody and I've interviewed these guys. They're they're good guys. Um, and you know, I'm excited for what what they're going to bring to those programs
091down there. Um, >> so I'm sorry. 17th grade junior high, then you have a nth grade team. [clears throat] Do they like are they completely separate from baby or >> Yes. Uh, yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. They practically separate. >> Is it a fair assumption to say that most of the coaches are also parents of players? >> Not all of them. I've got guys that are coming a couple guys. one guy coming in doesn't have any kids playing. Um, our head eighth grade coach Josh Smoke, he doesn't have any kids involved in the program. Most of the guys coming in will have somebody coming up through. Yes. Um, but I don't necessarily have a problem with that because I think they're invested in Mland County football. You know, they want to be there. rest at least
092and I when I interview them that's something I thought that they here for the program first do a lot of them say after their kids work their way through as well >> I hope so yeah about that yeah I don't want to find the guys that coach all the time so yes I'm hopeful and talking to these guys that will stick around so >> how do you determine versus volunteer versus volunteer. >> Yeah. >> Um right now it's just who was paid originally guys [clears throat] move on. Um if and let's say let's say a guy's paid wide receiver coach. Okay. If he's paid if he moves on or goes somewhere else or I bring him up then I need to I look inside my coaching pool. I have another volunteer that is receiver has
093a receiver background playing or coaching and then that may be the guy I bring into that position. So, >> I I have a question, but I think it's probably more forest. Horus with paid positions, they're technically employees without following a documented SOP for electing and hiring these positions, not collecting applications. Is there any concern of like EO violations, defensibility, if somebody would raise any legal concerns over over selection process, discrimination? >> Well, you you have a uh past practice and the, you know, the fact that the coach was told that he get to select his own staff, that all plays into that. Uh and that's why you don't need to have a regimented uh you know committee type situation in retaining the people. The the coaches historically have done this. The paid positions uh are
094within the CBA so they're protected. If there are any grievances if they anybody thinks they've been treated unfairly, they have rights under the collective bargaining uh and under the PAR. >> I mean not the people that aren't selected though. That's what I'm I'm concerned about. the people that may not be selected for a position. Say John Smith gets it over Susie Jones and Susie says, or let's just reverse that. Susie gets it over John and John's like, "Well, she only got it because she's female." Is that something that potentially protects us through our current standing athletic regulations? Well, if if you follow the the regs and you know, if it's a if it's the last scenario, I'd be a lot less worried about any sort of a complaint simply because of the way the title
095n in the law is that you know, somehow a female was given preference over a male for a coaching position, you're less likely to have issues with the EEOC, Pennsylvania [clears throat] Relations Commission. Um, >> but if if it goes to a race situation and we know Mland County is primarily Caucasian, but if we have somebody of a different race, we want to make sure that we're giving it to the best person regardless. And there's been situations where somebody of race does not get a position and they immediately claim it's discrimination. But we don't have a documented process. We don't have an application that people are completing. We have nothing to defend ourselves other than >> I'm not aware of any racial issues like that with with any coaching decisions. >> Well, no, but there
096could be hypothetical. >> Yeah, we're talking hypothetical. >> Oh, yeah. I mean, [snorts] >> we're opening ourselves up to a lawsuit, I think, is what, >> right? you the the the situation I mean you need a lot of specific facts to show you because it's the same hypothetical that the NFL faces you know it's [snorts] like why do we have all these black players in the NFL and only 2% of the the administrative staff of of the NFL are black you know that's >> I'm sure that they are talking processes that are consistent am I allowed to interject here or no >> I'll I'll allow it >> okay thank What what happened was for a time and and I've been here in the district for a long time and I'm finishing up my 11 years
097athletic director and we probably had I'm going to guess five different HR directors maybe Mr. corner, would you say? Somewhere in that ballpark in the time that I've been here around there. And there was a time when they wanted to open up every single position to for people to apply and then have a committee select who they are without the head coach or without another coach being present. And what you what can happen is you can have someone come in that wants a job that is completely fundamentally not on the same page or has the same philosophy or any of that as the head coach. So then by doing that you're creating conflict or the potential for conflict within your program. I don't know of any I don't know of any school district that has
098been sued or as maybe you may know of a volunteer coach not getting a position because of >> I I was speaking specifically on paid positions because then technically they're an employee >> but we don't it same for event staff when we had auxiliary staff or you know people of that nature there's [clears throat] I mean I Unless I'm misunderstanding, but I'm tell that's why we allow our head coaches to say that anybody said that the head coach can't be involved in the process. I think that the concern is we have a standard operating procedure and they're similar among coaches. So it's if this is the coach and it's documented. I think that that's the concern where that way parents know and there's one process that they don't have to go well what's his process
099and what's his process and what's his process once again you fall into past practice and you can get into a situation where if you're saying [clears throat] okay you're no longer going to handle that follow that past practice and you have somebody that was a paid coach before and they're let code because you're showing preference to somebody else because of racial skin color and the Supreme Court has said you can't do it the other way either. Uh and you know then you're possibly giving them an argument that it's a change in their working conditions because the past practice has always been to hire people this way with no evidence of any discrimination. it. You're now going to give priority to somebody, you know, to fill a quota, which the courts are not looking kindly on
100that anymore. Uh, you know, either way, you could end up in a in a real problem and your past practice is going to stand up. It's like, this is the way that it's been done. This is the promise that has been made. The head coaches get to pick their staff. This is how it's been done. There's been no proof of discriminatory practice in the past. uh so that it doesn't have to be remedied uh by by showing preference. And you know, I think that's a defensible position. Now, if there's something, you know, if you've got five track athletes that that come in and they're all state champions and they're not being given an opportunity to coach because, let's say, the color of their skin or their religious beliefs or whatever, then you got a different
101a different story than But I've not seen that happen in this district at all. I mean, I I just I've not seen that. That's not been an issue. Um, Mr. Barner, I mean, did you ever hear it as a high school principal? I >> I've never heard that complaint that somebody was excluded because of, you know, one of that one, you know, race or religion or anything like that. >> Coach Brown would have to be able to articulate and and delineate why person X was picked over person Z. Yeah, >> I think I think that would the owners would come back on him >> and it should be on merit. I mean, you know, bottom line is is that it is a meritocracy and they also have to fit within the system. If you have
102somebody that's coming in and, you know, is running a different style of of offense and that's the way that they've been familiar with it and Mr. Bion is saying, "Well, I I want to run this type of offense. That person's not going to necessarily be a good fit." That has nothing to do with race, [clears throat] religion, creed, color, anything like that. That is the, you know, the the stuff that gets you in trouble. You have to be able to explain it to them. [snorts] >> I I think that there's a lot of things being talked about right now. a little bit like try to focus and try I guess the way I see it is that it's good to have standardization at some level but at the same time head coaches I if you
103look at any program they have I mean if they don't want to work with somebody how are you going to force them to work with somebody right you know so like um or if they really want to work with somebody and they think well at the end of the day the proof is in the pudding right so but having standardization so I think we're all we're talking like extremes in different directions when really there's some some level that I think everybody's right here. Um, and of course we're talking about merit too, right? >> Yeah. I think that everybody wants the best person for the job [clears throat] to be put on the team. They just want to have the standardization, the documented process. >> But it isn't like it isn't like uh like other environments,
104right? The coaching hierarchy coaching structure, right? has to be respected too is to that's how it is >> and that's ultimately how we structure our athletics. We put trust into the structure and how they want to craft their game into the head coach, which is why it's ultimately at the end of the day their say even if it's without like how you're describing a formal um application structure. >> But having something like that could even give him like it sounds like there is a struggle to attract attract a pool of of really good candidates too because they reach out directly. But if there's if there's more awareness maybe or you know you might have people come up and and go through a certain process to get to a point and then have a pool of
105people you know are interested at least and then but but you but it's not like for us to decide who is necessarily the best fit based on merit alone, right? Because of the coaching hierarchy, right? You know, because of how these this works. [clears throat] Yeah, that you know I mean you know coach Bon is empowered to have the economy to make those decisions if you know the board or and or Miss Mcclelay like at the end of the season if Miss Mcclelay um felt that the coaching staff was dysfunctional then that's the onus is on her Mr. Pagna talked to coach Bion and I think if it becomes you know habitual then I mean it wouldn't be him but you know coach XYZ coach [clears throat] XYZ may not be recommended or be approved
106by the board the following season that's always an option. Yeah. I mean if the board doesn't like the hiring of the head coaches for any specific sport that's all that's the nuclear option. We say, "All right, fine. We're not going to bring the same head coach back because we think the coaching staff that they've brought in year in and year out. You know, it's problematic, [clears throat] doesn't reflect well in the district." Let's say you have somebody that's, you know, the ultimate hyperbole is showing up drunk for practices and stuff and that's let slide by a head coach. Well, then yeah, that that would be a situation where you know the the head coach ultimately is responsible for that hire and you know there could be serious repercussions to their employment with the district. >>
107So how is the board supposed to in good faith vote for coaches when we have no details about those coaches? >> How? >> Because we trust this guy. >> That's that's fine. We've had mistakes happen where people have been put on the agenda and there have been criminal histories that have been caught by the board members. >> That was also because of miscommunication from the head coach to administration >> about a criminal charge on >> No, about wanting that personnel on their staff. My comment was specifically about people being added to the personnel sheet that had a criminal record that it did not get caught until it was put on the personnel sheet by board members. >> Those used to always be done pending clearances. So, they were hired pending clearances. If the clearances came
108back, the person that that gets rescended them. However, since that time, what we have done is we've changed the process so that nobody goes to the board until we have the clearances in hand. So, you are correct. That did happen. It was nine months ago or something like that. Uh, and I appreciate the board members that brought that up, but that procedure has been corrected since then. But I I want to go on record is saying it was pending receiving clearances and and the paperwork, the drug, all of that. We've changed that process since then. So, that person should never make it to a board agenda ever again. Again, if I remember correctly, that was a miscommunication because the varsity head coach didn't even want that person. >> That's correct. There was the junior high
109head coach had recommended the person, but they never ran it through the varsity I I don't know the whole there there was a miscommunication that the varsity head coach said, "No way would I ever want this [clears throat] person." Would not a standardized process led by the head coach who leads the interview, who goes and watches these folks coach in action, would a standardized process not alleviate a lot of that? The head coach is still in charge, still has, you know, full discretion, but that process is there. It alleviates a lot of that. and then we have something to go and he can say I looked at A, B, and C and this is how I got there and these are the five folks I want. >> From what I understand, [clears throat] correct me
110if I'm wrong, the athletic regulations is supposed to be the standard process because it gives that discretion um to hiring uh paid coaches and bringing on volunteer coaches strictly to the varsity head coach. And it, if I remember correctly, it explicitly states that in the athletic regulations. >> Explicitly states what? >> That the discretion of who um who's brought on as assistant coaches into athletic programs is the sole responsibility of the varsity head coach for that program. >> I'm not suggesting change that I don't think anybody's suggesting to change that at all. We still want the the [clears throat] varsity coaches to have the decision on who is coaching the team. What the question and concern around is a standard process. So everybody's approaching it from the same way that if they're taking applications and
111opening the position and posting it online, that's the way it's done. If they're just supposed to email the coach and say, "Hey, I'm interested in this. Do you have any openings?" Then that's the way it's done. But consistency, I think, is what we're trying to accomplish. >> Coach Brian, >> when you interview, do you have do you have a rubric that you use? >> What's that? >> Do you have a rubric or a list of questions that you consistently ask? >> Yeah. Yeah. >> And that sometimes that varies by level. Like I'm over varsity question. I go a little bit more. >> Okay. Then when you utilize that that form um do you save that? Do you keep it? >> I take notes. Yeah, I take notes. I don't have anything formally saving or anything.
