Regular Board Meeting - 8/5/2025 (6:00 p.m.)

001Mrs. Schul, are you ready? Good evening. I am calling to order tonight's regular board meeting for Tuesday, August 5th. It is 6:01. Mrs. Schult, may we please get a roll call? >> Yes. Joanne Rue >> here. Megan Miller, Brian Nichols >> here. >> Tom Henkins >> here. >> Amy Levy >> here. >> Juan Romero >> here. >> And Tia Johnson >> here. >> All members are present except Megan Miller. >> Thank you. Can I get an approval of the agenda? And I would like to request removal of agenda item 6D, voting method. Uh I am requesting this because I would like a little extra time and you know for forgive me I've been a little bit busy the last few weeks. Um but I would like a little extra time so that I can uh

002discuss this policy with our legal team. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any discussion? Hearing none. >> Oh, I I have my hand raised. >> Oh, I'm sorry. Go ahead. >> Just a quick question. Is there a difference between second reading and final reading under item six? >> No. >> Thank you. Any other questions or discussion? Hearing none. All in favor? >> I. >> Any oppose? Motion carries unanimously. Please rise for the pledge of >> 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. tonight for the board president's report. It is very brief. Um there is an infographic that we're going to share on the screen. Um and this is from the Hadley group.

003They are uh the communications team helping us this time around with the um uh potential 2026 referendum. and they've sent a video. So, I want to remind the board members if you've not um received it or been on your emails yet today, Dr. Garrison uh sent a video for us to view. Um we're they here they're just laying out their communication strategy process with the timeline. Dr. Garrison, did you want to add anything to this? I think it's very um um clear that the uh Hadley group wants to do some listening opportunities with the board and of course there's other opportunities for listening naturally from there um if we continue to move forward the the timeline is as stated. >> Thank you Dr. Garrison and again my apologies to the board members. Um crazy couple

004weeks and I don't have a formal uh president's report for you this week but I will get you next time. Next up is the upcoming events and announcements. Clerk Romero. >> Good evening. These are the announcements for Tuesday, August 5th. This Thursday, August 7th, at 11:00, come have the popsicles on the playground at Gaston Elementary School or next Monday, August 11th, Aldrich is having Arby's night at 4:30 p.m. There are more summer engagement events to come before school starts. So, if you haven't joined us for one yet, please check one out. On August 9th, Bite Memorial High School Skills USA will be hosting its first annual car show at 600 Heaven Henry Avenue from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 pm. There will be food trucks, music, a 50-50 raffle, and of course, car awards. Prices vary

005by age group, starting at $3 for high school students, $5 for senior citizens, and up to $20 for entering a vehicle in the show. Remember to save the date, August 23rd, for the third annual community health fair at Valent Memorial. for more information will be coming soon. Please, please visit our district website at bloitschools.net. Our future board meeting dates include tomorrow, Wednesday, August the 6th, the policy committee committee will be meeting at 4 p.m. followed by the ad hoc student success and support committee at 5:30 p.m. In the training lab, both at the KAC Education Center. Monday, August 11th, beginning at 2 p.m., the governance committee will meet with the administration team. Wednesday, August 13th, the ad hoc student success and support committee will meet again at 5:30. Watch board docs in the district website

006calendar for other board meetings the week of August 18th. This concludes the announcements for tonight. >> Thank you, Mr. Romero. Next up, we have recognitions >> for President Johnson. >> Yes, sir. >> Could you please repeat the car show on the 9th? I was unaware of that. It was on Henry Avenue. Could you repeat that, please? >> Of course. On August 9th, Bo Memorial High School, Skills USA will be hosting its first annual car show at 600 Henry Avenue from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. There'll be food, trucks, music. >> Where's 600 Henry Avenue? It's right by TLA. Got to be >> Mr. Romero. Or is it up farther? >> It's in the parking lot adjacent to our auto center. >> Okay. It's going to be at the Eclipse Center in the parking lot adjacent

007from the auto shop. >> Okay. Thank you. >> No problem. >> Thank you. Next up, we have the recognition of summer programming, the camp mortgage science summer camp at WMadison. We have Amy Meltredder, science teacher from BMHS, and Jamie Cowie, SC also a science teacher from BMHS. Um, Dr. Garrison. >> Yes. Um, over the summer, we always have opportunities for our students to do some extended learning. And, uh, when Mrs. um, Amy Miltrator reached out to me as it pertains to this learning, I thought it'd be a great opportunity for her to come and share with the team as it pertains to what um, transpired. um she was gracious enough to kind of pull her students from their summer vacation as well um to to to share a little bit about that. And so, Mrs.

008Miltra, do you mind coming to the um podium and um just sharing a little bit, please? It's okay. >> We were trying to get their presentations to work, but it doesn't look like that will be happening. So hopefully they'll just be able to say a couple things about their bring your students. And so we both applied and got accepted and we put out a call to students to see who would be interested in going. And it was a completely free program where the students were learning about biomemed science. So, Miss Collie and I took eight of our students and we stayed in the dorms with them and had a college experience for a week and got to do a bunch of cool stuff. and the the amount of pride that I had in our students.

009I want them to tell you about their experiences, but it just sorry, I get emotional because it was amazing the amount of kids who said that they weren't going to go to college, but now they are. Um, or they didn't know what they wanted to do, but now they did. And the directors of the camp kept just bragging about our kids about how great they were, how thankful they were, how gracious they were, how engaged they were the entire time and how much they asked scientists questions and questions and the other groups just didn't do that. And so our students just really just they were shining stars that week. So, um I don't know if anybody wants to come up and tell a little bit about their experiences. That was Please come up and tell

010about your experiences >> volunteering. >> Um hi, just to introduce myself, I'm Grace Thompson and I am one of the students who had the amazing opportunity to go on this Mortgage Science Camp trip. Um, and I just want to say thank you first of all to the teachers for letting me do that. Um, and it was just an amazing experience. Um, each day seemed to be almost centered around something different. And one of the days that really stuck out to me was Tuesday, which very much centered around genetic research and stem cell research. and that as someone who's been back and forth on what they want to do in college, it really helped cement the idea of what I want to do and how to achieve it with everyone that we were all the scientists

011that we were able to talk to. It allowed me to almost plan it out in not a lot of time. And I'm also someone who like I'm gonna be a senior this year and I had no idea where I wanted to go to college or what I wanted to major in. But now I really want to go to WMadison and as backups I want to go to one of the like as a backup I would love to go to one of the UW um like sister schools like Whitewater of Rock County or something. And this camp really helped me figure that out. Thank you. Uh, hi. I'm Janisa Sanderson. I also got the wonderful opportunity to be able to go to the Morridge Science Camp and it was a really wonderful experience. I got to

012meet a lot of people and I got to learn a lot of new things and it really did help me figure out what I want to do in college. Also, um, oh god, some of the things we did, we, uh, did some stem cell research and the biomed stuff was really fun, too. I think for me, probably one of the better days was Wednesday. we uh Wednesday and Tuesday kind a mix of both when we got to work with um actual human stem cells. I'm pretty sure it was and we got to um make our like not make our own what do we what was it called? >> Yeah. We got to um work with those and stuff. Okay. No. >> Hi, my name is Lea Forest and I also got to experience this wonderful

013camp. Science is really broad. It's a lot and that's one of like my favorite things about it. I'm a very indecisive person and even though growing up in Wisconsin, I have never been to any UW schools and being at WMadison was a really nice experience. I've been very focused on H.B.CU down south, but being close to home, I think UW would be a nice school for me to go to. And being in a lab for sure and being hands-on, I'm a very visual and hands-on person. And that was a really nice experience. And that was wasn't just like a high school lab. It was an actual lab with actual things. And being able to experience that was amazing. And it kind of gives me a little more clarity on what I want to do definitely

014with science and with the human body. So being able to do these things was really nice. And I want to thank everybody who gave me the chance to do that. [Applause] Hi, my name is Elijah. Um, my experience at the Moric Science Camp was really cool. I got to talk to a lot of the scientists there, which I found very interesting. Um there's this one scientist, he came from the um biome biome chemistry br um branch and he like on Friday we had a talk um I was showing him my presentation and he said before he was like he was going to leave because he was done. all the other presentations didn't like um interest him I guess and he found out well he saw me and he was like okay I'll give this kid

015a shot and he came sat down and we had a good talk um his name is Scott and he said I could message him to like find out more about career opportunities so I thought that was really cool >> thank you [Applause] Hi everyone. I'm Miss Collie. Um, I was one of the I was the other teacher chaperon for this group. And I kind of want to echo the same thing that Miss Melt Shredder said, just how overwhelmingly amazed and proud we were of our students. We had eight students there and the other groups each brought seven. Our kids were so willing to be hands-on and so willing to ask questions and so polite and so appreciative of everything that we got to do. Um, and don't let them downplay it. They did amazing science.

016Like science that we went to college for and we didn't get to do things like that. Like play with like a $20 million microscope. Like the coolest science ever these guys got to do over the course of a week. But Amy and I just got to sit back and take pictures of them and be proud of them and show them off. And we just wanted to show you guys that our kids are absolutely amazing. And I'm so thankful that we had the opportunity to take time out of our summer to take them and get to know all of these kiddos. And we're so proud of them. So, we wanted you guys to be proud of them, too. [Applause] >> Thank you so much. I I hope you got my email that I sent to you.

017You know, science is my passion and and why I'm here because I I want all of our students in the school district of Deote to have opportunities like this and we really appreciate you doing that. couldn't be here today because he was babysitting, but he was one of the students who had a hourong mentoring session just impromptu with one of the directors and really has just changed his focus and shift his shifted his >> I love that. I that's I'm so proud. I'm I'm proud of him and what he what he's doing and I'm proud of you and all of the students at the school district of this is really phenomenal. Thank you so much. >> Thank you for letting us share. >> Next up we have public comment. Mrs. Sch, do we have public

018comment tonight? >> Yes, we have one in the room and we have three emails. >> Okay, let's start with the one in the room. Okay, I have Becky with uh Stella yielding her time. >> Okay, good. >> Yeah. >> All right. I'm probably loud enough without it. Okay. Good evening, Board of Education. I am here tonight on behalf of the BEA high school organizing team to speak about the proposed changes to the cell phone policy at BMHS in particular. The BEA high school organizing team has been working with the cooperation and support of building administration to address and improve enforcement of the current board policy on cell phones. We appreciate that the board wants to see the distractions of phones removed from the classroom. We do too. But our concern is that the proposed policy

019change would make the enforcement of the policy more difficult. We have a plan in place for the coming school year that would require students to store phones in a secure location that is not on their person at the start of each class period. In addition, we have outlined reasonable consequences for phone use. We ask that the board not change the policy at this time. We foresee the following problems with the proposed policy change. A zero tolerance plan will potentially result in students using lockers and bathroom passes um and missing instructional time to go and check their phones because they just aren't ever allowed to be on them during the day. Enforcement of the new policy during lunch periods will be extremely difficult considering the ratio of students to supervisors in the lunchroom. The requirement for

020families to pick up confiscated phones may be unreasonable due to their work schedules, leading to animosity between BMHs and our families, and good relationships are preferable for many reasons. Telling all staff to enforce the proposed policy by confiscating a device anytime they see one will be a burden that will result in frequent interruptions to instructional time as we try to monitor phones. The language of the proposed policy reads, "Teachers and staff are authorized to enforce the policy and confiscate devices as needed," which some may read as enforcement being an option more than a necessity. While our plan makes expectations very clear, asking staff to facilitate the confiscations of phone seen in the hallway is difficult because when you don't know a student's name, it can be very difficult to refer them to their principal. and

021staff don't have time to follow students around the building until we find someone who knows their name or look the cameras on security. Uh we don't want to risk being late to our own classes because we're trying to follow up on a phone violation in the hallway. So the organizing team has put a lot of time and thought into our plan and we believe our plan to support the current policy is better for students, families, and staff for the following reasons. Our plan was developed with input from BH BMHS teachers and administrators. We know our students and our building and believe that our plan can be successful if you give us a chance to implement it. The most successful initiatives are those that are implemented uniformly and consistently. Having staff direct students to store their

022phones at the start of each block means the phone message gets reinforced multiple times throughout the day rather than being something we focus on only at the beginning. teachers have a lot going on in classrooms and a lot to get through. It will be easier for us to address the phones at the start of class than to have class interrupted by students sneaking a peek at phones um that they've snuck in their pockets throughout the period when they see an opportunity to do so. And we realize it's true that not all students will necessarily give up their phones at the beginning of class, but we will see who does and have fewer to watch out for. It's especially important for teachers to see who puts their phone in storage on assessment days to make it

023easier to monitor for phone use during an exam. Students need to learn to regulate their use of electronic devices and a blanket ban for the entire school day does not help them learn appropriate times for checking messages. Students receive information from families, employers, and others during the school day. We believe it's reasonable to allow them to check messages during passing and at lunchtimes. Also, the district has reduc reduced secretarial staff, which will make it more difficult for the office to relay messages to students in a timely fashion during the school day. The BEA organizing team has plans in place to address staff questions, to provide ideas for alternatives to phones for completing classwork, to collect feedback from staff on the support they need in enforcing the current policy, as well as to collect feedback on

024how things are going throughout the year, and to meet with building administration to go over the information gathered. The primary consequence of the protocols we developed is that phones are taken away. A required step to inschool suspension results in a loss of instructional time in the classroom, which is often detrimental to learning. An admin will still have the freedom to assign additional consequences as they see fit, just on a more personalized basis. Teachers will know the students in their classrooms who have special exceptions for medical or other reasons which will avoid awkward confrontations for these students in the hallway with staff members that they don't know if they're on their phone and they have permission. So on behalf of the BEA high school organizing team, I again ask that you give us a chance to

025implement the protocols we have outlined with stakeholders in the building. We will be happy to share with you how things are going throughout the year. And if we can't make our plan work, we will recommend that the board change the policy. Knowing that the board is ready and willing to take a more extreme stance on the phone policy may actually make our plan um make students more likely to comply with our plan in the coming school year. So, let's work together on this. Thank you for your time and consideration of our request to let BMHS find a reasonable and realistic way to manage the use of electronic devices during the school day. Thank you. >> Mrs. Schop the next >> uh next I have an email from Tiffany. Please read my original email from May

026about keeping Mrs. Pepky in the building at Robinson. Removing her will most likely be removing several staff and students as well. The school and all of the families and staff involved in it are thriving because of her presence. She even helps coordinate the FSO meetings and functions that have made Robinson what it is. Without her presence, none of this would be possible. If only you saw the tears of joy and appreciation during teacher appreciation this last May, then you would know what I'm talking about. The staff has stated never in their entire career have they felt as valued as they do now. What are your long-term goals for Robinson? Are you hoping to retain staff or scramble for new leaving students to struggle and classrooms to have to double up again? The original email. Hello,

027superintendent and board members. My name is Tiffany. I'm a mother of three boys. My oldest son, Noah, is 21 and graduated from Hanenega. My middle son, Oliver, is 17 and went to Haniga and now is finishing through Penn Foster online school after several bullying incidents and safety concerns. My youngest son, Jud, is 6 years old and currently enrolled in kindergarten. And after our horrible experience in Rosco at the middle school and high school, I refused to send him through that district. We moved to Bo in 2025. And I researched and interviewed and toured many schools before deciding where to send Jud. We settled on Robinson Elementary, which was a surprise to many people considering the condition of the Blit School District. As an involved parent, I was hopeful hopeful that because of the size and

028experiences you have had in your district that this school would have the experience to handle situations that others not so diverse districts may not. Let's talk about Jennifer Pepki. As you are all aware, she has had this to step up in more ways than anyone ever should. Let me assure you, she's gone above and beyond any expectations I could have ever had. I've experienced many administrators and she's beyond superior. Jen is more than an assistant principal. She's a friend, mentor, and leader that any place would be ecstatic to have. We've had an amazing year at Robinson, and I can assure you that is because of Jen making Robinson what it is, and of course, our top-notch kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Ginta, who we also love. Without Jen, the teachers and staff would not have the positivity

029and leadership to be as successful as they have been this year. Jen has also given students the love and support they need. I'm also quite impressed with her professionalism and calling for backup when needed. She knows boundaries and when to call for help, which keeps Robinson safe. And to me, safety is number one. Students need to be alive and to be able to concentrate in order to do their best work. And they cannot learn when they are direct distracted by other students who are producing a tense, unsafe environment. Jen makes school fun and is extremely dedicated around the clock. I can assure you of this as we live on Robinson Drive and she is there more than anyone I know. She is an asset you don't want Robinson to lose. With all of that being

030said, I am desperately asking you to please find it in your hearts to find a way to keep Jen at Robinson. I can promise you not doing so would be a horrible mistake for their staff, students, and families. She brings so much to the table. If you need anything else from me, please do not hesitate to reach out as I'm always happy to have a healthy discussion. The next email is from Mcdalia. The recent restructuring of Robinson staff by the school district of Bloyd has raised significant concerns. The decision to eliminate the assistant principal position and reassign Miss Pepski to another school as dean of students has distressed many students and parents. At Robinson Elementary, Mrs. Pepky's presence has been a source of solace and support, particularly for children with special needs. Thanks to her

031remarkable capacity to establish connections with them. Upon sharing this change with my child, he displayed confusion and apprehension, solely concerned with that Mrs. PKY would remain at the school. Now I must inform him inform him of her impending departure from Robinson. As an FSO volunteer, I witnessed firsthand the success of teacher appreciation week, which was largely due to Miss Pepky's tireless dedication to our school community, evident in the staff's gr sincere gratitude and appreciation. I kindly request that you reconsider Miss Pepky's transfer and allow her to continue her role at Robinson Elementary. The last email I have is from Desen Dennia. I'm sorry, Jenia. Hello. I am writing to you as it has been brought to my attention. Miss Pepky will be transferred out to another school. I'm sending this email to have you reconsider

032this decision and keep Miss Pepki at Robinson Elementary School. She's brought so much positivity to the school as she was starting her new role last year. She took over midyear due to the principal not being able to finish the school year. She made everyone feel reassured that she would take over the responsibilities. Her staying at Robinson will keep kids and parents with a familiar leader face as many changes have happened. She will also be able to help the new principal transition as Miss Pepki has been with Robinson for one year. Her experience shows with kids. She is she is willing to put in the work to make Robinson thrive. That's all I have. >> Thank you. Go. Go ahead. >> There's another um public comment. I It was in my spam folder from Abigail. >>

033Thank you. If it wasn't sent to public comment, they don't get read. Thank But thank you. And and it's because we need to review them before they get read on live. Next up, we have the superintendence report. Thank you. Um, so first of all, let me just say, well, we are counting up to the start of the school year. U, we have actually 28 days to go. Um, I believe we do start school on September the 2nd. And so 28 days to go, that is counting the weekends. And so to all the students and families as you start to look at the rest of your summer, um, we don't like to do the countdown here. Let's count up to the days in which we are back in school. And so, um, I look forward to

034having all the students back, um, and excited to see everyone, um, back here on September the 2nd. Um, of course, over this month, we've had, um, a lot of families, um, come through our doors and we are still open. Naturally, we are still in the registration phases here in the school issue of Blit. So, if you still have that opportunity to come and get your student registered for school um right here at the KEC school transportation, I know that's always a big thing um in the school district of Deote and that making sure that your students have that transportation back and forth to school. Please note that um the week of August the 18th is when you when families will receive um information as pertains to your child's transportation. If you happen to change addresses

035in the city, um please let us know so we can have that be re rerouted for your child um back and forth to school. Um welcome back to the administrator and staff. Um this week we also started our administrators back um we like to call it the kickoff week for administrators and we are eagerly preparing for our staff and students return. Um this week there's a lot of work that's yet to be done. We started off with uh myself and business services and um human resources um reaching out to our administrative team today teaching and learning how to space. Tomorrow we talk about e um Thursday of course we have um pupil services and I I can't remember everything that's supposed to happen on Friday, but there's a lot of things that are um going

036on this week here in the school district as we prepare for our um students and staff to return. And so again, a big shout out to all of our administrative staff. Um, summer school. I know we kind of put some information out to the families saying thank you to all of those who have participated in summer school. Naturally, there's a lot that happens in summer school. We have our summer engagement opportunities and I believe we had over um Mrs. Mortch, you can correct me if I'm wrong. Over 800 students um signed up for uh for summer school. Thank you. Um so that was a huge huge number for us. I believe that's one of our largest numbers here in the school district um coming out of of the co spaces. And so 800 students and

037and families entrusted us with their kids for over 6 weeks. And that's a long time during the summer time. And we want to say thank you to all of those who um stayed engaged with us over that time frame. And again, thank you to the families who entrusted us with their kids um during that half day of um learning. With that being stated, that is my real quick but um high level information for our um um superintendent report and I'll turn it back over to board president Johnson. Thank you. >> Thank you, Dr. Garrison. Next, we have the policy committee report. Chair Nichols. >> Thank you, Board President Johnson. Well, it was a busy it was a busy month for the policy. We had a uh a regular meeting on the 2nd and then we

038had two special meetings on the 18th and the 31st trying to wrap up some policies that we've been working diligently on and the the results are on the uh on the agenda for tonight. And uh we also one of the things policy change we did was we added policy public comment to policy committee meetings. So we actually had a public comment last Friday or last Thursday at policy committee. So that was nice and uh anyway very fruitful very fruitful month. Thank you. >> Thank you Mr. Nichols. Next we have the governance committee report. The governance committee met on Tuesday July 29th. Board member Joanne Rue accepted the position of vice chair. Thank you Mrs. Rue. Dr. Hehart delivered a presentation on board governance essentials. This presentation was about the WASB essential elements of governance. These

039elements are accountability, communication and engagement, quality leadership and focus on the future which all contribute to the act of governing for high levels of learning for all children. The governance committee calendar was established. There will be three meetings this year. We discussed the leadership framework which encompasses the nine principles. These are committing to excellence, measuring the important things, building a culture around service, developing leaders to develop people, focusing on employee engagement, building individual accountability, aligning behaviors with goals and values, communicating at all levels, and recognizing and rewarding success. Dr. Garrison shared with us the new board calendar feature that is a repository of all board meetings for the 2526 school year and this will show special meetings and ad hoc meetings as well. Thank you Dr. Garrison and Mrs. Schop for creating this for us.

