001Flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Right. Roll call. Mr. Here. Mr. Alexander here. Mr. Yutsy here. Dr. Fe here. Mrs. Guyer is absent. Mr. Mr. Graia here. Mrs. Moore here. Mr. Olsen here. Mr. Thomas here. Okay. We met at uh 6:30 to talk uh litigation matters and the personnel log and legal matters. Um in addition, I would like to make a public announcement regarding changes to the board's executive session procedures. Effective immediately, the board will no longer be distributing executive session materials in advance. These materials will instead be provided during the executive session itself. These adjustments are being made in response to recent breaches of confidentiality involving the disclosure of executive session information on social
002media. Such disclosures have the potential to expose sensitive and legally protected information related to students and staff. They also place incomplete or context-free information before the public without the benefit of board discussion, administrative clarification, or solicitor guidance. These actions violate established PSBA board standards for confidentiality and responsible governance and undermine the board's ability to operate effectively, fairly, and in accordance with our legal responsibilities. Most importantly, they distract from our shared mission, serving our students and supporting their education. We remain committed to transparent governance, but we also must ensure that legally protected information and confidential personnel or student matters are handled appropriately. These procedural changes will help safeguard that responsibility. All right. Uh item number five. So the board is asked to amend the agenda to add item G7 regarding the approval of a settlement settlement
003agreement regarding a student. So moved. Second discussion. All those in favor? I opposed. Okay. Item six, citizens comment on agenda items only. I signed up. Would you like to speak front first? Okay. Yeah. On the agenda. You will see a an an area called optional personal printing. Any board member who prefers printed materials may print them at their own discretion and expense. District staff will not provide printing services for individual board members. So, we had this big discussion at the last public meeting about the reason we're doing this is the cost of paper. The cost of paper. And I made the uh statement that ever since we started to bring technology into the South Morning schools, the Chromebooks, the laptops, the Prometheian boards, the use of paper has increased. And of course, I was immediately
004questioned. How did I know that? Well, let me give you the statistics here about why we have a problem. In 2324, South Morland ordered 490 cartons of paper. There are 10 reams per cart. And I checked that out three ways. By 2526, it went from 490 to 1,144 cartons of paper. The larger paper went from a total of five cartons and for 2526 it was up to 30 cartons. One carton holds 10 reams, 500 sheet seats, 5,000. Just this year, South Morland purchased and apparently is going to use 5,730,000 sheets of paper. If you add up the 3 years, it comes to 11 million 680,000 sheets. So, this is certainly designed to make sure that I don't get an agenda. So, if you think you're not going to find out, neither am I. But anyhow,
005I I was real generous and I said, "Okay, I've used 5,000 sheets," which I haven't. Okay. My use of paper for my agenda in South Morland is 1,000th of 1%. 1,000 of 1%. It has now reached the point where I don't know how much more how much more action this board can take to make sure that people do not know what is going on even to the point where they don't even want to tell a board member what is happening. That's what's going on people. So if you don't know remember I don't know either. Thank you. And Mr. Sant Meer. Hello. Thank you. Um Bud Sanmire, Scottdale Burrow. Um, thank you for allowing me to speak. My my comments are strictly about taxes, preparing for your tax appeal. Everybody that owns property in Pennsylvania has
006the annual right to appeal their tax assessment. There's always at a number of people that proclaim that the taxes are too high from this body or that body or the other. But you have the annual right to appeal your assessment. There are some differences in in West Morland County. You would take your assessment times 11.26 26 to get an average market value as decided by the tax board. In Feat County, it's 2.32 times your assessment. Now, the in both counties, the deadline to file is August 1st. There is a charge to file an appeal in Fet County. There is not in West Morland County. I urge everybody that's a property owner to go to your tax office and get a copy of your property record card and make sure it's correct. And you can talk
