001they're not there, so it just really helps staff become more efficient. For customer supports, Compass Care is more of a if you're having a problem, reach out to us and we'll help you. Relay, um, they are they do Relay and Go Solutions also have that capability as well. However, with Relay and Go Solutions, they're more proactive. They will, um, give you monthly guidance. We also do like quarterly with admin to look at where there might be gaps or inefficiencies so that we can help train or do modifications. With Relay, it also sends, um, alerts to personal alerts to staff. So, if it says like, "Hey, you haven't billed on the student in the last 30 days, you need to bill by this time or you're not going to be able to bill." So, again, it
002just it sends those alerts because we know as people, if you're getting this alert every time you go into a system, you're more likely to do it. So, it just is more of a proactive that way. Um, so managing audit risk and safeguards. So, again, Compass Care is more like we this is how you should bill. As long as you bill that way, you'll be fine. Where Go Solutions and Relay are more like they could capture more than what we're what we're currently getting. So, again, Relay said that, um, sorry, Go Solutions said looking at our numbers that they would think about another 250,000 on top of what we're doing. Uh, Relay said that on average, they didn't look at our numbers or anything like that, but on average, they get another half a million
003per district that has signed up with them. So, um, Mr. Chair, where I'm at on this. So, from just looking at cost, I was I my initial thought was, "Boy, let's let's, um, you know, wait till things settle, new superintendent, budgets, and stuff, you know, instead of buying a new three-year software." But if it's way more efficient for our staff and more importantly, if maybe at a future committee meeting, we could see if there's any evidence that we would really could bring down a quarter million or half million dollars more from the state and federal government, we should be looking at those things. So, that I'd like to see that those sort of numbers at a future committee meeting or or as part of the budget process. Thank you, Dan. A question, Michelle, then is
004this time sensitive? Do Does this It is because we'd have to roll everything over and there that's what they also want time so that they can get all the information and start getting that their systems updated and their dashboards updated so that they can review what we have been doing and be ready to go at the beginning of the school year. Um so, yes, they are >> So, if you just personally, when would you like the board's decision on this? I mean, besides yesterday. >> [laughter] >> I was going to say um yesterday because again, that that just changes how we are preparing for the upcoming school year and that they reported to that if we wait too long, those quotes will no longer be um active. So. >> I agree and I also agree
005with Mr. Shoof. So, maybe a uh special committee meeting is in order to uh deep dive into the three proposals. Yeah, and and focused on whether we really could could bring down more revenue that it would then it would pay for itself many times over. And it is we do have currently have it budgeted for in our budget as well. So, and with the Medicaid expansion, we are expecting that these numbers would increase anyway. So. >> [sighs] >> Which also said I increased the burden on staff. I am not a fan of kicking things down the road, but if we could do something, this is a major step financially for us and I I do agree with Mr. Shoof. And with our board president sitting here, if we could schedule any try to find a
006special committee meeting to just deep dive into this and come out with a resolution for our next board meeting in 2 weeks. As a committee chair, it's your prerogative to call a special meeting and as long as I know to get it on the agenda ahead of time, I will absolutely do that for you. Okay, then that's my suggestion. That way Michelle, we will act on this, you know, by the next board meeting. We'll have a yes no, which way we want to go with it. Okay, I'm making a It might cause you to come before us again or at least be in the our little workshop with our next bath meeting, special bath meeting, so we can ask you the questions. Okay? Can you Let me see. specifically let us know what you're looking
007for so that we can be prepared for that. Correct. Yes, I agree with you. I will get with both of you and let you know that looking for details, so I'll get the the the questions from Dan and Bill and then we'll just we'll make it concise and easy kind of. Perfect. Thank [laughter] you. All right, thank you. So with that and I thank everyone, we are looking at our next meeting date. Michelle, it's not right in front of me. I know it's a month from now. No, well we have a special meeting coming up in the next 2 weeks, but besides that, our next meeting date will be June Do you have it in front of you? June 2nd, I'm sorry. And but we will have be having a special board meeting or special
008committee meeting prior to our next board meeting in 2 weeks. And with that I will look for a motion to adjourn. So moved. Second. All those in favor say I. I. I. I. Meeting adjourned. Thank you, folks. Mrs. Shope, are you ready? I need to look at the microphone first. Okay. Hello. Yep. >> Good evening. It is 6:12. I am calling to order the regular board meeting of Tuesday, May 5th. Mrs. Shoop, may we get a roll call? Yes. Bill Johnson. Here. Carol Fox. Here. Joanne Rue. Here. Dan Shoop. Here. Tom Hankins has stepped out just for a moment. Um and Megan Miller. Present. All members are present. Thank you, Mrs. >> Johnson, I forgot to call you. Tia Johnson. >> That's fine. I mean, >> [laughter] >> yep. I am here. All members are
009present. Thank you. May I get an approval of the agenda? So moved. Second. Motion by Carol Fox, seconded by Dan Shoop. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor. I. Any opposed? Hearing none, mash motion carries unanimously. Is there a feedback? Fair enough. There's a Okay. Okay. Thanks. Tonight, we have the privilege of having Merrill interim principal Jasmine Hill Hill here to introduce Merrill Tigers who will lead us in the pledge after the introductions. Principal Hill. >> All right, good evening. I am Jasmine Hill and with me here I have students from 4K, first grade, third grade, fourth grade, and fifth grade. I have Zamaya Party Daniels, Giano Party Daniels, Janaya Party Daniels, Akori Sims, Alani Sims, Mayan James, Myel James, and that is it. Please join us as we Oh, please just Please join us
010as we say the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> [applause] >> Thank you, Merrill Tigers. We always enjoy having you here and you do such a wonderful job. Next on the agenda is the board president report. Good evening and thank you for joining us tonight on Teacher Appreciation Day. We are grateful for your continued support and extend our sincere appreciation to all of our dedicated professional educators. Last week, board members Joan Rue, Carol Fox, Bill Johnson, and Dan Shoof attended the annual Quarter Century banquet Excuse me, Quarter Century Club banquet, which honors staff members who have dedicated 25 years of service to the School District of
011Beloit. We are deeply appreciative of their long-standing commitment to our students, district, and community. Since our last regular meeting, the board convened on April 30th for the annual organizational meeting, followed by a meeting of the Student Success and Support Ad Hoc Committee. Last Saturday, the board participated in a workshop focused on board development. We were fortunate to have board consultant Dr. Earhardt and Rock County Civic Academy manager director Richard Gruber provide Gruber provide valuable insight on governance, meeting procedures, and an overview of district departments. Thank you to Dr. Earhardt, Mr. Gruber, Dr. Milan, and Mrs. Schob for their contributions to this important work. Last Monday and yesterday, the board met to interview superintendent search firms. We interviewed four excellent firms and will make a decision later this month as to which organization the district will
012use to help guide us in this important work. Congratulations to Chris Barons and the Beloit Memorial Jazz Orchestra for another fabulous performance at Essentially Ellington National Competition. Several of our talented musicians won awards and recognitions for their performances. Thank you to all who contributed and participated in this showcase competition. The Pill Wiffers end-of-the-year event for staff and families will be held on Friday, May 29th at Krueger Haskell Golf Course. For more information, please contact James Hoey or Michelle Schob. This event is open to golfers of all skill levels. Join us for the camaraderie, regardless of your swing. Be sure to reserve reserve your spot for the second annual Academies of Beloit golfing outing on Thursday, June 11th at the Glen Erin Golf Club. Proceeds directly support student opportunities and enhance Academy experiences. Please contact Beloit
013Memorial High School Principal Emily Pells or Career Academy Coach Brian Michaels for detail. Board Secretary Schop is leading the development of the first school district of Beloit Board and Superintendent newsletter with the inauguration edition expected later this month. It will be available electronically and on the district website. The Beloit Memorial Class of 2026 graduation ceremony will be held 1 month from tomorrow. Board members, please plan to attend this important milestone for our students, staff, and families who have worked years towards this achievement. I would like to again express our deep appreciation to Mrs. Amy Leavy and to Mr. Brian Nichols for their years of dedicated service to the Board of Education. Tonight, we are pleased to welcome our new and returning board members. Bill Johnson brings valuable experience from his work with both the City
014of Beloit and the school district. His practical knowledge and perspective will serve the board well. He will serve on the Business Operations and Finance Committee as well as the Policy and Human Resources Committee. Dan Schopf brings a strong commitment to public education and a deep connection to the Beloit community. His professional background, including work at the state level and with Beloit College, strengthens the board's capacity. He will also serve on the Business Operations and Finance Committee and the Policy, Human and Human Resources Committee and has accepted the role of Legislative Liaison. We are pleased to welcome back Kirra Fox, who continues to bring extensive experience in educational leadership. She will serve as the chair of the Policy and Human Resources Committee and has been elected to serve as vice president of the board. We are
015fortunate to have continuing board members in key leadership roles. Joanne Rue will continue as chair of the Teaching Learning Equity and Pupil Services Committee. Megan Miller has been elected board clerk and will continue her work on the Teaching Learning Equity and Pupil Services Committee. Tom Hankins has been elected board treasurer for a second time and will con- and will third time and will continue as chair of the Business Operations and Finance Committee. He will also serve as the CESA 2 representative, WASB delegate, and the City of Beloit Parks and Recreation's Committee representative. Thank you to all board members for your continued dedication and service to the School District of Beloit. Together, we remain committed to strengthening our district and improving outcomes for every student. Looking ahead, we remain hopeful. Meaningful, sustainable progress takes time and
016perseverance. This work must carry forward from one board to the next, grounded in adherence to board policy and a shared focus on student success. While challenges remain, there are many bright spots across the district that reflect the hard work and commitment of our students, staff, and community. In closing, I want to again remind everyone that today is National Teacher Appreciation Day and this week is National Teacher Appreciation Week. I encourage all of us, students, families, staff, and community members to take a moment to recognize and thank the educators who make a difference in our schools every single day. Their dedication, compassion, and commitment to our students do not go unnoticed, and we are truly grateful for all that they do. That concludes my report. Thank you. Next, we have announcements and events. Usually, this would
017be read by the board clerk, and the new clerk being Megan Miller. However, she is with us virtually, so we will have Vice President Fox read the announcements. Uh thank you. Um and uh you kind of stole my thunder on a couple of these, so >> [laughter] >> Uh good evening. These are the announcements for Tuesday, April 21st, 2026. Um Beloit Memorial High School will probably celebrate its 2026 Hall of Fame recipient on Friday, May 8th at 1:00. This year's honoree is Tracy Piazza Saladar, a distinguished graduate from the class of 1992. Congratulations to Tracy. Thursday, May 14th, the high school choir will be having a concert from 6:00 to 7:00 at Beloit Memorial High School. Please join them for some beautiful music. The Academic All-Star Award Night is Wednesday, May 13th, beginning at 6:00
