001Um, okay. You ready to get her started? Okay. So, it is Monday, May 19th, 2025. I call this special meeting of the Elizabeth School District Board of Education to order at 6 PM. Can I get a roll call, please? Director Callahan is absent. Director Fletcher present. Director Olsen I here. Director Powell here. And Director Waller is absent. Okay, let's stand for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge algiance 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. Okay. I move that the board approve the agenda for the May 19th special meeting as presented. Can I get a second? Second. Any discussion? Okay. Can I get a roll call? Director Fletcher. I. Director Olsen. I. And Director Pal.
002I. Okay. Next up, I move the board approve the minutes from the board of education meeting on May 5th, 2025 and the special meeting on May 8th, 2025 as presented. Second. Any discussion on that? Okay. Can I get a roll call? Director Fletcher. Hi. Director Olsen. Hi. Director Pal. Hi. Okay. Now, very exciting time. We're going to have Tam Smith from the middle school come up and present to us all the wonderful things he's working on. Tam, if you'll just hold down that button. Yeah. Till you see. Well, good evening. and thank you for having me tonight. Um really excited to give you an update on um the course of action that's been taking place at Elizabeth Middle School. Uh really over the past two months um it's been a work in progress starting with
003building relationships with the community uh with parents with staff with students and really um seeing the middle school in action and thinking about a plan of attack on how we can rebuild Elizabeth 2.0. Um It's really exciting because it's a fresh start for everybody and you know the the basis of everything we've done has been you know to start to push content driven instruction explicit instruction. Um really over the course of the last two months we've really taken a holistic approach um to rebuilding the middle school and it started on uh really the kickoff of this was April 25th the professional development day. Um, I got to spend the whole day with the staff, the returning staff, and really build relationships with them and start to build what we call our pillars or our foundations
004of excellence, our pillars of excellence. And um, at that time, we really outlined our plan for the future. Along with that, obviously, we had uh, you know, a parent evening and um, it was really nice to get before the community and really outline, you know, our hopes and dreams for the middle school. Uh along the way, uh we've done a lot of lifting. Um you know, we met with Andrew, our director of facilities, who's fantastic, as you know, and we outlined a plan for improvement interior, painting, and and lowcost projects that will really sort of enhance the visuals and the graphics of the middle school so that when kids come in in the fall, it'll it'll feel and look very different. Uh we met with our lead custodian, Margaret, and outlined a plan for moving.
005As you know uh from my presentation, we're moving to pod-based learning, which means that we'll have um for lack of a better term, segregated wings in the building that are for each grade level. So, we won't have that traffic crossing in the hallways, the blended hallways. We'll literally have a hallway for each grade level, six, seven, and eight. We call those learning pods. And we'll also have a designated area or areas for electives. Um what's really nice is each one of those pods will have an identity that the kids can buy into and believe in which gives them a collective mindset in each grade level. The advantages of the pods is that uh literally you know your four cores are housed in one rings one wing of the building. So they have their English, math,
006science and social studies in in a contained area which means that the grades are literally separated by grade. The advantage of that is you have less transition time wasted. you have less wasted time with kids traveling across the building and obviously we can then take advantage of the lockers and all the facilities that we have on on site. Um I met with teachers and staff obviously outlining this plan not just on the 25th but we had lots of individual meetings and department meetings where we talked about you know the forthcoming plans and what the pods would look like and that included any kind of movement that would happen within the building. So for example, right now we have some teachers that are separated from the rest of their core. An example of that is we
007have seventh grade teachers in one wing of the building and other seventh grade teachers in another. So I met with those teachers that would move back to a true pod and we actually it was really nice because we worked in collaboration to figure out which would be the best space, which should be the best room. So teachers also had a voice in that process. Um uh along another thing that we did uh this year, this excuse me, this last two months um uh is we met with the front office staff and talked about you know potential changes to that area. How can we be more efficient? And so Dan and I have some thoughts in place about how we can make some small adjustments to that space so that it's more uh professional I think
008and more conducive to the task that the you know each each person has because it's very difficult when you have a large space with four professionals in one space and you can imagine the noise and the traffic. So we've looked at that. Um, we've walked classrooms with uh with teachers and done a lot of what I call classroom walkthroughs so that I can see best practice and find out, you know, who's struggling, who needs, you know, some lift, who needs some help going into the fall. Um, we've also spent a lot of time creating a new uh bell schedule because, as you know, we're going down to two electives and when you reduce the amount of classes, you have to fill time. And so we've looked really carefully at our Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday schedule
009and of course the late start on Thursdays to make sure that we have evenly split split classes uh that aren't going to overwhelm the middle schoolers whilst also giving them a lot of options because you have to be very creative. When you take away a section or period, you know that you have less time but you have to create more offerings so that you don't overload the class size. So that's been definitely an interesting challenge. Um, let's see. Uh, the, as you know, we hired Erin Dilbeck, uh, who's a local, uh, school leader to be the assistant principal for next year. And Aaron and I have spent two days on site. She very graciously gave up time at her current employment to come and spend a day with me on site. And, uh, the two
010of us literally have been in and out of classrooms. We've been brainstorming, you know, all these different ideas that we have to make sure they're actually practical and feasible. but she was here today actually for her second day. So, it was wonderful to have Erin Erin on site. Uh we spent a lot of time hiring new staff and I want to give a shout out to the job fair. Uh very successful for me because we hired two full-time staff members from the job fair. Uh so it was really a very very worthwhile time and thank you for setting that up and Dan for his leadership in doing that. It was it was excellent. So at the job fair, we hired uh actually again two local uh leaders uh one in social studies and the other
011in uh PE and has a vision to be an athletic director. So we're very excited about that. Uh also we've hired a math position since the job fair and um so we're looking really good going into the summer. We're only actually one position short of being fully staffed for the summer and we're currently pursuing a science candidate. So hopefully we'll have uh we'll have all our teachers in place. Uh we still need a couple of leadership positions to be filled, you know, counselor and a dean, but we're pursuing that as well. So I think we're in pretty good shape going into the summer. Um let's see. Uh we've created more elective options. I think I shared that just a moment ago. And just to give you some ideas of some of the things we're looking
012at adding, uh, a fitness and weights option at the middle school, um, American Sign Language, Spanish, and even possibly a yoga class. So, we've got lots of sort of options to fill up those elective uh, sections, as I said, because, you know, as you take away time, you have to fill up that space with more options so that we keep class sizes low. Um, let's see. uh continued to work with Mark Herrera who's been an incredible leader at the middle school, you know, looking through the lens of intercolastic sports and athletics and he's done a fantastic job of really filling a very robust and I think very um attainable sport schedule for the fall and going into next year. So that's been ongoing. We've obviously had a parent night for rising fifth grade uh also
013which was well attended. So really in summary, you know, a lot of this has been just for us to, you know, continue to vision Elizabeth 2.0. You know, what would that look like? What would that sound like and feel like? And I think there's a lot of momentum going into the summer, uh, which is exciting. We still have some obviously lifting, you know, heavy lifts ahead of us. Uh but I'm very excited uh coming into the I call it preseason uh in July uh where we'll have some great professional development that I know Kim Moore has set up and uh and I think with the returning staff and uh and the opportunities ahead of us. We're very excited about the future. So that's that's my summary. Questions that you may have if I can just
014jump in. I I want to thank Tam for his leadership. He's been working very closely with Kimberly Renan who who is stepping away from the district. Um uh and we certainly wish her well and and her next adventure. But um just uh I think having Tam start this year prior to next year has really been key to building those relationships, building that team. Again, I think in support for our community to hear we are almost fully staffed, which is which is a huge feat and and certainly credit Tam and Kimberly with that. Um, last year we went into the summer with a number of open positions. We've had some substitutes who have had to be long-term substitutes this year, which um has not put the best person in front of our kids all the time.
015They're good people, but they're not the best trained, I should say. Um, so we're really excited that that we've come this far and again um just can't thank Tam enough for his leadership. Well, also as Dan said, Kimberly has been fantastic teammate. Really worked hard to to help that transition. So, I do want to make that do want to make sure that I came to your to your night when you had parents come in to kind of hear about Elizabeth Middle School 2.0 and I love that. And but when you talked about the pods, I thought that just makes so much sense, especially the uh you know, the I mean, it's just going to lessen chaos. I can just imagine, you know, here, there, and everywhere. And it doesn't need to be that way. So,
016I was very excited. It seems like just a perfect step to just get everybody and kind of give them like you said your their own identity. So that was very cool. It is very exciting because giving the teachers that buy into you know I would take a teacher and we'd look at you know classroom option A or classroom option B and for them to then get excited and choose that classroom gives them that feeling of ownership and collaboration in the process which is really important. It is when it puts all the teachers that teach seventh grade or sixth grade or whatever like puts them all together and they can mutually support each other collaborate. So one of the things you know one of the things we've looked at is we we're giving them a common
017planning time as well. So they have a common planning time in a common pod which then they'll have a PLC room or a data room. They can then look at data. they can talk about, you know, kid- centric data, which is really important. Yeah, absolutely. That's great. I This is not the first time I've heard that the job fair has been a massive success. I mean, kudos for for doing I mean, this is Yeah. Yeah. Having our own is attracting people who who support our vision, who support our mission as a district. and and you know when you go to these mega job fairs you're there with 40 other school districts who are you knowounding candidates um they just haven't been successful. So this I think was our sixth job fair. Um in every job
018fair we've ended up with five to seven hires out and so um our administrators have always left feeling like it's time well spent because everyone's left with someone to fill in critical position. Great. whatever we need to do to keep supporting that. Yeah, that's right. That's a the um fitness and weights like this is, you know, as a prior military guy, like the as a a district, I mean, as a nation, we need to be focused on this. But agree, I I applaud that kind of refocusing on that because it is our kids need to they need to get in there. My daughter hates it that I make her take a PE class every semester and but she but she then she'll text me and she's like I just you know Max Max bench and
019I'm like well of course you have and we've had this amazing gym equipment student based gym equipment not adult but student based gym equipment that's was in the modulars. Oh yeah. Um unused. And so for TAM to see that opportunity and say let's add a class because we've got this great equipment. So so we're we're excited. So strong body is a strong. Yeah. Yes, sir. Well, I've heard nothing but good things and you don't disappoint. I appreciate appreciate what you're doing. Looking forward to 2.0. Thank you. Thank you, Tam. Appreciate it. All right. So, next up we have uh board member reports. I've been outlining for a week and a half. So, two weeks. I uh I did I was at the interviews for the principal the other night. I just wanted as the process
020as Yeah, I appreciate the process. Good. Um I liked how it went. I liked the mix of people. I liked the two teams. Y getting to interview both candidates. The the entire entire exercise was and and I I like that Mike and I were there. Um I like being part of that and I like that y'all kind of brought back the So I I really Yeah, good. That's that is definitely the model. We're excited. Yeah. So yeah, I appreciate that. I appreciate it. That's all I am. Well, I think I already said because I was going to talk about having gone to the the middle school thing and so I've already said that. So, it was it was great and I'm excited about that. I think we have really great things ahead and I'm excited.
