001All right, it's 7 o'clock and we're going to call this meeting to order. Please rise for the >> I justice. All right. We like to start our meetings with our recognitions and that way if people don't want to sit through all the business portion of the meeting and they want to go home and have a relax, then they have that opportunity. So, I'm going to turn some time over to Superintendent Brower. >> Thank you. Well, I'm grateful to uh do these recognitions today. I'd like to start with Amy. So, so I'll start here and then we might move that way just thing is that >> it would be nice if you guys could come over here. Actually, it would be nice that you could be on the camera. Watch your steps. >> Yeah. Careful. Don't
002worry. Well, so uh this is kind of Yeah, this is perfect right there. Why don't we try >> uh this this uh certificate of appreciation is kind of long overdue because um uh actually Amy I've known Amy for many many years uh across a couple different districts and she's always been a champion for all of South Pierce County. But tonight we're here to honor you for being such a great champion for in Eatenville and for the greater Eatenville area. Um uh there are many projects that you've we worked together on and that you've for which you've advocated and you're very good about that and we really appreciate that. The other thing I that we notice about you is that you show up like you're you're whether it's an you know business association meeting or whether
003it's town hall or whether whatever that >> July on the bounce houses. >> Yes. community uh in this room. We were planning community day a year ago and and so there's there's so many ways and we really appreciate you being present, but we also are grateful for advocating for our needed resources out here. One of which is our swing pool and I'll be talking about that a little bit. That's part of not this presentation piece, but Amy and along with our Christ County Council and we also have one if you would take be willing to take this to Jen um were able to help us secure $100,000 to do some really important things over at our pool. >> We recognize our pool is not just a swimming pool for the high school. This is a
004regional pool and as we've heard there may be some pools that are shutting down in the region then more and more we're going to need to um view it as a regional pool and so Amy Amy was way ahead of that and was recognized that and that we're going to need some support as a school district if we're going to host that pool for this region and so we she was able to help us get 100,000 and then also um we are in the process of redoing our playgrounds around our school the street, you know, our three elementary schools. And so, once again, Amy stepped up and was able to secure $50,000 to help us with our warehouser playground. And I'm happy to report that the first has arrived and and it was a funny
005story, but when it arrived, the kids saw it and recognized it and they said, "This is awesome. Are we going to play on that next week?" So, that's not quite like a pool or like a button. You blow it up and bounce house or something, but it's well it way. So, we just wanted to just uh I'll just read this. We just wanted to say thank you so much for uh representing and for being so present and for always watching out for opportunities and things that can benefit our our our students, our staff, uh and our community and our greater region. And um so uh certificate of appreciation. The following award is given to Amy Krueer. In appreciation of your continued support of our school district, we proudly recognize your commitment to the success and
006well-being of our students, staff, and community. Your leadership and advocacy as a Pierce County Council member have made a meaningful and lasting impact. With sincere gratitude, we honor you for your continued partnership and support. So, uh, thank you very much, Amy, for everything that you do. >> We took a picture with our board. >> Let me get you, too. >> Yeah, I have a better >> Yeah. And then would you be stand? >> Oh yeah, we're good. Everybody put your best actually a little closer to Pa if you will please. Perfect. Best smiles everybody. I'll take lots. >> Thank you guys. May I say I I just Yeah. Thank you so much for for this recognition. I I really don't want to take credit for it because it's taxpayers and I know that they want
007their dollars invested in worthy things and the swimming pool. I grew up with one. I waterproofed my boys here at this at this place and I'm very grateful that you've been able to maintain it. It's a priority that you keep it open for the kids and for the whole region on it. And so I just appreciate the work you put in it and it's a it's a worthy project that no one can say no to. Thank you so much. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> I'm just going to send you if you would. >> I can do that. >> And uh second we'd like to have Jason Hunter if you would come up please. We'll do the same same here. Well, so uh it's not often that you meet someone who has given his life
008to students for four decades. So, uh Mr. Hunter started in and here he is and he still commands a room. If you've ever been to any of his concerts, you'll know that the students are with him all the way and that he has the audience entertained and mesmerized. And so, um, we just felt it so appropriate to to, uh, present you with a certificate of appreciation. But before I'm going to I'm just going to try to embarrass you for a minute. Okay. Um, so we were we reached out to uh two principles uh, which you've served these schools so long. One is Columbia Crest Academy and the other one is Eatenville Elementary School. And I'm just going to read this to be heard. Um, we are incredibly grateful for our CCA music teacher, Jason, who
009has been sharing his talent and heart with CCA students since 1986. I don't know many educators who can say that they've been serving a school for 40 years, but that's you minus the two years of co. Well, >> we don't count on um for decades he's been the driving force behind a music program that brings our entire community together. His concerts are truly something special, filling the gym beyond what seems possible and creating moments that families remember for years. Uh Jason's dedication, passion, and commitment to students mean everything to our school and Columbia Crest Academy would not be the same without him. And that is from Miss Alam the principles. >> Yeah. >> Uh and then from Mr. Berke uh for Ingville Elementary School. I have not known many educators that give more of themselves
010to their profession than Jason Hunter. I know that he does not know um any other way to carry himself as an educator, but it is so easy to see the respect he has garnered in the Eatenville community. When you hear the parents of our students that had Jason as a teacher talk about him at our concerts, it is with respect, reverence, and deep gratitude that their kids also get the pleasure to experience his love for music. He takes pride in using music as a means to grow as a person, a team, and as a representative of our school and community. To watch him in action in front of our school warms students up for a rehearsal. It is to watch an educator with the skill to gain 400 students attention at a wave of a
011hand. To watch him move with each note, conducting a grade level performance is like watching someone only give of himself physically in order to communicate to his students and will lead them to success. Jason Hunter is an amazing music teacher and that only a second to the person he is and how he carries himself. He is truly an amazing inspiration to our students. Let me send you this. Um, and now for the certificate. Uh, is this a certificate of appreciation? The following award is given to Jason Hunter. Your passion, creativity, and commitment inspire a love of learning, foster self-expression, and build community within our schools. Through your through your work, students gain not only musical skills but confidence, discipline, and joy. And so we'd like to say shoot the same. >> We should mark our
012spots. Travis look more towards Kik. There we go. Okay. Everybody looks great. Great big smiles. >> I got a great one of Travis laughing. >> Thank you everyone. >> Is there anything to say? >> Yeah. >> Um I'd just like to thank the board just for consistent support of the program for so many years. Um, I can think of at least five times where I thought, man, I think this is going to be it, you know, because of budget constraints and stuff and yet I was always surprised nicely when a contract came the next for the next year. >> Um, but what really has kept me in the district is the support um from superintendent to the custodians. The it is indeed a family. Um, I have never I've never been tempted to go to
013another district. Um, there's been opportunities, but it's just been hands down there's no way. Um, uh, I can think even back in 1986 when I was very green at this. and just the support from the custodial staff, the secretarial staff, the principles, colleagues, u home room teachers bending backwards just to help and being able to return that favor to them and it's been consistent for the 40 years and it has been sweet. It's been a great experience. So, thank you. Can I say something real quick? Because just is okay. Uh Jason has been when I first moved here, I would say that Jason has been a mentor to myself as a teacher when I first came to this district and and I mean this Mr. Hunter as a human. Um I cannot say that enough.
014your your family, your dedication as community, it's infectious and and a lot of love. Um people don't know that during co and other times at the middle school when he was teaching there, we've had like different initiatives in reading and everything else and we asked our band teacher to do 15-minute reading chunks for music. We've asked our music teacher to teach reading and and he jumped in and did it without hesitation because he loves the kids in this community and people need to know that because that that's who he is. So >> I appreciate you very much. So >> and always leading with a smile never smile which is wonderful and that's why I mean people are drawn to you because um you radiate. So thank you for being a light. >> Absolutely. >> And
015I'd like to share about Amy as well. Thank you for being a light and um supportive and always looking and asking how can I help, where can I help and we know that we can count on you. So, thank you so much for being really um a wonderful representative for >> Well, you make it easy. >> I'm not going to take credit. You just all make it easy. >> Well, we appreciate you very very much. We appreciate you so much that we are going to welcome you to stay if you'd like, but also have the opportunity to leave now before we go on to any further business. >> Well, I would love to say that I think I will I've got Back Country Horseman has a meeting. I haven't been to that for a long
016time and so I I will graciously >> thank you for coming out. We do appreciate it. >> Thank you very much. All right. Um, we're going to move on to our student board reps comments. >> So, I don't have a whole lot and I wasn't here last meeting, so I have some stuff from last meeting as well. Um, but from Columbia Crest, I think I already mentioned that they are working on a pep assembly. still working on it and I get to luckily get to go there on the 31st and help them with it and help them with setting up and ideas and all that. Um, for the classified staff appreciation week, I had um, Miss Russell and she asked some of her students what they thought and she said that their classified staff are
017the heart of their school and that they couldn't do school in general without them. Um for Evville Elementary um they just had family ma family math and bingo night on March 17th and 130 students and families attended which lots lots of people and then it was a fun night due to the evil elementary booster club for donating popcorn and prizes and stuff everyone. >> And then for classified staff appreciation week same with Mr. Berkeley had asked some of his students and he came with a summary of that their building could not operate without their awesome team of classified staff. Their classified staff do so much for the students from keeping their classrooms clean, running small groups, supervising recess, and cooking their meals to help students with sickness and just getting in to see how their
018day is going and they're a vital part of their schools. And then for the high school, Knowledge Bowl went to state on March 20th and they entered the semifinals placing eighth and then finished with in third for the entire 2A division which was really good. They they only got in third by like two or three points. Oh my goodness. And then we have the blood mobile on April 2nd where staff and students can donate blood. And then um the dance team was state qualified between I'm not 100% sure if it was 21st or 22nd um but they won us a spot for state after the first season of competing. >> And then for special projects right now we're working on an activity or a new thing for students to do around like April pools time
019before we go to spring break. Eli Eli came up with the idea. Um, and then we're still working on community day and fundraising. And then in recognition of classified staff and appreciation week, I also asked students, um, classified staff have made school possible and they support and help classroom learning in ways that some students don't even tend to realize and they are part of our everyday function funding uh, just as much as everyone else and they're much appreciated. And I also got information for the the school meal survey, but without all that information I'm going to send Miss Cassie. >> Wonderful. >> Um, but I got stuff from the high school from the uh Eatville Elementary Warehouser and Columbia Crest. Thanks to Mr. Berkeley, we were able to get all that. >> Thank you. Appreciate
020you. >> That's great. >> And then for running start in Pierce College, um, Pierce students are in their last week of winter quarter um, and finishing finals. I know everyone's really really looking excited for a well-deserved break um for spring break. Uh and classes at Pierce College will resume April 6 for spring quarter. Um and then also Pierce College is hosting Good Roots Northwest um which is a grocery a scheduled grocery pickup. Um and community members and students can order groceries and pick them up from a secure climate controlled food locker. It's available 247 at Pierce College. Um it's open to running students too and any community members in need. So it's just a really great resource. Um, and then Pierce College is al also hosting the student food and coat drive. It's going on