018p.m. A senior awards night is Wednesday, May 20th, also at 6:00 p.m. Both events are being held at Beloit Memorial High School, honoring a lot of our wonderful students. Friday, May 29th, is the annual Pill Whiffers Golf Outing with dinner. It's a fun event for district staff, including retired and spouses. Both experienced and brand new golfers, there will be a 4:30 shotgun start at Krueger Haskell Golf Course in Beloit. For more information or to sign up, contact James Hoey at his email or at Beloit Memorial High School. Um, save the date. The annual retirement party for district retirees will be Wednesday, June 3rd at 4:30 p.m. I have to get that on my calendar at Rotary Center. This is an open house event and more details are to come. Um, Thursday, June 11th, join the
019Beloit Memorial High School Academies on the greens of Glen Erin. Um, to register your golfing foursome or to sign up as a sponsor, contact Brian Michaels at the high school. Um, summer school registration is now open. Register using Skyward Family Access registration register early as space is limited. And then the meetings coming up and being held at the Colac Center include May 18th, uh, policy and HR meeting at 4:00. That's on Monday. And Tuesday, May 19th, the teaching, learning, and equity pupil services committee, um, meets at 5:00 followed by the regular board member board meeting at 6:00. Uh, this concludes the announcements for tonight. Thank you, Vice President Fox. Next, we have recognitions. Tonight, we would like to recognize the Quarter Century Club inductees. The board would like to recognize these staff members who were
020inducted into the Quarter Century Club this year on April 29th, 2026. The Quarter Century Club held a banquet in their honor with dinner, dessert, and entertainment in the induction ceremony. Dr. Malott. Sure, Ms. Johnson, don't forget the famous Fujikawa cake that we had as well. Yes. So, we recognized 20 people at our induction ceremony, which is one of the largest groups that we've had um the last 10 years. I hear it, right, Michelle? All right. So, we will recognize tonight Kate Barris, Eric Buchanan, Sarah Carey, Lisa Clark, Lisa Katherine, Brian Denew, Rochelle Elliott, Brooke Ferger, Julia Fleming, Amy Ginta, Carly Carla Hildebrandt, Julie Horvath, Mandy Kinsey, James Krajicek, Renee Murphy, Terry Ross, Amy Smith, Kim Stachowiak, Stephanie Stevens, and Joel Vrydachs. >> [applause] >> Two of them are here. I'm I'm sorry, what was that,
021Mrs. Shultz? We have two of them with us tonight. Mr. Vrydachs, who else is here tonight? Julie. Julie Horvath. [applause] Mrs. uh I just wanted to echo and say another thank you to these people. It's just amazing to to me 25 years when you think of uh what has happened since 20 2001 in this district, the number of superintendents, the closings of the schools, all of the different things that have happened, and we have 20 people still with us. I think that that says a lot about them. Um and hopefully it it um bodes well for the school district of Boyd. So, we appreciate everything you've done for the district over the the 25 years you've been here. Thank you very much. Thank you. Next on tonight's agenda is public comment. Mrs. Shultz, do we
022have any public comment in person or emails tonight? Yes, I have both. I have about five here in the room, and I have about three or four to read. Okay. Members of the public are welcome to attend all open meetings of the Board of Education. Individuals attending board meetings are expected to conduct themselves in a respectful and courteous manner that models appropriate behavior for our students. Individuals wishing to comment are expected to comply with the norms found on the back of your comment cards and in the board policy 187 public participation at board meetings. We ask that each of you contribute to maintaining a respectful and orderly meeting and prevent discussing confidential matters in a public forum by following these norms for public comments during board meetings. Thank you for your participation and courtesy. Mrs.
023Shaw. Our first person is Emily. Oh, that's a Oh, written business. Good. Okay. Hi, my name is Emily Fuentes and I've been the credit recovery GED option two teacher at Beloit Memorial High School for eight years. I've also been the JV2 or freshman girls volleyball coach for six seasons now. I'm incredibly concerned about the proposed reduction of freshman athletics. Currently, girls volleyball is one of our largest athletic programs and we typically have between 24 to 28 students that compete at the freshman level each season. Participation in the volleyball program at the start of ninth grade is crucial for our student athletes to develop a sense of community and purpose, which then guides them throughout their high school experience. In my capacity as a credit recovery GED option two teacher, I predominantly work with 11th and
02412th graders who have failed core graduation requirements and are often having to seek alternative options in an attempt to graduate on time with their class. More often than not, these students have no involvement in the extracurricular opportunities provided by Blaine Memorial High School. And year after year, I see how detrimental this lack of involvement can be and how easily students can feel untethered from our school community. Participation in extracurricular activities, whether it be athletics, music, art, theater, or the variety of clubs and organizations currently offered at BMHS, makes our students experience and is directly linked to their academic success and progress. Taking away this opportunity from arguably our most vulnerable students, incoming ninth graders who are making the transition from middle school to high school expectations, while also simultaneously discussing cut on cutting middle school
025athletics entirely, could hypothetically create a four-year void in their experience within the school district of Blaine. Um and I find that not only heartbreaking, but just truly completely unacceptable. Operating with only a JV and varsity team would kill our program and deprive our students of the necessary time and opportunity that is needed to properly develop their skills and talents. Without this foundational base, we would not have the ability to be successful or competitive at the JV or varsity level, especially given that every other school in the Southern Lakes Conference currently has a fully rostered freshman or JV2, JV, and varsity girls volleyball team. In fact, last fall at Blaine Memorial High School, we actually hosted the freshman conference tournament and experienced tremendous success. Um our families and students deserve more than this proposed reduction. Thank
026you so much for your time. Thank you, Emily. Mrs. Schopp. Next, I have Andrea. Hi, I'm Andrea Cleveland. And I'm speaking on the budget as well. It's impossible to read the budget reduction proposal and not see our educators, their families, the buildings that we own, our services that we need and want, and those we believe our children and community deserve. It is impossible to look at the sheet and not see the dollars and feel the weight of it. To you as the board making these decisions, we know it's not easy and I'm making I'm asking you to be creative in your approach to the budget. If we keep looking at our problems through the same lenses and using the same perspective, you are only going to see it the same way. You and we in
027this room and in our community will continue to miss two huge concepts, root cause and creative solutions. I'm not suggesting hiring a consulting firm or an a fancy organizational effective consultant. We don't need it. We do need to tap into our community and endeavor in the for the endeavor of root cause identification and creative solutions planning. It starts right here in this room with our with workshops and community building. A strong district helps itself and strong leadership provides every opportunity to do so. The fix our help comes from all of us for us. This is the work of our entire community, our boards from our past, our boards, past administrators from our past, and taking everything that we have learned and applying it to this problem right now. We need all hands on deck rather
028than late nights of you guys staying up trying to problem solve, heartburn, anxiety, and the writing and accepting of this district's obituary. Beloit can't afford it. We can't afford to fix it on our own. We can't afford to rely on you to do so all by yourselves and come to the the root cause and the creative fix alone. Creative solutions bring us all to the table, workshops in this room, the community, you, us, boards from the past, administrators from the past. Let's work together. Thank you, Andrea. Mrs. Shope. Next, I have James and Melissa. Sorry. Good evening, members of the school board. Uh happy Teacher's Appreciation Week. Uh happy Teacher's Appreciation to the teachers in this room, and happy Teacher Appreciation Week to the teachers watching at home. We are here tonight to speak about
029the proposed budget cuts that could potentially be voted on tonight. Those two things should never go together, Teacher Appreciation Week and budget cuts, but here we find ourselves once again. Uh as co-presidents of the BEA, the Beloit Education Association, we have many concerns regarding the list of proposed cuts for next year. We do realize that $4.5 million is a lot to cut, and we do not envy the position that you are in. School funding is broken in Wisconsin. Uh it's no surprise that 70 plus districts had referendum questions on the ballot last month. Many districts are in a similar situation as Beloit. However, there seem to be many proposed cuts that directly affect students and staff. We ask that before you make any decisions and vote about this budget, you get more clarification and ask
030more questions. What exactly are the 30 professional staff and 12 support staff positions that are being cut? And how will these affect class sizes? How will it affect class offerings? How will it affect student support? How many of these positions are currently vacant, and how many of them are currently filled? Did building building administrators have a say in which positions are being proposed to cut. The list is not very specific. We ask that the board think about your stated goal to attract and retain staff. We ask the board to use open money to cover any of the proposed cuts that take away from that goal, including longevity pay for staff who are dedicated to this district. Longevity pay is essential to so show staff who have dedicated who are dedicated to this district that they
031are valued. Is the proposal to totally eliminate longevity pay or to only stop additional staff from receiving this benefit? We don't believe either option should be used. Removing longevity pay for those already receiving it results in a major pay cut, even with the proposed CPI increase. Denying longevity pay to the handful of staff members who might become eligible next year is a slap in the face to those staff members who've been here for 9 years and now all of a sudden will not qualify. Beloit is a tough place to teach. Instead of finding ways to make this job easier, we continually find ways to make it more difficult for our staff. Eliminating longevity pay would do just that. Cuts to blue sheets are also concerning. If you're not familiar with blue sheets, when a staff
032member is out in my building, I may have to cover them during my prep. And so I fill out a blue sheet to be compensated at the high school and middle school level. At the elementary level, if a sub a teacher is gone and the sub is not available, those kids are split up among those three or four other classes and those teachers split that pay the sub would have received. Also at the elementary level when a specialist is out, the teachers keep those students during their prep that they normally would have. I think we can all agree that teachers never have enough time to get things done as it is. It would be extremely unfair to expect teachers not to be compensated for the prep time they lose. We also have concerns regarding regarding
033proposed cuts to some of the other employee groups. This includes proposed cuts to benefits for paraeducators and furloughs for year year-long employees. This group includes administrators and secretaries. Are the proposed furloughs for both of these groups week-long furloughs and furloughs during school closures would create a hardship for many secretaries. Many of them do not have the vacation time needed to cover all of these proposed closures. The BEA respectfully urges the school board to prioritize planning for the November referendum as a critical next step in addressing the district's ongoing financial challenges. A referendum provides our community with the opportunity to have a direct voice in shaping the future of our schools, students, and staff. We respectfully ask that you only make the necessary cuts for this year, the cuts that are furthest away from the classroom.