021All right. Okay. All right. I've just got a few things um to announce. Certainly, we're we're deep into end of year activities. Um, so we have uh fifth grade graduation or fifth grade, sorry, promotion ceremonies. I know they call them graduations, but fifth graders are promoting to the middle school. But anyways, we have those on Wednesday morning. Um, and so we also had our preschool um, uh, I guess you can call preschool graduation, preschool graduations last week. Um, had lots of award ceremonies across the district. So needless to say, it's been a busy time. Um, and so just appreciate all the hard work of our staff and recognizing students. I'm going to try to be at both fifth grade graduate or fifth grade graduations somehow because they start a half hour apart and they're across
022town. I think we did that last year. Yeah. Yeah. So, um, anyways, it'll be a fun uh fun day to try to make all of that happen. But, um, anyways, um, graduation is Saturday, uh, 10 to 11:15. um board members who will be present. Weather looks great. Um so definitely uh we encourage board members to be present at 9:00 so that we can get around and and in position before uh everything starts and you'll get a parking spot if you're there at 9. If you're not there at 9 if you're not there at 9, you may not get a parking spot, but you do need your your badge because we don't have the red decals anymore. They'll they'll just check your badge and get you into the staff parking. Um do want to make formal
023announcement. I think we've we've introduced Justin last meeting um when he spoke briefly about our our budget and kind of where we were in that process. But let me just introduce you know Justin Henry as our new chief financial officer. Um and Justin has really been working hard to look at um our systems, look at our infrastructure and really has been working hard to help us put some plans into place to get some things that really have been neglected for a while um get a plan in place. So, we'll talk to you a little about some of those when we get to the budget. Len Pearson is our new director of special education. She had been a director in Sheridan School District and also um in SPE administration in Jefferson County. Um and so, Len
024u brings a very deep passion uh to the job. She also has a disabled youngster herself who's an adult now. um but but certainly also has that personal experience with parents who also have children who are experiencing disabilities and how to support them and I think can really bring that empathy uh to the table. You've also met Tam Smith who will be the principal next year um uh with with Kimberly Renan stepping away. Um Aaron Dilbach he's mentioned as our new assistant principal. She's a resident here uh in our community. So very excited about returning uh to a leadership role and brings some some years of leadership experience from another district uh to the table. And then we will be announcing tomorrow night our our principal um uh we've gone through the process. The process
025continued just a little while ago uh where a couple other board members had a chance to meet um our finalist. We do have one finalist uh who we are pursuing right now. Um and she has answered some additional questions and provided a schoolwide discipline plan that the staff had asked to be able to see her thinking on that. And so we'll take that back to the the committee tomorrow afternoon and then my expectation based on the the robust answer she's provided that they will be very excited um for her to become their new principal. So we'll make that announcement um hopefully tomorrow evening, certainly Wednesday morning. Again, staffing update, you've heard that on the middle school. Um, we still have a couple of elementary positions open at Running Creek. Um, but we are are far
026better off right now than we were a year ago. So, to have the positions filled that we do. Um, but we are continuing to to look for a couple of elementary teachers and look at candidates that have applied in those roles. Um, uh, but, um, high school, we did find a half-time auto teacher, which we're excited about. We have so many students who want to take part in that program. So, the new auto teacher um will be um teaching auto one as well as some of the advanced auto classes and um uh we're excited to um have Derek spawn return and and he will also do some welding classes next year. So, welding which is also built outside of the auto shop. So, um do want to let everyone know summer hours for the district.
027We do um recognizing we have folks who work year round. I know everyone looks at, you know, some of us who work year round and say, "Oh, what are you doing this summer?" I'm working. But um but we do we do go to 4day uh work weeks. So folks work 10-hour days or they'll take a Friday vacation day um just to give our 12-month folks a chance to recharge as well. Um, so I do encourage folks who are looking for business in the district to to check um check hours. Um, most of the the district offices will be open Monday through Thursday um during regular business hours. So um certainly if that changes there'll be signs on the on the doors um indicating otherwise that will be effective that'll be effective the first week of
028June. So, the week of June 1st or 2nd, which is a Monday, that'll be the first week that four day weeks will will become an option. Um, facilities does split to make sure that their staff available all five days. We never want to have a leak and have no one here to know where to shut water off. And, um, so our our facilities team splits. Some take Monday, some take Friday. Um, just so that that we make sure we have a full team during the week. um start of next school year. Um August uh 14th is for sixth and 9th graders uh new to the middle and high school. Um August 15th is the first day for all 7th through 12th graders. And then um all of our elementary uh students start on Monday, August
02918th next year. So just for those um watching, we want to make sure you have those dates. Um and board members, we have presented to you two options in your notebook. It's not an action item tonight, but we do have we've talked about moving our board meeting date from Monday to Tuesday or and and I want to throw out another option um because I don't know if Tuesday works for all of our board members, but um Wednesday is another option. So, I would say be thinking about that. We'll bring this to you at the next meeting and we'll want to go ahead and be able to select what day. I don't like said we said Tuesday, but we really didn't ask. So, we could do Tuesday or Wednesday. It provides us, a Wednesday provides us
030the ability when there's a Monday holiday to still have that 24-hour period to adjust any agendas and things like that. Um, but again, Tuesday can work the handful of Monday holidays. We'll just have to work around Tuesdays are really hard because of church. That's Yeah, true, true. Tuesday. So, so Tuesday or Wednesdays um are definitely again options we'll bring to you and you can make that decision at the upcoming meeting. So, definitely be thinking about that. So, I think with that um we'll go ahead and stop and get the rest of our meeting going. Okay. So, next up, public comment. Do you have any public comment? No. I wonder if people are I currently have none, but I wonder if that's being done correctly. We usually Megan, do you have one? Wait, do you want
031to accept it? There's the first one. And here's the second one. Thank you. Okay. Okay. So, first up, we have Jason G. So, I was here Yeah, just push push it down until there. It's on now. Um, so I was here last time to talk about cell phone policy and I forget who emailed me back. I really appreciate and thank you for that. Um, you mentioned that there is some parents that don't have the same feelings as we do and wanted to just learn a little bit more and so I came to hear what the counterargument to my uh my opinion is. So that's really why I'm here is want to know what what some of the other parents see about it. Thank you. Fantastic. Thank you, Jason. You can leave it on. Thank you.
032Okay. And and Megan Gick, it is pronounced Geek. Geek Geek. Sorry. Okay. Um so I'm a teacher over at the high school. For those of you that don't know me, I teach um computer and business classes and I really didn't want to come and talk um but I know you're friendly, but um I've just been very convicted to talk about the cell phone policy and my experience. Um so if you ever wanted to talk to me or I think any of the teachers, we can share with you guys um some of our personal experiences with it. Um but because of this for the sake of time I just wanted to focus kind of on two things. Um the first thing is in earlier in the semester um a few of you came to the high
033school and shared with us that you had indeed passed the new cell phone policy and that it was going to be a ban from the start to end of school. And I think we welcomed it the new policy. Um and we had a brief discussion on the importance of it and it seemed like at the time everybody was kind of on the same page. Um so after that the word got around to the school and also the students. Um and of course the students were not super happy at first but um from what I can tell they've accepted it and they're they're coming into next year not expecting to have their phones in class. Um, I think if we go back on it, I wonder what message we send the kids for that. Um, and
034that's a big concern. Also, Mr. Payton shared with you guys last time that 80% of the teachers are in favor of some sort of of ban or policy. Um, and so going back again on that, I wonder what message you're sending the the teachers um if there wasn't a policy. Currently, I know that there is a policy in our handbook and it says that students can't have the cell phones. Um, but ultimately it's up to to the teachers. Um, and in my experience and being a new teacher, it's extremely difficult to enforce it. Um, because there is no unified policy with clear expectations and clear consequences. And so it gets put on our shoulders um which in my case um is very difficult and I've honestly given up um in most of my classes because
035I've had kids go nose tonose with me. I've had kids walk out of my class before um because I'm speaking and they can't put their phone down. Uh really quick, I'm running out of time. I have tried to read what you guys are currently going to vote on or talk about tonight and just my two cents is that it still is not very concrete. It seems like there's some room for different exceptions and um different interpretation. And so what I'm asking is just a very firm policy to keep the cell phones out of the class. Thank you. Appreciate it. Thanks for coming tonight. Okay. So, next up we have consent items. I move that the board approve consent items 81 through 85 as presented. Can I get a second? Second. And can I get a
036roll call? Director Fletcher. Hi. Director Olsen. I. Director Pal. Hi. Okay, next up we have our 2526 budget review. So Dan, you and Justin's gonna come forward. Um so we we are presenting to you um our budget tonight. Um this we shared with you last meeting. There is still some opportunities for um for development um over the next uh two three weeks. Actually, I think we have three weeks between now and the next board meetings. So, um, we are continuing to crunch numbers, continuing to look at each department budget. Um, as I shared with you earlier, one of the things that I really appreciate Justin jumping in on is we have a number of facility issues. We have a parking lot at the middle school that is crumbling. We've had parents even at that middle
037school night bring that up as to the challenges in that parking lot. Um, we are sharing our fuel with fire and police and so we have a lot that is dirt. Um, so Justin has also begun exploring options of maybe bringing in crushed asphalt, compacting it so we have a little firmer surface. Um, uh, the town will be helping us with plowing on that lot since they need to also get the police cars in. that will allow them to actually make a swipe through and plow that lot for us, which takes something off of our our staff as well. Um, we do have a gym floor at the high school that needs to be or at the middle school that needs to be um resurfaced, which is an expensive um task. We we've been spending
038roughly $45,000 on that process, and Justin's been able to get some quotes that actually have come in under that, which we're excited about. So, um, so again, you will see some fluctuations as we finalize some of those projects. We will be bringing to you some of those expensive items like the $39,000, um, gym floor re refinishing that we'll have to come to you for approval at the next meeting. Um, but again, what we've tried to do with the budget is really, uh, look at actual actual revenues, actual expenses, and try to to really hone in on some some exacting here. So, I'll let I'll stop and let Justin kind of give an overview of what he's presenting to you. And again, this isn't final, but it's getting closer to final each time. So, thank you.
