0017:00 on all of my devices. So, I'm going to go ahead and call us to order. Uh, welcome to the Monday, uh, March 23rd, 2026 regular meeting of the Columbus School District. Uh, Adam, would you call us? Uh, call a roll call, please. >> Present. >> O'Brien here. Wilson Rabby >> here. >> Pearson here. Paul here. Rule >> here. Smith >> here. >> All present and accounted for. We have a quorum. Andrea, we were properly noticed to my knowledge. Reminder, the mission of the Columbus School District ensures each student is prepared for future success. Um, I would take a motion to adopt our agenda. I have no adjustments to it that I'm aware of. >> So moved. Second. >> I have a first from John Pearson, a second from Mike O'Brien. Any discussion? Hearing none.
002All those in favor with an I. >> Any opposed? Same sign. >> Motion carries. Uh, it takes us into our board business this evening. Uh first item up is a business services update. >> Yeah. Uh we continue the process. Uh we have a couple of finalists uh kind of doing reference checks. Uh we're not positive uh just based on their current positions when the start date will be. Um as far as CIS, they're still working through the system still kind of reverse engineering some things uh just to make sure they have a full understanding. You'll see board bills coming uh probably at the first meeting. Just keep in mind April is an actual board meeting. uh we kind of changed that structure. Uh so you should see two months we're anticipating of board bills uh
003at that meeting and then another board bill coming. So um whenever we're ready uh we'll bring uh to you uh the recommendation for hire >> questions on the business services update. I assume that we're working to maintain all of our GPI deadlines on anything that would be business office related. Absolutely. >> Okay. >> And you know the probably the biggest challenge is going to be the preliminary budget just where it started. But that's our job to do. We'll figure it out. >> Okay. >> Next item up under board business. Uh remaining capital referendum funds. >> Yeah. Uh so I'm going to start it off and kind of take you on a little bit of a journey. Uh here I I wrote it all down just to make sure a I stay focused. that tendency to
004wander but be then hit everything that's relevant. So rewinding back to 2020 in April 2020 uh we passed a referendum here in the district capital referendum. Uh great support by the community. Uh it it it was awesome. Uh as part of that referendum, the voters approved uh not to exceed $30 million for agent infrastructure at the high school, elementary capacity, and then uh potential future land purchase. Now, one part of this that's important is the actual question. Uh the actual language on the question that was voted on, and I'll read it directly to it to you. Be it resolved by the school boards of Columbus School District, Columbia, Dodge, and Day counties, Wisconsin, that there shall be issued pursuant to chapter 67 of the Wisconsin statutes general obligation bonds in the amount not to exceed
005$30 million for the public purpose of paying the cost of district-wide facility improvement program consisting of construction of addition and renovations at the elementary school and the high school, capital maintenance and infrastructure improvements at all district buildings, acquisition of land, and acquisition of furnishing. uh furnishings, pictures and equipment. So that was the actual question. What was communicated to the public and uh what we stepped through with throughout the referendum process was kind of the cost summary about $18 to $19 million going to the elementary school. Uh the current middle school, which at that time was the intermediate/ middle school, somewhere between 1 and 2 million. uh between 8 and N million to the high school and then 1 million set aside for what was to be a future land purchase. Uh you know going back
006to the basics of referendum borrowing uh the borrowing for the referendum took place in two different years. Uh the timing that the borrowing occurred was very fortunate for the district. As you probably remember around 2020 2021 uh there were a lot of factors going on in the world. Initially, the original projections were projecting borrowing 15 million in both 2020 and 2021 with a higher interest rate. So, a mill rate around $1 $162. The final funding when uh the rates actually came in, 21 million was borrowed in 2020 and then 9 million in 2021 with a much lower interest rate just based on what was going on. So, the mill rate actually came in at $116. And I know a lot of you were on the board or paid attention during that just from a reduction
007in cost and a reduction in mill rate. That was like a $6.7 million reduction in cost. And we're talking a 46 a 46 cents reduction in mill rate. Today, we're going to talk about the 2021 uh borrowing or the bond that was issued in 2021. uh through the duration of the project, $1 million had $1 million have been set aside or allocated and still remains set aside for a potential land purchase. Uh over the course of the last 5 years or so, both myself and my predecessor uh did the majority of the work trying to search for land. Uh I believe uh Annette uh thoroughly vetted a handful of sites at a minimum. Um I can see that in records. I know that she talked to just from my conversations with her even more than