034Use OPED money to cover the remaining proposed cuts, and once the budget is passed, you can put your time and effort on crafting a referendum question for November. We understand that the focus has rightfully been on the current budget situation. However, the district has failed multiple referendums in a row. It seems like we continually try to pass the referendum, but then it's a scramble to put it together. November seems like a long way away, but it is going to come quickly, and a question has to be ready by August. Sorry, lost my spot. >> [laughter] >> We need to start on this immediately and lay out for the community exactly what we need, how much we need, why we need it, and what it will what will be cut in November if the referendum doesn't
035pass. These are all very difficult conversations to have, but we need to be transparent to families, staff, and the community. This year we need to cut $4.5 million. We absolute For next year, it is a projected 15 million without the approved referendum. This really is it. We absolutely need to pass the referendum. We are concerned about what the district is going to look like if we cannot explain to the community why a referendum is critical to the survival of this district. Thank you. Thank you, James and Melissa. Mrs. Schult? That's it for Excuse me. That's it for in the room. Now we have some emails to read. Thank you. The first one is from Nicole. Dear board member, superintendent, and community, my name is Nicole and I'm a counselor at Frewsburg. I love my job.
036I love my students and this community. Yesterday, the proposed budget document was posted on BoardDocs from the administration team at COLA I was disappointed to see the lack of clarity regarding their plan. I am aware that we will be getting an explanation regarding it tonight. However, I think it's unfair to the community and SDB staff not to have the specific positions listed. Posting things this way causes a lot of confusion, stress, and frustration. Are these positions a mix of those that are currently unfilled, retirements, and currently staffed positions? One thing that I did notice right away was the lack of cuts or merging of positions at COLA. We are always talking about our numbers going down for student enrollment, but we still have many positions at COLA that are making six figures. I hate to
037see anyone lose their job, but we have to start we have to be smart about these cuts. Are any positions able to be combined? Most of the staff at COLA have little direct contact with students. 45.5 positions, that is what they are looking to cut from our schools. Those are positions that work directly with our students in our buildings and in our school Excuse me. With our students in our building and in our school buildings. Another topic that has been discussed but not listed on the proposal is technology. I know they have talked about having classroom Chromebook sets at the middle school and elementary school. I think that would be a way to save some money. We have students that have gotten multiple Chromebooks due to losing them or not taking care of them. Keeping
038them at school would save a significant amount of money that we use to fix damaged Chromebooks. The majority of the staff that I have talked to would definitely support this as well. I am hopeful that the explanation that goes with the presentation tonight will be more transparent. How do we expect to ever pass a referendum if we're not completely transparent and honest with our community about these huge decisions for our school district? Thank you for your time and I'm looking forward to hearing the presentation tonight on the budget. The next one is from Chad. I apologize that I cannot be there in person, but I wanted to share a few concerns regarding the proposed cuts outlined in board docs. I'm a 23-year veteran teacher at BMHS and during the time I have faced many challenges.
039What has kept me here is simple. I truly value working with the students and staff in this district. While occasional recognition is appreciated, longevity pay is one of the few meaningful ways the district demonstrates appreciation for sustained commitment. If it is tangible acknowledgement of the years we are invested in our students and community, it is the tangible. The timing of the discussion during teacher appreciation week is difficult to ignore. I also understand that teacher retention is a stated priority for the board. Eliminating longevity pay does not align with that goal. In fact, it sends the opposite message to those who have chosen to stay and continue serving this district year after year. Thank you for your time and consideration. I have said this in every communication I have sent to the board in the past.
040You have an almost impossible job and I want you to know I appreciate your support for the families and staff here in Beloit. Kindest regards, Chad. The last one I have is uh from Jessica. Good evening. My name is Jessica and I'm the girls varsity volleyball coach at Beloit Memorial High School. I have been a part of this program for four seasons and will be starting my fifth season, second season as head coach in the fall. I am writing on the suggestion to eliminate freshman athletic teams and condense them into our JV teams. Freshman teams for any sport create the foundation of a strong program. There This is where athletes learn how the program works, learn how to follow expectations, and decide whether or not they plan to stick with the sport or try something
041else. If that is taken away from athletes, not only does it reduce the number of athletes in a program. For volleyball specifically, that number would nearly cut in half. But the competitive level that our varsity teams can compete at is also limited. This this isn't This decision to cut freshman teams is bigger than sports or money. Getting our students into the gym gives students a safe place to go, a place where they belong. Positive connections with peers and coaches provides needed structure and a reason to perform well in their academics. In my program, we teach athletes more than just the rules of the game. We stand on strong work ethic, teamwork, accountability, and bettering the person we were yesterday. I believe there are several other sports that can say the same about the foundation of
042their own program, and I cannot imagine not offering these rich experiences to our freshman athletes. I understand this district is under a lot of pressure to make difficult decisions regarding the deficit of our district. I believe eliminating freshman sports is detrimental to our students and our community. This decision will only create more issues for SDB down the line. I am strongly encouraging the board to consider other options before going in this direction. Jessica. That's all I have. Thank you, Mrs. Schock. Next on tonight's agenda, we've got the superintendent report, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, Dr. Gordon Mallett. Thank you, President Johnson. You stole a lot of what I was going to say in your president report, so thank you very much for for thanking our teachers for their appreciate and being appreciative of the
043teachers during teacher appreciation week this week and for talking about our wonderful dinner that we had last week for our quarter century inductees. Thank you very much. So again, we we do want to appreciate our teachers. We're deeply grateful for the dedication and care and professionalism our teachers and staff bring every day to the school district of Beloit. Um their work clearly shapes our students and um fosters their learning and curiosity and build a stronger community together. And so while we are in this very difficult time, we do greatly appreciate all you do and we wouldn't be our school district without our our group of teachers. So that is very important. Um on another positive note, five of our six elementary schools applied for a DPI grant to fund an additional 0.5 or 1.0 literacy
044literacy coach. Um statewide only 34 coaches were allocated. Beloit is fortunate that three schools were selected. Gaston and Robinson will each receive a 0.5 FTE coach and Todd will receive a 1.0 FTE coach. While there are very specific requirements on how these positions may be used, this is an important boost for our early literacy efforts in the elementary world. Um in the upcoming weeks, Mr. Stenroos, Mrs. McAllister, and Mr. Weir will be visiting um two different alternative education sites as they continue to explore the planning for an elementary alternative learning program. And as we know, tonight the board will be reviewing possible budget reduction options and these are suggestions for consideration, not final decisions. Unfortunately, the significant cuts are likely needed for the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 school years. These budget decisions are very difficult and
045every reduction will have an impact on students as well as staff. In full transparency, we recognize these challenges and the uncertainty they create for our district. Um, thank you for your continued commitment and for supporting our students and each other during this important time. Thank you, Dr. Mallett. Next, we have the Business Operations and Finance Committee Report, Chair Tom Hankins. Thank you, Board President. Uh, we had a very good meeting this afternoon at 5:00 and uh discussed the financials from March and I think everything was kind of in order. There was no big questions about where we were financially. There was no big hiccups or uh, we just presented them to the board tonight for approval. Uh, we had a a good uh, presentation from Chartwells on our food service program within the district. They
046are in year four of a five-year contract, so uh, Sarah went through where they're at, what they're doing, and how they're going to get better. And I think we had a nice discussion on where that was going and uh, to me and and the committee members, I thought we had good thumbs up that it was progressing in the right direction. We also had our Medicaid billing software present presentation from uh, Michelle Porbilius and uh, which led to more questions and at the time you know, it's it's a big it's a big it's a big decision on, you know, to switch what we're doing with Medicaid billing and it's a big uh, financial decision, so as committee chair, we are going to do a hold a special meeting of our committee to do a deep dive
047into the three options and uh, come out with the on the end result and present this to the board in two weeks. And that was our meeting for tonight, which was very good. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Hankins. Next, we have policy and human resources committee report, chair Carol Fox. Thank you. Um we met yesterday um and it is a brand new committee configuration, so um Bill Johnson and Dan Shuford on the committee with me, and Dan is now the vice chair. So, we met yesterday to look at the work that had been previously done on the field trip um policy revisions. And we looked at those revisions and made a few more suggestions and um Eric continued to work on the draft for this field trip policy. Um our next step, we asked that
048the administration share the draft policy with principals and staff um to review this policy and see if there any issues or concerns with it um that we we may not see um before we revise it further and move it on to to the full board. Um there's also going to be some uh work by the administration on some forms and some other things that need to go along with the policy, so um that that's where we are today. Thank you, Carol Fox. Next on tonight's agenda, board action and discussion items, our first item is a proposed board meeting change. The purpose of this um looking at ways we can all become more efficient and effective in our work, I was looking at how our meetings are structured, the number of meetings we're having, and quite
049honestly, the amount of time that we're all putting into meetings, particularly our um administrative staff that are here when they could be somewhere else doing something more productive rather than sitting in one more meeting. Um and the discussing with um Dr. Malott, uh Vice President Fox, and uh board secretary Michelle Schop came up with a couple um different suggestions. Um so the purpose of this tonight is to pilot a change in the board meetings and committee meetings and structure beginning in June 2026 through August of 2026 with reevaluation at the board business meeting in August to determine if the board wants to continue with a pilot schedule. The pilot would have the policy committee only meet on the first Monday of the month at 4:00 p.m. On the first Tuesday of the month, the business
050and operations and finance committee and um oh, and we can potentially take HR out of policy and move it to business and operations. This recommendation was proposed because since we've put HR into policy, more emphasis has been on HR and less on policy where the policy is kind of um falling through the cracks. Um human resources, the reason that we looked at it to align with the business and operations and finance committee and and I talked to Chairman Hankins who agrees and understands that and appreciates this is so much of our budget aligns with human resources. Um 80% or or something to that effect, some 70 and 80% of our budget is human resources. Um this way all of the So, having all of the committee meetings on the first Monday and Tuesday of the