040The mi committee began discussing the 2526 district goals and how to structure them. Cabinet members shared some suggestions and ideas. We will be meeting again next week to work with the cabinet and have initial proposals ready for the board the following week. Board development opportunities were presented every Friday. We will be able to bring lunch and view the WB webinars as a group. No board action will occur at these sessions as these are all optional and just for um information and board development. Finally, we also discuss tools for the bo annual board evaluation. Our next meeting is on August 11th at 2 p.m. Thank you. Our next report, the ad hoc student success and support committee report. Chair Rue. Yes, thank you. So, uh Dr. Kim Heheart will be um presenting more um thorough information

041to you at the next board meeting, but just to give you an update, we've met two times already and um the committee members were um very interested in continuing to meet and have our meetings closer together. So, we are meeting this Wednesday and next Wednesday. Uh our goal by the end of that is to have a shared document of our agreements at all grade levels. Um administration has been uh given the same information and um the feedback from both the committee and from the um principal's administration's uh presentation of it have been very favorable so far. um lots of great comments too and so um we're going to continue to dig in and work. We have some great resources in a folder that um different committee members have contributed um including some um great work

042that was done by um Carrie Oscar and Eric Weir. Is that how you say his last name? Um, so, um, I just want to, um, acknowledge that even though Carrie is no longer working here in the district, but we still are, um, taking some of her great, um, work and and continuing to move it forward. >> Thank you, Mrs. Rue. Next, we have the fresh start programming at the school district of Bo. Tonight we've got Dr. Garrison and Jeff Stenrose, the director of CTE and alternative programming and Dr. Betsy Schroeder, the principal at Lloyd Learning Academy. Uh the purpose of this item is to discuss the changes of the fresh start programming. Due to the due to due to changes in partnership and federal funding, the school district of boy is proposing that we fully

043support our students in the fresh start program. Dr. Garrison. >> Yes. So, um over the past few months, we've had a lot of different conversations as it pertains to the fresh start program and here um partnership that we have with the community action over many years. And first before I even get started, I want to like to thank the community action for over 20 plus years of of them um working with the fresh start programming here in the school district as part of one of our alternative programs here in the school district. Um that goes without saying when you think about a um a not forprofit carrying um a program as such for so long um receiving um federal funds is is spectacular. And um I I'll be honest with you, I haven't heard of

044a organization that has carried something that long before and that's something that's very to me unique to um unfortunately there's been some changes with the federal funding in that space and and with that funding changes came this conversation where we're at now where we are um having to have further conversations as it pertains to how can we keep the program moving forward here in the school district of so naturally over the course of three months here or so um we've had many conversations trying to, you know, figure out what we can do um for the um students that participate in this program. And traditionally, we we've had about 40 or so students participate in this fresh start program. Um and we definitely will want to, you know, keep those students um in our school district.

045And and again, we the goal of I believe the goal of all educational spaces is to continue get the learning that we know all of our students need to progress them towards um high school graduation. And this is another one of those programs that have done that for our students here in Bo. And so I did ask Mr. um Stenus and and many different people to kind of work with me in this space. And so before we even get started, I want to say thank you to Mr. Stinus over the many months and many conversations that we've had um as we kind of lay out this proposal to the board um as it pertains to what we believe could be a good um opportunity for our school district. We know that there's going to be

046challenges with uh change as such because again is is new to it just being under our could be under our um roof by itself. And so I'm going to turn over to Mr. Stinus. We're going to walk through the program. Mr. Mr. General, I do have the um pro uh the PowerPoint. >> Sure. I'll let you drive the slides. That's fine. >> Drive the slides and you can keep going. >> Thank you. >> All right. Um thank you again. Jeff Sanders, director of CTE and alternative education. Um I will say that I want to acknowledge a few folks over here to my right. Um Betsy Schroeder, uh the principal of BLA and you know, one of my counterparts with alternative programming. We've got a couple of folks here who have worked with our fresh start

047program in the past in support and we've had lots of conversations and their input has helped guide us, shape us and move us towards what we think might be a good resolution here. So those of you who might be unfamiliar with the fresh start program, it's an education and job training program for youth. It provides opportunities for them as part of our alternative programming. Uh the youth are enrolled full-time and they um attend 32 hours a week. half is spent in educational component and the other half is spent in construction, community service, leadership development, um employability and various life skills courses. And again, as Dr. Garrison mentioned, this has been going on for many years um through the school district. We have been a partner. Community action has been the service provider for that uh

048program. Uh next slide, Dr. Garrison. So, as I stated, this has been a partnership between community action and the school district of bo. It is an alternative education program within our district. So they are school district of boit students um such as challenge academy g2 bo virtual school. It's on our continuum. They've operated out of the eclipse center and most recently the merill community center um with some changes there. The staff were employed by community action. They were not school district of bloit employees. We we as a district did provide pro provide some funding through uh anou with them and they also provided inind services as our recordkeeping uh happens to go through our bloit learning academy or alternative programming and their primary funding sources were from federal grants Americanore do and that's been the

049issue of the uncertainty of those grants and that's where community action made a decision that they didn't have the funds to necessarily continue for sure um again we have in kind support from BLA academic records guidance counseling attendance, administrative support. They are part of our alternative programming. So, history of success, and this was courtesy of uh the folks at the Fresh Start Academy. Um you know, historically, we've had over 500 students go through this program. 436 have graduated. Um that's an incredible graduation rate. These past years, it's even been better. 41 out of 41. um literacy and math gains, attained a high school diploma, HBI pack certification, that's the homebuilders uh institute, I believe. Um and it's pre-apprenticeship certification training. So, it's certific industry recognized certification training for what they're doing through the construction phase

050of this program. So, not only walking out with a high school diploma, but also having certifications that are industry recognized um for them as well. And you see the number of housing uh units completed. They've completed 16 over the years. they completed one in this past year. So some historical background from them. So what does a fresh start program look like? So the building blocks are high school course credit and work-based learning. We have academics. There is a core focus. We have some direct instruction. Um they also work on electives. They have civics and American democracy. Some of their credit attainment happens through credit recovery programming as well. Um so again direct instruction and credit recovery and it's a blend for them to meet those requirements. They have a community service and life skills uh

051component. So they have life skills classes. They do one-on-one self- assessments. Um the community gardens has been a focus that that they have uh take some great pride in. Um we create uh career readiness with them. They have a connection to uh WEOA which which is the workforce innovation and opportunity act through the department of workforce development. So there are job related skills that also um that uh work with this and career building skills as well. And then the house build. So the house build is where there is actually a construction manager and the students will go out there and assist with building a house um within the city of Bo. So it's workbased learning. There's job skill development. Again, this is where they get their credentials. It's uh built um and supervised by a

052licensed contractor. So we have to have somebody who is a licensed contractor for that. And again certification earning opportunity. So it's not just to build something small and say we can pound a couple of nails together. They actually build a livable house that is functional within this community. and that is in partnership with uh something a grant that comes through the city of Bo. >> As we kind of go through the presentation um at this point I'm going to make sure the board if you had any questions just feel free to just let us know. We can pause and answer those questions as we kind of proceed. >> Mr. Mr. Romero >> so the uh I sent you an email earlier so I was just kind of ask you can elaborate on it. The question

053was that I sent him one of the questions. Of course, there was a bunch of them. So, just one of the questions. >> Do you want to answer them now or do you want to wait till the end of presentation? >> If if do you have the answers to those? >> I do. >> Okay. I'll I'll wait. Sorry. >> Okay. >> If if other board members don't object, we'll just let you finish your pres presentation and we'll ask questions afterwards, sir. >> Sure. Okay. Okay. So, what we're looking at is community action is no longer going to operate the program. So how do we look at taking that within the school district of bo we have identified a spot in the Cunningham building the B-wing and it is a spot that is separated in a

054different spot from the boy learning academy the schedules would be different they would still utilize the same entrances and coming through but we can have them in a spot that is their own such as even starters in that in the building as well. Uh there are three classrooms, office space, bathrooms in that wing of the building. So they can operate on their own schedule without necessarily intermixing or interfering or coming into conflict with a BLA schedule of some sort. They have access to our school food services. They already did that, but it was delivered. Now they have it at the site as well. Um and we still would maintain a partnership with community action. some of the things that they have such as their vans to be able to utilize um uh the ability to

055move students back and forth for community service opportunities. With that, one of the pieces of the partnership and some of the grant funding and the possibility of that is there has to be a nonprofit. We as a school district are not eligible for some of those and we want to continue to keep that window open in a partnership with them in case those opportunities for grants do come available to us. Staffing, here's where the here's where the big question is. Um we're really looking at uh Fresh Start had operated this with eight nine staff members for 40 students. We looked at the sustainability of this. I I did some modeling of what it looks like for 20 24 28 32 36 40 students where this where this comes in. Um and so we're looking at

056staffing members. Uh a program coordinator is is our lead one. Somebody who does the overall supervision of the program. An educational instructor. This would be a a licensed teacher. our teacher of record who would do the um lead academic instruction um and then work with the uh Apex the uh credit recovery as well. We have a community service liaison um we working with uh HR on some of the wording of this fresh start has provided me some of their names and titles. So, this is one that organizes, oversees the community service programs that we have, working with our local nonprofits, our city to find out where these impactful service opportunities are, make sure that they're guiding them, um that they're uh working with the educational component of this and trying to make sure they're implementing

057those uh together. Uh career readiness and life skills support case manager. This is the one that works with the students one-on-one, do some does some individual learning plans. They collaborate with them to set some uh goals, milestones, monitor progress for them. They connect to their youth resources such as the WEO and Department of Workforce Development for like transportation needs, some health care, public benefits, what what community services might they uh be needing. So, this is one really about connecting the students with other life skills and coordination of agencies that are on the outside um beyond the academic role of this. And then the construction trainer. The construction trainer's main purpose is to supervise the students in the house build program, but also coordinating with the educational aspect, making sure certifications are taken care of with

058this. Um, current BLA administration assistants will support with data and records management. We do this already. Now, they would also just be on site to help provide that instead of having all the records being run and kept by them one time, sent over to BLA for processing a second time. So we see some you know some duplication of processes there and finding some efficiencies by bringing that into our building. Um and again we also would have administrative support um within the building as as needed. Um again they are our students uh along the way. So the staffing is really a big piece. We're looking at five students um and we've the modeling I've done uh would be for 28 students. So it's not quite what Fresh Start had but it's what we think we can

059piece together effectively with the spacing and the staffing um of that size. So we get to the financial picture. In the past, we had contributed some money financially. The others were in kind. What I'm basing this now upon is strictly our state per pupil funding. Um worked with Stephanie Elwood in the finance office to make sure we had an accurate number of what this is going to be. So we looked at uh 28 students and that's where we get the $326,000. There is $50,000 in community development grants that is out there. it's tied to community action and so that partnership is is our way that we would have to um access those funds with it. So that's what I'm looking at there. No, there are other possibilities of some outside grants but I didn't include

060those because they are not for sure um items with this. So the expenses and it really comes down to those five staff members. The program manager, three instructional staff, the community leaison, uh the case manager part of it and then the construction trainer. And as you see, there is $12,000 from this salary that is offset from the home funds grant. The home funds grant is a grant through the city of Boote that is specifically targeted to the house build project. Some of the salary of the of the construction managers can be used to offset that. But otherwise, it's it's materials, it's all the permits, it's all the excavating work, it's all the stuff that goes into building the house with this. Now these um how much of the each one of those pays would have

061to be um I've worked with DD uh Almondas in uh HR to work where would they fit on on our matrix matrices because now they're going to be a part of our our employment group. So we have to make sure we're putting them properly with that. The Workforce Innovation Opportunity Acta um and Department of Workforce Development I've had probably about a half a dozen meetings with them. Um they will co-enroll students in WEOA services which opens up some funding for us. They have talked about anything from $10,000 to $50,000 for students to participate in um some tool are getting tools, boots, gas vouchers, providing some of those services with them. possibly incentive pay such as if they earn their OSHA certification, a first aid certification, they earn that HBI packed uh certification and the possibility

062for um support for internships and work experiences. In the past, the the Americanore component um required students to be paid for part of their work with this. We have pulled that off the table because we are not tied to that. Um that has been a huge incentive for the students. the fresh start folks will tell you um our local police force will tell you that has been a huge incentive for the students. We could not find a way to fund that directly. So that portion has been pulled. However, we owe a department of workforce development says they have some money available to help provide at least a bit of an incentive package for that. But that doesn't impact our final number between what the revenue is and the 5ft of expenses. But just know that

063that's a vital component um that that has been a part of the program in the past. So with that, u I know Mr. Muriel sent me a couple of questions and so I want to address those first because it it might take um some of the other ones off the table. The uh sale of the house, which is one of them. So the sale of the house because it comes from the home funds grant, those are restricted funds and they can any any profits um can only go back to other housing activities. So Community Action did sell the house through a a local realtor and then those monies were put back into housing activities. Now, committee action has several different things that they could allocate that to. We would look to allocate that to the

064next house build and move that forward. It again, we can then increase a little bit of the offset of the FTE for the following year with that depending upon what the profits are, but those would those would have to be designated specifically for the next house activity for that. Um, so none of none of that gets returned um back to us with that. And again, so we would again need a partnership. Another question you asked about continuing anou with community action. We would need one. We would have to amend it now. We would be primarily the service provider with them having some other some other aspects to it. But the house funds are not tied to community action. That can come through us. That's one of the grants that can come through a state agency

065such as a school district. Um you asked about stipens and certifications. I'm not sure if any of the monies that we have tied to that house build can go to student pay with that. That's a question I would have to ask. WEOA and Department for of Workforce Development does because that's their task is to help provide job services for folks, but I don't know about the profits of that going back to any student payment whatsoever. Um, and then the question was, how is this different than programs that we currently have? And I thought that was a great question. It is a program honor continue. We have we have pieces of fresh start that are similar to BLA and GDO2 where there's some academic programming. There are some uh credit recovery pieces. There are some aspects

066such as what we have at Bit Memorial as apprenticeship or certification earning and there are some aspects that are such as um challenge academy and jobcore a little more hardcore a little more strict and a little tight. Fresh fresh start fits kind of in the triangle of all three of them and it provides a continuum. These students, a lot of them have probably been, this is probably their third or fourth or fifth attempt at earning a high school diploma and they've not been successful. Challenge Academy is probably way too far of a reach for some of them. There's a few some of them coming back. They've not been successful at BLA. They they're a senior with three credits, which is its own problem that we let them get that far, but that's where the reality

067of it. So, Fresh Start fills a piece of the continuum that isn't one of those pieces. Um they run a um mental toughness at the beginning kind of mini challenge academy. Are you ready to start this? You need to be committed to this. They have some pretty strict guidelines and policies that they have to follow through with the student pay. In the past if students didn't show up, didn't provide an excuse, didn't have what they're doc part of their pay. There was a social responsibility to being a part of that program. Um and quite honestly, Mr. Mayor, we asked and and I put out my own personal spin on this. We've had 40 students in the past for the past several years. Those are students that if we don't have a program similar to this,

068I feel we'd be lucky to get a handful of them to return back to our school district because this is their multiple attempt at earning a high school diploma and earning some job skills, which then is revenue that we've lost along the way. Anyway, so um those are the questions that that Mr. Romero sent me and I think I've shared. So I'm open up to anything else along the way. Mrs. Levy, >> thank you so much. Um, thank you for pulling this together and providing it to the board before the meeting. Um, the numbers you gave were based on 20 is either 25 or 28 students. >> 28. Thank you. If we have a typical year for community action, do we have the capacity to accommodate 40 students? >> Are you saying with five staff

069members or spacewise? do all all of those things. >> Um the the answer would be yes. Are we stretching five staff members? Yes. Would it mean we if we got up to 40? Do we add a sixth one and a seventh? Do we have the physical space? We might be at a stretch. Um I I would say we if we had that many, we would look to see how we could make that work. >> Under under five staff members, I don't know that we we couldn't push 40 in in that capacity. So, it sounds like 40 might be our cap with five staff and the space that we've allotted in the B-wing. >> Well, let me jump in on that, >> Mr. General. We we had we had a lot of conversations around that staffing

070piece in general and how much we can probably go up to with five staff. You know, we're pushing probably like 30 32ish students. Remember these our students in this space come with a lot of different challenges and a lot of different opportunities for their growth and we want them to be successful in the program as well. And so about anywhere between 32 to 33ish is kind of where we are right now from a cap perspective with five. Now again, we would love to say we can get up to 41. Um, but that would probably mean that we would have to have some additional conversations as pertains to our staffing. >> Board member Ley, just another point of we're we're already at August 5th. This the recruitment process usually starts happening in May and so that

071we're also trying to be realistic of are there 41. I mean, we've we've had more than that in the past, but the recruitment process has started much earlier. So, um, you know, we we're shooting for 28. You know, could it could it be more than that? Again, I don't I don't know what that number is out there, but that's our target. >> Okay. Um, so a couple things I would love to see um kind of a if then scenario. So, if we do have capacity and maybe not this year, but in incoming years if we were able to continue and sustain this program, um if we grow to 40, this is how many staff and these are the expenses and we have a plan for that so we're not caught off guard because if they're

072not here, where are they? And that's my greatest concern. And then I guess the second part to that is what is the plan? And and I don't I'm not asking to have it tonight, but I I would like to hear more information in the near future like what resources or what intentionality are Boyd Memorial and BLA planning for the students that don't get into the fresh start program but are still our kids and how and all of them are not going back to Boyd Memorial or BLA but maybe that would be a good fit for some of our students and kind of what is the the intentionality about making sure that that all of our students have a plan for the upcoming school year. >> Thank you. So, let me answer your first question. I

073I did go through and create a scenario as I as I told you, I went from 20 in increments up to four up to 40. I did increase staffing as we went along and looked at what the costs would be for that. And you so we could up to 40 um 40 students. I think we were just short of funding seven FTE. So, we were close. So, so I was already looking at now again if you get 37 kids or 38 kids, but I was just doing some incremental work to see if we got up to that point, what could we sustain for staffing. So, I've already got a bit of an outline for that. Um, part two is if the students are, you know, if they if they don't come to us in fresh

074start, obviously we'll take them on a case- by case basis back to whatever if it's memorial or BLA, some of those conversations have been had because a number of those students come from BLA already. Um and so they they kind of know what their success plan has been and maybe where they're falling short. Um so that's not new to them, but that that is always an option. Um you know, those we would just look at saying if if they're not a part of Fresh Start, we will welcome them back and try to find whatever the best fit is for them. And they've again probably had some of those conversations already, but we will welcome them back into the fold. >> May I squeeze in one more? Thank you. Um, it's my understanding that the high

075school does home visits for the high school and I believe VLA does the same thing. Please tell me that all of these the all of our kids, they're on the list. Like someone is going to be intentional about sitting down with them and their families and kind of walking through options and this is how you get from A to B. That's in the works. That is >> I mean if they're school district if they're school district of bloit students already then then the answer is yes. Some of these are not their their you know they're past 18 they've they could be you know displaced. So if we know from past experiences who some of those students are and they've not made a connection. So the answer is yes. They're on our radar and then trying

076to follow up with them. Um if there's somebody who has sort of dropped off and you know they're 19 going through this program. We don't know. I mean we obviously have people you know at the BLA staff BMHS staff have contacts with these students. So we do try to reach out and gather up everybody that we can. We don't just say, "Well, if you don't come to us, too bad." That we we we do actively seek them out. >> Thank you so much, >> Mr. Romero. >> Just just two questions. >> Sorry, just two questions. Um, number one, is there is there an age cap for this? >> Is there what >> is there like an age cap for this? Like you can only be certain amount >> an age an age cap for this?