021until March 31st and they're collecting food, hygiene products, and clean clothing to support students and families in our community. And then I have some reports from King Five and some other news agencies um that Washington state lawmakers are weighing $14 million in cuts to Running Start. It was updated on March 9th. And these proposed cuts are going to eliminate summer recorder as well as reducing the number of credits a student can earn. I personally I took um summer record at Pierce College and I couldn't recommend it enough. It's allowing me to graduate high school two AA degrees which I know is not really common. Um and this can slow the academic process of roughly 36,000 students in our um state. The Washington state legislature also finalized the 2026 supplemental budget which is reducing Running Start
022funding by lowering the number of credits from 1.4 FTE to 1.3 FTE and an FTE is one where one FTE is equal to 15 college credits per quarter. Um, and this is for the 2026, 2027, and the 2027 and 2028 school year. Um, and the funding mechanism for this is the millionaire's tax, which was is going to be enacted June 30th this year. Um, and the FT rate FTE rate is expected to continue to drop until it gets to one, where students are no longer to or take barely any classes at the community colleges. And since the millionaire tax money isn't here yet, it's um since it was just passed this year, um the money and budgeting for Running Start won't be seen until 2029 with the 9.9% um for the millionaire's tax. And then
023for the middle school, um an upcoming activity is the anti-bullying and civility meeting which will be April 2nd at the um Eatenville Middle School Library. It's going to be from 5:30 to 6:30 and it's just an additional meeting that we're adding onto our calendar to discuss a topic of importance that's been brought to the district's attention. Um, and we'd love any community or student input as well. And then another meeting for the anti-bullying and civility meeting, our regularly scheduled meeting will be May 7th at 5:30 at the EMS library. And then, um, Cadence also talked about the lunch survey that was handed out, and I just got a couple students to respond to that. Um, students often said that they eat school meals two to four times per week, and their main favorites were mashed
024potatoes, corn, and bread sticks. See there's a lot of green and if they could change anything they'd ask for more variety. You know the change in the menu um menu students often felt that they always have the same rotation every week and that just having salad every day is delicious but they're wanting for a little bit of it um some variety rotation. Um and then some student feedback and concerns. Uh in recent months I've received multiple reports from students regarding incidents of racism within our school district. These reports describe the use of negative and discriminatory language, including racial slurs directed at students both in and outside of classroom settings. The frequency and consistency of these accounts suggest suggests that this is not an isolated issue, but rather an ongoing concern that is affecting the school
025environment and student learning in our district. Students have expressed that these experiences make them feel unsafe, disrespected, and unsupported by our district. I partner with anti-bullying and disability committee to discuss this ongoing issue with them, make an action plan to combat this in our district. And I'll continue to report on this issue in future meetings as well. And that's all I have. >> Thank you so much. And it is finals week, so I'm offering if you need to leave and you don't want to skip the rest meetings, you're welcome to. >> Okay. All right. Thank you for uh chanting through. I would um consider any changes or additions to the agenda. Hearing none, I would consider a motion to approve the consent agenda. >> Second. >> It's been moved and seconded. All in favor? >>
026Any opposed? Motion carries. All right, we're going to move down to hearings of individuals. And did I miss something? Oh, grab the sheet. While she's grabbing the sheet, I will go over our um code of conduct. Um, this is a meeting held in public. It's not a public meeting. Everyone that signs up to speak to the board will have an opportunity to speak one time and they'll have three minutes and, um, Cassie will have the timer there for you. When you're recognized, um, please identify yourself and the topic you wish to address. And please address the board directly without comments from the audience. And, um, if see This will not be a discussion. We're or nor can we negotiate anything in public. We're here to listen to your concerns and to gather information which we
027may or may not act on or bring the things that you bring forward. The following items are not appropriate for open forms and cannot be allowed. Complaints against individual board members, complaints against individual employees, complaints against individual administrators, private data related to a student. Um if any of those uh things are brought forward again I will ask you to please be seated. >> Thank you. >> And first person on our list is Erica Green with me. It's been a while since stand up and be on camera if you like probably. Yeah. >> I am ready. I am ready. >> Okay. >> Hi, my name is Erica Green. I am a parent of one of the dance team members. Um, we had some extremely disappointing news the day after the school district congratulated them on their
028state making state that the program is being cut. Um, I find this a very very disappointment because these girls are first year competitive. All three routines that they took to state made districts. One of them went all the way to the state finals. Um, every single ounce of money that these girls used, they fundraised for except for the stipen for the coach and the buses. And knowing the coach, she's willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that this program continues on. Um, dance is not just a performing arts. Dance is a competitive sports. I was a competitive dancer my whole life and it carried on and now I'm glad to see that my stepdaughter is doing it. Also, there are scholarships available to these girls that they no longer will be available to
029obtain if this program is cut. Um, those scholarships come from the WSDCA and other colleges that reach out. Um they were invited to go perform at Husky Stadium, which is not something that has that every single dance team gets to do. It's a very special thing. Um they work very very very hard for what they do. It's not just sticking on a tutu and going and dancing. This is a competitive, very competitive sport. And I come from a high school that goes to nationals every year in this um and they compete against Eatenville. They're double A. They've gone to nationals. Eatenville's hot hiphop team held third place all the way through Intel districts. That's a huge huge accomplishment. Hip hop is one of the most biggest categories and these girls did it with four of
030them. It is a small program but it is developing. Um I have notification that from the junior high there are six girls trying out and one boy. This is the true only genderneutral competitive sport that can be done without having to go through leaps and hoops. And it is an opportunity that these girls that have showed up here are going to miss and they deserve it. They worked hard. They got to state and now the day after that they get announced, the program gets cut by an email. The coach was not informed. The girls were not informed. And I know that I stand here representing these parents and these girls and that coach. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> All right. Matt Marshall. >> I got a timer just like the floor. >> Actually, we
031don't actually see the time. We just get gel. interview your courtesy and let you see your time. >> I appreciate it. >> Whenever you're ready, >> go for it. Uh so for the record, Matt Marshall, state representative here in the second district, uh and former member of the board. Um going to be speaking in support of the dance team. However, I'm going to kind of frame everything with what the state has done that I recognize um to you and and your budget. So, I also serve on the House Appropriations Committee as well as the House Education Committee. And I have heard a lot um publicly about what's being said, but I don't know that it's formally um comprehended the impacts that are about to come to the schools that are not being realized as especially
032as you go into your next budget. So, a quarter of a billion dollars was just cut in the current operating budget um from schools, K to2 education, TD TTK was cut. Um, running start we heard a little bit about was cut. Now, a lot of these were cut because of at least what was sold publicly and what we hear in some of our news reports is going to be backfilled by the the millionaires tax, the income tax on the state. However, when those amendments were run on the House floor, none of them were accepted to include refunding schools, um, restoring TTK funding, um, uh, the running start return, and the money has already been assumed in the budget to include the four-year outlook. So, it is very unlikely that these funds, unless we do something
033else at the state house level, will find its way back into the school districts. And that is a problem because currently the state is spending 42% of the state budget on schools. That is the exact same percent of the state budget prior to McClary. And when McCclary happened, they paid at 52%. We're about to do that again to the school districts. I recognize the fuel cost, the the MSOC cost, specifically liability insurance, and I have some solutions that I don't have time to go into right now on the record. However, I also remember my time on the board. I know that in 2019 when I was elected, the very very last thing that I anticipated doing on in those seats was shutting schools down because of COVID. That was not on my radar when I
034ran for office initially. However, we dealt with it in Eatenville. We dealt with it and we were the last school to shut down and we were the first school to open in the state. Things that I'm very proud of and we did that because Eatenville uh the board historically when I was there and continuing finds creative ways to to solve problems. And so when it comes to the fundings funding issues and cuts that are having to be made in the district, what I'm just asking is that once again be like I know that you are you're making hard decisions. I do not envy you because unlike at the state level where I don't really have a huge say, you all have a lot of the say here. So, I'm hoping that we can find some
035some very uh creative solutions to help keep the funding, keep this opportunity um alive for this dance team, but also try to do it in a way that's not going to have other unintended consequences to other places that are going to affect students and their learning. So, I thank you all. I know you're making tough decisions and it is a it's not an easy place for any of us right now. >> Perfect. >> Wow. >> Hey, Megan Clark. >> Hello. I am Megan Clark and I'm a parent of a dancer on the dance team. And um I think it's very fitting that Mr. Hunter was getting an award today because when I had a kindergartener dancing in a singing assembly of his, I saw her light up and I got to continue to feed that
036and let her grow into the dancer that she is today. And so I'm grateful for the arts programs in the district and I as a parent just want to say that we're willing to do whatever it is we can do to help keep this program going. Um, if it's driving our own students to competitions or fundraising for our coach, whatever it is, I would just like to explore all opportunities to keep the program alive. That's all I have to say. >> And Sarah McKini, >> hello. I'm also here in support of the dance team. I also work here at the high school level um as a par educator. So, I see these kids daily outside of dance. Um, I just I you guys have done an amazing job saying all the things. So, I I
037don't have a lot to add other than that we are willing to go above and beyond for these kids. And if it means that we transport them or we um, you know, whatever it takes. We want to help keep this program alive. They just made history, right? Like they got congratulated for making history, Eatenville's history, and then got cut the next day. It's pretty devastating to these girls. and my daughter is also on the dance teams. Um, whatever we can do, I don't I know you guys can't negotiate that with us today, but if there's conversations we can have, we're willing to do anything it takes. We'll drive these girls to these competitions. They don't have to take a bus. We get it. We get that it's expensive. We completely understand that part. Um, we've
038fundraised a lot, most everything. So, we're willing to keep fundraising. We have money already that could cover costs for certain things now or next year. So just whatever we can do, we're just asking that you guys can help these kiddos. Some of these kiddos, this the only sport they get to do. They don't get to do another one or they don't, you know, they can't do another one. So I just pray we can just not take this from them. So thank you. >> All right. Thank you all very much. We appreciate you um being here and for your comments. Um we're moving on to the budget and uh budget status and enrollment report. Yes, please feel free all of you. Thank um everyone who's here and again feel free to >> students. Are you all
039part of the dance team? >> Thank thank you for coming. >> Thank you very much. Appreciate it. >> Thank you guys. Thank you. >> Thanks again. >> Thank you. >> All right, we're gonna move on to budget status and enrollment report. >> So, I don't have a lot new to a lot of new items to report under status. um things really haven't changed that much since we've adjusted to you know current revenues. Um and so um sorry it's a little um so we are projecting our end income balance to be 6.6% of our current revenues and expenditures. That's just about enough to cover a month of payroll but not the full month of build. Um, so that would be a projected ending fund balance of 2.3 to 2.4 um million dollars. A lot can happen.
