5.18.26 Regular Board of Education Meeting

001Okay, uh good evening. I'd like to call this uh regular Board of Education meeting to order uh dated May 18th, 2000 Okay, uh I'd like to call this meeting to order uh dated May 18th, 2026. Uh we will start with the recitation of vision and mission statements. Uh the vision that uh Madison Metropolitan School District will be a learning community where all students are valued, challenged, supported, and inspired to reach for their dreams. Our mission it uh will to be create a safe and and inclusive schools that delivers high quality and instruction, strengthens positive relationships, and partners with families and the the community to achieve student self-determination and educational uh excellence. So, we will begin our meeting tonight with the remembrance of five members of our community, and we'll start with Asher Ray. We'd like

002to ask for a moment of silence this evening for our district to recognize the passing of Asher Ray, who was an eighth grade at Cherokee Heights Middle School. Asher is remembered as someone who really enjoyed going to school and being with classmates and teachers. Bringing laughter to the classroom was his main goal, and he was successful with that at all costs. Teachers recall the joyful moments like when he wore a red bow tie to an avid interview and snuck off from a track meet to nap under a tree and said goodbye for the day with a silly cheerio. Asher was an active, fun-loving kid who cared deeply about his family and friends. He had an unmatched sense of humor and a glow that would light up the darkest of rooms. Asher's passing has taken a

003significant toll on so many students and staff in the Cherokee Heights Middle School community. We remember them tonight. Please join me in participating in a moment of silence in honor of Asher Wright. Thank you. We'd like to ask for a moment of silence this evening for our district to recognize the passing of Kaylee Ryan who was in the 12th grade at East High School. Kaylee's remembered for her quiet, yet powerful presence. She held a deep passion for cars and racing, a love she shared with those closest to her, and dreamed of turning that devotion into a lifelong career. Kaylee's passing has taken a significant toll on so many students and staff in the East High School community. And we remember them tonight. Please join me in participating in a moment of silence in honor of

004Kaylee Ryan. Thank you. >> We'd like to ask for a moment of silence this evening for our district to recognize the passing of Eric Bermudez Martinez, who was in fifth grade at Thoreau and Siegel Elementary Schools. Eric joined Thoreau at the beginning of fourth grade and transferred to Siegel in January 2026. He is remembered as a positive light and an inspiration to those around him. Eric made countless friends and stood out in the classroom as a bright, curious, and engaged student. He was a tenacious fighter, strong, resilient, and always surrounded by the love of his family. Eric enjoyed Legos, axolotls, and ferrets, and he cared deeply about supporting others. One of his goals was to create a comic book that could help people through difficult times. Eric will be remembered for his kindness, thoughtfulness, and

005outgoing personality. He made a lasting impact on everyone who knew him, and he will be deeply missed. Eric's passing has taken a significant toll on so many students and staff in both the Thoreau and Siegel communities, and we remember them tonight. Please join me in participating in a moment of silence in honor of Eric Bermudez Martinez. Thank you. We will have our translation online. Yes, uh Eric said he joined the school at the Thoreau at the beginning of fourth grade and transferred to Siegel in January of 2026. We'd like to ask for a moment of silence this evening for our district to recognize the passing of Clarence J.R. McFadden. >> [snorts] >> He was an alumnus alum of MMSD, a proud product of South Madison, and was a security assistant at West High School. JR

006was an integral part of our school community who took a genuine interest in the lives of students, his fellow staff members. He formed countless meaningful relationships with our kids, providing them a sense of security, consistency, and comfort. In addition to helping keep our keep the building safe, his legacy at our school, West High School, will be one of kindness, humility, and care. We will work to honor it in all we do going forward. JR's passing has taken a significant toll on so many students and staff in the West High School community as well in the South Madison community. And we remember them tonight. Please join me in participating in a moment of silence in honor of Clarence JR McFadden, Jr. Thank you. We'd like to ask for a moment of silence this evening for our

007district to recognize the passing of Stewart Dimond Arrow, a founder of Shabazz City High School and a teacher and principal. Stewart is remembered as someone who saw the potential in students. He was a passionate educator and visionary who worked tirelessly to uplift, mentor, and inspire students. Stewart's passing has taken a significant toll on so many students and staff in the Shabazz City High School community and we remember them tonight. Please join me in participating in a moment of silence in honor of Stuart Dimond zero. Thank you, board members. Um moving on to the recognition of departing student representative Claire Lee. Um whereas Claire Lee, a junior at West High School, has served as student representative to the Board of Education during the 2025-2026 academic year. Whereas the student representative is elected from the high school

008student body of Madison Metropolitan School District and serves on the student senate. The student representative represents students on the school board in a advisory capacity. Whereas the MMSD student senate is composed of up to eight voting representatives chosen from each high school, the student representative and an alternate. It functions as a medium for communication among students from all Madison Metropolitan School District schools and programs, the district administration, and the school board. Whereas Claire Lee has demonstrated commitment and advocacy for student voice. Through her role on the board, she has amplified students' interests and advanced MMSD's core values. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Madison Metropolitan School District Board of Education and MMSD community recognize and appreciate the work of Clara Lee and the student senate. Be it further resolved this statement be permanently imprinted

009in the board of education minutes for the meeting of May 18th, 2026. Thank you, board member Lee. We would also like to express our appreciation for Lilly Shapiro, the uh alternate board rep. We are looking forward to working more more closely with Lilly as she will be the board rep for the upcoming school year. We will also be able to continue to work with board member Lee as she will continue to be the uh board rep for the upcoming school year. All right. So, moving on to public input. Uh there were 93 written statements submitted for this meeting. 25 in support for funding the much-needed playground improvements at Franklin Elementary School. 23 in support of an all-day away cell phone policy for K-12. Nine in support of continuing safe after-school transportation from Lowell and Emerson

010School to Goodman Community Center. Seven in support of considering more data related to Kennedy School when thinking about the boundary review. Six opposed to cutting resources to Kennedy School. Five in support of two fourth-grade classes at at at Gompers instead of one. Five in support of requesting the board to to grant an exception to the newly closed open enrollment policy for deaf and the hard of hearing students for the upcoming school year. Four in support of ensuring there are three fourth grade classes at at at at at Crestwood for the 2026-2027 school year. Three in support of addressing salary compression for veteran teachers in the district. Two opposed to the damage it causes to fluctuate the teacher count in schools each year. Two in support of smaller uh class sizes. One opposed to the refusal

011to collect employee association fees. One in support of the district having meaningful technology restrictions. Clear enforcement, consistent backing, storage procedures, staff training, behavioral escalation protocols, to audit, and transparent data collection around compliance and outcomes. All right. So, now uh moving to uh our virtual public speakers, which there are six. Jesse. Thank you. Our first online speaker is Abby Stupar. Good evening, everyone. My name is Abby Stupar and I'm a seventh grade teacher and musical director at Sennett Middle School. I'm here tonight to speak on behalf of my student whose initials are LS and to ask for an exception to the open enrollment policy that would allow her to remain in MMSD. I understand that the current open enrollment policy, which limits open enrollment for students in programs such as the deaf and hard of hearing

012center based program was put in place to protect staff and other resources. I appreciate the board's efforts to make those decisions. I'm not asking for the policy itself to be changed. Rather, I hope that the board will consider the unique circumstances and impact that the MMSD community has had on LS's growth and success. As her seventh grade science teacher and director of our school musicals, I've had the privilege of working with her in both academic and extracurricular settings over the past 2 years. In this time, I've learned that consistency and trusted relationships are especially important to her success. Throughout her time in MMSD, she's built strong relationships with teachers, support staff, interpreters, and peers who understand her communication needs and help create an environment where she feels supported. In the classroom, LS has demonstrated meaningful

013academic growth during her time at Sennett. She's become increasingly engaged in science instruction, and I've watched her build lots of confidence sharing ideas, asking questions, and participating with peers. In addition to the growth that I've personally seen, her test scores also reflect her success in MMSD. Her Lexile has increased by 155 points since last May, and on the i-Ready diagnostic, she exceeded expected growth from fall to winter. Outside of the classroom, LS has also become an incredibly important member of our musical theater community. She participated in our production of Moana Jr. last year and Finding Nemo Jr. this year. It's been amazing to see how these experiences have helped her develop confidence and a strong sense of belonging. Theater has provided her with opportunities to collaborate with peers, express herself creatively, and build friendships with

014students across grade levels. Our musical productions are much more than performances. They're communities that are built on encouragement, trust, and teamwork. She has found a place within that community where she feels valued and successful. The consistency of the relationships and opportunities within our school communities have positively contributed to her growth, success, and overall well-being. For these reasons, I ask that you consider making an exception for LS so she can continue accept- accessing the supportive relationships and school community that has been so essential to her success. Thank you. Our next speaker is Tiana Clements. Hi there. Hi everybody. My name's Tiana Clements. I have two kids at Kennedy Elementary. One is in kindergarten and one is in second grade. I'm a member of our PTO board and I've spoken here before to advocate for my son's

015school. I'm thankful for our ongoing partnership with the board and the district and I'm thankful for your recognition tonight. Kennedy's one of the largest elementary schools in MMSD and compared to other schools, we have a higher percentage of economically disadvantaged students, families facing housing insecurity, and the second highest utilization rate of any elementary school in the district. Our community is strong and our staff are incredible, but we are struggling. I'm here tonight because we're set to lose three class sections next year, which will undermine the progress we are working so hard to achieve and this will put additional strain on our staff. Fewer teachers obviously means larger classes and those increases might not look dire on paper, but as a Kennedy parent, I promise this is alarming. My concerns go beyond academic achievement. I'm primarily

016worried about student and staff well-being and safety in an environment that will get worse next year if these cuts go into effect. I'm particularly concerned about my incoming first grader who will be entering a grade with reduced class sections. How many kids in his class will have serious social and emotional needs that are unmet while our CC at SCA staff are already stretched incredibly thin? How many of his classmates are coming from families in crisis? Will his teacher be burnt out? Are there enough grown-ups available to help? Will he be safe at school? We've asked you before to consider adopting a trauma-weighted resource allocation model and this is what we truly need in order to allocate resources in alignment with the district's vision and mission and guiding commitments. We know you can't make that happen

017tomorrow, but in the meantime you can look deeper than straight enrollment numbers to make decisions with more nuance. Your own policies allow this. Policy 3450 says, "When allocating finite staffing resources, the superintendent or his designation shall give special consideration to schools serving higher numbers of students living in poverty as measured by the district's Title 1 calculations and consider providing additional resources to such schools." Even with the achievement gap reduction grant providing some relief, Kennedy Kennedy does not yet have what it needs and Kennedy certainly cannot absorb cuts to class sections. Her projected enrollment decrease next year is insignificant. Our student needs are documented, complex, and serious. Please help us start the next school year strong and without a decrease to our teaching staff. Thank you for your time and consideration. Thank you. Our next online

018speaker is Allison Earnest. Hello, everyone. I'm Allison Ernest. I'm an ASL interpreter at Sennett and I'm also asking the school board for an exception for LS. Um and I wanted to paint a vivid picture for the school board to please consider. Imagine you don't have access to the world. Everyday knowledge, gossip, important information, everything. Then you enter 4K in MMSD and little by little your world changes. Not the whole world, but your world. One small part of it. The only part of it where you finally have access. Your education. You have the resources you need to understand and participate in your classes. DHH peers who share the same language and experiences, interpreters to facilitate communication with the MMSD community, and hearing adults and peers who learned sign language just to communicate directly to you. You're

019no longer a bystander watching the world go by. You're part of a community. And then one day, by no fault of your own, you have to move homes. Only 0.3 miles away from your last residence, but now you're being told you can no longer attend your school, your community. That despite being a part of the MMSD community for 9 years, almost a decade, you're no longer welcome because you moved 0.3 miles. You're stripped of your access and community. Shut out to be a bystander once again. You go home and open the MMSD homepage, scroll to the very bottom, and see their vision. Every school is a thriving school that prepares every student to graduate ready for college, career, and community. Learn, belong, thrive. You once looked at that statement with pride, but now read it

020and think, "What about me?" MMSD has a cluster program for deaf and hard of hearing students. So, to be kicked out of the very community and program that was designed for you sends a completely different message than what MMSD promised. Answer me this. Is this how we treat a member of our community? Is this truly the MMSD way? Thank you. Our next speaker is Jackie Shore. All right. Can you hear me? Yes, we can hear you. Hello again. I am disappointed that the first draft of policy 4404 allows cell phones to be used between classes in high school. Cell phones need to be off and away all day at all grade levels. As I watched the May 4th board discussion of policy 4404, I noticed that only board member Mazner Feltham seemed concerned with how

021teachers feel about the cell phone policy. Since teachers are the ones with boots on the ground, I sent a short survey to as many teachers at each high school as I could. I can't promise that I emailed every teacher, but I tried. The responses have rolled in over the past week, 150 of them, and you should have those in front of you now. 150 high school teachers, busy teachers, teachers who have 100 other things to do because the current policy is a problem, and it's not a problem at just one school, and it's not a small problem. It's an overwhelming problem. I wish I could read all 36 pages of teachers' thoughts to you, but I'll settle for a few. Several teachers discussed issues of equity around cell phones. These are two of their observations.