008uh that were actually documented. I know during my tenure we investigated at a very minimum of 16 different sites, some at a very high level, some at uh a more uh direct level throughout the entire process. Uh working with the land owners, uh our land owners have been excellent, very cordial, uh very upfront, very honest. Um, so I I've appreciated all of them that we've got to work with throughout it. Uh, we have noticed that there's some some issues when it comes to finding and purchasing land in Columbus. Uh, some of the obstacles and issues that we ran into, uh, flood planes, flood waste, wetlands, infrastructure costs, uh, being ran in order to get to certain locations, uh, power lines, uh, especially high voltage power lines, surrounding businesses and factors. uh even there are some
009owners that uh aren't willing to part with certain parcels and by all means that's their prerogative. And then over time there's been an increased cost per acre uh just with the purchasing of land. Uh we're at the point where uh we're about 60 days out from where 5 years would be from when uh that bond was issued. Uh, at this point I can say with more confidence than not that a viable a purchase of of land is is not viable. It's most likely not to happen with that $1 million. And that miday date is an important benchmark. So with us nearing uh the 5year mark, I think May 17th uh May 17th, 2021, um that $1 million remains unspent and I think that we have to start to have some conversations. there's some time uh
010but there's becoming some urgency to this. At about the 5-year mark, there becomes an increased IRS risk of any unspent referendum funds. Uh primarily, there is a risk of a penalty. Uh please note that this is not against the law. It's not a legal thing, but what it is is it's an agencyisssued penalty that could occur if you uh levy the funds for something and then you don't flat out go and do it within this arbitrary time frame. Right? So, uh we've been working with a couple of consultants and legal on what are our different options. Uh so, we've utilized our experts throughout that. Uh one of them being PMA. Uh PMA is just a company that works in public financing in the public sector and they're the ones that have typically worked with our
011bonds and defeasants in the past. And then uh there's been a couple of different legal uh entities that we've worked with a little bit less Boardman Clark. Uh they are our typical council. Um throughout the last year it's pretty much been uh the council uh that's been issued through um through PMA uh quarrels and or 80. Thank you. Uh so really they've identified a handful of different options uh for us to weigh with what to do with that approximate 1 million. Might be just a little bit more or a little bit less. Uh but I'm I'm fairly certain it's a little bit more. Option number one, we could purchase land. All right, that would be ideal. You know, that's what was communicated. Uh, as I started, that's probably not a very viable option. A second
012option is simply let the money sit and continue to look for land. Uh, this is highly discouraged by legal and our financial consultants. I don't see that as a reasonable option, but it's an option nonetheless. Uh the third option is determine that the project is complete and then use that rem those remaining funds to pay down debt. Uh so just say our work is done with this referendum question. We're going to pay down debt uh with the rest of the million dollars. Another option is we could implement a strategy in which the district executes projects within the scope of the referendum project. So that's why I read the initial referendum question. uh in the question, it doesn't specifically say $1 million must go to it. Uh but with that also being said, I know in
013uh all of the literature that I reviewed and that was passed out to the community, it was fairly clear that $1 million was set aside with the idea that it was going to be a new site uh for for a school building. And then the fifth option is being a combination of option number three and option four. uh some of the money uh could be used to pay down debt and the other money to do work within the scope of the referendum question. Now, depending on the amount that we would uh uh allocate to one or the other, it just kind of uh impacts our timeline of uh of when we could pay back those funds. If we would implement the option where we would spend some of the remaining funds, we could utilize fund
01446 uh which is an established capital improvement fund and transfer some of the funds over there. the less amounts if we would use a combined strategy, the less amount of money that we would um uh pay down or I I'm sorry, uh use towards uh questions, the longer or the more that we would use to the question, the longer it would take to put that money back into fund 46. So, for example, if threearters of that million dollars went towards projects at the buildings, it would take multiple years to replenish that fund in fund 46. So, in summary, we're nearing the 5-year mark. Uh, and that's coming up in May. Uh, those are the recommended five different options that we have for that approximate 1 million uh remaining dollars. Uh, we have some time. Um