040We know we're losing a few kiddos every month. Um, we know unexpected expenditures, unexpected things pop up, so we'll just watch that close. Um, we're projected to draw down about 438,000. Um, I that could go up, that could go down. We don't we don't know until the months till we get a little bit further into the end of the year. Um that's budget stats. >> Can I ask a question budget related? Um we sign a contract for fuel. However, I do believe that it protects the sale the seller of the fuel if prices go up in. So, are you accounting for the higher fuel prices that reflected here or when does that when does that become reflected? >> I would have to look back at our contract when we went out to bid, but I
041believe there's a base price and then plus a a certain add-on. >> Yes. So, >> I think we're going to see I know it's going up. Yeah. I just didn't know when you accounted for that. if it was monthly, if it was. >> So, we try to budget the whole year anticipating that to give a little bit of a buffer. >> Okay. >> So, we just we just plan that it's going to increase because it naturally does every year. Um and if it if it were to go the opposite way, then that's just a bonus for us. >> Okay. Um, and we also know as far as fuel goes, um, I think a lot of people are surprised that, um, you know, I I looked into the tax exemption status of that, and I did
042find out that, um, we are tax exempt at the federal level. Um, so a lot of the fuel prices that we're paying are due to um, state taxes, a variety of state taxes um that we continue to absorb that keep increasing. um enrollment is um basic education enrollment is actually down about 17 and a half students in a month. Um that's quite significant. Um alternatively, AOE is increased by five. So there's a net effect there of about 12 students, right? Um but we are still experiencing a positive budget variance of 22.76 um as of March. Um bilingual um just got to highlight that because um we're serving 9.25 more kids than what we expected to this year. So and a new student today. So that'll be going up. Okay. So those are our enrollment highlights
043for the month. Thank you. All right. Can I also add a little news about our audit? >> Yes. So, we um we are going through a audit from the state auditor's office currently um which we do every year. This year is a shorter year. Um I'm hoping for a short six weeks with our auditor. Um and this audit is expected to cost 25,000 um plus travel costs. Um so it's a shorter audit year and a least and a a lesser expensive audit year of 25,000 less. Um he is going through and auditing our financial statements so that our um our investors of our bonds um who might be trading can have and you can have reasonable insurance that our financial statements are sound and they're true. Um, so they're going through and looking at all
044that, verifying our bank statements, verifying our cash accounts against what the county has, verifying all of our revenues, um, normal stuff that they do every year. Um, they're also reviewing food services um, revenues and expenditures to make sure we're properly accounting for those and that our claims are same. Um, and they're also auditing federal special education. Um, I know he's met with Tracy and I both um, to cover purchasing practices. um how we calculate excess costs to make sure that we're not spending less on our special education students than we might be um our basic education students because it's important that we spend the same amount on both of them and then our special ed funding kicks in any excess costs. Um so there's an excess cost worksheet that we do um that we were
045looking at today. Um and you all um would have received invites if you haven't checked your email already. I just want to um call attention that you would have all received invites in your email um to attend the entrance conference next week. Um and that's next week and he's already talking about exiting. So it's going to be there's a lot of new work that has to be done in planning. So um so look in that um for and and I would invite you um especially over here the new ones um to come to that if you can um just to learn a little bit about the process um and that's it on on audits and budget stats and enrollment. >> Outstanding. Thank you. Thank you for all your hard work and your team for um
046you know always helping us get reviews. We appreciate that. Okay, we're going to move on to child nutrition. Welcome. This is your first presentation. So exciting. Thank you. >> That's great. Teamwork for sure. >> Thanks. >> So, um, Betsy and I put this together for you. Um I think it's been a few years since we've done a food service report. Quite a few years. Um we have a student um intern here at the district office, Maddie. Um she's a senior um and she um did our graphics and design for us. So you'll see some fun little graphics as we um march through this um report. Okay. So food services is not something that we typically talk a lot about. It's something that, you know, we just the kids come in and we serve them and
047then and then they go on to learn and um but really it's important that we talk about this um because it is part of a whole um ecosystem in our district. Um and so some just some of the few reasons why it's important that we talk about this um is because we know that nutrition and um meal services has a direct impact on student learning. Um we know a lot of kids come to school hungry um and it supports their well-being and preparedness to learn. Um I think there's a lot of data out there suggesting that more and more. Um we know that it has a significant impact on our district financials. We'll talk more about that. Um, we know that it impacts instructional programs because how we perform um determines how much funding is
048available for other programs. Um, we know that it's a complex funding structure. So, it's important to kind to understand some of the basics. Um, we want food access for all students, even our um, high poverty students. Um, and you know, students that don't normally have access to some of the foods that we we provide them on a daily basis. Um, and just operationally, it's kind of it's a complex program. Um, there's a lot of moving parts. Um and there is because it is federal funding um there is significant regulatory oversight and compliance um that we go through every year. Usually we always have at least one audit going on every year. Um and we know that there is a changing funding landscape that you know we always wonder what's happening next. >> Okay. Um, so
049I I thought I would put this together. I know Katie, I shared it with you on your on when you onboarded, but I think it's important because it gets us a picture of kind of the the trend of where we've been. Um, so when I first started back in here, we were contracted with Chartwells. So they were a food service management company um who who helped us manage um inventories, staff, all sorts of things. >> They did the nutrition, all electricition, pretty much all of it. >> And I think as far as I can remember, um we were looking at that and like those are some big losses. And I think there were some prior year bigger losses than that, too. Um, so we said, you know what, we think we have some capable people
050in this district who can run this program. Um, they know a lot about the program. They know what kids like. I think we can do it. Um, Chartwell got wind of that and, um, it didn't really end so amicably. Um, and we were forced to contract with BETHL for meals. As you can see, that that um, that caused our deficit to double. Um, so, but we knew we were planning ahead. we were planning on doing them the meals and how so we knew there was there was some hope on the horizon. Um so at that point we were um and in your presentations you can actually in in the um Google presentation that I shared with you can actually click on that where it says financial performance history and it'll take you to the page
051where it explains those programs because that is national school lunch and breakfast program. And then as soon as COVID hit in um spring of 2020, we went into summer food service um program which allowed us greater flexibility in meal service um so we could do grab and go and meal pickups and those sorts of things um and qualified for additional federal funding. So that was the next two years. um we kind of stabilized in revenue and then in 21-22 we saw a huge uptick in revenue because additional federal funding really started rolling in. We started getting meal chain meal uh assistance all sorts of additional funding. Um so we actually that year made a profit right um under the seamless summer option. Now we're not allowed to make a profit so you have to carry
052that over the next year. So that's why the next year is 84,000 deficit instead of maybe 300,000 which it would have been more like what one of that 2753. Um so on the surface that 84,000 looks really great and like how can we replicate that? You can't because that was carryover um profit from the year prior. Um so then at that point we're right back into our normal national school lunch and breakfast program federal program with our meals prepared in house. Um just a note because we're looking a lot this at in tonight we're looking a lot at 2425 but projecting out to end this year we're projected to end out real similar to where we were last year. So um okay so total expenditures last year um were 1,344,447. Um, I know that we're
053really concerned about food costs, um, because it is skyrocketing. So, that was our total food cost. That doesn't include paper boats, napkins, anything like that. That is just truly food cost. >> And Becky had the same reaction and and you know what, we do feed a lot of kids. Um, so, um, you know, it's sort of relevant in a way. Um but the weighted food cost, so we take that 541,000 and apply it to our meals served, our total meals served. Um breakfast is weighted at a 67. It doesn't cost as much. Um lunch is weighted at a 1.0 and that's where you get your weighted food cost. So you know that your your food is costing you at least in 2425 about 161 for breakfast and 240 for lunch. >> That's the cost. That's
054the food cost. >> Not labor costs. >> No, that is >> not paper product. Just food cost. >> And you you're going to get to how much we're actually charging for lunches. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Um so you can see kind of the breakdown of of in our purchase services. That's 15,000 in that is our uh our interlocal agreement with Meredith. Can you tell them a bit about that agreement that we have with her? >> So, we've partnered um with the co-op um Margaret and Meredith and they have been a wealth of information, a wealth of help. Um they're the ones that helped us get the grant for um the the local produce and all that stuff that we introduced in the fall and doing the taste testing. Very knowledgeable, very helpful, >> great
055to have on our team. And that was ESD >> ESD and um Egg West that gave us the grant. >> Yep. >> So, and I think also too is Meredith and Margaret, right? So, Meredith kind of focuses more on the operations and Margaret is >> more of the local >> Okay. >> sourcing, resources, different ideas. She's the one that found the grant. >> So, they're a great a great team. And I think that um while that did cost us a bit more money um I think they were right around 10,000 um for that. But but they they've already saved us so much. They're identifying areas where we could streamline things. They're identifying, you know, food cost savings in certain areas and helping us get grants um operational efficiencies. So they're making that back um thankfully
056Betsy with some mentorship that I can't provide. I that's not my field. So, and I think that's great that you have somebody that you can relate to in the field grade. >> Um, >> so the one thing that's not included in the expenditure slide is the negative debt. So you're not going to see so whatever negative debt that we carry when students or families aren't able to pay for their meals or extras. Um we can't use food service money to help offset that. Um we have to use local money or state money to do that. So those expenditures come out of the business office budget. Um, right now we currently have was it 13,800 after that that generous donation we just had. >> Um, I'll have to look and see where because it's a process
057to go through and apply that because it's it's a very manual process. You have to go into each student profile and adjust their account. So, I'm not quite sure where she's at on that, but I know that >> it's still significantly more than the generous donation. >> Significantly more. >> Yeah. And so, that's hard. Um, and that's pretty normal for this time of the year to see that at 13 14,000. >> And that's two schools. >> Yes. >> That's high school, middle school. That's it. Because everybody else is is >> Yeah, good point. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Revenues. Uh, so 56% of our revenues are federal dollars. Um so and then just so you have an idea when with the food service program we have to follow special federal purchasing um requirements. So you might
058think that okay well I'm just going to use state money for this so I don't need to follow that more strict guidance. But because the revenues all come into one bucket, it kind of all gets mixed up together with state and local and you don't know if you're using federal or state money and you have to apply it as as you you are using federal money. So you have to follow extra stringent federal um purchasing or procurement regulations. Can >> I ask a question around that? This is just curiosity. Um, when I meet with colleagues around the state, there are several school districts who are opting to not take federal funding. One, because they're not sure if they're going to get it. Two, because of all the strings attached and they felt like it's less
059expensive because the regulations are less to fund without that's a significant amount of our food budget. >> Is that something you even see as a possibility or an option for our >> So last year our revenues were um almost 1.2 million. So you figure well 658 yeah is federal. I think what we need to do is is consider looking starting small and maybe looking at the high school. Betsy and I have talked about this >> because you can do programs instead of the whole thing. You could say >> and I think Meredith and you were talking a bit about that. >> Okay. >> Um so the thought is that you can serve what you want. I >> you don't have to worry about sugar. I was on the board when the you were too when
060they put out the new food regulations. I think that's when we hit that huge deficit >> because they changed >> which she was talking about just on the student feedback and everything. >> Half a cup small portions. >> Yeah. Whole grains. Yeah. >> Yeah. The whole grain pizza was not >> Nope. Nobody liked it. >> You're not still serving whole grain pizza, are you? >> We have to. Everything has to be whole grain. >> Oh my god. Yeah. >> Yes. There is rules that I'm learning and finding out that if you meet your whole grain for the week on those first three days, say, then there's two days that you could serve >> to do white pasta or white rice or bread like that. Okay. >> But that doesn't help the sodium and the other
061>> the other restriction. >> Yeah, that was the whole grain. >> That was a big deal. The kids were in huge revolt that year a lot about it. You were probably going to school here when that happened. >> Yes. Yes, I was. >> So, I'm sorry. Thank you for navigating those waters. Um, we appreciate it. >> Wow. So, if we were to go and and maybe try pulling back from the National School lunch and breakfast program as high school, um my understanding is that if if we could make it work, then any extra revenues that we get um would help offset any losses that we have like in negative debt and student and families who can't pay their meals. So, it's something we're definitely we definitely want to consider. >> Um yeah. Yeah. >> So
062then if this is just food, how much more does it cost and where does the funding come from for like paper boats, utensils, things like that? Does this is this in there? >> So yes. So Cassie, if you could go back to the other slide. So food and supplies is at $570,000. Okay. >> Um which means that you're looking at about $30,000 for other materials. >> Okay. >> Um and that could be a variety of things. That could be utensils like for in the kitchen replacement pots and pans, pot holders, um >> rinse from the dishwashers, dishwasher, detergent is expensive, soap, um >> things you don't even think about. You said pot holders, aprons, towels. >> Is the disposable stuff is that high cost or is it more the KitchenAid? >> Oh, the KitchenAid is