112>> Okay. [clears throat] >> Just try find a simple way. >> Yeah. >> To to get get >> to the end of this. >> Yeah. Yeah. [clears throat] >> Is that is that a solution? The the other thing be before I go down that road. Well, yeah. I'm thinking you [clears throat] have a standard list of questions that you always ask people that are interested in coming into your program, whether they're paid coach, volunteer assistant, and and it would vary from from varsity to junior high. Um, if you had a form like that that you utilized and as you talk to that individual, you just make your notes and you keep that, does that satisfy your concern? >> As long as it's consistent across all of the applications, then yes. But I think that if
113we have an application that the individual could [clears throat] fill out and it could have that information up front could alleviate it too instead of relying on if somebody sends an email and it goes to junk email or you miss it and then somebody's like well I said >> so you want coaches to fill out an application. >> I think that is I think that that is the simplest standardized process. Are you thinking about all coaches not just in football but other play others as well or >> right for a standardized process >> for standardized process across athletics. >> Correct. We're spending a lot of time trying to fix something that has not broken or if it has broken it has broken very few times in many many years. Um I'm comfortable with the way
114it is. just do you, Miss McClenny, what are your thoughts? >> I mean, I guess I have a question. My question would be, do you want every single coach, including volunteers, to complete an application or just the paid assistant coaches? And who has access to that? Who sees those applications? Is it just the head coach? I mean I I did send out a survey to every one of our head coaches that said how do you select your coaches and a lot of them it's face toface meeting it's talking about philosophy it's talking about what their experience has been what's their availability are they willing to go through all the clearances are they willing to do all the trainings are they you know are they willing to do that is it a good fit is it
115a good fit for the culture of the program is it a good fit for the the student athletes you know, so it's a pretty extensive list that they go through and and sometimes and I I guess during you see coaches sitting here tonight in public comment, they can stand up and and tell you what they do and a lot of them are going to tell you it's hard to find people that are willing to commit and to help. Is it your position that asking somebody that is willing to dedicate time to showing up to practices and showing up to games would suddenly be disinterested by being asked to complete an application? >> I can't answer that. I mean it I would say it's possible. >> I just I just can't ask we're already asking so
116much of that and >> so fill out a paper application and write their name, address, contact information down like that's too much. [clears throat] >> That's all you want on the application. not I mean I'm sure that his interview questions might be on the application and then you can weed out some votes but >> what he's looking for may be different than what our boys basketball is looking for maybe different >> if I am new to town and I want to get involved I should be able to come into your office and say hey how do I help out with >> boys basketball or Mrs. Louis, >> I just have a suggestion that maybe we can all ponder if there was maybe an interest form on our website of, you know, this person's interested in
117coaching [clears throat] this sport. That's our electronic record that that person's interested and the head coaches can create their own rubrics and keep those rubrics on file. I think that would [clears throat] um you know it's not much for the people to fill out online and but we've heard that that might disinterest some people >> well it was I'm simply >> no I fully support and agree with what you say >> application was correct >> I think you're getting hung up on terminology though like an application can be very in-depth it can be 10 pages long an application can be a front single page. So I think to come to an equilibrium of the here's an interest form we can put on the website and anytime if you're interested in coaching whether it's volunteer or
118paid if you know whatever put your name and a contact email we'll reach out to you and then we have a list of questions that we will ask you of the interview process and then the coach can still decide because I do agree that head coaches should select their own coaches but I think that would set the standard operating procedure that you are looking for and not making it so that every position has to be posted if there is an opening. There's simply a a little box they fill out and then the coach can get that. Hey, I got an email. Someone's interested. Let me interview them. >> Well, it would come from a standard form. Then it would get lost in any spam or jump [clears throat] folder. >> Well, and you'd have a
119list of those that are interested. From what I've heard, there may have been somebody that showed interest and the person was not contacted to be spoken to by a coach. So, if you did that, but it was set up that Miss Mcclelay, your AD had if if they all went to the AD, then the AD had to confirm they gave that information to the the either the current head coach or the head coach the following season. that would make sure that wasn't lost because like you said Mr. If it you just email it to Shane Bion, maybe that it might go to spam. But [clears throat] >> well, but if you use the form, I like what Nicole's saying. Sorry. >> Yeah, that's okay. >> U that's from a standard form that you can make
120sure doesn't get lost anywhere in transit. >> But the common funnel will have to be like the ad. >> That's fine. >> Yeah. >> But does every single coach have to do that? Like for example, if if a coach reaches out reaches out to them individually, does that person still have to fill out the form or can they just go directly to the coach? >> I think what they're asking for is a record that the person is interested in coaching. So, they would have to put their first and last name and a phone number and an email address. >> Four points of information. That's a lot. [clears throat] Uh, do we have any more questions for coach Bon? [clears throat] Appreciate that. I understand discussion that's taking place here, but I I think just maybe
121a couple words about the reality [clears throat] of coaching hiring processing. Um, every one of us I fairly certain coaches because we love the sport we coach. We like to see kids develop. We enjoy the atmosphere. It's a form of competing for us. Most of us are athletes and we love that setting. I can tell you in all the years that I've been coaching and around sport basketball, coaching youth soccer with Grace Kid, coaching youth basketball with Matthew's kids, right? My kids were coached by Caroline and Barrett. [clears throat] All those years, I've never seen a coach who did it for today. They're doing it because they're inspired by kids. When you love coaching, every single day you're looking for people who can help your program. So when somebody graduates from college, decides to come
122back to me, [clears throat] plant their roots. We all beg them to participate in our athletic programs. Okay? And it's a process that's working like you would your wife and your spouse. It's years to get the best people involved in your program because we care so much and we all personally have accountability to our families, to our careers. So to ask that you have the faith in us to make those decisions, it's not [clears throat] this is not arbitrary, >> right? We don't get up at 6:00 a.m. three days a week in the summer to train athletes to get off work at three to take them to Lister to come home, stop three times, buy everybody lunch, dinner, whatever it is, take them to their houses or the counter [clears throat] to meet them again
123at 6:00 a.m. in the morning to work out. Right? We don't do that because we don't care. And the people that you're asking to fill out applications are people that do that for free for years to have the opportunity to become a head coach in our programs. That's the culture we're building. Right? We ask a ton of those people. We have them all through our basketball program. And so I understand that we want the best applicants. I'll be very very very surprised if you get a lot of applicants. Okay? That's across any state anywhere in the United States, right? High school sports. Same thing for officials officiating the games. So if there's something we want to study, that might be part of what we want to look at. Why is that happening? But point is
124that making it more difficult for these people who choose to volunteer, I don't think is a wise decision. I understand we have checks and balances, but I would ask you to have some faith in the people that are dedicating their lives to the kids because [clears throat] if we're doing this together, the messaging is not consistent. We don't have a problem. I'm asking for your consideration when you're making these choices. Can I ask what the difference is between sending an email and filling out an interest form? >> If there's a process to that nature that that you feel somehow helps the district, I it's not that it's the underlying involvement in that process that I don't understand why we were participating at that level in this room. I think that there are some things that
125have happened that have been discussed in executive session that cannot be shared publicly to put us in this position. >> Yeah, I think each of us probably pick one of those examples out. We understand what you're talking about and I I know the ones related to basketball. um if if that's what we're referencing, you know, it would it would be a fun conversation to have in this room. But [clears throat] if if there's a process that's simple, right, if it's opening up a position and discrediting the work that somebody's done to build themselves into a role, right, so that we can consider another applicant. >> I don't think that that's what anybody's saying. I think that we are all one all want to leave the decision to the varsity coaches to select their staff. We
126just want to make sure that when somebody is interested, it's received and documented and responded with, "Hey, we're interested. We have a position. Hey, you know what? We don't have a position at this time. We'll keep your information on file." We just want to make sure that everybody is given the opportunity because there has been interest expressed that has not been acknowledged. So you are saying that it's hard to get coaches. You're hard you're hard up for coaches and people to dedicate your time, but you have people that are expressing interest and there's no acknowledgement of that. >> I want to be clear with what I said. What I said was it is it is very difficult to get qualified people in the roles right who are willing to make those sacrifices. We can put
127something out there and attract people to coach and I'll be very surprised people you want coaching your children there. There's a reason why everybody standing here has coached multiple sports. There's no line at the door. Sign up for coaching youth soccer, baseball, high school sports. It's just how it is. So, I I can appreciate what you're saying. I just don't I I'm I'm very surprised that there are an abundant number of people who are pursuing coaching who are not being responded to. >> I would like to wrap up this conversation. So at this time I would like to ask if there are any final questions for coach Bon. >> All right. Can I just say one thing? Yes. I mean I there there are some things that need to you know that are being worked
128out right. But I I do want to I I think we all appreciate the the sacrifices that the coach the coach has been made because there is considerable sacrifices like you mentioned. So you know it's it's because you enjoy and have a passion for it. really got to keep that in mind when we go through all that in mind. >> Again, I appreciate the time to speak and answer hopefully answer some questions. If there's any questions, I'm I love talking football. Any questions about anything we're doing in our program, please reach out to me. More than willing to talk about it. >> Can I ask a question? Are we permitted as schoolboard members with the opening of that? He indicated he's opened that. Are we permitted to reach out to him directly? >> You have
129an athletic committee. I would suggest you want to go through that. [clears throat] >> I just want to get on record. >> I didn't I didn't comment on this. I know you want to do that. I don't have a problem with if we hire someone as a head coach. I think that person needs to basically be running the entire program from varsity all the way down. And you want to have everybody on the same page and and teaching the same systems and the same skills and so forth. Even more so too if you can get that down into the youth links as well because hopefully by the time you get them, you know, they they've got a an understanding of the system you're running, the planes you're running, and so forth. [clears throat] And I
130I think that you have to be in charge of that program. And I think that you have to be able also if Mr. Styers and I both come to you and say, you know, we want to help coach. And you say, "Well, okay, I'm going to take Mr. Baker, but I'm not going to take Mr. Syers." You need to be able to say that, "Well, this is why I took Mr. Baker and I did take Mr. Syrus. You know, you you have to be able to justify that and and I'm and I hope and I'm sure that I would like to think you can do that. And the only other question I have in this whole thing is do do you guys evaluate your assistance or do do you do that? >> No, they do
131it. They do evaluate your all your systems and everything. Okay. So you >> go back and watch film, make sure we're doing things right. And if I have some change >> way performance, >> correct? That way if you have somebody that is doing a really great job and you want to make sure they come back next year, you can say, "Hey, this is why I want this person." Or if you have somebody on the flip side that isn't working out, you have the means to say, "Hey, this I'm not having you back this year and this is why >> I just that's all the more that [clears throat] I think, you know, those make that don't make sense, >> you know, and and at the same time, you know if somebody's interested in coaching and