022One teacher says, "This is an equity issue. Students that come from well-supported households that talk about screen time know how to manage their phone. Students that are coming from a chaotic home life or no home life tend to have to the worst, most addictive relationships with their phones. Allowing phones in schools has become a major equity issue. Phone use is not hurting everyone equally. It is hurting those that already need the most support the most." Another teacher stated, "I teach many students with disabilities, about a third of my roster, and they even and they have even more of a need for a lower distraction learning environment than my neurotypical students. So, please don't work against a cell phone ban in their name." Something teachers brought up repeatedly that I have not heard the board discuss

023is how having a weak cell phone policy and weak enforcement of the cell phone policy affects the student student-teacher relationship. Right now, when cell phones are allowed to be out between classes, teachers have to confiscate phones every hour of the day. This is what teachers had to say about the situation. By continuing to use a policy that places the onus on the teachers, the board is continuing to create a learning environment of unnecessary tension that could be resolved. We want to be here for the kids. We want to teach them content and how to be good people. We want to build strong, positive relationships, but when we are the main enforcer of the phone policy, this all deteriorates." Another teacher said, "It is a battle each and every class period to enforce it. This eats

024up valuable instruction time and creates a dynamic in which our first interaction with students each period, every day, is one of negativity. It's inefficient, ineffective, and exhausting. Cell phone management makes me want to quit teaching, to be honest. Help students. Help teachers. Adopt a policy that is clear and to the point. Cell phones cannot be allowed at any point during the school day. The current proposal does not significantly change any of the standing cell phone policies, and what we have now is not working. Make a change, remove cell phones from classrooms and hallways, and give teachers the chance to do their jobs. That's what they want, and it's what students need. Thank you. Thank you. Next up is Carrie Simon. I think you're muted, Carrie. You'd think I would know better by now. Hi, I'm

025Carrie Simon. Um my daughter is a second grader at Emerson, and I appreciate the opportunity to speak with you tonight, and wish to register my opposition to the transportation changes being um proposed for bussing kids from Emerson and Lowell over to Goodman. Um it's certainly not a safe op- option for children to walk that path. Um there's a very busy road between Emerson and Goodman, and um you know, my daughter has found a really important community within Goodman. It's it's bigger than just a school, it's part of our our world and our lives. She has the opportunity to make relationships with many different people that she wouldn't otherwise have a chance to engage with. Um and as working parents, we simply could not provide transportation in the middle of the day. I think a lot

026of working parents um face that same problem, which is why having reliable and quality after school care that doesn't require transportation is essential for for families who need to work um, and support themselves. Um, >> [clears throat] >> like I said, uh, it's I think also an equity issue. So, I for for families who might not be able to afford other options or might not be able to contribute to the cost of something like that, it's really important that they have the opportunity to stay engaged with Goodman. Um, and I think it's also really important for families to have choice. So, um, at Emerson, there's a choice between the MSCR after school or the Goodman after school. Um, and there's a whole lot of different factors that might come into play that might prompt the

027need to make a different choice. Um, that was something that happened to us. So, um, we've just been really grateful to have that opportunity and I urge you all to support an effort to, um, problem solve with Goodman and and come up with a solution that won't, um, limit transportation options for kids from Lowell and Emerson to be able to attend Goodman after school. Um, and while I'm here just because, um, if I could also just register my support for the, um, the proposed restrictions on cell phones, um, I'm a, you know, not yet at the point where I'm having to manage that, but I just cringe at the thought of my kids spending her school day, um, with access to a cell phone. I think it is distracting and it is, um, just not

028good for education nor is it good for mental health. So, I encourage you all to, um, move forward with the plans to restrict access to cell phones during the school day. And I thank you for your time. Thank you. Our final online speaker is Carol Drysdale. Hello. My name is Carol Drysdale. I'm a software developer for Dane County Human Resources and a member of AFSCME Local 1871 employee group and speaking in support of the wonderful teachers in AFSCME Local 60 Employee Association. I love Madison's progressive values, which is why I'm disappointed to hear that Madison Metropolitan School District HR has abandoned its practice of 15 years and is now refusing to deduct employee association fees from the paychecks of teachers who have voluntarily chosen to pay them. This may seem a small matter, but it

029is an important one. Teachers are busy and those who have chosen to pay, again, entirely voluntary fees to preserve their employee association shouldn't have to go through the hoop of setting up a new way to make those payments. Research shows that even small amounts of friction added to processes change the way they we behave. According to Pew Research 40% of employees with access to 401K programs would miss out on retirement account matching if they must take an additional step to enroll. Given the context that we're working in, given Act 10, it's difficult to see this change as anything but an attack on the employee associations and the remaining labor rights that we public workers have managed to maintain. Thank you for your time. All right, thank you to our online speakers. We will now transition

030to in-person public speakers. Um, two notes, there is a decent chance I mispronounce your name or misread uh your writing, so please correct me when you come up. Uh, the second note is please refrain from any applause in the interest of time as we have many public speakers tonight. So, our first public speaker is Tanya Worenska and Ben Ratliff, you are on deck. Good evening. My name is Tanya Novinska. I am here representing Jenna Falls. She's been a proud MMSD custodian for 18 years. Um and she was unable to be with us in person today, so I encouraged her to share her experience. I am speaking on the family leave. Uh during my tenure, I've given birth to three children. My first pregnancy went to full term, but I was ill the entire time. The

031physical demands of my job ex extra made my pregnancy pregnancy complications more difficult. My doctor placed me on medical restrictions for both my safety and the safety of my baby. Although the district had the capacity to accommodate these restrictions, HR con contacted me the next day and instructed me to clock out, leave the building, and not return to any MMSD building until I gave birth and was 100% recovered. At the time, the district did not offer short-term disability leave. The little time she had left, she exhausted. She used the majority of her vacation days before they knew they were expecting. I was She was forced to take 75 days of unpaid leave before becoming eligible to for to apply for long-term disability, which is not a guarantee. It takes a long time to hear back

032and to receive the money if deemed out eligible. During that period, my family lost almost everything. They went through their savings, liquidated what they could to just to stay afloat. My husband's income was enough to cover our rent, vehicle insurance, and exactly one bag of dog food until his next paycheck. Because my husband's income was roughly $20 above the poverty line, they did not qualify for public assistance programs such as food stamps or utility aid. We had no money, groceries, utilities, or basic essentials that our newborn child needed. We couldn't even afford the gas to go to follow-up doctor appointments. If it weren't for the aid of our families and local 60 members, we literally would not have been able to eat. Paid parental leave would have helped us help save us. Over the following

033years, I had two more children, both of whom were born prematurely. One at 30 weeks gestation and spent 35 days in NICU. The other at 27 weeks gestation and spent 75 days in NICU. While I'm incredibly grateful that my children are thriving today, navigating fragile medical emergencies while worrying about financial survival was devastating. Paid parental leave would have been life-changing for my family in these instances. I encourage you to vote yes uh so that my other families do not have to go what go through what my family did and can focus on their children and not finances. Um in addition, I would respectfully ask that the board maintain the current system of deducting association association fees directly from our paychecks. And I agree with that. Thank you. All right. Up now is Ben Ratliff, and

034on deck is Carrie Cooper. Uh good evening, members of the board. Uh my name is Ben Ratliff, and I'm the field representative for AFSCME Local 60, the employee association representing food service, custodial, maintenance, and grounds workers at MMSD. I'm here tonight to ask for your help in supporting workers' rights to a democratic voice in the district. Specifically, we ask that you amend the school board policy on payroll deductions to include employee association fees. Last week, the MS MMSD Human Resources Director unilaterally ended a 12-year voluntary relationship with our organization by discontinuing the payment of our members' association fees through payroll. One reason this this is important to our association um is that um Local 60 has a progressive fee structure, which allows lower-paid employees to join and participate in defending themselves and their co-workers at

035work. In 2011, then Governor Scott Walker created Act 10 in the face of the greatest workers' uprising the United States had seen in decades. Act 10 targeted specific groups of public sector workers, stripping them of their ability to collectively bargain contracts with their employers, along with other rights of traditional labor organizations. Along with this, Act 10 prohibited public sector employers from allowing their employees to request that their union dues be paid through payroll deduction. In response, workers in many places around Wisconsin decided to form new organizations, which we call employee associations. We worked with public sector employers to maintain, as much as possible, workers' ability to have a voice on the job. It was recognized that while Act 10 could forbid public sector employers and employees from forming collective bargaining agreements together, Act 10 could

036not override their constitutional rights to free speech and free and free association. Employee associations like like most other kinds of organizations need funding in order to function. One of the ways our associations ensure workers a democratic voice at work is by first having a democratic voice in their organization. So, our association is funded and led by our members. And because employees have the constitutionally protected right to voluntarily join and fund organizations of their choosing, they have also they may also legally direct their employers to deduct from their earnings any fees associated with membership in those organizations. In since 2014, our employee associations have worked with MMSD to support workers having a democratic voice at work, which includes joining and funding organizations that help them do that. Until now, we needed no official policy to maintain

037that relationship, but it seems MMSD administrators are forcing us to create one. The Board of Education can help can do this by amending the board policy on payroll deductions to include employee association fees, and we hope you'll support MMSD workers by supporting such an amendment. I'm happy to answer any questions you have. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Up now is Carrie Cooper, and on deck is Naomi Duban. Good evening. My name is Carrie Cooper, and I served as a school psychologist at Kennedy Community School for the past 6 years. I'm here tonight to speak on behalf of my beloved Kennedy Community School and urge the district to maintain current staffing levels and continue moving towards a needs-based allocation model. Last week, a district administrator was quoted in the press as saying, "When I think about

038the needs across our schools, Kennedy is not at the top of that list." That statement has stayed with me because it stands in such stark contrast to both the district's own publicly stated metrics and my lived experience working at Kennedy for the past 6 years. When I first came to Kennedy, I was warned that Kennedy staff and families were whiners. What I found instead was a community deeply invested in its children and unwilling to quietly accept inequity. At Kennedy, advocacy is a love language and more importantly, many district partners saw the need to. District staff helped us build a highly successful MTSS rollout, advocated alongside us for additional staffing, student services, and supported Kennedy's community school designation. When I recently expressed despondency over our state report card, I was met with a steady reassurance, "The

039numbers will move." Other affirmations like, "I believe you. You are caring a lot." reflected an acknowledgement that the strain at Kennedy was real. Kennedy is currently operating at approximately 130% utilization, one of the highest rates in the district. The school serves a disproportionately high number of students experiencing homelessness along with significant social, emotional, and behavioral needs. Staff burnout is real. Special education case loads are stretched and Kennedy is now projected to lose three classroom sections next year. The work at Kennedy has never been about making excuses. It's always been about fighting for the conditions students need in order to thrive. And while we are so proud of the progress that has been made, the work is not finished, not by a long shot. Schools serving concentrated need require differentiated and sustained investment in order to

040create equitable outcomes for students. Equity is not accomplished through comparison. It is accomplished by ensuring schools are truly equipped with the staffing resources and infrastructure necessary to support their communities well. Please do not retreat from that investment just as progress is beginning to take hold. Thank you for your time and consideration. Thank you. Up next is Naomi Dubin and on deck is Lily. Good evening members of the school board and members of our MMSD community. My name is Naomi Dubin and I'm a teacher of the deaf at Sennett and LaFollette. I'm here tonight to speak in support of Lily hear how her story intersects with a recent measure passed by this board. I hope that you will consider her unique and unforeseen circumstances and allow her to continue attending our center-based deaf and hard of

041hearing DHH programs. I'm referring to the open enrollment allocation measure discussed in January 2026 stating that our center-based DHH programs cannot accept students enrolling from outside MMSD. First of all, thank you for adopting this policy to protect our staff. We show up every day and give everything we have and then some to these students despite the persistent vacancies. Now to speak about Lily. Lily is a seventh grader at Sennett and has been a core member of our center-based program since 2016. Right now we are seeing Lily in a critical growth phase. She's increased her Lexile score by 155 points in the last year, exceeded her expected growth target by 15 points on i-Ready math, and is using language creatively and socially in and exciting ways. Just 3 days ago I returned from a two-night overnight

042trip with the entire seventh grade where I saw Lily's curiosity bloom with so much language access outside the classroom. It was like her mind was unlocking before my eyes. This incredible growth is facilitated by intensive specially designed instruction. 91 minutes a day with me, her DHH teacher, including replaced language arts curriculum, so she can learn with a bilingual English ASL approach. Additionally, we have countless incidental contacts throughout the day where we deepen connections and build confidence with self-advocacy, social skills, and problem-solving. This is what our center-based model is built on, wrap-around support for the whole child in the context of a social community, not just academic growth. And this is the only type of educational programming Lily been a part of. It's what she knows and it's what she requires. I called the student services

043coordinator at Glacier Creek Middle School and she expressed deep concerns, her words, over Middleton's ability to adequately service Lily's IEP. As it stands, Lily is grouped with other students and losing her from my caseload does not decrease the number of instructional groups I teach, nor does it decrease the projected interpreter allocation for our building. I'm here to advocate for her continued inclusion in our program following an unforeseen change in circumstances involving a new apartment with a Madison address but the Middleton-Cross Plains School District. So, based on my professional experience, the student's needs, and Middleton's suggestion, I'm here to advocate that Lily continue to be enrolled in our DHH program while upholding the protective policy adopted in January. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration. Thank you. Up next is Lily followed by Noel B. Okay, great.