063very expensive. Yes. Um, but I feel like that the paper products are also expensive. But then >> with that, if you went to regular utensils, >> then you have your dishwasher wear and tear. You have the time, you have it's it's such a >> hard. It is. It's a tough one. >> I know at the middle school I tried to bring that up and it was just such a give or take. Like we spend more money here, but then are we going to get more later in a couple years? >> I would be willing to try it. I am all for it. Let's see. >> I mean, they started that at CC. We did it. How did that number just work out for CC? Because >> I don't know. I don't know if I've actually
064ever seen >> it was back in like 2015, 16,17 >> that they were doing real silverware. >> Real silverware, reusable napkins. >> They're not doing the napkins, but they are doing silverware. The silverware has been accidentally thrown away. >> We would ask for donations. Right. Yeah. >> We also have the idea at the middle school to partner with the Eagle family agency and just get everything donated because they get so much that they have to ship it off. So, we tried that at the middle school for a little bit but didn't really take but >> yeah ideal. So, I know it's a little bit late because here we are in March. Um, but you know, here's our reimbursement rates for 24 25 and we'll show you on the next slide in a minute the 25
06526. Um, but what this shows us is that um these are your reimbursement rates, right? So, for example, um Columbia Crest operates community eligibility provision. Um it's a free program for is it four years or three? Um, and so for 3 years they lock in their free and reduced percentages. And so we're pay so we're reimbured at 452 per meal whether you're free or paid. Um, and then breakfast 287 and 284. There's a little bit of difference in there from state funding, like a 3 cent difference. So um, that's actually intentional. Okay. And then House Bill 1238 is the other two elementaryaries, Eatenville L and Warehouser. Um, same reimbursement rates. Um, because the state is making us whole and bringing us to the federal reimbursement rate of three. Um, that's that's how they're they're making
066us whole. Um, >> they're not really making us whole. >> Well, they're really not making us whole. Sorry. They're bringing us up to the same level as we would be reimbured for free meal. So every time we offer a free meal, we pay because you're you're one 5.96 is the cost of the meal. >> Yes. >> So every free meal offered is at a deficit for the school district. >> Yes. >> Not fully reimbured. very hard to it's such a a balance though of trying to price out each meal and price out other options and certain meals that are above a certain dollar amount just like got to cut those because it's just it's >> it's it's too much and convenient type stuff like I we got rid of the dole fruit cups like that
067we did during co and everything um no we're canned fruit that kind of stuff just trying to anything >> small changes. >> Yeah. >> Tighten our belts. >> Yeah. >> I just wanted to point out I'm not This is not a criticism to you. I'm saying that that everyone hears you're getting funded for uh free meals for everyone, but we're not getting >> I'm actually learning a ton here. You know, >> I'm like, whoa. >> Yeah. >> So, this so the weighted cost for lunch and the weighted cost for breakfast. We just took our um So, that'll show you the difference there. So again, the lunch is at a 1.0, the breakfast is at a 67. So all we did, all I did was take our annual expenditures of 1.344 million um and applied it,
068applied that weighted average um based on the number of meals served um to come up with that so you can see those differences. Um so about 452 and 287. Let's see what 2526 is. put one up a little bit. 459 and 314. Um, so what's in a reimbursement rate? So I'm often asked what, you know, what if we got additional funding here or what if we got additional funding here? And it's really not just a flat reimbursement rate. It's actually several smaller rates combined to make one rate. So if you look at your um so if you serve a reduced lunch at high school your reimbursement is federal $4.20 state copay of 40 cents and then the federal meal pattern certification um is 9. So each one of those types of each one of those
069programs and each one of those meal types has a separate formula. um which is why we have about 12 funding streams um that have to be reconciled and the auditor has to go through them and verify that they're in the right categories. So it gets quite complicated. Um this okay meal prices. Um if you recall we did not we did not increase our meal prices this year. Um we have to look at that strategically every year. Um we have to do what's called the paid lunch equity tool. Um, and that is a United States Department of Agriculture, USDA, um, is our program, um, funer, and they require us to do that. Um, you're going to be able to click in there to learn more about that tool if you want. Um, but basically, we do
070that tool um, to determine our prices because that tool will tell us if we need to raise our prices or not. We can raise them as high as we want, but they say you need to have them at at least this amount. Um, so the paid lunch equity tool sets minimum paid lunch prices, um, and prevents districts from subsidizing meals with federal funds, um, which are intended for free meal reimbursement. I pushed the right button. I don't want to check your alarm so you get up about the right time tomorrow. So, >> I would expect because we we did not raise them this year, we are most likely going to have to raise them next year. Um, just normal business prices are going up and USDA will mandate that we raise those prices. So, okay.
071Um, okay. This is where it gets more fun because that was a lot of dry, but important. Um, so our particip participation r ratios I really want to look at. Um, Betsy and I really look at this. So I want to call out some specific things. Um, I find it interesting that Columbia participation is so much higher than eaten Allen and Warehouser. Um, especially their breakfast. You'll see their breakfast is right on the heels of lunch. because they go so early. They start earlier than anybody else and those kids are on the bus super early so they have to eat breakfast. They're >> I mean >> that was kind of what I was wondering because they deliver the meal to the classroom when breakfast. They just line up, they have a cart and hand them
072their breakfast and then they just eat in the classroom. >> Right. So, >> and I'm almost certain parents expect their kids to eat breakfast there because they're >> I'm speaking on behalf of my own grandson whose family is like all about >> meals, but he's it's so early. The poor kid isn't even hungry >> when he leaves the house. >> Be interesting to survey families, too. But otherwise, we're not guessing as well, too. >> What's going on at warehouse that's different that I mean, do they they have to opt to go into the lunchroom or something? Yeah. So, they do when they get off the bus. Yeah, they do. And either they're choosing to eat or >> what's interesting is eaten or has a higher participation rate for breakfast than warehouse. >> And the only
073thing I could come up with that is they're walking here in town. So maybe they're getting there a little bit early. >> We also if you look at probably our socioeconomic it falls right along lines. I mean there were so many things in this data that we could look at. I mean it's it'd be interesting to survey. That's what I'm curious. >> I think even placement like isn't it where the kids enter like they used to enter and eat l basically like or at the kitchen or >> into the cafeteria where warehouser's entering by the office and then you have to make the trip to get your food. >> I think warehousers going through the cafeteria. >> Do they go through the cafeteria? No, they go through the main door at the front um to
074the gym, the power up in the morning. >> Yeah. >> And then if they want breakfast, they go around to the cafeteria door. >> So, it's a different I mean, it's just a convenience factor. And if kids get outside or they see their friends, the kids that get off the bus do that. Um, well, I think they all if they make the choice if they want to go into the cafeteria or not, but again, like Tracy was just saying, >> power up in the morning's kind of big deal there. So, a lot of depending on what time they're arriving, they're just trying to get into power. >> I know at Warehouser a lot of the kids, they're offered like a early snack time. So, a lot of them bring like breakfast in their bags, like
075granola bars and stuff. And a lot of the teachers, at least the fifth grade teachers, like they get in 8:15 and they're like, "Okay, snack while we do our math." And most of them just eat breakfast right when they get there. So, they don't usually go to the cafeteria. >> Well, I think a couple other nuances that aren't really reflected here is that um one of the things I've I've asked I've asked Betsy a lot of questions this week, and one of the questions I asked you was, "What happens on late start Wednesdays?" Surprisingly, I feel like that late start Wednesdays, you'd think that because they were at home for an extra hour that maybe they would eat. I feel like they don't. So, they come to school even more hungry. Hungry Wednesday. >> Well,
076the parents still have to leave and go to work at the same time. >> Yeah. True. >> Yeah. >> You know, Yeah. >> The kids go an hour later, but the parents don't get an hour difference in schedule. And then the middle school. Um I've heard some feedback in the morning that they were concerned there was some things maybe competing. >> Yes. So um bus arrival, they've been arriving a little bit late and then they let them they open the doors to the gym and they can go to the gym, play ball, do whatever. And then they're opening the doors down to the hall to the classroom early. So, they're getting off the bus or arriving in their vehicle. Yeah, I'm not going to eat breakfast. I'm going to go play basketball or go do
077whatever down the hall instead of being in the commons like they are here at the high school and then then released. So, I think that could be affecting even though their numbers are a little bit higher than >> the high school. I'd be curious like prior years and we don't we don't have a lot of data from prior years because we've only really started really looking at this knowing that we want to do better because we know we can have an instructional impact um by providing more resources through forest. Um so we'll just be looking at we'll just keep looking at data and getting better data. >> Those middle schoolers probably need that wiggle time in the gym though too. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> So, >> this is um I think a great number when
078you look at the the enrollment of Columbia Crest versus the average meals that they're serving uh per day. So one we have one staff member and >> yes the second that does just the cashier. >> So it's one there she is amazing and goes above and beyond daily always makes sure that she puts out beautiful food. Elementary here I think is still a great number when we look at their enrollments and the amount of practices and lunches that they do >> and they also serve ECAP. >> Yes. >> Oh, okay. >> That would not be included in these camps, but they do serve. >> Um, and that meal is from there, right? >> Yes. >> Does ECAP have separate funding? Same funding, different funding. >> We invoice them every month. >> Yeah. >> So it
079doesn't get recorded on our account. It's just more that they have to do. >> Okay. >> Right. A few less. >> 57 lunch at all three elementary schools. >> Is that what it is? all the same. >> That's I didn't make that connection. Yeah. >> Yeah. Um so is that that's just a grab and go lunch that they Oh, >> so just trying to be creative and come up with different ideas. I'm always amazed daily at the amount of effort that the cooks put in trying to increase participation, cut down food costs, reduce waste. Um so trying to kind of touch on kids love Lunchables. Why? I'm not quite sure. Um, so Rachel had the idea. She took a two measuring cup on their um 8 in tortilla and cut out the tortilla to make
080like little personal pizzas marinara sauce um cheese and pepperoni and then an apple with um some peanut butter and they I mean went for lunch and so that has been something that they had added and it it boggles my mind. I probably would not have thought of that, but if they like it, then >> it's more tasty, I'm sure, than lunch bowls. So, that's good. >> Yes. >> And I think it just goes to show that they are very connected to their their school community. >> For sure. Yeah. And they ask all the time, what would you guys like to see on the menu? Is there something that >> you think that we should try? And of course, you get, >> I want steak. >> Yeah. Okay. Okay. And what do we have here? Macaroni
081and cheese and green beans. >> Yes. Homemade macaroni and cheese. >> Oh, homemade. >> Yes. >> Scratch. She boiled the noodles and made the r and um again I'm always amazed at the effort that they're willing to put in to try. So, we always want to look for ways to engage um our students and I think one of those things, you know, started when when we interviewed Betsy for this position. Um Ruby was actually part of the interview team um along with I think it was um Bailey. >> Bailey. So, they were part of the interview team and and we wanted to just really get you know, student engagement starting from the top. Um, so some other things we're doing right now, um, are some taste testing. Um, they're doing some meal incentives up at
082CC. Just some fun little activities. >> They started doing that at the middle school, too. >> Yeah. >> The staff actually paid per stickers out of their own money. Um, >> and they'll like every 10 plates will put a sticker on the plate just trying to get participation and then went to the dollar store and bought prizes and things for them. And so then when they get the sticker, they're like, "Oh, I got the sticker." And they come back up and get their prize. And so they're doing that on Columbia Crest and the middle school. >> That was really neat. They took that off. >> Yes. >> And then in this picture um those students, they had students um from I think it's Sneezak's classroom um come in and from leadership and help serve. They
083have their food handlers card and anything that they need help with dishes or anything that they need help with. They've been a great asset and have been relied on a lot. >> I think Columbia Press does the they also have student health. >> Yes. Yes. >> And we know that staff interaction is a huge I mean they see these students every day. So we know they have lots of opportunities for feedback every >> day. Um I have a quick question. Um when we talked earlier about possibly using reusable utensils and things like that, is this a possibility? I know wages and dishwashing and things like that was going to be hard to have to pay for that extra staff for that extra time in order to wash all those. But if students are willing, would
084that be a possibility? I know that'd be good for volunteer hours or even I know we talked about like paid internships kind of at the high school. That's a possibility as well in doing student work that way. But >> yeah, but if they have their food handlers card, I know like you can get that pretty um >> I think we can explore that pretty Yeah, I have mine too. I know a lot of students already start working at restaurants. You know, I started working at 15. So, I know a lot of them are already in kitchen. That'd be interesting to just work with the school. >> Okay. >> So, we've done some taste testing. You've heard probably a little bit about that in social media and it was super fun. So, we got to um
085partner with local farms here in our community. Um like in this picture, the um pumpkin bar. So, it was whole pumpkins that we got from Pink Moon Farms, roasted them in the oven, blended it up, and made um pumpkin bars from scratch. And then we did, um delicotta squash, salad turnups, um radishes, and then not in the pictures, um somehow I missed those, the taste test that we did here at the high school, um from Bray Family Farm, we did um arugula. Um there was a pepper, a roasted pepper. Um, yeah, >> that was amazing. I think Dre had some samples with that too. >> Yeah, very was amazed by the feedback of even the elementary kids at Warehouser um and at the middle school that they were so eager to try something new, a
086vegetable that they'd never tried and they gave like honest feedback and so many of them came back for seconds. And at Warehouse, there's so many kids requested what we did, the um salad turnups and the squash and the radishes that I went back to Pink Move Farm and purchased more food so they could have it on their salad bar. >> Loved it. >> Okay. And of course, the pumpkin bars were >> Yeah, it's making me hungry. Just think I'm hungry. >> So, we have what? Some delicotta squash in the upper leftand corner. And then the daon radishes, the salad turnipss, and the colander. And then there's the pumpkins. >> Okay, so this is where I like to spend my time reflecting is how can we influence meal participation? How can we influence our financial objectives?