007to an assessor to see where you sit, if there's any mistakes on the on the record, and decide if you wish to file an appeal. And the time to file is now when you have your spring tax bill. you can see what your total assessment is and calculate your value. I have printed up at my own cost various appeal applications. I've got them for Scottdale Burrow, for East Huntington Township, and for Fyet County. There is a I believe it's a $25 charge to file in Fyat County, and it's free in West Morland. I'm going to leave these up front for anybody here that wants a copy. They can take it. Do with it what you will. This This is your right as a property owner in the county. Make sure your taxes are correct. Make
008sure your assessment is correct. Thank you for your time. Thank you, Mr. Sam. Okay. Section C reports. Uh first superintendent's information this evening we have a couple of things that we'd like to share with you that we're excited about. We will start with uh an opportunity for our students who've joined us tonight to share a little bit of what they were performing uh during the musical newsies. So I'm going to turn over to Mrs. Gore and and uh give you guys a chance to see some of the great things our students have been working to to share with our community. We go down there. Should we go down there, John? Should we go down there? Should Is it better if we go down? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Okay. Hi everybody. My name is Director and we're
009really thankful a group of our students one of our collections really hard. So, and all you make front page and make you with a star. free from this. This is the story has been kept out of sight. In a few hours, my daughter life will be ready to fight the war. This time we're ready to stay in the day. in his bed. He don't care if we're dead or alive for survive till you can stop sheep. We're going to sing asleep and will be light with a promise in the king in the states. This whatever it takes the union awaits once and for all. In the words of union leader Jack Kelly, we will work with you. We will even work for you, but we will be paid and treated as valuable members of your
010organization. This is shining shoes on the street with the shoes on their feet every day. This is for guys blood and rare guys who are sized down without us is in the square. The sweater in the air was going to play there once and for all. One stand for us. There you once and for all your name to all to a new world is dying for you and showing is true and for for all. I stand for all. Thank you so much for At this time, I'm going to ask the principles uh help us to recognize our students of the month. The spirit of South Morland award is presented to a student who exemplifies the core values of service, pride, integrity, responsibility, ingenuity, and tenacity. These qualities reflect the very heart of what it means
011to be a Scotty. We are proud to recognize Reed Pard as a Spirit of South Morland award recipient for the month of February. Reed has consistently demonstrated outstanding service to our school and to the community. He is a member of the Penn State 4.0 club and the National Honor Society, an allsection soccer player, an active member of student council. Reed has also represented our school on snow court and continues to give back to vol by volunteering at youth soccer camp and at picnic in the park for the past 5 years. Reed's leadership, commitment, and willingness to serve others may truly embody the spirit of South Morland. Congratulations to Reed Pard, our February Spirit of South Morland award winner. Reed is not here tonight. I think Logan is also working. Logan is the Scotty of uh
012Scotty Scholar is presented to a student recognized for outstanding service to the school community as well as notable academic achievements. The February recipient is Logan Duca. Logan is an active member of the National Honor Society, Student Council, and the Penn State 4.0 No club. In addition to taking multiple AP classes, he has volunteered for numerous events including Rise Against Hunger, Reading Under the Lights, Scottdale Lightup Night, and various activities supporting the Scottdale Library. Logan plans to attend WCCC for one year before transferring to another college to pursue an accelerated program. Congratulations to Logan Duca for our Scotty Scholar of the Month for February. Good evening everybody. Uh at South Muller Middle School each month we target a few pillars of character that we recognize in two students from each grade level. Last month when we