044Hello. My name is Lily. I am a seventh grader at Sennett Middle School and I really need to stay here in Madison. Go ahead. Now, the first reason I'm here is because there are no interpreters in Middleton. I will be sitting there not understanding a thing that's going on. I won't be able to talk to my friends or teachers. Here I have deaf friends and and other students who know sign language. Also, Middleton doesn't have teachers that are deaf. Sorry. The third reason is there are no teachers of the deaf there and I need one who knows sign language. I need a teacher who knows sign language. My whole life has been here in Madison. And my life or my address says Madison, m a d i s o n, Madison. Please let me stay.

045Thank you. Thank you. Up now is Noel Belgan and up next is Lindsey Belgan. Hello, board members. I am Noel, a third grader at Gompers Elementary School. I am here today to share my experience with a big class size. This year felt hard. Most days I did not want to go to school because of the lack the loud noises from too many kids and the lack of space. The loud noises make me want to cry. I tried fidgets, deep breaths, noise-canceling headphones, and taking brain breaks, but when I return to class, it just gets feels worse. This makes my day terrible. I liked school before when there were fewer students in my class. There are so many loud noises that many kids in class start crying. It is not fair that this might happen again

046next year to us as fourth graders. I am asking you to split our classes so we can move freely and feel comfortable. This will allow us to learn better because there are there will be less noises and fewer arguments. This will help us like we feel like we want to go to school. I want a smaller class size. I can so I can get my learning needs met. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Up now is Lindsey Balgan. Up next is James Seats. Good evening, Board. Thank you so much for your time. My name is Lindsey and I am here to discuss my daughter's projected fourth grade class size as well as the enrollment of a current deaf student I serve at Senate Middle School. First, I would like to address my daughter's class

047size this year and the impact it has had on her learning. My daughter's class has been overcrowded and under-resourced all year. This was acknowledged and a support plan has been cobbled together but doesn't cut it. The kids are not all right. The proposal of one class section for next year is absolutely absurd. Why would the district offer to give temporary allocation at semester two of but not offer to begin fourth grade with two sections. The children deserve a strong start after this year of loss. Third grade was a vital year. The school district prioritizes K through three education and especially through literacy because of the importance of that strong literacy foundation. While I'm grateful that next year's cohort of third graders at Gompers Elementary will continue to be rostered as two sections, I'm devastated that

048my child's opportunity for a third grade year with adequate staffing was not honored. I worry about what enduring another school year will do for her. The second reason I'm here today is to ask that you reconsider and make an exception for Lily to continue attending with the DHH cohort that she has been in for her whole life. While I acknowledge that the DHH program is suffering from a very real shortage, I want to ask that you consider allowing Lily to continue with her cohort. Lily has been with these peers her whole life as you have heard. Having one peer who uses ASL in a school is rare for a deaf student, but to have multiple and to have a hearing peer who cares enough to try to learn sign language is absolutely unheard of in

049a mainstream public school. Teen peers and authentic relationships is something that cannot be replaced and that an interpreter cannot provide to Lily if she goes to Middleton Cross Plains School District. At Sennett, Lily has access to many interpreters who support her connection to the hearing world. Lily's language is blossoming and it's because she has access to all of these programs, the theater program that she has access to, her deaf peers. Those are all things that are game changers. Fundamentally, a DHH teacher is really critical. Lily is growing every day in a world where people use her language. Teachers, interpreters who understand that her primary bridge to the hearing world is through literacy, and literacy is based on spelling, and spelling is based on sounds, which she has no use for. How can she participate in

050living and that connection to the hearing world without teachers who understand how she needs to be taught? Dumping her into a land of isolation is an unthinkable cruelty that she does not deserve. All right, up now is James Sites, and up next is Julia Helmer. Hi there. Uh, my name is James Sites. I'm Lilly's father. I just wanted to explain uh our location issue, the reason we moved out of the Madison district. Uh, first we weren't aware. Uh, back in November, we were in a serious issue where our apartment was undergoing a really bad mold infestation, and due to some financial issues, we had no choice but to move. It was only about, as you've heard, 0.3 mi away, like two blocks. And I thought we were still good cuz 53719, the Mad- Madison was

051written as the state as the city. So, I thought we were okay. Uh, then few months later, we got notification that Lilly was no longer going to be enrolled in this program she's in, and that she's going to be enrolled in Middleton, where they don't offer all that she needs. Uh I'm just here today to plead with you to allow her to stay there. I understand the financial issues and everything, the reason that this is going through the way it is, and it's great, but I just really want her to continue on the educational journey she's going through with the help that everyone has been providing her. Um so just ask to make an exception for that. That's really all I have to say, and I thank you for listening. Thank you. Up now is

052Julia Hilmer, and up next is uh Amy Martino. Hello. I'm here to talk about cell phones, but I also just want to say, "Please don't say no to Lilly." My name is Julia Hilmer. I'm a parent of two MMSD students in the Van Hise-Hamilton community, and I'm here tonight to make comment about your proposed cell phone policy in response to Act 42, specifically at the high school level where the policy permits students to use phones during non-instructional times and during instructional times as outlined in exception four. I've worked in roles in K-12 over my entire career, including as a classroom teacher and a school librarian at the middle and high school levels in two neighboring districts here in Dane County. I've been closely involved in management of and policy around technology in schools, and while

053I'm very familiar with your logic here because we tried the exact same thing. Um I can also say from personal experience and with total confidence that this this policy as is will not be successful. The idea that 14- to 18-year-olds are going to willingly and routinely take phones out and put them away between classes and learning activities outlined in exception four is really lovely, but simply unrealistic. Furthermore, there are no learning activities or edtech tools that can only be accessed on cell accessed on cell phones and not on Chromebooks, making exception for irrelevant at best and cause for mis- interpretation and failure of the policy as a whole at worst. With this plan, the enforcement burden falls completely on teachers who already have too many classroom management responsibilities put upon them. This plan leaves too

054much room for interpretation and inevitably passing time phone use bleeds into the beginning and end of class, chipping away at a precious instructional minutes. This plan creates conflict for teachers and I cannot stress this point enough. As one staff member takes a more lenient approach, while another a more structured, is then put into a position of compromising relationship capital with students or losing engagement. I've heard the same words universally and on repeat from teachers. I can't compete. It's just not worth the fight. With this plan, students use all of their non-instructional time scrolling instead of building relationships, participating in their community, or reading books. And as much as we don't want to believe it to be true, they are using chat GPT to write papers and do their math homework. Social drama does not get

055a rest when students have access to their phones and bullying is magnified. Teens crave more connection and they just don't know how to go about it because of the generation they're growing up in. Critical thinking skills and literacy rates are not where they need to be. Uh there's currently a teen mental health crisis and we haven't closed achievement gaps, but we are standing in a moment of opportunity to make majorly impact a majorly positive impact on all of these things by leveraging our school hours as strictly cell phone free. So please don't pass up this opportunity. Please take a firm often away stance across K-12 to be the higher authority that teachers can defer to, so they can do their jobs without being in this impossibly stressful situation, and our scholars can thrive as engaged

056community members. Thank you. Thank you. Up next is Amy Martino, and Ann Duck is Aaron Courtney. I have been asking the board to enact an away all day cell phone policy for 2 years. I started a petition that has more than 400 signatures, and I recently started the Parent Check on Tech Coalition, which has 77 members so far. I admit that when I started this advocacy work, I did not fully understand the complexities involved with making a strict policy work at the high school level. But I am still confident that an away all day policy is what's best for our schools, and we would love to work with the board to help you drive this much much-needed change. Please listen to the research and MMSD staff who are telling you the most effective and equitable

057policy is a way all day, all the way through high school. A quote from the UW School of Public Affairs study reads, "Interviewed school staff believed that policies that keep devices on students are most likely to reproduce existing inequities, since every enforcement interaction is an opportunity for implicit bias." Data from other schools also points to away all day being the most effective and equitable policy. According to the UW study, a device ban policy should limit the opportunities students experience to get in trouble for inappropriately using a device, and remove some of the burden on teachers in enforcing discipline. We also surveyed high school staff, and their input supports an away all day policy. Allowing students to have phones during passing periods, and making teachers collect phones at the beginning of each class puts the burden

058of enforcement on already exhausted teachers and takes away learning time from all students. Many teachers said that when they call for behavior support to help them with a student who refuses to put their phone away, no one comes. Teachers are desperate for more administrative and behavior support or frankly any support. A number of teachers shared that they have thought about quitting because of the phone issue. Here's a few quotes. I have thought about quitting teaching many because I do not want to be the phone police. I have nearly left teaching because of this. This could very well be the straw that breaks our already broken backs. The number one thing that would make me quit teaching is cell phones. Watching students live in isolation on their phones kills teachers by a thousand cuts. If teachers

059have to fight daily battles with students on cell phone use as we have been doing, burnout will lead to the an exodus of good teachers from the district. It has already started. A few more quotes from teachers on the importance of this issue. Cell phone use is the number one barrier to student learning in high school. This is the most important issue for us to be tackling right now. It impacts everything. This is the single most urgent issue in classrooms today. MMSD needs to stop pretending off and away is an acceptable policy. Now this is me talking, not a quote. Yes, it will be more difficult to enforce a strict cell phone policy in the high schools, but it is possible. Other districts are doing it and we have we have ideas, like reallocating funds

060for K through 2 Chromebooks and ineffective ed tech subscriptions to Yondr pouches for high schoolers. To quote another teacher who answered our survey, we have ignored the issue for way too long and we owe it to our kids to have a simple policy that is actually enforced. Thank you. Up now is Aaron Courtney and on deck is Derek Wallace. Hi. Well, at the end of the day, I think that we're all on the same side of this issue. We care about the well-being of students and their future. I also believe we're all facing our individual fears about tech. We have fear of the unknown, fear of losing important access to tools that have served us well, fear of harms brought by bad actors, and fear of not having taken a stand when it might have

061made a difference. Fear is powerful, but it clouds our judgment. This is why verified information and data are so critical. I and many others who believe in a K-12 all day away policy share at least one clearly defined fear. We are afraid of raising a generation that has a harder and harder time knowing the difference between existing and living. Smartphones are very good at providing a simulacrum of lived experience, but they are no substitute for personal interaction and the hassles of a boring lecture or an obnoxious classmate or the joy of a chance encounter with a crush. Yes, of course these things still happen when smartphones are around, but here's where our fears need to consult the data. We know that adolescence is the window in which the brain decides, based on experience, what kind

062of mind it will become for the rest of life. Neuroscience has identified the actual physical changes that take place in the brain during this time of life. In her lab, neuroscientist and educational researcher Mary Helen Immordino-Yang scans the brains of teenagers. Her studies, conducted across income levels, ethnicities, and IQ ranges show the same result. When adolescents are given space to think deeply without distractions, two specific brain networks grow stronger and more coordinated. The ones responsible for self-reflection and the ones responsible for purposeful thinking. And that predicts, years later, how well those young people navigate adult life. President Castro, during a discussion on professional learning, you shared how when you think back on some of the most memorable and impactful learning moments, it's when they were immersive and experiential and you saw the real world. I

063agree 100%. Immadud Din Yang's research explains why. Adolescent brains are tuned into real-world experiences for a reason as smartphone distractions are diminishing those memorable and impactful moments. There's more than enough fear to go around when it comes to society and tech, but our community can be stronger than our fears. Right now, we have an opportunity to set a bell-to-bell policy that protects student learning and development and do it in a way that is equitable and enforceable. Thank you. Uh up next uh up now is Derek Wallace and Krista uh S- Skirvin is on deck. All right, good evening. Thank you for the opportunity to address the board this evening. Uh my name's Derek Wallace and I'm a lifelong Madisonian. Uh both my sister and I attended MSD from kindergarten through graduation and hopefully uh with

064your help tonight we'll uh be able to add Lily to the ranks of uh graduates here. So, uh for myself and my sister, uh that education led us to a career public service. Uh my sister is currently a middle school teacher, uh, proud MTI member, and my day job is with the county of Dane, uh, at the Job Center where I assist folks with applying for Medicaid, for food share. Um, I'm also the vice president of AFSCME Wisconsin, uh, which represents thousands of public sector workers across the state. Uh, I'm speaking in that capacity tonight, and I'm proud to be standing, uh, here tonight in solidarity with AFSCME Local 60, who represents custodians and food service workers employed throughout the district. Um, I have always been proud to say that I was a product of

065MMSD, that is until last week, uh, when I first heard that MMSD was ceasing payroll deductions for voluntary associate association fees for AFSCME Local 60. I thought, clearly this must be a misunderstanding. After all, there have been various public legal opinions, including by the Wisconsin Legislative Council, the city of Madison, the state that municipalities have the right to implement voluntary wage deductions for fees of local associations of employees. This is a practice that MMSD has been doing for over a decade. This is also a practice that other municipal employees have done for years. Since I started working my current job with the county, fees for my association have come out of every single one of my paychecks. Uh, now we know that's not the way that MTI or other unions do it, but it also

066doesn't need to be. Um, for over a decade, Local 60 has chosen not to certify, and not to engage in collective bargaining, just like my local. Each organization has the right to determine what works best for them. So, when I learned that MMSD didn't even want to discuss this issue with Local 60, that's when I really lost faith in this administration. Um, MMSD shaped me over the course of 13 years to think critically, to engage in honest debate and discussions, and to value diversity. Uh, unfortunately, the administration doesn't seem to uh, share those values at this moment. Uh, Local 60 represents some of the workers who provide the critical uh, infrastructure to this district. They make sure buildings are safe and accessible. They provide the stability of regular meals to students who may not otherwise