132you know there's something on the website that they can fill out so that you guys if you get down to where you're really hurt and you don't have anybody you could you it's a resource for you to go to you know as opposed to >> that's why I thought >> at this time I would like to turn it Back to Mr. Varner for his communication report. >> Thank you, Coach Brown. One [clears throat] last thing, we have um our music program again, we've had some high school students reach all state status for band chorus. Um Ava Kelly, Max Pering, Cora Hartsler reached all state status for chorus. Caleb no, and Aliyah Deal for all state band. So, congratulations to those five. I sent them a letter. Um, and at the end of tonight's meeting, I
133need to have an executive session for personnel. >> Thank you, Mr. >> At the end of the meeting or >> end. >> At the end. I thought we were going to have one in the middle. >> Not anymore. >> Okay. >> Moving on to our chief academic officer, Mr. De Armit. >> Uh, just one thing for me tonight. We started PSSA testing started this week. >> [clears throat] >> You may have heard, we've talked at the table before, that all the testing is done online this year. Uh when we started on Tuesday, of course, the [clears throat] system didn't function, so students had difficulty getting signed on. When we finally started to get some of them signed on, they were getting kicked off. Uh it was really frustrating. I just want to let everybody know
134that was not a Mifflin County School District issue. that was at the state level and with DRC who does the testing, but uh really was frustrating kind of all around for everybody that was trying to do it. We were Mr. Bonner and I were out in the buildings and everybody was kind of scrambling and trying to troubleshoot. So did did a nice job of finally getting us there, but it was really frustrating way to start. It's really all I have. >> All right. Thank you, Mr. Dear. >> Is that going to have an impact on [clears throat] score and things? Um so the students the students get time and they they get time to you know we can if we had to restart test we're allowed to restart test so that the students will all
135have the opportunity to complete the test there was a lot of frustration in the room I can't tell you my personal perspective is that probably yes I think there were some kids that are already kind of on edge sitting down to take those tests and then everything is going against me So now when I finally get in, am I going to be focused and really able to do my best? I I would think probably not, but I I'm not sure how we'll be able to tell. I mean, I guess we'll see when the scores come back, but there was a lot of frustration and we had some, you know, we had some teachers the teachers are monitoring the test and we've heard a couple of comments where a student finally gets in and says, "I'm
136not even trying now." And teacher is watching them just click ABC ABC. Well, I think we need to keep this [clears throat] glitch in mind >> for next year and whenever like you you report to us or whatnot, >> right? >> You know, hey, we had this issue and this this could be a big contributor to why >> Sure. Right. You know, especially if teachers are observing kids just click [clears throat] click click click and you know and I guess they could just circle in. >> Sure. >> Circles on the paper too [clears throat] that way. Um that's a shame that it hasn't happened. It was >> you guys don't control that either. >> It was very frustrating. I think the technology department and all of our schools did a really good job of having
137>> Does the state have a contingency plan? So let's say you know the first day went bad, second day went bad too. You would push it out a couple days so the kids are getting a fresh start or is it locked to that window only? >> Um the the state made a lot of concessions on you know how the reopening tests and providing extra time. They they send Mr. Barner three or four emails of apologies and then this is what you can do now. could because some things we would have had to contact the state to get permission to you know maybe reopen a test and they said knowing that this happened you don't have to do that anymore you can just do it so they they made some concessions on what normally happens but
138>> I did send the apology letter [clears throat] two from PD and one the next morning I know Miss Bond went out frustrating >> yeah and that's what I said it was it could affect the the Sure. And you're now they don't really care what we have to say. >> And I did have too I mean Mr. Cunningham you know initially the kids students have a test ticket that gives them you know their password to get in. So the initial panic is no one can get in. Are is there something wrong with our test tickets? And then we just you know Mr. Cunningham is talking to other tech directors and they're calling and hey are you having problems with this? And then we eventually got a couple kids like we would randomly get one kid
139that would get in. So we realized it wasn't our test tickets. They were good. And then it it just started filtering in more and more that there was >> I don't know there was a server issue somewhere, you know. So it it took I think it was 45 minutes or so before they got it resolved and kids really started to get in and be able to get moving. >> Thank you. I'm just going to comment most critical week in the state besides to drop a pile of cool. I'll be [laughter] nice. I think you're being generous. I'm being generous. >> A lot of kids have test taking anxiety already from it and then that that my position. >> Well, I think they saw they saw the teachers the teachers were they know the value and
140the importance of this. I can feel the tension. I was at IV the first I could feel it there. And then you saw Mr. Reports line up and teachers come to him. I was [clears throat] at the junior high when they were turning it in right before lunch. Some of the teachers were rejected. That's where I'm frustrated. >> And that's kind of like what you know, Miss Ba run back and forth like that's where I was frustrated because that's our most our school. We wanted to focus on the scores and that's when I was down with Mrs. Magazine. She goes, "Yeah, there was a student that put down ABCD, ABCD." >> And and ultimately they're they feel that reflects on on them. >> They take ownership. I appreciate what our teachers do. I mean, they
141should take ownership just like we take ownership. You guys take ownership. >> Yeah. So, everybody's just disappointed. >> We on the same page. >> Um, I am going to turn it back to Mr. Barard for a second before we move on. I think um M Mr. um Urban and I didn't just we made eye [clears throat] contact. I I sent an email out earlier today um I'm sorry yesterday that coach Brian was going to be here talk to the board etc. I said if after his presentation if a board member would like to ask questions about any of his coaching staff specifically or individually that would qualify for an executive session that there would be an opportunity to do that. Mr. Harshburgger asked, no one said it, but I think you it I'll I'll throw
142it out right there. If anybody would like to talk with coach Bon and executive to talk about anyone that's on the agenda or any specifically that could not qualify for open session, please let me know at this time. We'll call an executive. >> My effort was to pause to make sure no one >> Okay, I'm trying to read you. I want to make sure. >> That's fine. >> All right. So, moving on to our chief operations officer, Mr. Orin. All I have uh policy committee members, I'm emailing everybody this evening some dates for policy committee meetings in June. Uh if you guys check your school district emails in the next couple days, get back to me if any of those dates don't work and then possible times. That's all I have. Thank you, Mr. Ar
143and our director of building grounds, Mr. White. >> Thank you. I do have a few things to touch on. the the boot on the playground equipment. We reached out to the company where we get our mulch again and uh he didn't realize that he didn't send us all the certification. So, it turns out our rubber mulch does need to be ASM1 1951 certification for the accessibility. So, if we would if you guys would vote to replace equipment, we do not need to replace the mulch. So, we've reduced that number in the item for the first option. And then if [clears throat] you guys do vote to replace it, if you think there's a conversation warranted for the type equipment, we'll hold off uh until such time, you know, before we order equipment. The option without
144the uh the monkey bars in is slightly more expensive than the other two options. So uh we can change, you know, whatever we decide to if you want a conversation that >> I'm sorry, you say the option without the monkey bars >> is slightly more expensive than the ones with I think there's an additional piece, but it's just the type of design. So, >> it's not a smaller piece of equipment. It just has different options on it. So, >> are we having a monkey bar discussion today? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> I was hoping when we went that [laughter] roll you would bring up the monkey bar. >> Honestly, that's what I thought we would do. I know you want to talk about it. >> Yeah. >> Would you talk about call >> or do
145you want to talk about it now? [clears throat] >> Doesn't matter to me. >> Dog catch if you you want to talk about it. >> You have a better place for it. It probably I think it would fall under better under the bold call item for the >> for discussion. >> Yes. For discussion under the Indian Valley playground equipment. >> Okay. The only other thing I have is uh I still haven't I don't have solid numbers for the auditorium lighting and the stage floor and the [clears throat] middle school. Uh we I put it in there not to exceed number. Uh I would report to the board whatever the final numbers would be if you would vote to do those two options. and uh I have two contractors coming next week, an additional one for
146the auditorium lighting and um and for the stage floor as well. >> Thank you, Mr. White. Uh moving on to our first public comment. The general rules that apply for public comment is that before starting, you must state your first and last name in the town that you reside in. Uh your public comment may not exceed more than five minutes. And for this first public comment, it has to pertain to what is on the agenda. So at this point, do we have any public comment? >> Yes. >> If I'm able to talk to coaches on my agenda on the agenda. >> Yeah, absolutely. That's part of the first public comment. >> So I'm Shane Brown. Um live in Hillsburg. I lived here, but I [clears throat] live in Hillsburg. Um um I want to talk
147about Josh Snook. I think he's on the agenda if I'm not mistaken. Is that correct? [clears throat] >> Okay. Um you know, Josh was on the junior high staff already coming here. I think he's been involved in the junior high program for six years now, possibly more. Um, he's a volunteer. He doesn't have any children in the program. Um, [clears throat] and he's well known in the area as being a volunteer. He's Bay Ruth baseball manager, so he's in contact with kids at the same age that he's he's coaching. He knows those kids. Um, he can promote our football program um through baseball. He's also recently just become the um head of our youth football league. So, he's the president there and has worked through with other folks down there with the transition to bring
148the seventh, eighth graders up into our school program, which is great. Mr. Baker said, you know, we're going to really hard on getting our systems in in sync this year with those kids coming up. Um and I Josh is a very good communicator. Um I've never had any complaints about him. When I talk to kids, they come up from those levels to see what they think of the coaches and I've never had to keep them playing and I'll say that coach coach Nook was, you know, they enjoy playing for [cough and clears throat] All right. Seth Nicowski um present here. He reached out to me during last football season about coaching this year at the junior high level. Um you know, we had a need last year. We said we had I think 75 kids
149sign up seventh through 9th. We we referred for coaches last year. Seth reached out. Now, Seth played here at Lewistown. Um, he played three years and started at Susan University as a line coach. One of the things I think we need to to one of the positions that we need to improve on to get to the next level is line play in general. It's hard to find good line coaches. Um, you know, Seth fills that void tremendously. Um, he's probably overqualified for for what he's going to be doing. I guarantee you there's a lot of high school coaches in Pennsylvania would like to have somebody with Seth's background on their varsity staff as their line coach. Um Seth's been successful, you know, coaching you sports, different sports, football, won Super Bowl level. Um he's been
150selected to coach, you know, the senior bowls down there. Um and um and like I said, his playing experience starting years in college. Um, and I've talked to other coaches that I' I've interviewed, um, you know, just here and there about coaches, other coaches, just trying to get some information and guys have commented about Seth's line and his teams and his linemen, how disciplined they are, how aggressive they are. It's definitely an area that we need to get better at, you know, in this district, in our program, um, to get better. And that if I can get somebody that can to start with kids at seventh grade level, that's only going to help us in three or four years when those kids move up to play varsity. So I have complete faith in those two
151guys. Um I'm really looking forward to what they can do along with the other guys that were going to be coming on board to our junior high level. But those two guys in particular, I trust those guys. I respect those guys. They're prom county football and they're prom county sports in general. So thank you. >> Thank you very much. Is there any other public comment? Yes. Um Raytown. Um I teach physics at the high school and I'm also the head baseball coach. Um I'm going to come around just because I'm more comfortable moving around the room just because that's what I do. Uh just a couple of general things that I want to say based on some things that were on the agenda. Um, as these guys know, I mean, they received some of the
152same emails that I did this week about the different uh uh, you know, requests for information. And specifically, I want to speak on the Mid Pen conference. Um, and I'm going to apologize to Wade right now, but I'm going to bring him into the conversation here eventually. Um, I'm sure he won't mind. Um, but we were kind of both a little bit in the same situation where we we took over programs that were struggling a little bit when when we got the job. Um, for those of you that do not know me, I was the I coached baseball at Louiswistown from 1997 to 2011. Uh, took a little bit of a break, jumped into the softball world with my daughter, and then eventually back into baseball four years ago. Um, I I it's it's fair