013recognized some students from the beginning of the year on uh some of our students had other commitments and tied them up that evening. So, I actually have a few students to recognize who uh couldn't join us last month. From September, I have 8th grader Maddie Watkins. I have a few other names to uh to list here. I'm not sure who all was able to make it tonight. Eva Ava Wzowski Wooski. I always mess it up every time. She's not here tonight. Zayen Austin Ber, Kalista Bryant, uh Josie Luc, Kayn Bryant, Olive Kramer. That was quite the uh go away from me. Weird. It's awkward. I'm sorry. I didn't time that very well. Sorry, Olive. Maddie Gore. There she got we got to work on hand shaking in the middle school. Orion Salum here. Alli Payjack,
014Megan Vogle, Evan Leco better now. And Carrie Addis is the only one we missed. Okay. Sorry, they give me a microphone. It's a bad idea. I talk for too long. Okay, now we're going to recognize our students for the uh most recent month. Uh the the pillar of the month for February's leadership. These are students who are willing to speak up respect respectfully and effectively in group settings, stay calm and composed in challenging situation, take action without waiting to be asked, work well with others, and value different perspectives and supports and uplift teammates. In sixth grade, our awardees are Alexis Play and Nico Jernard. Nico here. She bailed out. I don't blame her. In seventh grade, we have Lillian Morango and Will Martin. Finally, in eighth grade, we have Claire Thomas. And we have Ryan
015Boon who can't be with us tonight. Thank you very much everybody. I'm going to hand it over to Mr. Hiu from SPC. Hi folks. Thanks thank you all for coming out and making it out tonight. Um I appreciate it. So at the South Morland Primary Center, we do Super Scotty of the Month. Um, some of you that have been there and have have heard in the past, each month we do a different character trait. In the beginning of the year, we do responsibility, we do respect, we do caring, we do hard work and determination. And for the month of February, we recognize students who demonstrate great citizenship. And it's always one of my favorite parts of my responsibilities and joy is to be able to recognize our youngest learners, our kindergarten and first grade students
016for de developing those most critical character traits. Um, every month when we do it, I always say this is my favorite one, right? Um, citizenship. I explain to our students it truly is. It kind of embodies all the other ones that we just talked about. To be a great citizen, you have to be responsible. You have to be respectful. You have to be caring. And you have to be a hard worker and have determination. So, it gives me great pleasure to recognize our Super Scotty students of the month for February for the character trait of citizenship. Our kindergarten student award recipients, Natalie Sila. I know think Natalie's feeling a little under the weather today and regretfully couldn't be with us. Also from kindergarten, Skyler Gallagher. Let's hear for Skyler Gallagher. Awesome. Thank you. All right,
017Skyler. There you go. Couple more. Thank you guys. Thank you. Let's hear it again for Skyler. Our first grade recipients for the month of February for great citizenship. Let's hear it for June Christopher. June. Mrs. P. Mrs. Let's hear it again for June Christopher, please. Also in first grade citizenship, first grader, William Hornfac. Let's hear it for William. And let's hear it again for William. Thank you again. I appreciate you all. Thanks for singing to us guys. Next month, Mr. Thomas is singing, correct? Yeah, that was way better. You're you're providing the solo next month. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Yes. Sign me up, Mr. President. That uh concludes the superintendent report for the senior. You're going to sing next. Thank you. Oh, yeah. I have to sing. I have to sing. We'll let everyone file out
018and then doing the sermon from singer. We had karaoke and so three of us, three of us men, they talked us into going up there. So we did three Allan Jackson song. Three of us. So we call oursel the Al Jackson. Three kind of didn't ask us. Jackson three. Now they're asking us to sing the old rugged cross. Oh, there you go. I'm doing the sermon on Monday Thursday again. All right, we'll move on to uh student reports. Region Band. Callie Boyce and Olivia Welling have advanced to region band through a competitive audition process. Both young ladies will be auditioning at region band this Thursday for a spot to advance to the all state festival festivals. This is an extremely rigorous process and we wish them the best as they aim to finish in the