067have access to food. When these workers are respected and heard on the job, everyone, whether they be students, other staff, parents, we all benefit. It's deeply disturbing that when local 60 started exercising their collective voice and pushing back regarding the reallocation of food service staff, instead of engaging in good faith discussions, the administration is now using heavy-handed union-busting tactics to literally try and starve local 60 itself in their voice. So, I urge this board to challenge the administration to change their mindset. Restore voluntary fee deductions, have honest conversations with local 60, and meaningfully engage with their collective voice. Instead of asking, "How can we undermine our workers?" instead ask, "How can we find to support and elevate their collective voice?" Thank you. On deck is Krista Skerman, and uh on deck is Alec Lamb. Hello

068to the board. Thank you for having me. I'm a mom of two MMSD students, and I'm here as part of the parent check on tech group to advocate for an away all day K through 12 cell phone policy. The currently proposed policy of away all day through eight falls disappointingly short in supporting the high school teachers and high school students who are already seeing significant negative distraction effects from cell phones in classrooms. As a parent, of course, I'm here advocating because I want what's best for my kids, but I'm also here because I want what's best for all the students across the district and for the teachers. The teachers are a paramount voice in this conversation. So, tonight, I want you to hear their words. The following are directly quoted answers, some shortened for length,

069that we received from high school teachers currently working in MMSD high schools to the question from our some of the questions from our previously referenced survey. First teacher, "Our school has an often away policy this year. It has helped, but does not go far enough. The problem is students are allowed to keep their phones in their bags or pockets during class. Phones are still an issue, and enforcing the policy is disruptive to class. Additionally, enforcing the policy has been a continual drain on support staff. Enforcement is not always possible. I have called support staff to have a phone removed from class and no one came to take the kids phone because they were dealing with other behavioral issues. Kids have a really hard time not checking their phones when they have access to them. The

070students that need the most help in class often struggle the most to keep their phones away. I have thought about quitting teaching many times because I do not want to be the phone police. Next teacher. If students have phones on their person in pockets or backpacks, they're going to take them out at various moments and teachers and staff will end up fighting a thousand little battles all day long. It's exhausting and many teachers will eventually give up fighting. I have nearly left teaching because of this. Additionally, we need deans and administrators that actually show up when we need to make a call regarding a student who refuses to comply with the policy. Sometimes they come, if they don't when we're and they don't when we're short-staffed. Students know this and they take the risk and

071win in their minds. Current policy, next teacher. Current policy often away is not sustainable. It becomes a constant behavior management issue for teachers each class all class long taking away from teachers being able to teach content. There is no system in place at this school for support beyond the classroom so puts teachers in a constant enforcer role with nothing to back it up. Because it's unsustainable, teachers give up after expending so much time and energy on trying to enforce it. Our students suffer because they are so distracted. If there is not a next teacher. If there is not a policy that requires students to turn their phones in from bell to bell, the responsibility will continue to be offloaded onto the teachers creating unnecessary tension points, wasting instructional time and perpetuating our current consequence-based system

072that disproportionately impacts students of color and those with a disability. Next teacher. If students are allowed to keep cell phones in backpacks or on their person but put away, phones will be out in halls, bathroom common spaces. There's a lot of TikTok and social media use going on when students should be in the classroom. Students also pull out phones out and hide them under tables and in their lap during instruction. As you can see in front of you, we've provided a packet of the hundreds of responses we received. The teachers are begging you guys to please offload them. Thank you. Up now is Alec Lamb and on deck is Megan Johnson. Thanks for the chance to speak tonight. I have a second grade daughter at Olson Elementary and a son who will be there in

073kindergarten in the fall. I know that other parents have spoken in past meetings regarding concerns about the extent to which technology is used for education. Because recent research is becoming more readily available, I'd like to take this opportunity to share four personal anecdotes from my family's experience in MMSD so far with regard to technology. First, I recently attended a panel about Toki Middle School given by parents of current students. The parents were largely positive about their experience at Toki. The exception came when I asked about the percentage of time that students do schoolwork and homework on their laptops. Some parents looked away, unsure what to say. One parent said, "100% of work is done on the Chromebook." And another said, "I hope that the nationwide movement away from one-to-one student device ratios gets to Madison

074soon. That Chromebook is the bane of my existence." I found this notable coming from parents that otherwise seem to be proponents of MMSD schools. Second, when my daughter was six, I asked her, "What's your favorite part of school currently?" She replied that Thursdays are her favorite because that's the day that her teacher stays inside during recess, and her teacher has started letting her stay inside for recess as well and play games on her Chromebook. I had significant concerns with this because my daughter has always loved playing outside and I wasn't aware that she was being allowed to skip the one recess the school allows per day to instead spend time inside on the laptop. When I talked to the teacher about this, she let me know that my daughter is very trustworthy and that she

075felt that my 6-year-old was fine to be on the Chromebook unsupervised when the teacher needed to leave the room during that period. Third, during reading time, students can choose to read a physical book, read on their computer, or have the computer read to them. As my daughter has stated, it's a lot easier when the computer just reads to you instead of you doing the reading. At the end of each day, the students get to watch YouTube videos until dismissal. The exception to this is if the class is receiving a consequence, then the students need to sit and talk to each other instead. I feel this peer interaction should be the standard, not the consequence. I work at a software company, so I'm not generally opposed to technology. I've spoken with many parents of students in

076the district. My perspective, which is shared by most parents that I've spoken with, is that it's key for technology to have a place, time, and purpose, but increasingly my understanding is that the availability of one-to-one Chromebooks and in-classroom monitors has led to technology use often without a specific educational purpose. A majority of our close friends have left the Madison School District after just one or two years of their oldest child starting in the district. Many of those friends open enrolling in nearby districts in part due to the surprising amount of screen time that their students are getting at in MMSD. My request tonight is that the board review current usage of Chromebooks, in-class monitors, and other screen time in classroom and develop a policy regarding the usage of technology for specific educational purposes with specific

077time-based limits on how much screen time students have per day. I believe it's important that any screen time that students do have be grounded in research that shows technology-based education on the specific topic improves outcomes compared to other available education options. Thank you. Thank you. Up now is Megan Johnson. On deck is Martha Netzloff. Hey. Hi. I'm Megan Johnson and I'm very nervous. I've not come to a school board meeting before, but this has energized me so much. This felt like the night. Um I'm a parent to three children at Crestwood and right now I'd love to talk with you more about class size policy and I'm so glad to hear other people are talking about it, too. You think you get in this silo and you think it's only your school and this is

078only only our problem, but to hear that this is across the district is also energizing me right now because we have an issue at Crestwood in fourth grade. So in second grade, this is my daughter's class. In second grade, this was a year ago, they almost met the max in second grade, which was 27 students. And this is a high needs group. And then in third grade, they went down to three classes and that's where we are now. We're in third grade with three classes and we learned recently that with the new allocations, we only have two classes again. And I just checked and it's 27 students. We lost a teacher. We lost other students from MMSD because of this and this is so painful for our community because we all love Crestwood. We all

079love our teachers. We Gosh, it's hard not to get emotional up here. Um but it's really interesting because I'm here representing my daughter because her scores dropped that year, that second grade first year when we only had two classes. And in third grade with the three classes, she's just excelled. And I'm here but you know who isn't here are all these other students that were also in second grade. I don't know what their scores were. I've talked with other parents that have seen those same dips in their scores. And my daughter is pretty insulated with having pretty stable home life, you know, extracurriculars, a lot of things. But these other students that aren't here, these other families that don't have the opportunity to come tonight, they it's not equitable. This policy is not equitable. It

080does not take into account the diverse needs of these students. So I'm here to talk about Crestwood fourth grade, but I'm also here to talk about policy reform because I recently learned 50% of kindergarten eligible students are not going to MMSD. We need changes. And we're spending so much on these new buildings that we're creating and all of these renovations, which fantastic, but we need the students to fill them. So we need renovated buildings and we need renovated policies. I'm asking that we utilize the data that has been collected from this fantastic consulting company, that we utilize that to start reforming class policy. Thank you so much for your consideration. Thank you. Up now is Martha Netzloff and on deck is Chris uh Talton. Hello, it's me again, Martha Netzloff. I'm talking about salary compression

081again. Um I excuse me if I'm a little scattered or missing my usual vigor tonight. I came from infusion therapy, which is paid for by my insurance, that you recently voted to increase my contribution to next year, but yet my salary remains compressed. So, feels like you keep taking from me, but choose not to fix what you broke and pay me what I deserve. And honestly, it is also exhausting to repeatedly come and speak and beg you to do something you know you should have done 2 years ago. >> [clears throat] >> But Martha, the timeline. The timeline, um we will talk about it in June. Well, excuse me for not wanting to wait that long, seeing as how the timeline originally said April, and you all originally promised to start this fix in 2024.

082There are people retiring now who need their salary fixed this year. Look at the long list of people resigning this month. I personally know several of them, and all are excellent veteran teachers. You should be asking yourselves how many of them are going to neighboring districts where they can potentially be paid what they're worth. Yes, but more importantly, where they can feel heard and respected. Then I guess you should ask yourself how much of that veteran teacher loss is acceptable to you. I voted for each of you. Um not just a teacher, I'm a voter. Um I believed each of you when you said you were on our side, but when it comes down to it, Nikki is the only one I can actually see doing the things she said she would do. She's the

083only one if you of you only one of you who even responded to my emails. Savion responded to a Facebook post I made earlier today. I appreciate that. Um and he referenced the timeline I spoke of earlier. We don't need a company that you paid thousands of dollars to to tell us what we already know. You broke it, you can fix it. You have the money, you have the ability, you've done it before. You should stand with educators like you promised you would, or you may find when it's time for your re-election that educators who are also voters like myself aren't as willing to stand with you. Also, in sitting here, I just want to say my niece goes to Kennedy. And if you spent a day there in their spaces, not a few minutes

084in the office, talking to the teachers and working with the students, you wouldn't have any doubt that they need at least the resources than the teachers that they have now, if not more. And finally, uh James Thurber has a quote that says, "There are no There is no exception to the rule that every rule has an exception." And I feel like Lily is probably the exception and should stay here. Thank you. Up now is Chris Talton, and up next is Noah Salado. Good evening. Uh I did want to take a beat and just thank you guys for your community service. Uh I It's a It's a tough job. It's a thankless job. I appreciate you for all the work you do. Uh My name's Chris Talton. I represent Goodman Community Centers. I'm here tonight on

085behalf of all of the community centers and after-school programs that would be affected by the change in the interpretation of the transportation policy 5111. Um I scrapped the speech, so we'll hopefully this can be uh coherent on a Monday night, but what I what I really wanted to do was just kind of attack this from two angles. There's going to be other folks that speak tonight that will talk about the safety on Atwood Avenue, that will talk about equity, transportation for disadvantaged uh kids and families, um parents who are able to work certain jobs because they can pick their kids up from these after after-school centers. Uh if if the kid can't get transportation to the after-school center, uh what does that mean for those families? Uh I want to kind of address it from,

086I guess, two separate angles. The first one is the policy itself just on a technical level is written to address uh a a I mean I have it here, right? So, the distance between the student's residence and the school he or she uh attends exceeds 1 and 1/2 miles. Community centers are not residences. The the the the policy is written pretty explicitly and pretty specifically. Um I'm new to the area. I don't I've been a part of a lot of different communities and school systems. I don't know how much autonomy the district has over a board policy that's written this specifically to kind of reimagine um what the policy says in order to make budget cuts, right? Like that's a that is a that's a unique that's it it it would be an interesting conversation

087for your group in a closed session, right? So, it's kind of the first thing. And then the second thing is just from a kind of a leadership standpoint and from a partnership standpoint, I'm a Stephen Covey nerd, which maybe ages me and so does my beard. So, habit four is think win-win. And the collaborative nature of MMSD and and our many community centers across the region, um think win-win is about what what Stephen Covey speaks of as the third way. So, it's not my way or your way, it's a collaboration and figuring out what the best way is for everybody involved. And this policy uh was more this this interpretation of this policy was more along the lines of we see it as this way to address this need that we have and we're going

088to communicate it to you, figure it out on your end, right? And so, that was it. I timed that perfectly. Thank you. Up now is Noah Salada and on deck is Daniel Barrow. Good evening Board of Education members. Um, my name is Noah Salada. I'm an employee at Goodman, um, but I'm also a parent of three students in the district spanning ages 8 to 16. I was not going to talk about cell phones today, um, but after everything I've read and what I've heard, we cannot let teachers go into this alone. Please make parents have skin in the game in helping make this work. Genuinely, that's what I'd ask you when it comes to cell phones is let us do this collectively. Um, but even more so, I'm here to talk to the board about

089honoring our 15-year relationship and ensuring that we're continuing bussing to a Goodman Community Center for our families from at Lowell and Emerson Elementary. And we're looking for thoughtful and equitable changes to the district's transportation policies, including policy 5111 and 4023. While this challenge currently sits in front of Goodman and our shared families, we are here to advocate on behalf of all schools, community centers, and any safe, welcoming spaces for our youth. With nearly 100 Lowell and Emerson students coming to our center five days a week, it is our obligation to advocate and protect their access to safe transportation. We heard from family after family last week that the removal of transportation was truly a deal breaker. The thought of 5-7 year-olds crossing East Wash and Milwaukee Street or the chaos of Atwood and Fair Oaks