087Um, so I would invite you to really um, reflect on this if you can and maybe ask us some questions on the side, but I think that um, some of these things definitely have a direct impact on our meals. Um, obviously the speed of I'll just jump around here. The speed of service, if you have to wait in line, you're not going to want to if you don't have to. Um, we have integration with our wellness incentives. So, we have a school board um wellness policy that um we have to work within um parent engagement. Betsy has done a great job um getting the word out there with our um new social media pages um that was brand new this year that you've put a lot of work into. Um student input and branding um
088we know has a big impact. Um one of the things that we've been dealing with more that's more emerging is food allergies um and sensitivities. So that's something that we've been fielding a lot lately. Um cultural relevance to some extent. Um the reputation effect and peer influence. You know, is it cool to get a school lunch or is it looked down upon? Um independence. Do they want to select their own meals at secondary level especially? Um or do they just want you to give it to them? Um are there alternative options? Um is there price sensitivity? your perceived value, you know, am I getting enough to eat? Um, athletics, you mentioned athletics. >> That's huge. >> Can I can I ask something real quick, >> please? >> I think one of the things that might
089help at least me as a board member, and I can't think of the others, is if us as a board or you guys with Jay establish first, for me at least, what we're trying to achieve purpose-wise. In other words, like we have this deficit. I understand that the deficit is always going to be there if we have free and reduced lunch but the cost of lunch is higher. If we're trying to offset that by selling more lunches at a certain cost to fill that hole, that's one goal. If our goal is more involvement because we truly believe it's an attachment to an education process, that's a different goal. If we believe that the goal of quality of food versus what kids like to eat, that's a different goal. and it's going to have a different
090so I mean I I'm asking what is our overall purpose because that would help drive for me what would be ideas that make sense and if it's all the above you can tell me to chip jump and it's all the above but that that's because those are those are very they're going to be competing goals on a lot of those competing purposes so that that's where I'm really struggling right now about all these different idea which are they're fantastic you're doing a fantastic job with a a nebulous idea of how How many kids are going to eat? What are they going to eat? How many you mean there's that's a unbeknownst it's like I mean it's a huge task but what is our if we have a purpose and a goal then we can know
091if we're chiseling off to that goal or that purpose. So that's my question is if that could be articulated at some point. So yeah, >> um I think that we had developed kind of some strategies um at the beginning of the year that I started with with um with um Harry. Um and so there are some things that we've kind of put to paper, but I don't know that we've necessarily put them into practice. I mean, we have to a lot of extent, but I think we do need to dive deeper into those kinds of things. >> Yeah. I'm not asking for an answer right now. I'm simply saying that those are >> that's a huge difference. I mean I mean and >> if we if we did go away from like the the federal
092program, what's that do? You know, is that is that more change that's changing, right? I mean, so it's just a >> purpose idea. It gives us a goal then to shoot for. I mean, >> so um one of the other things that I noticed is that when we have um early release days, it costs us at least $2,500 a day. Um, not to mention the wages from the staff staying there. Um, so those half days do really. So if you take four half days, we're talking about at least $10,000. >> So we feed lunches on half days. >> But a lot of students leave, especially at the high school. Um, so >> 1050 the bell rings for lunch and they're out the door. >> Okay. So that must be >> Yeah, we have to provide.
093So it must be the high school primarily, right? Because elementary kids. >> Kids are like, "Oh, they >> I mean, we go from 190 200 meals on a full day at the high school and then a half day you're 75." >> And then we miss out on our vending machine sales because then those people stay. So, there's a lot of things that are attached to that. >> Yeah, I know. We're at the high school. hard because like we get out at 9 or like 10:55 like my mind I'm still ready for breakfast like I'll just go home and grab some breakfast you know if I still have to stay at school another couple hours and be like oh yeah I want lunch but like why not just wait another half hour and just eat at
094home like it's it's hard the time we get out >> and I don't think any of these things are bad things necessarily just >> things to know they're just facts yeah things look around >> okay also I said also want to reduce waste I assume too because if you know you're preparing for let's say 200 kids and 50 or 80 >> right that's a lot of waste in a very tight budget that's could have been put forward to another day >> well the gals do pretty good um and we they write everything down on a tablet and we'll highlight like half day and then keep them and then go back okay on this half day you know we served this many so you kind of have an idea but you still do end up with
095with something for sure. Yeah. Um this slide I think I touched on the previous slides how amazing >> the staff members are. They again blown me away at the beginning. Their dedication, their time, um the ideas, everything that they do to serve. They're just incredibly passionate about feeding the kids and feeding them what they want and happy food and coming up with different recipes, different ideas, ways to increase participation. I mean, it's text messages, emails daily of from everybody of different ideas and things that we can try. So, they're they're working really hard. And then um just even stuff Charlene over at EES had a little bit of rice left over and instead of throwing it down the drain, she's like, "Can I make rice pudding and put it on the salad bar?" Like they're
096just constantly trying to think of ways that they can repurpose items and not waste any >> every So are you making the main course here at this kitchen and then shipping it? Everybody's making their own meals. Okay. Even clear. >> Yeah. >> So, here's just some of the the different ideas that we have they have come up with. Um during National School Breakfast Week, we came up with the the parfait down at the bottom was a Princess Peach parfait. Um which was a huge hit and we're like, "Okay, that needs that needs to stay." Um the one up in the upper leftand corner is kind of like a a strawberry shortcake but again with the guidelines and limitations. It's a whole grain biscuit um with a little bit of um cream cheese mixed in with
097the berries. And then the right hand corner um it's like a little protein kind of a bento box trying to catch the kids that are in athletics here at the high school. Um Melinda had some bananas left over. didn't want them to go to waste. So, she made um homemade muffins, banana muffins to go with them. So, there's turkey, ham, hard-boiled egg, cheese, sunflower seeds, and then for their grain, it doesn't have to be whole grain. Um the banana muffin. >> Um secondary schools, they're not a huge fan of the breakfast pizza, like the 4x6 breakfast pizza. So, um Rachel, again, it's whole grain crust, but they did proof it, let it rise. Um, and then she did a sausage gravy with um she just cut up sausage links um with a little bit of
098cheese to make a breakfast pizza. That was a huge hit. And then their loaded baked potato with a chili and the and that's um a whole grain bread stick. Um and then a little corn salad that they made that went on the salad bar. >> I think your Princess Park bay is your branding. Yes. Right. >> Yes. And that was because of fooding for National School Breakfast Week, but I think that everybody knows that that's what it is. So, Princess Peach is gonna stay. And then again, um, National School Breakfast Week. So, here at the high school, because the secondary schools or the elementary schools didn't have as much time, it's a a banana split. Um, so it's just bananas, strawberry yogurt, and it has to be the reduced fat, reduced sugar um yogurt with
099fruit. to do a little drizzle of the icing for the bagel bars. Um, and a little bit of on top, which it's like a sugar-free kind of a cool whip thing. And then, um, chicken bacon ranch pizza made from scratch. Again, the crust is frozen, but you do have to proof it, and it is whole grain. Um, and then at the high school, she did, um, roasted potatoes and zucchini. The zucchini was from a local farm, um, with a little bit of Parmesan cheese, and the kids absolutely loved that. And then again, just trying to come up with different breakfast ideas. Um, high school, middle school, because I think we're gonna get in burnout on the same stuff. We did um calling it a Mc Cruiser. So, kind of like the Mc Riddle. So, the
100pancake, the sausage, the egg, that has been a huge hit. Um, that has been going very well. And then the one in the middle, um, Rachel came up with that. Um, it's, um, what does she call it? So, it's tater tots, a little bit of macaroni and cheese, and a little bit of chili. kind of like a chilling back. >> Yeah. Yep. >> Okay. I'll fly through this section because this is kind of boring but really important. Um so we participate in various federal and state programs um providing critical funding so that all students have have access to nutritious meals. And with that comes a lot of um compliance and audits. um were audited by the Washington State Auditor's Office, the Pierce County Health Department, twice annual food and establishment inspections. Um and then OSPI
101C validation review to ensure that we are calculating our numbers correctly so that we qualify for C. And then uh once every three-year um OSPI program review which encompasses a wide variety of um compliance components. >> Yes. Um, we do have some equipment and facility needs that are ongoing. Um, we have a lot of aging equipment because a lot of that equipment was new with the bond and the reconstruction. So, a lot of that stuff is starting to um and it's near the end of its useful life and it does impact you in a lot of ways when those things go down. So, um I think our maintenance staff is doing a really good job at keeping those things alive um as much as we can, but more interruptions it just really wres havoc on
102production. um limited kitchen space even with you know even if we did I think we need to evaluate the central kitchen model but even as such the those kitchens they're not they're pretty small for the amount of meals that we're serving now under house bill 1238 because they're significantly greater quantity of meals um and and some of these challenges do um impact our scratch cooking so for example Um, it's hard for even our elementary schools to make a simple grilled cheese sandwich because they don't have the griddle to do it. So, even a simple meal like that, it can be ch is challenging. >> Anything you want to add to that? >> Okay. >> Um, okay. This is where our restrictions really come in. Um, and I think this is where these are this is
103the spot that really impacts our participation the most is how restricted we are by calories, by sodium, by whole grains. So, I'm going to let you a little bit. >> Again, I think we touched on it a little bit um earlier about just the guidelines and everything that you have to follow weekly and the standards and trying to keep within those those limits. Um, and even again stuff is less sodium, less sugar. So it's um just even simple things like Cinnamon Toast Crunch. You think, "Oh, I'm going to have Cinnamon Toast Crunch for breakfast." It's completely different here in the schools because it's whole grain, reduce sugar, so it doesn't taste the same as what you get at the grocery store, that kind of stuff. So that's just a small example of kind of what
104are our maple bars going away? >> Possibly. I know. I know. Really got me through. >> I know. Trying really hard to keep that. But the the sugar is high. >> Everyone get the sugar high after. >> Yeah. So maybe let's >> um so you can see if you click there, you can get into those requirements a little bit deeper um to see what we're up against. That's kind of an interesting graph to look at because it tells you the different fruits, vegetables, colors that they need to have weekly. Um the requirements on um it's kind of interesting when you when you look at it because you have like your um K through five and then you have your 6 through 8 and then 9 through 12. The um middle school, high school, same size
105of me. Do we anticipate these changing much soon now that the pyramid has changed? >> I don't know. And if it were, I think it would be several years out. I feel um I don't think that's going to be something that we're going to see right away, but possibly. Yes. >> When when you said the middle school and high school are the same as each other or they're the same as the elementary? >> They're the same as each other as in how much they get. >> Okay. So middle school student is eating the same as a bigger >> Yes. >> I mean high school students eating >> right and for me that's hard because I want to feed the kids you know and there's so many kids that especially I mean even in middle school
106high school they're doing so many sports and they eat lunch at 12:50 or 11:20 and then when they get out of school they have sports and they're here until 5:30 6 o'clock at night. And so that that meal is supposed to carry them >> through that and it's just it's it's hard for me. I struggle with it because I want to feed them. >> So what happens if you add to that? If you add to those amounts, >> but then it puts you over on your your weekly limits and if you were to get audited, you >> So in a lot of cases, even if you want to serve them more, >> you run up against limit costs and then the food cost. >> And can kids buy an extra meal? >> You can. Yeah.