019top few seats in their respective sections. PMA music performance assessment. On Monday, March 2nd, 2026, the Senior High Symphonic Band performed at Hines Hall in Pittsburgh as a part of the Pennsylvania Music Education Association Music Performance Assessment. This is the first time the band has participated in the MPA. The band performed two selections on the historic Hines Hall stage for the three reowned music educators. The selections were Heaven by Adrian Sims and Chose Joy by Ra Randall Stadrid. They were also observed by four members of the Pittsburgh Symphonautic Orchestra that provides feedback and worked with the ensembles on stage following the performance. The band earned a superior rating following the performance. They enjoyed a quick lunch stop at Pips Conservation and Biome Gardens. The SHs musical this past weekend. The 2026 school musical production of
020Newsies was held. The music the musical was held in an inschool dress preview on Wednesday, March 11th to sixth and seventh grade music students and individuals from Fyet Resources. In addition, a number of high school classes stopped in periodically throughout the day. Opening night was Thursday, March 12th, and the final curtain was Sunday, March 15th. At the end of the production on Sunday, nine seniors were honored as the work of nearly 70 students in 7th to 12th grade was celebrated. The students and boosters have worked tirelessly through the last three and a half months and we are proud to put on an extremely successful production. We thank administrators, school board members, community members, families, and supporters that joined us for the production. We hope if you missed this one that you'll consider joining us at
021the Encore performance at the State Theater in Uniontown and at the end of April. We look forward to next year as we celebrate our 10th production at SHS. A special thank you to those who support the musical and arts so that our students can have an enriched education and life-changing experiences. Bots IQ. On Thursday, March 12th, students from South High School Bots IQ team competed in the preliminary competition with their 15lb Battlebot, the Ankle Biter 2.0. They finished with a 2-2 record with wins over Riverview and South Park High School and destructive knockout losses to Eastern West Morland CTC in the Gal School. Final competitions will be held at the Penn West California Convention Center on April 10th and 11th. All are welcome to attend Mutness in the Sparks and Chips Fly. Pictures from the
022competition as well links to about the videos can be found on the high school Facebook page. Fifth Grade kindness club. This year, South Morland Interact Secretary Kira Braayson started a fifth grade kindness club with the ultimate goal of offering early act next year. At the meeting this month, the message was kind actions are important, but so are kind words. Students were provided with 20 plus kind sayings and the students drew an illustration to match them. We are going to add the illustrations and saying into a photo book and print a copy of them for each elementary home room. Interact Club. During the March Interact meeting, students participated in a new service project by joining the Love for Our Elders PenPal program. Each student selected an older elder older adult for the organization website where individuals
023share their names and personal stories while requesting letters for anyone willing to brighten their day. Interact plans to make the love for our elder our elders a monthly service activity. The student council red cross blood drive will take place this April. Student ages 17 and 18 and also 16 with a per parentent permission slip will be able to donate blood at the Red Cross blood drive on April 14th. Junior and senior student council members will volunteer as helping hands to escort blood donors, offer support, serve drinks and snacks. The purpose of the blood drive is to provide life-saving blood for those in need across West Morland County where blood supplies and hospital is typically at a minimum. Every donation is critical and one blood donation can save up to three lives. Student council hopes to
024have a record-breaking number of donations this year. That is all. Thank you. Thank you. And as always, you're free to go if you choose to. All right. Solicitor's information. I have no uh information or report tonight, Mr. President. All right. Business manager, transportation director information. Um the only thing to update is I have started working on the um RFP for the sewage treatment plant. Other than that um no new information at this point. Thank you. Section five reports uh as you see the WIU CWCC and the committee of a whole recap is posted on there. Next section is school board. All right. The board has asked to approve the following meeting minutes. February 17th, 2026 discussion voting meeting. She had something back up. She had something on the reports. Others So all all reports will