090is a disaster waiting to happen and one that no financial savings can justify. And with nearly one out of two students in our programs coming from low-income families, we must ensure that we are not the cause of more barriers, um, in their daily lives. And later, when we hear about MMSD Excellence Together, the district's new strategic plan, let's remember that every word in the title carries significance in in name. We strive for excellence and we will achieve it together. So, I'll end there at together cuz that must be our strategy. We cannot achieve our vision in isolation. Together means the classroom teacher and the support staff, the family and the community partner, the administration and the board are all moving in alignment. It is a declaration that our greatest successes will be born from collaboration,

091inclusion, and shared responsibility. Thank you for your time and consideration. Up next is Daniel um Baron, and on deck is Nicole Oman. Thank you. Uh just want to mention four things here. Uh first, I just heard of Lilly tonight, and I could already tell that she is amazing and impressive, and it is clear that she should be officially entitled to continue her educational progress as she sees fit. Second, I'm 100% in favor of the high school cell phone ban, and I also agree with the gentleman earlier that we need to limit screen time in general. Third, I do want to give a shout-out to the many invisible workers of MMSD. Some of you are custodial workers, and some of you are food service workers, and there are many other invisible workers. I see you, and

092I respect you. They deserve better and more recognition, and if they ask for something, I hope that you give it to them because without these hard workers, the schools would crumble overnight. Finally, I am here as the father of a second-grade student at Kennedy Elementary School, and I'm on the board of Kennedy's Parent Teacher Organization. And I'm here to humbly submit to you and beg A, we need a needs-based model for resource allocation. We need a needs-based model for resource allocation. We need a needs-based model for resource allocation. Also, we need to maintain, so not cut, the number of classes and class sections that we have. Let's continue the progress that we have made. And this board here has been very helpful, and I do appreciate it. Thank you for that. We need to continue

093the progress we have made because otherwise, we will be reversing. And that would be in a school full of dozens dozens dozens of homeless children and economically vulnerable and disadvantaged children. Please do the right thing. Please do not cut the number of class sections that we have. And I repeat, we need a needs-based model for resource allocation. Thank you. Up now is Nicole Oman, followed by Neil Gleason. Good evening. My name is Nicole Oman. I'm a sign language interpreter in the Madison School District and have been for 10 years. And I'm here today to urge you to reconsider the addition of MMSD's Deaf and Hard of Hearing program to your list of programs to enact a space limitation. A crucial piece of our Deaf and Hard of Hearing or DHH program is the community and

094culture that is shared among students in the program. This community of students is bolstered and strengthened by its numbers, and that's how MMSD has been able to run a successful DHH program for so long. MMSD has one deaf student in particular whose family recently moved 0.3 miles from a Madison address to another Madison address. And unbeknownst to this family, their school district is now changed to Middleton. This will pull this student from the thriving language-rich education they've had for the past 9 years. Moving this student to a new school will be detrimental to not only their language and language development, but also to their social and emotional needs. Middleton may be able to provide an interpreter, and they may be able to provide a DHH teacher, but they cannot replicate the rich language environment that

095has been established here in MMSD with this student's peer group. Imagine being in a foreign country where you don't speak the local language, but you're allowed to attend school with a group of peers that share a common language. And then, you're excluded from that peer group. Think about how isolating that would feel. There are countless studies published showing the correlation between deaf children and mental health. Um they tend to have higher rates of anxiety and depression due to language and social isolation. I have a quote from one study, but I've emailed this to all of you, and there is a link um for the whole study if you'd like to look at it later. Findings revealed that individuals who are DHH or moderate to profound hearing loss experience higher rates of internalizing disorders, such as

096anxiety and depression, compared to their hearing peers. Social exclusion, communication barriers, and stigma were significant risk factors. Mainstream schools exacerbated mental health challenges, whereas specialized schools provide a supportive environment. MMSD is that supportive environment for This student has been in the district for the entirety of their schooling years. So, allowing them to continue in MMSD would not change any of our current staffing needs. Please take that into consideration. MMSD has a rich history of being the hub for deaf and hard of hearing students, and this exclusion to open enrollment is oppressive to an already oppressed population. I urge you to reconsider and take the deaf and hard of hearing program off of your list of special education programming that you recommend limiting. Thank you. Thank you. Up next is Neil Gleason and Ann Duck is

097Andrea Miserelli. Hi. Um my name is Neil Gleason. Um I'm here to speak in favor of continuing the dues deduction for Local 60 Association. Um it has been referenced that that policy, that change of policy, has its roots in Scott Walker's 2011 uh Act 10. Um MMSD's opposition to unions stretches back decades prior to that. I've paid property taxes to this district for 51 years. It's been a good deal. You put my three kids through Midvale, Lincoln, Hamilton, and West. No argument with the sheer amount of money I've sent you to make that happen. But, what I remember most clearly is January of 1976. My wife had been teaching for three semesters for MMSD. And in January 1st of 1976, the teachers went on a 2-week strike in the dead of winter, one of the

098coldest stretches of January in memory. I walked many hours on that picket line and I remember it vividly. The superintendent of the district was an old-fashioned authoritarian who thought that teaching was women's work and that paternity and maternity leaves, there wasn't even a paternity leave, maternity leaves were more a pain in the neck administratively. That authoritarian and his authoritarian assistant superintendent were backed up by a school board that dated from the years of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan who in retrospect don't look as bad as I thought they were at the time. But one of the disadvantages of paying property taxes for 51 years is you get to be really, really old. And as old and forgetful as I am, I'll never forget how the district drove teachers on strike and it was completely illegal

099for them to strike. No doubt about it. The district rolled out their lawyers en masse to impress upon the general public that the strike was illegal. So when I hear that dues deduction is being withdrawn from a union, a former union, no longer a union thanks to Scott Walker, I hear the echo of 1976. And having worked for nearly 20 years of school board elections, Mary Kay Bom, Jerry E. Smith Jr., the late Juan Lopez, Bill Keys. That authoritarian conservative school board was broken during those years and a new era was brought to, I think, that you represent that. You are the heirs of that. And so, speaking it be laboring your patience for on a history lesson about things which occurred before most of you were born. I remember them as though they were

100yesterday and it sickens me to hear that there's a gratuitous anti-union slap that goes on in 2026. Uh Up now is Andrea Mazeralli and on deck is Rachel Goldbach. All right. Good evening, board and the community. I'm Andrea Mazeralli. I'm a middle school math teacher and president of Madison Teachers Inc. I'm I'm here to speak tonight on two separate issues. The first one is the salary compression. During the 24-25 school year, this board successfully fixed the seven cutoff levels for the student service group. At that time, you explicitly stated that fixing the salary compression for all staff was a priority. Yet, for this 25-26 school year that we're now in that's coming and going, there is still no plan to address the remaining seven cutoff levels. Not even a tiered approach. We understand that there

101are many more levels to the compression, but this specific piece is one you already know how to fix because you've already done it for some staff. Tonight, you still have the opportunity to do what is right and vote to fix these cutoff levels for this year and our veteran loyal staff who are retiring. Let's look at your approach for the 2026-2027 budget. When you are going When are you actually going to plan to fix or vote on this? Some of you claim it's a priority, but so far it seems to be just lip service and your actions don't match your words. It certainly doesn't feel like a priority when it continually gets kicked down the road. In fact, at the recent operations meeting, the salary compression was the only item entirely removed from the budget

102and completely left off your priority slides. Now you are looking at 17 million more allocate allocated money for brand new priority items. This board suggested that the salary compression can wait until later on in this budget cycle, long after items have already been voted on and money is already accounted for. But you didn't want to wait back in April when you voted to force educators and staff to pay more into health care to save the district money. Why couldn't that vote have waited until July, August, or October? Just like you claim we have the time to do that for the compression. You took 2.6 million dollars directly out of your employees' pockets and now you're turning around to talk about spending 17 million more in new initiatives. This is a devastating double standard. The second

103thing I'm here to talk about is unilateral changes to the handbook. Um any unilateral change is fundamentally anti-union. We urge you to vote no on any unilateral change to the handbook, um especially addendum A section 4.2 regarding planning time. Furthermore, the last unilateral change was the surplus process and we all know how that it continues to be a big problem and how it went. And we are And now you're being asked again to make a unilateral change on this same surplus process. This pattern of pushing unilateral changes is alarming. The current surplus process has become a massive failure in how it is implemented, and it isn't just frustrating for educators. We have principals coming to MTI wanting it changed. Requiring a subjective surplus rubric to be filled out by principals for every single educator is

104crazy and unrealistic task. Because this rubric is entirely subjective, it has created deep, lasting tears in trust right inside our buildings. There are no simple solutions, overnight solutions, especially if we want to honor all staff's voices. True collaboration takes time. It requires meeting monthly or more to build solutions together and not handing down top-down decisions that break um building morale. If you vote to pass these unilateral decisions tonight, you are validating a completely broken process. Also, it's clear where you stand with your views towards honoring unions. We strongly advise this board to pull these items from the agenda tonight and send them back to administration and direct them to continue to work with MTI on a genuine compromise that can be brought back at a later date. Let's do this the right way and actually

105work together. Thank you. Up now is Rachel Golbeck, and on deck is Alyssa Frantz. Hi, my name's Rachel Golbeck. I have three kids in the district, fourth, seventh, and a 12th grader. Thank you for your service. I'm grateful that a K to 8 bell to bell ban was a part of the recently proposed policy, but the policy for high schoolers is insufficient as evidenced by the feedback from our teachers survey responses. But, the good news is a solution is possible and we have a lot of other districts, large and small, all over the country from which we can learn. Los Angeles, keep in mind LA is a school district with 800 schools and 429,000 students. Their policy explicitly states students may not use cell phones, smartwatches, earbuds, or social media during the school school day.

106Devices must be turned off and stored away from opening bell until dismissal. Each school can choose how to enforce the ban. Their options are locked pouches like Yondr, classroom phone holders, locker lockers, or storage units, or requiring phones to remain in backpack. This took effect in February of 2025. Teachers and administrators and students have reported fewer classroom distractions, better student attention, more face-to-face interaction, and calmer school environments. Another example example from Montana in a school of 500 had a major issue with phones in the classroom and the district was facing a legal battle because of inappropriate videos being taken on school grounds. With the help of a parent advisory committee and monthly student education sessions on screen usage, this school implemented a policy where students gave their phones to their first and fifth hour teachers.

107They had an open lunch, much like our district, and so they checked their phones in from first hour until lunch and then after lunch until the end of the day. There are creative, inexpensive solutions to this problem that we can all work together on. I suspect neither of these districts would tell us that this process was easy, but both have reported that it was worthwhile. Returning to the options presented by the Los Angeles School District, lock storage in a teacher's room would present minimal cost to the district. Yondr pouches could be purchased for about $20 a student. This would be a lot of money, but not an unattainable amount through fundraising or even a direct ask of families. Now, let me tell you, I just got a slip home from my student, my seventh grader,

108inviting him to go to a field trip at a water park in the Dells. The entire seventh grade at Cherokee Middle Middle School. Do you know how much that cost? $22. Is every kid going to be able to pay for it? No, but there's a slot on the slip that says, "Would you be willing to contribute more?" And I can guarantee you in this community, there will be people who are willing to help. This group is not going away. We are here to help. We're not asking you to do this and then walking away. The more I learn about cell phone policies and cell phone use in schools, the more I recognized how nuanced a decision this will be for our district, but we cannot ignore the data any longer. The current and proposed policy

109in our high school is failing our students and our teachers. And you don't have to do this alone. The implementation will be difficult, but this choice should be easy. Our district is behind the curve on this one and I'm sorry, Rachel. It's 1 we have to make a change. We're losing families to other schools. We are going to start losing teachers. Please, please, this is perhaps the greatest opportunity you will have to improve our schools answering the desperate pleas from our teachers and improving the social emotional well-being of our students >> 30 seconds. and our learning environments. Thank you. Up next is Alyssa Franz and our final speaker is Zoe Sullivan. Hello. My name is Alyssa Franzi. I'm proud to be a teacher at Blackhawk Middle School. I also serve as a rep on my

110union's handbook committee. Last year, we, the middle school reps, worked with Dr. Hicks to collaboratively develop a proposal for how to direct daily work time for middle school staff. To develop that proposal, we met with co-workers in our own buildings and at middle schools around the district to get their input. We also had several meetings with Dr. Hicks about that proposal. MMSD ignored that proposal and it hasn't come before you. The process to develop the language before you tonight about planning time that Andrea referenced, that process has been very different. District officials met with MTI handbook committee reps once about a proposed schedule for the upcoming school year. That meeting did not include any language around planning time in the handbook. That was the one meeting. Months later, the district has unilaterally submitted this proposal

111about planning time. This process feels dishonest, it feels opaque, and it feels dismissive. This proposal seeks to impose on staff how we use our time. It strikes a clearly defined 75/25 balance of time for structured team planning and time for SIP aligned work. Staff don't need to be imposed on to collaborate. We can collaborate and we will seek collaboration out when we're included, respected, and when we have a say. We're the teachers, psychologists, nurses, and more who work in your buildings and make them run. We see students every day. Don't tell us how we need to use our time. Ask us. And our final speaker is Zoe Sullivan. Our final speaker is Zoe Sullivan. Are they here? Zoe? Okay. All right. Uh well, if they come back, we will try to make time for them