077Um, we can take on students as long as I mean it it's basically what's what we get paid for for funding. How how how age out the students will be for what the state will allow funding for us. >> Okay. Um, >> 21. >> Is it 21? Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Yeah. I I just didn't know. And also um for for like the courses that I just wanted to be sure I heard it correct or I'm getting it right. like the course the courses and classes that say like world history or the the required um the required courses for graduation state of Wisconsin the requirements that we need those courses are being done through the credit recovery program is that is that how that works >> um yes and so they could be some

078of them could be done through direct instruction depends depends upon what we have for needs like we have a what's the civics um our our high school American government or American democracy which we have to have so there there is a direct instruction Of course, with that electives, electives can be through um credit recovery along the way that those might not have direct instruction programs because we don't have a teacher who teaches, you know, photography or whatever it might be, but they qualify under the electives, but we do make sure that they they are meeting our graduation requirements as far as numbers of credits go for the school district of Boe. >> Okay. I just want to be sure that we're meeting the correct, you know, classes that we need. Yes. Um just because I

079see something in a case where it might seem like this this kind of model is more lenient and then how does that fair to the students that are striving to do like AP courses and and they're they're going out in the academic side when I do understand, you know, from a personal point of view that people learn differently, you know, and I'm more of a hands-on learner myself. A lot of the time I have to do things. But so just to be sure that they're all they're getting all the same kind of credit for not just saying okay well you took this this is qualified for it's an actual >> yeah they they get a bl memorial diploma and we the graduation requirements for the belove memorial students are what they have what we have

080to adhere to for them to get that. So they they they're getting the 26 credits and all of those in the required core areas. >> Okay. >> Any other questions from board members? Mr. Mr. Henkins, did you have any questions? I Mr. Senz, I have some questions and they're kind of all over the place. Sure. So, bear with me. Um, who covers the costs, the initial costs of the materials for the house build? >> That would come through the home funds grant. >> Okay. And how you you said these students attend 32 hours a week, >> correct? How does that compare to our regular students? >> Um, I'm not sure how it would compare to our regular students because it's an alternative program. Uh, we're not required to meet the the mandated minutes for a

081regular high school programming under alternative um law. But we the 32 hours is I mean they're from 8 until 4 >> Monday through Thursday and then they're there half a day on Friday. So, >> so, so their their time spent at >> alternative programs don't have a minimum number of instruction. >> No, they they're exempt from the minimum u requirement of minutes. >> Okay. Um are there any other alternative programs other than um the ones listed on slide three? Um, challenge. Uh, we have we have uh JobCore that's on there. Um, Challenge Academy, GTO2, BBS, JobCore. >> What's that? Uh, Teen Parent >> is Teen Parent is another one of our programs. >> Okay. the slide talking about the academics and you you've touch you touched on this um and covered a lot of material.

082Are these uh instructional curricula used in the fresh start program the same that are used in the high school or um I I know there's the credit recovery option but you also have direct instruction. Are they learning the same things as the students in the high school? >> We we don't run them as like algebra one class, geometry class, chemistry class the same exact way, but they are the core subjects. the civics one again they have to pass the the government test. Um we have a variety of ways to get at that. So when we meet those requirements they are they are math, science, social studies, American democracy similar sim similar to what Bo virtual school would be. They're not the exact same classes that are taught at Bo Memorial but they are meeting the

083standards of those content areas. >> Okay. So different curricula but same standards. >> Correct. Same standards. Yeah. and and the um credit recovery platform is the same one that we use at BLA and at Blit Memorial High School as well. >> Okay. If we choose not to approve this tonight, um what would happen to the 28 students who are fresh start students? Right now we don't have anybody in the pipeline because we when they decided that they weren't going to continue the program that was just at the outset of when we would start to recruit students. So that process stopped. So we don't have a waiting list. We we know who some of these students are through pre you know prior counseling uh with guidance at bullet memorial and BLA. So now it's a we

084have to go out and try to find them. If the program is not approved, it's finding them and say what what are what of our other options are viable to you? Um, and again, several of these students, many of these students have been through Bullet Memorial BLA maybe a couple of times. Some have maybe tried Challenge Academy and have not done well. Um, I'm I'm not confident that we're going to pull a lot of those back within the school district of I hate to say that, but because they've been through several operation, you know, iterations of this already, um, Fresh Start is sort of seen as a as a saving grace for some of them. Um, credit to the folks at Fresh Start program in community action. what that's what they've made this and it

085has a reputation of that and they're tough about it. But that's that's what I I'd love to see if we could get all 28 back. I just don't know that that's a reality. >> Okay. And my last question might be more appropriate for Mrs. Elwood or Dr. Garrison. If we don't approve this, what happens to those funds? >> So naturally, if the students come to us, we get funds per per student. And so it is part of our job to like recruit these students in some in some way because that's 28 students, you know, 28 time 11,300 whatever, let's just say $300. And so those are funds that we wouldn't be getting if we don't have this program. And so and I say that very kindly because this is an alternative education program and we

086all know that. And there are students who may have, you know, not had the success in school for many years and and are considered um dropouts. Um and we still want to get them back to school up to the age of 21 and the challenge academy and all of other programs. Fresh start are part of how we get students back. We get to count those students when they come back. And so the fresh start program has been a way in which we can keep our numbers in certain in our alternative education program. Um and so every every student counts is kind of how I like to think about it. And um if we don't have those students, we don't get those funds, which is a possibility, you know, because it's not always promised that they'll

087come back. >> Mrs. through. >> So, in order for this to be um possible, we need 28 students. Like, we have to find 28 in order for us to be able to pay the bills >> under what I've proposed with five staff members. Correct. >> So, um do you think it's possible for us to find 28 students? And what would happen if we don't find 28 students? applications. >> We have 30 applications already. >> Okay, perfect. Thank you. >> Um >> I think we have another one more board member. Oh, >> okay. Go ahead. >> Um five staff members I figured would be about $500,000, >> wouldn't it? >> Not necessarily. I I I've worked with I've worked with HR um to look at where they would fit on our matrix and cost and looking

088at salary and benefits. Um and that's a and that's we didn't put a number with this that we looked not to exceed what those revenues are and we're we're in the ballpark of what we need to do. We are we are right close with that and that's where that 28 broke down. Like I said smaller numbers and five staff didn't work as we went up. There was you added a staff member and you need so many more folks to do it. So that five and 28 was sort of a sweet spot where we were about at a break even point. A little bit on the positive side with our preliminary calculations. >> Okay, >> Mr. Nichols. >> Okay, Mrs. Levy, >> thank you. Um, how are you able to come up with those projections if

089the staff members haven't been identified? Because if these are new positions, we would have to post them and we don't know who would be hired for these positions. So, I'm not sure how we know how much this is going to cost with experience and benefits, etc. >> So, we have uh preliminary job descriptions already for that, and I've worked with HR to say where where would they fit? Some of them are licensed staff, so they'd fit on our teacher structure. some would fit on our classified staff. Now, again, we don't know what what those are, but we we feel that we're we're in an appropriate range. When I worked with Miss Alanderas, she felt that these were appropriate ranges and salaries with benefits to to put them in um the combination of the five of

090them in in different spots and we would still be within the realm of our revenues. So the revenue is the only number that we know for sure, but the the probable placement on a matrix, we had some flexibility and we were still within that budget number. >> So here's my other concern. I I think the magic of Fresh Start at Community Action works because of the staff that I've had the pleasure to work directly with at Fresh Start. And if we don't have that collection of people, I'm just thinking about the retention rate. So, if we have 30 applications, that doesn't mean we're going to have 30 students in those classes if we're not able to replicate what happened at Community Action. And because these positions need to be posted and we don't know who's

091going to be in those positions, my concern is if we hire these staff members, we're not going to say you'll remain employed with us if these children stay in the program. Because if they don't stay in the program and we don't get the funding for them, we still have the expense of those staff members. Like has that scenario been discussed and we we found it someone has thought that through? >> Yes. Thank you. Um so we we you that's a valid valid point. We talked about it. We discussed it. You know the like I said from the beginning what happened over at Community Action was an amazing space for over 20 years. And that's a history there. We can't make that sound no other way. 20 plus I say 20 years, it could have been

092more or less, but that many years is a lot. And we I don't want to say we going to be able to replicate that. We will have to start our our own new opportunity here from fresh start and actually have to grow it to being something that has that type of history. Now, we would hope that the staff that we recruit for this positions have that passion for alternative educational spaces and that that is something that we would have to definitely recruit for. Naturally, in that space, again, Mrs. Levy, you are correct. Um, we can't we can't say yes, it's going to be the exact same program from one to to our to our opportunity unless certain staff members from there qualify to come work for us in our organization. as a possibility as well

093um through the through the hiring process. And so that's the best my best response is just to tell the truth about it, which is we can't necessarily say we're going to be able to replicate what happened over at community action. It is our job to make sure that when it comes here, we grow our new history of fresh start being in under our roof and making sure that we have that same level of success. And that's why I believe us starting off with that 28 number gives us a better shot at, you know, seeing how we can make this work with a lower numbers versus jumping straight up to 41 with the limited number of staff that we would have here. So full transparency, we necessarily cannot say that we're going to be able to

094do the exact same thing over there and bring it straight to to the school district. And we did think about that. >> Poor President Johnson, I have a question for you if that's okay. Um, yep. Uh before we take a vote on this, could we just kind of pull and get clarity because it sounds like it is possible that we may have this may be a deficit program at least for the first year while we're trying to get it together. And I just want the and I'm not saying that's right, wrong, whatever, but I just want the board to be very cognizant of that. And I want us to go in with this eyes wide open. If we say yes to this program, we understand that this might be a deficit for the first or

095maybe even second year. And if we say yes, we are okay with that. So, if we could Thank you, >> Miss Levy. Just wanted to respond. Over the past several years, we've had 50 plus students who start I don't know how many applicants that that they've had. >> So, we we normally get around like 120 applicants. we um invite 65 to 80 to the mental toughness piece um and then from there we accept 40 that's normally the process of what we are going to >> so that that was one of the things I want to say that the the the demand is out there or the interest is out there and so we're not saying we're you know we have 30 applicants and we hope to keep 28 the applicants have been a lot more

096than that and we've come down to 40 in the past so that's why 28 was sort of a a safe projection, but you're you're absolutely right. If we don't get to 28 and we've obligated for five staff members, it would be a deficit model. But in in discussing with, you know, the folks at Alternative Education and Fresh Start, finding 28 should not be difficult to do. But there is no promise. >> Mr. Romero. >> Um, just a quick question also because like I was thinking kind of along the same lines of Mr. Levy here. Um, with the salary with the salaries and initiives, the way that the salary matrix works, it's with experiences and all that that applies to increases and whatnot. Is there a way to maybe at least I don't know maybe for

097the first one or two years or something put like some kind of salary cap so we're kind of capped at a expense for these for the instruction. Um, just a just as an example, throwing it out there, if if I'm a journeyman electrician, I have 35 years experience here and I'm and I'm running the electrical portion of the build, you know, from the from the street to the interior, everything else. And I'm looking at 125,000 for a year. That's what they would pay me for just a basic job as an electrician. Just throwing it out there. Probably wrong with those numbers. However, something really high because they get paid a lot. That's that's something we wouldn't be able to to sustain. I don't think so. Is like is a cap was there a way to

098cap something like that for the position? >> Correct. Yeah, we we and as a we meaning when I worked with HR we talked about these scenarios as well and we we do have a salary range and that's why we put not to exceed revenues with this because and again we we need a starting point. So we projected 20 revenue for 28 and that grant saying that's our starting point. Now, everybody needs to fit within that parameter and somebody like that would price themselves out of a job. Just be honest, we we could not do that. Um, it has to be sustainable and it's within a, you know, we've gotten some information from Fresh Start and again looking at where they would fit on our already employee groups and HR is has done some preliminary placing

099of it and it fit within that structure. But that that was a valid point that we discussed. What about somebody who comes in with all of this? They may be the best candidate, but we may not be able to afford that price. last year. >> President, can you hear me? >> Yep. Go ahead. >> Can you hear me? >> Yes, we can hear you. Go ahead, Mr. Henkins. >> Oh, sorry. I didn't want to barge in. I just my cell phone is going in and out. So, uh, Mr. Santa Rose and I don't know everything but I've read and heard that we were defunded because it's a great program but our graduation rate and what they do after is not being followed through with and I looked at the horse historical data and I saw

100like 512 rat or people through the program and 35 that actually graduated and walked across the uh can get a diploma and I'm not You talked about the component of education. Are they testing out as a and I I know it's an alternative education, but do they have to test out education wise? And I understand it's a trade program, but the people that come out of Fresh Start, what are they actually leaving the high school with? Um and and what is is there afterare for these kids to make sure they're getting a job and doing what Fresh Start program is programmed to do? And why were we defunded? Please program. Yeah. Um uh board member Henkins, um I'm going to say the numbers that you were stating were were incorrect. This past year we graduated

10141 students. So they do graduate with uh a bullet Memorial High School diploma. Um this is a multi-year program. So students are not just there um one year. So they can they can be through the program for a couple of years for this attainment. Um the connection that we have with WEOA workforce development, the job developer that's a part of the fresh start program that helps provide those services for what do they do afterwards? Not just the diploma, but what are their credentials? How do we link them up to job possibilities? How do we make sure that they are career ready? What kind of outside services? Um follow-ups. I I'm not sure that they have follow-up data because I know it's follow-up of Blit Memorial students that we're required to do through our federal Perkins

102grant. We if we're lucky, we get about 15 to 20% response back to find out what students are doing in any aspect. So the follow-up data is is is not necessarily easily attainable, but we do have steps in place to make sure that we are trying to see them through graduation and beyond to help them make sure that they're productive members and finding some sort of job skills, career skills, and moving on forward. Not just it's not just push them through to get a diploma. Um but again, they're not pushed through. They they are doing the work to attain this diploma. And the graduation rates are very high. Well, I can you hear me? >> Yep. Go ahead. >> The last slide I looked at the historical data um historical there was like a number

103of 512 at the top and then you slide down to the bottom I see a 35 and I apologize my Chromebook is not in front of me. Um, and I just didn't understand the correlation between that number and the top number. And I I know there was a graduation rate, but this number looked at actual diplomas maybe perhaps. I'm not sure. And again, I apologize. Uh, I am I'm uh speaking without the thing in front of me, but looking down at the slide you presented or we got presented with. And uh again, I go back to why we can't bring this in house. We havemies in the basement of Boy Memorial. We can do kind of the same thing. Build houses and uh you know units are in a modified program. I don't know why

104we need to spend uh for 28 students or 30 or whatever the number is uh and and five FTEEs on that. That's a high cost per student. And I'm all about safety nets and I get it. Everybody's not uh you know going to be a learner in the school. But there was a point where we need to make sure that our we're getting the best bang for our buck. And I hate to be so blunt about it, but uh and there was a reason why the state said, "You know what? You're not doing this. the the program is good but we're allocating our money to other programs not the boy school district because what I heard was that we are not implement we're implementing but there's no show of of uh people performing what they

105should be doing through the program after they've completed it and I'm I'm just stating that I'm not saying it's a fact it's just what I've been heard and and read so please Jeff Mr. Sun was uh point me in the right direction. >> Thank you. Thank you, Miss Henkins. >> Mr. Henkins, um >> yeah, >> can you go back to the one the Yeah. So, historically, I'm I'm assuming what this slide is telling us is over the 20 years of the fresh start program, 502 students have been enrolled. Of those 502 students, 422 have obtained the high school diploma, which is about 84%. >> Yeah. >> But keep going down to the bottom for president. I saw like a 32 to 35. What What did that represent? Number of kids. >> Um >> I think

106he's looking at the literacy gains and it's probably cut off on his screen. Because the 356 is right under the graduation rate. >> There's no 35. The only 35 up there is that cut off >> on screen. >> Well, I you don't want to I'm I'm sorry I don't have it in front of me, but I know I scanned this morning. But anyways, I could be off, so I apologize. >> And Mr. Henkins, one other >> I just >> one one other point. Um the program was discontinued because of the uncertainty and discontinuation of federal grants from Americanore and the Department of Labor um because that was where they got their funding from that primarily supported that program. So that was that was the reasoning where community action decided not to continue with the program.

107>> But Mr. Sanders, it's also state funding too, right? >> I I'm not aware of state funding that that they get that specific for this. It is Americanore Department of Labor grants that they have um city city grants that they might get for part of that but nothing from the state that I'm aware of. >> Okay. Thank you, >> Miss Mrs. Rue. >> Yes, thank you. Um I think the part you're kind of glossing over is all of the like social emotional learning aspect of the program too. I know as a teacher um you partnered with Welty Center and brought these high school students over to work with um grade school children and like they taught kindergarteners how to use binoculars and um what different tracks look like and things like that. And it was

108really wonderful seeing these students who, you know, the year before had been um not on track to even graduate to watch them educating our youngest learners and they did a phenomenal job of it. So I think there's a lot of building into these students that happens. Um, I think keeping our numbers lower is is paramount so that we can do the do an adequate job of building into the students and making sure that we're um helping them be well-rounded individuals. Can I just My name is Elena Henry. I'm the outgoing program manager of Fresh Start. Um, I have been with the program for 10 years and I started off as the academic instructor and then ended as the program manager. But I just want to state that um the reason the program has been so

109so successful is because it's a two-year program. It was a youth build program. Um the first year is the academic piece getting their graduation done, everything. The second year is a follow-up piece. By that I mean we want to make sure that they're placed in a job or in academics furthering academics in a college or something like that. This year specifically we had a 70% placement for last year's graduates. This year's graduates are losing that connection, losing that followup because the program is getting shut down. So that is one of the main reasons we have the success we do. So, I just wanted to state that. >> Thank you. Mrs. Rue, do you have another question? Um I I have um two questions and maybe Ms. Henry, this is a question maybe for you. Um

110how how does the program follow the students after graduation and and will we continue as the school district to do what they do? Ideally, that is that is the plan that we have discussed of what the program is going to look like. Um, but it's normally if you did we post what the job descriptions were? >> No, we just did that that little that little piece of it. >> So, normally it is the the program manager and the job developer work together to do that follow-up piece with the students after graduation. Um, and again, like I said, this was a youth build model. That was one of our, you know, requirements for the grant that we received. And that's just how we've always operated. Um, but the follow-up piece is done by the staff as

111part of the I don't >> Yeah, the outreach everything. And one one of the aspects that we would like to do is to continue with the youth build model even though there's not funding right now that's available for it so that if that funding does become available we can then be a grant recipient to it and transition right back into that. So we're not stepping away six steps from the youth build model and still at adhering to as many of those pieces as we possibly can so that way when that funding opportunity does become available and I'm hopeful that it will that we could maybe move to that. And again, and we're not we're not saying that um that's the only thing that we have to do, but we want to make sure we're holding

112those standards the same way that they did at Fresh Start as much as possible so we can transition back to almost the same program if we can if we can financially afford it. >> Thank you. And my last question again is either a Mrs. Lwood or Dr. Garrison question and that is in the past uh like last year how much of the fresh start um funding came from the school district employee budget >> so we actually participated with the community action not at the same so it was like I want to say 60% um so we didn't pay $11,300 per student to participate there. So, it was a partnership. They paid a portion and we paid a portion. And I think last year we I don't have the numbers in front of me, but I

113can get that to you. Um, I think last year we contributed a little over 250,000. >> 240,000. >> 24,000. Thank you. And again, I don't have the the numbers directly in front of me. So, that's how much we contributed to the program last year. >> A portion of the I think it was >> uh that includes some of the some of the inind stuff. So, yeah. >> Are there any other board questions or comments on this? Um, >> for president, I do have one more, please. >> Go ahead, Mr. Henkins. >> Um, I'm just wondering, go back to the educational curriculum piece. Do these students in FreshAt have to pass an equivalent of the GED or something like that >> or modified version of it or something? No, they're they are they are passing high

114school class high school credits uh credit recovery just the same as a student would go through bloit memorial or BLA because we have students who uh take credit recovery or finish classes that direction or even bo virtual school. So these are um you know high school level classes. We don't have an equivalency test. They are attaining the same credit numbers as any other student through blo memorial or bloit learning academy. Well, again, they can take a class, but do they have to test out or do they, you know, taking a class and testing out or performing well in it is a different subject, >> right? We do, we do not have a test out option through uh Fresh Start, nor do we have a test out option through our other programs. They have to actually

115pass the classes that they have that are scheduled for them and attain the 26 credits. So they do have to pass out of the test that they're enrolled in or or class that they're enrolled in, >> right? They have to pass >> and they and they have to attend classes. They have to attend. How is the attendance rate for these fresh start students? The 28 or last year >> 90%. Again, there they're there it's it's run as a pretty tight ship and there are they outline at the beginning there are some consequences to them not uh attending or participating. Um you know they they need to do that in order to remain in the program. So attendance rate is 90%. It's quite high. >> Great. That's wonderful news. >> Yeah. >> My other thing is