025be given ahead of time in a written format and so we're not actually doing the individual reports again. You're not going to do committee reports to the public at the meetings. They're recapped and posted on here and as public information. And that is just to help with the flow of these uh meetings as we did on last month's meeting. Hello do you go John? How low do you go? The public has right to know these things. All right. So the board has asked to approve the following meeting minutes 17th February 2026 discussion and voting meeting. So do second discussion. All those in favor? I opposed. Next section is personnel policies. Policies. Uh the board is asked to post the following policy for 30 days. 006 meetings. So do second. Discussion. I make a move that
026this policy regarding uh technological uh information exclusively to the board be removed from the item from the document. I second. So, are you motioning to I think what Dr. F is saying is it's a motion to amend to remove the paragraph regarding the pion of written materials. Thank you. I agree. Okay, we have a second discussion. If this does pass, the board members do get a district distilled computer or tablet. Correct. And internet service. Yes. So the information given in public comment was a little inaccurate. This is not meant to remove board members abilities to read the agenda and get the information. It is meant because our teachers out there are having to put in codes, track their paper usage and all that. So this is meant to reduce ours. We are providing internet, computers,
027training, come to the school. Wouldn't that cost be much more than just a few papers? No, does not. Not because it's not just the paper, it's the time for preparation, the changes and when that needs updated. This way we can get updates in real time. So they will they will install internet in my and school computer. Dr. Boon, is that correct? Can you please repeat that question? He cut out on me. Mr. receptor asked if they will we will install internet or that ability um at their homes with computers. Yes, similar to to what we do with our students who need it for their onetoone access, we do have Mifis available. This is to make up for the paper you stand on. Any other discussion points? So then I believe the current vote is to
028amend the 006 motion which would remove the wording around uh no longer printing material. Right. So right now you're voting on the amendment. If the if this vote is uh five or more of you say yes to it, then the motion is amended or the policy is would then be amended and and then you'd vote on the underlying policy or posting the underlying policy. Okay. So, a yes is to amend, a no is to leave it as is. Correct. Okay. How many people How many board members get a paper agenda? Three get an agenda. Three. Three. And I'll be very happy to provide the paper for mine. Sam, you provide the paper for yours if you want one. Mr. Grabia, you going to provide the paper if you want one? No. You don't want one?
029You don't want a paper agenda anymore? Okay, good. Okay. Okay. Roll call vote. Okay. To amend. Mr. Oiper. The yes is to amend. Correct. Correct. Yes. Mr. Alexander. No. Mr. Yutsy. No. Dr. Fe. Yes. Mrs. Guyer is absent. Mr. Graia. No. Mrs. Moore. No. Mr. Olsen? Yes. Mr. Thomas? No. three to five. Okay. So, the original right motion stands then or the original agenda item. Correct. Right. So, now you'd have uh finish any discussion on the uh original item and vote on that. Okay. Any further discussion? Okay. Okay. So, on the original policy, I will be taking this legally because I am being denied the information that I need for the board. Okay. As an elected board member, I'm being denied the ability to get an agenda. Okay. So, this vote is for approving the
030uh 006 as recommended on here for 30 days. Just post. Yeah. Just post. Yep. So, uh, roll call. Okay. To post it, Mr. Alexander. Yes. Mr. Yutsy. Yes. Dr. Fle. No. Mrs. Guyer. Absent. Mr. Graiac. Yes. Mrs. Moore. Yes. Mr. Olsen? No. Mr. Thomas? Yes. Mr. Aciper? No. 53. Yep. Next section is personnel. The board has asked to approve the personnel log for March 17, 2026 as attached. All salaries are included and all clearances are current and on file with the administration. So moved. Second. Second. Okay. Discussion. Okay. All those in favor? I I opposed. Next section is education. The board has asked to approve the following student discipline agreements 2025 through 2026 4 and six. So moved. Second discussion. So two of these three students cannot come to school here anymore. Is that right?