153to say and and I'm not pointing fingers at anybody when I say this, but like I said, we took over programs that were struggling and one of the reasons that we struggled is Midheadance is tough. It's very tough. However, you've been in three straight championship games. Am I right? We've been in two in a row and the reason we're there is because of the mid bed conference. Okay. Um when Wade talked about going to pick up kids and, you know, getting them up at 6 a.m. to shoot and taking them to Lancaster and doing all these things, it's it's kind of the same. My world's a different way. Um my coaching philosophy is a certain way, but I had to jack up the intensity in order to get it where we needed to be to
154compete. Uh the the three years prior to me taking over, we had seven wins, five wins, and three wins. And two years ago, we had 14. Last year we had 11. This year we were eight and four. And the reason that's happening is because of the way the changes that I had to make because of that league. And I'll use a very simple baseball analogy in closing here. Um, most of you probably have kids that play baseball and the plate is 17 in wide. It doesn't matter whether you're at T-ball, little league, high school, major leagues, 17 inches wide. I would hope that it would be in the best interest of our kids and our community for our kids to be their best. Let's not make the plate wider. If you can't throw strikes at
15517 inches, it doesn't matter what level. We don't make the plate wider to make it a better fit. So, [clears throat] I consider or I'm thinking, you know, on behalf of of many of us here, you know, this this league brings out the best in our kids and I think we would be setting a terrible precedent to try to take that opportunity away from them for getting better. >> Thank you, Mr. Robert, is there any other public comment? [clears throat] >> Uh, just a couple interesting question curious. Sorry. Wade Curry, Louis town, coach the boys basketball program. Um, have we had any discussions about our our classifications in terms of >> We cannot answer [clears throat] direct questions during public comment, unfortunately. just present that as an opportunity to discuss it. Um if we were
156changing classifications then I might have some varying opinions you know about we participated but because we participate at the basketball level the 6A right level the districts we want the states I think it's in our best interest to continue to that's the level competition we're going to see when we play in the first [clears throat] season you know it's what will prepare us the best you It's also a league that provides um players that uh see the opportunity to play at the next level. >> I'm sorry, Mr. Curry. This is not uh part of the agenda, unfortunately. So, this is a discussion. [laughter] >> This is a business >> other business. >> My apologies agenda. It's okay. No problem. [laughter] >> But I'll I'll wrap up. I think it's a good platform for kids that
157want to play the next level and demonstrate their skill set because they're playing [clears throat] against some of the best players in the state. So, I would not raise comments that it's the best place for us right now unless you know we're somehow evaluating our and I'm not sure how much control we have our classification. Thank you. Thank you, Coach Curry. Can it wait until we get to the topic? >> Kind of asking them if they can possibly stay for that discussion because I would like their input. If they can't say it's late, I understand that. But I have >> I mean other business is a part of the open uh public discuss a part of public session. So they're more than welcome to stay while we're in other business. Um >> I was hoping
158they were like >> do we have any other public comment? [clears throat] All right. So, we'll go ahead and move on to the consent agenda >> [clears throat] >> um which is presented as before um from the committee of the whole ME meeting. Aside from a few amended items including the added missing pages from the committee of the whole report under uh finance under transportation [clears throat] we've added the recommended drivers for Christ transportation including uh Kylie Wagner and Dustin Wade. Um, and then under personnel, we have added the resignation of Nicole Lewis as board secretary effective July 31st, 2026. And that was opposed to the end of the school year. Um, and we've also added um hiring of Betsy Casner as the board secretary beginning on August 1st, 2026 through June 30th, 2029 to
159complete the current four-year term at a yearly stipen of $3,90 [clears throat] uh with the 2627 school year being prrated. >> So, I had two board members ask me, who is Betsy Gasner? Well, there she is. Um, she works directly with uh Mrs. six at the academy as secretary over there. Um so Mrs. Gasner um is going to shadow with Mrs. Lewis and then she's also going to get on the agenda to be the OC secretary board secretary and um we've also the team here talked with Mrs. Coltz um we have a plan to make it very seamless for Mrs. Gazer could be a board secretary but not be in this building but be at the academy. >> They'll they'll be on. >> Yes. >> It's I mean Mrs. Cad is going to volunteer just
160like Mrs. Lewis volunteered when Amy Smith was here. Yeah. >> Sure. >> I just want to say I'm resigning because of the new position that I am hopefully going to be approved for this evening. So it's not against any that's the only reason I'm not allowed to be board secretary in the new position I will be in >> you're not allowed to be a professional employee in the district and be the board secretary that's code so everybody knows >> we appreciate that's good for you >> thanks >> so at this time is there anything that the board would like to pull from the consent agenda for roll Paul, >> do I have a motion to approve the consent agenda as presented? >> Motion. >> Do I have a second? >> Any discussion? >> Got first
161second. >> Perfect. Roll call, please. >> Mr. Beer, [clears throat] >> yes. >> Mrs. Barl, >> yes. >> Mr. Harshburgger, >> yes. >> Mr. Syers, >> yes. >> Mrs. Bombgardner, >> yes. >> Mrs. Dixon, [clears throat] >> yes. Uh, sorry. Dr. Ketchum. >> Yes. >> Mr. Lion. >> Yes. >> Mr. B. >> Yes. >> Moving on to roll call items. Item A is to recommend approval of Cara McMullen's resignation from working ESY as a certified occupational therapy assistant effective the 2026 2027 school year in which you will no longer receive the $2,500 stipen for working ESY. Uh, do I have a motion? >> Motion. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> Roll call, please. >> Mrs. Bumgardner, >> yes. >> Mr. Harshburgger, >> yes. >> Mr. Wyan, >> yes. >>
162Mr. Baker, >> yes. >> Mr. Herb, >> yes. >> Mrs. Dixon, >> yes. >> Mr. Syers, >> yes. >> Mrs. Barl, >> yes. >> Dr. Ketchum, >> yes. >> All right. Item B, recommend that Stephen Dearmint be approved as the federal programs coordinator at a monthly stipen of $600 effective July 1st, 2026. Do I have a motion? >> Motion. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> I just would like to ask for clarification. That statement amount is equal to what Mr. Miller was receiving. >> Correct. >> Yes. >> It comes out of the title one. Correct. It's fixed. There's no um help me adjust the cola or anything like that. It's a collaborate. >> Yes. >> It's been forever. >> Ever since he was brought here 10, 11 years ago.
163>> Yeah. >> Any other discussion on item B? >> Roll call, please. >> Mrs. Barl, >> yes. >> Dr. Ketchup, >> yes. >> Mr. Wyan, >> yes. >> Mrs. Dixon, >> yes. >> Mrs. Mr. Bombgardner, >> yes. >> Mr. Baker, >> yes. >> Mr. Herb, >> yes. >> Mr. Styers, >> yes. >> Mr. Hersburgger, >> yes. >> Moving on to item C. recommend approval of varsity and junior high girls wrestling as fully funded county school district sports beginning at beginning in the 2026 2027 school year with estimated costs for $21,000 a year to run the varsity program and 12,000 to run the junior high program. Do I have a motion? >> Motion. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Any discussion? I have some discussion on this. I is can we table this
164because I think that we need more information and we did not discuss this at athletic committee. >> Do you want to make a motion to table? >> Is it the right time? Because we already have two motion or two >> discussion is the right time to ask. >> I would like to make a motion to table this. Could we have further discussion on this topic at the athletic committee to bring it back to the board? >> Do we have a second question? When's the next meeting without me looking? >> It's June. >> Okay. >> Structurally postponing the vote would affect anything. >> I have to look at Miss McY. >> I mean, it's filled into the budget and that's a question for Melinda. You know, just as far as making sure we have staff in
165place, but we information on this was presented at the athletic just the information that is up there just very high level. We did not go into an in-depth discussion on it. We discussed the cost and the 2-year requirement non requirement for sports >> but not an in-depth discussion >> was it okay I'm sorry I thought wasn't information presented to them on the other questions about it >> we did discuss it at the committee of the whole about the participation of the girls uh junior high and varsity programs I believe it was listed that the current participants have all indicated that they uh want to return. I cannot remember um if [clears throat] it was provided that there would be new members to the junior high wrestling program. I cannot remember if that information was presented,
166but I know that there was information indicating that there is strong participation in the girls wrestling program um especially in terms of retention of those athletes. Yes, Dr. Catch. No, I just we we then we I think we talked about it the one question that came up was the two-year period that was kind of informal, but then we looked at other examples that were didn't have that and and and typically I think in in the past examples I and I'm trying to remember it was like if there was a lot of engagement >> we sometimes that was taken into consideration >> and we actually do have an instance in which a team sport cuz Mr. Barner did send us an email about it >> about botchi um was never a club an informal club sport
167and was immediately a district uh funded sport >> and it's doing it's doing very popular still >> champs right >> state champs >> yeah believe state champs one year >> is that the only sport that was the only one that went straight into a varsity sport >> I believe so >> that was the only example We had >> am right motion. >> Um, but since we have the motion to table before us, do we have a second? >> I will second it. If there's a board member here that feels unprepared to vote on this and wants more information, then I would not want to be forced to vote on something that I wanted more information. >> Would the next athletic committee though there's going to get more information? How's that timewise with everything else too?
168Or is it going to is it going to put a wrench in other? That would probably be a Melinda question. Budgetwise, that's the way that I would look at it. Um, I would say that we at least have some sort of buffer um, participation wise due to the fact that wrestling is a winner sport and well, since we're on the topic of wrestling, wrestling is a winner sport. >> Well, yeah, because I mean, if we don't if somebody doesn't have enough information, you're right. We want to have that time to have more information. We don't feel prepared, but at the same time [clears throat] like >> we don't want, you know, where's the balance, you know, like as far as >> what are the risks if we wait till that other committee is there? Is
169it or is it enough buffer that we should be okay? >> Um >> I have my notes say June 8th, Monday, June 8th. >> June 8th, then the budget has to be approved. The budget's planned to be voted on >> 25th. So So, if we were to table this, this would have to at least be a roll call item uh come June 25th. >> Well, no, I would need I mean, I'm going to have to have the budget, >> right? Preliminary in May. [clears throat] >> I mean, she my understanding is these costs are already build into it, >> right? So, is there an issue if we build them into the preliminary budget and then they're removed if it would not pass? >> Mrs. Can. >> Well, I mean, so when are you deciding when
170would you be voting on it then? June. At the June meeting. >> If we decided to table it today, that would likely be the um time to decide when to vote on it. So then we have to have two budget numbers at the June meeting. One with wrestling and one without wrestling. >> Can I spend it, Miss Barl? Is there anything that specifically want that we get it on the May meeting have [clears throat] like do you want the junior high wrestling coach here to answer questions? Do you >> No, I don't think that it's specifically about the teams. I think that it's I don't know if I'm teetering on executive about the ability for our staff to handle the additional workload that comes with this and then there's some title N questions and and
171the effects of this. I don't want to expand upon that in public. I don't think that I can. >> Is there any other discussion on tableling item C? All right. Roll call, please. >> Hold on. Hold on. Make sure what we're voting on here, but not everyone sure. >> This is to table item C. [clears throat] >> Okay. Okay. >> Mrs. Dixon. >> Yes. >> Dr. Ketchum. >> Yes, >> Mr. Wine. >> Yes. >> Mr. Baker. >> Yes. >> Mr. Herb. >> No. >> Mr. Harshburgger. >> No. >> Mr. Syers. >> No. >> Mrs. Bombberger. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Barl. >> Yes. >> Motion passes the table. Then moving on to item D. Recommend approval to add junior high baseball as a fully funded Mifflin County School District sport beginning the 2026 2027 school year
172at an estimated cost of $13,000. Do I have a motion? >> Motion. >> Do I have a second? >> Any discussion? >> I would like to take the same approach here and table this because for the same reasons. >> Do I have a second to table? All right. Motion to table fails. So, do we >> have a question? >> How's this different than the other one? >> It really isn't. >> Yeah. So, then I'll second the motion. It's the same thing. >> Did you call it? >> He did. >> Unfort [clears throat] Yeah. There was no second when you asked for the second. Unfortunately, yes. So, now we do have to decide whether or not to vote up or down on this. >> I apologize. [laughter] Can we have >> Did we Hold on. Hold