116we I talked about it. I touched on it. Why you know I know we're the BLA and the fresh start program. I do believe in the fresh start program. Why couldn't we, if we're going to take it under our wing, just bring it into the high school and do it in the basement and uh you know, so a guy's doing the same thing, but he's in the fresh start program, but he's elbowto elbow with the guy who is not in the you know, a modified version. My the son >> uh was team taught. So, I'm just wondering if there is a way to not have the expense of doing them 28 separate and bringing them in house and possibly added, you know, the five five FTEEs you're talking about. Why can't we bring them in

117the school and do it in the high school or what are the pros and cons of that? Because I really I'm kind of ignorant on that. So, please enlighten me. Thank you. >> Good answer. So, uh thank you, Mr. Sanru. And you know this is an alternative education program and it encompasses different learning opportunities for students who are credit deficient. And in an alternative and Mr. um Mr. Henkins again in an alternative education program there's different different opportunities for students to gain their educational experience while all while still gaining educational learning that progresses them towards a high school diploma. our students that you were speaking about have at some point visited or been a part of our program. Um it wasn't that we didn't try to get them through life lessons, life things do happen

118here in our city. Different challenges and for whatever reasons they became credit deficient and and and these opportunities that we have here in Bo, whether it be the GED2 program, Challenge Academy, fresh start, you name it. We have tried to get those students, our students back to our classrooms for learning. And so you ask the question, why can't they just go back to the high school again? That's where they probably weren't successful. And they needed a different opportunity to be successful. They probably traveled to Challenge Academy, probably wasn't successful there. They probably traveled to BLA, probably wasn't successful there. Um, and then of course, you know, they landed in say in Fresh Start and was successful um based off of the program setup. And so there's many reasons why we just can't say we'll just

119go back to the general population. Um those populations um wasn't successful for those students for various reasons. And we have to work with those students as they come our students as they come back to our buildings for this educational experience. And so it's not just, you know, just put them back into the high school. Um when you're 19 with one credit, those things don't often times um farewell for the student. And so we want them to be, you know, successful and the fresh start program is one of the ways in which they have been successful here in our school district. And so that's the soapbox or snapshot response. >> I accept and respect your opinion. Thank you, Dr. Harrison. >> Thank you, >> Mr. Romero. >> Yeah. Uh I just want to say uh if

120we do go through with and approve this that there would be accountability to show to show and prove that it does fill the gap and not duplicate what we already have. >> Most certainly. >> Okay. Um I'd like to put a motion on to approve as written and move forward. >> Second. >> Okay. Thank you. Um there's a motion to approve as as is and a second. Um, I will open it up for discussion. And before I call on any board members, I will remind everyone that um, as Mrs. Levy pointed out, this will be a deficit program for at least the first, possibly second year. The previous year, the school district contributed roughly 240,000. Um, so we will be needing to look for funds of roughly 136 140,000 for this year if I understand

121that correctly. >> No, Miss Johnson, can I can I add a correction to that? Okay, please. >> Um, so the the model that I have presented, the funding for the five FTEEs would come from the 28 students per pupil amount coming in. If we get no pupils, we have no staff members, we're at zero and zero. We bring in 28 pupils, we get $326,000 plus the $50,000 from the city grant that we have that covers the staffing. So what we get in and and what is covered should be almost at a zero point. To Miss Levy's point, if we only get 22 kids in and we've hired five staff members, that's when we would come in at the deficit. So if we do get if we do get the 28 staff members and our our

12228 students and our staffing falls in underneath that budget stuff, we would come out at essentially a net zero. there wouldn't there wouldn't be a loss at that point in time. >> Thank you, Mrs. Levy. >> Just very briefly, it from my perspective, it's not about how many students come in, it's about how many students we retain. And I'm assuming we want this program to start on September 2nd. It is now August 5th and we need to hire, sounds like we're going to hire, if approved, we're going to hire five staff and then we're going to reach out and recruit students. So I hope the plan is to bring in more than 28 because if not all 28 are retained then we're potentially looking at that deficit position. So that's why I was asking about

123capacity with five staff. Could we bring in 40? And if we keep all 40, that's fantastic. But if we drop down to 28, and again, we don't know who's going to be filled. So we don't know exact numbers, but it seems like we would be in a better position if we bring in more than that 28 >> in the next four weeks, three weeks. >> Miss Levy, two two things that I'd like to address. Number one, um yes, it we're August 5th. If if this gets approved, we have a very fast turnaround for job descriptions, hiring, getting people on board because it's an alternative program. We are not bound by the start date of that as well. Our our key piece would be we need to get the students enrolled the week before third Friday

124count. That that would be the the key factor to us. So, we do have a little bit of a runway to to go beyond. We could start September 10th or September 15th with the programming. Um on on the other part of that they do start with higher numbers than what is retained with it because as they start with the mental toughness they know that some students the program just isn't for them in the first week and a half they realize that these students are just not going to do it for whatever choice is going to be. So that 28 number is what we want to land on as you said retaining. So how many we take in for mental toughness? Is it 40? Is it 45? So we make sure we have 28 and do

125we keep 30? Do we keep 31 that have really gone through there? But yes, the idea is to start with more and make sure that we have at least 28 students for that staffing. >> Mr. Romero, >> obvious mentioned this is an alternative program. Does that have we looked into how volunteers can play for this as well with the alternative matrix? I don't know how that works where with the alternative is it different for alternative programs when it comes to I guess maybe I should ask Dr. Garrison this um when it comes to volunteering so community members can come in maybe help offset some of these costs that are going to come with these builds um and in real life applications. So is that does that play a difference? >> So we do have a

126volunteer application process that we have and volunteers can participate. Um, however, when it comes to the cost for the program, certified people have to be have to do the work. And so, we we would love anyone who can, you know, for the house build who can help out and pick up a hammer, but we just can't be like, come up here and pick up a hammer and help our kids either. So, um, there's a we have to follow once it comes on our roof, we have to follow specific guidelines to work with our kids. Um, and the volunteer process again, we can have people and guests come in and help our students, but when it comes to certain things, we have to follow within those parameters, >> right? Yeah. I I just know there are

127certified people that would probably volunteer, maybe. >> Oh, I mean, we take all volunteers. >> We would welcome that. >> We welcome that. Yeah. >> Mr. Nichols, >> thank you. Okay. Question. You said you already have 30 applications. So, we opened up the application portal. >> Oh, sorry. >> Yeah. We opened up the application portal back in April before we knew we had to close. And at that point of time, like within 3 days, we had over 30 applicants. So, and a lot of our applicants have been referred by BLA already. um or it's word of mouth or it's family from past graduates or whatever like that. But I I don't see us having an seeing the program having an issue whatsoever of getting applications in. >> Okay. Couple more questions. So have has anybody

128had any contact with those 30 so give or take uh students who are interested in this program? >> Not not since we've shut down. Okay. But we have let them know that I mean we have let the community know that we're looking at other alternatives. >> Okay. And then based based on let's say how many how many realistically how many based on your history how many would you get get to come to the program out of that 30 >> if that's all we had or are you saying if we get more applicants? because realistically every every year we've gotten over a 100red applications for the program >> and we've always invited at least we do it we do a two in-person interview process with the students who are interested and then that's how we decide

129we invite 60 students to the mental toughness piece. Okay, >> they eliminate themselves through that mental toughness period because it's a two week structured >> you need to be here. If you can't commit, this is not the program for you type type of mental toughness. >> Um, so students eliminate themselves because they're not ready for that commitment. >> Um, and that's how we normally get to our numbers. >> Okay. >> Mental toughness is exposing them to what they're going to be doing. >> Yeah. Our mental toughness schedule follows. we have like a a tight schedule that we've always followed um throughout the program year. And so we've always implemented an academic piece, a construction piece, a community service piece, and a life skills piece in that mental toughness period. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Any

130other board members with questions? Oh, Mrs. Levy, >> just one last things. Um, for the licensed professional educators, are these going to be two-year contracts like teachers in other buildings would receive? >> So, teachers receive one-year one-year contracts. Um, so would this fall into that conversation, Mrs. Two? I'm sorry, it's two years. My apologies. Teachers do receive two-year contracts. And I'm thinking about the construction manager like specific positions. I don't know. >> No. licensed professional educ and I'm assuming non-licensed professional educators would be like the appointment and that's for a year >> but for licensed professional educators that would be a two-year contract correct >> that's correct >> okay thank you >> what any other board members with questions um what was the per student cost for the fresh start program last year >> that

131I don't know because they have supplemental grants and resources And so we've we've paired down to what we could provide for them. Not compared to that. The number that Mark Perry gave the program is, you know, hundreds of thousands of dollars, like six, seven, $800,000 for 40 students. That's that's where we said, okay, that we can't take that on. What what can we take on and what pieces do we have to eliminate? The one of the big pieces we eliminated was the student pay. The student pay and incentives runs about $130,000. that didn't factor into when we figured 28 students at that per. So, we we had to pull that piece back. So, we already know we're short that. There are some other grants that I know that they have um that they have received.

132They've talked about the past for some field trips, some other assistance, the WEOA workforce development stuff. I didn't include any of that in there because that's it's not guaranteed and it didn't factor into the staffing and the per pupil revenues. That's why I strictly based it upon what we could do based upon those those two aspects. Where did the 11,655 per student come from? >> Don't keep we had we had a conversation with her just to get what what is this what is the per pupil number going to be starting for this next school year and that's that's what she provided. >> Okay. Well, well, that helps. And I guess then maybe my my question is because if anybody in education or everybody, most everybody understands that we receive state funds per pupil, but not

133it doesn't cost the same to educate each pupil. So, so it's an it's an overall average. If we if we have a program of pupils who h as you stated perhaps have higher needs and you know a little bit more attention or you know extra support. Are we underestimating that cost? Yeah. Because using the per pupil amount for membership, number of students, is kind of misleading because like if you have 20 kids in a kindergarten classroom, we're not paying them the 11,000 per student for a teacher, one teacher in that classroom because there's other um staff and other fixed costs that go into educating a student. I mean, you have your building costs, your utilities, you have your principal costs, your administrative costs, transportation, um, special education, all those other costs. Um, so to say

134that, um, we're going to take the membership amount. You should really be, you're right, looking at how much did it cost for this program. >> Yeah. and because we have had the some of the inind services such as administrative support, guidance counselor, um recordkeeping that has already been we already do that within the school district of Lloyd. Um that's something that I didn't include in there that would basically be an incind service, something that has happened over the course of the years. So it's really covering the staff members that come in. We're going to continue to do those other pieces that has been part of their job description already. So that yeah that that's where the the total cost of that program would be more if you included those inind service amounts in there that

135are already a part of that Dr. showed her, you know, any time that she would spend administratively having to help support that program or the secretary at BLA entering grades. We didn't put that into the calculations. The per pupil cost was just for the five additional staff members, which would be something new that we have to add to the program. Those other pieces we already did um and have for several years. >> Okay. And Mrs. Zel, would this comes out of the um fund 10, >> correct? This would be a general fund cost. And last year the cost was about $240,000 in previous years as well. So anything additional over that $240 will be an additional cost in the budget for 2526. >> Okay. >> Well, you guys have given us a lot to digest

136tonight. Um there is a motion to approve and a second on the floor. If there are no other questions or discussions, Mrs. Levy. >> Okay, here I come with a wrench. Um, I consider this to be a big decision. Um, and what we have historically done is we have received information. We've asked lots of questions and then we paused and we made a decision on that at the next meeting. And I know that there is a motion and a second on the floor, but I would be interested if any colleagues are interested in following that practice. >> Um I >> if you can hear me, I'm clearly Mrs. Levy just said, >> do any other board members want to weigh in? Um I I am of like mind with um Mrs. Levy and Mr. Henkins.

137I there is a lot to absorb here and I I think if we um sit on this and think you know we may have some more questions more um ideas I it's everybody knows our financial state right now um and we we absolutely want to give every opportunity to to students and provide them with the these wonderful programs. Um we um right right now it's a big ask financially. It's it's a big ask. Um I'm not opposed to us having a special board meeting um next week if if we need to to to um come back to this so that Dr. Garrison and his cabinet can move as quickly as possible. But I for one would like um at least a day or two to um yeah thank your process. Any other board members? Um

138but we do have a motion and a second and um we can either vote it up or vote it down. I think a roll call vote would be good. Any other Mrs. Levy? I would actually like to offer an amendment to postpone the vote on this decision um until at the latest our August 19th meeting. And so that way if we were able to call a special meeting just to deal with this, that gives us some flexibility. Um but I guess my question before I officially offer that motion is what is the timeline? And I think you said around September 10th you that this could start because it's alternative education. But logistically posting jobs, hiring people, recruiting students is >> I can tell you >> I don't think that's real. I don't even think that's

139realistic if we approve it today. >> So I'm just >> Yeah, >> help me. >> Let me let me answer that question. So there's there's a lot that goes with that and you're right. This is uh we had to work through to get to this point to bring it to the board for consideration. So we have by policy we have to post position. It has to be out there for x amount of days. I think it's seven um seven business days. Um after that then we can see who's in the pool and we can immediately start the interview process. In that in that same vein if this is approved we would have to start reaching out to our students um and making sure that they are on board for this opportunity. Um, now when I

140say on board, a lot of things could have happened over the summer for them. Um, I know they put in applications in May and you know, maybe they feel like they really want to come back, maybe they feel like they really don't want to come back. And so those are possibilities that we have to look at. So simultaneously, if this was approved, we would have to do wait for the seven days before we can interview, still call students and say this is something that we are moving forward with if it was approved. And then we would um of course try to our best to start on a September the 10th time frame and on or before September the 10th time frame. Yes, it is a tight time frame. So I don't know how else to

141say that part. >> Okay. So this is just my two cents. I think this is a good idea that has a high probability of going bad if we rush it because not all of the things you just listed. Yes, we absolutely have to do those. But whoever we bring in as staff, they have to be trained because it sounds like, which I think makes a lot of sense, you want to keep this as close to the youth build built process as possible. Everyone doesn't know what that look like, what that looks like, and how you execute that. So, you not only have to do recruitment, you have to do the whole hiring process, and then you have to train the staff to be able to receive the students. So, here's my here's my question. Do

142we have the flexibility under the alternative education programming umbrella to start this at second semester and run it through the summer? Could that count as a first year for students? If no, is there some shifted time frame that would give us a chance to do this? This is not going to happen by September 10th. That's just my opinion. This is not going to happen properly by September 10th, even if we approve it tonight. So, how much wiggle room do we have for a shifted timeline? You said we could start September 10th. Could we start at the end of October? And right like what are our boundaries? >> Our boundaries really dictate third Friday count if we wanted to count those students for various reasons on our on our books. And so third Friday count is

143September 19th. If you take it I mean don't want have to do this calendar with me but if you take into consideration if this was approved let's just say if this was approved tonight we would have had those seven days to post a position based off of board approval and possibly start interviewing process within the week of um at the end of by the end of next week if it was a 7-day process from there that's that's all depending on like you said Mrs. believe five people jumping in the pool saying yes they want to do this. Um on the flip side of that you do we would have two weeks to properly um vet and train um our staff with a board meeting on the 19th. Now, when I did the, you know, the

144back mapping of this, we already were tight regardless, but we would have to, of course, get it to the board for approval of the contracts, um, by the 19th. Um, and then naturally, we have those two weeks to try properly train our staff before we would even consider bringing people back into our buildings. Um, I'm sorry, bringing staff and students back at the same time, which gives us the two weeks before within September. It'll be a tight turnaround. We know that, but we had to at least um offer this as an opportunity um because it's it took us this amount of time to figure out if we could even move this forward. So, it'll be tight. That is true. >> May I am not an expert in third Friday count. What I believe remembering about

145third Friday count is as long as a student has been in the building in the program at some point prior to that third Friday count, they can be counted after. So if someone who is more knowledgeable about third Friday count because when we're looking for wiggle room of course we want to do things above board and appropriately. If we bring this class in for mental toughness in September but the cohort does not begin until let's say a date in October to allow us to do everything we need to do. I is that a possibility or like who's the third Friday count expert that can help me? >> Well, that's both we call it. That's both our our entire staff that kind of helps with that. Third Friday count expert. I think we all have to

146look at DPI standards to see, you know, of course it's the two days prior. The days that we can count is actually a day before the third Friday count and a day after the third Friday after the third Friday. >> It depends. Are they are they actively enrolled for that mental toughness? >> Correct. And so >> and to that we've we've not actively enrolled the students in mental toughness until we've come to these are the students we've had through you know that have come through this. So we haven't enrolled the 60 and then dropped them out. We've waited until we got to the 40 students. Typically they've started mental toughness in mid August so that we get to that beginning of school date. And we realize that we we we wouldn't have a two-eek window

147for mental toughness, but we would still want to have some component of that in there. And that adds to that complexity of a time schedule. >> I'd like to call a question. >> Okay. Be before Oops. Before we do, um I would accept a a motion to extend the meeting by 30 minutes. >> Second. Motion by Juan Romero, seconded by Brian Nichols. Any discussion hearing? None. All in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? >> I. >> Motion carries unanimously and we have a call of the question. The motion on the table is to postpone the voting until >> I never received a second. So, if he's calling the question, he's calling the question of the original motion. So, we either need to vote it up or down. >> Thank you. I'm I'm sorry I missed

148that. We did not have a um second on yours. Okay. So, Mrs. Schop, we are voting on whether to move forward at this time with the fresh start programming. Um and if you would please read back the actual motion and do a roll call. So the motion that I have since it wasn't formally stated is to move approval of transferring the fresh start program into the school district of bo under the alternative programs in uh BLA at Cunningham school. >> Um >> Joanne Rue >> Yes. Oh, yes. Brian Nichols. >> Nay. >> I'm sorry, I didn't hear you. >> Nay. >> Thank you. >> Uh Tom Henkins. >> Nay. >> Amy Levy. >> Nay. >> Juan Romero. >> I. >> And Tia Johnson. >> Nay. A motion failed. >> Thank you. >> Four to two.

149>> Um I'm going to encourage Dr. Garrison and his team to um continue working on this and there are other things we can um do to work with them. There if it is a 7-day uh posting that is due because of policy, we as a board can wave policies. Um, our intention is to work with you as best we can because we really do want to see every opportunity we can for our students. This is just a lot to absorb in this um, our time frame right now. Um, thank you. Our next item >> Oh, I'm so sorry. >> Oh, my hand for a potential motion, >> please. Thank you. Um, and and I making this motion because I was on the vote that the side of the vote that prevailed. Um, I move that

150the board reconsider um a motion to bring the Fresh Start program in house and that that is reviewed no later than Tuesday, August 19th. >> I'll second questions. I have one. Go ahead. For is that does that give you enough time? >> Not really. >> Sooner would be better. I mean, if if it's not tonight, as soon as possible and I would guarantee questions, work with the team that we have to move this as quickly as possible. Looking at that third Friday count and trying to preserve as much of the programming as we possibly can. But again, we we want to get it right. I feel these these pieces are in place. We just need to make sure that we're meeting that time frame. >> Can I ask a followup? >> So, sometimes when people

151post positions, they know that there's people out there that are looking that are interested. Do you know if there's interest from people in the community? >> Yes. Mrs. Sch, would you please read back the motion? >> I actually will read what I thought I heard, but I was going to ask for clarification. So, I thought I heard move approval of bringing the fresh start program in house and to review this motion by August 19th. Very close. So move to reconsider the motion to bring the fresh start program in house by no later than August 19th. So that gives us some wiggle room of when the meeting can occur. >> Okay. Thank you for that clarification. Um I'll have another roll call, please. Can I just get one last little clarification um from board member Levy?