031So I mean again these are this is confidential. We should I mean we should move this to executive session if you have substantive questions. Dr. Fe, so I can't know what I'm voting on. It's um I I I love that you always phrase it that way. The the agreements are there. They were provided as part of the materials, but we can't discuss it in public because those students have confidentiality. If you if you want to discuss it, then we'll need to make a motion to move to executive session so that we don't discuss those students confidential rights or confidential information in a public meeting. Give me a second here. I want to um Did we just get another one tonight? Yeah, we got a new one tonight. Motion that that's a separate motion then. Oh,
032that's separate. That's that's on for um the end of the section. Dr. F. can't tell because there's no identifying data so I can't tell. So that's that's a different one. Yes. Okay. Okay. All right. All right. We'll executive session. No. No. Okay. We'll proceed to the vote. All those in favor? I opposed. Okay. Number two. The board has asked to approve the special education plan 2026 through 2029 as attached. So do second. Discussion. All those in favor? I opposed. Number three. The board is asked to approve the dual enrollment sorry dual enrollment agreement with WCCCC as attached. So moved. Second. Discussion. All those in favor? I opposed. Number four. So with this, we will need someone to propose one of the options. The board has asked to approve the adoption of an option of McGraill
033Open Court as the primary resource for K through 5 ELA instruction as attached. The overall cost is written in the quotes. And I will state for the board that the uh teachers that presented at the last meeting did all agree on the Cadillac um for open court. Thank you. I want to know which one it was. Yes. Is that A or B? Is that uh that is I make a motion for the open court. I would like to second that. Amen. And that is I think that's option B. Yeah. Okay. So we have a motion a second for option B. the open court Cadillac discussion. I'd like to comment on this. At the meeting that we had on the 10th of December, we had two wonderful teachers attend and I left there with new hope
034in my heart that our children can begin to learn better in terms of of reading English language ELA, English language arts. This open court program deals with significant significant uh components of phonics and spelling and writing and wrote learning and it differentiates between different levels of children and what they are what they can do in the co in the uh process. In other words, if they are more advanced, they can do different things at and it's no at no expense to the to the student who won't be doing that and so forth. But the thing that really just astounded me and I think we have new hope. This program is 60 60 years old and it goes back to what I consider the fundamentals of basic successful learning that has been absent for many many
035years. And I am thrilled and I really commend those two teachers for for uh you know they they got all all the teachers in K through five agree to it. They got they got total agreement. uh they didn't just do this on their own. They went out, they they studied it. They in they um taught the other teachers how this this would work, what was in it and so forth and brought them in. They all agreed to it and I have great hopes that this program will be the success that we have needed for such a long time. Okay. So the motion is to adopt uh open court. All those in favor I I opposed Right. Section five. The board has asked to approve the request of Jamie Gore to escort two students to the
036Pennsylvania Music Education Association Region 1 Honors Band Festival March 19th through the 21st, 2026 at Upper Slair High School and escort up to three students to the Allstate Band Festival at Kalahari Convention Center, Poconos, PA, April 22nd through the 25th as attached. So moved. Second. Discussion. All those in favor? I I opposed. Item six. The board has asked to approve Michelle's Apirini to escort a district student to the Music Education Association Allstate Course Festival April 22nd through 24th at Kalahari Convention Center in the Poconos. So moved. Second discussion. All those in favor? I post. Okay. Okay. Item seven was the amended item. The board is asked to approve the proposed settlement agreement regarding a student. So do second discussion. Uh I thought can can I make a motion to table it? Absolutely. This is a
037very controversial issue. I feel that we have not had adequate um discussion about it. I feel that the information has never been presented to us until tonight. Well, a couple days ago, I guess a couple days ago, and I think it's a very, very serious matter, and I think we should table this for more discussion. I just want to say as your legal counsel, this this is a matter that just arose at the end of February. We provided the information to you as soon as possible. Are you sure you're not maxing mixing it up with the tax appeal, Dr. Fe? That's why I asked. It says real estate tax. It says on appeal. We're not on that one. We're up. We're up here on the uh settlement. The one up above. Yeah, the I don't
