001Welcome to the March 31st, 2025 regular board meeting of the North Board of Education. If you would please join me to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Eric here is absent. Jennifer is here. Chris here. Chelsea is absent. We do have a quorum. Susie, meeting laws? Yes, it has. That being said, I will entertain a motion to approve the agenda. I'll make a motion to approve the agenda of the chair. Second, all in favor, please say I. I. Motion carries. First item on the agenda is public participation. Is there anybody that wish to speak this evening? All right. Move on to board communication. Does any member have anything that they would like to board
002member that they received or any other regarding from Constance Downey, the Northland Pine School District. Congrats for being recognized as one of only 10 districts in the country this year by winning the National Green Ribbon Award for promoting sustainability and conservation education through the number of amazing facilities available to students and public communications. There is our wonderful partners at the newspaper does do a call progress edition and we We have a nice story in there about promotes sustainability, environmental education, and getting kids outdoors. Kudos to the staff that take and get our kids outside and enjoy our PE school forest. Looks like I think we know these people standing on the only school that has a pond and garden next to solar panels up there. So Tony and St. Germaine and highlighted in there as
003well for all they do. They're on site all the time as well. was out making maple syrup with him just the other day. So, and then we did purchase an ad too to highlight some of the hiring and things that invite people into our district. So, just wanted to point that out. Moving on to our committee reports. Is there any other or any questions for any board member or committee minutes of the committee meetings are not hearing any. Our next action item is our consent agenda. Does anybody wish any board member wish to remove any of the items contained in the consent agenda? Not hearing any. Entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda action items. I'll make a motion to approve all items contained in the consent agenda. All right, the motion has been
004made a second. Is there any other discussion? I have a couple items. I just would like to thank and congratulate a couple staff members who we're accepting the resignation, but it's for retirement tonight. Jennifer Schmidic of sixth grade science and Patty Dipio who has been in multiple buildings but a phenomenal special education teacher who's also out of the CLC. She even took that on as kind of a how to keep and make our school district better. So kudos to those and their great dedication to our students and their colleagues. And then Emma Kirby kind of a surprise one in fifth grade. Emma traveled to Greece um on a mission trip and with her and her husband, well, they did such a good job, they've been asked to come back and run the camp and they've
005decided as a family, this is the time in their life to to make a difference in the world. When we talk about making a difference in the world, this is truly making a difference in the world working at a refugee camp. So, her and her husband both will be employed there for threeear stint. So, we're very sad to see her go. She's an excellent educator, but I just wish her the best of luck and all three of these will be through the end of the school year, but just want to mention those. Um, tonight also in attendance is Justin Dimkrin. He is going to be after your vote, but it should be a pretty rale if you want to stand up. Welcome Justin. He is being recommended as your new high school football coach. So,
006um, name's familiar. His sister teaches kindergarten at Eber Elementary next door. So like great to have both of them in the Pines family and comes from Lakeland but went through our interview process and was recommended by AJ. Highly recommended and look forward to having him join the Pines family and great future ahead. So thank you for coming out tonight. We really appreciate it. Thank you. Nice to meet you. I apologize for my froggy voice. Um and then um we did just mention we did um it's in the mayor motion but we did in last months with first review we had a policy about graduation in there some updates but Dr. Marine and I have been working and we want to just fine-tune one one or two more things through policy. Um mostly mechanical nothing radical
007changes or nothing but we just didn't feel like we should rush it through even though it's second review. We're just pulling that out. that motion. You see that we're pulling that one. It only need to go through policy once. We just over the years we've added some individual things at Pines like the graduation or um presentation, the senior capstone service hours and they're kind of not all in the right order and we can eliminate some years out of there because it started changing by year a couple years ago. So, we just So, let's poke the brakes, get it in policy, get it cleaned up, and then bring it back to the full board next month. Just wanted to point that out. Even though you saw it once, that's how processes work. Is there any other