051uh month would get the committee work out of the way and that would give the board uh and um staff, if staff members have questions, concerns that they want to reach out to administrators or board members, give everybody 2 weeks to reflect on that committee work before it comes to the board. Then on the third Tuesday of the month, the regular board business meeting um could begin at 5:00 um or possibly 6:00 and would be much the same as it is now. One recommendation was to have it begin at 5:00 and have our closed session items be from 5:00 to 6:00, then come out at 6:00 and go into regular open session as we such as we did tonight. I mean, we didn't have closed session, but we start our meetings at 6:00. And that
052that would just for most people, the effect would be negligible except for now we're just having one primary board business meeting a month. Another option could be to schedule the closed session meetings at the end of the meeting um what the reason why I um was thinking more at the beginning, again, looking at the administrators' time. Not all of our closed session items involves all of the administrators and so if they can if we can get that done and out of the way, they're free to leave then after that um closed session item. In August at the board business meeting, the board would evaluate how this pilot change was working and determine whether to continue, tweak, modify, or reschedule, or resort to the old way of doing it. It would be highly recommended that all
053members attend committee meetings to hear the information and ask questions. Um recommended, but not certainly not required, just as it is now. All All board members are welcome to attend committee meetings and and I do encourage that. Um it's easier sometimes to hear the um meetings rather than read it read the information online. The business meeting would then be more efficient having all eques- questions answered at the committee level, or if additional information was requested by board members, the information could be gathered and presented in the packet for the business meeting. During committee meetings, committee members only vote on the commit- committee agenda items. So, that would stay the same. That's There's um The intent is to reduce the length of meetings, the number of monthly meetings, and to make the meetings more productive and
054efficient. Administration will bring as much information forward as possible and as requested by the board members to the committee meetings to prepare board members for a discussion. Current policies would need to be suspended to do the pilot for a few months. If the board would likes the new schedules, the policies could be updated to match the new schedule, and then brought forward for action, so they are no longer suspended. I will open the floor up for discussion and um recommendations. Mr. Hankins? Yes, and just reflecting back on uh as Dr. Garrison called them, cadence changes that we did since in my first 2 years on here, and uh we moved HR into policy and now we're moving it back out and I'm this is a question I guess for Didi and there was a concern
055you know, because HR needs to have direction on approval of hires or disapproval and if we move them into one meeting, does that hamper the ability to hire and make these changes? I just want to make sure that we're not hampering that effort and if again, there was a reason why we went to policy which met on Mondays so then we could digest it and vote it in on Tuesday. There was a reason for that and I just want to make sure that we've thought about this all the way through that if we just move in into BOF and then we do it at at a at a Tuesday meeting or Monday or Tuesday meeting at 4:00 or 5:00 we're going to vote on it at 6:00. I just want to make sure that we're
056all on board that you know, this is going to work productively and I understand it's a pilot. So that's my question. And that is a very good question board member Hankins. In having discussions with Dr. Malott and other members of the board as well as long as we have the ability to once they fulfilled all of their pre-employment requirements, if we need them in the classroom, they would be contingent hires based on pending board approval. We should not run into any delays. So as long as that is in place and now we commonly have only done that during the summer when we have new hires that we want to put through the training at the beginning of the school year. So as long as we can try it out that way, I don't anticipate an
057issue and I think it will certainly allow us to have a healthier discussion about candidates. As you can see from tonight's agenda, we don't have any new hires to present. And so, I am very open to that option and see how that works out. I appreciate that. I just want to make sure cuz I know Dr. Anderson is is big proponent of making it easier for new hires to get on board. And I don't know if this is going to help or not help. Thank you, Tom. Thank you. Vice President Fox. Um Okay, I want to back up a little bit cuz you you kind of skipped over the fact that the the TLE committee will also be on that first Tuesday. So, there'll be two committee meetings back-to-back, which which means most of the
058board members would need to be at the these meetings anyway. I think if we're going to move forward with this, we kind of need to have a commitment from the board members that they will all try to attend as possible cuz the whole point of this is so that everybody has all the information that they need so that we can make good decisions. And so, if we don't show up for the meetings, then then that's not going to work too well. So, that's my first point. Second point is I think as if we get into the habit of everybody showing up, we would have a quorum and if we needed to we could be flexible with some things like the HR thing and if we needed to pass that forward, we probably could. Um as
059long as we posted it and did all that stuff correctly. But, I think some of that stuff can be tweaked, especially things that happen over and over and over again. If we have enough if the board commits to to coming to those Tuesday meetings, I think that that will be very helpful. Again, the idea is is we want to be able to make better decisions when we come to the business meetings. So we need to have time to discuss and learn about what we are making the decisions about so that when we go to the business meetings then it can flow more readily and more quickly. So um yeah. Thank you Vice President Fox. Megan Miller Hi. Yeah, so similarly, I know I shared a document I wasn't able to obviously come this evening or
060print it or anything, but I did share a view only document with folks earlier with some thoughts, but you know, hearing more of the discussion tonight I'm kind of tweaking my my thinking a little bit. I want to Oops, I'm trying to put the hand down and I think I messed up. Sorry about that. Anyway, so I want to build off of what Ms. Fox said. I like the idea of leaving ourselves open to have you know, like you said we're likely to quorum. If we were to post I know sometimes there are hiring decisions that need to be made. One of seven I am 100% open to the possibility of having just like a full board let's approve HR if needed as an option. So I just wanted to kind of put that into
061the conversation. I think that's a great idea. Um I want to sort of capture something that's come up. It It kind of came up after folks were reporting out after the WASB convention. I really appreciated as a board member when we were intentional about scheduling board development time and time to check in with our with our administration specifically our superintendent. Um Often times a lot of the stuff gets put on the back burner or we're trying to have like an evaluation discussion at like 11:30 at night and then it's not very productive. And since like our primary role is to supervise our one employee and you know, guide the district. I think it would be really cool if we could work into this and I and I'm open and flexible on how we'd like to
062do that. Um maybe taking advantage of this this kind of first Tuesday committee meeting piece or maybe it's the third one to schedule regular board development {slash} check-ins with the administration. So, in the past, it was like I can't remember which it was. It was like even-numbered months we did the one like we did some PD around coherent government model. The odd months was the check-in or etc. I don't even know if we need to do it that frequently and I'm not committed. I guess like my purpose in commenting on this is one because I want to make sure that we're intentional about prioritizing those two pieces. So, I think it'll really help the district and us. The other thing I want to put in that I had shared earlier is that I think it
063was really helpful and it does also kind of came up in that January discussion when we had like information-only committee meetings. And then we'd have like four weeks. So, if somebody's not there or whatever, you know, and I and I appreciate us all trying to be there, but you know, things happen. Um it gives us four full weeks to not only do our own homework and engage meaningfully about issues. It also allows our community members uh to ask questions, to get information. It could help curtail a lot of confusion and frustration and we've heard time and again from the community they feel like, oh, like where did this come from? We didn't hear about it. Like this can help facilitate that communication, help us bring people in um to some of this decision-making and clarify
064things at a time when communication is arguably more important than ever. So, in conclusion, I really like the thinking on this. I really appreciate all the work that went into this and I am fully in support of piloting. I just want to make sure that we don't lose uh you know, the focus on allowing ourselves professional development, meaningfully checking in with our administration at like not 11:30 at night, and considering that let things come to committee twice outside of extenuating circumstances. Thank you. Dan Schuf. Uh thank you, Madam Chair. Uh this is my first official time speaking, so I'll take a quick point of personal privilege to say it's an honor to be here on this board. Um my kids are purple knights, and my grandfather was a principal at Strong and and Royce, so
065uh maybe this makes me a purple knight, too. I don't know if I'd get a ruling on that. Um so on the the meetings I I I know there's going to be a lot going on this summer, and I think this schedule as it's been explained to me, I certainly didn't experience the old schedule, but this will allow um uh the board to collaborate. We'll have the separate committee meetings, but we'll all be in attendance generally, and we'll all be able to um hear what's going on, what's moving through committee. I know in a well-functioning board, uh there'll be a time where, you know, if a committee takes something up and it's um been reviewed, generally that's everyone's comfortable with it, but there's been, you know, turnover uh in administration, and uh this board has
066been in sort of a board development um positively, and I think this would be a really good um schedule for us, and what I'll I'll note that it'll be piloted the same time that we'll be discussing both this budget, next budget, possible referendums with community members, so I think it'll it'll sync well with that process, and I'm fully supportive of the things Megan and and Carol has mentioned about having some flexibility and having the right notice put in place. So, if we needed to keep HR stuff moving along. So, thank you. Thank you, Dan Shuf. Jo Andrew. Uh yes, thank you. Um all right, so uh I'm I love the idea and um Miss Fox here statement, yes, I would absolutely be at all of those cuz it makes sense, right? And it's a little
067it actually means more less meetings that rather than more meetings. So, that's a good thing, too. Um I am an optimist. Um having said that, we've had a lot of closed sessions as a board lately. So, um 1 hour a month doesn't seem like it I I I would love that, but um where else would we build that in if if we needed it? That's a wonderful question, Jo Ann, and my recommendation is that what we would do in closed session, if we had to and depending on what it is and closed sessions um typically um are items specific to an employee or an expulsion hearing. What we could do is um pause the um closed session, go into open session, and then resume once we were done with the open session work. I I
068really like having the 6:00 start time for our public and would like to uh commit to that my when when the suggest excuse me, when the suggestion of having closed session first was proposed, I was a little bit against it because I know sometimes we go a little bit long in closed session, and we like we do like to be thorough about what we're doing. Um in terms of board development, um none changing these schedules has nothing to do with board development. I encourage all board members to utilize WASB and all of the resources we have available to us to pursue board development. This summer we potentially will have a lot of meetings. This board has to be ready to do the serious work of this district. We are looking at hiring a new superintendent.