112to speak. Uh but, moving Um yeah, they were in support of not or they were opposed or they were in support of the deduction of union contributions from the paycheck. Yeah. Okay. Um moving on to the approval of minutes, I move that the Board of Education approve the minutes from the regular meeting dated April 27th, 2026. Second. Board member Lee, your advisory vote? I. All those in favor? I. Motion carries. All right. Board president announcements and reports. Celebrating our community, the board celebrates Asian American, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Hmong American Day was celebrated on May 14th. Celebrating our staff. Kristen Scott, a fourth grade educator at the Madison Metropolitan School District Nuestro Mundo Community School, has been named 2026-2027 Wisconsin Teacher of the Year by the Department of Public Instruction. Celebrating our

113students. Congratulations to the Memorial High School girls team and LaFollette High School boys team who captured titles at the 2026 Madison City Track and Field Championships. Next, Bryant Yu, a sophomore at Madison West High School, qualified for the USA Junior Mathematical Olympiad, one of the most prestigious national mathematics competitions in the United States. In Wisconsin, only two students qualified this year. Bryant was one of 20 contestants nationwide to receive top honor. LaFollette High School student Aylan Rios Galmiche earned top honors at the Wisconsin Association of Bilingual Education Conference for his award-winning artwork, My My Multilingual Life in Wisconsin. We also want to thank Clara Lee for her service on board uh on the board over the past school year. She has sat on the board as student representative. She also served last year along with

114Megan Fernando. Thank you. As the school year soon comes to an end, the Board of Education would like to congratulate all of our graduates. Seniors, we look forward to celebrating with you and your families at MMSD's upcoming commencement ceremonies. Visit mmsd.org/graduation for more information about the class of 2026, including commencement details. In tonight's consent agenda, the board would like to acknowledge and thank all individuals and organizations that have donated Dr. Castor Dandy. Thank you, President Castor, members of the board, staff, community. Thank you for this opportunity. As Board President Castor shared, Kristen Scott was recognized as a Wisconsin Teacher of the Year by the Department of Public Instruction. Kristen, a bilingual, dual language immersion fourth grade teacher at Nuestro Mundo Community School, has more than 30 years of experience in education, dedicating her professional career

115to leveling the playing field of public education, particularly for English language learners, students of color, and students living below the poverty line. In fact, this isn't the first time she's been recognized. Kristen was named the Bilingual Teacher of the Year by the Wisconsin Association for Bilingual Education in 2015 and Educator of the Year uh for the whole state by GSAFE in 2018. Beyond her classroom, Kristen has played a critical role in strengthening family engagement and community connections between students' home and school experiences, and she's making a difference. The photo you see in the deck captures the moment. You can see I'm looking up and laughing cuz I was there watching that, and these students were really excited. We surprised her um on this day. She had no idea her family snuck in. Um Dr. Underly

116from DPI came and some of you were were there and on hand, too, and it was really a great celebration. Staff, students, and other educators all came together to celebrate this well-deserved recognition. Miss Scott, Senora Scott, is one of five educators throughout the state who was recognized. Congratulations, Kristen, from all of us. We also recently celebrated our partners, our co-educators at MMSD's Community Partners Breakfast, where we recognized our more than 250 partners that help support our students across the district. More than 200 people joined us for a morning of connection, learning, and the exchange of ideas. All in attendance had an opportunity to hear firsthand the collective impact that we have on MMSD scholars. And we further strengthen relationships and collaboration between schools, departments, and the very partners that were there to join us. Because

117partnerships are so important to student outcomes and success, we will continue to focus on our current partners while cultivating new ones. Thank you to all of our partners. We cannot do this work alone, and they are a key factor to student success. This week, we will wrap up our first round of community input sessions for Building for the Future. Our community's voice is an important part of this work. Thank you to all who have joined us at these sessions to learn more. Community input is an important part of this 2-year process, and we will continue to teach people about the work that's underway and look for ways to encourage more people to participate. I joined Downtown Madison Inc. to share information about Building for the Future, highlighting how MMSD is not only focused on today,

118but also preparing for what's ahead. As Madison continues to experience rapid growth, we need to be ready for the impacts that growth will have on all of our schools. And one of our biggest challenges is the complexity of our current attendance boundary, which often do not align with city boundaries. We need to be thoughtful as we consider the decisions that need to be made, and we need to ensure our community's voices are heard as schools are shaped for the future. I do want to stress that this is our first round, and no decisions have been made. Our second round of input will be held this fall. I encourage our community to stay informed about building for the future by going to mmsd.org. And President Castro and Vice President Mosner Feltham beat me to my final

119of just saying to our seniors, our staff, June 10th, 12th, and 13th, we look forward to celebrating with you in sizes big and small. Um, but just really an outstanding graduation season that's ahead of us. We congratulate all of you and can't wait to join you. And I too, on behalf of uh administration, would like to thank Claire Lee for her service, her leadership at West High, her leadership in the community as well. Um, again, I think if you look at um Claire as a junior in high school, if we can gauge uh young people's involvement the way that she has, uh we know that we're going to be in good shape as a as a community. So, thank you, Claire. President Castro, members of the board, this concludes my report. Thank you, Dr. Gotthard.

120I'm now going to pass it to board member Nichols for the report of the instruction work group. Thank President Castro. For our May 4th meeting, we had um an update on professional development. We also had another update on MMSD Excellence Together Plan, and we engaged in a first read and discussion on the policies related to possession of a wireless communication device in school. Uh for our June instructional work group, we'll be having an update on family, youth, and community engagement, and probably at that point be bringing back the final read of the wireless communication devices in schools policy. Thank you. And now to board member Mulgrew for the operations work group. Thank you, Board President Castro. At our May 11th operations work group, we got a facilities referendum update, a sustainability update, a USDA community

121eligibility provision CPE discussion was had. We had our first viewing of our 2026-2027 priority projects and proposed budgets. In our June meeting, we will have our 2026-2027 preliminary budget, review final changes and ongoing community feedback on the budget, Madison's strategic plan safe school routes, a referendum update, and a presentation to vote on the 2026-2027 preliminary budget for July 1. Thank you. There were no items that preceded through the instruction work group, and there were no items that preceded through the operations work group other than receiving. On to the board member Vandermuelen. Yes, I'd like to make a motion to suspend the rules. I've been very moved by everything I heard today. And I did email people. I know that it wasn't on the agenda, but I am asking for salary compression. I'm moving I'm sorry.

122Do we need a second for the suspension of rules? Yes. Okay. Second, Martha Serrato. Okay. I appreciate it. I appreciate that. Um I move that we move use 1.5 million from fund 10 to access salary compression for our teaching staff. I know we can't do everyone at once, but I'm worried about our retiring teachers especially. I request the funding to be made some certain as the needs of the teaching staff, especially those close to retirement age, need stability and clarity that this issue will be fixed. Thank you. Does that motion have a second? The motion was seconded by board member Saravo. That was Okay. So, are we voting up to suspend the rules or we just need a second? Sorry. I think I don't know. Okay. I'm sorry. Uh we need to vote on the

123suspension of the rules. So, there was a second. Uh go ahead. Okay. So, discussion on suspending the rules. Yeah. Yeah. And so, this is just on the principle of suspending the rules. Uh board member Moster follow. I'm not in favor of suspending the rules. Um I think that we've worked really hard as a body to have a a cadence that makes sense. We have regular meetings that make sense, and we have been talking about issues like this consistently for many, many months. Um and I'm comfortable with the progression that we have. Any other discussion on suspension of the rules? Board member Saravo. I'm voting for to suspend the rules to support board member Van Mullen just because I believe everybody deserves to have a voice on something, and that was something she was clear about.

124Any other discussion before the vote? Yeah, I know. Yes. Right. All those in favor? Okay. Okay, so again, all those in favor of suspending the rules. Okay, all those opposed for suspending the rules. Any abstentions? Abstention board member Pearson. >> And I appreciate the chair's leniency in allowing me to read it. Thank you. Okay, moving to the consent agenda. I move that the Board of Education adopt and approve all the motions set forth in section 10 of the electronic agenda prepared for the May 18th, 2026 regular school board meeting exactly as said motions are written by voting affirmatively on this motion a board member expresses his, her, or their affirmative vote on each of the motions consolidated hereby subject to any express separations that have been made by any member of the board. Second. Any

125separations? Board member Moster Welcome. I would like to please separate item 10. 11. Any other board member Saravo? To separate item 10.21. Board member Vandermeulen. Okay. So, all those in favor? Yes. I. Okay. There's a fire drill. Oh. I. All those in favor? I. I. All those opposed? Okay. All good. Okay, moving to 10.11 uh request for approval of the the program expenditure start college now. Second. Um well, sorry. I I move that the Board of Education approve an expenditure in the amount of of up to 300,000 Madison Area Tech College for early college coursework at the technical level from fiscal year 27 college career and community ready budget. I second. Board member Lee, your advisory vote? I. Discussion. Uh yep, I separated this to call attention to some of the amazing work that MMSD

126is doing with high school students. I sat down with a parent, an East High parent, the other day who said, "People don't even know that you can graduate from East High with an associate's. People don't even know that when you're a senior at East High, you can be taking classes at the university." Um and that's a result of the work that our district has done to build towards this as well as the investments of the the board. So, I wanted to draw attention with pride um and do plan to vote. Happily, yes. Thank you. Board member Lee. I also wanted to highlight that as a student perspective. Um I took the certified nursing assistant class at MATC and now I get to graduate with my nursing license. So, I just wanted to highlight that it's

127good for Thank you. Any others? Okay, so motion is on the floor. We had discussion. All those in favor? I. I. Motion carries unanimously. On to 10.21. I move that the Board of Education approve a contract for legislative consultant services by Victoria Stewart for up to 60,000 using funds from the fiscal year 2027 superintendent's personnel um professional technical and official budget. Can I get a second? Second. >> Second. Okay. Discussion? Love that. Board member Sarver. Thank you, President Castro. I wanted to highlight this because having a legislative consultant, especially in Madison during the times that we are going through right now, with all the discussion and the things that are happening with the legislature, I think it's really important to have a voice that's in the capital that is someone that we are collaborating with

128and probably something that we needed a long time ago, but I really appreciate and think that it should be highlighted that we do have someone in this position working for us when we cannot be there every single day. Thank you. Any other discussion? Okay, uh Board member Lee, your advice vote. I. All those in favor? I. I. Motion carries. Okay, 10.30. Franklin Elementary School site improvements. I move that the Board of Education award the bid of 223,000 from the Joe Daniels Construction from Joe Daniels Construction for site improvements at Franklin Elementary School to be funded from school fundraising account and building services maintenance account. Second. Nikki Vander Discussion. Yes, I voted at to pull this because um Franklin I've I've worked with over the years and I know that they had wanted to fix the

129screen at Jerry and were also for fear of elopement for years. I just want to say thank you to the construction company to make that bid and I strongly encourage my board members to support it. I think it will make Franklin a safer school. Thank you. Any further discussion? Board member Sarabia. I'll highlight that too. My daughter went to Franklin and I know there's been a lot of work trying to figure out how you address that situation there and they have a large amount of room outside and there's been a massive amount of community and parent support that we've been receiving over email. So, I actually support this measure. Okay, board member Lee, your advisory vote? I. All those in favor? I. I. Motion carries. Okay, moving on to other reports to the board. Student

130Senate. Thank you. So, Student Senate is wrapping up the year and our final events are we have a mental health fair at West on May 27th with Badger Rock's mental health fair following that and I just wanted to thank you to all the community members and teachers who were helping make that happen. So, thank you. Thank you, board member Lee. MSCR. The MSCR advisory committee will meet this week and at that meeting the advisory committee will receive an update on the progress of MSCR's next strategic plan which will be ready for the fall of 2026. 38 MMSD high school students are currently participated in participating in MSCR Leaders in Training program which prepares them for summer jobs with MSCR. The Leaders in Training gathered at La Follette High School on the last school the last

131no school Friday for a half-day training led by the MSCR elementary team focused on behavior management, program planning, and inclusive practices. As the school year winds down, MSCR staff are full steam ahead preparing to keep the community active and having fun this summer with over 18,500 program enrollments for this summer. Thank you. And the the the policy committee has not met yet this month. We will reconvene next month. Board governance committee uh did not meet this month. We will look into reconvening that as well. Moving on to other business, I move that the Board of Education approve the Department of instruction waiver to implement a tie-breaking process for the Wisconsin Guarantee. Second. Discussion. All those in favor? I. Please. Motion carries. All right. Administering medication, 6 read. Um I move that the board uh take

132I move that the board take from the table the question related to administering medication and its amendments. Second, Michelle Nichols. Any discussion? Board member Sarabio. I just want to take a little bit of time to say that the language that was changed and is now there it was better met through a collaborative process. Point of point of order. I don't think that we've um voted on taking it from the table yet. Okay. So, what part of discussion are we on? So, right now Do you mind Yeah, go ahead. Right now um because we tabled the amendments in February, we are now deciding as a body whether or not we'll take it from the table to then discuss. Okay. Board member Leo, your advisory vote? I. All those in favor? I. Okay. So, discussion and board

133member Saravo, I think now. Thank you. My apologies. Um This meant a lot to me. There's There are a number of important changes that have been made. The language on the table motion was revised. Very collaborative process that grew out of the meeting that I had first requested back in February. The meeting provided the opportunity for meaningful discussion. There's a lot of direct communication and a shared understanding of the intent behind the amendments. I appreciate the time and the effort that staff, legal counsel, and everyone else, and fellow board members put into the work. I believe the policy before before us is stronger because of it. One of the core principles guiding my amendments that has been the belief that parents should have timely access to important information about their child's health care at school.