173on. Can you second this? >> We did get a second, right? >> Okay. [clears throat] >> Yeah, we got a second. >> Just check. >> Is it personel? >> She has like question, >> but I think there's it's not just personnel related. Like there's other considerations to go. >> Does it does it pertain to the exclusively to the junior high baseball program? No, I would personally say it would not be appropriate to call executive on this topic then. >> So can maybe answer. So let's say um this this one hasn't been around for two years either. There's >> correct. >> Okay. So it's the same. >> Yes. >> Right. So one gets voted in, one doesn't. What happens? I mean, can we unt the other one? And I mean, yeah. >> Yeah, we can unte
174it C if we want to. >> So, [clears throat] >> so I I was very hesitant on that. I almost want, you know, like I don't want to turn. >> We are at least still on item D. So, we do need to move on item D before we go. >> Vote on that. >> Correct. >> So, [clears throat] is there any other discussion on item B? Do we know what the junior high record is right now? Like how are we doing? Can we get an update on junior high? >> I will let Mr. Hop interject. >> I know about >> I knew you would. >> Um, just pull that up right now. Um, the seventh grade team is 5-2 and the eighth grade team is four and three. And my understanding in terms of participation,
175we did have to make cuts in the junior high program. >> And um I was at the game last Friday and not counting the four kids that were jumping in the puddle and getting everybody wet. There were 271 people at the middle school watching the game. I counted myself. >> Thank you, Mr. H. Uh is there any other discussion on item B? >> And there were no issues getting enough teams to play >> from what I understand. Yes, because again the main thing is that there's not a lot of participation in junior high baseball on the pen conference, but we have plenty of competition within the district 6 boundaries. Am I right on that, Mr. Hel? >> All right, great. I mean, I mean, I kind of gave Mr. to play some teams, but she's
176the one that worked out the schedule. And um it was until, you know, it was kind of January 1st until we got sort of everything laid out and approved. And so it was last minute scheduling for for uh for Mr. Play. So I believe I want to say, help me out if I'm wrong, I want to say 14 and 12. >> 14 games, 12 games for one team. Um most of the other schools, if you look at their schedule, they're playing about an 18 game schedule. So, um, hopefully next year, uh, it's something that we'll have certainly more time to take [clears throat] a look at schedules and and hopefully have a full schedule next year. >> All right. Thank you. >> Is there any other discussion on item B? >> I I have a
177question. What is the issue if why do they need to become a sport a fully funed sport now? Like what's the push? What's the desire? I think the main from what I understand it's mainly that they have proven um strong participation um history. Um as pointed out uh the junior high program even had to make cuts uh to their team because they just didn't have the room to be able to play the kids on their roster. >> Is that going to change if it remains a club for a year or two? I don't believe so. Um, but I think what I think and interjected if I'm wrong, uh, I believe how Mrs. M Miss McCle um feels is that it would give a lot more security to the programs knowing that they are now uh
178backed by the district. sort of showing that we have the trust in them to be a standing program under our financing. >> Is there any issue if this were to pass because we it looks like we're going to vote on it tonight and girls wrestling would not pass from title N. >> I don't know. I mean that somebody files a complaint. How about that? No, it depends if there's an upset female parent. I would think it would take somebody. >> Yeah. I mean, [clears throat] it's not it's not an automatic, >> right? >> But there's a risk. >> Oh, yeah. >> Is there any other discussion on item B? Roll call, please. >> Mr. Herb. >> Yes. >> Mr. Syers. Yes, >> Mr. Baker. >> Yes, >> Mrs. Barl. No, >> Mr. Wyan. >> Yes,
179>> Dr. Ketchum. >> Yes, >> Mr. Harshburgger. >> Yes, >> Mrs. Dixon. >> Yes, >> Mrs. Bgardner. >> Yes. >> All right, >> M. Catchum. >> So, can we motion to open up? Yeah, you can make >> Yes, you can make a motion to remove item C from the table. >> Can I mot >> do we have a we have a second to remove item C from the table? >> Let me just double check here because I know Dr. Ketchum originally voted no. So, it has to be a no vote to bring it to the table. I don't know this answer. Does the second motion have to be >> No, he voted yes to it. He voted to table it. So it's in the inverse whenever we're tableing something as opposed to rejecting something. >>
180We move it back out. >> And both Dr. Ketchum and Mr. Wan have voted to table it. So they're both eligible to remove it from the table. >> Yes, >> I'll do it. >> I voted. >> Mr. W. >> You were not eligible to remove it from the table, Mr. only whenever it's the no according to Robert's rules whenever a whenever an item is rejected only a no vote can remove can vote can make a motion to revisit it whenever it's tabled it's the yes votes that can make a motion to unt [laughter] >> yes it is now untabled and up for discussion so do we have any discussion on item C. [clears throat] >> I always it's a discussion to unt now. If there's any discussion around untabling take few votes, >> right? So
181this >> Yes. So this is the discussion to untal [laughter] parliamentary procedure. >> I guess there if there's enough interest is there any realistic re reason why if we table it and revisit it in later in a couple months that we would vote any different than we would today. you know, I mean, is maybe maybe there is, but but is is it really likely that >> I don't realistically see a change in my opinion? >> So So like then then might as well like that's that's why I would say we already we already moved on with the junior high baseball. So now >> uh Mr. Steers, did you have any >> Well, this is simply an observation. Take a voice for it. For the past three months, is it safe to say that 65% of
182our conversation has been athletics? >> Unfortunately, yes. >> Well, there's something wrong with that picture. That's what I would say. But look at our budget, too. Like, we're adding to the budget that is not going to be balanced. And then where the concessions [clears throat] come when we were asked for more teaching staff or funding isn't at levels that we anticipated. >> I'm not you got a point. I'm not going to debate that. I'm just saying we are spending way too much time talking about athletics. >> Way too much time. >> Do we have any other discussion on untabling item C? Roll call, please. We're going >> to unt it and bring it back. >> Perfectly clear. >> Yes. >> Everybody ready? We all know what we're voting [laughter] on. >> Okay. >> Mr. Harshburgger.
183>> Yes. >> Mr. Baker. >> Yes. >> Mr. Wyan. >> Yes. >> Mr. Sireers. >> Yes. >> Dr. Ketchum. >> Yes. >> Mr. Herb. >> Yes. Mrs. Dixon, >> yes. >> Mrs. Barl, >> no. >> Mrs. Bomber, >> no. >> It's all It's on the table again. Do we need a motion in a second? >> Yes, please. >> Do I have a motion to approve item C? >> Motion. >> Second. >> Any discussion on approving item C? I would like clarification about some discrepancies in an email that we received and I don't know that we can get that in public session. >> Is it about a personel issue? >> With girls wrestling? [clears throat] >> Yes. >> I don't want to answer dishonestly, but like indirectly yes. some >> I we were provided one set
184of information in an email and I have been provided contradictory information to that from parents of a female wrestler executive >> so maybe student related >> can I advice can I have miss >> I'm fine with mice staying >> help answer >> so at this time we are going to call an executive session for Personnel issues. >> [clears throat] >> Are we back on? >> Yeah. >> All righty. Uh, so do we have any other discussion for item C? >> Roll call, please. >> Dr. Ketchum. [clears throat] >> What are we going for? [laughter] items. >> Okay. Yes, >> Mr. Baker. >> Yes, >> Mr. Herb. [clears throat] >> Yes, >> Mrs. Barla. >> No, Mr. Wyan. >> Yes, >> Mr. Syers. >> Yes. [laughter] >> Mrs. [snorts] Bombarder? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Dixon? >>
185Yes. >> Mr. Harshburgger? >> Yes. Moving on to item B. Recommend approval of the resignation of Jessica Bumgardner as a member of the operating committee for the Midland County Academy of Science and Technology effective immediately. Uh is there a motion? >> Motion. >> Is there a second? >> Am I allowed to second that? >> I don't care. Seconds first. >> Barl first second. >> Any discussion? I would just like to say that it was purely a scheduling conflict is why I'm resigning. I don't want anyone else that is thinking about stepping on there to to hesitate to do it. I enjoyed my time serving on that committee. I'm kind of sad to not be there, but you know, not >> I have other obligations at the new time. >> Uh, is there any other discussion
186for item E? >> Roll call, please. >> Mr. >> Yes. >> Mr. Baker, >> yes. Mr. Herb, >> yes. >> Mrs. Dixon, >> yes. >> Dr. Ketchum, >> yes. >> Mr. Harshburgger, >> yes. >> Mr. Ryan, >> yes. >> Mrs. Barl, >> yes. >> Mrs. Bombard, >> yes. [laughter] >> You could. >> So, moving on to item F, which is the nominations for the operating committee member open seat for the Midland County Academy of Science and Technology. Nominations do not need a second. So at this point, do we have any nominations for the operating committee? >> Nominate Cody Wy. He has been our alternate [clears throat] >> at the academy. And at the last academy meeting, Mrs. Buggardner expressed, you know, her uh need to resign. And I did ask Mr. why if this was
187something he would be interested in pursuing because I would I wanted to nominate and if he was interested so I'm going to and as far as I know he's still interested so I'm going to uh nominate Mr. Y. >> All right. Do we have any other nominations to start nominating alternate? >> All right. No, we got to get approve this one. Then we'll do the alternate cuz Cody's moving up to varsity. >> Do I have a motion to close the nominations? >> Do I have a second? >> All righty. >> So, moving on to Wait, do I >> to [clears throat] vote on closing? Noody. Okay. So, which would be item G, uh, which is to recommend approval of Cody Wine to serve as the operating committee member to fill the open seat from the
188Bland County Academy in Science and Technology until the next or until the next reorganization meeting in December 2026. Do I have a motion? >> Do I have a second? >> Any discussion? Sorry, I'm >> embarrassed you can track myself. Roll call, please. >> Mr. Wine. >> Yes. [laughter] >> I'm sorry. You were on You were up for first. Mrs. Ber, >> yes. I'm sorry. >> That's okay. >> Mrs. Dixon, >> yes. >> Mr. Harshburgger, >> yes. >> Dr. Ketchum, >> yes. >> Mr. Baker, >> yes. >> Mrs. Barl, >> yes. >> Mr. Herb, >> yes. >> Mr. Styers, >> yes. >> All righty. So, at this time, I would like to open up nominations for uh an alternate operating committee member for the Midland County Academy of Science and Technology. Once again, nominations do not
189need a second. >> So, do we have any nominees? >> I'd like to nominate you. >> No, at least that' be an alternate [clears throat] >> Dr. Ketchup. All right. >> So, alternate So you were the first come. So >> well I would decline the nomination if I won. >> Yeah. >> Can >> well then I'm going to decline the nomination. >> All right. That solves it. Makes it easy. But because it is an OC position still needs voted on. >> All righty. Is there any >> motions to close it? >> Is there any mo is there any other nominations? Do I have a motion to close the nominations? >> Do I have a second? >> So moving on to item H. um is to recommend approval of Brian Ketchum to serve as the alternate
190operating committee member to fill the open seat for the Mifflin County Academy of Science and Technology until the next organization meeting on December 2026. Do I have a motion? >> Motion. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> Roll call, please. >> Mr. Baker, >> yes. >> Mr. Wyans, >> yes. >> Mrs. Bungardner, >> yes. >> Mr. Syers, >> yes. Mrs. Barla, >> yes. >> Dr. Ketchum, >> yes. >> Mrs. Dixon, >> yes. >> Mr. Harshburgger, >> yes. >> Mr. >> Yes. >> Moving on to item I recommend approval of the 2026 2027 and 2027 2022 agreement between Midland County School District and Folium Incorporated lower life services for junior senior uh school transition classroom. The program will be held at the Midland County High School. Do I have a motion?
191Motion. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> Roll call, please. >> Mrs. Bumgardner, >> yes. >> Mr. >> Yes. >> Dr. Ketchum? >> Yes. >> Mr. Wyan? >> Yes. >> Mr. Styers? >> Yes. >> Mr. Harsher? >> Yes. >> Mrs. >> Yes. >> Mr. Baker? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Barlo? >> Yes. >> Moving on to item J. recommend approval to purchase 1,423 Delpro Education laptops at the price of $58.24 each. The total purchase price is $723,2252 with Midland County School District purchasing $1,315 of those laptops for 668,335.60 and the Academy of purchasing 108 laptops for $54,889.92. Do I have a motion? motion. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Any [clears throat] discussion? >> Say it again real fast. >> No. [laughter] >> Any other discussion? >> I
192think. >> Yes. >> Roll call, please. >> Mr. B. >> Yes. [clears throat and cough] >> Mrs. Barlo. >> Yes. >> Mr. Baker. >> Yes. >> Dr. Ketchum. >> Yes. >> Mr. Wyan. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Bomber. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Dixon. [laughter] >> Yes. >> Mr. Harshburgger. Yes, >> Mr. Dyers. >> Yes. [clears throat] >> All right. Moving on to this. Item K. Uh, recommend approval to purchase of Synology Storage System along with supporting hardware and software for district backups at a price of $42,5326. Do I have a motion? >> Motion. >> Second. >> Any discussion? uh just that this is as I mentioned in the CO meeting is is critical to the IT department to back up emails and other documentation that we may or may not need in the future. So it's
193almost a necessity I would call it. >> Any other discussion? [clears throat] >> Roll call, please. >> Mrs. Dixon, >> yes. >> Mr. Syers, >> yes. Mrs. Bombgardner, >> yes. >> Mr. Harshburgger, >> yes. >> Mr. Herb, >> yes. >> Mrs. Barl, >> yes. >> Dr. Ketchum, yes. >> Mr. Wyan, >> yes. >> Mr. Baker, >> yes. [snorts] >> Moving on to item L. Recommend approval of Josh Snook as the assistant junior high football coach with two years of experience for the fall 2026 season at a salary of $1,94 beginning at the start of the football season. Do I have a motion? >> Motion. Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> Roll call, please. >> Mr. Herb, >> yes. >> Dr. Ketchum, >> yes. >> Mr. Ryan, >> yes. >> Mr.