039As as Dan has said, um we're going through this with a fine tooth comb and trying to narrow down precisely what's going to happen. No fluff, no overage, um to try to predict where we're at to hit our ratios. Um we are operating on a tight rope um to to say the least with the infrastructure issues that are compounding right now and um our salaries and benefits and some other things there's there's zero excess I mean there's there's zero positive um cash flow on this but uh we had to cut a lot of things um a lot of of wants um are being foregoed. Um the needs are being met, but the ones are not. So is kind of the the whole picture on this. It'll take probably two to three years to start moving
040that shift to we're going okay, we can start to talk about ones. we can start to have a base, but we have to first address the infrastructure at all at all the schools because if we don't start capital reserves and budgeting for these repairs, it's all going to fall down. So, um that's the budget we're looking at. Um we are in a slight deficit at year end, but a manageable deficit and that's with 880,000. So last year we we funded nothing in capital projects because we had a fund balance. So we're putting $880,000 into our capital projects fund next year to address some of these these capital issues. So and that is the absolute bare minimum. Yeah. I mean that's I'm not comfortable with that number, but that's every penny we have. So we're we're
041working towards hopefully ending the year with a 7% fund balance. Again, we as a board have a goal of 10% in another three years. Um, and so if we can get to 7%, then we're on track for 8 n 10 adding a percent each year. So, so that's the work that Justin and I are continuing to do. Um, if I could point out a couple of of changes here just for the for the audience. Um, the board board of education budget, we have moved and I think I mentioned this, we have moved treasurer collection fees. we have to pay the county to collect our taxes. That has been reflected in the past in the utility budget which make absolutely no sense. It is a fiduciary responsibility of the board to ensure the district is functioning
042and that's always been an expense in the board budget. So when you see the uh increase in the board budget from 144 to 195 um that primarily is is due to that expense that's been added to the board budget. um is actually what it costs us to have the treasur, the county treasurer collect our taxes and and our fees um required. Um you'll also see um uh in the um technology budget um there is an increase in expenditure there. We are replacing our fire firewall and our switches. Our switches have have reached end of life. We don't want to wait till they fail. Um, and so that's been an an expense we've been banking on. That's probably the one expense you might call capital that we're not putting in capital. We really feel like that's
043a part of our infrastructure for our technology system to work. And so you'll see roughly a $50,000 increase, actually a little more than than know about $50,000 increase in technology. Um, we are also um a safety and security. Um we have um funded fully we expect two resource officers next year. Um I met with chief this morning and this year we were down to one. They've had just like we have a recruitment challenge and that their salaries are grossly under um neighboring districts and neighboring jurisdictions. And so um I know the town council is currently doing a salary study. Um, but chief is very committed even if it requires he takes a local officer to put into that second SRO role. So, we didn't pay for the two SRO's this year. That's why security's been
044decreased. We're refunding that because we do want to ensure that we have um two full-time SRO's next year um on our campuses. Um you'll you'll also see some increase at the schools. Again, I shared with you that copers um in the past have been paid out of utilities for all copers in the district. Um we have moved those expenses to the appropriate building and and department where those copers exist. And so the increase in those is more often than not because they are funded by a per pupil amount based upon the number of students are expecting. um the additional expense that you see because our schools aren't fluctuating or we're not planning fluctuation even though we expect growth next year. We're planning zero growth. We'd rather be surprised and be able to budget new monies
045next year than to have to do cuts like we had to do this particular. Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. Um, so when you look at the schools and you see some change in the in the school allocation that most of that's because of the copier costs that have been moved there plus money's been moved there. Obviously, we're not taking that out of their allocation. We're just showing the expense in the appropriate location. Um, salaries are pretty comparable. Um, again, we did we did try to um break out salaries to the best degree we could on this year's budget. I'll just caution you that our but our budget numbers on the 2425 may not be exact um comparisons. We did a a percentage based upon where where those department stood with staffing. Um but that's something we'll continue
046to try to revise between now and the adoption of the budget. So I don't know Justin if there's anything else there. Um no uh for the 2526 budget as I said we can go down line item by line. we can go down to the penny on every single thing rolling forward. That'll make it a much more clear and precise process than we've been doing in the past. Um, but it will take me a couple years to fully build that up. So, you saying we could actually use it to make decisions? this summer. Um, this summer, one of the I shouldn't say that, this summer, the entire reporting package will be rebuilt in a much more precise and, um, much better viewpoint than than you've got in the past. So, absolutely. So, do expect um that
047you'll you'll see um some revisions. Again, we'll try to track what changes from tonight to the time we present to you the final budget. We do we do have either the 9th or the 23rd um to approve our final budget. It just has to be approved by the end of June. So, my hope would be the 9th. We'll bring you what we believe is pretty darn final. And then that gives you some time if there's any questions you have. Um there is a backup sheet for every one of these budgets. It shows the staff that's included, the the expenses that have been requested. My hope is this week to try to refine that to get that out to you so you can see, you know, what what's in what what's in those department budgets that
048are here. Um, just so if there's anything that concerns you or anything you have questions on, we'll be able to answer those questions. That's from through the Skyward thing. No, that's actually through an Excel spreadsheet that I built prior to Justin joining us and I've handed it over to Justin, but there is detailed backup for each page so you know the expenses that that are appearing on that page and what what comprises that. So when you were talking about building it out this summer, are you is that using Skyward that you Skyward will be the final input and reporting tool. However, Excel will be the modeling tool. Okay. We're going to talk um in a I believe maybe the next item on fees. Um fees are are a critical discussion of of this. Um but
049we'll save that for the next item. Um there is no motion required on this budget tonight. Again, we we posted the public budget hearing. Um, that was during our public comment and there was no comment on the budget, but we'll continue obviously to to publish our draft budget so that any community members that have questions, they can certainly email Justin or I and we'll be happy to respond to that. Okay, great. Thank you. Yes, ma'am. He's going to stay there for the next one. Still up. Still on base. represent the board. So, as you mentioned, next up is student fee increases. Um, I move that the board approve the fee change changes presented for the 2526 school year. Second. Okay. Any discussion? So, so we have um as we've looked at the budget, you you
050may have noticed over the years that the transportation department seems to continue to increase. Um and and the frustration is that's not because of transportation department. That's because our transportation department absorbs the costs of so many expense. They absorb all the costs for field trips. Even though we collect money at schools, it doesn't go into transportation and and our athletic trips um are charged to transportation. So there's no there's no true reflection of what it costs for a trans for our athletic department to function. I think the community deserves that transparency to say this is what this is what athletics costs in a district. Um and so um in that proposal that you have um in front of you, you will see that we are proposing a couple of new fees. Um we drove for
051athletics 44,5 853 miles last year transporting students for the athletic competitions um and we collected zero um towards that. So all of that cost of driver, gas, wear and tear on the buses, parts, brakes, tires, all of those things get charged to transportation, but there's really no revenue to recognize that we're transporting. We've checked with neighboring districts. Some districts don't transport their teams. Um, at the middle schools, some districts require parents to take their children to the competitions. Um, so if a parent can't take their child, their child's excluded from athletics, which we certainly don't want to do. Um, and so we're proposing in line with some of the districts that do have a transportation fee, um, that we add a transportation fee for our athletic teams that compete. Now, esports does not travel, so
052that would not be applied to a to a to an athletic, believe it or not, that is now athletic sanctioned event as esports. Um, that team would not that team would not be charged a $50 transportation fee because they're not being transported anywhere. Um, but for teams that are competing, we're proposing a $50 transportation fee um that will cover those costs for the trips that that take place. Um, for a small team, um, some may say, well, they don't have travel as much. Their expenses aren't as much as football, but they're a smaller team, so you have less less players contributing to that trip versus a football team, which takes two buses and um uh sometimes travels at at pretty large distances. So, that's our first proposal that would raise roughly $26,000 towards offsetting some
053of those costs and transportation. Um, and I think it also just allows and and and that fee would be um at the at the middle school it would be a $25 fee, $50 at the high school at the athletics at the middle school. They compete about half as much in the same sport. So, football has six games versus 12 or 14, whatever our schedule is now. Um so $50 fee at the high school for transportation um uh fee uh for those sports that do compete that have to travel to compete $25 at the middle school. Our fee at the middle school for athletics has been $75. Um we charge $200 at the middle at the high school. We've checked neighboring districts. $100 is the common fee. So we're proposing that we raise the athletic fee
054at the middle school from 75 to 100. um and then add that $25 transportation fee to those sports that have to be transported. Um so again, if there's a sport, and I don't have an example at the middle school like esports, but if there is a sport that doesn't require transportation, then that fee would not necessarily be applied to that sport. Um the last thing also deals with transportation. We charge $8 for a field trip. So, you can take 10 kids to the Stanley and a full-size bus and charge $8, or you can take kids to the fire department and charge $8. Um, we have not differentiated the costs for field trips. Um, and needless to say, that has put us in in a deep hole in transportation. Again, tax dollars are offsetting those costs
055and there's no consideration when a when a field trip is requested to say, "Oh, well, that's actually a longer trip or we have less students going, so it's actually not economical." And so, what we are proposing is a is a fee structure that would take into account the distance of the field trip and then increase the cost based upon that distance. Um, for field trips over a 100 miles, I'll give you an example. The Great Sand Dunes is over 100 miles for our buses to travel. That would be a calculated cost divided by the number of students going and chaperones as well. Um, so that it would for a trip over 100 miles would need to be a custom cost. So, what we're asking you to approve is up to 25 miles is $10, up
056to 40 miles is 15, up to 75 miles is 20, and a 100 miles is $30 for the for the field trip. And that would come back from the parents with the permission of that would come back. Yeah. And obviously any any child would never be denied a field trip. So, if a child financially can't swing it, we're not going to exclude them. um we as a district are required and and and committed to funding uh ex um educational field trips for students who can't afford it. So so we would have to also then take into account, you know, three students on this trip cannot afford it, we would be covering those costs. That that would be something the district would cover. So, we just feel like this allows us to to at least start
057recognizing that, you know, we've just bought 10 buses and with 44,853 miles a year for athletics, we're going to wear out buses pretty quick. And so, our hope is to have this revenue set aside so that we can start recognizing that when those times come to replace a bus or replace a small vehicle, um, that we actually have some money um, to do so. And so these fees and the all of these fees are now going to go directly into the transportation budget. They will go into a fund that will be saved to help offset the cost of transportation. So we'll know where it is as opposed to we don't. Yeah. Correct. I mean do we do we know where the it just has gone back into the general fund. So again and there's no