069That's going to involve meetings with the search firm. It's going to involve meetings with the community. It's going to involve meetings with different organizations, agencies, staff, families. We may have a referendum in November. If we go to referendum, it's all hands on deck and all board members are going to have to be ready to put in a lot of hours and more meeting times, not board meetings, but perhaps going out and talking to um groups um that want information about what the referendum is about. Last year we attended um the hospital, the GBDEC, the several different organizations requested more information on what the referendum was about. Board members um attended those and we will need to to do so again this year. It's again, it's not that I am trying to minimize the importance of
070the board development. I think we need to prioritize and as individuals take on some responsibility outside of board time and staff time. Mr. Shoof, your hand is up. Do you have another comment? >> No. Okay. Don't know how to turn put it down. I'm new. >> okay. If you if you click the little hand that the same the same way you put it up it will take it down. Okay. >> [gasps] >> Tom or Bill? You're Okay. Mrs. Vice President Fox. Yeah, you said some of the things that I was going to say of you know, I think with this process will give us a little more flexibility to have other special meetings and do other things if we get this cadence going so that because we'll we'll have less meetings which will give us
071more time to have more meetings. >> [laughter] >> The other thing with piloting in the summer I think that may make a difference. I mean it'll give us a a taste of it but you know, especially you know, close sessions and things probably occur more in during the school year than in the summer but you know, I think for the summer I think we should could be able to put close sessions starting at 5 and and try that and see how that works um and then we may have to tweak it when the school school year starts but I I think it is it's definitely workable. Are there any other questions Mr. Hankins? I guess I do have a couple comments. Number one um I don't like time restrictions putting an hour to this or
072an hour to that. There are many times and I know that the board got a bad rap for having long meetings but there are times that we needed to sit there in close session I'm talking about mostly and deliberate and talk and I know it was 11:00 at night and stuff but there are times when I don't want that everyone to be looking at their at their watch and saying oh and we have to make a decision at this time. Secondly, I remember when we went through the cadence change with Dr. Garrison and this is supposed to be a pilot then and I don't ever my recollection is we didn't review it. I could be very wrong on that, but if this is a pilot program, I just want to make sure that we do
073review it, this board reviews it in August like it's stating and then we weigh in and then keep it going or amend it modify whatever. I just those are my two comments. Thank you. Thank you, Tom. Actually, we did come back as a board and discuss whether or not it was working for us and and voted on going back to the other model which is what we have now and often is clumsy. I hear a lot of concerns about um information coming to the committee not having time to digest it then going to the board. Part part of that is our meeting structure and and part of that um it is chairs having to say and perhaps be a little firm with um administrators and people doing presentations. You're not on the agenda until the
074presentation is ready. You're you're you're not we're not going to have this discussion and we want it on such a date and holding firm to that date. It's it's not you know, changes are not always easy or comfortable, but I do believe that working together and collaboratively, we will be in a better spot um and more effective and efficient. I totally agree and I think the key was in going back to what you said earlier and uh the key is attendance at uh committee work is where the work is done and it's it hasn't always been that way and a lot of the committee work doesn't get expounded into the board meeting and it gets repeated at the board level, but I I know that Dan Shuf has been involved in a lot of stuff
075at state level, and committee work is where the work is done, and it should be just a matter of efficiency on whether approving and not re-hatching the same old thing again. So, I I think this will be a immediate change for the better in board efficiency. Thank you, and I appreciate what we're doing. Thank you. And and again, it's it's it's a matter of we are going to have to start planning ahead as as Ms. Miller had mentioned, you know, it would be nice to have information a month ahead to have time to do the homework and whatnot. And sometimes when things come to the board or to a committee, one committee will have questions about it and think that it should go to the board, but other people might think, "No, it go also
076belongs in another committee." And it seems like some of the items are hot potatoes, and they're not it's not that we don't want to address them, it's just that we all have different questions and want to make certain that we thoroughly understand what we're voting on. When things come to the board in a rushed manner, um and we don't have as much information as we would like, boards can't make good decisions. And um our district really deserves better than than what we've been doing, and I know we can do better. Ms. Miller. Thank you so much. Um this is going to sound like I'm saying something up as opposed to what you just said, but I actually wholeheartedly agree with everything that uh Tom and Board President Johnson that you just said. So, I guess
077I want to just clarify. Um I do think, as I'm thinking about this more, it's absolutely worth trying out you know, the first and third, maybe that 2 weeks is enough time. I would ask, you know, my colleagues here to to think about and be reflective on do we like the the first meeting committee thing and then are we ready to vote by the third meeting or do we like maybe you want to try waiting that month. Maybe it depends, I don't know. I just think that that's something that needs to be kind of flushed out a little bit. Um the other thing is I think it's a both and. Um I I am so empathetic to what you were describing when you talked about I know we have like such a such a mountain
078ahead of us to climb in terms of the work that we have and and and it's serious. It's serious work. It's going to require a serious commitment. 100%. I think it might be wise as we're having these discussions about like the budget and prioritizing, you know, the referendum just like you know, we heard the comments earlier from the BEA. It might be wise for us to think about how can we best build our own capacity and functionality as a board to most efficiently and effectively handle this work in front of us. Perhaps by taking a look at things that are already scheduled whether it's through policy or or other, you know, through charter or whatever it is. Um and I and I don't like I said, I don't think it needs to be like every
079other month kind of thing. We were in a very different place when we were doing that. I I guess I just I feel like it can be a both and and it's something that I'd like us to think about um this year especially because we are a young board. Um so I guess that's I guess that's my perspective on it. I'm really liking what I'm hearing and again, I really appreciate um you bringing this forward as an agenda item and having the opportunity to hear from everybody. Yes, please. Um I move approval of suspending board policy 185 standing board committees 185.1 business operation and the committee 185.2 teaching learning and equity and pupil services and 185.4, policy and human resources to pilot a change in the board meeting schedule as discussed. Is there a second?
080I'll second. Motion by Carol Fox, seconded by Joanne Rue. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor. I. I. I. I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries unanimously. Our next agenda item is the budget proposal. Budgets for school districts reflect our priorities and what uh what items are important to us as a board, a district and a community. Uh the board is hired by the community to represent and do and make the best decisions we possibly can in spending the taxpayers' dollars. It's been an honor to serve as board president and I was so privileged to be reelected. I was really hoping that in the two years that I had served that we would have progressed further than what we have academically. Our community can do better. Our students can do better. We can all do better.
081It's hard. I know it is, but we have so much to give and do and um this has been very painful and we've gotten a lot of emails, a lot of comments. Budgeting is really difficult. As board members, we're not the professionals in education. Our administrators are. It's the administrators' role to look at the budget, to look at what they have, where the district where the board says, "Hey, we want you to go in this direction. These are our goals. These are the priorities for the district. How can we achieve that with the money that you're saying we can spend?" And then they would bring those recommendations to the board. It seems like over the past several years this process has gotten kind of muddled. And when I say muddled, the lanes and roles have
082been muddled. The priorities have been muddled. We need to really be clear that when this board says, "We want to cut least from the classrooms and what's happening in terms of our academic achievement." We need to be very serious about that. And it's taking a long time and a long process. And we keep um you know, coming up with different suggestions and recommendations. I said it pre- previously and I'll say it again. Everyone is valuable. And every position is essential to at least one person. And that makes it very difficult for us when we're having to make these decisions. Um I'm I am going to request the public's and the staff members' patience. I understand this is very frustrating for you. Um I appreciate the desire of the administration to not want to list specific
083positions for fear of people um being overly worried about their the security of their jobs before the board votes on something. So if if the board if they were to list these out individually and then the board said, "No, we don't want to make those cuts." That means that's going to be a weekend or two of somebody having heartburn thinking they're going to lose their jobs. On the other hand, this is how many years in a row we've been having to make cuts? Every position in the School District of Beloit is something that we're looking at. Everything in the School District of Beloit is something we're looking at. We know we're looking at Okay, we're going to have to start bringing in as board members we're we're changing our board uh cadence. Uh we're changing
084you know, no more soda for us. Hey, you know, it's nice to have >> [laughter] >> you know, come in and be greeted with a soda, but well, you know, hey, reusable water bottles, that's what we're going to have to do. And I appreciate you guys um everything you do and really appreciate your patience with us. So, the purpose of this tonight is to share with board members the proposed budget reductions that administration has put together um for the 5.4, but now it's up to actually five because of the change in the transportation. And um I will ask um Director Elwood about the cost in fuel as well. The administration is looking for feedback from board members at this time. The proposal does not take into account any OPEB or fund balance um funds. Dr.