134And at the same time, it's essential we continue to respect and support our health care professionals, and ensure that any expectations placed on them are practical and sustainable. Medication administration events may not happen frequently, but when they do occur, they can be significant and for a student's health and for their ongoing care. Providing parents with written documentation rather than relying solely on a phone call will give families something concrete they can refer to later and to share with their health care provider when they need it. Under our current practice, parents typically receive a phone call notification, and written documentation requires a separate records request. I don't believe families should have to navigate that additional step in order to access information that may be important to understanding and managing their child's health care. And this policy

135moves us toward a more transparent and supportive system, one that strengthens communications between schools and families while maintaining the professionalism and judgment of our services staff. I appreciate the collaborative work that brought us to this point. I am pleased that we were able to complete this policy with greater clarity, stronger communication, and a shared commitment to serving students and our families well. Thank you. Thank you. Board member Vandermeulen. I just want to thank um for I want to thank Martha Board member Schrader, sorry, for using your full name is late. Um for creating this amendment. I think it's incredibly important. I appreciate the collaboration. I'm glad that the changes have been made and I'm looking forward to voting on this. Thank you. I move to withdraw my two amendments. Okay. The amendments have been withdrawn.

136Thank you for all the care and work that you put into this to make it reflect best practices. Truly appreciate it. Okay. So, I move that the Board of Education approve policy 4113 administering medication administering medication in accordance with the documents prepared for the May regular Board meeting. The policy will be revised effective immediately. Second. Second. Michelle Nichols. Second. Board member Nichols. Uh discussion. Board member Pearson. Now, I just want to give the appreciation to um Board members for the conversation around this, but also to the nursing staff um and to those that worked on that. Um this policy has been in works for many years now. Um and I just want to make sure that I give the kudos to everyone for working on this to make a policy the best that it can.

137So, thank you. Thank you. Any further discussion? Uh oh, yeah. Board member Moster Felton. I'd like to jump on the bandwagon appreciating board member Stravo and the MMSD team who who worked laboriously over many months to get it just right. So, thank you. All right. If there is another amendment, it can be made at this time. Board member Lee, your advisory vote. I. All those in favor. I. Motion carries. All right. Moving on to 14.3, parental and foster care leave policy. I move that the Board of Education approve new policy parental and foster care leave in accordance with the documents prepared for the May 18th, 2026 regular meeting. The policy will be added effective immediately. Second. Second. I have a point of order about this policy. Board member Pearson. It's not that I'm in objection

138to it. It's more so that we referred this um we voted unanimously to refer this to the handbook committee. So, I just want to check to see if this has gone to the handbook committee, if they've had extensive conversations, and then also send it back to the board for review. Cuz I haven't heard if it was actually reviewed or not. Board member Vandermuelen. I thought we stated we were do What I remember from the minutes, maybe Jesse pull them up, that we stated that we were doing both. That we were going to both vote on it individually as well as go through the handbook committee to be to make sure and follow the procedure the handbook committee, but ultimately the board would bring it to a vote is what I recall saying in the discussion.

139I don't know if our minutes or notes could be brought up on that particular time. Yeah, my I'll just add that my understanding is that the handbook section will reference the policy we passed for member Pearson. Well, it just says I moved it was moved that Blair Moser Feltham and seconded by Nikki Van De Wielen that pursuant to section 18 of the employee handbook the board forwarded the parental leave policy to the review committee for review and consideration. The student advisory vote was I and a roll call was taken and it was unanimous. Um this policy will go to the committee and depending on how it or depending on how that comes back as a handbook consideration, we hope to vote on it in the coming months. And so I just want to just make

140sure that if we are voting on something to do something that it goes to the proper channels and then it comes back to us because we did as a body decide to then add it to the handbook. Board member Moser Feltham. So I I I understand that it did go through the handbook process and is now ready to come back um having gone through that. That is my understanding. Board mine as well. Board member Nikki Van De Wielen. >> Mine as well. Okay. Any further discussion? Board member Monroe. I really appreciate all of the work that went into creating this policy. It's a policy I introduced last year in July. We as a board have discussed it twice. It has been reviewed by the policy the handbook committee. I presented it to the handbook committee

141originally um early in this school year and then I think it's been discussed since then although I'm curious what that conversation with the handbook committee looked like and so I guess I'd like to ask Dr. Gotthard uh what feedback we got when this was brought to the handbook committee. John, would you like to address? Thank you. Thank you for the question. So, we did bring parental leave policy to the handbook committee session. We received redlines from our employee association partners. Ultimately decided it would be more appropriate to discuss it as a policy rather than including the full language in the handbook um itself. Thank you. Board member Romuldro. Thank you. Uh when I describe the process of creating this policy, I think I have to acknowledge the the work of the policy committee and the

142folks who support that committee, as well as the work of our colleagues who uh chair the handbook committee. Um I am tremendously grateful because when I first started to pursue this as a policy, there was language in it that was outdated. Um I am not a parent of twins and did not consider what it means to give birth to multiple children. Um I have never had a child in the NICU, and several of my colleagues have either been children in the NICU or have had children in the NICU. This was a really nuanced and expansive effort to recognize the unique realities families face. We live in a society that demands people have children, um and then does not support people in meeting their their basic needs upon having children. And so, this policy is is

143standard around the world, and I hope that MMSD being the first district in the state of Wisconsin to have a paid parental leave and foster care policy uh uh really encourages districts across the state and in communities across the country to do this work collaboratively as well. Uh for a long time we have punished particularly women for becoming parents. Uh and we've punished them professionally and we are This is a new chapter in the history of who we are as an organization. I'm tremendously proud of the work that it took for us to get here and I think the benefits of this policy uh are very very meaningful in the lives of the to make up our course and their families. Thank you, board member Van Ermelen. Yes, I just want to thank everyone who's

144worked on this policy and and its creation. I think it's very essential if we're going to attract more students to MMSD. We must make it the most attractive workplace. I think this additionally will make it that type of workplace in which we're willing to accommodate new parents and or also adoptive parents which often times is forgotten. As a juvenile attorney I see this a lot that people remember that after having a child but forget with an adoption of a child. So I truly appreciate that. And I'm be I'm very proud to vote yes on this. Thank you. Board member Moster Felton. Thank you, President Castro. Um I I will echo my thanks to those who who worked on this. Uh some of the things that I am super excited about as I prepare to vote

145yes on this policy um are how this policy will compound over the course of a person's career. Up until today or I guess next year, um what will happen is um a parent gives birth, usually a mom gives birth, um burns through their sick time and then goes back to work um when that period is over, um, and then has a baby at home, and babies get sick and have doctor's appointments, but there's no there's no, um, sick leave left, and then the baby, God willing, gets older and older and continues to sometimes get sick, and usually mom, not always, but often, um, mom stays home with that baby, burning through those sick days, until which time the person, um, retires, hopefully from MMSD, um, and does not have, um, 100, 150 sick days built

146up to then transfer to paying for, um, portions of their health care as they enter their retirement. Um, so one thing that I'm really excited about with this is that we'll no longer be something that we are forcing our employees to do. Another thing I'm super duper excited about this policy for is that it is not just for teachers. This applies to any MMSD employee. Currently, teachers are in the enviable position of being able to access the teacher sick bank. So, this is a solidarity fund that the teachers union puts together, um, to, um, support teachers when they're out on medical leave and have run through their sick bank. Um, that is not extended to people who have babies that are in other bargaining units. And so, this policy will will offer that, um, ability

147to be home with your newborn for an appropriate period of time to all employees. And then the last thing I think that I will say about it is when I think about, um, what it will mean to be the child of an MMSD employee who has all the cozy time that they need at home to bond, and then comes into kindergarten without the stress that does affect families when, I mean, it affected mine, when it's like, "Okay, the the baby's 6 weeks old, but I got to work if we got to eat." Um, and the baby wants to eat. So, um, so I really look forward to seeing how this cascades through our community, not just as um, um a symbol of support for the children of our community and for the people who work

148in MMSD, but um but as an actualized existing support that hopefully we'll be able to see in the way students come into MMSD 5 years from now. That's it for me. Thank you, board member Saravo. Thank you, President Castro. I assume it very much in support of this policy and when we think about parental leave, we're talking about whether we truly understand what families go through through some of the most important and vulnerable moments of their lives. And we're talking about board member Molitor said that we had a lot of personal experiences and wanted to speak to some of that. My daughter was born at 27 weeks and 5 days and she spent 81 days in the NICU. During that time, I only had 5 weeks off of work. And so after those 5 weeks,

149I returned to work and I was pumping during my lunch breaks and going directly to the NICU every day after work. For a time, we shared a room with the mother of twins. And we shared it with one of her twins cuz one of her babies had passed away. Her her strength and dedication have stuck with me ever since. And that experience reminds me of every family's journey that is so different. Some families are welcoming a child after a premature birth or medical complications. Some are adopting or fostering. Some are grieving pregnancy loss. And each of these experiences brings its own challenges and deserves compassion and support. Paid parental leave is about recognizing those realities and giving employees the time they need to care for their children, recover, bond, and heal. It's also a smart

150investment when we our employees feel supported, they are likely to stay and that stability benefits our students and all of our schools. And MMSD has an opportunity to lead by becoming a model district in Wisconsin as stated by board member Marjelo. And one that responds to life's most significant transitions with care, with grace, and with meaningful support. And at its core, it's about what we want to be as a district. Do we want employees to choose between their paycheck and their family, or do we want to ensure that they have the time that they need during some of these most important moments of their lives? And I believe we should choose to support these families. Thank you. Any further comments or discussion? Board member Pearson. Yeah, I just wanted to just to to elevate that,

151you know, the parental leave is just for parents and um folks who um are adopting. And I think it's really exciting when you have um not just the birthing person who is um being able to take leave, but it is like a parent um or co-parents or partner or whoever is in charge of that child. Um and so I just wanted to just to state that, but I also want to just say that um hopefully as we are moving down for years forward, that our state will um create some legislation around um paid parental leave as well. Um and that would allow all districts, municipalities, um employers uh to be able to utilize um that. And so, the hope is is that you start local and it starts to build wider and then hopefully statewide

152and I'll try to be hopeful for for for nationwide. But um this is really exciting and I'm glad that we are able to get to the finish line and Yeah, for those parents that spoke or the person that spoke earlier about having to make the choice of this deciding when to have a baby as an educator should does it fit within this time frame or that time frame? Um, hopefully this allows um, folks to have a more organic um, relationship to child birthing. So, thank you. Any further comments or discussion? Okay. Uh, I am proud that we are passing this policy to support working parents and support that really important bonding time uh, between a parent and a newborn. Uh, as a new parent I understand how important that is. So, Board member Lee, your

153advisory vote? I. All those in favor? I. I. Motion carries. We did it. Yeah. All right. Uh, employee handbook recommendations. Uh, we have a motion different from what's stated in board docs. Uh, I move that the Board of Education approve the proposed changes to the employee handbook as set forth in the document prepared for the May 18th, 2026 regular Board of Education meeting and effective July 1, 2026 with the exception of addendum A section 1.2 regarding planning time and addendum A section 3.2 regarding surplus vacant and transfers. Second. Second Board member Mosner-Feltham. Any discussion? All those in favor? Or uh, Board member Lee, your advisory vote? I. All those in favor? Could she wants to know if you could repeat the motion or she couldn't hear it. Okay. Uh, I move that the Board of

154Education approve the proposed changes to the employee handbook as set forth in the document prepared for the May 18th, regular Board of Education meeting and effective July 1, 2026 with the exception of addendum A section 1.2 regarding planning time and addendum A section 3.2 regarding surplus vacancies and transfers. Okay. This has been seconded. Board member Lee, your advisory vote. >> Yeah, I have a comment. Okay. Board member Van Nuys, your vote. Sorry to screw up procedure. Thank you for taking out unilateral changes. I think that would have set a really bad precedent. I am looking forward to voting on the agreed upon changes with the union and hope to have an open and transparent discussion on the future of planning times and surplus. And I will be voting I for that reason. Board member Pearson.