058there's no thought I mean we we have a we have a hide that we have a myriad of field trips that happen in the month of May. Something we've been talking about is really should the last month of school be all field trips or should we should we recognize that field trip should support the curriculum and take them when we're studying those particular things versus let's just go on a a field trip spree. Our drivers are extremely stretched in May. We sometimes don't have enough drivers. We we have all of our administrators in the transportation department driving buses because our our drivers are on field trips and can't drive the morning routes. And so we really need to to also revise how field trips are scheduled and when they're scheduled. Um we've had this pattern
059of let's just take field trips the last couple of weeks of school. Um and that really is not working well for our department that way. Yeah. So so we'll be instituting some changes in how field trips are requested and obviously the cost needs to come into play. If a school wants it's if it's an educationally based trip and they want it to fund that trip, they would pay the fees versus a student paying the fees. So, let's say I'm going I'm studying insects and I'm taking kids to the butterfly museum. I may as a school say, "I'm going to set aside money to fund that trip so that my kids aren't paying because it's an educational trip." Or maybe my PTCO will or maybe I'll ask for EF for a grant to to to do
060a field trip. Um, so, so these fees can be covered through other means, not just charges to parents, but your approval tonight will allow us to go ahead and at least consider this this charge structure um for athletics trips and uh field trips. Yeah. I mean, I I remember being in band and then marching band and we were dirt poor and the uh either my grandparents paid it or we had a fundraiser where we sold candy bars or whatever it was we sold to uh offset the cost because we couldn't afford that. So, but uh but I mean I think I mean the reason that costs are the way they are is because people voted in elections and they voted poorly. Yeah. So I think people should feel the pain of their vote. So that's
061Well, I I want to just say to the to the previous budget presentation and this thing too, I appreciate what's all been going on and I it's been going on really since you've been here. the transparency of our finances. It's a process and so even I mean it hasn't even all been transparent to all of us but it's coming together and clearly and it's part of our commitment to transparency and I really appreciate it and I just want people to know that you know these things that haven't really been well handled for a lot of years well before any of us were here um you know they can't be fixed in 27 seconds or less. So, um, you know, I appreciate it that that we are doing this and that, you know, we have these
062transparent conversations like this. I really appreciate that. Justin, anything I didn't hit on fees? No, it covers everything. This is a this is a must. I hate to ask you, but I have to. You know, one of my biggest concerns was addressed and that was a student being denied access. So, that will never occur. And typically we we haven't and I will say with the change in the the lunch coverage the state may very well reig on that we're we're providing free lunch to every student that actually has hurt the district because there have been families who said why why would I complete the free and reduced lunch application. Well that application does drive funds to the district. And so because the state stepped forward and spent taxpayer dollars on funding everyone's lunch, um we've
063actually seen a decrease in our federal dollars which are based on free and reduced lunch applications and poverty recorded in our district. And so um we have not required just that as a as an avenue. If a child really is in dire straits, they can speak with their counselor confidentially. Counselor can certify yes, this is a justified need. So it's not just freeing to reduce lunch. I'm hoping that with the state recognizing that they created this 300 pound gorilla with free lunch for everyone that that if that doesn't come through at the ballot box in November to to fund that appropriately, we may lose that and then we're going to have to come back to you also with lunch fees that have to come back to the board because you you do approve any fees
064and that includes what lunch costs. Well, the last two years we've not charged for lunch. Um, and so needless to say, we know what food prices have done in the last two years. So, so that would be a huge impact on our families who have gotten used to I don't money with my child for lunch anymore. That could very drastically change in November. So, um, that may be something we'll have to bring back. And just for folks listening to the meeting tonight, I think it's important to keep that on your radar. Um, because we have gotten kind of lulled into a lunch is free. Um, and I'm not sure that that will continue. And I'm sure that we do this, but I I think we need to make an extra effort to have people understand
065that it's important to fill that thing out because it does affect our funding. And um we just we need to make a bigger point of that, I think, somehow or the other so that people understand it. And it's um you know, it just it's we need to educate our our community as well. It is confidential. No one shares who's on qualifies, but it does It does help us ensure that instead of having a child have to go to their counselor to plead for a field trip, we know right up front that, you know, these are students that we need to recognize that we we should cover costs. And that's a good good point to make. You know, that's that's a big thing to mention. Yeah. Is that it is confidential because when people fill those
066out, they they worry about where that date was going. Yeah. our whole lunch system with kids entering their numbers, no one knows if there's money in that account or if it's being charged to to to the to the free and reduced lunch budget. So, um I mean everything we put into place is pro protected that confidentiality of people and again when people are having difficult times financially that's what it's there for. It's there to support. So, um we do want to encourage people to do that. We'll we'll try to do a better job at communicating that next year. If you submitted a bill to the family once a month for hey, you went you didn't fill out this form so your bill. Yeah. Yeah. It's like I said, we've really lulled people into a lunges
067free and and it will be a huge shock um in November if if if the state has to reig on that free lunch. Yeah. Okay. Well, with that, Kenny, your roll call. Director Fletcher. Hi, Director Olsen. Hi, Director Pal. Hi. Okay, thank you, Justin. Thank you. Thank you. Next up is our Title One schoolwide waiver. Um Dan, you want to explain this one? Yeah. Um so, Running Creek is our only school that receives um title one funds, federal dollars from the federal government. Those are still expected. Justin, would you mind turning that off the just so we don't get feedback? Thank you, sir. Um um so we get title one funds due to the they they are a little higher than our other schools on free and reduced lunch or or tanniff. Um people who
068are on public assistance, we we we recognize that that counts in the in that number as well. Um but um without the waiver, we can only serve students who qualify as title one students and and we often fund interventionists and and support staff to work with students who are behind. This waiver we explored last year, we did not get it across the finish line because the community has to weigh in and and last year I think we had very little response when it was sent out to the community. This year we have met the requirements. It will allow us to take those title one funds and allow them to be used schoolwide. So any child who needs intervention can get intervention. They don't have to meet that criteria to actually receive the intervention. And so
069we we receive about enough money to fund one interventionist at at Running Creek. Um and so we're just asking your approval since the community has has complied with all of the requirements and the school has has done their necessary notification of that school community. We just need your approval to allow that title one waiver to go forward. So, okay. What is on the on this form at the bottom? What is LEA? Board of What is LEA? Uh, local education agency. That's you. Okay. Just generic. You're the local education agency. Y trying to figure that out and I could find another buzz word to throw in. And it doesn't require We don't have another. Yeah. We just have to note that it was approved by the So, okay. Good. Thank you. So, I move that the
070board approve the title one schoolwide waiver for Running Creek Elementary. Second. Any further discussion? All right. Can I get a roll call? Director Fletcher. Hi. Director Olsen. Hi. Director Pal. Hi. And next up, um, Dan, you're bringing some suggested changes for our back bylaws. Yep. You want to talk about it first? Yeah. Okay. So, um when DAC reviewed the bylaws at their last meeting, we recognize there are a few um critical things that aren't covered in our bylaws like terms. Um we also have some conflict in the number of teachers. Our original bylaws um did not allow one teacher from every school um including the charter school. Now, we we have had a elementary teacher who's tried to stay in touch with both elementary schools this year. Our middle school teacher um has been out
071on leave most of the year. So, we did not have a middle school um teacher, but we did have a middle school teacher from Legacy and then we had a high school teacher. So, we need to ask the board for some clarification. Um, just so you know, deck has to have more non-emp employees than employees on the on so so even if a even technically even if a parent is an employee, they don't count as a parent. They count as an employee. So, um, by law, by statute, DAXs have to have a greater voice of non employees than employees on the on the committee. Um, so that's where the teacher representation, it might make sense to say, well, every school should have one. Well, you've just thrown your ratio out out of whack. And so,
072um, we need some guidance on how you'd like teachers, like I said, the elementary teacher at Singing Hills has tried to email the staff at Running Creek to say, "Do you have any issues? Do you have any topics? Anything you want me to bring?" I don't think she's gotten a whole lot of response. Um, but she has done that this year for us and and she's certainly willing to continue her second year of service um, this year. Um hopefully next year we will have a middle school teacher um that will will represent Elizabeth Middle School. Um with that the high school teacher and um a legacy teacher were in good ratio. Um but just wanting to make sure we formalize that. And then we also don't have terms um in here. So we don't know,
073you know, is there an assumption that a parent is every year? Is there assumption that it's a two-year term? um those types of things. So, um I have made the changes with blank lines and so this may not be an item you're ready to move on tonight. um as much as I wanted to at least present to you kind of what we need to do um is to to figure out um that the years of service and then we will want to get out to our community um interested people um so that you have a pool to choose from for next year um because we do have some parents who won't return who have already indicated they feel like their service is done and they'd like someone else. So we need to also survey from
074our current DAC who's still on, who's who's not returning, what open positions we have, and then solicit. But really having some key terms. The challenge with parents right now is if we replaced all parents, then we we'd start fresh without any knowledge and experience of what's happened. So ideally, it would be nice to stagger. So even to to see if there are some of our parents currently on the DAC who want to continue one more year and then appoint those that are open for two years that might allow us to start a a rotation. But it wasn't something that came to mind as we were forming our DAC by you know to make sure we complied with statute. So I don't know if you have have thoughts um tonight or if you want to chew
075on this. Um, I'm certainly happy to talk with anyone offline and kind of get your thoughts and come back to you with those lines filled in. Um, but we would like to try to get these in place before next year so that we can make sure we form the deck accordingly. One thing that I noticed I'm going to take you to section B section B section five Roman Roman numeral five officers. Um, it says the officers may say serve two-year terms. So if we change the terms, we need to deal either that or if if there's a vacancy, then we can elect we can elect an officer. But it would be nice to have officers alternating too. You don't have all your officers new in a given year, right? So I I was I don't
076know just for in my mind when I was reading through this, I was thinking we'll serve a term of one year with the with up to one additional year allowed. I don't know if that's would help in the situation or not. so that they could have two years, but I was I was wondering if it's a good idea to say you have a two-year term or if we should say you have a one-year term and and then we can renew. I think one year with a one-year extension based upon the committee extending that term. I like that just because again, if you if someone in their second if if they have a two-year term and in their second year of service, they step up to be secretary or or chairman or what have you. Yeah.