038have that. It's on your new agenda. I printed out for you tonight. The new one. It should be It's the one that you had the It just came through like late last night. The one used to have the 1400. No, that's a student discipline agreement. Well, it's it's a student settlement agreement. Student settlement to return for her to return to school tomorrow. Him or her? Yeah. Okay. We did monthly financial reports, right? No. No, that's not we're above that still. Festival that adjust my agenda says monthly financial report and the real estate tax assessment appeal. So the onepage agenda that Mrs. McTavish had printed out for everybody has the new item on number seven. It was a new page. We had to vote for it at the beginning to get it on the agenda. So
039that's the settlement agreement that I discussed in executive session not related to taxes like a first grader and that's different from the one we already did. Yes. Gee, I'd have loved to have had this in writing so I could have seen it before tonight. But then we won't have to worry about that anymore. I think I told you when we discussed it in executive session that I I got it at 11:30 last night, but don't let uh facts get in the way of Did the parents the parents agree to this? Correct. Okay, that's all I need to know. Okay. All those in favor? I opposed. Next section is finance monthly financial reports. The board has asked to approve the following monthly financial reports all attached. Treasurers report general fund board summary report and the fund
040account and capital fund GISA and the food service check summary list. So moved second discussion. All those in favor? I opposed. Item two, real estate tax assessment appeal. The board is asked to approve the tax appeal settlement on parcel 47-11-000073. So do second discussion. That's the one that I'm asking then to be tabled. Right. Correct. Mr. Stor has a question. This is to do with finance. It should have nothing to do with executive session. People need to know what's going on financially in our district appeals or not. I can't why everybody's you're mentioning about on Facebook, but that's that's to do with finance. It should be on sit public so they know what's going on. What are they supposed to find out tonight right when we vote for it? So, make a motion to table
041this. Well, she's already made the motion. So, you're okay. redundant, but let me speak to that specifically because it's located in the finance portion of your agenda, but there is a specific and clear exception under the sunshine act to discuss matters of litigation in executive session. And the reason for that is very very common sensical. No party to a litigation, including a public entity, should have to negotiate or discuss the strengths and weaknesses of its case or litigation posture in public, which would weaken you significantly as opposed to literally every other litigant in the world that doesn't have to discuss it publicly. That's exactly why the board discusses this in executive session. This was placed on the agenda so the public could know about it. If you operated in good faith, this could this could
042operate just like any other school district in which you were provided information and then you make a decision. If you want to vote against this, you can vote against it. But this is done absolutely 100% properly and any suggestion uh on your part to the contrary is in absolute bad faith, malicious and and 100% wrong. Well, this shouldn't have been on the agenda to vote on the same night you bring it up to the public. If you had actually made it to executive session on time, you would have known that I led with this could be postponed till next month. If anyone had any legitimate good faith objections, of which you have none. I I have a I have a question. If this goes before a judge, this is still So once again, we if
043you want to make an ex a motion to discuss this in executive session, I'm not going to talk about litigation in public. It simply would be bad practice for you to do so. We had an executive session where this was discussed for 20 minutes before this meeting. I if if there's a motion to table it and and people want to do that, I'm fine with that and I and I led with that. But I'm not going to discuss it in public. Not not as far as litigation negotiations go. Well, can I ask my question? When things go as far as a courthouse, is it still confidential or is it public? Well, so anything that would relate to litigation strategy is still capable at all points in time, including up up to and including any appeals
044that you might file. You're permitted to discuss that in executive session. Call for the order of the day. Okay. So, we have a motion moved. Second to table. Let's put on the vote to table. Yeah. This vote will be to table this item. A yes is to table. A no is to leave it on the agenda for approval tonight. So roll call vote. Mr. Yutsy. No. Dr. Flake. Yes. Mrs. Guyer's absent. Mr. Graia. No. Mrs. Moore. No. Mr. Olsen? No. Mr. Thomas? No. Mr. Eipiter? Yes. Mr. Alexander? You're not? No. tableing it. I'm not going to table because I I don't think we can. Okay. So then with this So that has failed. So the motion is to approve the tax appeal settlement on the parcel as stated. Yeah. Okay. Is this now public? No.