015but my recommendation would be uh hopefully by the April meeting or very worst uh case scenario by uh the first May workshop that we take some action on. >> So that's kind of the outline preface. You know, I think we've had some conversation about different parts of this when we have um talked about some different land options over the last several months. Um so, our goal tonight is to begin and open this conversation with um what do we uh believe as a board is the most appropriate use of those funds that remain. Um, and as Jake had kind of alluded to, timewise, we wanted to bring this out over several meetings so that we had the ability to have some robust conversation. Additionally, we have things tenatively set that potentially PMA could come to our
016next meeting, the first meeting in April. Um so that if we have um some specific questions, if we want to see some specific financial structures for what would it look like if we you know did some sort of combination of of debt payown and and capital improvement within that scope um what that would look like. So um I just wanted you to know that that's kind of been built into that timeline. Um, I think ultimately our goal would be to have a decision made by the end of April at our second meeting, but we do have like into the first part of May if we would need to with our first meeting. recognizing that whatever strategy um we um execute, they're going to need time to to carry that out prior to that um potential
017deadline of of May 17th if we choose as a board that we're going to respect that as as a hard deadline to act on. So, I kind of open the floor up from there for thoughts, questions, where to start the conversation. Is >> it okay if I start? >> Of course. >> Um, first of all, I I'd very much like to see the land and that I know two people have worked very hard for a bunch of years to try to find that. But then secondly, I believe that when that other 29 million, we had to set some parameters on what we could do with that and some things didn't get in the program >> in the original project. I definitely would like to have us take a look at what are some of those
018big ones first and those things that would in affect the Columbus school district the most in terms of importance or having etc and use that as a base. Uh and then secondly, if I have no idea in money and how much that would be, but if there's some left over, certainly paying debt, uh you know, would be a consideration. Uh and I just all along though, I think it's real important the community knows we have not found land and when we do decide, they know exactly what we're going to do with. Are those projects that were shelved that Mike described, are those still within the considered within the scope of the referendum? >> My gut says yes. I can't say for sure because I don't know all the projects that were shelled. Basically, any project
019that happens in any of these three buildings that are capital related most likely fits into the scope of the question. It's a very broad question. So I I generally agree with Mike then that if it is within the scope of the referendum then there are there are still needs to be done in the school and I think that if we have this money available then we should do that we should lean towards that with you know like you said a little bit if there's leftover then absolutely we can pay down debt because we have done some defeasence in the past so I would lean towards working on projects As a point of clarification, if we even if we decided to use it to pay down debt, there'd be really no tax relief until the end
020of the um payment. So like to 2020 2030 something >> 38. So no matter what we do, taxpayers are not going to see much difference until 2038. Is that correct? >> Correct. from how I understand it. Yes. >> Yeah. >> So I I'm >> I suspect there would be substantial interest savings. So that potential relief would be >> at the end would be a a larger relief if you will, for lack of better words. But yes, there is a pre there's a payment schedule on that. And I think similar to our previous defeasence, if we opted to roll that money back into the debt, I believe it would be defeased until it could be paid. Is that correct? >> I believe so. Yes. >> It's not like we can put it on the principal now
021like you put on your homework. >> And the gist of it, correct? The communication then should be that even if we didn't do anything with it, it's not going to have much property tax relief right now. Is that correct? >> That would be my understanding. Also, I think that's a great question of clarification. Um, if we do choose to have PMA come to the next meeting, I think that's a great point to clarify that >> indeed that if we decided to 100% put it back on debt payment that I believe it would be a defeasence for now and then it would be a future payment that would reduce interest but would not um change. >> That was my understanding. I was just asking for clarification. >> Right. Right. I believe um that you're correct, John.