107>> Yes. Kids that have lane, but then there's stuff >> that are free and >> Yeah. >> And that's where I feel like that the share fridge kind of comes >> Yeah. >> in. But then the cooks are really trying hard to keep their numbers. I mean, so they're not ending the end of the day with a bunch of food to go into the share fridge. >> What about students? Are they donating to it? barely. >> How long has it been since all of you Katie and I had lunch there? >> Um, >> I didn't go to school in there. >> No, but when you when you're doing your >> I thought you meant like >> No, you and I went we had on board. >> How long has it been since >> you guys
108have had lunch here? >> When I was working here. >> When you're working here. Yeah. It's worth a maybe we could have a you know some of the board members visit at various times so you can see but I you you are under such strict constraints and that's like the first thing Rhonda said when we had lunch that day and she picked up the boat and she said so this is what our football players are eating this is what our wrestlers are eating like these you know growing hungry active kids >> it's not by our choice it's by by mandate right >> I think we also need to inform the community like if you have a student who sports. I know it's hard on families. I understand that we also can't do it. Some families
109may not understand that time level and stuff either. What else? You know, is there donations we can do? Is there community assets we can reach out to to do donations? >> Yeah, we should we should be working with people as they donate or >> the sheriff bridge or something. >> Efous thousand ideas. I just ers could help with that. That's good. >> Thank you. I'm not, this is not a critique of what you're doing. I'm just saying it's it was such a drastic different when they changed the policy. I mean, it was such a drastic difference and we have to work within rules that we have. >> And I don't think a lot of people realize that, right? >> I don't think any of us like I I wouldn't unless I sat in on your
110interview and learned more about it. But I think most just >> like, oh, I don't have to pay for this one. It's free or I won't pay this time. I'll I'll let my balance keep getting bigger. Like it's not that big of a deal. I think most teams don't know. >> And my experience of having a high and I'm fortunate to be able to provide lunch for my child where he can buy lunch, whatever. But when he was running tracker cross, they didn't even know they're going to be hungry yet. What their time schedule is like, you know, they go on a road trip like 8:00 at night. Yeah. So, what can we do to help offset that option? Just >> Yeah. do whatever. >> Is it the same at the high school where they
111have to put like a fruit on their tray or you know all that stuff? That's a big Columbia where there was a basket afterwards. So the kids could offload that or their milk if they didn't want milk. >> My kids learned from Meredith and they looked it up um OSPI and USDA that you can repurpose items from the share fridge and put them back into the program. So um oranges, milk, um stuff that has like a ready to eat peel. So like apples, pears, you can't but um things like that that you can put back into the program. And we usually would >> wait until the end of the day and you have to make sure that everything and so strict guidelines to make sure that it was cooled properly that it was yeah, >>
112you know, didn't go above a certain temperature. So it's kind of a a risky >> a risky thing. But even if it saves us $5 a day, it's >> I think we estimated about 5,000 a year. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> When Meredith was here. >> Yeah. Um, so I guess I would like to invite you to um think about, you know, what we presented today and if you have some things that you'd like to see in the future or some information that you want, we would love to um be able to provide more we can help drive this program further. I'd like to um really recognize the hard work that both of these women put into this program and you know looking for grant opportunities and professional development and you know supporting your staff and
113um so thank you so much for all your >> from a student perspective like sitting in on that interview just seeing the other candidates I just like oh she has passion she actually wants me to hear she so >> thank You're welcome to head out. >> Thank you. >> Good night, good night. >> Okay. Thank you. You're pitching in for us today. Okay. Well, my graphics are not as nice, but so my apologies. No, I don't have any dancing. I'm sorry. >> Um, before we start, I'll just kind of review what each color uh on our I Ready data means. And um so dark green is our students are on or above grade level and their instructional need should be core enrichment. Light green is early on level near grade level and those students should
114receive strategic supports. Yellow is one year below grade level and those are students who should be in our interventions or being provided interventions in class. Orange is two years below significantly below and those are targeted interventions. Those are probably students in our lap title programs. And three or red is three or more years below and that's intensive supports. So those could be students that are in the MTSS process or even special education students. You'll see in this data. So our our goal uh is not just growth. We want movement towards grade level proficiency as much as we can over a year. So we'll start with Columbia Crest in math. And as you can see um we have had some movement. A few more students have moved to yellow, a few more to green. Um but
115still over half the students are performing below grade level range. Um on the next slide though that you can see um that 54% of the students in math have are approaching their one-year growth rate. So 54% have made progress towards one year typical growth rate. And are they using now? >> They're using Yes. >> But they're piloting. >> They're uh they are piloting, right? >> Magnet. Yeah, that was at the last meeting. Yeah, it just depends on which one. >> Yes. >> Thank you. No problem. >> Um the next slide is CCA reading. So again, um they have some more students move to that green that that one year behind or one year below and then um the on track has improved a little bit there. And on the next slide, 65% of the students
116h are approaching their typical annual growth rate at CCA. On the next slide is EES. So EES has made some pretty good ga gains. Uh they they've moved quite a few from red into that yellow area and a lot into the green area as well. Um when you look at their annual growth rate, they're at 58% of the students are approaching or have met their annual growth rate. some really strong data is the next slide comes from EES in reading. So, um they've really moved the needle in in reading. Um some really great data there. That yellow has significantly lowered and the green has expanded. So, great work with their team in that area. And on the next slide, we're sat 75% of the students um have met or approaching their one-year typical growth rate.
117>> So, they were a priority school. What extra supports do they have at that school because of that status that maybe the other schools don't have? >> They have more of an expanded lap title program. Okay. >> Um they're doing some different models. Um you know, the old walk to read, you know, they're doing they're doing those things. kind of a model we've met as a team and done a lot of work so far the last few weeks on just looking at our HTMS bests practices and how we can align to successful models um and what that would look like for us across the district and really talking with Nick about what he is doing and how he's dividing his groups uh within his classroom teachers at a grade band level and um >> refining
118those practices we can model that in other buildings if it's successful >> we're hoping to do that Yes, >> not to interrupt again but too are they doing any kind of cross and PLC work? Do they get with other buildings to understand? >> Oh, we have not done that yet. That is a goal of ours. Yes, we talked about that in one of our last meetings is really aligning that next year so that we're >> not just talking in one building what we're doing but what we're doing across all of our elements. >> Yeah. Because obviously because you might have one or two like Columbia can be very isolated because it's a single teacher. Who are they who are they collaborating with and what's that look like? So >> that's true. They're they are isolated
119with one one grade level. Something else I think that they're really doing is if you have a really high kindergartener, they're doing that walk to reading or walk to math and giving them first grade exposure. So we're there's doing some really great practices there. Um yes, but warehouser um on the next slide for their math, you know, they have their red has really shrunk and their green has has gotten larger. >> So, and they also doing some really great uh just grade band core work with each other, which is is nice to see. >> And if you look at their typical growth rate in math, 64% of the students have met or are approaching their winter annual growth rate. And then warehouser very similar in reading on the next slide um to EES uh you
120see green has gotten larger so that's a good sign with them >> and 72% very similar ees have approached >> all right and we'll move on to the middle school. So, middle school, we've decreased red, increased some green, the yellow has stayed the same. Uh, but I have been working quite a bit with Andy and Allison on just changing some practices a little bit um to see if that reflects moving their groups around a little bit, doing some different alignment. Um, and I think hopefully we'll see some more growth in the spring from that piece of it. Um, their overall annual typical growth rate on the next slide is 4 to 12% at this point. >> Tracy, can you this stretch >> can you explain this a little bit? >> Yeah. So, typical stretch growth
121means in a year we expect students to make one year growth. So, that's typical growth. We hope that every camp stretch growth means they're making one above one year a year. >> Yes, that's the stretch growth. So you can see they do have some good stretch growth as well. >> Yeah. 32%. >> Is it fair to look at it then as stretch growth would a kid would a student would be quote catching up >> a single year? They're still behind >> that same rate. Yes. >> Typical in our math data. So one year growth still might mean they're a year behind still. So or even two years growth might mean they're still one year behind. >> Thank you. >> Uhhuh. Good question. and next slide. And they're reading again kind of similar data looks the
122same. But if you look at the next slide, they do have 67% of their students have met or approaching um one year growth. So they're just more than one year behind. >> They're knocking out of the park. >> Yeah. Yes. This we're just especially in math. That's that's across the state, right? Everyone is struggling with catching kids kids up from the mat just there. >> Yeah. Any question on that data? >> She come back up. >> The next slide is um our data for students that participate in our lap or title programs >> qualifies you for lap or title. looking at whether you're one well in our case two years behind is what we're really looking at for putting those students in that building. >> Okay. So it's not necessarily um around any financial competencies.