045Now that we've Well, they you didn't you vote to say that you're doing it or what? No, we just voted on not tableabling it. So now our vote will be So now we're going to vote on paying it on approving the settlement. Yeah. Okay. Okay. So, roll call vote on approving the settlement. Dr. Fe, no. Mrs. Guyer is absent. Mr. Graia, yes. Mrs. Moore, yes. Mr. Olsen, yes. Mr. Thomas, yes. Mr. Aciper, no. Mr. Alexander, yes. Mr. Yutsy, yes. And I encourage all the citizens to appeal their property taxes before August. Okay. Well, now we need to inform the public that that vote was to give Walmart. Okay. This is not the time to do this. We are not making comments. We voted. We're moving to the next. How does the How does the public
046find out about this? This is their tax money. John, how do they find out? The want to answer. How does the public find out what we're doing here? the the um the the tax bill settlement has been approved. Certainly, if if you know anyone makes wants to make a right to know request, if if you want to announce it, it relates to the Walmart property, that's fine. I mean, I again um would encourage you not to disclose any information that is confidential related to your litigation position until the settlement's been finalized. So, the public will never know this again. John, explain how the public knows. I just love when How does the public know? The public will know because essentially we settle the litigation. The litigation has been filed publicly. It'll be resolved publicly. The
047the settlement itself is a public record that literally anyone can can make that public record request and get that information either from you, either from it'll be on the court docket. It's literally a public record. So, you know, it's it can't be hidden from people, but that settlement has not been finalized yet. You've approved it and it'll be signed off by the the property owner and then it'll be presented to the court and approved. So, that's the process. So, if the public wants to know how much money is involved, they would have to either file right to know or go look through court records. Is that what it records? Yeah. Yes. That's how they would find out. Yes. Okay. We're moving on to number three. Dental and vision insurance rates. The board has asked to
048approve the following monthly vision and dental rates for the 2026 through 2027 school year as listed below. So do second. Discussion. All those in favor? I opposed. Next section is buildings, grounds, and security. None for this month. Our next section is athletics and activities. None for this month. That brings us to closing exercises. Citizens comments. Yeah, we recognize. Yeah, absolutely. So, we we'd like to recognize uh before we get in citizens comments in uh the personnel log. Unfortunately, uh Calvin uh submitted his retirement um effective I believe August next December next 2028. No. Uh, yep. So, uh, we really appreciate, you know, everything you've done here. Um, you know, coming into I know you had quite the job ahead of you coming into this place. Um, we've made a ton of capital improvements as the
049public can see. Um, the facilities are improving. It was a tall order task, but um, you've kept us informed, you've done your due diligence, and there's never been a an ounce of doubt that you're not a subject matter expert when it comes to everything you do. So, I I really appreciate all all your hard work here, Calvin, and you you will be missed. I second that. I'd like to add that uh as part of the administrative team, we've had a lot of chances to work together. It's been a pleasure. You will be impossible to replace. It's been a pleasure to work with you. Okay. Citizens comments. We have to wait. In life, a person can tolerate a lot of audacity and adversity until they reach the point where there's a line that needs to be
050crossed. I'm great. I can't hear you. What? Yep. The microphone. It's hard to hear you. I can't hear you. That's it. I'm grateful for many things, but at way at the top of my list, I am blessed to live in the United States of America. Our great constitution and the right to free speech reminds us all that we do not live under communism. Yet I recently received a statement sent to the board on district letterhead actually telling us what we should say as board members if we are contact contacted by any citizen of the community. I was both shocked and horrified that someone on the board had the arrogance and the audacity to say this. By what authority does anyone have the right to tell any other person what they can say or what to
051do if they have a complaint, a question, or a concern about something in this district that needs to be addressed. As an elected official, I stand by your rights as an American citizen to have your voice heard in any manner that any member of this community feels that they need or prefer. You, the taxpayers, are not here to serve the board or the administration. They should be here to serve you. They have no right to tell you what to say, when to say it, and who you're allowed to contact in order to get a response from uh a person in this of their choice. And this is the icing on the cake. in three business days. If I had a child in this school system with a problem, I would start with the superintendent and
052I would want immediate response, not three business days. I can't believe that our board has sunk to this point. No one has the authority to take away the right to free speech. Least of all a schoolboard member whose entity school I'm sorry, a schoolboard community whose entity is financed by the very taxpayers that they are denying these rights. In closing, this is what I feel. If it is such a burden, such as such a terrible hardship for the board and the administration to listen to our citizens in a respectful manner at their needs and their convenience, then it's time for you either either to resign or get off the board. Okay. Need a motion to adjurnn. Motion second. Hey, all in favor? I