194Baker, >> yes. >> Mrs. Barl, >> yes. >> Mr. Harshburgger, >> yes. >> Mr. Syers, >> yes. >> Mrs. Bombgardner, >> yes. >> Mrs. Dixon, >> yes. >> Moving on to item N. recommend approval of Seth Nabakovski as the volunteer junior high football coach for the fall 2026 season beginning at the start of the football season. Do I have a motion? >> Motion. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> Roll call, please. >> Mr. Harshburgger. >> Yes. >> Mers? >> Yes. >> Mr. Baker? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Barl? >> Yes. >> Mr. B? >> Yes. Dr. Ketchum, >> yes. >> Mr. Wyan, >> yes. >> Mrs. Bumner, >> no. >> Mrs. Dixon, >> yes. >> Moving on to item N. Recommend approval of the purchase of a new boiler for
195the administration building at a cost of $117,000 from the capital improvement fund. Do I have a motion? >> Motion. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> Roll call, please. >> Dr. Mr. Ketchum. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Bumberger. >> Yes. >> Mr. Harshburgger. >> Yes. >> Mr. Wyan. >> Yes. >> Mr. Styers. >> Yes. >> Mr. >> Yes. [laughter] >> Mrs. Dixon. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Barl. >> Yes. Mr. Baker. >> Yes. >> Right. >> Moving on to item O. recommend approval of the purchase of a new scoreboard and video board for the Meth County High School gymnasium, including shot clocks, which will be required uh by the PIAA in the future at a cost of $155,000 from the capital improvement fund. Do I have a motion? >> Motion. >> Do
196I have a second? >> Second. >> Any discussion? Yes. >> I have a question. >> Yes. Go ahead. >> No, you know what you said. Um, has there been any talk about the sponsorship on the school on >> like it's actually somebody from the the public here, but I had um sent [clears throat] an email uh to Kitch Bank. I haven't gotten a response. Uh, they have their name on the bottom panel right now. Somebody thought they maybe there was an agreement with Pitchbank some point, but nobody seems to know anything about it within the district. Okay. I didn't know that. [clears throat] Uh yeah. With the scoreboard and was amazing. >> Yes. >> Okay. I didn't know that. I didn't know you know. Sorry. [laughter] Um I'm trying to think when we when we
197talk about it. >> Not with me. >> Apparently not. Okay. So, uh I mean that's going to be open for discussion. Um I mean we'll have to see what we have I guess and and you know do something for it. Is it like first diesel or anything on that? >> I mean I would have the file in my office. They uh had it was over several years. They sent us a check every single year for the sponsorship of the school of the uh Okay. [clears throat] Well, we have to look at I mean that's uh I think we talked about it in athletic and maybe apparently it's been all around you but not in >> I had emailed Tish uh and several people. Roger Roger actually brought it to my attention but he always seems
198to know anything about it. So >> we we talked to previous athletic directors. >> Okay. So then we could go ahead and move for purchase and then tomorrow we start working on if it's approved start working on the >> Yeah. the finance side of it. >> But if we're going to ask for sponsorship, then it wouldn't be funded from the capital improvement fund. >> True. I mean, we could table I mean, honestly, this isn't a I mean, this this is a longer lead time item. It'd be nice to have it put in there over the summer. That would be the only hold up. I mean, we certainly could uh a little bit >> we would have more answers in May for the budget. Brian, I remember is it this upcoming basketball season in which the
199shot clocks will be required. >> Believe it or not, I think it's 2028 and I'm not sure what point in that year is. So, we we literally have a little bit of time. Uh the video board is more [clears throat] concerned right now. I talked to Roger at length about it and uh they won't change anything on it. They're they might be running like maybe Windows 98 still. >> They don't want to change anything. They're afraid it's going to crash and just stop working. So, we kind of, you know, just sitting there. So, >> got it. >> Uh, is there any other discussion on item O? >> I have a mo. >> So, a motion to table. Do I have a second to table? >> Second. >> Is there any other discussion on tableling item
200O? >> We'll call on tableabling item O. >> Mr. Styers. Yes, >> Mr. Baker. >> Yes, >> Mr. Herb. >> Yes, >> Mr. Harshburgger. >> Yes, >> Mrs. Bumgar. >> Yes, >> Mrs. Barl. >> Yes, >> Mrs. Dixon. >> Yes, >> Dr. Ketchum. >> Yes, >> Mr. Wyan. >> Yes, [clears throat] >> the um Mr. Cunningham sent us a message just so everybody knows, we're audio only going out. You can see on our TVs that we have video. Mr. Mr. Herto is seeing our video. There's a problem with him pushing it out to the public. He's working on it. I just want to let everybody know. >> Thank you, Mr. Dear. [clears throat] >> Um, moving on to item P. Uh, recommend approval of the purchase of lighting upgrades for the Mlin County Middle School
201Auditorium at a cost not to exceed $250,000 from the capital improvement fund. This is not a solid number. Do I have a motion? Do I >> have a second? >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> How much is it going to vary if it's not solid? [clears throat] >> So, obviously, if it would exceed that, we bring it back to the table. I talked to one company who does it all the time. I mean, they he gave me the ballpark number there. I have another company coming next week. Uh I met with them on Zoom last week. They're coming up next week to look at it as well. This is one of those things that uh hopefully uh hopefully we're able to get done over the summer because it's to the point right now it's we're
202near not being able to use some of the features. >> So it's possible what happened with the boiler can happen here where you said 175. >> I'm always thankful. I mean if that happens obviously that's what we need to do. [clears throat] I'll bring a number to the board once we get there. Chances are at this point we may not have solid numbers till maybe the next CO meeting but may probably before the voting meeting but um the first company's supposed to have any numbers the ending of next week I think and then the second company I'm not sure how long it's going to take so >> there's not a risk of those changing because the time similar to a laptop right >> at least not if it falls below like it's not going to
203not going because we didn't commit to it by certain date right >> no that no there's nothing like the timing so you can order it right away. >> That's the that's the here the thing here. I mean hopefully I don't think the first company I talk to is going to be able to get to it till probably towards the end of summer anyhow. First company may be able to get to it sooner. Be awesome to get it done summer but it doesn't happen. We have to work around school somehow. So uh that's why I mean I mean we're always hopeful to get it in that 10 weeks. I I mean sometimes we offer evening work or whatever but that's the only timeline there is that we're just fighting that. We I as I said before,
204we were going to do just a partial upgrade this year over the summer. We install the controller we have uh but they have more issues with it. It's why this pushed up and now, you know, we're looking at the the entire thing rather than just putting that one piece of equipment in. So, >> is there any other discussion on item B? >> Roll call, please. >> Mr. Wand, >> yes. >> Mr. Styers, >> yes. [laughter] >> Yes. >> Mr. Harshburgger, >> yes. >> Mr. Herb, >> yes. >> Mrs. Mrs. Dixon, >> yes. >> Mrs. Barla, >> yes. >> Mrs. Bumgardner, >> yes. >> Mr. Baker, >> yes. >> Moving on to item Q. Recommend approval of the purchase of a new stage 4 for the Midland County Middle School at a cost not to exceed
205$75,000 in the capital improvement fund. This is not a solid number. Do I have a motion? >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> Roll call, please. >> Mr. Baker. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Bungberger. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Barla. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Dixon. >> Yes. >> Mr. B. >> Yes. >> Mr. Harshburgger. >> Yes. >> Dr. Ketchum. >> Yes. >> Mr. Syers. >> Yes. >> Mr. Wyan. >> Yes. >> All right. >> Moving on to items R. Recommend approval the purchase of new flooring for the bathrooms at the Midland County Junior High School at a cost of $45,000 from the capital improvement fund. Do I have a motion? Motion. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Any discussion? Roll call, please. >> Mrs. Bumgardner, >> yes. >> Mrs.
206Dixon, >> yes. >> Mr. Harshburgger, >> yes. >> Mr. Syers, >> yes. >> Mr. Baker, [clears throat] >> yes. >> Mrs. Barl, >> yes. >> Mr. Herb, >> yes. >> Dr. Ketchum, >> yes. >> Mr. Wyan, >> yes. >> All right, >> moving on to item S. recommend approval the purchase and installation of a second jump pin and runway at Marcow [clears throat] Paperfield at a cost of $85,000 from the capital improvement fund. Do I have a motion? >> Motion. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> Just for clarification, this you guys wanted to do this in the initial project, right? And it was going to add a lot more cost if you did it originally with changing things around. >> Well, the original design didn't have it in there.