008questions on the consent? C9 contract is in there. Um know that it went through policy and finance multiple times. So, it's in there if you have questions about it. Probably the biggest difference is the having a one day a week approximate one day a week coach. We may do two two days one week and not miss a week in there. They're very going to be willing to customize what we need for what's best impact on our staff in supporting the things they've been asking for help with. Without any other questions, all in favor please say I. Any motion carries? move on to our discussion and action items. And first one is a parent survey. I'll make a motion to approve the parent survey with one question removed as presented. Motion second. Any discussion? This has
009gone through our committees and first review. Not hearing any other discussion. All in favor, please say I. I. I. All right. Motion carries. Update on summer school for Eagle Camp. Yeah. So, this is nothing to vote on. Just wanted to give you heads up. Um, Eagle Camp will be July 21st through August 8th. It sounds pretty crazy if you realize we had a climate weather day because it's too much snow and ice, but we'll be setting up for what is our summer school for three weeks here in the next couple weeks. So, um, Carrie's been work basically Carrie works on this year round. We have staff curriculum changes. know that not this year but in the coming years. This will really be critical with the act 20 reading um work because we have to have
010summer plans to um make sure they're getting reading instruction and eagle camp will be the place or the vehicle we'll recommend using for that. Um know the big change from last year's biggest change when we went to half days just in the mornings and that really worked well for staff and for families. So we're going to stick with that. Our numbers, as you can see in the document provided, have gone up every year. Um, and this wouldn't be possible without an amazing staff and lots of great staff step up and either do one week or two weeks, a few do all three weeks. So, but it takes a a great group of staff to make this possible. And just want to give you a heads up that you're going to start seeing information on our
011social media and going out to parents coming up real soon. So, Carrie's out on vacation today, so that's why she's not here tonight. So, Next item is I will make the motion to approve accepting a donation of $1,500 from trackside river for the tech program. I'll second that. Motion second. Any discussion? Just a big thank you policy thing and order. You know, we're fortunate to have high quality tech, business at family, consumer science, fine arts, choir, band, um, you know, I go on and on. Art Joe did a great does a great job with our art program at the high school. But it takes a community to make that possible. And people like Chris and Trackside are a big part of why we're able to do that and hopefully provide high quality employees in our
012community or others if they choose to leave here. We'd love to recognize and say thank you to track side and Chris for this donation. Question. All right. All in favor, please say I. I. Any opposing to our administrative reports. The river principles are here. Excuse me. I just want to if you get a chance, we got in there a little late um just with schedules and spring break and crazy last week of school. But you know, if you really see Gretchen and Brook's pictures in here, you first and say, "Oh, look at our kids are not doing academic learning. They're just doing fun stuff." But if you really look at it closely and then look at our mission where it says rigor, relevance, relationships, that's what these are. Mrs. Our kindergarteners are used sledding, but
013that's how they're doing their science. um you know that reading out on the playground and then doing a reading walk at night being fourth grade and learning government and being right where our legislator sitting in the chairs that Rob Swearing and and Mary Fescowski they probably can sit Mary's way on the top but um since she's got a big fancy chair up top now but um you know I just look at and then the engagement of our staff who get out of their comfort zone to make school fun and then um kudos to people's services and the integration of our social emotional learning um curriculum you see the recognition from our students and good habits they're developing and then I also on the back page second paragraph I want to highlight um I think we
014get caught up in like generalization but look at the fine data that she put in there um when we talked about this and Emily's here tonight can expound expand on this but and Tony as well but um we are having these plans to help build skills not teach them to they have to think any way or the other, but how do they work in a classroom to be effective at learning and that their peers can be effective too so they're not bothering them, they're learning good skills so that they can be good employees in the future um and good community members and you can see the data is there that it's making a difference and where where this has been implemented at high fidelity and and staff are getting comfortable with it as the year
