001first. >> It isn't. That's bad. Yes. >> Yeah. Do you have anything? >> We're going to do that by >> It's on. >> I'm going to go ahead and call the meeting to order. Roll call. >> Yep. Crystal. >> Yep. >> Nikki. >> Kirk. Yes. Colton. Yep. call. Roll call. >> Jamie. >> Yep. >> Brad >> here. >> Dean >> here. B here. Liza. Luke. >> Yes. >> Yep. Awesome. >> Verification of agenda posting. All right. and stand for the pledge before we get too far along. The baseball team champions. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. We will move right into our public portion of our agenda. Anybody in the
002public like to come up and say a couple of words before we begin? All right, we will have that opportunity at the end of the meeting as well. Uh let's move right down into discussion on the consolidation planning. So, in looking at consolidation planning, uh I have looked a little bit at uh the pathway to um to see no one has ever done that before. So, in Wisconsin anyway. So, I did [clears throat] uh look up some Iowa school districts um and have not come up with a whole lot of things on that. So, I will continue digging on that and um that's what I have for our part of consolidation. Right now, there are districts um that do essentially do pathway 2, but they do it within their own district. So, pathway 2 is
003it's called the career clusters. Um so they do the career clusters within their own um district. Uh there's there's a number of them in Wisconsin that do that. Uh so they'll have a business career cluster, a healthcare career cluster, a manufacturing career cluster. They can have as many career clusters as they want. And then students as they travel through their high school career will pick a career cluster and they will take math classes that are associated with their career cluster or language arts classes um that are associated with their career cluster. For example, if somebody is going into a manufacturing uh field or pathway, uh they may take more non-fiction or more literature that deals with things like instruction or things like that that are are tied more to their career. Uh the the way
004those work is students because they're in the same building can flip-flop between easily between career clusters. So if somebody gets into a healthcare career cluster, but decides, yeah, it's maybe maybe I want to look and see what the business world is like. I could still jump over and take a math class or arts class or something else from a different career cluster. So a lot of lot of districts are able to do career clusters like we are talking about in pathway 2 you working toward the strengths of both districts. Um the challenge of course that we have is the transportation between. [clears throat] So that's the that's the big difference. So with the curtain clusters now that is what we saw at um White Hall but it's four different schools you saw at Flex Cascal
005a bigger school they had I believe eight career clusters that they had pathways that they had. Um so like Mr. screen said those are either collaboration co-ops or within the same district and they do involve transportation but it is it's a little different. Um and so we have talked to them a little bit when we went and visited and uh a lot of it is getting that schedule to to work out and we talked a lot about finding that cluster or the pathway that a student could start working towards as a sophomore or junior and um have have a path for as a junior and a senior and go that direction instead of a tech school or a college and they're in out of school and in paying some money already. So, um those are
006things that we've looked at and concentrated on and focused on and and it is it is a work in progress. So, does anyone else have any with the [groaning] plan? Yeah. At our uh the last joint meeting, he came in Jetson, he stood up and uh and gave, you know, a very thorough overview of some thoughts and concerns. It really made me start thinking, you know, whatever you guys are looking into, it's going to be very important that the staff have some involvement in that. And I'm just curious, have you given any thought or maybe we need to towards how are we going to eventually bring the staff to this so they have because ultimately they're the ones carrying out the plan and if they don't believe in the plan it's going to fail. So
007how do we get the staff brought into this in a timely fashion thoughts on that? I know I'm putting you on the spot, but I mean, you know, at one point I I think, you know, we had suggested we got to get principles involved, you know, pass the principles. Do we work with recruit and retain on some of these ideas or, you know, I I just this is just open conversation at this point, but I'm just curious what everybody's thoughts are. >> One way to think about that is simply asking staff if they have feelings on one plan versus the other first. I mean, if you if the boards want that want that feedback now or later, you know, if if you're interested, if that would help, you know, if you have if if you
008have two staffs that have strong feelings in one way or the other, you know, does that narrow the scope, narrow the focus or where where the board conversation goes? So, we obviously heard from Jesse um on behalf of I don't remember how many teachers she said that she had talked to, but has have you guys heard or Mr. Green, have you guys heard anything from your staff as far as their thoughts on two school? Has there been any input at all, any questions, concerns, positive, negative, that they've shared? I don't have a a number but I have had I would say a handful that have expressed that a two high school model would be very difficult to manage and to to make to to coordinate and to make flow for our kids. There there have