077They they can fill that and not feel like they have to reup, right, for two more years. So, I like that. So, you're thinking one year with one year extension. I think that makes sense. And then just in section three meetings. Um, we just need to I don't know if it's supposed to be six or seven. It says seven in a word and six in in numeric. So, I didn't know which one was right, but we probably should make it consistent. Six. It's six. Okay. So, yeah, thank you for catching that. I think I saw that once before and forgot to change it. So, just one thing I would like to see is so we have teacher representation, but it always seems to be the same teachers, which I appreciate what they're I appreciate them
078being involved and participating. However, this is something in which I I would like to hear other voices and also there is the point Mhm. Yeah. No, I think I think the high school teacher um this is her second year. I think she will step off. Our elementary is first year, so she would have one more year. Our high school teacher should be new next year and then obviously middle school would be new. Um and then then Legacy has had it like an internal election to represent to select their teacher. Um so I think that technically could change every year uh depending on who they elect, but but we can certainly have a term limit. Maybe we that so that even if even if someone is reelected that we have some type of a limitation on
079that. I think we definitely want some final limitation for sure because you know that just doesn't go well in the maybe it's just a skip a term. Yeah. Yeah. I mean you could skip a term and come back. Yeah. Absolutely. Um so maybe a limit on two-year consecutive term. Do we want that for all positions? Well, parents, we have one year with a a one-year extension. Well, that's that's um officers, right? Is that parents or officers? That's officers. And the officers is in in section five. The officers may serve two-year terms, is what it says currently. So I just I think it probably needs to jive but kind of working it all out with the I don't know. Mhm. I mean, I think if if we if we have any parents who are currently on
080DACK who are willing to serve another year, um I don't think all of them are, but we could check and then bring that to you and maybe authorize them for one more year. So, we have half of them that roll off. Yeah. So that would be I mean I'm happy to between now and the next board meeting try to assess from our current members who's who wants to return who wants to step down and then maybe bring that to you with with recommendation limiting two years maybe trying to create staggering terms. Um so if you'd like me to do that I'll I'll work on that between now and June. One other question I had on section eight and the very last thing. Um, so these changes that we're making now will be amendments to these
081bylaws that must be submitted in writing to the membership of the DAC for review at least 30 days before we approve. So, right in mind, these are all actually changes that they've asked the board make. So, they actually came from Yeah, these were things that DAC reviewed the LA one of their items on their last agenda is always to review bylaws and make recommendations and these these areas came forward as a result of that conversation. So, we've already kind of handled that. We have we haven't taken it back to them to say we're going to change it to two. So we could certainly do that at their first meeting and and one of their first opportunities in their first meeting is also to review their bylaws. So we could take back and say these are
082the changes we made and based on your recommendations any concerns we can bring them back to bring it back. So, I just wanted to point that out, but sounds like it's just, you know, just final final approval by them once we kind of make the edits they ask for. So, Okay. All right. All right. So, we'll skip the motion on that particular one. Okay. There's too much commonality that these days. Yes. All right. So, next up, uh, it's our official notice to appoint Jamie Glazebrook as our designated election official and, um, approval to provide Albert County with the intent to participate in our November 4th, 2025 election. Can you believe? Yeah, I know. Feels like we just had an election. So, yes, it does. We did because we must designate an election official, and Jamie
083is so wonderful at it. I move that the board approve the official notice to appoint Jamie Glazebook as the designated election official in approval to provide Elbert County with the intent to participate in the November 4th, 2024 25 coordinated election. Second. Any further discussion on this one? She has Do I have a choice? It's part of her job. Don't ask her that. How you do pay me to do that? Just making sure. She's like, "Heck." All right. Quick, can I get a roll call? Don't know who else would do it. Um, Director Fletcher. Hi, Director Olsen. Hi, Director Pal. Hi. All right. Next up, we have um our ratification of our resolution to keep schools open and unrestricted. So, I move that the board ratify our resolution to keep schools open and unrestricted. Second. Okay.
084Discussion. So, I'll I'll just share um this particular resolution was in question um via lawsuit of a community member who um I don't believe liked the fact that the board passed it. It it came into a notice issue whether there was adequate notice given. Um, our legal counsel has recommended that if the board is passionate about, you know, ensuring that our community knows that this board, as it has for years, um, is committed to ensuring that that we will keep our schools open, that we will not go into a shutdown like like unfortunately many school districts did. This district did not. Um, this district had a has a proud history of ensuring that education of children is a priority. Um, and that's really what this this resolution is about, ensuring that we clear clearly state
085to our community um, we're going to keep schools open unless there's clear evidence that it's a danger and we don't believe that that's ever been presented. So, um, so the resolution is really just something we're bringing back to you so that it's it's been published. It was published in the agenda on Friday. Um it's had ample notice in our community uh for any community feedback and we're just asking that you as a board approve it. Um and certainly if you have any statements of support for it that's that's great. I made a few notes. So um our resolution it came about due to parent concerns. There was an uptick in COVID cases and talk of school closures, mandatory vaccinations and masking not only in Colorado but throughout the country. and the former board along with
086the superintendent helped get our schools opened, make masking optional and tried to bring back a sense of normaly after all of that chaos. So with the uptick in COVID coupled with the fact we had three new board members, this resolution was a way of us putting student and parent concerns at ease, ensuring them that there would be no changes to the status quo. And yes, the verbiage in the resolution was put out as a suggestion by Moms for Liberty. Um, Moms for Liberty has been called a hate group. I honestly don't understand why. They're vocal proponents of parental rights and education and that's what this policy is all about. And I suppose if your opinion differs regarding what parental rights consist of, you would view them poorly. And to be honest, I don't see the
087hate coming from Moms for Liberty. I see it coming from radical extremists who want to impose their lack of support for parental rights on all families. And you know, this is this is, you know, pretty a pretty strong statement and I wholeheartedly agree with all of the verbiage. My thoughts on that have not changed. Specifically where it refers to parental rights, government overreach, and the irreparable harm caused to children by the mishandling of CO COVID uh lessons, they're lessons to be learned by all. And our resolution simply says we're not going to make those mistakes again. And again, the resol this is a resolution, not a policy, and it was added to the agenda the day of the meeting. The law is vague. And as with many laws are open to interpretation. In our case,
088we consulted council about adding the item and we were told it's not a policy and so it was not prohibited by law. And to be honest with you, my attitude is what harm did it cause? What why was there a need for a lawsuit? And in my opinion, this wasn't about any harm caused. It was all about the lawfare we are seeing all across this country and we have seen in our district over the last few years. Well, I I fully support this also and I think it's proof of our commitment to parental rights and responsibilities because we simply said um we are as a school district are not going to close down the schools. We commit to full inerson learning unless parents request that their children not attend in person. And we will not
089mandate masks or vaccines or any of those things. But those things are all up to the parents. If the if the parents want their child to wear a mask or social distance or have the the vaccines, whatever, it's totally their choice and that is our that is our mantra basically of parental rights. And so um so this supports that and I think it just uh it just supports that that continuing and ongoing um belief of this board that the parents uh have the rights and responsibilities in this arena. We will not interfere with it by either mandating them or telling people, "Oh, no, you can't wear the mask." We wouldn't do that. We absolutely um will allow the parents to make the choice for what their student needs to do. And even if their parents
090don't parents don't want the child to attend school, that's their choice, too. So, um so it's all in support of that. So, I'm all in favor of reratifying this. Yeah. Literally everything in here was proved correct. There was zero data to prove any any of these directives that came down from on high that were based in politics, not in data. The uh I would challenge anybody to to argue on this one. There was nothing truth true about any any of this. And and I am proud of y'all for standing up to that because it can't be born. We cannot let people who basically hate our children to let them tell us what we're going to do with our children here. That absolutely cannot happen. So, well, with that, any further discussion? Okay. Can I get
091a roll call? Director Fletcher, I. Director Olsen, I. Director Pal, I. All right. Next up, we have the repeal of policy GDCA, classified sick bank. I move that the board repeal policy GDCA, classified sick bank. Second. So, this policy is being replaced with uh GBGH uh which is now combined so that it covers all staff in the district. Um so, there is no need for this policy any longer. Okay. You know what you said. Can I get a roll call? Director Fletcher. Hi. Director Olsson. Hi. Director Pal. Hi. Okay. So, next up we have our third reading of replacement policy GBGH for GDCA. I know. I didn't know how else to write. Need to get it approved by the LEA PDQ. Well, I'll get on. Okay. Um, so, uh, the policies are being combined into
092one policy, um, based on recommendations from TAC and CAC. Okay. Getting out of control. I know. All right. I move that the board approve the third and final reading of replacement policy GBGH for GDCA, classified sick bank, and GBGH sickly bank. Second. All right. Any further discussion on this one? Um, please there was just two clarifications that I was thinking might be good because um in in section J where there's uh you know discussion of the number of donated days. The first line says all new members shall donate one day each of the first two years of membership. Now, that was a change. One one group had two and one group had one before. So, we've made everybody have that. But then there's a couple things I think that need to be to match up
093with that a little bit better in language. So I was looking at um administrative procedures paragraph A and about in the middle it starts all staff may voluntarily join the bank if they are willing to contribute one of their discretionaries to the discretionary days to the bank during their first year of membership is what it says and maybe we should say during their first two years or or first and second years their first two years of membership first two years of their membership or however you want to do that but I think first two I'm just going to change it now that way we can approve it how it's and then um kind of in the same vein um paragraph C membership in the civic bank and then it says let's see no uh except
094as provided in sub paragraph J. So this is the last sentence of that sub paragraph C. No additional sick day donations are required to continue membership from year to year after the second year. I was thinking maybe that clarification should be added in there just because after the second year. Yeah. There from year to year after the second year. And I think that just clarifies it and makes it all jive together. Okay. Other than that, we amend the motion to Yeah. with the with the two proposed changes. Okay. So, I would like to amend by motion and move that the board approve the third and final reading of replacement policy GBGH for GDCA classified sick bank and GBGH sick life bank with the suggested changes. Second, Mary second. Yes. And I'm sorry I made you
095read those crazy things again. All right, with that, can I get a roll call? Director Fletcher. Hi, Director Olsson. Hi, Director P. Hi. Okay. And next up, we have our uh first reading of replacement policy DD, funding proposals, grants, and special projects. Um, this was tabled last meeting. Yeah. And then I brought it back with some of the changes you guys had talked about. Okay. So, I move that the board approve the first and final reading of replacement policy DD, funding proposals, grants, and special projects. Second. So, I'll point out one one thing that's a concern to me. Um, and I I know the board needs to be made aware of of all grants. Um the original proposal we talked about grants $10,000 and over because those would be grants that would potentially hire people
096that would potentially change policy or change not policy but change direction. Um there are grants that are less than $10,000 that typically like cover costs that's in our budget that would save us money. Sometimes those don't give us a whole lot of time. And so that's where my only concern is is um grants less than $10,000 typically you can't hire anyone with that little amount of money um it's typically not going to like be a program that's going to change your direction. So that that's why the original proposal was less than 10,000 we'd bring it to you for awareness. Um, obviously if the timing allowed us to if if I brought it to you on a consent to say these are grants we're considering, you could certainly direct and say I don't want that one.