152So, I've moved to reconsider the motion to bring the fresh start program inhouse and by the board of education no later than August 19th. >> Okay. Thank you. >> No problem. Juan Romero. >> Hi, >> Amy Levy. >> I Tom Henkins. >> I >> Brian Nichols. >> I >> Joanne Rue, I and Tia Johnson. I >> motion carried unanimously. >> Thank you. Our next item is the ad hoc budget finance committee recommendations. The purpose of this is to discuss, amend, and approve the ad hoc finance committees 2526 budget me recommendations. The ad hoc chair, Carol Fox, presented the committee's report and recommendations to the board on June 3rd. Currently, the board may approve these recommendations to be incorporated into the 2526 budget with the exception of of item three utilizing the staff reduction recommendations presented

153by the administration on May 6 and May 20th. These positions referred to have already been addressed. The reductions with the exception of the three assistant principal positions have been approved on June 3. Upon re receiving feedback from the administration staff, families, and community members, it was decided to convert the six elementary AP positions to dean positions. The reason this is um I'm is on the agenda tonight is because of um feedback from um board members in that the original motion that we took in um in June was um not as strong as what they would like and that the recommendation was um or the motion was for Dr. Garrison to consider incorporating these into um the 2526 budget planning. Um now there are some that are more cut and dry than others. For example, the

154first um recommendation from the ad hoc committee was to eliminate the pay freeze for teaching staff by utilizing up to 1 million of the OPED funds. The second one is eliminate the insurance increases for all employment groups using uh $500,000 of OPED funds. The third one is no longer in play. Four is restructure COLAC staffing using a million dollars as the targets for reductions. Um we can give Dr. Garrison um more latitude if we want to adjust the million dollars in terms of restructuring COLAC. Um one of the things that I would like to see from this is um Dr. Garrison and the cabinet members work more strategically in the restructure effort of staffing and addressing staffing needs in Kolak. I know that we have had some reductions by um people resigning or retiring. But

155I think as we look at the future enrollments uh projected enrollment numbers, we should be looking at what reductions we are going to be needing to make and start planning and projecting forward. Any discussion or questions? Mrs. Levy. >> Thank you. So, if I'm understanding correctly, we're looking at three bullet points where four becomes three. Um, I am in complete support of this with two changes. Um, one, eliminate the freeze pay for teaching staff. Um, I I support that being all staff because and someone correct me if I'm wrong. It's my understanding that that employment groups outside of just teaching staff have contributed to OPE. So, I'm not comfortable with taking a pot of money that multiple groups contributed in and only using it to benefit one group. Again, if I'm understanding that correctly. Um,

156so I would be in support of that saying eliminate pay freezes um for all staff and identifying the OPED as the source of funds for that. Number two, I think is completely reasonable. And four, that is now three. um instead of having a number there I just my perspective I don't want us to chase a num a dollar amount reduction but I do want us to rightsize our district so that staff in all of our buildings because I don't want this and I'm not saying it is it might be to be a KEK versus everyone else or KEK versus I just I don't think that's healthy um for our district just like all of our buildings need to be right staffed to reflect our current enrollment I think Kek is no different from that. So

157instead of saying you have to eliminate a million dollars, it needs to be proportional to where we are with enrollment. So again, those two adjustments, I would be in full support of this. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mrs. Rue. >> Yes. Uh so um I have a question. Who when was the last time monies were put into OPED from district employees? I don't have that information. I actually do not I think it closed last year. OPE the last I shouldn't say the last person that was >> that was given money from it. But when is the last time that the district put money into it? >> I do not know that. >> Do you have an estimate? >> I I don't want to guesstimate and be way off. So I don't I don't I don't

158know. >> There's no one that can tell us. We have to look we have to look to we have to look to the OPEC trust fund to determine that. And so >> I think Carol Fox had an idea when we were in the ad hoc meetings. >> I don't I don't remember. I would guess about 15 years ago that they took it out of the contract as an option. >> You got to use the mic miss I'm sorry. that they retired. >> So I was guessing it was at least a decade ago. So that's a safe estimate. >> I would guess so. And I I would al I'm not sure that you could say the employees contributed. The district >> put that money in there. It wasn't anything that came directly from employees or out

159of anybody's paycheck. >> Um it was >> um like a trust fund kind of thing. they w it was offered as a benefit that people could get insurance after they retired >> and so the district had to put money aside to make sure they can pay that. >> So it didn't come out of my paycheck as an employee. >> Yeah. I don't believe it came out of anybody's direct um salary or money or any like that. Um, I think it was just it was just sort of a um something the state wanted the districts to put aside so they could guarantee that the money would be there since it was promised. >> And then the can I ask my second question then? Um my second question was um can you explain the thought that was

160put into the like where did you come up with uh how we need I'm sorry I need to think about how I'm going to word this. So the the part about a million dollars at Colac can you talk about how what research went into um coming up with that number was just uh really what took us kind of back to the 2530% target that we originally did. Um and we we had some discussions about how to present that um and it it kind of um so we kind of landed on a million dollars but it was between 25 and 30%. I I don't have copies, but you got um that um number that would include some of the cuts that were already in uh already there. Um they cut, you know, they didn't do the

161director of marketing. They didn't do the, you know, they didn't replace the leadership. So, so some of that was already included. >> Um so, we were looking for a a bit more. >> Um partly because of what Miss Levy was Mrs. Levy was saying about the the right sizing for the number of students. You know, uh, Collak um, some was originally it has been cut, but it was originally set up for more like 7,000 students and now we're looking at about five 5,000 students. And it we had 12 elementary schools at one point. We only have six. So, it's working on on trying to sort of balance some of those things is is some of the discussions that we had. And I don't remember who, but somebody actually looked at comparing our district to other

162districts with similar number of students. And um was that part of what was used to factor into the million dollar? >> Sort of. Um that not really. The million dollars came from the original amount of money that um that we'd gotten from Mr. JD about um what it was for salary costs for um COLAC and that's where we got the 25% and so we were sort of continuing to work with that and when we went there we didn't really start over right we we were just um still looking at that 25%. >> All right thank you >> Mr. Romero. >> Um, you say we're we're omitting number three, correct? >> Okay. So, I want a motion to accept and and approve these recommendations as written and implement them by September 1st minus number three. >>

163So, um, just for clarification, Mr. Romero, the budget, even though the budget year has already started, the budget does not get finalized by the board until the end of October. >> Okay. Well, I want to use >> I So, my question to you is, do you want to revise your motion with that information then? >> The budget I said that that has to do with number three, correct? That's what we're talking about. Because this right here, these are all recommendations. I'd like to have these recommendations put in and implemented. I guess you can put it before the budget before the budget uh approval or before the budget finalization. I want that implemented in that budget. >> Okay. So, do you want to rephrase your motion? Would it work to use the year like for the

164budget? >> Yeah, let me rephrase that to have it implemented. I'd like a motion to adopt it and implement it for the 2526 budget minus number three. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> We have a motion by Mr. for Romero and a second by Mrs. Rue. Brian, your hand was up. Correct. Thank you. So, um so much of this is tied to um our membership, our pupil count. Uh to whoever has the answer as of today, what is our new what is our pupil count before the day before school starts? Do we have it now number now of PE children enrolled in school for the new year? Does anybody have that number? >> Give us a second. We can look it up. >> Okay. Just curious. >> Was that your only question? >>

165Uh could be. Depends on the number. >> Okay. Mrs. Levy, while we're waiting. >> Yeah, my hand is up. >> Oh, I'm sorry. I did not see your hand. Um, no, >> I can't see my hand. >> Go ahead. >> Um, I want to go back to number three. And again, I apologize. My Chromebook is not in front of me. What is number three that uh is off? >> Number three was the was the approval of exhibit A for May for the May meetings. And that's that's done and over. Um that's been resolved. So it's no >> I'd like to just uh go back to Mrs. Levy's comments and I agree with what she suggested and it goes back to the OPED funds and I and it was enlightening to me to hear that the

166district put that money in and not actually the uh the uh the staff person per se out of their checks. But my question goes back to what Mrs. Levy said. who who was eligible for the uh OPED funds to use for whatever you know further education or so who was eligible was all staff eligible for that and goes back to the point Mrs. Libby was trying to make. >> Yes, thank you. >> Um yes, all all staff members were eligible to receive um the OPED benefits. OPED is other postmployment benefits if I'm not mistaken. >> Oh. Oh, they were not. >> Yes, they were. Yeah. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Okay. >> Everyone that qualified. >> So back. So once it goes back to Mrs. Levy's point that yes, if if they were a

167if they could be a product of the benefits and that yes, then we should use the money for those said positions. Thank you, >> Mrs. Levy. So, I'm a big fan in clarity and board members knowing what we're voting on. So, that is the spirit in which I ask this clarifying question. So as the motion has been presented, we are not making adjustments to number one. So the pay freeze if this is passed would be implemented just for teachers and not for everyone. And then also with number four, as the motion stands, it's from this point until it is approved, the budget is approved, remove a million dollars from KEK. So that does not take into consideration positions that have been eliminated or through attrition or folks. So an additional million is what we're voting

168on and OPED benefits for pay increases only go to the teaching group. That is how the motion stands. So I just wanted to reiterate that so everyone's clear on what they're voting for. >> Um thank you Mrs. Levy. I'm reading this as this was presented to the board on June 3rd and I know that there have already been some reductions since then, but the motion is happening this evening and if I'm understanding Ker I I would love to be wrong. It was the motion as presented. So that means between now and when we approve the budget, if we vote yes for this, the board is directing the administration to eliminate an additional million dollars from KEK and pay freezes, which I'm not sure how this impacts our negotiation position, is only for teachers. Okay. So

169that's not something I can support, but I just want in >> Okay. >> Thank you. So, um, in in terms of eliminate the pay freeze for teaching staff by by utilizing up to a million dollars of the OPED funds, I read that as this is where we are going to get money to pay whatever increase gets negotiated with our teachers teachers from the OPED fund. the raises for the other staff will come out of something else or not at all, whatever the board decides. This says we are going to not freeze our teachers pay and we're using OPED funds for that. Um, and then for the restructuring COLAC, it does say we are recommending a target of $1 million in reductions. Um, it's a target. It's, you know, yeah, a high t a high target,

170but not you must. Okay. So if the administration comes back and say we're going to cut $50,000 from Collak, we're all okay with it. When what's because your target is a million, but what you actually cut is totally up to you. That's the I'm uncomfortable with us giving vague direction because in my opinion, that's not direction. But but again, people can vote the way they see fit. Thank you so much. >> Thank you, Dr. Garrison. Thank you board and when I look at the first of all thank you to the ad hoc team for the work that they you know of course worked with me in in this space for um many many months and so when I look at all of the recommendations and if we just go down the page you know we

171are working towards different opportunities here as Mrs. Johnson has mentioned, um I think as an administrative staff, we have met um the 25% um COLAC cuts over here at KEC over time even within this year. Um I do understand what Mrs. Levy is saying it way reads is, you know, we're saying on on top of this, look at another million dollars. But I can tell you with the amount of reductions that we've already made here at the KEC, um over 21 positions have been reduced here, um we wouldn't full transparency that getting to another million dollars would not be something that's possible and still say operate a school district. Um and so um it's one of those spaces in which we have made reductions over the course of this year and even in the previous

172years and within the COLAC staffing and we're still having conversations in general around like what else could we possibly do and so full transparency if I look at number one we've been working towards number two we've been working towards number three it changed the board you know made those changes with with administration And then number four, we've we've really look at the ad hoc space and think we've made a lot of progress with the recommendations that has been presented. And I would ask the board to allow me to continue to, you know, do what I have shown off of history, um, bringing the board, you know, a balanced budget based off of a various amounts of different opportunities. And so, um, I did not look at these recommendations and didn't try to incorporate them. Um,

173that's why we have an ad hoc space and the board doesn't have to, um, the board can do what it wants to do, number one, but the board can trust that I've we've looked at these recommendations and have worked towards those just even based off of the information that we've already provided you with in June. And so we we side by side with looking at this information, we've done those things. And I would like to appla I'd like to applaud my staff for all the hard work that they have done along with the ad hoc team as it pertains to just our conversations around what we could do differently. And so I don't I don't personally see how we have not met a lot of these opportunities already. And I'm just, you know, putting that

174putting that out there. we we did present a preliminary balance budget. And so that was a hard space to even get to in with the 6.2 that we had to kind of reduce. And so we we put this information out there from day one that we would do this work and I can tell you that it's this has been the work that we've been doing really since October. I mean prior to that, September, October all the way through the end of the year. And so here we are now being able to be in a position where we have a present a balanced budget and knowing that we have, you know, hate to say this, another deficit coming in the in the future years without a referendum being passed. And so I just want to make

175sure I shared that um board President Johnson and to the members of the board. If you look at what we've already done side by side with the ad hoc recommendations, I feel very comfortable that we have met a lot of the goals that the ad hoc team has set out to put towards the board put to the board for consideration. >> Thank you, Dr. Garrison. And I um will echo Mrs. Levy's um appreciation that what we need to do is rightsize our district and enrollment projections are have been trending downward. I don't see that changing. I understand that there may be other um educational opportunities in the near future for our community and I'm concerned if we are not working strategically now for what our needs are now and in the near future um that

176we will behigh be behind the eightball. Uh Mr. Romero, >> thank you. Um so just a couple things here. that million dollars is up to like he was mentioned for is up to but there's also a percentage here the 20 the 25 to 30% now to Dr. Garrison's statement that he feels confident that he's already been, you know, doing most of this stuff already as it goes. And that's great. So then I don't see an issue with approving it and moving forward knowing that you're going to meet those goals. This way it sets the standard. This is what we're looking for. Um the 25 to 30% of whatever it is, if it if it gets up to the million dollars, great. If not, then it's 25 to 30% of what it is. You're going off

177of percentages versus a number. So that's another way to look at it as well. And this is all based off of what was done in June. So from June to now, what is what what if this has been done and what has not been done. But if we approve it, if we accept it, then whatever hasn't been done yet can still be done. And whatever has been done in that time, then it's been done. It's already covered. So again, that's where I don't see the issue with this. But that's my my take. >> Thank you, Mrs. Rue. >> Yes. So, uh, number four talks about, um, reorganizing and restructuring. And I think that that is a part that I think we really need to look at. Um, we have, uh, positions at COAK that people

178have resigned from that we need to figure out some way of still covering some of those responsibilities. Um, one one example is um PR and we don't necessarily need a director of PR, but we do need to have something that's job description where that's part of it. Um, we also have some um some of our our groups that are really struggling because they've had too many people leave theirs. And so, um, I think the reorganizing and restructuring since we are, um, 2,000 students less than we were a few years ago, I think that that's a really important thing to look at. >> Thank you, Mrs. Rue. Mr. Romero, is your hand still up or is that a new question? >> No. >> Okay. And Dr. Garrison, is your hand still up or is that a

179new question? Same. Sorry about that. >> Okay. So, if and Mr. Henkins, I'll give you one last chance, too. >> Yes. Can you hear me? >> Yes. >> Okay. So, go right back to what Mr. Romero was talking about. So, Nanhawk comes out with these goals, per se, now they're goals, and I agree with Mrs. Levy. Uh there's a lot of wiggle room with a goal and not a goal. And uh I I do like more of the directive approach, but going back to what Mr. Roberto was saying, so these goals are committed by what time and when did these goals start? In June and you know, I know Juan just talked about so things were done between June and now that's great. So they're added on. So the percentage is when do we look

180at when is the target date to look at these and say are you meeting these goals or aren't you? >> Thank you. >> Thank thank you Mr. Henkins. So these are not so much goals but this you could consider this giving uh Dr. Garrison and the uh cabinet uh directive from the board where it's not something where um where we're trying to do something. We're telling them do this. So we we are going to we are not going to freeze the teaching staff and we are going to use up to a million dollars of the OPED funds for that. So that's not a goal. That's that is we're giving them that charge. We're giving them the directive of eliminating the insurance increases by using OPED funds and the so so it's not so much a

181goal in terms of the timeline. The budget cycle has begun. They're planning on working on the finalized budget. We saw the preliminary budget in June. Kudos to Dr. Garrison and the staff for getting that together. We really appreciate that. That's not something that has um Yeah. Yeah. I don't know that it's been done in the school district of Blo previously. Um so these would be incorporated into the final stretch of the budget planning process, the budget development process that gets presented to us uh late probably in September. We the board votes on that no later than the end of October because we the state needs to know what our our budget is. >> Point of order. Just need to uh remind the board that we're here at 30 minutes over. >> Oh, thank you. Is

182that a motion? >> Motion to extend the meeting by 30 minutes. >> Second. Second. >> Motion by Juan Romero. Seconded by Brian Nichols. Any discussion? All in favor? >> I. >> Any oppose? >> I. >> Motion carries unanimously. Um, who had their hand up? >> I was still I want to keep my conversation going. >> Oh, go ahead, Mr. Henkins. >> Yes. So, going back to Okay, so now so we get this. Okay. Are there not goals or directives and we approve them all in one sum? When do we revisit to see how successful our directive to admin worked? Can we look at the end of October then if we have to go through the budget cycle and say okay where do we stand rather than this never ending you know goals or directors I'm

183sorry when do the measuring stick when when should we look at it and revisit it >> we can ask Dr. Garrison for an update um at any time if that's what the board wants between now and the end of October. >> Well, I'm just saying that's the point of all these things, right? Is to measure them. So, we have a metric to look at to say were we successful, what needs to be revised, and let's push forward. It's a you know, it's a it's you know what it is. We have to know if these directives or whatever the initiative is a measuring stick and then we can look at it and say okay how how did we do as a district not pointing fingers at people but are we moving in the right direction that

184our directives were there for. Thank you. >> Any other board discussion or questions? We have a motion on the floor and a second. Mrs. Sch, may I get a roll call, please? May I clarify who the second was? Okay, thank you. So the motion I have is to move approval of the 2526 recommendations minus number three and imp and implemented for the 2526year budget. Okay. Juan Romero. >> Hi. >> Amy Levy. >> Nay. Tom Henkins. >> Name. >> Tia Johnson. >> I. >> Brian Nichols. >> I. >> Joanne Rue. >> I. Motion carried 4 to2. >> Thank you. The next item on the agenda is policy 181, rules of order. Chairman Nichols, do you want to speak to this? >> Thank you, Board President Johnson. So, I move approval of the revisions of policy 181,

185rules of order, for final reading. >> Second. >> We have a motion to approve 181 for final reading by Brian Nichols and a second by Mr. Romero and a Mrs. Levy, your hand is up for discussion. >> Yes, please. Um, three questions. The first one is um if we are using Robert's rules of order, uh, is anyone opposed to us clarifying? Um, when the paragraph that begins with timekeeping will be done by the board clerk, time limits discussed. I think it would be appropriate to put exactly what those expectations are. And so I believe that would be a member may speak up to twice on any debatable motion for up to 10 minutes at a time. Um, is anyone opposed to providing that level of clarity? >> Excuse me, board member leave you. Where exactly

186where were you? >> Yeah, absolutely. So it currently reads timekeeping will be done by the board clerk. Um, it's about 2/3 down the page. And then the next sentence says time limits in discussion shall include the time required for any questions asked by the speaker and response provided by the speaker. But it never tells folks how much time. So if we are using Robert's rules of order that the standard for that is a member may speak up to twice on any debatable motion and for up to 10 minutes at a time. So is anyone opposed to including that level of clarity? No. >> Well, I >> what Mr. Romero? >> So, this policy basically holds us as board members to be accountable for Robert's rules and how it's run. I mean, this is we should

187know what the time limits are and where it's at. Um, the reason it's it looks like here that's written this way, it's to actually describe what the time limit is going to include for our district here for for how this works. But we should know as board members what the 10-minute rule is with how many times we can speak per Robert's rules. >> Well, the reason I bring it up, and I'm a fan of clarity, I mean, I've had someone tell me at a meeting they have no idea what we just voted on. So, I I'm cautious to making assume assumptions about what people know and don't know. So again, is anyone opposed to us just clarifying because I think that's what policy is for. A member may speak up to twice on any debatable

188motion and for up to 10 minutes at a time. >> I I think that's appropriate to put that there, but that's my personal opinion. >> I agree. >> Okay. If it's okay to I have two more things. Um so if we go down to the end of that paragraph um the second part of that sentence uh is speaking to the board president may enlist uh the assistance of a registered parliamentarian who is not a member of the board to serve as parliamentarian for any meeting where such services may improve order of board efficiency. Um is there a budget for this? I'm not opposed to it. I'm just wondering do we have a budget for this? >> No we do not. >> Okay. Are we comfortable with including things in policy that we don't have a

189budget for? >> Isn't there a board budget there? There used to be a designated board budget. >> I cannot confirm or deny, but I think it would be helpful to kind of know what the parameters of that are. like how much does it cost per hour for an RP so we can kind of gauge out if that budget exists if we can accommodate this request in policy and I'm asking because I don't know I thought the U board budget was captured under the superintendent's budget. So, when I got here, that was kind of what was explained to me, cuz I asked the question as well, like, is there a board budget that I need to be looking at? And um what was explained to me was the board budget is captured up under the superintendent's

190budget, which is I always say under 25,000 now because of the change. I'm I'm just joking, but it was always captured up under the under the superintendent's budget. That's kind of what I was told. Thank you. >> So, I guess for clarification, do we know how much an RP costs an hour? And if yeah, if we can afford it, I think it's great. But if we can afford it, I'm uncomfortable with putting that in policy. Um, and then finally, um, and this question, um, for President Johnson is actually for the policy chair. On the last page, could you explain to me what number five means and why that is preferred over clearly stating a motion and then taking a vote to solidify action by the board. Thank you so much. Chair Nichols. You guys still

191there? >> Yes, Mr. H. >> Still here. >> Okay, >> go ahead. >> No, I just it was silenced. I didn't know if I lost or not. We're actually reading. >> Yes, we're reading. >> I have a I have a couple. >> Okay, go ahead, Joanne or Mrs. Ro. >> Okay, so um we're it's talking about the parliamentarian. Um, I'm I'm not an expert in writing policy, so I don't know if this is okay or not, but could we put in there as as funding allows or um something about it being fiscally responsible so that, you know, if there's money available, we can do it, but if there isn't, we're not adding extra costs. I don't know if that's I think that's great. >> Okay. And then I think number five, I think part of