123It's just >> no right because I know but do we get more support if your free and reduced numbers are higher? Do we get more laps laps? >> It does. It comes play. Yes. Yes. But we're not looking at students by their >> No. So the buildings aren't funded for their lap based on their free and reduced lunch numbers. >> It does drive it. It drives it up. Yes. >> And Columbia gets an additional um high poverty fund which amounts to right around $55,000 a year >> to supplement. So when you're looking at that data u between 31 and 61% of students have moved at least one grade level depending on their subject. So there is growth but we still have work to do in in that area. And the next slide. Okay. So, I
124can't pull data for sped kids or any special programs to make it look the same as it. I doesn't do that for us and sometimes the kids are not quot coded right in iwiting. So, Kyla and I literally have to go through and do this by hand and it takes quite a bit of time. So, um the way you're seeing the data looks different, but I'll explain it to you. Um the first two pillars we want the blue pillars to grow and then the other pillars we want them to to lower. So these are our sped students K5. So we are seeing some growth and this is also kids we test even our students that are in self-contained classrooms because we want that data point to see if they're improving. So those students who are
125typically three or more years behind are in this data point. But we are making some growth um in our math progress in special education. Um a good especially warehouser uh they've made a lot of great growth with special ed in the resource room and math. A lot of good focus um on deficits that our students have. Um let's see. The next is math for special education students in the middle school. And again we're we're we're a little stagnant there. So, um, we we still have students that that we need to to move. So, that is a big focus that I'll be working on with our special ed team there. >> Sure. >> Yeah, they get skewed at all if you have a student in I would assume the up and downs because of self-contained, not
126that test and then don't test and then one month or something they test. So, does that skew it a lot? does a lot and that will happen sometimes especially in our Lynx program like we'll have kids in in our Lynx program that are on grade level academically but behaviorally that yeah I'm not taking that test or I'm going to click through it so that does impact >> keep in mind percentages and size and you'd be talking a cohort of five kids or whatever so I mean one doesn't take that test and you're >> yes well it's like the state test if we yes take it our numbers here we're small it's a zero So, >> all right. >> Um, and then next is K5 reading for special education students. So, again, we we this was
127a focus last year and and we really continued that um and we're seeing some growth for our special education students uh and special education and reading and then um I ready for in reading for the middle school. So again, we've had some students actually now are mid or above grade level. So we've actually are really looking into do they need still need special education services. So that's something we really went and looked at. Are these kids that are early on grade level, let's see if they still need their IE 504 plan, those types of things. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Hi Cap. >> This is a really hard one. Kyla and I had to do a lot of uh by hand on this one. So, but I feel the data is pretty accurate. We did it
128quite a few times over, but you really are seeing again, no one's below grade level. Uh just a few kids are one grade level below, but we're seeing that growth with with them in in um the math progress. Next slide is 68. really great uh data for our high cap students at the middle school level. So, they are really being pushed and um having that rigor and really keeping up there. >> At the middle school, are they just moving them to the next level of math? >> Yes. >> And we still allow students to come up to the high school when they've finished up the middle school math. >> Um and they're taking that online currently. So they're not coming up to the high school class with our teachers or through Spokane virtual >> is
129maybe not the right place. Why is that rather than >> I think it was their schedule, wasn't it, Jay? Did the schedule work? >> Hard time. >> Yeah, we had a hard time aligning start and when they end and if they can get to and >> that's another thing, too. the classes at the high school, that freshman class was quite large and they're very full. So that was the other reason to start at the high school and move to the middle school kind of tend like things like that if that's to be found out. >> I just they so if they come to the high school then they're missing the next class period down below. Mhm. >> I think their bell schedules are quite >> No, they never have them. I just was curious what
130they did. Was curious. We just thought of >> Well, they did it for a year. So, my my son, mass of them walked up. >> I wonder how they did that. >> They missed the first 15 minutes of the next class and required to make it up, but they >> But they were students that could. And if you could >> just if you couldn't you still got to go and you were talking there was a choice and we talk about it later. I just I just was curious. We had like three kids. my son's year. I mean, there's always been it's always not always, but what for 10 years? >> Way more than that because all my all my kids did it. >> So, >> okay, >> that's how old I am. >> Okay, the
131next slide is K5 I reading data for um high students. So, again um they've they've stayed pretty similar. We have seen some students move up to that one grade level below. Next slide is uh 68 I already math progress. So some good growth there in math for our high cap students and everyone is uh close to grade level there >> and just just to be clear mostly for our new board member to be a high cap student you only have to be excellent or above average in one. So you could you could really struggle with math but excel in read reading and you still qualify for this. So that's true. >> The next slide is K5 ready data for our Hispanic and Latino students. Um I am we something in this data is we have
132a lot of newcomers um in our MLL program and those are students who um have very limited or no English skills at all. So I am very happy with this data because of the newcomer status. So um Mr. Denilio is doing a really good job of working on the speaking and language and the writing piece and um we are seeing kids really grow um and getting closer to grade level. And so once they meet grade level, then are they transferred out into >> they have to take the the WEDA assessment and if they four or above then they transfer out and then they're on um we have to do kind of a watch for two years after that to make sure they're keeping up and and staying on track. Uh we just finished the WEDA
133assessment last week and uh we do think we'll have some students that graduate out of the program. So that's a good thing. So that were really really really close last year. So we really and in our district um the deficit is speaking the speaking portion of that um and that if you ever were exposed to the VA test it is very hard. You have to sit and listen to someone speak and then respond to a prompt and it's very taxing. It's very long. Um it's tedious and keeping the kids engaged and wanting to do it is a hard test. Sometimes they're just like I don't want to listen. Yeah. I don't want to listen to this anymore. So, um, we really focused on breaking that assessment down for them this year, hopefully making it a
134little bit, um, easier for them to do in steps. >> Uh, next is the 68 um, I ready progress for our Hispanic students. Um, we are, you know, we did see some growth. We we tried a new model with the middle school uh the first about first quarters of um having it kind of be a project-based learning class with other students and we just I I didn't see the movement in the data. So we went to Mr. Justice and Minus and asked to switch back to our old model and we've done that and we are seeing movement again. They just weren't getting that this time they needed intervention. So we really went to one class period now intervention back to that. So I think we'll see good growth this spring that um math. So we
135are seeing some good math. Mr. Deilio is really focusing on now um just working on the language of math. So what do terms mean? So he's been working with grade level bands on what are you doing now? What is what is the academic language that these students in vocabulary that they need to learn? And we really been trying to focus on that uh more or because again when you take a weed exam you're not taking an exam on math at all. So we kind of had to switch our focus a lot in our MLL. >> And then the next slide is um our ready data for math or 68. So again we've have moved some students up. My very last slide is the interim assessments that have been taken in math and in ELA. And
136so you can see um where our students are landing and this falls re I mean I is right their data aligns really really well with the state assessment because this is very similar what we're seeing in our ready data. Are the interims scored online or the teacher scored online? I didn't know how to that that helps. >> It's not biased. >> No, no, no, no. So, you can see now um if we were to have taken the state test in February and March when it would possibly land as a district. after spring break already. You have any questions? >> Oh, I'm very grateful. Yeah, thank you for bringing that to us and doing going over and above. >> All right, Jay. >> Yes. So, as far as the stadium goes, even through weather that's been
137very interesting, uh, they continue to make some really fast grow. So, the stadium crew were were finally able to get everything done that they needed to on the stadium up in the top with the cherry picker. So, they're able to get off of that, which then uh meanwhile now we we've been out, you should go out there like today, I went out there and it's just beautiful. the preparation for the track. Now it's all laid down with the rock and everything and now the uh paving group is scheduled to come in between the 25th and 27th. So basically now uh now they got a little bit behind because of the weather >> uh at other places and so the crews that could have been here are finishing up other places uh where they had a
138contract. So that's the only reason that it's probably not pretty much committed because we're we're ready to now lay that down. The D zone, we are we will have asphalt in the D zone which is on the north end where our triple log and high jump and discus are. And then we'll have it for the ADA access entrance down to the ticket booth. The same thing. So, you'll start to see some you'll start to see some asphalt now um very very soon. On the stadium itself, there's some skirting that's been put around the front. It looks beautiful. We're kind of looking at the skirting on the side to see if we want what we want to do there, but um because it is finished, but you know, we're we're looking at a couple things there.
139The uh scoreboard, the base has been put up. We're still working with light curve just on the last little bit of that. Then when we get that all done, then you'll you'll see the scoreboard go up and then flag po folds. So uh that's and then also the fencing around the perimeter of the eight lanes of track uh has been has at least the poles have been put out and then we'll tighten this up. Um you probably do know that the track and field has been used. We work with our general contractor really closely to make sure it could be a safe place. Most of their work is done by the time our students vacate the the school in the afternoon after classes. And so we've created an safe entrance and exit and making sure
140that there's no um that that they're safely within the perimeter on our our field which is obviously we did a bunch and we've also have that insured now. So um that's been a real help to get to that point. So for the future we still on are on for May 1st at noon. Everybody mark your calendar for that. that will be our ribbon cutting uh for and and the the amazing thing right now is is that our pre-adabicated restrooms um are finished and in Spokan. They passed all inspections and now they're ready to come in. So, we're scheduling with our our general contractor when to actually have them on site when it looks like somewhere around mid 13th earliest but somewhere around mid April. Um, we're really hoping. I'm not sure that those will be
141quite done by our bi petting, but they should be they'll be very close. The last surface for the track, which is the rubberized coating, that's weather pending, that will most likely not be ready by May 1st, but it will be um, you know, earlier this, early in part of the summer. Uh, and that will be pretty much the last thing that happens. So, um, yeah, it's moving along very, very well. And again, in spite of weather, we have really hardworking crews out there. And uh so make sure everybody invites all of their family and friends uh to May 1st at noon and then stay for community day u eventually street. Thank you. >> Great. Um it's late and so I think the legislative update is very well put in this. Did everybody get one of
142these? No, I just gave that tweet. >> Just gave a tweet. Well, this is a great update. Um, but it >> our kids are right on the front. Um, it talks about um the the wins and losses. I think this would be really great information for everyone if you could email it out. Um, and it has the bill reports um some of the accomplishments. Exemption from sales tax um went through. So, we were promised that we were going to be exempted from a new sales tax bill. Turned out Department of Revenue had a different idea about that, but um the legislature fixed that. So, we're grateful for that. Um and the small schools modern modernization funding uh kind of pulled through lesser than what we wanted, but um still there and we don't but other
143small schools do. So, take a look at this. It's really great. But we do have our our kiddos there, which I think is really awesome that Waza highlighted our kids. Yeah. >> Okay. Um, we're going to go on to new business. Consider approval of donation agreement from Rosemary Nordstrom and Emily in the matter of $1,000 for the purpose of library books. >> Yes. >> Oh, go ahead. Oh, no. I was just going to say that uh the you know Nordstrom's have always been great sponsors and promoters of literacy and so they were very happy to provide this $1,000 donation to be five schools and um so we appreciate it. >> And it sounds like we have a motion. Do you have a second? Second. It's been moved and seconded. All in favor. Any opposed? Consider
144approval of board resolution 757 reorganizing associated student body program impress fund. This is just to update the staff at the middle school since we had some administrative staffing changes. Um the impress funds are still the same. So we have 3,000 at the high school and then 200 at the middle school. >> Um so I would consider a motion for approval. >> Second. >> Approve. First and second. All in favor? Any opposed? It's all good. >> Motion carries. Consider approval of replacement purchase of PHS theater lightboard. >> Yes. Um, so I'll just preface this with it's not normally an IT thing, but I am a technical theater minor from PLU and I helped run this stage when I was here 10 years ago and it's still the same equipment. Um, as a student, I fixed this
145equipment in I think 15 and it was limping through until recently. Um, where the board itself is no longer functioning and I cannot get it to function again. Um, so this proposal is for a replacement for that. It is a similar board to what I used at PLU um in their black box um and would like to go with the AT Productions quote that you guys have there. The main reason is they actually will come out, install it, program it, and teach us how to use it. >> The rest of the quotes there, even though they are cheaper, they do not include that service. It's important to one have it working and two know how to work it >> and I have not ever created one of these so I cannot guarantee it was it'd