085Milott? Thank you for um your words, President Johnson. Um good evening again. I'm here with our district leadership team to discuss a very difficult, but necessary roadmap for our district. We are here to present a 4.6 million-dollar budget reduction proposal for the 2026-27 school year. This isn't just about balancing a ledger. It's about making proactive choices now so we can protect the quality of education in Beloit for years to come. Our goal is to be completely transparent about why these cuts are needed and the values we use to decide where they should fall. Um our financial challenge To understand our proposal, we have to look at the why. Without going to a referendum for additional funding, we are currently facing a $4.5 million shortfall for the next school year. And if we don't change our
086trajectory, that gap is projected to go to a $14.1 million for shortfall by the following year. And actually as um President Johnson mentioned, it is now $5 million shortfall because of transportation. Several external factors are creating this pressure. We're anticipating a decline of 200 students next year, which directly impacts our funding. At the same time, costs we cannot control are rising, specifically health insurance and a staggering $8 million projected increase in required payments to independent charter schools by 2027. We simply cannot continue to spend at current levels where our revenue limits and enrollment are shifting. We did not make these decisions in a vacuum. This past April, nearly 300 of our staff members shared their priorities through a budget survey. Their feedback, along with a review of enrollment trends, conversations with building principals, and the
087review of policy 343.2, which guide course offerings and class sizes, became our North Star. Our staff told us above all else to protect the classroom. They asked us to keep class sizes manageable and to preserve the mental health and special education services for our most vulnerable students and what they depend on. When it came time to making cuts, the message was equally clear. Reduce administrative costs, cut non-essential spending like travel and materials, and since approximately 70% of our budget is related to staffing, eliminate vacant positions before we ever consider laying off current staff. Based on that feedback, our proposal focuses on staffing through attrition. By not filling vacancies when people leave or retire, we are proposing a reduction of 45.5 full-time positions without the immediate need for wide-spread layoffs. It is important to note that
088reduction by attrition does not equate to unplanned cuts. Essentially, we are repurposing existing staff and FTEs to meet the current and future needs of the district. We are also looking at operations and extracurriculars. This includes a 10% reduction in building budgets, ending transportation for summer school, and making the difficult choice to reduce middle school and freshman athletics. In technology, we are moving away from the expensive one-to-one Chromebook model, which is becoming unsustainable to maintain, and transitioning back towards shared classroom sets. Finally, we are asking our year-round administration to take furlough days to help bridge the gap. None of these choices are easy. We know that things like athletics and summer school transportation matter to our families. However, these steps are designed to prevent a cycle of cuts that could drive more families away. Waiting for
089board approval on proposed reductions further delays our hiring timeline and will impact our ability to fully staff prior to the start of the school year. We also request that the board trust the administration to work through the details of these staffing reductions so we can move forward in a timely and effective manner. By acting now, we are retaining our highly effective educators and ensuring that our core academic programs remain strong. We are committed to navigating this challenge together to keep the School District of Beloit a place where students can thrive. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Director Elwood, did you have any Were you going to add anything? Thank you. I just wanted to reiterate what Dr. Malat has >> [clears throat] >> Excuse me, has stated that the financial situation of the district
090is is in a dire straits. This This coming school year is not the worst of it. The worst of it will be in 2027-2028. So, in order to prepare for 2027-2028, we need to make these cuts this year. Moving forward, we've also been talking about um the request from the board to form a committee to look and review future cuts and future reorganization. Um we will start talking about um the development of that committee and the timeline for that committee tomorrow during our um admin team meeting. Thank you, Director Elwood. Do any Oh, I see board members already have questions. Mr. Shoof. Uh thank you. Um uh thank you, Stephanie. Thank you, Leah. Um so as we look and as we talk about this budget um as Dr. Anderson talked about uh early in the
091spring that this is really a tale of two budgets. So, my request as a new board member is as we go through this process that we see the scenarios that puts us in a in a growth mindset. I'd like to see what it would take for us to this community to have a district that we um has stability and then prepares ourselves for growth. So, what I'm looking for is uh when we go through budget scenarios in the future and over the next number of weeks for this budget, the next budget, and possible referendum that we're looking at, you know, what I would imagine would be six thriving elementary schools, two thriving intermediate junior highs, um the best high school in the state, and a learning academy. Um I'd like to know what that would
092take for us to to do that. You know, um we had the enrollment trend report from a few years ago. Um and it mentions schools across the state and across the country since the advent of open enrollment, public school open enrollment, not to mention charter and private school choice, have had to turn, you know, have had to sell themselves. You know, we need to we need to have a sales department and enrollment uh team that's tied to a marketing team that's telling families uh in town, nearby, or moving to town that we have this incredible district and it's the best it could be the best solution for your for your children. So, um there's lots of times for for this budget process. We're not going to make decis- decisions tonight. Um uh the board chair
093uh assured us of that. So, I really appreciate the information so far, and as we add to it through this process, through this budget, next budget, referendum, and so on. Um those that's a scenario that I'd like to make sure that we have clearly what would it take to get to a stability for this district and prepare us for growth. Thank you. Thank you, Dan. Joanne Rue. Yes, thank you. Uh so, in looking at the budget, um we talked about reducing travel expenses and conferences, things like that. Um I don't see that listed in here. So, like was that something that was considered or are we still looking at those things to figure that part out? So, the way I'm going back to our presentation that was last month, I believe. Um the professional development
094and the travel, most of our travel is through grant funded. Um there is some local travel, but most of that local travel is teachers traveling between buildings. So, we we did talk about those, but it's it's a very small piece of the larger And then um like um just looking through our budgets every month. There's I mean, like every little bit is part of it at this point. And so, um like like at the board's food, like yes, absolutely. Like we can pack our own stuff and all of that. Um the part that I really um feel strongly about is our teaching staff. You know, like um when you hire a teacher that's been teaching um for 1 year versus a teacher that has 20 years of experience, it's a very different skill set that
095they bring. And we talk about retaining our quality staff, and so I think longevity pay is there for a reason. They're not moving over and and up anymore. And so, we need to do something in order to retain these people with toolboxes that are deeper than than most have. And you can't just create someone with that kind of skill set. They It It happens over decades of experience. And so, I think OPEB still it needs to be something that we really consider. I think OPEB absolutely makes sense for our our people that we're paying with um for longevity. They're the same people that were around when the OPEB stuff was all happening back in the days. And then the other thing, the blue sheets, we're there's a reason why we started implementing blue sheets. Uh
096we are asking teachers to have no preps many times, and I remember teaching 40 kindergarteners in my classroom, and boy, that blue sheet, it made it okay sometimes, but not all the time. And so, we have to take care of our teachers. We have to take care of our teachers. And and those are not places where we can make cuts, in my opinion. Thank you. Thank you, Mrs. Rue. Would it be possible to get a brief report of blue sheets and what each building is paying or what each building has paid on average um in blue sheets or or or somehow figure out a per capita. I um I know that oops. Um you know, we do we do want to compensate staff that step up during their prep times to cover those classes, but
097is there a way to make it again, more efficient where um you know, you know, if if if one building has significantly fewer blue sheets than another building, what is the other building the first building doing? You know, um you know, there's what can we do? Thanks. And then Oh, did you want to respond? Yes, I'm sorry. So, the amount of the blue sheets that is listed on here is $200,000. The proposal was just to reduce it somewhat through the items that you were speaking about, reviewing blue sheets and how they're used and how that time is used for each for each building. And yes, we do have that data by person, by by building, yes. Wonderful. Can I ask are our blue sheets a flat rate or is it a is it you know,
098is it like time and a half of the employees regular salary? It is not a flat rate. It is based on their their salary. Their daily rate. On on their Okay. It was It was a day rate, right? Well, at the elementary level when they split So, every classroom teacher at the elementary level is paid the same amount, no matter if they're first year teacher or it's it's what they would have paid the sub. So, it's not it's it's not saving us money cuz it's money we should have spent on a sub. So, I think we're talking about two different things. So, those are the elementaries when they're taking a whole classroom of kids and splitting it amongst many teachers because the teacher is out and needed a sub. You're correct. But, the blue sheets
099I think are mostly for people giving up their prep time. That's different. That's one class that the teacher is giving up because they would normally use that time to prep for their day. Thank you. So, it it sounds like with the exception of the elementary schools, um we have we're we're paying our teachers to be substitute teachers at a rate much higher than we what we would potentially be paying substitute teachers. If they're covering a prep. Do you how do we compare to other regional schools in terms of sub pay and I I know I know there's not enough people to do all of the work in terms of education and that it's a really competitive field right now, but what can we do to recruit and attract subs? Pay. >> [laughter] >> So we
100did recently increase the rate of pay for substitute teachers. I'm not sure how much that has increased our recruitment process. We would have to look into that. And the same with the rate of pay for the prep time payments. We would need to look at other school districts to get that data back for you. Okay, thank you. Megan Miller. Thank you so much. All right, a couple of things. And I'm actually I'm going to reverse my order now because it's timely. As you're talking about subs and all the things. A teacher had reached out with a suggestion and I was kind of sitting on it because I was going to talk to Dr. Anderson and he was back, but at the high school one suggestion was made to for scheduling put flex time at the
101end of the day to create like a fleet of subs was like kind of the terminology. So I mean I think like that is one suggestion that kind of like taps into it. One of the public comments talked about being creative in our thinking. I'm just you know, this is a discussion for another day, but I mean maybe in the next iteration of this proposal we could see kind of whether it's possible to move some things around to optimize staff planning time and staff time to to support each other. Um, and I'm and I have no doubt that those conversations are already happening and that thinking is already happening. I just I think that's something that would be helpful to highlight to the board so that we can convey that to the community. So, that