192the reason why that one is worded that way is because this is for committee meetings at this point, right? Is number five about committees. Oh, actually I was just waiting on an explanation from the policy chair and and it doesn't say specific to committee meetings, but if that is the intention, if uh board vice president Nichols could explain that, that would be great. And then again, my question is um for board vice president Nichols, please explain what number five means because it's not clear to me. and then how this process is preferred to clearly stating a motion and then having a formal vote to solidify board action. Thank you. I can I >> go ahead. Okay. >> Okay. So, I used to be part of the TLE committee back in 2017. didn't realize that I

193was even on an actual board committee because um where it's bolded there, committee chairs may at their discretion conduct committee meetings following all procedures for Robert's rules for small boards colon um number five. I believe that's how it was done back in 2017. It was very collaborative, quick. We got a lot accomplished in a very short amount of time at each of our meetings. And um I think sometimes, you know, like sometimes our TLE committee is just two people. And so one person's making the motion, the other person's seconding it, and then they both vote. So, I mean, it just it just seems I don't know, silly or dis um I don't know the right word. It just seems silly, I guess. >> Okay, let me >> I'm sorry. Can I clarify? Okay, so in

194uh Robert's rules board or page 161, in informal procedure and small boards, that's where that came from. If a proposal is perfectly clear to everyone, it may be voted on even though no formal motion has been made. page 161. >> No, I understand that, but why would that be pref preferable to having a motion and taking a vote? Like, what did the minutes look like? Everyone just understood X and like I just I don't understand why we would substitute that for our current practice of there is a clearly stated motion and then a vote is taken. It's not it's not saying that we're not going to take a motion. It's just an option under small boards versus per Robert's rules of order. And this was written for small boards from Robert's rules of order. So

195that's the re I are we ever going to do it? Probably not, but it's a possibility. There's always a possibility. >> Okay. And then I'm sorry. And then back to the back to the parliamentarian question. Um I would echo what Mrs. uh board member Rue said that we you know that would be that would be up to our fin based on our financial situation at the time but we're not going to go out and hire a parliamentarian for every every board meeting. Not at all. >> Okay. So, just for clarification, um my my request is that number five be moved. I I just don't want to ever assume that people know what the vote is going to be for. I think the prudent thing to do and also as a benefit to to accurately capturing

196our our dealings in meetings is to state a motion and then have a vote. So if if number five remains, unfortunately I wouldn't be able to support approval of the policy. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Romero. >> I'm finding a lot of this uh a lot of back and forth here more along the lines of discovery versus discussion. Um a lot of these questions could be asked in policy. I'd vote for calling the question, please. Mrs. Levy, >> just very briefly, whatever you want to call this discussion, totally fine. But just for full transparency, I submitted all of my notes as was requested to the policy chair, the superintendent, and the secretary. So, the fact that I still have questions even though I followed that process, are you saying that's somehow inappropriate? >> Um,

197thank you. And we have a motion and a second. Is there any other discussion? Are there any uh motions to amend? Hearing none. >> Oh, actually yes. Um, I move approval of policy 181 with the amendments discussed, including removing number five from the final page. >> I've already made the motion. >> Right. And she's she's amending it. So now the we have a motion and an amendment. We'll vote on the amendment of approval of policy 181 with the two times per for for per for for member. Um yeah, if yes, you're right, Joanne. Um two times for 10 minutes each and then removing um and you said move number five. You mean remove it altogether? I'm taking >> Yeah. So the three things, one the the two times 10 minutes each um Mrs. R's suggestion

198that for the the RP as the budget allows and then removal of number five from the last page. Okay. Is there a second to this amendment? Hearing none, the amendment dies for for failure of a second and we will return to the original motion of approval of 181, policy 181. >> Is that as written? >> I I believe that was the motion. Oh, that's right. You you made the motion. Yep. Yes. All in favor? >> I. >> Any oppose? >> Nay. >> Motion carries 5 to one. The next item is the policy 185 185.4 um changing the policy committee. >> Are are we skipping 183? >> Yes. Board President pulled that out at the beginning. >> Oh, thank you so much. >> Um policy 185. Um 185.4. Sorry you guys. Too many policy papers here

199in front of me. >> Yes, please. >> Okay. Policy policy 185.4 policy committee. Uh I move approval with the revisions to policy 185.4 for policy committee with adding and human resources to the final to the title for final reading. >> Second. >> Any discussion? Mrs. Levy, is your hand up? >> It is. >> Okay. >> Thank you so much. Um, again, I don't think it's appropriate to give two members of the board the authority and ability to deny a request from administration without that original request going to the seven member full board. So, for that reason, I cannot support this policy. Um, I also think it unnecessarily creates additional meetings for us, um, which I don't support. And then I do have one request that, you know, no rush on it. Um, but the policy

200states that policies requiring annual review are designated in the MPL. Um, if we could get a list of those policies, that would be really helpful. Thank you so much, >> Mrs. Rue. >> Yes. Uh, I spoke to a staff member this week um who was very upset about things and how they transpired and as far as um her job assignment for this year goes. And um through that conversation um I was on the fence about this before, but um she agreed that having a little bit more um like accountability through the board might be helpful for our staff here. >> Thank you. Any other discussion? >> Oh, Dr. Garrison. >> Yes. you know, when I think about, you know, this policy, again, I I would like to just reiterate that, you know, as we look

201at staffing and staffing conversations here in the school district, you know, I I do believe that we have done the very best we can with the limited resources that we have and at times we will have to move and place students, I'm sorry, place staff members in different places. Um, Mrs. Ru, I understand that that was a staff member that may have that you um um have reached out to or have spoken with. Um and as it stands, we we're doing the very best we can with all of our staffing needs here in the school district. And I do believe that my staff has done uh the best job we could as it pertains to bringing recommendations to the board um and following our regular processes that we've had here in the past. Um it

202does say here that in in the policy it says that the this the member board could deny the proposal with justifications. And then number three states that all human resources related actions will be guided by district's commitment to maintain an effective responsive and student centered learning environment. And then it also says in number four all recommendations made by the committee will move forward to the full board of education for a final decision. And so as me and Mr. Shop has been um processing this thought. Um and I say Mr. Shopee because we have a lot of different conversations around posting of job and posting of board meetings. Um if this meeting happens on a Monday um prior to the Tuesday's board meeting and let's say the the um committee um has some questions about a

203posting, they can give us those with justification. Um we would have to repost. Oh, I'm sorry. we have to still move forward with our regular recommendations to the full board that we would post on a Friday. Um, and if they were to change, we would have to add those as attachments. Um, and so that's kind of how we would have to navigate this space. Um, the best way we know how. This would be a a brand new thing for us, but just thinking about how board meetings would need to be posted due to the fact that this this committee will be meeting on a Monday prior to a board meeting. So, it's it's just a a new space that we will have to kind of navigate, which is going to take, you know, we may

204have some different iterations of how we get this done the correct way. >> If this if this passes, yeah, >> Mrs. Levy, >> thank you. And I'll be brief. I I think it would actually be worse than what you described. my opinion if the administration posts on Friday for a Tuesday board meeting. So if they put Amy Levy for this position and then the committee meets on Monday and says no we have justification don't include her that's already out in the public and then it's pulled on Monday and there's a repost. So this is what we are doing to potential hires or potential transfers in the district and I just I think that's a bad idea for a lot of different reasons. Any other board members with questions or comments? There is a motion by

205Brian Nichols, second by Joanne Rue. All in favor? >> Actually, I'm so sorry. Roll call, please. >> Sir, >> thank you. >> Mrs. Shopee. >> Joanne Rue I. >> Brian Nichols. I >> Tom Henkins. I'm sorry. Could you repeat that? >> Hi. >> Uh Amy Levy. >> Nay. >> Juan Romero. >> I. >> And Tia Johnson. >> Hi. >> Motion carried 5 to one. >> Thank you. The next policy is >> Yes. >> Um I got to move location so if I lose I'll I'll try to get right back with you. >> Okay. Thank you, Mr. Henkins. The >> prior to the next item, you might want to extend your meeting. >> Oh, thank you. I would entertain a motion to extend the meeting 30 minutes. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Motion by Brian

206Nichols, seconded by Joan Rue to extend the meeting 30 minutes. Any discussion? Hearing none. All in favor? >> I. >> Motion carries unanimously. Our next item is policy 345.6 rule 4 award high school credits for demonstration of language and proficiency. Mr. Nichols. >> So I move approval of the addition of policy 345.6 rule 4 award high school credits for demonstration of language profess proficiency Spanish for final reading. Second >> motion by Brian Nichols, seconded by Joan Rue. Any discussion >> hearing? None. All in favor? >> I. >> Any oppose? Motion carries unanimously. Our next policy is policy 443.5, student use of mobile phones and electronic devices. Mr. Nichols, >> um move approval of the revisions of policy 443.5, student use of mobile phones and electronic devices for final reading. Is there a second? >> Second.

207>> Motion by Brian Nichols, seconded by Juan Romero. Mrs. Levy, >> I just want to thank I I didn't retain the name, so my apologies, but I just want to thank the BEA high school organizing team rep that came. It's like you spoke to all of the concerns that I had on my list. I think it is inappropriate for us to move forward with this policy when the folks that work with our kids every day are saying we think we have a better way to do this and still meet the needs of our students. Um, I would actually move that this policy go back to the policy committee and that we give our team at Bo Memorial time to implement the what seems like a very thoughtful plan that they have and if there is

208a need for it to come back to the full board um, then we can address it then. >> Okay. Can you please repeat your motion? >> Absolutely. Um, I move that policy 345.6 six, rule four, go back to the policy committee um to give the BEA high school organizing team to implement their very thoughtful plan and if there's a need for that. >> Yes, >> I think you have the wrong policy number. >> Oh, I do. Thank you so much. It's policy >> 443.5. So, I move to send policy 443.5 back to the policy committee. And if there is a need to revisit that policy, I'm sure it will find its way back to the regular committee. >> Second. >> There's a motion to move 443.5 to go back to the policy committee by Amy

209Levy and a second by Joanne Rue. Excuse me. Any discussion, >> Miss? >> Yes. >> Oh, okay. Okay. I'm I'm trying to keep up with the hands on the screen. Um, so Joel, Mrs. Rue, is your hand up for discussion? >> Yes, my hand is up. Um, so I talked to um quite a few educators um in the last few days. Um, we've gotten some very thoughtful emails from people, students included, and um, I was asking someone about why the locker thing because the lockers came up a lot. And, um, one of the things that, um, I found out is that passing time has now been shrunk to five minutes of passing time. So that doesn't give students a whole lot of time to get to their locker and then get to class. Um and

210then like um board member Levy said, we've got a team that have been working on um a policy and um I believe in our teachers and I think that they they're boots on the ground. They know what's going on. I think it would make sense to give them a chance to try this policy, see if it works. And if it doesn't um uh a teacher told me today, we have very strong leverage now saying if you don't comply with this, this is what the board is planning on passing. So follow our policy or the next one coming is is way less desirable. And I like that idea. >> Thank you, Mrs. Rue. I like that, too. Watch out. That board is coming. We're coming for your cell phone. It's kind of like mom, you know,

211I'll be the bad guy if you need. And I told the I told the teacher, I said, I'll be the bad guy if you need me to. You go ahead. >> Um, and Mrs. Rue, I'm I'm curious what what did the passing time used to be? >> Um, I think it was like up to 10 minutes at one point they said. Yeah. So, I mean, this is very short. I mean, if you have a class on the third floor and then you have to go to the or if your locker's on the third floor and your class is in the basement, that's uh quite the trick. >> Thank you. Oh, okay. U Mr. Nichols. >> Okay. Well, I appreciate the input. Just just a couple things. Uh number one, um I think there's some misunderstanding

212about going back and forth to the to the lockers. That's not part of the policy. The policy is you put your phone in the lock at the beginning of the day and you move and take it home at the end of the day. So, want to make make sure everybody's clear on that. Number two, um I can tell you looking at staff staff surveys, staff exit surveys, um emails from teachers and some parents. Um, our one public speaker the other day who spoke at the policy committee meeting uh was in favor of banning cell phones in the in the classroom because of the disruption and not and and not learning. Um, this is happening all over the country. I mean, it's uh I just I just got a thing today, a communication that uh in

213the state of Kentucky, they can't have cell phones beginning at the beginning of school, which is like in next week or week after, they cannot have any any cell phones in the schools uh during the day. Uh our sister our sister uh school district in Clinton has has banned it. This is I think this is their sec going into their second or third year. So, I I hear what you're saying. I appreciate the work that you've done. And I wish I I wish we had have known that too that you were guys were working on that at the high school. Uh and this is not just a high school policy. This is a school district policy. Um so you know we still have we still have the middle schools which we'd be a good place

214to train them before they get to the high school. Um so I would throw that put that out there for for for information purposes. So again, um, every every study that I've shown on this, it is a challenge at the beginning of the school year to get it started, but once it gets going, the kids the kids are actually happy because they're talking to PE. They're talking to their their fellow students. They're not texting them. and uh setting up you know fights fights decline uh fisticuffs decline decline social emotional well-being gets better because they're learning how to talk to talk to their fellow students. So I just want to I just wanted to add those things to the to the discussion. >> Thank you Mr. Romero. >> Okay. So again, this was discussed in at

215the committee level. So anyone can go back and look at the meeting uh on video and see what was discussed. The idea of the lunchtime at least being allowed to, you know, have them for the lunch hour. Uh that would help to accommodate a lot of these students that are working and then you have the the students who need to get messages back and forth to to their parents and everything. Um, so I I proposed it as a pilot originally and the thing is too we're trying to do policy for the district. So if we were going to do something, this is just something for us to all to think about here. If it's going to be some for some and not the others, then we have to really differentiate this is okay for the

216for the high school from ninth ninth grade to 12th grade and we have to do it for this long as a pilot and if not it it goes back to the other one and are we going to have the same leniency or and the same leeway for the uh middle school kids. That's something that we really have to think about. And uh of course there's a maturity level difference between the two and there's more maturity at the high school level obviously than the junior high. So it's something to consider. I I am open to uh a pilot a pilot test. We have to find the metrics of when is when when's enough is enough. When are we going to say this is the time? So again if it goes back to policy I would be

217forward to okay with going back to policy to redis that however we have to come up with metrics. So, um, that's just my input, >> Mrs. R. >> Okay. So, I wasn't clear about the lockers. Our students don't use their lockers. They don't know their combination. Um, and and this has it's been a cultural shift for at least a decade because my own children didn't use their lockers and I didn't understand it, but the majority of the students don't use their lockers. So, keeping their cell phone in their locker creates this whole shift and that's that's where the five minutes then came in, you know, like it's a domino effect of all these other things that will have to change then eventually. Um, I I like Juan's idea of putting a time frame on this,

218too, so it doesn't just disappear, but that we check back in with the high school. Um, I do know in the past we had a more strict policy as far as cell phones go at the middle school level compared to the high school level. um many factors involved, but I'm sure since it's the BEA that did this that possibly they could partner with the BEA reps at the middle school level and come up with something together, too. I'm sure it would just need a little tweaking, but those are just my thoughts. >> Thank you, Mrs. Rue. Mr. Henkins. >> Okay. >> Can you hear me? Yes, I can hear you now. >> Cool. >> Uh, I'm sorry. I just came back in with the last couple comments, so I assume you're you're on cell phone,

219so I'll just listen until I hear something that I I'm I kind of lost you for 10 minutes. >> Um, right now the motion is to send this back to policy. >> And about cell phones, right? >> Correct. Yeah. Well, we've had it at twice. >> Yes. >> Three times. You want to go back to last fall? >> Um, okay. That's the motion is to send it back. >> Yes. >> Well, >> okay. I'll wait for the vote. >> It's an amended motion. >> That's the amendment of the original motion. That's the motion on the table right now is to send it back to policy. Board President Johnson, could is it okay if I provide some context? >> Sure. And >> board member Henkins, the context around sending it back to policy is that we

220learned this evening from the BEA high school organizing team that they are working on an implementation strategy of the current policy and they seem hopeful that that's going to remedy some of the concerns um that are arising from cell phones. So this just gives them an opportunity. They're in the building. They're working with our students much more directly than we are to implement their plan and then policy can send it back to the full board if there is a need. >> Mrs. Rue, >> I don't think it's if there's a need. I think we need to come up with a date that we check in and make sure that things are going well. >> Thank you. Yes, Mr. Henkins. >> Whenever you can get me in. Um, and again, I'm joining the pray a little

221late, but >> Okay, I think we are >> it's it's your floor. >> Okay. Thank you. Um, I know this there's a spin-off group representing the BEA or using their name. I've heard from the board president that they're in favor of the way it sit. And my question goes back to this organizing committee. Where have you been for the last three years when we've been trying to institute the current policy? Why is it taken now that we're going to have board action and now you guys want to get involved in this? I I I think the board has to go through with our own plan of action because the other stuff hasn't been working. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Henkins. I know for a fact that our teachers are very hard workers and I

222I appreciate the work and effort that they have put in and the consideration into trying to um navigate this policy and and what's in the best interest for our students and what's in the best interest of our staff. We don't want to overburden our staff to have to be the cell phone police. We're just trying to come to a uh come to a solution for us to try something because obviously what we're doing right now is not working. So I do appreciate their efforts and um and and thank them for that. And un you know unfortunately this is again one of these things that we can try to get better at in the school district of Bo and that's improving our um communication um up and down and lateral as well. >> Sure. You >>

223you'll have to come to the mic. So in response to the question of where the team has been, we have been and I admit it's been a slow process. We have been working on this for a couple of years now. We first started about three years ago with a staff survey um looking to improve morale and address like what's something that we can try to change and the results we got led us to working on the cell phone policy. So we we worked with admin. We tried to structure some things to make it easier for people to enforce. Um, but last year what it came out as was basically just recommendations. Uh, Mrs. Pel's purchased pocket charts for all of the teachers in the building so that there would be a storage area for phones

224within the classroom. Um, but not everybody chose to use them. It wasn't a requirement. And so seeing how the recommendations of last year didn't really present a unified front, that led us to this year. in working with Mrs. Pel's and um outlining things. Okay, this is the way we're going to do it. We are going to communicate that message to staff at the beginning of the year building staff meeting. Um we have um the the expectations of this is this is what the building expectation is that all staff will follow these procedures. Um it is not in terms of wording we have not created a policy because that's the board's position to do that. We are just trying to create protocols and procedures to enforce the current board policy which is um not consistent. So

225we're just trying to pre present that unified front and making sure so it's not that you can choose to enforce or not. The goal of this is that at the start of every class all teachers will be having the phones stored in a designated area. >> Thank you Mrs. Rue. So, um, a question I wrote while you were originally up front speaking was, is it is that part, um, uniform? Like, is it going to be the pocket charts for every classroom? So, the kids walk in and it's the same procedure no matter if I'm in gym class or art class or math class. >> Not necessarily, because we do want to give staff the opportunity to organize their classrooms the way that works best for them. and to have a location that works best for

226them. So the the only requirement is that it needs to be like a common storage area that is it can't be pockets like it can't be on their person, it can't be on their desk because we've tried that and if it's there they reach for it. So some people might use pocket charts. I have a little sorry wooden box with slots um that they can just drop it into. do they each, you know, drop theirs in. Um, so there's a little bit of discretion there. >> Thank you, Mr. Nichols. >> Thank you. U, and by the way, thanks for the work that you guys have been doing on this. I wish we I wish we'd known about this a couple weeks ago. >> I wish we'd known that the policy like >> better better doing

227than not doing, but question I have is uh use of cell phones in restrooms and locker rooms is prohibited. >> That stays the same. How do you know? >> How did we know it before? I mean, >> you you follow you know what I'm saying. So, >> I I understand what you're saying and and we fully understand like we can have this policy that they go in the lockers, but how do we know they put them there, >> right? >> You know, it's until somebody's got it in a pocket and we see it and we try to follow up on it. But from our point of view, it's just easier to go about it from this classroom standpoint because then you know the students that you're dealing with. They're in your classroom. It's probably going

228to be timeconuming in the first few weeks. And so, you know, they're in the classroom. It might take somebody a little while to come up and respond to it. Whereas, if it's just everybody in the hallway, it's it's there it's going to be hard to enforce either way. Personally, like it might be nice if they would just keep them in their lockers, but I feel like this has a better chance of actually seeing things happen and being able to follow through more easily. >> But that's just me speaking there. >> Okay. >> Thank you. We appreciate we we do appreciate your your effort and yes it takes a long time as we all painfully know to develop policy and find one that works for all of us and one that's enforcable that we all agree

229we are going to enforce and ultimately that's what we have to come to as a district. We all have to get on the same page and say if this rule exists in classroom A, the same rule exists in B, C, and D. And we are all going to enforce it so we're not making each other's lives more difficult. With that, we have a motion on the floor of >> Oh, one other question I could answer. Um, there was talk about the middle schools. The current policy does differentiate between expectations for middle school and high school. High school current policy says they can have phones during passing time and lunchtime, but middle school current policy is that the phones are put away for the whole day. It's my understanding that they do have a pretty good