022So, I think that's a great point to have them clarify for us again. >> It looks 2040 final payments >> on most options. So, >> but it does reduce the last two years, I think, >> uh if I remember the chart correctly. >> Okay. >> Thank you. Um, I I tend to to agree with Mike's statement and I don't really feel like I have a ton to add to that. As far as looking at, we know some of the options just aren't viable, which widows our list down a bit. I I do think the communication is going to be really a critical thing too to to share with the community um as much information as we can which I think you're do a good job of but um it's just a lot in a lot
023and with time going by I think that as much clarification as we can give will be helpful. >> I would I would agree. Um, I know there are still projects that need to be done. So, that would be probably in the community's best interest to get those things done now as opposed to waiting until they need to be done, right? Um, but yeah, I agree. Communication with the community about the lengths that we've gone to to identify land. Um, and listing the reasons just like you did, um, on why they aren't viable for us. Um, I think that will help alleviate a lot of questions that might come up and make people feel a little bit more comfortable with the decision. But that the fact that the money is still going back to the same
024project, I think would be would be sufficient. As far as the time frame, I honestly think we've done really well trying hard for 5 years. I know it feels like we're down to the wire now that we've got to make a decision, but we have had information. We've been brought along the process this whole time. So, I think it's kind of good that we've waited to see what we can find and now we're addressing it because we really haven't found anything. Um so I think it's no problem to make a decision by April or like we're saying in the very first part of May. Um I guess my feeling is that to use it on infrastructure um we have done significant defeasance and debt payown and if we do additional infrastructure projects that benefits the
025students that are um in our community right now and are coming up in the next few years which you know I guess presumably a land purchase kind of would have done as well. Um, I do feel since 2020, we've had declining enrollment like almost every district in in Wisconsin. So, it's just that's something that's always out there when we're thinking about big decisions um you know, enrollment's going down, so we have to make the best use of our money um to benefit those kids. So, I would lean towards doing the projects. Um, I'm sure I could be persuaded to throw a little bit of debt paid on in there if you guys felt strongly about that, but um, I think we've all had really good background information with which to make this decision and discussion.
026I'm going to throw out a devil's advocate thought. Um, and so here's one of the things that I, um, I think is something that we're going to have to work to help people understand. We just voted for a operational referendum, right? We just asked our community for 1.75 million a year for the next four years. And I think that it will be important for people to understand that this money is not um equivalent use in the sense that um we can't just take this money, put it into the general fund and not levy 1 million of 1.75 million next year, right? I mean, I think that that is it's confusing and it's it is I mean, we know firsthand school finance is really confusing when we start talking about referenda and these referenda question and
027and the statutes that surround this. Uh, a lot of people would look at this how they do their household spending, right? And they'd say, "Okay, you've got a million dollars that you set aside. Well, then you just pay down your mortgage principal by a million dollars or you don't levy that other, you know, 1 million out of the 1.7 that's scheduled for next year. You can give us a break on that. And it doesn't work that way. We legally can't do that. And so I think that that is something that we're going to have to spend some time figuring out how to help the public understand that there are some limitations uh on how we can utilize these funds that we can use them for capital projects that fall within the scope of the original
028referenda question. Um but simply alleviating um like our current referenda for operational referenda is not an option. I don't know if others have thoughts about that or or >> I think when we did the operational referendum there was a lot of good communication surrounding that too. So that should help. >> I think people you know they had the question of well we we just had a referendum you know but they start to understand the difference between the infrastructure and the operations. Yeah, I kind of think that piggy backs on to mind that people have to understand how that works and even paying it down and this end it's not going to you're not going to see results until the back end, >> right? Um, and I think I as far as I recall, there is
029no um there is no strategy available to put that back to the taxpayer immediately from my understanding and the work that the legal department has provided. Right. >> No, not the option. >> I mean, there is no way to cut a check to every voting member to say here's $26 back because of the $1 million we're not utilizing. Correct. >> So, Um what are our questions then if we're thinking about I mean do we um want to bring PMA to our next meeting uh to talk further about some of these uh kind of strategies like Jake said this this this idea of some sort of combination of payown debt and capital improvement versus completing more projects and what that looks like financially and how that um is replenished in fund 46 and that exchange. I
030think that's an area that we need some clarification or really need to understand. >> I think it'd be helpful just for clarification to have somebody who's who's expert on it who really could answer some of those hard questions >> cuz like Jake said, if we're going to use fund 46 to facilitate and we're ultimately going to do a million dollars worth of of projects, it's going to take several years to replenish that back through fund 46. And I think we have to understand what that looks like and and does that impact I mean are there further consequences of that right? Are there unintended consequences of um utilizing those funds 46 funds at a different rate than we had >> scheduled or intended? Um >> Jake, do you have access to some of the original project?