102is one thing. Um, so let me cross off my list. Um, I'm just going to I have like five quick points and just like stop me if you have questions, okay? Um, I was going to ask Tia, like I agree with you if we could just maybe there's like a flat rate across the district for the blue sheets, but I would agree also with Joanne, like I want to stay as far away from making any kind of cuts to staff or compensation as we can since uh staff retention was a huge priority that we had discussed back in March. When we talk about like our goal and like what is like the purpose of our existence as a school district is for academic achievement and we know that the number one factor in student achievement
103is the classroom teacher, at least the the one that we can control, right? And so we really need to be mindful of that. Okay, so I would say one thing that also came to mind from you looking over this list under supplies and materials where it says to reduce the um building budgets by 10%. So, I would just say like as a parent, I would love it if if this is something that we do, if if the schools are willing to put out a list of like here are the cuts that we had to make not to be in the weeds and intrusive, but like I would love to know if my child's school needs like 50 reams of paper or like whatever it is because that's another opportunity for us to engage um the
104many willing people there are in the community who want to help and support. So, I just think that if that is the direction that we're going, I think it's that very first thing listed under supplies and materials, reduce building budgets um by 10%. I would My I guess my request as a board member, if administration um who's here tonight, thank you so much for doing this, If you could convey that back to principals to see the extent to which that would be possible, that is a request that I have regarding that item. Um, another question uh that I have based on the public comment that we received uh from the BEA this evening, um, I really like Mr. Shoop's comment. I really appreciate everything that uh you had to say, Dan. One thing that I
105would piggyback onto that is if the next time we get budget presentations, um, going forward, if we could see a with and without referendum scenario projected into the following school year. So, Ms. Elwood, your points have been so clear and I so appreciate how you've been um just really direct and why uh this year so um, you know, just the impact of this year over into next year and how we have to really think year over year and not just this next school year. I think that makes a ton of sense. It would be helpful to me as a board member, and I'm sure it would be helpful to our teaching staff as well as to our community to a with and without referendum scenario for the 27-28 school year, particularly since the request from
106the BEA was made that we get started working on a referendum question now. So, okay, the only other thing I had was uh thank you so much for Well, I guess there's just two more quick points. Um, there was another um comment this evening about working more with the community, and I just want to say again, Ms. Elwood, thank you so much for letting us know that tomorrow morning you guys are going to work on putting together a committee and kind of figuring out that timeline. I'm just making a request if that information could um and I'm sure you're planning on the same way, but could please come back to the board so that we can notice to the community. It sounds like there's a lot of folks um who have reached out to me
107at least the last few weeks who would really like to be involved and and invest their time and energy into uh supporting and crafting kind of the the reshaping and financial future of our district. So, thank you so much for doing that and I'm just I'm hoping that that information comes back next time this is an agenda item. And then the very last thing, which is kind of goes back to Joanne's comments, um I love that you put this together without any OPEB and without any fund balance because it gives us a really clear sense of where we are. One of seven, my preference would be for us to consider the uh longevity pay and the blue sheets as items that we would be willing to fund from OPEB. So, I understand I'm speaking as
108one person as a board, but my one board member feedback to the administration, and again, thank you so much for taking the time to put this together, please consider using OPEB to fund longevity pay to to not mess with that, I guess, for lack of a better word, and to maintain our blue sheet pieces. These are just like little things that keep people afloat. Um and without retaining the outstanding teachers that we have, we are just we're neglecting our whole mission as a district. So, thank you so much. It is absolutely your job to bring us um the big scary budget stuff and I think you've done an excellent job. Thank you. Vice President Fox. Um I'm going to take a little different tack here. I'm I'm sure that's nobody's surprise. Um we asked for
109a staffing plan and program plans. That this is not that. And I understand the the concept of not wanting to get the information out and scaring the staff and all that kind of stuff. And my sense is from what I've heard tonight, what I've seen in some emails, is this scared the staff. Um and I I think that we need to see the staffing plan. We need to see the plan that goes behind this. Um you know, is it the are they all these positions attrition? If they are, then how are we filling in those pieces and where are we actually decreasing the staff that won't be there? I mean, how are we going to be providing the service for our students? We need we need to be providing service for our students. I also
110see things that are missing. We talked about you know, the idea of hiring a lawyer and losing our costs. I don't know if I don't know if security is in here or not. There there were other things that were listed that aren't in here. And when we look at professional educators, who is who counts as a professional educator? You know, counselors, social workers, coaches, all of those people are not professional educators. Um So where do they come from? And are we looking at things that we might have to add back in? We've been talking about doing alternative schools, which would be one at the middle school and one at the elementary schools. And we had an issue with 4K's being very large. And are we thinking of what we're going to do about 4K? And
111I'm Um this is just too um incomplete for me. Um I I just I don't see the the information that we need to be able to make these kinds of choices. Um And even the idea of reducing the freshman athletics, which was something that people are complaining about. There's no budget number with that. What does that do for us? Um and Um so I I you know, I don't I don't know what you're planning on doing about nurses. I was concerned about nurses. What are we going to do about that? I'm not seeing any changes or any discussion about how we're going to be redoing Colac. And how we're going to be re-reworking how um this works and how we're going to get the work done that we need to get done here. So, um
112to me this is this is probably an end, but I need to see the plan that went with it. Thank you, Carol Fox. Do any other board members who haven't spoken yet have any questions or comments? Mr. Johnson. Yes, I'd like to just talk about the open money. I think the longevity pay should be they've earned it. So, if we could spend that money for that, it that's well deserved. Thank you, Mr. Hankins. No, I just echo what uh Carol Fox said, you know, about we talked about a lot of different reductions that would when Dr. Anderson was here, um what we were going to use in his his vision. I don't see that in this and I don't think this is a complete detailed uh plan. And I but I agree with Mrs. Fox.
113I want to I want to see some of the other things we talked about selling real estate. We talked about uh doing different things. Uh I don't see that in here. So, yes, I'll I'll just wait for DD and DD and Stephanie up there to answer Mrs. Fox's question. Thank you, Mrs. Fox. Um I just uh you know, we did give the board guidance also. Um and one of them was to preserve the focus on staff retention and recruitment. And we we'd even uh talked about some other things. I mean, you know, to me uh the idea of not doing the longevity pay um is not meeting one of the priorities because that was our priority to preserve and focus on staff retention and recruitment. Um and so, we need to make sure that what
114we're doing also matches our priorities. Thank you. As I mentioned before, it's budgets usually work best when recommendations come from the professionals to the to the um board and we we have these recommendations. I'm wondering if some other considerations or other options were considered. Um you know, we we have significantly fewer students now than what we had, you know, 10 years ago, um pre-COVID, even. Um I would encourage the administration to go back and look at the Kolb um organizational chart. There you know, it there does seem to be we the board members who attended the Saturday um workshop uh got a copy of this and maybe Mr. Shope you could post this online somewhere for us. Um there it it looks like, you know, maybe some somebody used the word merge earlier. Maybe there's
115some of these positions could be merged or streamlined um as, you know, it's it's hard for us to hear that, okay, we want to save uh what's happening in the classrooms, but yet then we don't see more reductions out of out of the Kolb staff and and I know all administrators are not Kolb staff and not all Kolb staff are administrators, so we can't use those terms interchangeably. Um I think I would really push you to encourage you to try to not just look at cuts, but look at um efficiency. Um how, you know, how how are things being done? Is Is there a better way to do something because I I do believe that, you know, again, working collaboratively, we can find better ways to to do some of these things. Um, and and
116reductions not just at the co-op staff, but I'm also wondering about the um high school non-teaching staff. Are there positions there that we can perhaps merge some positions? We We've lost a lot of students out of our high school as well. Our buildings, can we consolidate some of our buildings? I don't like the idea of closing any elementary school, so do not misquote me. I'm not saying that we should, but we also have non-school buildings that are um open. We have Cunningham, which is a huge building housing a very small population, and I can't help but think that as we have decreased significantly in enrollment numbers, that there's not space for some of those programs in other locations. So, perhaps looking um Mrs. Elwood, if we could get an update in the near future on
117um what are the energy costs at at Cunningham, you know, what what other services are provided at Cunningham that perhaps we could um pair if we closed off a branch of Beloit Memorial or something like that. I We are We are open to ideas and suggestions. I hope you guys are as well. Um, um facilities and maintenance, um is there a better way that we can streamline our facilities and maintenance services. Um that's not something that we have discussed, um Director Elwood, but again, we're open to suggestions. Um um looking to sell the op you know, we've talked about leasing the operations building. Are we ready to say, "You know what, we're not finding anyone wanting to lease it, can we sell it?" Or can you know, are we to that point? Um transportation. Uh
118this is this is one that I do lose sleep over because I know how much my my household is paying in uh fuel costs, so I know that we are all paying more in fuel costs and the district we have a contract with our What's our bus company? Durham. Durham, but we pay the fuel on top of that. So, as fuel's going up, we are also having to pay more just like everybody else. Um the drug testing policy. This may and may not seem like a budget item, but it is. If we can retain staff, we are not using so much time having to recruit staff and I think that may be some some something that we should look at is um can we do our drug testing differently upon hiring of staff so that
119we can be more competitive with our local uh school buildings. And I And again, please don't misunderstand what I'm saying. I'm not saying we should hire junkies, but I also know that we are surrounded by states, completely surrounded by states that have um recreational drug use that um we don't. And being right on the border, it makes it difficult. Um, and I've got other suggestions that I will send to you, Dr. Malott. Um, the in terms of the longevity pay, I do agree with um, the board members that have voi- voiced their opinion. I think that we should not get rid of longevity pay. I think we should probably use OPED money for that. I'm not ready to um, make an opinion on blue sheets because I would like to know better, um, you know,
120because I'm hearing different things about blue sheets, so I'd like to know more before I even give a state an opinion on that. Joanne Rue, you have your hand up. Yes, thank you. So, you articulated what I was trying to say earlier, so thank you, Tia. That was really good. Um, I think an- another thing that I've heard about and I've actually seen this happen before. So, we have children that are on bus lists and because attendance is a problem for some people, the bus goes, the child's not there, and then the bus comes back. So, if we're paying for the gas for that every time, there are How do we create accountability so that is not part of what we have to pay for it? Like, that seems like something that shouldn't be okay.