230procedure in place at um Aldrich um where where they have them keep them in their lockers there. I don't know what the situation is at Fusen. >> Thank you, Mr. Romero. So, I don't think sending it back to policy would be prudent anyway since we're already discussing it now. I would like to probably amend the amendment to >> No, >> because you know, honestly, >> no. I I we need to take care of some of these amendments and motions on the floor first. It's it's not good practice to do more than two motions on the table at one time. It just gets too con confusing. We've been here, you know, three and a half hours now. Um, okay. So, let's address the motion that's most recently on the table, and that is the motion to

231send it back to policy. And, uh, Mrs. Sch, may we please get a roll call? >> Yes. >> Joan Rue, >> I. >> Brian Nichols, >> nay. Tom Henkins, >> yay. >> Amy Levy, >> I Juan Romero, >> I. >> And Tia Johnson, >> I. >> Motion carried 4 to2. >> Thank you. Our next policy is policy and I would like to suggest the following changes before we take any motion before we accept a motion or discussion on this and that is the third paragraph removing the statement. Additionally, changing the in the third line of the third paragraph, changing the word premises to property, changing the word administrator to principal. >> Where was your premises? Oh. Um, premises was the in the middle of the third line of the third paragraph and at the end

232of that line in the third paragraph, administrator to principal and then on the back the superintendent is authorized to establish guidelines. We don't need and suggestions. So, uh, strike and suggestions here. Here's what I highlighted. What the changes I made, right? >> Yep. >> Mrs. Levy, >> thank you. And thank you. >> Oh, I'm sorry. Oh, go ahead. >> Thank you for offering a space for amendment or for amendments. So, we're not amending motions. um the third paragraph about halfway down. It's my understanding, and someone correct me if I'm wrong, if someone is a registered sex offender who is also a parent or guardian that wants to come on campus to participate in their child's education and they do the notification and the time, the date, the place, all of that, we don't have the

233ability to bar them from campus. So, one, am I understanding that correctly? Dr. Garrison or um Mrs. Beaver. Ms. Beavers, do you have a answer? >> Okay. Is your question currently or if this policy passes? >> Currently, because state statute trumps our policy. So it's it's my understanding again if you are a sec registered sex offender who is also a parent or so not just anyone but you have a vested interest in the district because your child goes there >> and they follow all of the things like they notify they report I'm coming on Thursday at 3 for this purpose >> then we cannot bar them from the property. Am I understanding that correctly? >> Yeah. Not unless there's another circumstance that we would have given them a stayaway letter or anything like that. >>

234Okay. Thank you. With that in mind, it's about halfway through the third paragraph um where it says parents who are registered sex offenders and wish to participate in their child's school activities may be allowed on campus at the discretion and under the direction of the superintendent. I don't know if we can legally say it's at the discretion because it's not discretion. if you followed these rules. So, for example, if someone is a registered sex offender and they say, "I'm coming Tuesday for conferences at this time," there can't be a superintendent's discretion that says, "No, don't come anyway." Am I am I not understanding that correctly? Thank >> well I first of all this is this has been this has been vetted by the legal department so >> that's awesome >> um >> y >> as

235as this policy is written it has already been vetted by the by the legal department >> so could I just get clarification because if someone is following the rules that that not us but state statute outline is there a reason why we could say oh you did that but at the discretion we're still not going to let you in and I'm asking because I don't know the Sir, >> I mean again this you got you got a great question but again when we had this vetted this was there and it was >> I may I >> was moved. So yeah, >> if you look on I don't on the second page, the last bullet point under number one that is being recommended to be added, the superintendent or designate are authorized to prohibit an an

236individual from entering district property or remaining there if there is reason to believe their presence will be detrimental to the operation of the school. I think that's speaking to the section that you are referring to. See, for me, the section that I'm bringing up is really vague because it could be for any reason. And I'm not saying that you would do something >> this whatever fill in the blank, but they got on a blue shirt. No, thank you. Whereas what you're referring to on the last page is more precise. Um, if there's a reason to believe their presence will be detrimental to the operation of schools, for me, that is more narrow than just at their discretion. And and when I think about writing policy, I don't think about even current people in place, but

237what should the policy read for anyone that is enforcing it now or will enforce it in the future? I and I legal is amazing, but if we could I am not comfortable saying at discretion if we don't legally have another reason. Does that make sense? That just seems very vague when that and I'm looking at you but it's kind of open. I think that last Thank you. The last bullet point on the last page I think captures the essence of what we want. So I don't think it's necessary to have or at the discretion under the direction of the superintendent. For me that is just extra words that make the situation more murky. And with a situation like this, I want us to be as clear and precise as possible. I want us to know

238what to expect. I want them to know what to expect, and I don't want a whole bunch of gray area when we're talking about registered sex offenders on school grounds. >> Thank you, Miss Mrs. Levy. Uh my understanding here is that the third paragraph where it says the superintendent or I'm sorry fourth paragraph is that third or which where is that? Well, what wherever where it gives the superintendent the authority at their discretion to pre u prohibit sex offenders known sex offenders. I think that in and of itself is the understanding of the belief that the presence of that person may be detrimental to the operation of the school. Um, so is anyone opposed of us mo removing it from page three and then definitely keeping that more precise language on or page paragraph 3

239page one and definitely keeping that more precise language in the last bullet point in the second page. >> I prefer it as written right now. Would you like the clause of if uh reason to believe their presence will be detrimental? Um that clause there. Would you like that to be restated in paragraph 3 where you are referring to Mrs. Ley? So here's the thing. I like to keep policy uncluttered. So, if we're going to address it in both places, I don't think that's necessary. Now, if we want to move that language up from the last bullet point of the second page to that third paragraph and then just not have it on this, I think we just we say it once and it's clear and then we remove the vagueness of it. That that's my

240preference. So, for example, if it says may not be allowed on campus, um if the superintendent or design believe that their presidents will be detrimental to the operation of schools, that's clear. That gives the reason. It's not just at any discretion and then we wouldn't have to listed on that second page. So, I'm fine. I want it to be more clear. And I don't care if it it presents on the first page or the second page, but I don't want to have something vague on the first page and then something more specific on the second page. >> Mrs. R. So, as I read it, um, if we put it where all the green text is now, um, that's about sex offenders. down at the bottom under the superintendent is authorized to establish guidelines and so

241on and so forth. That doesn't necessarily just have to do with sex offenders there then. Am I is that correct? >> Nope. I think that's a fair point. So with that in mind, I I would adopt the language that's on the second page in that last bullet point and incorporate that into the language that as you rightly pointed out is specifically for sex offenders in that third paragraph. So we have the same expectations >> point to paragraph three >> Mr. Nichols >> moving the moving the bullet the last bullet point under one >> to paragraph three >> not moving it but adding it. So, we're going to keep that last bullet point on the second page, but in the third paragraph on the first page, >> um, let me start at the bed. So, parents

242who are registered sex offenders and wish to participate in their child's >> paragraph four. >> That's three. >> Oh, no. I put a note that is four. So, yep, absolutely. Four. um parents who are registered sex offenders and wish to participate in their child's school activities um will be allowed on campus because that's my other point. Why would we put may because that means that they they might not be >> they might not be. >> Do we have a legal standing to do that? Like because state statute trumps our policy and if they're following the state statute can I mean can we just say no you can't come. So May seems like it's optional. I don't know if we have legal standing to do that. So I would say remove May um will be allowed

243on campus unless the superintendent or design believe their presence will be detrimental to the operation of schools. So they will be allowed unless and then it's that same repeated language from the second page. So we're very clear. >> Mrs. R. >> Um legal said that we could word it this way and I would rather heir on the side of protecting students. Um they may be allowed on campus. If they are not there's Google Meet, there's phone calls. I've had parents of students that were not allowed on campus for this very reason and I was able to still conduct conferences with them and um they were able to do um everything kind of like what we did during COVID. They were able to participate just not on the building grounds. >> May May I just for

244so what if it's not a conference? What is their spring sing? like you can't do the spring singing from >> so >> like YouTube. >> So are we saying as a board that we can trump we are comfortable with attempting to trump state statute and just hope people don't know that their rights have been violated and don't raise a fuss about it. >> So legal said we have a legal standing here that this is this is good policy right? Who's legal? Is that our lawyers? I'm not on policy. I have no idea what conversation happened. >> Um, Mr. Nichols, >> this is Dr. Garrison. You I need you. I mean, this has been vetted, I think, a couple of times. >> And this is again, this is what we ended up with. This started out

245coming from the school district to the policy committee and back and forth, back and forth with with legal legal input. >> Yes. And this is and this is what we ended up with. >> Correct. This policy was vetted by legal. >> Correct. >> Um this is what we ended up with. >> Right. >> Now again, one of the things that >> I think legal I'm not going to speak for legal. One of the things that I know when it comes to policy board has a lot of leeway. Um and I'm saying that very carefully, but they have a lot of authority of how they want things to be written as Mrs. Levy is mentioning, as Bor Nichols is mentioning. And so I tend to just stick to, you know, kind of where legal is leaving

246us, leading us. Um, but also understand that if the board made this slight change, naturally, if it's something wrong in it, then I have to bring that back to to the board and say that we did something what we couldn't do and and it comes back again. So I do know that as it stands, this was reviewed and this is kind of where we end up landing. Well, >> so back to paragraph four, the word may means they may or may not. Will says they will. So to to me, the the may that we have that's currently in there is the right word for that for that paragraph. Um, you know, I I I agree with Bo President Johnson's a couple things there that are just the little bit of word smithing u that did

247need to happen. But, um, you know, aside from that, I I think the policy is sound. That's my interpretation. Eight is time to extend the meeting by 30 minutes. If somebody would like >> second >> motion by Brian Nichols, seconded by Joan Rue. Any discussion? Hearing none. All in favor? >> I. >> Any oppose? Carries unanimously. Uh, Mr. Nichols, you had the floor. >> I'm done. >> Okay. So, is there uh somebody that would like to make a motion on the policy visitors to the schools? >> I move I move approval of the policy policy 860 as written with the following changes. Paragraph three strike striking the word additionally. Second sentence paragraph three striking the word premises after school and >> property. >> Changing premises to property. >> I'm sorry, property. It's changing that to

248property. My my my mistake. unless they notify the school's principal or designate of their status as a registered SEC. So that's that's it. >> And then on the last page, >> last page at the top, superintendent is authorized to establish guidelines for visitors, get rid of suggestions and suggestions for visitors to the schools. >> Are we repeating the clarity from the last bullet point in paragraph four, the first page? I I No, we were just going to I'm I'm suggesting we leave it right where it is. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you. Um we have a motion by Brian Nichols, a second by Joanne Rue. It's motion is to approve the policy with the suggested amendments. >> All in favor? >> I >> Any oppose? >> Nay. Uh, I motion carries

249four to excuse me, four to two, excuse me. Next up is the consent agenda. Excuse me. Typically, there is no separate discussion of the items unless a board member so requests in which event the item or items will be removed from the general order of business and consideration in their normal sequence on the agenda. Are there any board members that would like anything removed? Mrs. Levy, >> item D, please. >> Item D. Anything else? Is there a motion to approve consent agenda with the exception of item D? >> So move. >> Second. >> Motion of approval by Amy Levy, seconded by Joanne Rue. All in favor? >> I. >> Any oppose? Motion carries unanimously. Item D, Mrs. Levy, >> I just need to abstain because I wasn't able to attend that meeting. >> Thank you.

250Is there a motion to approve the item D minutes of July 21st? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Motion by Joanne Rue, seconded by Brian Nichols. Any discussion? Hearing none. All in favor? >> I. >> Any oppose? Any abstain? >> Abstain. >> Motion carries with one abstension. Next on the agenda, uh we've got the fresh start positions, but we um won't need to discuss that now. Um next up is the addendum matrix. Dr. Garrison. >> Yes. So the addendum matrix is something that we have to bring to the board um each each year and um we've uh presented um some um changes to the agenda matrix that that has been shared. Um we've also have um listed here um within the board docs the information is that is attached and we will take any questions

251myself and Mrs. Almondas >> Mrs. Levy, >> thank you. >> Um, thank you. So, a couple questions um concerns with the changes to the matrix. I see that um cheer is listed as fall winter and my concern with that is fall cheer is football and winter cheer is basketball. So unless there's something that I'm missing, that's kind of like asking for one person to serve as the football and basketball coach and then giving them one stipen instead of two for those two different seasons. is there's and then my other concern is that it's my understanding that for cheer we also have JB teams but there is no stipen listed for JB cheer similar to the way we do it for other sports. So um if I could get clarification on those two things that would

252be helpful. >> Dr. Garrison, Mrs. Almondz, >> Miss Alz you can start please. >> Okay. I don't know if Dan is online. I will try to answer it to the best of my abilities. So we have um dance and cheer comprised of the same group of students rehearsing at the same time and attending the same game. So we kept dance and cheer separate but combined the two seasons to make it equitable with other sports. So help me with this that and be patient. I work best with examples. So that's like saying if the same kiddos that played football are the same kiddos that play basketball and we're going to get one person to coach B sports but just give them one stipen when even if it's let's say it I don't think it's all of

253the same kids but let's just say that is the case. If you have football, and I'm not talking about dance, I don't see an issue with that. But if you have football cheer happening in the fall, and you have basketball cheer happening in the winter, even if those are the same exact kids, those are two separate seasons. So, help me understand why we want to now issue one stipen for folks to do two different seasons. And then again, they also have JV teams, but there's no stipen listed for a JV coach. So, there has never been a JV section um since I've been here and been bringing the addendum matrix to the board. So, I can't speak to that. Um, as far as the cheer, the two uh the two thoughts that went into this

254recommendation was it's either um dance and cheer for two seasons or each sport with both seasons combined because of the observation that was made. And again, I don't like to speak to for Dan um our AD when he's not here, but the observation being that it is the same teams. There's one practice. They don't there's no two separate practice for cheer. I don't know if it's me or the mic. There's no separate practice that has been observed for cheer versus dance. It's all combined where to your point if this was a football and a baseball coach they would be practicing with different sport different time frames. So this is why we were looking at how do we make this um holistic because they were uh these particular addendums were going into two sports, three seasons

255and um that just didn't seem feasible from the standpoint of um ensuring that there was consistency with how many students are being serviced uh by the two uh how much practice time is really spent because that's what our addendums are based on is contact time and if both of them were being for example practice during the same contact time are they really two separate sports. Um so again there was a lot of uh background that went into ensuring that we are being equitable with the money as it pertains to how much time is spent in those two separate sports uh by whomever may be in it with our students and how many students are being serviced by these activities. So, I guess just final point, I I didn't realize that stipens were contingent on the

256number of So, does soccer get a bigger stipen because they might have 80 kids? >> Not by the number of students, by contact time. >> So, Dan, are you online? >> Oh, great. Please step in. >> Yep, >> absolutely. Uh, I can speak briefly to that because they were decided that was determined before I um before I got here, but um yes, as far as I'm aware, the addendums are determined by contact time. So, you'll see different um based on the start and end times or the regular seasons, you'll see different uh um payments out uh by season effectively. Um, so to that point, just on the cheer and dance piece, um, how that was calculated prior to my arrival, I don't know. Um, but that's, you know, as I've kind of just been in

257discovery mode and digging through that that's I think what Miss Almander said was accurate. >> So, Mr. Gratz, just to confirm and and again, I'm not addressing dance. I don't think there's an an issue that I'm aware of with dance, but if fall cheer is football and basketball cheer is winter, you are okay with combining those two seasons and issuing one stipen. And I understand some of these decisions predate you, but you're in the spot now. So, I just want to be clear. Is that your recommendation? I think the it's the recommendation that has been brought to you all. Um I believe it is um acceptable at this time. Um and if if we don't have other options um obviously status quo would be the the um preferred method but if we don't have any

258options then um that's acceptable. I don't know what the preferred method. Well, one, there are always options, and two, I don't I don't know what you mean by the preferred method. I'm not sure what you're referring to. >> Uh, preferably, there would be no changes. Um, but that's that's not um what was brought to you all. So I I think that's that I mean just from my perspective and and I think all of our coaches who who serve all of our students that would be um status quo as it as it has been would be the preferred um route to move forward. >> Okay. This is illuminating. So you don't agree with the recommendation that is in front of us. Correct? I I am at a place where I as the director of athletics and

259activities I you know advocating for our department obviously I would want everything to stay the same. However, if we're tasked with cuts um this is this is what's been brought based on the the task to try to reduce our our spending in our department. And and I'm all for reducing spending, but if someone is coaching in the fall and they're also coaching in the winter, two different seasons, I'm not for expecting people to work and not paying them. So, so thank you for bringing clarity that you Mrs. Levy, I'm going to interrupt you if you don't mind. Um, uh, questions were submitted to Dr. Garrison and he did respond. Um, I don't know if you had a chance to >> Did that come today? >> Uh, Dr. Garrison, do you know when that was sent

260out? >> The addendum space >> the quest the questions that were submitted regarding the addendums. >> Yeah, we shared that uh today or actually yesterday. >> Oh, that's that's what I that's what I thought. Um so this might help clarify because um the there's a series of questions here um for the dance and cheer classifications. I see these are now both classified as fallinter sports. Are these two distinct sports? And the answer is yes. So I have a question for our cabinet. Um because I don't know when that happened. I always in the past knew it to be cheer and dance kind of like track and field. Um when does the dance team practice? Practices after school similar to our other sports. When does the cheer team practice practices after school similar to our other

261sports? Not quite the clear answer I would have um thought the district would have had. I think I think the person is asking are these teams meeting at distinct unique times or are they are they practicing at the same time? If if you have the same set of people practicing at the same time in the same space, I don't know that you have two separate um sports or ath um athletic cate categories. Um do the coaches get paid for the fall season and for the winter season? So, a starting coach gets 2,898* 2 season, which equals 5,796 a year. And this says this is being proposed as a change making the fall and winter seasons only one addendum and eliminating the spring season. So, it's um it's not that people are not getting paid. It's

262just we need to dis decrease the number of seasons. And um I'm still confused. Are they getting paid then? It looks like so we have a head coach for cheer for fall, a head coach for cheer for winter, a head coach for dance for fall, a head coach for dance for winter. We have a varsity coach for cheer for fall for winter and and I'm sorry, assistant an assistant coach for dance for fall and winter. I these these it's may not look like a lot but eventually it starts to add up and we need to make cuts. >> Poor President Johnson if unless you No, no worries. Um unless you are opposed um Mrs. Nora just entered the room who's actually one of the people we are talking about and she may be able to

263provide some more clarity and answer these questions if you are okay with her asking or answering questions. >> I am I want to give the board members and the administrators a chance before we open the floor to um >> Absolutely. >> Thank you. >> Any other board questions? Just to clarify, if there is in fact JV teams, would the administration agree that those JV coaches should be compensated? >> I at this time I think that if there are JV teams for dance and cheer, it would have to come before the board as to approve because that would be a new sport category. Um if we look at the existing addendum matrix there next to the assistant coach there's a small asterisk not the one that was uploaded for but the one that we've been operating

264off of and so assistant coach is the same um it's considered the same value the same as the JV coach. >> So the assistant coach doesn't work with varsity they work with JV. That's all that we have for cheer and dance. It's been like that since I've been here. And so I all I'm saying is that it is possible that one coaches varsity and the other one JV or they're both coaching JV. But we've never again since I can only speak since I've been here, we have never had a different uh line item for JV. >> And I'm just talking more broadly. So let's for basketball under the structure that you just described an assistant basketball coach doesn't work with varsity they work with JV when you're talking about the asterisk and how that's it's

265how it's it's how the uh pay is calculated. So because it is not identified as JV coach, I don't I couldn't tell you if they've been operating under assistant coach as a JV coach and then the head varsity coach. Again, uh we've never had a JV line item for either cheer or dance. Also, I think that the other thing that um when Mr. the grats and I spoke was the number of students that were being served, the uh diversity of the teams, whether or not there's, you know, can you choose one or the other or both together? Um what about practices? Are they practicing um combined practice or they're separate times? In essence, what is the amount of time that is being dedicated to each sport separately? And so that's where um the recommendation came

266from. >> This is so helpful and I'm really appreciative of your patience. I think I just need one other thing clarified and I don't know if this is the case. I'm sure Mrs. Nor will tell us but even if they are practicing together, they are performing during two different seasons. So in my mind that is what the two different addendums come from. So if you are doing a football season and then a full basketball season, that's two different sports. >> Then we can combine cheer and dance and have cheer and dance as one for fall, cheer and dance as one for winter, which was one of the considerations. Instead, we kept both separate for both seasons. Either way, it adds up the same, but it seemed equitable again with the contact time, the number of

267students being served, and how much practice time is involved that we either combine them as one and have two seasons or have them separate for a combined season. >> Final point, I'm going to be very brief and I'm going to date myself as a bonus. When I was in high school, we had cheer and we had palms, so dance. And that was totally different. cheer was sideline and palms. You did the performance at halftime. I don't think we ha and I could be wrong. I don't think we have a dance team that goes out for halftime for football that I she will correct me, but at basketball we we do and it's my understanding that those are different. But thank you and I look forward to clarification. >> Thank you. Thank you, Mrs. Almond. Um