146be proper they can't >> and it's not as significant >> the main change is the main cost difference is the labor of them coming out and doing that >> can I make a request too that you get as multiple people trained as possible so that is already on the list >> and additionally I think the Eatenville L uses that every single year too, right? So >> I believe they do. >> They do their concert. You guys do Isn't there like a production that Eatenville Elementary does in the auditorium every year? >> Just use the house lights. Um >> Oh, okay. You don't have to use >> Okay. >> You don't have to So you don't have to train anybody. >> You're using a light board now, man. >> Yeah. If you have any other questions,
147I'm Pierce. >> All right. So I'd consider a motion for approval. Second >> moved and seconded. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion carries. All right. So item D, E, and F are first readings of um policies. So what I want to point out is um the first reading of updated policies. That means that we have an existing policy and there's been some verbiage change. You'll see the verbiage change is a striketh through. And then um usually in green, let's see, is the new wording. come. So that that lets you know what's being removed and what's being added. And then the first reading, that's a new policy um that's coming forward and basically the policy 6700 um the state asked us to pull out the wellness policy and create a new one. So um your opportunity
148to read through them first right now. If you have any questions or if you have any amendments that you see fit, now would be a time to propose those. Um and then at the next meeting we will have approval of those policies. So um unless with these would anybody like to pull one of these off the agenda to talk about and I guess I want to make sure that um we understand as board our responsibility to come to the meeting prepared and have read these so that we're ready to bring our questions or concerns because questions are great. Um, just make sure that and and if you know them in advance and it's going to require an answer from somebody, it's great if they know so that they can come prepared and saves us a
149lot of time. Okay. So, anybody have anything they want to pull off there? Okay. Um, then we will we're going to move on to our superintendent comments. >> Yes. So, there's there's several things, but I know it's it's linked. I'm going to whip through these fast I can. I alluded earlier to the fact that we had received $100,000 for a pool grant and honestly, you know, Christa Brandon and then uh we toured this a little bit later on to to see um this is a regional pool as I mentioned and and there are there are several items that really are long overdue to be addressed and so appreciate the the hard work of everyone to come together and make sure that we are making the pool safe, the pool sanitary that is functional, that is
150competitive, and that is inviting. And so the $100,000 that we got from Pierce County Council will look at the locker rooms, uh repair and refresh the floors, uh replace some of the existing flowers, yeah, flowers, showers, and fixtures. Trying to put those two words together and fixtures as needed, uh paint, touchup, um some vendor services. uh it will have some periods of closure. We have to know that that's you can't always do repair and keep everything open at the same time. Uh but it's not going to be a major renovation in locker rooms, but it'll certainly be a better place for everyone. The spa will uh restore the operation of that um to repair uh do some repair of the heating elements and that will also be a vendor services necessary that chlorine feeder repair
151replace the chlorine feeder um with vendor services in the office. Replace the existing furniture. You probably know we had a new floor I came in, but if you have furniture that is metal and that water and chlorine everything, then it can kind of start to stain the floor and already we need to update that and so we will um then some of the fixtures also you again it's a very humid place and and so uh things like cabinets, shelving, we need that uh to make sure that everything can come off the floor to come up off the floor and onto the round the wall. And so we're working on the organization of that. So, um, and again, if you ever want to do a tour, uh, pre or post, we certainly would welcome that from
152board members so you can kind of see what we're out what we're off offering and what we're what we're about. The life storage room, when I walked in, I could sell, you know, we need we need we need again organizational fixtures so that we can make sure it's a clean area. It's a safe area, no trip hazards or anything and uh an organ organized. So, the lifeguard ring room will be certainly updated. Um door access. Right now, we have limited access into the pool. we're safe as far as getting out of the pool, getting out of the pool area, but we're looking at giving another couple of places where we can get in and out and especially now where we've got, you know, some the new stadium and different things. We we we feel like
153we need to to allow some more entrance to get in uh to that area. Um guiding platforms, as we mentioned, kind of the competitive process, those existing platforms need to be replaced. some of the the the best um and safest for competition was over. So there's that. Um just to mention that as was mentioned uh we certainly do appreciate our classified staff and did have a chance to get around all the buildings and all the departments and to uh give them a certificate and give them the gratitude and we just we just couldn't do it without our wonderful certificate staff. talking about classified staff and then our certificated and classified staff. We will once again be providing a free meal to all staff employees on May 5th on April 15th. So if you would mark
154your calendars, I haven't put that out yet, but I do get confirmation. >> Um on April 15th, feel free to pick your school and uh come in and and enjoy a meal of appreciation. That's an appreciation. As mentioned, our knowledge bowl got third and state. our dance team stay qualified. Um the warehouser playgrounds are we have one delivered as we mentioned earlier and uh that will actually take place this summer. So we were going to try to do it ahead of time but there's no way the principal asked if we would hold off this because you're not going to be able to get it done in a week and then your kids don't have a place. it will be. And the reason it started there again was in part because it the the grant that
155we received from Pierce County that that needed to be over a warehouser. But uh >> and it had to be spent, didn't it? But >> it had Yes. >> Yeah. So that's the end of the year. So we spent it and now it's here and now we move forward. >> But uh not to neglect our other two schools, Clubby Crest and Edenville L. uh that that is that will be in play now. And we're working hard on grants and opportunities. We just had another meeting this week and we're working really hard to get all the necessary funding uh to to make that happen. uh spring sports is in full force and I mean if you look at the dispatch pretty much the whole dispatch is about some of the stuff that's going on and and
156um you know soccer and basketball and baseball and track and the field and uh so we're we're happy for our student athletes who are getting those opportunities and again our facilities are just going to get better and better as time goes on. We'll keep working. That's our commitment. Let's see. I think I think with that um I just want I just want to say I appreciate as your as a board how involved you are as well as how supportive you are as we work to uh first and foremost uh you know address our our goals on a strategic plan. um and make sure that our students are the most advantaged possible in order to get to the highest levels that they possibly can. And I just want to say thank you for for what you
157do and the hard work that you do each and every day. So, thank you. >> Thanks. >> I have a question. >> Yes. >> Um do we have a timeline of when the whole updates are anticipated to be done? Well, it's because there are several aspects of it. You know, we um I don't >> we put we put so $100,000 we put most of the budget to be completed by calendar year 2026. So, most of the projects to be completed by the end of this calendar year um because the county fiscal year runs on calendar year, not like us. >> Um and then we budgeted a a smaller percentage next year just to give us a little bit of flexibility. Um, I know that a lot of the projects that are happening, like the repairs
158to the spa and some of the door hardware and some of those things, they've already started um contacting vendors to get the ball rolling because we want to get those things done as quickly as possible. The challenging part will be um when we have to do the chlorine feeder and the floor the floors are going to be the big issue. >> Those I assume we would probably plan to try and do over the summer time or >> lesson. I know. Yeah, that's a lot of time. >> Do we have any ideas for what to do >> as temporary locker room solutions while those are >> being worked on? >> We might be able to. Yeah, I think we can brainstorm. >> But I think the other thing is you have you have, you know, I
159know there's never such thing as a down season with original tried to make sure we time it to when it would affect the least amount in between seasons and things. So, The other thing is if you know our maintenance staff does it versus we contract it out, it's going to be a big difference in the timing >> and the expense. >> Yeah. >> But yes, that's our idea like to try to continue the operation as much as we can. Um but at the same time, we we are so grateful for this $7,000. This is going to just do so much for our Wow. When Amy said, "This school waterproofed my kids," I thought, "What a great way to say that." It's true. It's why we have this program. That's why it's so vital. We have
160nine lakes in our school district or more. >> And the rivers and um so making sure our students are safe and know how to swim. And so I thought that was awesome. >> It's a treasure. And we just are working with Pierce County as I mentioned earlier and to make sure that we all see this as it's a it's a regional pool uh housed and owned by the school district. But it is a regional treasure. I it's it's a treasure for all of us. I mean we're we're going to need you there's no such thing as operating a pool at cost. We're always going to go in the hole with pools since the be beginning of time. And so we need all the help we can, but we are committed to obviously keep this treasure
161and uh and to also share it with others beyond our school district. Just, you know, we're always looking for assistance to make sure that happens and it will happen. So we're working hard on it. That's great. >> Anything else, J? >> No. Thank you, Katie. You have any board comments? a lot of things to think about, Karen. Um, just thank you to everybody for all of your hard work and dedication. Um, and thank you to Betsy for coming in earlier and Christa for going over all um the food services stuff. I think that was very insightful for a lot of us and um just really happy to be a part of the group. >> Thank you everybody for coming. those that have already left too. Um, I just uh really appreciated I always appreciate when
162people bring concerns um to us and are just being proactive because they uh there's things that you know they want to stay like the dance and everything. Um, I really really appreciated those that came tonight and everybody that had a concern, but also was proactive and uh willing to help fix that concern. So, not just let us know about something that's negative. They had a proactive idea or offering on the table to help. And that it takes a team um and it takes a village to raise all these kids. So, >> for sure. Thank you, Jo. >> Yeah. Thank you for the dance team for being here and the coaches for getting them to talk and uh you know Mr. Marshall for taking time to come talk on that behalf and as he's sat here
163before. Uh we have two teachers that were on the for retiring uh Triggs and Golden. Um >> Oh yes. >> Shout out to I know they'll get their day later, but you know I always like I always laugh at you guys when you we hire coaches and show I get this that there's the big like and we're hiring this coach. I always want to see one for teachers coming in at like 6'4 Mr. Mr. Danielson, you know, like, you know, at 6'4, Mr. Danielson, you know, so, you know, what's the posting, you know, I just shout out to them, you know, teachers, we come and go and the machine marches on, but you know, >> great teachers and they will be missed >> and thank you. Yep. Um, Mr. Hunter already said it, cannot say
164enough, love you and your family and appreciate everything everything you do. Um, and last but not least, our student reps brought up some um that was open some very valid what concerns potentially. Um, I will be working with them. I know Cassie, I think, and I've talked to the board. I think we're supposed to be doing quarterly meetings with them. I just want people to be aware of that about their their their issues do not go ignored. Um we I will be working with them and Cassie on what's the difference between finding a problem and a solution um or active in support versus just airing an issue. What does that look like? Our our goal with with our student reps is to also make them aware of processes and some of that. And so we
165appreciate um their concerns. So I wish I were here to hear this, but I'll be talking to them. In fact, I have a meeting with one of them coming up. Um, and so I just want the community to know that as well that we'll be working on what does that look like to solve those problems or to get solutions of those problems because this in this format ering a concern doesn't help solve a problem. It it it doesn't. So how do we work forward? So I don't want people to think those are ignored. So >> thank you. >> I echo what everyone else has already said and it's getting very late. Just want to say thank you Gracie. Thank you for all that you're doing to help kids. Greatly appreciate Christ for trying to keep
166us above board doing everything you possibly can to keep us in know of what's going on at all times. So that's super important to >> and thank you who are still here. I don't know why you're still here. >> It's a school day. >> You wanted to be here. >> That's awesome. >> Bless your heart. >> This is one of the longest meetings we've had. >> I wrote rock paper scissor for my position. >> She probably did pretty good. >> Well, you have all touched on everything. I'm just super grateful um to Amy Krueger and all of the Pierce County Council for their generosity and um for Janie Hibson's again. I think I mentioned this last time. >> Um I was at another event and she's just like this is really important for your community
167for kids and as a as a team the council really want to support Eatenville. It's awesome to hear South County getting some love. Um so I appreciate that. Awesome job to our knowledgeable bowl and dance team and >> the first ever Eatenville daffodil queen. That's right. >> That's right. >> And she couldn't be here tonight so we couldn't honor her, but we're just um it's really exciting and I'm really um I'm honored that we get to have this. It's really great. And when she comes, Pette, because you were queen mother at one point, I would love for you to give her some um some of your share some of your wisdom. All right, with that we'll call this meeting totally at 9:21. And they all whom they were.