121Um, also in our 10% reduction of fees or costs for buildings, Colec is not mentioned in there. I don't know if that was an oversight or um, if there's something else about that, but um, I think that's something we need to they I mean, it's all hands, right? And so, we all need to look at our budgets and see how we can shrink them. And then, um, we used to have someone who was in charge of checking all of our buildings, making sure people are turning off their their lights and their smart boards and things like that. And they claimed, and I don't know if it ever was found true or not, but that if everyone did their part, that it would pay for that person's salary and we'd actually make money. And so um
122again, an all hands on deck, maybe like we come up with plans as buildings to encourage staff to be really mindful of that. We could um you know, like different different buildings have different cultures and so like how they decide to um make that happen, I think every dollar counts right now and we we can't we can't leave any stone unturned at this point. Megan Miller. Hey there. So this has been a wonderful conversation and I I wholeheartedly agree. I keep saying that, but it's true. Um like Carol, I loved your comments. Like I think like I guess I was in a framework where I was just giving feedback like on what was listed. And I just like if I were um responsible for bringing the next steps forward, I would personally be feeling overwhelmed.
123So I have a question for our administration about process. Um I am wondering what would be the most productive way for us to take the you asked for feedback. What would be helpful to you in your process to hear from us? Like do you want specific, like you know, Board Member Johnson just listed off like a whole bunch of stuff that I thought was really great. Like do you want us to give like detailed like feedback maybe by category? Do you want us to take a totally different direction in in how we're giving feedback? Do you want to help us understand where you are in your process? I just want to make sure that this is a constructive use of time because I'm hearing really awesome stuff from my colleagues up here. I'm seeing really
124good thinking reflected on what you've brought forward, and I'm just looking for what is the most productive way for us to move forward in in the process through your perspective. Dr. Mallett, um I'll have you answer that ques- that question. Um but before I do, I'm I want to piggyback with another question, because I know board members have received emails from staff members. And and I I don't know what happens. We don't know what's happening, you know, day-to-day in the buildings. That's that's your guys's business. I am curious, has each department had an administrator met with their departments to discuss and brainstorm what they can cut? Yes. Okay. Yeah. And So, as far as making recommendations, I mean, we'll take any recommendations. This is certainly not what we want to do. We don't want to
125have to be cutting any of these things, but, you know, all things are on the table at this point. Um preserving staffing is what we want to be able to do. Being able to pay our teachers longevity pay they they should be getting that. So, if you have further suggestions, please forward them to us. Um Stephanie, do you have anything to add? As far as reduction? And I agree that the the reductions that are not staff are small. But, we're looking at every pocket, and the other items that we had presented before are not off the table. The selling of property, the um hiring of an in-house attorney versus contracting, those things are not off the table. Those are still part of a plan, but at some point we need to have board approval to
126move forward with something. Correct? Whether it be that we're going to use OPEB for a portion of this or if we're going to um use fund balance or if we're going to be reducing the staffing. Okay, so just just to clarify and then I'm good. Um that was very helpful. Um I've already sent you an email and Stephanie, that's really helpful to know that those other things are on the table. So, what I just heard you say is yes, you would like us to continue to make suggestions. So, my first question is do you just want us to like email like you and Leah? And like Wayne? Like what what's the best most direct route for us to do that that is respectful of your time and process? Yes, that is acceptable. Thank you. Perfect.
127Okay, and then the next thing I just heard you say is you'd like a little direction from us this evening about the extent to which if at all you'd like us to to consider using OPEB. So, I'm going to just if if it's all right with you, Board President Johnson, one of seven and I'm I'm willing to to take a vote or find consensus on that issue tonight. Um I am fully in favor of using OPEB uh since we have a hard number for um longevity pay for the uh three $329,900 that it would uh take to preserve that longevity pay item. Thank you so much. Thank you. Carol Fox. Um I take you back to the board guidance. We We gave you a document asking you to follow what we wanted. Um that was
128to provide a written staffing plan and some program plans. It doesn't have to have teachers' names on it or any of those kinds of things, but we asked for program plans and staffing plans. Um we asked for some comprehensive lists of addendum contracts and those kinds of things. We have a document that we put together of the things that we asked for. Um and I don't know whether it is just you just um and if you're feeling uncomfortable doing it in public, then we have to come up with a reason to go into closed session, which I don't know that we can come up with a reason to go into closed session, but you know, if we're we're going to make a decisions to move forward, we need a lot more information than what is
129provided here. I I I can't approve that we're just going to cut 45.5 teachers and not know what it's going to do to our programming. Um I just I I'm I'm I can't do it. And OPEB money is again, it would be the very last thing for what whatever is left on the table. I mean, I you know, we could just We don't need to use OPEB money for for um a longevity play. We're just not going to do it, right? I mean, it's whatever is is not left of the things that we really decide we have to cut and that we just can't live with, but I don't I I I don't see it. Um you know, we we asked for all of these things and this isn't it. Thank you, Mrs. Fox. For
130those who are unfamiliar with longevity pay, this is um other post-employee benefits. Uh it's a fund that um all districts had for employees who had retired, but before they were um receiving their um pensions. And Mrs. Elwood and Dr. Milot, please, if I'm butchering this, help help me, you know. So, this is a one-time fund that we have um saved up. Once we use this money, it's gone. The benefit of using this for longevity pay is the original intention was for the welfare of district employees. The The downside of using it for longevity pay is once it's gone, it's gone. And we if we become reliant on that, then um and we don't have any other revenue, eventually longevity pay would have to um discontinue, which is not our hope, but um I And again,
131I'm not opposed to using long um OPEB funds for longevity pay for at least this year or until we can get a referendum to pass. And it is um 8:04. Can I get a motion to extend the meeting by half an hour? So moved. Second? Motion by Tom Hakin, seconded by Carol Fox. Any discussion? All in favor? I. I. I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries unanimously. Okay. Madam Chair, point of information. Yes. Um so, this is not the school district's budget for 2026-27, right? This one piece of paper that was sent to us? This is just a list of a way to get to a 4.5 million dollars of cuts, right? Which piece of paper are you look What's the title? >> District of Beloit budget reduction proposals for 2026-27. That is not the budget.
132Correct. This is not the budget. This is just reduction They're recommendations. When do we typically Another point of information, when do the budget typically pass? The budgets don't pass until late October. Um the preliminary budgets we want to have done by the end end of June or or when I'm sorry. Yeah. Um the school district the next year's budget starts July 1. Any other questions for any of our administrators? Bill Johnson. Yeah, I have a question. Um do we get money from HES for BLA? Wright school? Oh. So the HES is currently housed in the Wright Elementary School? Yes. It It's part of our contract that we provide them an office. So no, they don't pay us rental fees. That is part of our contract. That we provide them a space. With heat and air
133conditioning and everything and That is correct. Previous to moving into the Wright building, they were in the um North Shop, which is now the automotive program. Okay, thanks. So Oh, I don't know. HES is the um janitorial services. Is that correct? That's correct. Yes. Um Just out of curiosity, would the HES offices fit in the Ops building? And the reason I'm asking is I'm wondering of those two buildings, which is more saleable? And I you know, what again Yeah, yeah, yeah, help us out. So the decision to move HES from um the automotive building that or the where the automotive building is now into the right building was partly because of for our insurance purposes, our buildings need to be occupied to be covered. Otherwise, they're abandoned buildings. So, it made good business sense to
134move them into the right building and they know it was temporary. So, if we do sell the right building, then yes, we would look at a different option for their for their offices. Okay, thank you. Any other I did just want to make a comment cuz you mentioned the heating and air conditioning and the lighting. We do have them restricted to a small part of the building and there's zone heating in that building. So, we're only heating and air conditioning a small portion of the building. Not the entire building. Thank you. Any other questions or comments? Dr. Mallett, do you need anything else from the board tonight? Okay. And again, uh before I move on, I encourage [clears throat] staff to share your ideas with your supervisors and um, uh talk to the administrators, the
135executive directors, and us board members. We are looking for creative ideas. Our next agenda item is the consent agenda. Typically, there is no separate discussion of the item unless a board member so requests, in which event the item or items will be removed from the general order of business and considered in their normal sequence on the agenda. Uh we will be removing item C as this is still at the committee level. Did Are there Do any board members like any of the other items removed? Can I get a motion for the consent agenda? I move to approve the consent agenda. Is there >> I'll second. Second. Motion by Carol Fox, seconded by Tom Hankins. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor? I. I. I. Any oppose? Motion carries unanimously. We are on to item eight,
136human resources. Are there any open session questions regarding the exhibit A employee employment recommendations? Are there any closed session questions regarding the employee recommendations exhibit A? Is there a motion to approve exhibit A? So moved. Second. Motion by Dan Shoaf, seconded by Carol Fox. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor? I. I. I. I. I. Any oppose? Motion carries unanimously. Is there a motion to adjourn? So moved. Second. But it Motion by Carol Fox, seconded by Bill Johnson. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor? I. I. Any oppose? Motion carries unanimously. Everyone have a good night and thank you for your time. Thank you. Have a great night, everybody. You too. You too. >> Mhm.