031Um >> I can find it >> as far as like what pieces of the project were. Um I mean I know we did a lot of contingency work over several months and even a couple of years after referend original referenda, right? I know that a net said, "Okay, here's where we're at. A contingency fund has this. We're going to pull these projects in and complete these projects." I don't know if there is still a a list. Obviously, we have our capital capital ref uh capital um improvement plan >> and those are all things that would likely be viable projects, but I don't know if there's any specifics off of the original project that I can recall that we weren't able to do on contemps that had to be made. >> Yeah, I'll look for documentation
032and connect with administrators if I need to. Um, I think the other thing to keep in mind after the referendum finished, we did do the um, Ray conducted the building facility study as well, which helped inform and just to make sure that was after and then that did help build the capital improvement plan. But I think it would be a good practice to c to cross reference what was cut if I can find an, you know, extensive list or any list. Um, I think that's That's something we could do and if I can't find it, we'll call and if my best answer is there's no record of it, I'll let you guys know. >> Sure. >> Well, and even from that standpoint, our our capital improvement plan, you know, gives us a very clear pathway
033of what projects might need to be considered. Um, and it uh will help us to continue to maintain the work that was done on the referendum, right? I mean, that was the whole point of when we established the fund 46 for capital improvement was we're going to put all this money into our buildings. Let's make sure we're also putting aside the money to continue to maintain them um in the future. So, all right. So, PMA, we want some clarification on what those combinations might look like um and what that means for fund 46. Um, we're looking for potentially some list of initial parts of the project that were cut. If those aren't identifiable, then obviously our capital referendum or capital improvement plan. Am I missing anything else that we want to make sure that PMA
034is assisting us to address informational clarification? Okay. anything further on this questions, comments, otherwise? Okay, Jake, thanks for kind of compiling that and concisely reflecting that back to us. Uh, you know, we've had parts of this conversation on and off over the last several months. So, >> that was pretty good until the corrections came up. >> Hi. >> All right, into the superintendent report tonight. uh student device leases. Um we updated you in uh in your weekly update on this information. Uh so Mike's been working pretty hard. Mike keeps a pretty thorough uh uh replacement plan and and uh and and update plan within within his department. Uh student devices is kind of this reoccurring maintenance that we have to have occurring. If you've been following the world, uh getting pricing uh is difficult and
035uh price fluctuation is even more of a challenge. Uh so recently Mike identified with some of his vendors that A uh getting some bids just didn't happen. B making sure that devices were available were going to be tough, but then c making the purchase after uh July 1, which is the fiscal year, would result in uh a much higher cost. Uh so in a cost-saving effort, we start to explore our different options. Um, if we buy the devices that we're going to have to buy for students, it would be somewhere around $65,000. Uh, with where we are in the business office at this point, I'm not comfortable making that $65,000 purchase and then come back to the board at the end going, "Oh crap, we dug into fund balance because we weren't positive. We were