009a couple that have concerned that that they would be concerned about the the the time in coordination and transportation may take away from time in classrooms. Beyond that, no. I I had a a staff meeting on Monday with a few board members. um maybe pancakes and eggs for him at the beginning of the day and and then we talked about and going into summer. Gave them an update on what we're doing and um essentially got no feedback, positive, negative whatsoever about either pathway specifically. But I would say over the last couple weeks, I haven't heard anything either way about a one school model, but I have heard a handful about the concerns of a two school, two high school model. I [clears throat] would say uh I heard I haven't heard three or eight. I've
010heard concerns for scheduling um and similar to what uh Mrs. Arine said last time we met um just what is instructional time look like um with the transportation. So those are some of the concerns that have been brought up. talking to the public owner. Um, [clears throat] public also is concerned with pathway too as far as education. Um, and I've been upfront enough and like I said at our board meeting last time, do we need to put this back out on the ballot? Um, people are also asking me which way is more financially beneficial said having all the creative I've talked to you can't do that based on space right >> no all grades not one building so all grades in a building >> one like all in one high school all in one middle
011school all in one elementary >> the same building >> yeah no not all under the same roof Yeah. >> Um, sorry if I wasn't clear on that, >> but they're asking, you know, financially if that's better off rather than splitting it. Yes. So, I've heard concerns that the few I've talked to would rather have all the high school in one building. To Kirk's point, I I think I've kind of broken it now into three groups. You got the pathway threes, you got the pathway eights, and then you have the people who say just get this done. And obviously the threes aren't going to agree with the eights and the eights aren't going to agree with the threes. And somehow we're I think we can admit at least we we are not I have not heard
012anything positive about who I think it was a it was a an attempt at the word compromise. You've heard me say that before, but it it probably it hasn't gained the support I thought it would. Um, so that that forces the boards back to 38, get it done. And how do you come up with something there? And uh you know the reality is if the community is not willing to give up a high school, we're going to be very hard pressed between us boards to actually come up with a question that we all agree on. So I I think that's a challenge in front of us now. And and I tell me if I'm wrong, has anybody at the board had anybody say positive about two to be fair? Now on the positive side of
013things though that means we did our job. It it really does cuz it means when we started this process the whole thing was the best education for the kids. What gives them the most opportunities was one is how to be financially responsible. Right? That checks both boxes. Right? You realize that by doing two that doesn't make sense, right? It also means that the two communities agree on that. So that's a good thing, right? The flip side of that is does present the almighty question 83 8. Um, and we have to figure out what that looks like. But again, I do want to point out the positive that is a good thing. I think we're narrowing it down and we all come in agreement on that. So, so I was going to say that I' I've
014talked to a number of people about, you know, the concept of of two being that you trying to utilize the strengths of each school. Um, but but the challenge is there. How do you how do you have a schedule that allows students to take classes in one or the other? Um so having said that I guess you know as we start narrowing it down which one of those I think we'll probably be you know trying to figure out if if both of those pathways are saying the elementary you know is combined here at Loyal what does that mean as far as the rooms the space that is needed for those classes and Now, you know, will all of the elementary fit in the present space? And I'm I'm inclined to think that chances are that
015some of those older elementary student classes would have to be bumped into space that now is part of the middle school. So then that that's where it, you know, does the high school stay here or does the middle school stay here? And then do we, you know, the question is if in my mind if the um in particular the technical education space at Greenwood offers more opportunities, [clears throat] you know, does it also the space if if if it wasn't um used for the middle school but was used entirely for the high school, does it also provide additional space or or high school class if that's the only thing that's in Greenwood. So that's that's the ultimate question is what what fits where and without because we realize that we can't spend money or significant