207And I would say we're probably [snorts] 50% through construction whenever it was brought up. At that point, I feel certain we weren't going to get a good deal from other things we had seen. We had lots of other issues that we had to get done with our contingency fund. We had a bank issue and some other things in the [clears throat] project. So, uh, the other thing was it was potentially going to push us outside our limits of destruction for MPDS permit. >> Okay. >> So, we wouldn't want to put the the project on hold again to solve this. So, >> Okay. Thank you. What are we gaining with this? >> More participation in jumping events for track and field. >> Are weble [clears throat] are we going is there a return on investment? Like
208are we going to be able to host different things here to have >> Can I have because I know right [clears throat] now we're running into problem with timing with the events, Miss McClai, since you're here, >> right? And with only one jump, we would not be eligible to host um invitationals. Same with the electronic timing system. You need both of those things in place. one of those larger events. >> How far in the future would we have to like is it a bidding process that you have to start now or 2028 to get those things scheduled or is it something that we can start having those things immediately after this is completed. the invitationals we would be able to start immediately but correct me if I'm wrong but districts is a bit is >>
209well it would take a while to get to gain interest in having an invitational >> right >> you know what I mean because you know schedules schedules are done pretty much for next year except for invitationals but there [clears throat] are other invitationals out there so it would take a little bit to crack into the market host an invitational >> but now can correct we do not have electronic time >> we do not but we we believe we may have a donor for that. >> Okay. That we're working [snorts] on. [clears throat] >> Is there any other discussion? >> Why does this fall under Tom's wheelhouse at this point and not athletics and the athletic budget? >> Because of the fact that this is a building and grounds issue because of the fact that they're
210the ones that are going to be putting it up and maintaining it. the overall execution of events on those um services would fall under athletics. Mr. White, Miss McCle, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that's the difference between why this is a building and grounds issue and not directly an athletics issue. >> I would say we're going to facilitate construction obviously. I mean, we're going to do some of the work ourselves. Obviously, we can do some of like servicing whatnot. So, uh, >> I'm more I'm more concerned about the budget life of your budget. So, >> it's coming out of capital. >> All of these items that we're talking about are coming out of capital improvement. >> They're not ever they're not ever cutting cost. >> They are not coming out of man's
211budget. These are all capital improvement items. The eight is like $8.8 million that's on um page two of the treasures report. It's coming out of that. [clears throat] Can you remind us again what we've already invested in the sports complex? >> $19 million. [snorts] >> Is there any other discussion on item S? >> Yeah, I don't know if this is a comment or question. We'll see how it comes out. U I'm I'm a little concerned it wasn't included in the original project, but do you think it would have cost that much more? And you're [clears throat] saying it would have delayed the whole project if we would have included it. >> If we would have added it in after so it wasn't in the original design it was brought to us. Whenever it was brought
212up we were I mean I had time to know why it was probably a year into the thing after after bidding process. Whenever it was brought up it would have been a delay at that point and we didn't have we wouldn't have had enough contingency at that point to cover it as well. >> Okay. Thanks. Is there any other discussion on item S? Roll call, please. >> Mrs. Garla, >> no. >> Dr. Ketchum. >> Yes. >> Mr. Baker, >> no. >> Mr. Herb, >> no. >> Mr. Hartsburgger. >> Yes. >> Mr. Styers? >> Yes. >> Mr. Wyan? Yes, >> Mrs. Dixon. >> No. >> Mrs. Burner, >> no. Yep. >> Moving on to item T. Recommend approval of one of the options listed below for the playground equipment upgrades at the Indian Valley Elementary Center
213from the capital improvement fund. Option A is to install new equipment at a cost of $65,000. Option B would to conduct immediate need repairs at a cost of $10,984. Option C would also be immediate repairs, but the but include the removal of the tube slide at a cost of $3,849. Um, and option D would be all repairs but no new equipment at $32,462. Do I have a motion to approve option A? >> I I'll make a motion. >> Do I have a second to approve option A? >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> When do we talk about monkey bars? now, >> but that would be if after we vote on this option because this is the only option that would include monkey bars. >> No. So, I just said earlier, I mean, if you guys
214vote to replace it, we can have the conversation about what type you would like to put in there. So, the option that I chose for this pricing was a larger footprint of the floor option they had sent us. There is a lot of students out in Indian Valley. This closely match the footprint being used by the current piece of equipment. Uh, monkey bars are relatively cheap to install because they're usually just horizontal ladder or whatever that's powder coated and a couple posts but it takes up a larger footprint. Whereas some of the options like [clears throat] you'll see there's like plastic cubes and stuff like that students climb on. >> So essentially we we would vote on if we vote on replacing equipment then we would we look at specific options later. Yes, I have
215the four options from the company's manufacturer up in Louis program. I don't know how you guys want to handle that on or that' be something for building ground committee to review >> that. But you indicated that this option, this new equipment here at $65,000 was essentially without the monkey bars and it's more expensive without correct. Is that >> correct? >> So it would be a lower cost if we added those. >> I mean you can make this a do not exceed amount and then you can choose whichever piece of equipment you'd like. Like I said, I don't know at what level that would happen. The choosing, but >> Mr. Wayne, building we I think as a committee, then we say to leave the monkey bar out was our recommendation. >> Yes. [clears throat] >> Our
216experience has been with them, but I didn't even realize nationwide, you know, issue with, you know, what the business department had found in doing a little research on it. So, >> well, and I looked at those too and and some [clears throat] of that is very outdated equipment, right? So if it's brought up to modern safety standards with with monkey bars then I mean it's a different we're talking different stories those instances that he brought up were from the 80s and 90s you know where where there was not safety equipment towards the surface and we have a the surface is prepared [clears throat] correctly at our place too. So, um, you know, I think as long as as long as it's compliant with the modern safety standards, then then I don't I don't know if
217any of the the concerns are really valid. >> Well, I think some of the data, if I recall this correctly, when I was looking at injuries, >> yeah, >> monkey bars, most of the injuries were on swings. >> That's right. Surprisingly, slides were in there as well. >> And I'm sure it's, you know, depending on height and things like that. I will say that the injuries that we had, you know, at least in the past wasn't with, you know, newer equipment on compliant surfacing. So, I did I talked to Mr. Miller. He said it's the highest. They still have horizontal set up there. Highest injury rate up there as well. And um you know, they still get some injuries at alas. There's another small one they have. And there is different types. There's staggered bars,
218the hanging down piece. Some are just a horizontal ladder. Uh the current piece that right now is just a horizontal ladder and it's over the port driver services and they still experience, you know, minor injuries there as well. [clears throat] >> I talked to um our insurance agent and um he hasn't gotten back to me. He was going to talk to our underwriter. Uh he felt like they would probably recommend against it if they if we had a history of it. They probably weren't going to say not to do it, but certainly it could drive our rates up because we have um individual student insurance now the plan where the students can get. So, um, that could affect our rates because of that. So, he hasn't gotten me back, uh, he's supposed to get back
219to me in writing, you know, on recommendations, but he hasn't done that. Certainly, if we would see a high rate of injury moving forward, they may ask us something [clears throat] like that. >> That's right. The option D all repairs that was kind of a band-aid solution as well. >> So, yeah, option D, there's some um there's still a lot of it's co like vinyl coated steel. Some of it's delaminating a little bit, rusting. I was going to coat that to buy us a few years whenever we thought we could get the replacement tube sections until they told us to get rid of the uh the rotor molds and that's what drove the cost up. So, we're looking at $10,000 uh just to replace that that tube section rather than um just replace a section
220up that has some uh UV cracking in it. So, uh and then with [clears throat] the $3,000 option was to take that off and then put a bubble on the side of so we eliminate that part of it. And like I said, that's what the options are on there. And then the um the immediate need repairs would be to uh yeah that's the to take that that's the put a new uh tube on there put a new slide on there immediate need and remove tube slides remove it put the bubble in there all repairs would be also to repair replace all the the steel pieces that have the delamination a lot of things is the new setup that you have are [snorts] they going to be just as fun as the current set I mean
221I know I mean I can email. I mean, I can email the designs if you want to you guys. I mean, like I said, I looked at it and like I actually been spending more time the last, you know, month or two walk around the playground and looking a little stuff, you know what I mean? And seeing what the students are using, what they're not using. >> I know. It's really heavily. It's really heavily. >> Everybody looks at me when out there. [laughter] Um, you know, I looked at it and uh, I feel like this, you know, this option B that I looked at had a lot of lot of, um, uh, different areas, you know, mold to violence. >> So, do we I'm going to suggest we put not to exceed. Can we do
222that? >> We can make an amendment. >> So, you're saying that option A would probably not 100% fall less than what you're proposing. Yeah. So the piece was right around 60,000. I added 5,000 because we still have to do geoteex style. Um some penning for that and then possible additional mulch for filling. You know, even though we're going to rate the for mulch back. So we might have some additional rental piece of equipment. We're going to damage the old equipment uh for them to come in and do with a certified solar install. >> Is that option 65,000? >> That includes that. >> Okay. >> So the equipment is right around 60 and it goes down from there. So, like I said, you can you can not to exceed this and then we can talk about
223what you want from there. >> What's your number not to exceed >> 65,000? >> Do you want to make sure you want to make that amendment? >> I'd like to make that amendment. >> All right. Do I have a second to amend option T? Option item T, option A to state that it's not to exceed 65,000. >> I just wanted to make sure I got that. Is there any other discussion? >> And [clears throat] then we'll still have an option. >> Well, we need to vote on the amendment. Yeah. >> Do we have a discussion on amending option A? >> This is the most compliant option too, right? Like there were other compliance concerns. >> Uh not with the other pieces. I mean they give the pieces I think the I think the PA code
224says. Yeah, I think at least >> with the options >> all the options are compliant. They have a they have an ADA schedule in there. So how many stations are on that piece of equipment? I think at least 50% of them or more have to be ADA accessible. >> But we have additional costs later on to make sure to maintain that. Right. that might maybe I misunderstand once we put this in >> on the other options not on option A >> uh no the other options whatever the cost that equipment is once it's installed it'll be there and it goes down I think by like $10,000 over the the other but they're smaller pieces of equipment with [clears throat] less stations. So >> do we have any other discussion on amending option A? >> Roll
225call on amending option A. >> [clears throat] >> Dr. Ketchum. >> Yes. >> Mr. Syers. >> Yes. >> Mr. Wyan. >> Yes. >> Mr. [clears throat] Baker. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Bumberger. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Barlop. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Dixon. >> Yes. >> Mr. Herb. >> Yes. >> Mr. Hersburgger. >> Yes. >> Do we have any other discussion on approving option A, which now states to not exceed $65,000? When would we see the different options to be able to >> how do we want to handle that? >> Yeah. >> Does the board want to filter it through building and grounds first and then bring it to the whole board or does the whole board want to see it [clears throat] as soon as possible? >> What's the timeline? Like what what are we running?
226Like is there a timeline that we need to have a vote to be installed? >> They did give me um on the on the option B that I had chose. I think it was about a month, month and a half lead time he told me on construction built right up north and delivery and then hopefully they could get somebody here over the summer. Molt was out. We get in there and install it. So I think we have a little bit of time here but the windows closing fast. >> Is there a building and ground committee meeting scheduled? >> I mean I can I can email it out to these guys. I mean certainly to look at and if you feel like we need to meet we can meet. Yeah, you had showed us the options
227in building just [laughter] grounds and I wouldn't and there's no public comment in the in the committees so I wouldn't even be able to put my input in for that. >> I mean the chairman of the committees can open public comment during committ. >> Could you put two options out to the students or three options out to the students and let them vote on what they want? >> Is that like >> unorthodox? [clears throat and cough] the elementary student. >> It might not look authentic like it might just be a schematic. >> Yeah, like a big [clears throat] >> care. [laughter] >> I mean, I can email them. We can put them up our mouth. Look at real quick. >> I am his favorite. Just remember, >> he has a whole bag. You have your
228email. >> I missed that. I searched them out on the email while I was sitting here so I hadn't pulled the [clears throat] >> I like I don't like I don't want to choose for them like weed a PBIS a PBIS reward >> I like it for what choosing the >> like yeah like I'm I'm just trying to think of a way to give the students away. But I mean, I think that managing an entire school vote. [clears throat] >> Now, I just put buckets down there and give them one, put it in there. >> I'm serious. We We did. Yeah. >> A classroom teacher. >> It's not that three buckets. Boom. You get one. >> All right. I mean, >> we can make it happen. >> Are you guys think that it could be?