036transitioning from Beth to CISA 6." Uh, that would be the most ideal way to do it. Um but we didn't budget for it in this year. Uh and that doesn't make sense. Uh Mike started to explore some other options. Uh one of the creative op options being a short lease uh where we technically purchase it uh during this fiscal year. Uh we take a lease from now until uh less than a year because uh audit problems come in after one year. Karen's shaking her head. she knows that uh there becomes it becomes a costly process after that one-year mark. Uh so this was kind of a creative solution in which we could save uh some money with that. Uh Mike, can you kind of jump into the figures a little bit for us? >> So
037if we waited till July 1, the estimates for pricing, um they can't give me exact pricing because usually you can't buy you can't get a a net anything that will allow you to pay any more than 30 to 60 days later. So, um, the estimates are over $100 device higher. So, we're looking at about $15,000 more if we buy the same thing that we're looking at getting now versus July 1, if anything is available is the other question. Um, and then if we went with this lease, the lease would cost a little over it's between $2 and $3,000 is what we're looking at. um over the cost of what they would be if we bought them outright right now with no lease. So, the fees on the lease would be about a $3,000 um cost
038that we we um would incur in occur, but um we would still save about $12,000 then instead of waiting till July. um those devices would also be here on time or early and we'd be able to set them up for students um during the summer and have them ready on day one um which is also a big benefit of the lease on top of the savings. Um so those are the rough you know the rough estimates there but yeah >> so just for clarification total cost of the lease >> total cost of the lease >> approximately >> if paid on July 1 um 68,432 >> so the 65 plus 3,000 >> and would that allow us to pay that then into the next fiscal year or would we still be paying that that lease on
039this fiscal year, >> not this fiscal, next fiscal year. >> It would be paid on July one. >> July one of next fiscal year. >> The agreement would start this year. >> June 30th is the end of this fiscal year. So, it would allow us to juggle that cost into the next fiscal year um with about a $3,000 fee versus that $15,000 increase if we waited to that time frame, which isn't guaranteed. Okay. I feel like it could get worse than that. >> And we can and we can actually get these devices if we lock in now. Right. >> Could >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> And that that is a concern that that Mike has been working through that >> um they have x number of thousand available in or is it 100 or no?
040>> There's 4,000. >> Yeah. 4,000 available, but just a week ago it was 5,000. >> How many devices are we talking about? >> We just need 150. >> 150. So, >> and that keeps us on schedule with our replacement um schedule on our devices for technology. >> What's the downside if we don't do those 150? We stay with 150 that we currently have. We don't do those a new on. >> Sure. Um so, we've got them on a six-year plan. Every device we keep for 6 years and then phase them into a spare year at 7 years and then the battery life is pretty much shot there. We could I mean, we can always repair and repair and repair. I think up to 10 years is what you could potentially use a Chromebook for for
041licensing and then it's no longer it's a brick at that point. But um we are a little bit above average on that six year. Um so I mean that is the possibility and then we would also be um having more grade levels that have you know older and older devices. So we'd go to a situation where we were right around COVID when we had 1,200 devices that were all at the end of their life and then we had to replace all of that. >> Um so this just keeps us slowly you know chugging along >> and you don't want students with downtime >> and waiting would mean >> waiting for a different computer >> just even more the following year. >> Yes. Then it'll be 300 devices next year that we >> devices next year.