015goes on and our leaders are getting comfortable with it. uh we're really seeing some positives from our students. Um so I just want to give kudos to to the information here. Um and just point that out of what a nice job and how this really represents our um our mission statement. And then finally, you know, um Sue put in hers as well of, you know, the amount of assessments that are coming up in the spring. You know, unfortunately, we think of all the the green and great things that come with spring, but unfortunately, our students see it as testing, testing, and more testing that are federal and statemandated. So, um you know, but I just point out that there is some fatigue with it. And there as a student, did you really get up excited
016to come to school on testing day? So, our staff has to do an extra special job of making the rest of the day engaging and still get high academic outcomes. So, kudos to our staff and all the other the tech department, Harlon and his team to make this all happen is pretty pretty challenging. And then all the other support staff that helped up to make that all possible. So just want to point that out. Those administrator reports few administrators that came this evening to add anything else to their reports. I don't want to add anything. I just kudos to our staff, but March is a short month, but probably the busiest month that we have in this building, you know, just with ACT, the senior capstone, we did the night of the arts. I mean,
017it was just every week was a major event before spring break. So, um, staff don't need to do those things, but um, ACT morning there, people are making breakfast for our juniors early in the morning. Staff come in early on their time and do that. And, um, you know, I don't want to go too much into senior capstone. going to talk about that. There's a lot of community involvement there and staff. Um, and then Night of the Arts was really uh, you know, Mrs. Garrison, Mr. Gritner, Mrs. Jansen, um, and Mrs. Popper really did an awesome job of, uh, showcasing under kind of a different environment, just a more relaxed feel that night was um, which was the intent, but you never know till you actually do it if you can pull that off. But,
018uh, they did a great job, a lot of work leading up to that just to showcase, you know, the talents of our kids in a lot of different areas. So, engaging. I mean, not just the performances, but there's tables and there's food. It's always good. Students did a phenomenal job under administrator report. Yeah. Um, couple things here. just uh I'll stick with the agenda first and then highlight a couple other things. I'll just cut you know there's so much in the news and you know I'm not just generalizations and stuff. So really I try to keep us in the back zone and not the generalizations from any news source or anything like that. So yes funding has impacts the changes are impacting us. Um I don't want to generalize. I want to keep it to
019the facts. One of the first things that hit us was the local food grants being taken away. Um that helped us buy food locally. Um we've always tried to do that, but it's, you know, sometimes you do pay a little more. And with that grant, it really helped our local businesses and us, our local farms. So that loss does impact us. Um you know, those are true dollars that we could have used to educate kids that are gone. Now, um the other one that we did automatically lose is um really not financial but um information that would have helped us is we participated in longitudinal study. Um Harlon took the lead on that, worked with Dan and and studying what things impacted our students best when it came to math and they've done this for
020I don't know decades. I was just reading about Nate and some of the changes and this was really an impact but we got selected our families and kids it was all random but then they had to sign their parents and the student had to say yes I'll do that there was a little gift card if they did do it um but um that got ended so we're not doing that which means we won't have that it been nice to see how our freshman when they graduated seniors told us how their math was and what did you know what could we do better and those things so that data will not be collected. So, that's another change. Um, we are keeping our fingers on um some things related to u the title grants. Those were just
021watching and seeing Tar and I shared in finance. We're very confident that you know we'll get the money that we were allocated for this year. So, we'll build the budget with the idea that it's going to be there and then just kind of monitor with facts when they come out. But just want to keep you in the loop because a lot of I've been getting questions from our community about it. So I just want to keep it into the specifics of what it is so far and not just the over generalization. So just want to keep you the board up to date on that. Um and this I put senior caps under mine but obviously Dr. Marine and and Mr. Lucen could certainly add to this but I put it on here because it was
022so impactful. U it is one of the highlights of the year. If you're not familiar had the chance to do it, I highly recommend it. Um, typically it's two staff and a community member who sit and listen to a senior go through a presentation that is in a format, but it's also the end of a journey from seven, sixth grade through 12 um through the ACP process. But I think it what I find and having been able to been honored to be able to sit in these is you see us see seniors. This is what I believe our community really wants from our students. Take a second to reflect on the journey and and what they highlight. I think we all want them to be academic successful and chase every dream they have and goal,