016amount of money to remodel either of the buildings. So that's the question is what what fits where. Thanks Tom. I was just going to say that. I will say that I have had a couple comments over the last week about the focus of the high school and it's from a couple elementary parents um that have expressed the concern of um we haven't in Greenwood we haven't done anything to I don't say fight for but stop or prevent the elementary from leaving Greenwood. And I think that's because we are all in agreement that they fit here that that that the fit for the elementary kids is is in this bill because vice versa doesn't work because we [clears throat] would cram kids in and lose opportunities, right? Yeah. So it it wouldn't work to bring all
017the oil because at Greenwood Elementary because we would cram in >> correct. So the followup when I say that cuz I think that's true in our conversation the response was why isn't the same held true for your high school discussions? Why is the that's it like why isn't the same held true at I don't have I didn't have a good answer for that because I think that's where the emotions come in and I think some of these particular two people [clears throat] that talked to me about this um I think that's was their frustration is why isn't there as much emotion for the element elementary kids as our for our high school kids. And I think that's a fair question that I I really couldn't answer. >> So when we were talking um it was
018brought up to maybe look at space and how what would fit where. Um that's something you guys are kind of working on. Maybe once we figured that out, that would kind of give us a little more direction of what fits better, one school versus the other. >> Yeah. And and we do have a couple preliminary maps um that we're working on with HSR and my from their building models to look at if depending on the grade levels. If it's I'll just say like a none of this is like pre-thodontage as if it's is it pre [clears throat] is it 4K through third grade? Is it 4K through fourth grade? Is it 4K through fifth grade? Like what is it? You know, what defines an elementary school? What defines a middle school? What defines a high
019school? Because they're different models and the fit of those kids are different and the needs of space. you know, if it's three sections per elementary grade level, [clears throat] well, there's a different need if there's only four grade levels in elementary than there is if there's five or six grade levels in elementary. So, we're we're trying to look at some of those those models >> here. Well, all grades, right? >> Started there because every model we have has the elementary kids in loyal, right? So we're trying to figure doesn't matter what the model is. Every model has the elementary in loyal. So we're trying to figure out what space are those kids going to occupy. So we then know what space is available. Is that I believe that's actually have to go first because that's
020what we know. the turnaround time. >> Turn around time for that. >> Yeah. >> Um I would say by the next meeting we should be able to have a >> we're just we got to remember we're getting up to get up against the clock here. We promised something. >> I just I think it's important to remember we're getting up against the clock here. We have to promise the public something by summer so we can talk about it for a while before we vote on it. >> Yeah, I would say the next meeting we will have a a model or a a couple models that are a little more clear. So, I'm sure that you guys chat sure, but I'm assuming you guys watched our meeting last week, some of you, and um just based on
021some conversations that I had. And um last week I did say, and I I do feel this way that, you know, I feel a little bit like we are at an impass and I'm not sure how to get past that because and I don't know, and if anybody has any other feelings, I'd love to hear them. But as much conversation as we've had, we've kind of discovered that pathway 2 probably isn't the best option. We haven't gained any support with that. Um, we've talked about pathway 3 and pathway 8. And um, I feel like we haven't made a ton of progress either way there. And I guess, you know, and I said this in in our meeting last week, that it feels for me like an impass. It feels for me like we're coming to
022these meetings and we're trying to discuss and move forward, but I feel like the last few we've kind of just been spinning our wheels. And I'm curious to know if anybody else on the Greenwood board specifically because we discussed it last week as our board um at our board meeting and open um we discussed it a little bit and and I'm wondering if where you guys are at or how you guys feel about it because you know it's no secret that we don't want to give up our high school. You don't want to give up your high school and pathway 2 is probably not going to gain the support that we had originally maybe thought. So, I'm just curious on your thoughts as to steps we can take to move forward. You know, and just
023real quick, I I think when Crystal says we don't want to give up our high school, I think that's what we're hearing from the community is, hey, you know, don't give up our high school. And I have to believe you guys are hearing the same thing. Or if you're not, please tell me that now. So, that's part of the conversation. I I would say from our community members and from what I've heard that was not the sentiment at all. Uh the sentiment was we're tasking you guys with getting the best plan possible for our kids and their education all that very realistic conversations. It's not all of them. I'm not saying they're 100%. There was a few that were less than cordial, right? But that's part of the job and there's emotion in that stuff.