097Um, but in some cases those grants have very little time turnaround like we have a grant right now that that could cover the cost of some of our um internet um our web web page that were already in our budget. Um, we literally have a week turnaround for that grant. So, the ability of us applying for that grant and getting it to you before we could submit could cause us not to be able to take advantage of some of those smaller grants that cover costs of things we're already committed to. I get the the concern on the board's part of wanting to make sure we're not engaging in grants and I'm firmly in in commitment with you on that. We don't want to take grants that change our direction. We don't want to take we
098don't want to chase money. We want grants that are going to help us do the things that we're already doing. So that would be my only um request for consideration would be um if if it were a grant um less than 10,000 um is there any wiggle room on the board or can we do a straw poll with the board? Um something that would allow us to at least say hey we have this opportunity if I got three board members to email and say we're good with it. Is that adequate? Versus bringing it back to the board for formal approval. Um, I'm happy to do whichever. I just don't want to I don't want us not go forward without realizing that we could miss like this opportunity that we have this week to apply for
099money for the for the website that we're already paying for that could offset that. So, so that's the only question. Yeah. And that was that was my biggest concern because I know there's been a lack of transparency in the past and you know not enough detail. You just see grants and that's it but you have no idea what it's for. social emotional learning going on because they hired some outside consultant. Yeah. Yeah. So I I agree there needs to be transparency. 10,000 or less in my mind you can't do a whole lot with. You're not going to hire anyone. You can't even buy Cokes for So that's why the 10,000 mark was there. I I many districts have 50,000 is when the board needs to I think 10,000 is the right number because over 10,000
100you really are doing something significant. And I do think the board needs to have their eyes on that. Um if like I said if if we can say um shall be approved by the department school leader superintendent um and you know through through an informal um vote of the board or something like that. I don't we can work on I I mean so you've got kind of two versions in here. The first page is you know that we have to approve everything ahead of time. It looks like and the second one is for anything less than 10,000 you put on the side. So uh the second one is anything under 10,000 these grants will be provided for awareness and feedback where appropriate. I I personally am fine with that. I think that's fine and anything
101less than 10,000 I personally think that is just fine and I'm and I'm happy to provide you notice before we apply. So, like I said, it may not be a board meeting, but even if it's a, you know, I do my weekly updates with the board, I can include here's three grants we'd like to apply for this week, you know, please respond. Um, as long as I get three board members to say, yeah, we're good with that. Is that adequate for this one? Do you I personally wouldn't even I personally I mean, I but I don't think for under 10,000 I don't think we need that level. I think just awareness these are we're going to apply for it. This is what they are for. Um if you have any concerns, let me know. Yeah.
102But I would be okay with that for under 10,000. What do you think? I'm I'm okay with that because we do have the curriculum policy and if anything is curriculum has to be approved and we have our parental rights with any counseling or anything that would you know something that would have to do with that. Now the first time they hose us. Yeah. We lose that privilege. Privilege go privilege take and on the the first one we had you could just replace at the next meeting with we'll be notified for awareness and feedback if you wanted if you look at Oh yeah. I mean that would just be adding it's doesn't necessarily mean the next meeting. So add this to the other one. Mhm. We just go back to this one. Okay. This is just
103a first reading, but then we could say these grants will be provided to the board prior to submittal for feedback. If I'm if I'm allowing us to apply for grants that would not that you would not support, then that should reflect on me. Based on history, there will be a point when you're not here. No. No, I hear you. And then it just come full circle. Yeah. That's why I I I think I don't think it's inappropriate to say we will notify you before applying to at least give you that feedback option because obviously if the board if anybody has issues if the board directs me to not apply then obviously I'm not going to um if the board wants to hold a special meeting to to to deny the application then certainly we could
104do that. So, so I think I think you know adding that as a you know board will be notified prior to application because that gives you the ability of saying yeah don't do it. I can make those changes and bring them back next. Okay. I think our principles assistant principles and you know I think y'all are you would know if you're about to violate Yeah. a basic principle of this district, right? So, we'll make this first reading. Don't do final and and we'll come back um with those changes at the June 19. Okay. So, I'm going to modify my motion. I just don't want y'all to lose lose out on Exactly. funds because you're waiting on, you know, trying to I get I get the reason it I I certainly see the reason for it.
105Did you ever say final? I don't think you had to change it. You did. I did. Okay. Um, so I'm going to modify my motion and move that the board approve the first reading of replacement policy DD funding proposals, grants, and special projects. We'll get you the change language in advance so you can get it. All right. Can I get a roll call? Director Fletcher. Hi. Director Olsson. I. Director Pal. Hi. Okay. And with that, um, next up is the repeal of regulation DDR, funding proposals, grants, and special projects. So, I move that the board repeal regulation DDR, DD--R, funding proposals, grants, and special projects. Second. Okay. So this one because we outlined that it will come to the board, we felt like this we've not followed this procedure. Um we don't have a learning
106council. Um so we really feel like this is ready to just repeal and it's 26 years old. 26 years old. A little old. Yeah. Just it's to avoid confusion. All right. Can I get a roll call? Director Fletcher. Hi. Director Olsen. Hi. Director Pal. Hi. Okay, next up we have our third reading of replacement policy JICJ, student use of cell phones and other personal technology devices. So with that, I am actually going to move that the board approve the third and final reading of replacement policy JICJ, student use of cell phones and other personal technology devices. second. Okay. And discussion. So I think I think um some of the changes that have been made from the original version is um allowing lunch use. I think that that really is a major change from the strict
107um elimination of cell phone use during the passing periods during class. They're they're not to be on. They're not to be available to students or not to be used. Lunchtime when lunch the lunch bell rings from that time till the lunch bell ending that time is permitted. Um I think that's the only change. Am I correct? Just for our audience to make sure that we've captured the major change. Well, some of the concerns that we heard from parents were um again sports um if they need to get a hold of them for sports. Um if there's a change in plans to where they, you know, they are going to pick them up or they're not going to pick them up and they have to take the bus. Um actually concerns about being able to track.
108Um concerns about um the time it would take to turn the phone on in an emergency. Um, so those was that most of the feedback that you heard? Yes, I think so. And u so so my understanding of the way this is written now is for students prek through five the phones are actually turned off. They're not not to be present, right? And not and they shouldn't be present. They should be if they have them, they should be put away. So they just shouldn't deal with them at all. And they can't have them on at any time bell. Correct. Secondary. So 6 through 12. Um so the way this is written so um it can't be a distraction anyway and has to be stored in either their backpack locker or school designated location. They may
109be used during lunch periods, school sponsored programs, events or activities happening outside the classroom or instructional time except and so this is where I'm thinking. So, does this I just want to confirm my understanding of this except the headphones, earbuds, or any other PTD that interferes with or diminishes a student's ability to hear communications from school staff or emergency alarms are prohibited at all times. So, to me, that is saying you can have it on, it has to be silent, and notifications and everything have to be turned off so that all those other devices aren't going to interfere. is that at at school sponsored programs, events or activities happening outside of classroom um or instructional time. And my thoughts are that they need to be put away. They need to not make noise, not not
110be a disruption at all. That's a watch, that's, you know, earbuds, you know. Yeah. And I glasses, whatever. In that second paragraph of number two under prohibited uses I I it the list of things that produce audible sounds. It says headphones through a speaker, headphone, earbuds or other means. I think it seems to me like we should specifically say smartwatch or something in there um in that list. Um and but but that's described up above. So the personal technology Yeah. Okay. Well, that's true. So um anyway, so but I just I just wanted to understand myself and I don't know if we need to make this a little clearer or not that in secondary so 6 through 12 they can be left on but they have to be silent and then and put away and
111put away and it does say they must ensure that there is not a distraction and in any way and stored either in the student's backpack locker or designated location. The language is in there. So I think that's the put away. These are some stronger different has to be put away. Yeah. And then um except for at lunch. Yeah. Except for at lunch they can they can have it they are prohibited from using them during classroom instructional time or passing periods. So that's good. But they are on still. So if they're in the emergency and for the tracking purposes like you were talking about that we got some concerns from parents um then them being on they can still do that. But we don't want the notifications coming through the watches or the no whatever. No.