042>> No guarantee that anything's going to be better. >> Probably not getting cheaper. >> And it's budgeted for we budget for it annually just for that >> for that amount. >> We budget for the you know plus CPI from from this last year right we not expecting these you know one year it's a lease the next year it's tariffs. You know we don't we don't guess those I do not guess those things. Um, so >> next year's black market, right? >> If you have any heads up on what next year's going to be, let me know. >> So, >> yeah, >> we generally have not brought leases to the board. >> And we were just thinking it does make sense to at least have the discussion and the heads up um if we indeed do
043execute. I I went back even into uh previous years, previous administration, and we didn't see any approvals for any leases. >> So, I'm not necessarily looking for action. I guess looking for objections if there are any >> I haven't >> I mean we clearly trying to make an appropriate the best fiscal decision that we can with the limited information that we have >> and we know the >> we know the limitations of seven-year-old devices they're just not >> they're not useful. So we do very little short-term borrowing for anything. So I think sometimes it's probably just going to happen. >> Yeah. >> And we know the cost of tech is going up. So >> yeah, I mean I think even if the current chip shortage alleviates, I don't think we're going to see costs decrease
044>> chips. And then also this is more the increase is coming from the the RAM prices. So like the chips are becoming shorter and shorter, but the RAM is going up because of data centers and cloud needs. So it's it's kind of a two-prong approach. started. >> I'm like, "They're charging us." When he told me, I'm like, "They're charging us for round." >> He's like, "Yeah, Jake, >> charge you for that." >> Well, it seems to me that there's been a lot of work to be done in trying to save some money. So, that's a good thing. >> Yeah. AI is challenging us in a different direction, >> right? All right. Thank you, Jack. Thank you, Mike, for the background work on that. All right, that takes us into uh public conversation and public recognition
045and correspondence. I don't believe we have anyone signed up for public comment. All right. Um, next up on our list on public comment is our donation list for this evening. Um, just want to take a moment to thank our our community uh partners and community supporters. Uh, we have a donation from Kowanas Club to the Columbus Middle School band department in the amount of $5,000. >> Oh, thank you. Sorry. $500, John. In case you were adding not >> I got I got five. >> A donation from Teresa Henning to Angel Funds for free and reduce negative balances in the amount of $250. Um, donation from Drexel Building Supply to be used for Columbus Middle School attendance challenge, um, in the amount of $50. That sounds like fun. Uh, a donation from Columbus PTO to be
046used for Columbus Middle School attendance challenge in the amount of $50. Um, a donation from Columbus Athletic Boosters to track and field in the amount of $3,80.96. a donation from Columbus Athletic Boosters to the Columbus High School uh track team in the amount of $37320. Um, a donation from Columbus Girls Basketball Backcourt Club Incorporated to the Columbus High School Girls Basketball in the amount of $3,346.40. A donation from Marlon Hensler to the Columbus High School girls basketball in the amount of $75. A donation from Matthew Gawker uh to the Columbus High School boys basketball in the amount of $350. A donation from Robert's Manufacturing of a Miller Miller co-pilot welder to Columbus High School in the amount of value of $65,000. A donation from Miller of welding helmets, coats, gloves, and safety goggles to the
047Columbus High School in the amount of $800. seemed like we should have a drum roll or something here. So, this month's donations were 73,8756, which folks, now it's only March, we've received contributions for $127,474.33, which speaks very highly of our community and and their value of our kids and education and our school district. So, I'm extremely proud of that. >> And Julie, if I may, um, talking about number 11, uh, the donation from Roberts, uh, that $65,000 piece of equipment was a demo model, which is, you know, it's the same as a real model. That actual model is $125,000. It It's Eric Eric and I have been down there. It is a crazy piece of equipment. And you know, if we want to get kids prepared for the real world and working, that's what they're
048using. That's what they're using at Roberts. That's what they're using at other locations. So that that was it's a pretty fantastic piece and and a great donation. So that number is misle that number is huge just looking at it, but really what the actual piece of equipment is worth is even more. And on top of that, Miller was kind enough to donate those parts. Uh but uh Robert's had a huge part in urging that that equipment be donated as far as gloves, goggles, and things like that. That speaks volumes to the work that we've done on our community partnerships and our commitment to um helping our students be career ready for whatever after high school looks like for them. So yeah. All right. will take us into our board action um agenda this evening. Uh
049first up is uh consider approval for OE3. Um reminder that looking for um a rank ranking of that um recommended in compliance by administration. >> Motion to approve OE3 monitoring report as in compliance. Second. >> Sorry. Second. >> I have a first from Martha Rule, a second from Cory Olsson Rafy for OE3 in compliance. Um, any discussion hearing? None. All those in favor with I >> Any opposed? Motion carries. Uh, next up, consider approval for OE8. Again, recommendation uh from administration was in compliance. I'll make a motion that we accept OE8 as in compliance. >> Second that. >> I have a first from John Pearson, a second from Karen Smith uh for OE8 in compliance. Any discussion? >> Hearing none. All those in favor with an I. >> I. >> Any opposed? >> Motion passes.