024Um I think they've done a very good job of looking at the information HSN put out there. Um, I'll be honest with you. From what I've heard, I'm not asking for any of the rest of them. They said, "Hey, if our building was in green or in boiler, by all means, it makes sense to do that." Um, other than that, I'm being honest with you, there wasn't that much push back. So, it wasn't the emotional don't lose it. It's do the right job, right? Don't do something to get a vote to pass or do or because we've tried that before, right? it's it doesn't work. Um, and honestly over the past 2 weeks I've heard and if you guys can't do that then it's dumb. Then obviously it's not going to work. So that is
025personally what I've heard. I'm not speaking for the rest of them but that is I have had not the emotional side that that I I think that you guys have seen. I'm not saying they don't have passion because they do. But it's been more of make sure you do what's the best for both communities and kids. Really has Yeah. And I, you know, I went out to a lot of the high school graduation parties and stuff and talked to a lot of the parents and that. Um I was over here for her a couple of my cousins graduation parties too. We talk to the loyal people and it was the same thing of there was a little bit of passion about this and that but it was more of you know what's best for the
026kids what what's going to work better for them uh for an education standpoint and how they're you know would help them develop better and stuff. You know, there was a couple, yeah, why why should you know, why should we go to a barber school? And it's like, you got to do what's best for the kids, not what's you know you think is because it's your hometown. So, but it was more of what fits better for their education at that time. to that point actually it's I've never heard give up the high school it's how is it best used right honestly that's been a lot of the conversation it's not you're not giving it away like we're not selling it we're not but make sure you're using that to the best of it ability for the
027kids and education I've honestly never heard anybody tell me that like don't give it up not going to give it up you know we're going to use it but make sure you use it the right way I've heard that so there's that part of it never that other >> and you know what just to clarify I mean I've heard similar things do what's best but the thing that I keep coming back to is who determines what's best so we as board members might feel a certain way parents might feel a certain way teachers might feel a certain way and that's the issue I'm struggling with I think is that I'm having conversations with all of those groups of people, you know, we obviously communicate very often about this, staff members, parents, who determines what's best
028and that's the hard part. Um, you talk to some parents, whether it's Greenwood and Loyal, wherever, and and they say, "Do what's best for the students?" And I say, "What do you what is best for you in your students?" And it's completely different per person. So, that's the hard part. And I'm not saying that everybody I talk to is saying, "Don't give up our high school." I don't want I I just want to make that clear. Some yes, not everyone. But that's the part that's hard is and again we were elected to to do that, but everybody you talk to has a different opinion on what's best for the students. I would say one thing or maybe a different perspective also that we all need to remember is we are both giving up our high
029school for something bigger and better. Regardless of what pathway is chosen, if if a high school is here, it is no longer Loyal High School. If a high school is in Greenwood, it is no longer Greenwood High School. So, it's it's it's both are giving up their high school in consolidation. It's a new district. And and I think that's a little different perspective that none of us have really talked about yet, but and maybe it doesn't make it any easier, but it is a different perspective. You know, Loyal High School, Greenwood High School are will if we consolidate will cease to exist. Some of the culture and the colors and like I don't want to place in anybody's bleachers, right? and and and painting everybody's buildings like some of that some of that culture and
030some of the history and and things like that can remain but they the identity has to change. It has either no matter how you consolidate the identity has to change. I think uh off of what you said the identity has to change and you see it changing already because not only say we did we have invested a lot of time in looking [clears throat] at this and there's also in the last 3 or 4 years been a lot of investment just in collaboration and and working together. So there's a the two districts are intertwined in a number of aspects. So we need to take that in consideration and I believe our a lot of our students are they they [clears throat] look at it when they're in whether it's the co-curricular they look at it
031as LG um for the ones that we are together they don't think any I don't think they think anything different from what the dealings that I have had. So um you talk about a new identity that that it is forming already um and maybe maybe it's much to dislike for some but it is creating opportunities for our our students and then good opportunities for our students. So I just want to say it is it is the ball is rolling. Uh we just need to make sure that we get where it needs to be. One of the things that was brought up, I believe our last meeting was getting the kids involved and I've done that or thought about that a lot. And one of the biggest things that I can say is let them be
032an example. When I look at my daughter and the relationship that she's built just in sports and in school, I'll take the words right out of her mouth. I don't care. It does not matter to me. As long as it's what's best, I'm going to gain a lot of friends. And if you, as you keep saying, we're going to have more opportunities, great. Let's give that to them. So, with that being said, to repeat what Sean said before, one thing I haven't heard a lot of, let it be parents, even some teachers, if we could pick our building up and move it over here, I'd be all for it. it. We believe that the high school should be in Greenwood mainly because of what we have to offer as a building. Um the shop space,