112And that's why you added the language any distraction. Yeah. Yeah. Because eventually we know there's probably I think I've seen the glasses already that are coming out and I just can't even this but yeah. So I mean by putting specific technologies in here we're we don't want to. We're ensuring that we're have to review this every year. Yeah. So it's or other means. So we've got or other means I'm wondering if any new stuff that comes out. I'm wondering if from that except that headphones, earbuds, if they're saying that those aren't permitted in the app, lunch school sponsored programs or events or activities outside the classroom because I I I know the concern that some have is is some of those headphones are sound cancelling and you don't hear what's going on around you. If
113someone is is telling you, you know, go into a secure or whatever, you're not hearing it because you've got such high decibel music in your ear that you you can't hear what's going on. So, I wonder if that's the intent. I don't know if that was in the original plan or if that's something from the I think it was from might have been from the original. Was it because this this looked really different. This paragraph looked really different. I mean, is that what we were trying to get at that that those are not permitted on the bus or school sponsor programs because of the fact that you may not hear safety directions? That's what I was trying to determine. Is that what we were trying to get at? So all of the any PTDs can
114be used during lunch period school programs except that anything that interferes with their ability to hear communications are prohibited at all times. So yeah, I think we need to clarify that except that I mean do we just remove except that and that that we do allow them lunch school sponsored programs, events and activities outside of the classroom or instructional time. Um yeah, do we do we eliminate accept the rest of that because it I guess it just that seems like it confuses the issue there that that statement, doesn't it? So you would just take off that whole second half of the sentence. We're saying you're at a football game, you can use your phone. If you're um we've said buses are allowed, so if you're riding the bus to and from your sporting event, you
115can let mom know, hey, I'm 10 minutes away from school. Um what have you. Um so if we just cut that out, we're basically saying the only time phones are allowed to be used as lunch or after school activities. Yeah, I think so. phones are the PTDs. We sure covers the whole thing. Scratch the starting with accepted headphones. Yeah. The whole half sentence. No. Yeah. Just period after instructional time. Okay. The other thing that I and I think this was uh an objection because and I do think once you turn to page two and we've kind of got the students are not PTDs on school. I think that first paragraph, that intro paragraph, the the goal of this whole section on page two is that you can't take videos, you can't do you can't this
116is how you can't use them ever. Yeah. But it's such a long paragraph that it gets lost. So here's here's two two suggestions, I think. Number one, on the page one where it says prohibited uses, I think that subtitle maybe should say something like school day prohibited uses. Then on the before that that paragraph on the page two, additional prohibited uses just to block it out so that it's alert alert. This is a different kind of prohibition. And then also maybe in that paragraph that just kind of is a long paragraph before we get to the one two three four up to nine. Students shall not use PTDs for the four purposes listed below on school premises yada yada. Um, so that it's kind of the paragraph is a little clearer up front early in
117the paragraph. So I just want to make sure I capture what you're saying. So before the paragraph, students shall not use PTDs on school or district premises. Is that before the listing of the one, two, three on page two? Yeah, that's the paragraph. That's where I'd say additional prohibited uses. Yeah. So above that, that would be another heading subtitle in there in bold. Okay. I just want to make sure I have it in the right place because I have school day prohibited uses and then it's for purposes one two and then another paragraph and we have the additional header. Students shall not use PTDs on school or district an insert in there after PTDs. Students shall not use PTDs for the purposes listed below and then go on from there for the purposes listed below
118on school or district premises. Yeah. Okay. Um, and then I think I said this before, I really hate that word nexus. And I would like to change it to connection, but I'm not married to that. But I just hate that word. Has a connection. Yeah. Instead of nexus, putting connection. I don't know how you feel about that. I don't know. For some reason, it just seems quite twitty, and I just think we need to be playing. Well, you also mentioned the word confiscating got left in. Oh, yeah. On the on the front page in the second paragraph, and Rhonda, you had talked about you didn't really like using the word confiscating. the last line of the second paragraph. What did we change next connection? I'm making the changes. Okay. Um, what do you want to
119use instead of that? Because I think we did. What did we use? I'm trying to remember what we used because it was somewhere else. Taken to and stored in is kind of what we say in the violations area. develop procedure for staff concerning removal of PTDs violation enforcement concerning staff concerning storage I mean we could just say storage of removed PTDs or something I don't know I don't I don't know Oh, this says store the PTD in an appropriate location, which I want to standardize on locations. I don't want every room being different. Yeah. Um, we need a we need a cell phone locker in main office. Um, and let me see. Second offense, the PTD will be taken to and stored in the main office. Um, returned to the student at the end of
120the day. Parents will be notified. And the third offense, it will be taken to and stored in the main office and the behavior referral will be entered into infinite campus. The parents will be contacted to arrange to pick it up. I need the sorus. So I don't see I don't see confiscated in here. No, the only confiscating is on is on the first first page in the second paragraph last the last sentence. And I think that there was one or two other places where it has been removed. Okay. But it didn't fit. I think should confiscate. I think the struggle is finding a word. Yeah. Or surrendered. Oh, surrendered. Concerning. Surrendered. Well, the staff isn't surrendering it. The students building administration shall develop procedures for staff. Concerning. I don't know. I mean, we could I
121just wanted to point that out because I think you would you didn't like that word. I didn't I mean because it sounds a little Do you want to just say concerning stored PTDs in accordance with this policy because we're talking about storage? Yeah. Okay. Stored PTDs. I like that. You Yeah. Okay. And then I I talked to Jamie earlier about the little there's kind of a a space u separating phrases in exceptions. So she's got that handled already. Well, which one were you? Remind me. Um Oh, I'm sorry. So in the under exceptions, there's the students may possess blah blah blah blah unless otherwise prohibited. And then it looks like a new paragraph. Yeah. When specifically. So the when just needs to be brought up as a continuation of that first paragraph. I got that.
122And then on the top of page three, the sentence there right before the violation section is um is not a full sentence there. So I think dependent clause. Well, and this needs to be this shouldn't be school specific. I want districtwide procedures. Um there needs to be I mean going from well this is like if um what what was the example you used like a yearbook we discussed during edge of a study so that would be like and that would be the teacher the yearbook teacher talking to the getting a waiver from the school principal. So that would sort of apply just so it's kind of a specific waiver for a specific class for instructional purposes that was kind of a approval from their principal specific to yearbook class because they use them, you know,
123for their stuff. So, I think we felt like the school principal would be the one who would know best. Yeah. Whether that's needed or not. That whole thing in there is sort of not a full sentence. So, I think it needs to be students may be permitted to access their phone for instructional purposes. The previous paragraph is it sort of mirrors that. Although the the previous one is for emergency situations, this one is for instructional purposes. Um, so anyway, I just think it needs kind of a prephrase added on to the So you wanted to say students may be permitted to access their phone in accordance with yada yada. Okay, so this is this is this is kind of convoluted in the way it's reading. Okay. So, we have exceptions and it says students may
124possess and use PTDs during classroom or instructional time or during times when PTDs are otherwise prohibited. Period. When No. Well, that's when it needs to go. We need to segue that into that next sentence. Well, it just needs to say otherwise prohibited when specifically authorized under current. So, it's actually all one sentence. That period should go. Where are you? Excuse me. And the comes up and finishes that first sentence. We have specifically authorized under Yeah, I already did. That's the one you were talking about. Okay. And then so that's kind of IEPs, emergency situations, and specific instruction situations are the exceptions. There's three things. And maybe we should number them or something to make it obvious that there's, you know, three exceptions. So you want the first paragraph that we combine to be one, two,
125and three, then the emergency situation two, and then the instructional purposes three. Yep. I can do that. Does that help you think Rhonda or So under exceptions making it one, two, one, two, three, kind of makes it similar to what we did ones. So kind of mirror this one. I'm still I'm still a little nervous about about that one. I suppose we could play it by ear. That's the one that I think Mike brought up his daughter with your your book. Oh, yeah. Yeah. And and I agree with that. It's just is is the procedure going to be specific to each school? And is I mean, I just worry about exemptions becoming rule and processes and procedures not transferring. And can we just strengthen that language as needed as needed for specific instructional reasons or
126something? You know, I' I've had a teacher on on the deck who part of her instruction was having a kid take pictures of notes. So, you know, technically that could be deemed for instructional purposes. So, you know, I think that we need to be very cautious and clear on this. Yeah. because everybody has their own interpretation of what's necessary. Then we Yeah. Then then we have those like chinks in the armor. Yeah. So, so we need to strengthen that. So the number three, is that what you're talking about? Just use the word for limited instructional purposes or something. So So they So why would What did they do? I know. I know. I mean honestly the whole taking pictures on paper that's just you know again that the process of writing it down is the
127that could have been a very reasonable that's that's how she does you know she does things but how about how about for instructional purpose when the device is necessary versus desired? I mean is it necessary? I don't know if that helps. Yeah, I could deem it necessary. Yeah. Um, and is the yearbook technically instructional purposes or is that extracurricular? It's sometimes taken during they're taking pictures during the school day. So during their yearbook class, they may be going out to to secure pictures. So that would be a class. So So what what did you say a minute ago? You said something for instructional purposes where necessary. necessary. I mean, not not just because I want to, but can I not do this without it? So, and and keep in mind that then the the principal
128is supposed to sign off on this. So, if this is a regular event, if they're just coming in saying, "Well, you know, they need to be able to take picture of the homework on the board." It's like, you know, they've got a notebook and they can write. See, that's not necessary. That's desired. That's not not necessary where necessary. So, the school principal should have understanding of, you know, and discernment about what's necessary and we need to trust them to do that. And I guess this is one of those things that we'll have to well see how it goes. Yeah, this this might be a see how it goes and in the future. So when necessary I think that is that after instructional purposes instructional purposes were necessary and in accordance and in accordance. Yeah. can.