023which is what we still need to do. But in the end, they talk about their relationship with teachers and coaches and pair professionals and administrative assistants. They talk about um what their dreams and goals are, what their financial plans are for five to 10 years. So, I mean, it really makes them And my highlight of it is something that's called evidence of learning. They have to pick out one item that kind of brings together what their experience in high school is. Something either they're proud of or something that they've done or somebody worked with them on. And what they pick are just these amazing deep reflective pieces. It's not even the it ends up not being about the item. It ends up about what the item meant to them and their teachers or coaches or
024whatever. You know, I had a kid last year bring a bat and I thought, "Oh, I talk about baseball. It's his passion for baseball." And he actually went 180. He's like, "I don't think about getting a baseball catching about my experience with the baseball team. It's about being a better young man because the coach and the teachers and the people involved talk about us being better people through baseball." But yeah, we want to win games. Don't get us wrong. But, you know, those are just the things I've heard over and over. So just kudos to the staff 4K through 12 because I've encouraged elementary teachers to do this and we had some do it this year and they came out of there just like glowing because they realize it's yes it's a high school end
025but it's really about that 4K through 12 journey. That's how the kid gets to be a senior. So kudos to our staff um to guidance and Adam Matisa and those that have kind of got us to this dream Dr. Marine Ryan and the team that got us there. So sore high school and North Pines High School students. This is a graduation requirement that you voted on and I really think it's become one of the highlights. So many community members want to do it every year because it's such a highlight. I don't know if Dan or Haron have anything else to add. Yeah, I this was our fourth year. Like we continue to get better every year that we go through it. Um but our families are I think they've has embraced it, but I think
026word's gotten a little bit more and they're like families are there's still some tears, but there's less shock because they know kind of what's going on. We do communicate it with them, too. But our but I think the it's just it's just awesome when you because I'm fortunate enough to be able to check families in when they show up and then I get to see them when they leave and it's just cool to see the differences and kind of how a lot of them carry their emotions, you know, and it's very obvious that they were sat through something that was impactful as they come down the stairs and it's really cool to see their kids say things that they, you know, they would maybe wouldn't have said to them in a setting at home or
027in the car. You know, one of our staff members, I was up in Land of Lakes the next day and one of our staff member was a senior said, "I heard my daughter practicing it, but when I sat in there through my tears, but um the the power of it and she had picked a writing assignment from her early high school days about what her parents meant to her, you know, and obviously the topic was a nailbiter, but just to know like that was the evidence like the gratefulness and the and the reflection on the impact." And you know, sometimes the scary part when you're a senior like oh I I wanted to be done but now I'm going to be done and no there's a lot of nerves in that too but um it's
028just powerful it's a it's a really a highlight of the year and kudos and danc's gotten better every year but it really started out very strong to start with and it's just been tweaked to make it even better so kudos to all those and if you haven't done it um you'll either get to as a parent someday if not um even if you want to come back and do it someday we'd love to have you just let us know but it's a great to see these young adults take that next step of reflection and really understand what it's all about. Only thing as I've been able to say as a community member now twice as a parent um and um I think the other thing too that people will say why do they have the
029kids do that? And I think the the thing that's um is powerful for the kids because whatever they do in life they're going to have to present at some point right whether they're going to school or for work or for college. And to have that audience and have to do the presentation and and and do the planning and everything is really like, okay, even if they never have, they may think they're never going to do it again. And also for them to to be proud of and reflect on what they've done rather than just looking back at um you know this is oh this is high school, but to actually say we've done this and I did this and this is where I'm going. So it's very powerful. Next thing on the list is books
030versus badges. This is the fourth annual charity basketball game. This is something that the Vio Sheriff's Department deserves credit for starting. Jim Byer from Pines really played instrumental role in getting this with working with them. But this is a fundraiser. The first year um we did it for Berkeley. Um then a different unfortunately the needs are always there. Um there's that continues. This year is for the Kro family. Um that's um alumni one year out two year one year out. So but it's I will say it's one of the things I really enjoy when you walk in the gym that night. I know Chris has been there and when you're in there it's our community. It is one of the most community driven things we do. It's like everybody's in there for one cause. You