033whether it be um the building's newer, not that this building can't be worked with, but those are the biggest concerns. There's multiple levels to the Greenwood High School, and we feel that that's not the best for elementary. That's the reason that we let it be here. But where we're going to be as far as losing our high school, I couldn't agree more with what you said before, Sean, that we're not losing the name thing. We're gaining a new opportunity. Um just another thought. Um and I know certainly understand um the staff, teaching staff and assistants and and paras and and office staff, all of those people are concerned with, you know, how this will affect them. And you know we've talked about by doing by by consolidating you know the amount of money that we
034would save but I think it can also be a transition period and you know so that that we don't need to try to really and this is my own personal thoughts Also, you know, we don't need to get down to the most efficient number of employees based on the number of students right away. So, there there certainly is going to be some some teachers that are going to be retiring over the next 5 years or so, some other teachers that leave. So, we may be overstaffed for the first few years, but that might be a good thing. Um, we can offer if we have duplicate teachers in areas, maybe we can offer some additional classes. Um, maybe some of those can be dual credit type classes. Um, you know, so and and the other concern
035is, you know, we've heard some some concern from some people thinking, well, wherever the high school will end up, eventually all the school will be there. And I don't believe that. But I think we also can as part of it, we could determine that for the first 5 years or 10 years or whatever we said that there be no changes in the facilities or the schools, you know, unless there was a need for a capital referendum that then the the voters would vote on. So if we can put some things in place, some safeguards and and some assurances that would help with any transition. So I guess I just wanted to throw that out as you know see if anyone else agrees with that or or has some other thoughts. But that will be a
036way to you know help the staff realize that we're we're you know we want to do what's best for the kids. there's going to be some transition that's going to take [clears throat] place by us coming together as a district, but that we don't need to um you know on day one try to try to eliminate a lot of positions. That's my thoughts. Um I would say that from the people that I've heard I've heard 5050 as far as 50% say we don't want to give up our school. those words, we're giving up our school and 50% say whatever's best for the kids. It's it's been really split from the people I've talked to. Um, as far as the emotion in the elementary school, I hope those parents know. I don't think it was less
037emotional based. I think it was more logically based that the elementary green wasn't going to work. It was going to cost money to do it in the high school. So, that was kind of easy, but it wasn't less emotional. um the high schools is a lot more of an even split. I think I think we could argue back and forth that this this one is better for this, this one's better for that. So that's why the high schools garnering so much emotion, I think. And I think the only way to get past the impass that Chris was talking about is to handheld the details and really get into the nitty-gritty. Um, you know, for instance, I hear the high schools in Greenwood, we're going to lose, you know, 25 to 30 kids a year uh
038to open enrollment because they don't want to ship the kids over there. So, how are we going to address that? That's a hypothetical. We can't even, you can't put a number to that, but that's what's being, you know, touted is that we're going to lose 30 kids and then that's $300,000. The argument, you know, to have a high school in in Loyal is then you're going to severely underutilize the Greenwood facility. You put 6 through 8 through there. I think my figures were like 600 ft per kid or something like that in the in the Greenwood school. I mean, they recommend 200 to 320. So, if we get into those details, I think we're going to we're going to finally hammer out like some good Well said, Cole. Uh to Tom's point, I I do
039think it's important when we talk about the uh the resolution to consider that we can add language in there that Tom that does safeguard some of those things and you know would protect even the the language that both communities would have to be on board with one facility through a vault. You know that's that's stuff we can certainly look at. I the word transition period I think is important. It doesn't all have to be done one fail school. It could take some time. Anyone else? >> Yeah, Derek, I I agree. The safeguards I think are going to be the most important thing. the the the number one complaint from that I hear about moving the the high school to Greenwood is that eventually everything's going to be in Greenwood or we're going to open and
040enroll so many kids that it's going to crash the district. And I think if you had safeguards in place saying like you said a majority vote um in both districts on a referendum if we're going to go to one school system and those safeguards are going to be crucial to getting community support so that people who think that can say okay this isn't going to be up to a joint board who might have a a majority in one time or the other. This is going to be up to the community. We won't lose our school because we'll have the community backing to say you know we want to keep our school here. I think that would be crucial to have very specific safeguards in there. I've I heard that also unfortunately um about Greenwood um
041and I just want to be clear that that has never not once ever been a conversation at a Greenwood board meeting. Not once. Um and nor would that even be possible without voter approval. Um we know it's very clear that we cannot fit and that's why we're talking about the elementary and every model has to come to Loyal because we don't have the facility in Greenwood without construction to do it. In order to do construction, we would need voter approval to do that. that we're a consolidated district, we would need voter approval from all community members to do that. So, in order to bring all students to Greenwood, it would require voter approval. And I it's just never even been conversation. So, it's really like I I would like to squash that because I have
042heard it and it's so far from the truth and so far from reality. It just cannot happen physically without voters putting a resolution together for money to do construction, which would have to be voter approved. Voters, what do you think? I'll leave it at that. >> Anyone else? Over there. Everybody good here? Anybody in public? >> 6:30 open in Greenway. Entertain a motion to go in and close here. I want to thank everybody for coming again tonight and again congratulations to the baseball team on regional champions. Thanks for coming. Are you tired?