268Mr. Gratz, are you still with us? >> I am. Sorry, I'm still on I was on mute. >> Okay, thank you. Cheer, the cheer and the dance teams. Are either of those WIAA affiliated? >> Uh, as far they're not competing in WA competitions at this time, as far as I'm aware >> and I'm not sure when that ended. Uh, Miss Norah, Coach Norah, >> so at one point in time they were WIAA affiliated >> likely to get to this point. Um, they would have had to have been competing at that uh level. Um, otherwise it would have been considered clubs or activities. Um, so again speculating, yes, at at some point they would have been um to to get on this addenda matrix as a as a a sport. actually >> well this is this

269is bo school district and boy that does mean that it could be prohibited um so my question the point I'm I'm ultimately I'm getting at is the fact that these are not WIAA affiliated does that play into whether or not the JV is an issue >> no I I think if the numbers warrant that Um, I'll use just for an example. I think off the top of my head, I want to say last fall they had 18 dance, 18 sheer, um, unique athletes. So, 36 total athletes. Um, that was >> so there were 18 different people on the dance team that were not on the cheer team. >> How we have it recorded is strictly numbers. Um, you and we ask for unique athletes. Again, our coaches uh in the room might be able to

270to get deeper into that, but when they do tryyouts, it's it's extremely difficult based on their workload um to be able to do both cheer and dance. They are two different modalities um being taught um and and two different performances. To uh Miss Levy's point, um there's two different things happening. Cheer is not dance and dance is not cheer in this in this setting. Thank you. Are there any more board questions or comments? Mr. Henkins. >> No, I'm good. Thank you, Chair. >> Okay. Anyone else? >> Mr. Romero, >> uh just uh just a couple questions here. I didn't get these questions answered earlier. Um, so are they the same the same athletes for both teams or are they different different athletes for the different teams? >> Is that is that okay to ask? >>

271Good evening, Michelle. Nora, you don't know who I am. Um, yes. Cuz some young ladies and some gentlemen play volleyball, so they're unable to do cheer during the fall season, which is outside. A lot of them don't want to do outside. Some of them play basketball. So, it's two separate dis sets of tryyous for the fall and for the winter because they play other sports and we want them to be able to participate in other sports. So, it's two separate different seasons. They have to learn if they want to try out for dance. It's separate trials to learn dance. You got to do eight counts. And our dance is considered our step team. Don't know if you ever seen our step team or you talk about how many hours they practice. Most people in here

272have seen our step team which is our dance team which is not traditional but it fits our purp um our population and what we have. They practice more hours than you sleep at night. I guarantee it's very unique. It's incre uh very detailed. They memorize 60 70 minutes worth of stepping with their hands and feet on their own is so different than if you get on the sidelines and cheer. It is not a requirement in a high school for a cheerleing team to compete. It's called competition cheer. And then you have sideline cheer. We've we've been coaching 16 years, always done sideline cheer. Went to high school here, always had sideline cheers. We've never historically had a competition cheerleading team here because our students don't have the background in gymnastics to do that and don't

273have the funding to pay for tumbling lessons. So we can't really we're not going to set our young ladies and gentlemen up to go there and we don't have the tumbling skills or background or facilities in our building. So we stick to sideline cheering and then as some have times we've did dance. Now we've had a couple years where we've only done dance because it was just too much to have two different teams. We have some years where we didn't do fall cheerleading. We picked that up. We only started with basketball and then eventually was so much turnover in the AD office and with the girls. Then we picked up the fall cheerleading as well. It's always been separate, separate things, separate styles of dances, separate cheerleading. We do tumbling in the fall, which takes

274different training, different, you know, um, athleticism from the girls or whatever we need. Uh, we have some young men to help us in the fall for tumbling. We don't do tumbling in the in winter season because you can't you got to have mats and stuff out on the gym floor. So, we don't do that during winter season. So, that makes them separate and unique in that too. And we can only have so many people out in basketball season, but we've ran two or at least two or three teams every basketball season every year because we don't want to turn girls away. which means we have we are at JV games, varsity games, freshman games home and away for both football and basketball. No other team travels that much. And I just want to throw a

275plug in there that everyone pays 300 plus dollars every year for their uniforms because we don't get any money for uniforms since for the last at least 16 years. So we don't get any funding from the district to pay for our uniforms, pompoms, cheerleading, any supplies, anything we need from there at all. All the young ladies have to afford it and some don't try out because it's that cost. So we personally help or we get people we know to help supply because we don't want that to be a barrier because if you try out for soccer, basketball, anything else that's not a barrier that for those finances are not a barrier to be part of those teams. So if we talk about equity, that's totally inequitable too as well. Any questions? I'm feel free to

276answer as much as I can explain and clarify on this one. >> Thank you, Miss Levy. >> Thank you. My question is actually for Dr. Garrison. Thank you for bringing up the the cost to participate, which I just saw that in the latest night news. That seems like a title n violation. Um to require that cheer and dance pay for their uniforms when we don't require that of other athletes. um if you could provide some clarity on why that is acceptable. >> So from the athletic perspective in the terms of uniforms, as I understand it, this is supposed to be on a rotational perspective as it pertains to uniforms and so I can't speak to why the uniforms haven't been brought to the um cheer and dance team. Um but they uniforms are supposed to

277be on a rotational perspect perspective. Sorry. >> No, no, no. Thank you. But in order to rotate uniforms, you have to have uniforms. And it sounds like the district is not and has not for years provided a base set of uniforms to be rotated. Um, so am I not understanding that correctly? >> Correct. Before Mr. Dupy left, he bought us five uniforms. We typically have at least 30 to maybe 35 girls, but we b we have five uniforms a year. He left. And then we have two smalls, two mediums, and one large uniform. Um, and that's what we have for five young ladies and that was the first time ever in 17 years that we've gotten anything >> cuz again, and correct me if I'm wrong, but that sounds like a title N violation. Unless

278there's something I'm missing. >> There's not nothing you're missing. Um, again, this was supposed to be on a rotational space when it was brought to me. Um, I did ask about the uniform space under Mr. Dupi and I I thought that uniforms were purchased. She's saying that five were purchased. >> Yeah, it was supposed to be every year. >> So, would the district be purchasing uniforms? >> I'm sorry, what was you saying? >> It was supposed to be every year, >> correct? Then replenish >> at least five every year to add on and there that didn't happen. >> Okay. >> Any other board member questions or comments? >> What was it? >> Well, I just wanted to follow up on that. If if we have 30 people on a team and we have five uniforms

279and that doesn't happen in any other sport again, and I'm not a fan of repeating myself, that sounds to me like a Title 9 violation. And when will the district be correcting that unless there's something that I'm not understanding? So, for example, is the district paying for uniforms for the upcoming school year? >> If it was supposed to be on a rotational perspective, I believe yes. Um that I have to ask Mr. D grass that's perspective that specific question as it pertains to uniform space. Now I know with other sports we're not buying 70 80 uniforms every sing cuz they cuz they have them correct and so there's a space there. So I really can't speak to whether or not more uniforms were bought this year. I have to ask Mr. Grass that question. I'd

280like to call a point of order just make sure that this is regarding the actual the addenda matrix. I know that that is very important with the title N violations. I do want to pursue that but right now I want to focus on the addendum >> matrix. >> Thank you. So we are discussing the addendum matrix and again you know we would all love to be able to keep all sports and athletic opportunities for all students but we have a a budget that we need to also uh >> hours keep in check. >> Um and there are going to have to be reductions across the board in all areas of the school district. Um and I think maybe this one people were looking at it saying, "Okay, this is not, you know, it's not an

281I WIAA sport. We are not >> that's not fair. >> We're not quite familiar with what's happening with this." Um so >> and so we would like to um ask recommendations from the administration and this is what they provided us. We do still have more questions. Um another question came up about the oh uh department chairs. So under department chairs district there is a department chair for the school social worker, school counselor, student health services, school school psychologists and I think the question was something as to the effect of if these if we have these positions why as as directors in Kolak why do we have department chairs? Dr. Garrison. >> Sure. Department chairs are not just specific to department chairs work in the schools. Um and so >> yeah. Yeah. And and I'm not

282talking about the academic department chairs. I'm talking about those um what was it? Those four specific ones. Now I'm not talking about like a department chair of science on the matrix on the um under department chairs slashd district there's a department chair for social worker a department chair school counselor student health services and school psychologist um I guess I'm a little perplexed because you know we have department we we have um directors that we pay to do to direct I guess. So >> this is going to talk about >> I just want to remind you that this is a matrix. So everything on the matrix doesn't equate to a position that's actually filled. So the the um department chair for school health was eliminated from the budget during the 2425 school year. That has not

283been a position. But the matrix holds a space for it just like it does sub coaches. We don't have those in every building either anymore. So just wanted to remind you of that. So um yeah, we have a school social work, a school counselor, school psychology department chair. Um this answer was also provided in the um questions that were submitted. So these people are responsible for facilitating facilitating two-way communication between the district leadership, myself and the school-based staff because these are three different departments, right, that are K12 and so trying to align them. They support consistent implementation of practice compliance and service delivery across the district. They assist with onboarding and mentorship of new hires because by uh state we are not required to provide mentorship to anything other than teachers. Um they serve as

284the disciplined lead on interview committees because oftent times principles or hiring managers don't understand the needs or the lensure that um is required for this type of position. Um they assist in coordinating um specific professional development for our district professional learning days and they are the uh peer leader and um of their department meetings that are held often. And so um all of our coordinators were eliminated from pupil services. And so while we do have director level positions, we still um feel as if these positions are essential in maintaining coherence and communication at a time when we have limited capacity um in the department. They are not new positions. >> Thank you. Um Mrs. Alandereas, is is there a time constraint on approving this addendum matrix? Yes. Um, we have our fall uh coaches that

285return year after year. Um, that have already started working with our students or will be starting working with them shortly if they have not already. um waiting on approval of the addendum matrix uh has delayed the ability to provide them with the addendums committing to um what we intend to compensate them. Now, for the most part, the high school um athletics are untouched, unfortunately, except dance and cheer and the recommendation that was made, but all the other sports have not been um revised as of right now. >> Okay. And because I'm just thinking it sounds like um Oh, go ahead, Mr. Nicholson. >> But what you're saying, they're the same as last year. for the most part, we we appreciate when we're able to have our coaches return year after year. Um and so some

286of them, you know, whether they received their addendum or not, they have already started, you know, reaching out and making sure that um they get their season started. >> Minus minus an addendum being approved, we work from what we have last year. That's what we would have to do. Um my suggestion is it sounds like there's more clarification that the board needs like I would be curious to know how many positions on this matrix are not filled and how long it's been since they've been filled. um we are, you know, looking at uh budget reductions and um I'm just wondering if we need to um not take action on this tonight so that the board can get more clarification, but I also know that um people are waiting to get paid. Is that possible or

287is that not doable? I actually have um updated what was uploaded to board docs to reflect since one of the questions that came across was what the cost savings have been from what we had originally on our matrix to what we're proposing tonight. And so I do have that updated list that includes everything that is crossed out that we're no longer offering as an addendum. I also broke out as you can see on the new update that I provided the board um all the number of positions rather than just identifying one title and then there may be nine individuals under it. So I'll be more than happy to share uh the uh printout and again nothing that changes what is being proposed to you tonight but it allows you to see what has been eliminated

288and the value associated with it. Mrs. Lee, I just want to just um answer your question as it pertains to the um uniforms. As I understand it, no uniforms are being purchased currently because we don't have the money for them outside of PPE, which is like helmets for um football. >> Do we have money for a Title 9 lawsuit? We don't have any money to purchase any uniforms currently. >> Do we have money for a title N lawsuit? We cannot have a a sport that we don't provide basic unifor What is your specific point of order? The specific point of order is the title n issue lawsuit question doesn't have to do with the addendum matrix that we're talking about right now. That is an important mat an important item to handle. I absolutely agree.

289However, I'm trying to stick to the addendum. >> Perfect. Thank you so much. I'm formally requesting a special meeting to handle the title n concern that has been brought to our attention at this meeting. Thank you so much. Okay, we will set a special meeting to address title nine. Um, so I'm looking at the new post, the new one. Um, so Mrs. Almondz or Mr. grats. Just for my clarification here. So, dance, we have again a varsity head coach that is going to get paid for winter and fall as they should. We have a dance assistant coach that's going to get paid for winter and fall. We have a cheer coach for winter and for for fall and a an assistant coach for fall and winter for cheer. Who are who is the head coach

290for the cheer team? Okay. Who's the head coach for the dance team? I I guess I'm really perplexed because if you're the head coach for both cheer and dance and they have this sport in the fall and in the winter, when do they practice? If they're two separate sports, I we don't sleep. We practice right after school for cheer. Dance stays well either if they're on both, they stay after. If they're on dance only, they come after that. So, we're practicing 3:30 to 7. Sometimes we're there on the weekends whenever we need to be. If it's special performances, we're there five, six, seven hours. Literally, that's not an exaggeration. Um, if it's it's a lot. Um, but I love the school. I love our students. And so, I continue to do it. Just because somebody

291can't imagine that it's happening doesn't mean it's not happening. So, >> Okay. Okay. Thank you for that clarification because all I was getting was fuzzy answers for when these two distinct teams actually meet. >> So here's a concern. If you do if there are students who are on the cheer team and on the dance team, is that legal for them to spend that much time after? >> Yeah. >> Is that I'll just like my kid does cross country and soccer in the fall. So yeah. and he's part of our male dance team, >> right? >> And we do have um some students who le let's say they'll do swim and then dance or something like and that's to our benefit when we're not WIAA because WIAA will allow them to do let's say two at

292a time. They're able to participate and show their talents and learn new skills and things like that. So yes, there are two distinct practice times for each team. >> Thank you, Mr. Nichols, >> don't go away. I got a question. Um, so how many girls are on both cheer and dance? How many how many of the eight the number said was 18. So how many of those are the same? >> It depends. That was um last year. So um it it varies year to year. We have males and females. Some some males do not want to do cheer, but they are part of our um dance teams. Um so let me count. Last year we had 10. How many? 16. We started with 18, ended with 16. Um at the end of the school year

293on dance cheer, we had 18 varsity. I think 12 JV. And this is cutting. We have over a hundred people, males and females, show up to tryyouts. They can't all fit on the sidelines, so we do have to cut um based on skill and things, but yes, there are there were upwards of 18 to start. >> Thank you, Mrs. Romero. I mean, I'm sorry, Mrs. Rue. It's late. I don't even remember what my hand was up for. Sorry. >> Thank you. Um, I would entertain a motion for uh the approval of the addendum matrix. >> Wait, didn't you want it to go back or did we pass over that? Um, I I would like for us for us to have more time to ask questions and have it come back to us, but I also

294understand that um we need to get these people paid. So, >> Dr. Garrison just offered that >> Dr. Garrison, do you have a suggestion at this point? I suggest we use the if the board wants to bring this back, we can bring it back, but we currently have a they'll have to get paid on the old scale if this is not approved tonight. So, that's what we would have to do unless this is approved tonight. I suggest that we bring this back since there there's additional questions that we need to answer. >> If we approve this tonight, can it can we have it come back um and have modifications to it? Well, we would have to be I I always say we we are prepared to do whatever the board asks us to do, but

295from my perspective, if to do it all at once makes the most sense. So, if this is more questions that we need to answer, I would prefer to go back and answer all the questions and then have it approved all at once. And until then, we use the last approved addendum matrix. That's what we would have to do. >> Mrs. Row. >> Okay. Sorry, it's almost 10:30. I Okay. So, um, was this a recommendation brought by Dee and Dan? This is what they came up with. Okay. All right. May May I clarify with that? Mr. Gratz just said he wanted to keep the old matrix. So, I unless I miss something, I don't believe that he supports the current matrix. Can we get clarification from him too please then since >> yeah and my understanding

296of that is yeah we would all love to keep the previous matrix but we just don't have money so so Mr. >> He would be the best one to ask. Yep. Thank you. >> Mr. Gratz, are you >> Yeah, I I mean I was Yep. I was tasked with providing multiple options. Um this the the administration chose this one to move forward with. >> Thank you, Mr. regrets. Joan, did you have any other questions? Okay. >> I'm so sorry that for me that didn't answer the question. Like if does he support the current proposal or not? Are we not allowed to ask that directly? >> Mr. Gratz, do you support this current proposal? >> I'm with the administration uh what they brought forward. >> You support that? >> Personally would prefer I would personally prefer

297to keep everything, but we know that's not the case. I'm going to I'm going to step in. Please answer the following question. Yes or no. Do you support the proposed addendum matrix that was presented to the board? >> The administration supports the proposed addendum matrix. >> Thank you. [Applause] >> We're done. We're done. We are just done. We're move we need to move on. It is Yeah. Yeah. Um, is there a motion for approval of the proposed addendum matrix or a motion to have it come back to us? >> I move I move that we bring the matrix back for further discussion. There's I think there's a lot of unanswered questions. So, >> second. We have a motion to bring this back for more questions and clarifications by Brian Nichols and a second by Amy

298Levy and and I know I did not repeat that exactly but uh again it is getting late. Um any discussion hearing? None. All in favor? >> I. >> Any oppose? >> I >> motion carries unanimously. Next on the agenda is the reclassification of facilities director to facilities manager position. Dr. Garrison. >> Yes. Um as we continue to look at um budget restrictions here in the district. We um have looked at this as a recommendation for reclassification of our facilities director um to facilities manager position. Um we do believe that with the um job description changes that we've made uh we do believe we can still meet the needs of our district in this position uh with this change. Um this this this would come with a of course reclassification and a budgetary um reduction. Is

299there a motion to approve the reclassification or I'm um >> so moved? >> Motion by Joanne Rue. Is there a second? >> Second by Juan Romero. Discussion. Mrs. Levy. >> Thank you. Um similar to the the change from assistant principles to dean. Are there functions that a facility manager will not be able to provide for the district that a facilities director would? Oops. Yes. Um so it's the level of leadership that he will be able to provide much like being a cabinet member versus a director. Um it's the chain of command um that changes as well and um the level of um wouldn't say authority I'm trying to think of the right word but uh the capacity at which uh the decision making is made uh is more guided than it would be at a

300director level and I get that that's important but there aren't like with assistant principal to dean they don't do evaluations are there certain things legal year for whatever constraints that a manager could not provide the district that a director could. >> No, it's just about the level of responsibility. >> Thank you so much. >> Of course, >> Mr. Nichols. >> Uh, Mrs. Levy had got the question before I got to it, so I'm good. Thanks. We have a motion to approve by Joanne Rue, second by Juan Romero. Any further discussion? All in favor? >> I. >> Any oppose? Motion carries unanimously. I will entertain a motion to extend the meeting. >> So moved. >> Second. Motion by Brian Nichols, seconded by Amy Levy. Any discussion hearing? None. All in favor? >> I. >> Motion carries

301unanimously. Next up, we have the um HR committee report exhibit A. Are there any open session questions? Are there any closed session questions? >> Yes. >> Thank you. A motion may be made and a vote taken to convene the board of education into close session pursuant to section 19.85 parent one parent C of the Wisconsin state statutes relative to considering specific personnel recommendations and section 19.85 parent one parent F relative to considering financial medical social or personal histories of an employee. Mrs. Show. May we please get a Oh, did I ask for a motion? >> So moved. >> Is there a second? >> Motion by Amy Levy, second by Brian Nichols. Any discussion hearing? None. Mrs. Sch, may we have a roll call? >> Yes. Joan Rue. >> I. >> Brian Nichols. >> Hi. >>

302Tom Henkins. I >> Amy Levy I >> Juan Romero >> I >> and Tia Johnson >> I >> motion carried unanimously. >> The board of education may reconvene to public session in order to take any action if necessary on items discussed in close session. Thank you. [Music] Okay, it is 11:50. We are reconvening into open session. We are looking at a motion for the approval of the exhibit A recommendations. >> So move. >> Second. >> Motion by Joan Rue, seconded by Brian Nichols. Any discussion? Hearing none. All in favor? >> I I. >> Any oppose? Motion carries unanimously. A motion may be made and a vote taken to convene the board of education into close sess session pursuant to section 19.85 85 PAR one parent B of the Wisconsin state statutes relative to considering dismissal,

303demotion, licensing or discipline of any public employee or person licensed by a board or commission or the investigation of charges against person or considering the grant or denial of tenure for a university faculty member and the taking of formal action on any such matter. Provided that the faculty member or other public employee or person licensed is given an actual notice of any evidentiary hearing which may be held prior to final action and being taken of any meeting at which final action may be taken. The notice shall contain a statement that the person has the right to demand that the evidentiary evidentiary hearing or meeting be held in open session. Is there a motion to go into executive session? >> So move. >> Second. >> Motion by Amy Levy, seconded by Juan Romero. Any discussion hearing?

304None. Mrs. Schop. >> Juan Romero. >> Hi. >> Amy Levy. I Brian Nichols >> I >> Joanne Rue >> I Tia Johnson >> I >> motion carried unanimously. >> The board of education may reconvene to public session in order to take any action if necessary on items discussed in close session. Thank you. Have a good night. I heard