050Uh last item on board action is consider approval for OE9. Um again recommendation from administration was in compliance. >> Have a motion to approve OE9 from your report as in compliance. Second. >> We have a first from Karen Smith, a second from Cory Olsson Rafy. Any discussion? >> Uh I notice there is one small poll in the agenda. Recommended action item has it at OE8. I don't know how much. >> Oh, on here. >> Yeah. >> Oh, yeah. Up there under the text. Got it. Probably just was a cut and paste. >> Um, >> yeah. >> So, under the OE9 action item, just under the record, it looks like OE8 was cut and pasted. The correct OE9 is attached. So, >> it's right on my on my sheet. >> Oh, Jake fixed it. Refresh. >>
051Thank you. No. >> All right. Any further discussion or questions? >> Hearing none. All those in favor with an I. >> I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries. Uh next up this evening, uh we have the superintendent's consent agenda as um listed there for you. It has our early college credit programs. Um the start college now applications for approval. It has our uh purchasing cooperative agreement for nutrition services, our graduation requests, and our human resources report. >> Motion to approve the superintendent's consent agenda. >> I heard a first from Adam Palver. I heard a second from Mike O'Brien. Um any discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor with an I. >> I. Any opposed? Motion carries. Um, next up is our board consent agenda. Um, includes all of our donations as discussed and reviewed this evening
052as well as board meeting minutes from February 23rd and board workshop meeting minutes from J um, sorry, March 9th. >> Motion to approve the board consent agenda as presented. Second. >> I have a first from Karen Smith, a second from Martha Rule. Any discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor with an I. I. >> I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries. Um for board calendar planning. Um just a couple of reminders listed there for you. Um election uh coming up. Uh I believe my dates wrong. April 7th. >> 7th. April 7th is election and then board of canvasers uh for the school board election will convene on April 9th, 2026 at 12:30 p.m. I believe that'll be in district office where it's typically held. So if anyone is interested in attending that, you're welcome. Um our
053next board meeting will be on April 27th, 2026. um governance committee is going to meet at 6:00 p.m. So, 1 hour prior to our regular board meeting here in this location. And then at 6:45, we're going to have school board photos. Just don't anticipate any significant changes to our board makeup based on the current ballot. Um but always good to have us another year older looking great. So, we're going to snap a photo at 6:45 p.m. our set. >> We do have another board meeting before this one, right? We do have one on the 6th, right? >> Yes. Yeah. >> Thank you. >> Sixth or whatever. 13th 13 second. >> 13th second Monday. You're right. Thank you for reminding me that. But I always try to get you whenever we plan something a different time
054than our usual. I always try to make sure you guys have that ahead of time. So, thank you though, John, for Yeah. straightening my brain out. >> You did say the next board meeting. >> You're right. Thanks for straightening my brain out on that. And uh anyone interested in a debrief this evening? >> I would just like to put a shout out to the musical >> uh for all of those that participated and helped with that event. It was fantastic. They did a great job. I heard many comments from people in the district and outside of the district saying it was um beyond their expectations for a high school performance. So that was wonderful to hear. Um, and Archery is at state this weekend, so we can wish them all a walk there. That's all
055I got. >> I just follow up on that on the musical multiple involvement by a lot of different students uh in some >> uh I know my wife was alive, she would really like the dancing in the movement. There was plenty of it >> in terms of that. >> It's they've really it's gotten it's really good. They really stepped it up. That is a difficult musical to perform just with the musical demand, the singing demands and even the performance demands in the in the band and everybody just knocked it out of the park. >> Yeah, it was great. >> Awesome. Well attended. >> Good. Great to hear. >> All right, nothing further. I would take a motion for adjournment. >> So moved. >> Second. I have a first from John Pearson, a second from Karen
056Smith, I believe I heard down there. Any discussion hearing? None. All those in favor with an I. >> I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries. We are journ at 7:48 p.m. >> Adam, do you have anything that needs sign for that? >> Um, I think they're going to send it probably tomorrow. No, >> just you. >> You'll get it tomorrow, I think. Oh, let me get those two names. Oh god. No.