129And then with that little first piece that you put on there, students may be permitted to access this room. Yeah. Yep. Yeah. Cool. So I I that one's a tricky one, but we can certainly talk with principles about that. That's not expectation. That's not just a let everyone justify use. Yeah. Um because I think to our speaker's point, I think teachers need to have that support knowing that this is this is a back district policy. This isn't an optional Yeah. Um and so principles need to have that backbone to say no, you don't need to have them take a picture of your home, let them write it down. Handwriting practice. Yeah. So exactly or you know we can always come back with okay give us examples of situations where it's necessary and let us come
130up with a list of standards. Yeah. My my guess will be it would be a yearbook. That would probably be an example. I don't I from the conversations I've had with principles who support a policy like this, they're not interested in finding chinks in the armor. They're they're really I think the yearbook is is the only example I can think of right now. Easy TV maybe. Easy TV which is similar. It's a video class. You have some kids running around their phones and others what it's going to be like. Yeah. Yeah. What's going on here? Mhm. But I think I think I think this pretty well addresses most of the concerns that we heard. You know, the phones have to be put away. They can't be out there, but they're with them. I mean, the
131backpacker purse or someplace that it's stored. If they want to put it in their locker, that's fine, but have to be away, but it's on. So, the parent who have parents who have trackers, it's still functioning. It has to be on silent. I mean, that's because No, it's still on. No vibration instead of before we said turned off and but no red vibration. All notifications need to be turned off so that it's not coming onto their smartwatch and stuff and if it is then they need to take that off and put it away too. I would say just off the bat smartwatch uh they can use it. It has some of them have cell service they can use it as a Y they can use it as a phone. It's too much work for the
132teachers to try and decipher which is which is which. Yeah. So if it's a distraction, so do we need to strengthen that language about the watches and all that stuff to come off? Well, and so here's what I mean informing kids about this is a day one objective over the summer before day one. But yeah, this is then day one for a second. Yeah, you reinforce it. You put signs over the water fountains in the toilets. Like I'm not kidding. Like I really think we need signage around the schools. Yeah. I mean then you don't it's it's there's no ambiguity. It's like if if it's heard, if it's a distraction, you violate it. Strike one, strike two, strike three. Yeah. I mean, I don't think there's any question about that. you know, we're allowing it
133to stay on and with you for convenience and emergencies, but the minute it becomes a distraction, you violated the policy. And then we can revisit it if we need to. Yeah, it's not stone. We need to really um you know emphasize to the teachers and the schools and the principles and everybody that this is a district-wide policy. This isn't it's not up to you in individually and your discretion anymore. The district is behind you. It will be enforced. Yeah. And um it's it's a strong policy. It is not just a you know you know you try to do it yourself kind of thing because I that would be a nightmare and I don't blame you for saying I give up. Yeah. So uh you know um this needs to be a district policy for sure
134and and enforced. Absolutely enforced. Well, and I'm hoping this will help address your concerns and also kind of meet in the middle with some of the parents that have concerns as well because there were some valid concerns and in the parents I mean this this way they you know being able to for the older students getting a being able to see messages at lunchtime, you know, your practice is canceled or whatever or or you don't have to report to work today or I need you at work today. Yeah. at 1:30 like sorry. Yeah, we do have some I mean yeah we do have some students who have jobs after school so be able to check at lunchtime and know as much schedule. Yeah. So there's there are legitimate concerns and I think that this I
135think this handles most of them. I mean we're not ever going to make everyone 100% happy but this handles I think 80% of the concerns at least. And I I will clarify in our in our our board Q&A that we had at the high school, I I was ble to bell when we were talking about the policy when the teachers brought it up and we were talking about the policy and the possibilities. I was ble to bell. Yeah. And I mean, we'll see how it goes. Yeah. That would have been my preference, but um you know, we have I think really the only modification we made to the policy is lunch time. I think so. And that was in the surveys that went out. I mean, the majority of people did want Yeah. the parents
136pretty strong lunch time. Yes. But passing periods, it was an absolute majority. No. Yeah. On the passing period. So, um, you know, I think they've got plenty of opportunity. And I was so impressed with that young lady who came last time and spoke to us. Um, I mean, she obviously used her phone a lot and but she was shocked by that book and I u and she I think she was she sound like she was trying to implement it on herself, experiment on herself and I remember she said, you know, I I didn't use it for two hours and I was shocked at how much I got done because you don't realize how much time you you p away with, you know, messing around on your phone. You just don't. It it is true when
137you look at all of the mental health issues and the depression. Yeah. And social media and the bullying. Look at the timeline. Yeah. Exactly. And it's that will help out with the culture as well. Yeah. Well, and we saw a positive effect in the middle school with the this last half year kids were actually, you know, talking to each other. So, um I don't definitely don't want to lose that momentum. although you know now that because it was bell to bell to them I think right so now they'll get an extra thing which I was almost hoping to keep it just to the high school but but um you know there's so many middle school students with sports and all these messages they have to get so um I think it's something that after this
138year next year I think we need to revisit and see how's it going I would like to see some both objective if if possible and subjective comments from the principles, the teachers after a year of this implementation and see and then look at it again next year this time and see how it went and what we need to tweak more more than just emotional please. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So, we've made a few revisions. Do you want to bring this back? I think we can modify. I've made the changes, you guys. So, if if you're comfortable with that, your motion to as amended. All right. So, I move the board approve the third and final reading of replacement policy JICJ, student use of cell phones and other personal technology devices with the modifications made tonight. Second.
139Okay. Can I get a roll call? Director Fletcher. I. Director Olsson. I. Director Powell. I and last up we have the reading of replacement policy ADC tobaccof free schools vaping. So you may recall that um we had a policy I think Mary I think it went to the board. It never came to the never came to a board meeting because the so the policy as a result of the grant that we have for the vaping prevention coordinator um asks that we include some new things in policy. Um the the the draft that was brought was I think 17 pages or 97 17 to 97 pages. like 10 exaggerated. What can I say? But it but it definitely it definitely went beyond policy. It almost became like a a procedure manual. And so um so we
140worked with uh our vaping coordinator, vaping prevention coordinator and really just tried to capture what what's required. I think this is exactly why grants are concerned because obviously it's making us do some things differently. In this case, I'm not sure it's awful, but um again, it is a case in point. Um so, we tried to capture the key things um in this policy um that outlines obviously the use um and this is tobaccof free schools and the majority of vapes right now are tobacco type products. Obviously, you can have vapes that are are heavier THC or or other types of substances that are illegal. Um that obviously falls outside of this that falls under our discipline policy because then it would be a control controlled substance. Um so this is outlining kind of indoor facilities,
141you know, use of use of them um school grounds, school exercise, um control including area surrounding any buildings, playgrounds. So similar to the you know not vaping within a certain distance from entrances of schools obviously in in in vehicles owned by the district um and at sanctioned activity or events um is a primary change in that first section. Then we add some disciplinary measures um that um uh right now a student who's caught for the first time using a vape. We actually do have a program they can go through which educates them on the hazards of vaping. Um and that's in lie of consequences. So if I'm caught for the first time, I have a vape, I go through that program. We actually have um I believe it was 100% success with students whose parents
142said yes, I would like my child to go through that in lie of suspension or what have you. It's 100% of those students. Yeah, parents have to get permission. um but we have 100% success at least last time I spoke with Megan um that um uh none of those students are reoffended after going through it. So it's an educational program about the hazards and the dangers of of vaping and and what it causes what it can cause within your body. Um so um it captures that um uh obviously how we dispose of them those types of things. um and then additional violations and what can happen as a result. So I think that's generally um again we're we're happy to go with first reading on this, give you some time to process, happy to have
143Megan join us to answer any additional questions you might have and if there's any changes you want to propose. Certainly not looking for this to be fully adopted tonight unless you're satisfied with those changes. Well, I just want to make sure that anything in here is it's run by the parents first like when it talks about subsequent violations um you know community service suspension from extracurricular curricular but referral to a mental health professional school counselor or nurse for additional behavior health assessment you know I would I would you want to spec specify with parent it's in our parents rights but I can see why it's not specified here. So, we can add with parental approval on on some of these. Yeah. Everything gets run through the parent. There's um just a couple of language questions
144I have. So, on page one in the um sub added sub paragraph a the very end says the term does not apply to buildings used primarily as residents I i.e. teacher ages. I don't know what that means. I'm thinking that means like teacher living quarters or something or teacher housing. You want to scratch it since it doesn't apply? That was copied from the legal language I was given. But so I think we could probably strike it. Yeah. And I think we can strike the term does not apply. So just residences period. Yeah. Okay. Till they build that until they build that. But we don't we don't even have buildings that would be used as residences. So I think we could just strike from the term does not apply all of that. Okay. That whole thing.
145And then um C um it seems like it's sort of a floating phrase again. So I'm wondering any location hosting a school sanctioned activity or event in like adding in the language any location hosting the rest of that. That's kind of at a at a is kind of it kind of implies I know it just is kind of a weird it just doesn't match the other bullet point. So is that B D or D? Yeah, sorry. So any district location or any any location any school sanctioned activity or event um I don't know however you want to do it. I mean it's it's it's a matter of semantics. It doesn't it doesn't well this this one actually has a a colon there with these prepositional phrases. So that's yeah, I don't mind if you want
146to change it. It's not a big deal. It doesn't matter. Whatever. However you want to do it. So any location at a school sanctioned activity or event. Any location hosting a school sanctioned event a school sanction. Okay, I've added that. Okay. And then on the back page, the la the added paragraph for subsequent violations. In that one, I just wanted to ask about a couple of phrases. So, um, the following should be considered in Louis suspension with equitable approaches for all students. Restorative practices. I just wondered what that means. Basically, repairing the harm you caused. Um, I I'm not sure it's a term that has to be there. Um, it has so many other connotations, but typically it's you've created harm. What are you going to do to fix it? So like damage repair kind
147of basically damage repair. Um what it's hard to understand what that would be with someone vaping. What damage are you restorative you you're putting the victim with the you know perpetrator and yeah so that's why I didn't like that language. So we can we can probably strike restorative practices and then um because of the connotations it has in this community. Yeah. And then um and then it goes on community service. Okay. a suspension for from extracurricular activities for a limited amount. Referral to mental health professionals, is that outside professionals and then school counselor or nurse? Just wanted to point those out. Well, this is where I think we need to say with parental permission. Yeah. Including that should be at the end, shouldn't it? It could just add with parental permission at the end. Yeah.
148Do we need parental permission for them to go through that program? Yeah, they opt in, I think. Yeah, they have to all of it requires. So, we could we could certainly look and see where where do we need this specifically and add that before we bring it back for a second reading. So, those are those are my only things that I just did we strike that line in li with equitable approaches for all students. to restrict that. I don't even know what they would mean by equitable and progressive and usually approaches. I'm assuming it means that's racist. That's what that means. I'm I'm thinking I'm looking at it from the perspective of all disciplinary measures are equitable. So regardless of anything, you know, Joe is getting the same treatment as Jim. Y that's that's the
149way I read that word in in this context is equitable means we're not giving you favor you both do the same offense you're both being treated similarly if Rhonda is a repeat offender all time and I am not yeah she would be treated I would start she would be treated similarly to repeat offenders here yeah she'd be she'd be treated equally with other repeat offenders. So it would be matching the crime with the with the consequence. Usually equity is not so equable. Yeah. That's why we didn't say equity, we said equitable. [Music] And progressive approaches, I'm assuming progressive approaches with discipline. Discipline. Progressive, right? Meaning gradually getting worse. Yeah. We've got employee penalties here at the bottom as well. Yeah. So, sounds like we have some work to do. We can add those and bring
150them back and then hopefully maybe we'll be closer to where we're comfortable. I think we're close, but I think one more one more round will probably be good. Okay. Okay. So, I move that the board approve the first reading of replacement policy ADC tobaccof free schools vaping with the changes that we suggested. Second. Okay. And um we've discussed. So can I get a roll call? Director Fletcher. Hi. Director Olsen. Hi. Director Pal. Hi. Okay. And with that, um, we have our board planning new business. Our next board meeting is June 9th, 2025. And I look forward to seeing everybody at the graduation. Just another event. Do you want to consider a July retreat? Is that something Jamie and I should look at some options and start polling dates? Okay. We did that last year. We
151don't have a July meeting otherwise. So certainly we don't have to meet July, but if you want to Jamie and I can start looking at some options and get a doodle pull out to see on dates and so good. Okay. All right. So with that, I adjourn this meeting at 807.