031can be divided on all topics you want, but when you walk in that gym that night, it's there. We're there because we're a community. We want to support a family in need. So, if you get a chance, come out Friday, April 4th, um at 700 p.m. Um we lots of door prizes, lots of chance to win other prizes and buy tickets. Um there's a charge to come in, but it is a donation, but I highly recommend it. It's just a fun night, you know. Um, I think sounds like maybe some recruiting's being done. I don't know if any money is coming in on the sheriff's side of the department because they haven't won now for a little while. The the books people, the teachers have been winning. So, we'll see what comes out of the
032fourth fourth round of this adventure. So, Mr. Seager, who's not here tonight, he's takes it pretty serious. We'll see what happens. Um Tony and Emily are part of this, but our 4K enrollment um we are we've done it early. This year we did early and now we're doing another one in April. Um on the 4th and 11th during the day at 4th will be at Eva Elementary and the 11th at St. Jermaine Land Lakes. We currently have 55 4K students enrolled districtwide. Last year in total or currently I should say we had 72. So we obviously would love to be closer to 72 than we were 55, but it's pretty common to get a kind of a surge. We that's why we're trying again in April is because we're trying to eliminate the surge coming
033in in July and August when all of a sudden people realize, oh, I should sign up my kid for 4K. If we can get them signed up earlier, that just one, it's good for the kids because they get invited in, teachers start sending stuff, the excitement starts brewing, also for us planning for spaces and all that. So, um, thanks to Emily's team and Tony and Carrie and and Gretchen and her team as well. Um, Rachel Perry. Also, I'll point out Rachel Perry did have her baby. So, congratulations to them. Um, that's little boy Hubson just the cutest picture ever. So, point out that coming up, too. Um, couple other things on on the agenda, but we just want to bring up. Um, good luck to Three Lakes and Rylander on the referendums tomorrow. Um, if
034you're unaware, um, they both have three Rhylanders operating. Three Lakes is for some building improvements. So, been talk to both them. If you did notice, we did have a snow day today. Um, uh, those things don't just happen. I know you probably understand that, but I was in communication with Bios County Emergency Management almost all day yesterday. Um I offered if we needed to to open the school up yesterday and they just felt like um we really didn't need to yet. The call center hadn't been getting lots of calls. Raid County really got it worse than we did. Um so but she did think if we did with the amount of power not knowing how many crews would get up here. That's why we did open the doors today. I know we had one person
035come in um and had numerous people were grateful that they knew that we would be here if they're needed. We have done this in the past, but I, you know, something we started a few years ago. I just, you know, we're we're going to be part of this community. We need to be part of this community. So, we I worked with Dave and then Kelly helped us this morning, but I was here to make sure people need to get in. They were ready to go. Bruce calls me for um but that concludes my report and that is our I should just say that is our fifth and climate weather day of the year so far. Um I'm hoping it's our last. Just to give you an idea, if you go back to 2012, 7.5% of
036our days have come in April. So we're not out of the woods yet. I don't want to jinx us, but know that it's not unheard of to have a snow day in April. We're not going to this year, but Right. It's still March. It's still March. Um and then before we go into close session, I just want I know we thought Kelly, your last meeting was last month because we were going to have our board meeting on the 17th and we switched it till today, the week after spring break. So once again, Kelly, thank you for your three years of board service. It's been a pleasure working with you and um thank you very much. And that will conclude our regular board meeting at this time. Thank you all for coming. I will make a
037motion to go to close session. Motion to convene in close session pursuant to Wisconsin statute 19.85 subsection 1C to consider employment promotion compensation or performance evaluation data of any public employee over which the governmental body has jurisdiction exercises responsibility specifically to consider issuance of preliminary notices of non-renewal pursuant to statute statute 180.22 subsection 3 and further to discuss administrators and supervisor compensation for 2526 and certified staff compensation for 256. We'll go into close with a roll call vote. Jennifer, yes. Kelly, yes. All right, we are enclosed. Thank you. I'm asking the board's okay for them to stay for the first two items of close impacts two of their staff members Emily's one of Tony's one and then stay also