229[laughter] I'm trying to make it easier for you, but >> [laughter] >> You want to move on to item? They say you move on the next item till we email myself. [clears throat] My son, there are four different Present [clears throat] picture sideways a little bit. [snorts] >> So you're saying that like we're not sharing out. >> We are now back. >> Oh, we are. We're back. Anyway, so there [clears throat] that's the option P. That was the largest piece. It has the [cough] sep that was B. So yeah, that's the one. >> And I think there's different color options as well. I think they just >> I think when you scroll one down, it had different colors on. There's one with some bars. >> And you say that's cheaper. >> Mhm. >> I don't
230understand that. >> Scroll up to the first. Just scroll back up the queries on the first page here. That's 444.88. So about $15,000 cheaper. >> How does footprint wise? How do these compared to what's there right now? Is it similar? >> I think they have an overview on that. U has a footprint on there. >> [clears throat] >> When you scroll one down as it shows the the layout of it. >> I mean, they're comparable in size to what we have already. >> So, let's see. >> It looks a little bit It looks smaller than what we have right now. >> That there does. Yes. >> But that's what's the cost on this? I think this might be the cheapest uh 48. So, it's a little bit cheaper. >> I can see some mishaps at
231the top of that big slide. >> Oh, yeah. I didn't particularly [clears throat] care about the height that >> it does look high. >> Like I can see [laughter] >> I mean the kids are taller too out there going >> I think there's on the ADA schedule. I think there's seven stations listed. Only seven different stations on that piece of equipment. Just keep scrolling there. There's in red and gray. Scrolling down. There's an ADA schedule over to the right on this drawing right there. And go a little bit further. So there's where the ADA comes into compliance. So there's seven stations provided. You're required to have four accessible. So like I said, at least half accessible to the ADA. 5,000 >> 60,000 for this and then I had some other stuff that we need to
232do to >> that's it. >> Yep. >> Where are we at? What did we vote? Can we vote? >> This is still on discussion. So, >> can we vote >> on option A not to exceed $65,000? >> We can. Is there any other discussion on option A? Roll call, please. >> Mrs. Dixon, >> yes. >> Dr. Ketchum, >> yes. >> Mr. Wyan, >> yes. >> Mrs. Boner, >> yes. >> Mrs. Barl, >> yes. >> Mr. Harshburgger, >> yes. >> Mr. >> Yes. >> Mr. Syers, >> yes. >> Mr. Baker [clears throat] >> 51 item you recommend approval of the HVAC J upgrade projects combined for better pricing at a total cost of $64,660 from the capital improvement fund [laughter] >> discussion. Am I missing something? >> Mr. Baker is ready to go. >> He jumped
233the gun. >> He said he wanted to go. >> Ready. >> Any other discussion before I give a roll call? >> Roll call. >> Mr. Herb. Yes. >> Mr. Harshburgger. Yes. Dr. Ketchum. Yes. >> Mr. Styers. Yes. >> Mr. Wyan. >> Yes. >> Mr. Baker. >> Mrs. Bumberger. >> Mrs. Barl. Yes. Mrs. Dixon. >> Yes. Sorry. Item B, recommend approval of the installation of additional sidewalks for students at the Marcow paper field at a cost of $35,000 from the capital improvement fund. Do I have a motion? >> Do I have a second? Any discussion? [clears throat] >> Roll call, please. >> Hold on a second. [laughter] >> My goodness, you're an >> Mr. Hersburgger. >> Yes. >> Dr. Ketchum. Yes. >> Mr. Styers, yes. >> Mr. Wy, >> yes. >> Mr. [clears throat] Baker, >>
234yes. >> Mrs. Bumner, >> yes. Mrs. Scarlet. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Dixon, >> yes. >> Mr. >> Yes. >> Item W, recommend approval of upgrades to the water storage tank at Stros Mills Elementary School at cost of $45,000 from the capital improvement fund. Do I have a motion? >> Motion. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> Roll call, please. >> Mr. Syers, >> yes. >> Mr. Wyan, >> yes. >> Dr. Ketchum, >> yes. >> Mr. Hartburgger, >> yes. >> Mr. Herb, >> yes. >> Mrs. Dixon, >> yes. >> Mr. Baker, >> yes. >> Mrs. Mrs. Barlo, >> yes. >> Mrs. Bombarder, >> yes. >> To the home stretch. Item X, uh, recommend approval of the districtwide paving repairs at a cost of $145,000 from the capital improvement fund. Do I
235have a motion? >> Motion. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> I'm just favor. So [laughter] just as a note on this, this winter has been really hard on the asphalt scro mills. The Zoey parking lot along the field's falling apart along the street there. We're going to contact Oliver Township to see if they want to do a joint paving there because of where the two tied together just to get a better project. There's some potholes there. Uh we did, you guys did approve last year. It's in the capital improvement approved already for the uh the back playground in East area that will playgrounds It's all cracked up. Um, we're going to look at some prices here with fuel costs up. I mean, typically, and I talked to some people,
236typically once they go up, they usually don't come back. So, uh, waiting I don't think I gain anything. So, I'm hoping to do the the two combined. So, usually get a better price per square foot when you have larger projects when we put it out for bid. So, >> any other discussion on item X? >> Roll call, please. >> Mr. Ryan, >> yes. >> Mr. Baker, >> yes. >> Mr. Styers, >> yes. >> Mrs. Mr. Bombberger. >> Yes. >> Dr. Ketchum. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Barl. >> Yes. >> Mr. Harshburgger. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Dixon. [clears throat] >> Yes. >> Mr. >> Yes. >> All right. Moving on to other business which includes a discussion of me county school district's athletic participation in the midpen conference. >> ML I had some board members Mr. R
237and I didn't really know all the answers. So we asked Mr. play them in some kind of how do we get the mid 10? Why are we in the mid 10? Should we be in the mid 10? >> I guess I'll just give you some background information. When we first became county high school with the merger, um I believe the mountain conference was still in existence then. They said, "We don't want any part of you. You're too big now. We don't want to play you." Um the Mid Pen was the only league at that time that accepted us. Um, at that point in time, we were in the largest division that there is. Uh, mainly because, as you see, I'm not sure if you understand how classifications work or not, but every two years, the
238PIA reclassifies the size of a school based on its male and female enrollment. And then that determines what classification we are. So, for example, football has six classifications. At one point, we were a 6A school in football. Due to the enrollment numbers dropping, we are now a 5A school, a very large one, but we are under the line. Boys basketball remains a 6A school and just missed the cut off by what 10 schools I think something like that. Pretty close when they did the reclassification. So that's how classifications work. So anyway, we were one of the largest. In some sports we have dropped one level of [clears throat] a classification and and again it depends on how many classifications the PIA has. In some sports there's only two classifications. In some there's four and some
239there's six. So it depends on what the sport is for that classification. So we went into mid. Um some of our teams were competitive early on, some struggled. uh every two years you can ask them to consider a change in your division. We have requested that on multiple occasions. We have had that on multiple occasions. Sometimes we've been down a division, we've done really well and then they've bumped us up a division. Uh sometimes based on classification or geographic location will decide to do a real live. So there's all different ways that that can occur. [clears throat] We believe and I did survey the coaches. I know someone asked me uh I I got from Mr. Ber wanted uh to say you know ask the coaches. So we have 19 head varsity coaches. I surveyed
240all of them. Uh two did not reply. Uh 11 said stay. Four said they have mixed feelings uh for a variety of reasons. Competition level exposure, you know, all of that. But wins, losses can be a struggle, but better preparation for postseason play like Coach Curry talked about a little earlier. And only two said leave um when they were asked about it. I I would say I I would caution you if you want to leave the mid pen to consider what facilities you will be sending our athletes to. We worked really long and hard here, a lot of people to get these great facilities that we have now, indoor and outdoor both. Um, and so if you would go, you know, switch to another conference, I would just be cognizant of that fact. Uh, like
241for example, a lot of some schools around us have cinder tracks still, you know, and so if you would want to change the lead, that would be something I I think, you know, you would want to consider. So one question I have done question do we have to say every single group do they all have to be part of their all like you can't have obviously involved in softball >> right I know well next year softball and baseball both drop down to the lower division so this year they play in the commonwealth division the next two years will play in the Keystone division. So they'll be playing different teams. They'll be playing like lower golf and Hershey, more of the 58 kind of schools that we are as opposed to the six. So that's that's
242no more central golf. So that's all that's already for the next two years moved out. Um the the the next two years, the scheduling for the next two years is primarily finished as far as the midpoint conference goes. meeting. It's already scheduled. Some sports, their schedule's filled for the next two years because we added nonconruits to that. We have to play every single team in miden player. >> No, you have to play your mid pen schedule as being part of that particular conference. As far as to answer your question of could some sports go and some sports stay according to the mid pen, yes. Does that mean other leagues would take us with only certain sports entering? I don't know. At one point I asked the Hartman conference if we could join that conference for
243bowling because they have established bowling programs and it was our bowling [clears throat] team a lot more competitions and they said for them at that point in time it was all or nothing. We come in all the sports or we come in none of them. I was looking at like islands was was less central mountain was >> yep >> we seem to be more competitive in softball again I'm sorry I I did want your opinions I wanted to know what you felt and you guys are doing very well we are not um I did reach out to the Laurel Island and I have reached out to them before just forformational purposes and was told it'd be a real long shot for us to let you into the Laurel Islands and also So um we we
244did do some research Mr. Leley and I on you know different conferences around and there are very very few very few large schools in the Laurel Highlands conference which is one of the reasons and Holidaysburg is in the Laurel Highlands and their AD is very involved in that in that conference. >> Holidaysburg does not have one football game scheduled by the Laurel Highlands. they have to fill their football schedule 100% independently because no Laurel Highland school will play them because they are a five school. >> But I know that like springs and now I even thought that Alina because of the same concerns that I have. >> I did hear I did hear that about Aluna. I asked their athletic director about it. He said no. Doesn't mean that [laughter] um James Buchanan did leave.
245They went to York Adams, I believe, and Big Spring also went to York Adams. And that according information that we received was uh driven largely by [cough] two sports that were pretty powerful and the majority of those coaches did not want to leave. >> What schools are in the Heartland conference? >> Heartland. >> Yeah. >> Heartland's mainly district four schools. Uh, Midwest, Lewisburg, um, Ce Grove, >> Milton, >> Central Mountain, Central Mountain in there. Jersey Shores in there. [clears throat] >> Shake. >> You said it was for them. It was all or nothing. >> When I acquired When I inquired with them for the bowling thing, it was all or nothing. >> I did talk to Sean McCann. He's Williamsport. Williamsport's in the Heartland Conference. Um, >> I can tell you Tish, I had to
246deal with the Heartland Conference when Midwest was looking to get out of the Tri Valley League >> and it they at that time that was some time ago were still all or nothing including they wanted certain educational cooperation between the schools kind of like what the the Big 10 is allegedly about. >> Right. Gotcha. >> The two coaches that you said that said that they would want to get out of the Mid 10, what were their return? Um, one was they they would rather go to the um H Heartland Conference and the other one was um just to go to the Laurel Highlands or Heartland Conference um just to play schools that are more rural, more like us. >> So that's then as far as like the classifications go when they give you a classification
247is there any appeal process? >> There's not. You can move up but you cannot move down. You can't like you can't cuz I know that like like um [clears throat] boys soccer last year was they moved up and I mean they were seemed like it was a good fit, you know, and um >> Well, you're are you talking about the division they played in because their classification didn't change. >> Oh, the division maybe division. >> Yeah, you're talking about the division conference. >> Division versus classification. >> Big difference. The classification is like >> classification is set by the PIAA determines basically what state champion which postseason post championship you know that you're going to play what championship you play. I see >> the mid conference has uh largely four divisions. Some sports have five. Some
248sports only have two depending on how many teams. [snorts] >> Yeah. So we were in so boys soccer was and girls soccer they were in the colonial division and that required um extra travel to Shippensburg, Green Castle, Wesboro, James Buchanan, right? Um and so when they did the realignment, they put us in a closer geographic area uh with schools like Palm or Hershey lower Dolphin, closer in nature to us. And but that's there's no need to appeal that because it was the terminations are just mandated. >> After two years, we could we could ask them to reconsider what division we're in. >> When they give it down, it's it's final >> for the next two years. It's final. >> Yep. >> Boris, what did you mean by educational? >> They had a like an educational
249sharing program. there would be cooperations between the uh the schools academically. Uh [clears throat] it it was like an all-encompassing cooperative situation between the schools that were involved in the heart and conference. >> Wasn't just restricted to athletics, right? Can these guys talk? Okay. >> I just want I want to shed some light on the highland stage. Just this is coming for me as a basketball official. So, uh, currently the way the Laurel Highlands is set up, they have they have an east and west division. And so, if, uh, geographically we would be east. However, when you play crossover games, they also go play JB games. So, um, for for example, Belmont, they're in the Laurel Highlands. If they go play Central Cambria, I mean, you're talking about an hour and a half trip and
250they usually do a varsity double header. So at the end of the season, those teams have played 20 varsity games, but in some instances, maybe only 10 JD games. So the JD kids are losing out a lot on this. >> So you said double varsity, so boys and girls basketball. >> On the crossover games, it's a varsity double header, but they but the JV kids lose out. Like they're only playing half a season. Also with the Laurel P is that east west division most of the big schools the bigger schools are in the >> they're in they're in the west. So is that fact the divisions are not divisions by the >> different uh is there any other discussion on midpen conference participation? Is there any other business that the board would like to discuss?
251>> I have a question. Yes. Um it was brought to my attention that there is um I guess well our our teachers union is actively discouraging conversations between teachers and board members. >> You should go to executive session. >> Yeah. Because this is unfortunately contractual >> because if because if they're committing an unfair labor practice, we should talk about that in executive session. >> Okay. because there may be some legal relief that the district is entitled to depend on >> Okay. So, do we want to wait? >> No, wait. >> Yeah, we'll wait until uh we adjourn public session. So, do we have any other business? >> All right. So, at this time, we'll go ahead and move into the second public comment. The same general rules apply as last time. First and last name
252and the town that you reside in before you start your public comment. Five minute time period per public comment. But this public comment can pertain to any district function. So at this time, do we have any public comment? >> All right. >> So let me um we're going to go to executive session for personnel and contractual. >> Public session is ajourned. The board will move into executive session.