155I was just going to ask what the time frame would be for the other conversations to come back for the addendum. Thank you for the question, Board member Pearson. We have a number of items that we are referring to subcommittee throughout the process. We want to be intentional and really put the work in to making sure all voices are heard. And we're doing this not in a rushed fashion, but in a way that's really beneficial for the district and our scholars and our schools and our employees. So, I don't want to give you a firm time frame right now. I can say and commit to working through this with intention and diligence. Board member Nichols. Thank you for that. Um, although with the planning time, I would suspect that there is some time sensitivity in

156terms of next school year. Um, so are you thinking right now that as that gets referred back to committee, there will be some work over the next couple of months so that the 26-27 school year is starting with some agreed-upon clarity about how that middle school collaborative time will be used. I can't speak directly to that particular provision, but I will say that we're aware of the time frames and the impact of any time frames. Does anyone else have I've been directly involved in those discussions, though. Uh Board member Nichols, I think that's accurate. I think that we need to figure out exactly what the implication of your vote tonight is going to be and then determine our next steps uh with Dr. Stanford and her team, and then we'll make sure we move on

157and begin to engage with conversations with other individual parties. Cuz I I think we first need to just kind of understand where we are. That like that's that need to be the first thing. Like what will be the implications of and then we need to determine then start having those conversations. Board member Saravo. I still feel like we're just not getting a lot of clarity. So, thank you, President Castro. Is there like a do not go past a certain time that we will be getting this back? I know there can't be like very specific things in there for like when the meetings will happen, but what's the last I I'm I'm I'm going to I'm going to repeat my my answer to uh Board member Nichols. Until we can kind of understand like what the

158implication of tonight truly is, that will determine the sense of urgency that we will move forward with it. I I I just don't know what the implications are right now. Because once we can identify what we can determine, do we really need to engage in this conversation for the next school year right now. Is it absolutely necessary? If that's the answer, then we know we do have to move with a sense of urgency because we know like schools need to begin to have those conversations. We just need to understand it first. I will add this. I can sense that there's some questions permeating in in your head. So, a few things. We did change the start times. Or the I'm sorry, the dismissal time in middle school. That shifted a whole bunch in that schedule

159in order to accommodate the instructional minutes necessary from DPI in the school year. We did take two PD days, staff PD days, and we needed those minutes to factor into that schedule overall. So, there was a shift in the amount of professional development time throughout the school year. And in doing so, what ended up happening is teachers at middle school still have their prep time uh per their schedule in the school day, but it did change. Typically, when you're doing a schedule at at any level, you try to balance the amount of time before and after school. In a perfect world, that's just great. And sometimes it doesn't work. And in this particular schedule, there's more time in the morning for contract time than there is after school uh with a 4:05 dismissal time. So,

160the groups are going to have to come together and determine um who is going to be responsible or is anyone going to be responsible for planning some of that time in the morning. And that's that's what truly needs to be discussed and and worked out between all parties. I hope that's a little bit more helpful. Timeline for that? No. I would like to start the school year and have everybody be clear about what's expected of Any further discussion? Board member Moster Felton. Thank you, President Castro. Um I think for the I want to be really clear about where I'm coming from and and why I won't vote for this change. Um not that there's a motion to vote for it on the floor. Um So so to me the the the main issue is um

161not that someone needs to be responsible for it, but this is exactly the type of thing that in my estimation is essential to have collaboration around. Um I work in a district where we have morning collaboration time. That was a huge adjustment for me um as someone who had been used to coming in before students and using that time to sort of like get prepared for the day and welcome students in. So it was a huge adjustment that I did make. Um My issue is um when we talk about being in partnership with um in true collaboration with teachers, this type of thing about like what am I doing at 7:45 in the morning or at 8:05 in the morning or is it is it 8:05 or is it 8:00? This that type of question

162is exactly the type of thing I would expect lots and lots of collaboration and discussion around. Um My hope is that we see um adjusted and consensus-based language. Um I would say like it's just my hope. I'm not telling you what to do like by July so that people can plan. Um and the thing I would ask the team to remember is that even though the minutes, you know, minutes for minutes are fungible, but the minutes in a person's mind at 8:05 are you can do different things with those minutes than you can at 1:30 or 2:00. Um and so so while the minutes are fungible, it makes perfect sense to me that that getting clarity on this would be really important to people who are doing the work. The last thing I want to

163say is um where I work now because we because I don't have any clarity about this. I do feel totally in the dark about when I'm being paid and when I'm not. I feel totally in the dark when I take a sick day if I'm being like improperly docked for 30 minutes because the contract time is one thing but the report time is another thing based on the day. And I look forward I look forward to getting a consensus based consensus based language about this in the future. What Board member Pearson then board member Vander Rulen. I'm good. Board member Vander Rulen. Yes. Um Well, I had stated a very nice speech and how I was for it and then I actually listened to a teacher. As in Blair actually is one. And those are

164things I'd ever thought to consider or never thought to ask. Which means I don't have the clarity I thought I did. Because it doesn't make enough sense to me. So I got to rethink that. And I have to admit that I can be wrong like a lot of people and I'm just something tells me that it just doesn't feel right. And I just I think we need more info. And for that I I am changing my vote to no. And I Just just to be clear this motion excluded those two changes. Remind. Motion. Okay, I was misunderstanding completely. Please please just ignore what I just said. I got completely lost. >> Okay. Forgive me. Board member Pearson. I do have a quick question. What is the I guess the impact of not having the two

165addendums um part of our um voting tonight? Is there any specific impact at all? So, for the one that you all were just talking about, we don't know. We going to We going to literally have to figure that out. Um and then for the one on surplus, um that one's a little bit different. And so, we'll have to connect with legal services to provide you additional information on that one. What is the impact if we this this motion fails? I think So, the motion is just to move to approve the handbook changes minus the two addendums. And so, like if this if we vote cuz I'm just looking at folks and saying, "Hmm, maybe it may not pass." So, what is impact if it does not pass tonight? >> Then all of the handbook recommendations

166would not go through because the motion as it's being read right now is to approve all of the handbook minus those two. So, if the motion failed, then none of the handbook changes will be will go through tonight. And then they'd have to come back at a later date. If that's the flavor of the board, cuz we would just bring back the same cuz there are no changes on our end. So, we would literally bring back the same minus the two, but for the rest of your recommendations, we would just bring them back if that's the Okay, the reason why I'm asking is because I'm I'm just having difficulty I guess just wrapping my head around like what What will happen if this motion fails? Does that mean that there is no handbook or are

167we going back to the previous handbook? >> You would if if if if the motion fails tonight >> Mhm. the handbook remain as it is right now. There will be no changes. So, all the other changes will not be implemented, will not go forward for starting July 1. They just wait. Okay. And say it fails tonight and the board is interested in bringing it back um before because of course we want to make sure like if there are any things that need to get changed before the start of school in a timely manner that it happens. Um we would just get it again soon? You you can get it next month. Okay. >> In your June meeting you can they can come back in the June meeting. >> Okay. Cuz you would if you want

168the if the board desires seeing you don't meet in July, you would want them to pass them in the month of June if that's the desire of the board. Thank you. Board member Nichols. Thank you. So, just to reiterate there's been a lot of work done that you all brought forward as being in consensus. Correct. >> Lots of items have been updated and they're in consensus. There were two items tonight that did not have consensus. Correct. >> Planning time and the surplussing of probationary teachers. Correct. And the motion that President Castro read now reads that we will approve all of the other changes >> Correct. except the last two that were not in consensus. >> Correct. Yep. And then we just had questions about timeline about that and you're saying can't give you a definitive

169answer. We've got to come back together. Um so, it I think that for me I'm clear on what we're approving tonight um and what's going back to committee and you all then are still working through the timeline >> Correct. of how to hopefully get to consensus. And the sense of urgency, too, right? So, like before the for the first one far as the surplus, um that will need to come in conversation with legal services. Um but the for the second one, we can determine the next steps far as what is a sense of urgency that we need in order to move. Any further discussion? Board member Saravo. Thank you, Chair Crass. I just have a really quick question. How many times was the handbook committee um in discussion of the two items that didn't reach

170consensus? Um I think for the first one we met with them just one time far as the surplus one. Um and again, there's just a rationale behind that one that I think we need to have a conversation with legal services about. Um and then the second one, I believe we had one conversation with um regarding that where we shared a document of the rationale on why with the scheduling for the middle school. Any further discussion? Board member Lee, your advisory vote. I. All those in favor. Motion carries. All right. Uh establishment of citizens ad hoc committee relative to renaming Lindbergh Elementary School. I move that the Board of Education establish a 12-person committee for the purpose of naming Lindbergh elementary school as set forth in the document prepared for this regular meeting of the Board

171of Education dated May 18th, 2026. The window for submitting public comments for Lindbergh Elementary closes on June 11th, 2026. I further move that two people be designated as alternate members should the need arise as set forth in the document prepared for this regular meeting dated May 18th, 2026. I further move that Betsy Abrahamson be designated chair of the committee to rename Lindbergh Elementary School. Second. Second, board member Mosner Felton. Discussion. Board member Lee, your advisory vote. I. All those in favor. Establishment of citizens ad hoc committee relative to renaming Elvium Elementary School. I move that the Board of Education establish a 12-person committee for the purpose of naming Elvium Elementary School as set forth in the document prepared for this regular meeting of the Board of Education dated May 18th, 2026. The window for submitting

172public comments for Elvium Elementary School closes on June 11th, 2026. I further move that two people be designated as alternate members should the need arise as set forth in the document prepared for this regular meeting dated May 18th, 2026. I further move that Dan Collins be designated chair of the committee to rename Elvium Elementary School. Second. Discussion. Board member Lee, your advisory vote. I. All those in favor. Motion carries. Old and new business. Any old or new business? I'd like to motion to suspend our rules of order. Second. Second, Martha Srubavel. All those in favor. I can explain why, you know, right before voting. >> [laughter] >> Okay, motion carries. Do the motion carry? Go ahead. All right. Um I would like to amend policy 6265 to include association fees. My understanding is this is

173something we already do and it's a cost neutral amendment to this policy. Sorry if I did not phrase that appropriately in relationship to the motion. Second board member Vandermuelen. Uh any discussion? Board member Vandermuelen. I would support this because we have had this agreement with the with the with AFSCME for the past 12 years. Additionally, the city does something similar to be able to take out voluntary dues. We're already doing it. I think that's why. So therefore, for those reasons and those reasons only I will support this. Board member Nichols. Thank you. Um I have the policy pulled up. 6265 payroll deductions. Board member Maldrow, um I hate to put you on the spot. I don't know if you're looking at the policy. Definitely put me on the spot. Okay. Right now, we have authorized

174deductions are and then we have uh several letters. Um there is one that is uh I guess what I'm trying to figure out is where would that where is that language? >> called L And so if I read my my motion, which I did not do, it would be I move to amend policy 6265. I move to amend the policy to include employee association fees as deductible from payroll. So it would add a letter and that I think that letter would be L. Okay. So right now, um we have J is the MTI solidarity fund. Letter K are the people contributions and you're and you're saying you'd like to add L as association fees. Yes, to include employee association fees. >> Employee association fees. Okay. Thank you. Call the question. Any further discussion? For member

175Pearson. Can someone from payroll, please, or someone from admin come and talk about what that would do? Um, because we are amending a policy on the floor, um, and yeah, I just want to know what that would actually change, if it changed something. And I just make a comment, I hope this isn't the precedent that we start making adjustments to policy without actually having an actual conversation together around it. So, um, we have asked asked me to give us some time to have conversation with our legal counsel. Um, they were submitting documentation that said that they were association fees, but for the last few employees that were hired, they clearly say that they're union dues. Um, they do not reference that they are association fees, and we were just asking for some additional time to

176uh have some internal discussions before we made any changes and or restored our previous process. So, with the with the with the motion on here to add um association fees, um, how will that impact, um, the conversations that you will have with AFSCME right now? Because if you all are working to change that, um, and they're going to be called, um, association fees or association contributions. I just want to make sure that whatever we decide on this policy tonight, that it doesn't have an impact that is negatively or adverse for for the ask me folks or for the folks who are looking to rectify this. >> I think part of the conversation that we're that we want to have with our legal counsel is is it appropriate for us to deduct these fees or or

177dues cuz we haven't even had the opportunity to have that internal conversation. And again, I understand that that's not answering your question. But I want to make sure that we are in compliance with the with the state statute. >> I'm sorry, point of order. My understanding is that we've already been engaging in this process. Are you saying that we may have been engaging in this process illegally up until this point? I'm I don't know that I want to to to say that. Um it Up until like the last couple months, all of their information said that that said it was association fees and then payroll started receiving documentation that said that said that they were union dues. But the motion on the floor is specific to association fees. So I think we have an established

178understanding that union dues is not allowable. What I'm talking about is amend amending the policy to align with the practice we've already engaged in of deducting association fees from payroll. Can I just interrupt for a moment because I'm So I I I understand what you're saying, which is it's fine, right? So what you're saying is I want to remove local 60 ask me out of this equation right now. And what we just want to say is it's just about collecting the association fees. But, which is fine, but for the situation, I just want to make clear what what Jennifer is is saying it's important is it is what is the triggering factor in this is how that association is registered. If they are registered as a union or if they are registered as association, then

179that determines in this case. They registered for their last few employees as a union, which then caught the eye of our payroll into say, we are out of compliance with this because we cannot withdraw union fees. So, that's where this conversation that's how we even got here. What we were doing the past, that was accurate because they were listed as an association. But, then they listed as a union and that changed it. So, we need to have conversations because my understanding is now they're trying to change it back to an associate. They didn't change it to begin with. >> One moment, please let them finish. I'm done. But, what about Van Der Meulen? >> Yes, we all got an email about this stating that four people registered incorrectly. They asked to try and change it

180internally. There were two emails sent to Jennifer Trindell, if you look at the emails. Additionally, there were two emails sent to legal. I do not know if they were answered or not, but there was notice provided. Therefore, if this particular motion, which specifically says that it is a not a union, that it is an agreement. >> It's an association. >> And an association under legal, then I don't see how the other is even relevant to the motion on the floor, which had we did agree to suspend the rules and we do have a second on it. So, I'm just point of order not under reasoning why. I asked this very specific question and so that's why we're having this conversation because I asked for them to um speak to the amendment to this policy. And

181so and to the motion. And so I specifically asked that's how we're here. Okay. I I just That's where I was confused. That's where I lost the thread. I would just still call the question because we never voted on what's on the floor that has been seconded. Is there Is there any response from administration? Um any further discussion? Board member Lee, your advisory vote. I. All those in favor. I. All those opposed. Oppose for the simple fact that we should not be discussing policy this way. Okay. Um may I please get a motion to adjourn? So moved. Second. All those in favor. I. I.