Board of Education Meeting: March 18, 2026

001Good evening. Welcome to the Red Clay Solid Day School District regular board meeting for March 18th, 2026. We will begin with the pledge of allegiance. Will you please stand? >> Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America to the republic for which stands one nation under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you. Be seated. All right. Is there a motion to approve the agenda for tonight's board meeting March 18th, 2026 as submitted? >> So moveer >> second. Nelandis. >> Thank you very much. It been promptly moved and seconded to approve the agenda as submitted. Any discussion? All in favor? >> Opposed? Motion carries. We now have uh student staff and community recognitions presented by Miss Alva Mobley. Miss Mobley. >> Good evening, Red Clay families and friends. Superintendent Green

002and President Leonard, please join me down for presenting tonight's awards. >> Roll call. >> Excuse me one minute. Can we have a roll call, please? Thank you, Miss Stevens. Miss English. >> Mr. Henson, >> present. >> Miss Landis, >> Naj Melandis, present. >> Mr. Matthews, >> here. >> Miss Xander >> here. >> Miss Tortis >> here. >> Mr. Leonard >> here. >> Unanimous. >> Thank you. Sorry. President Leonard, please join me down to present tonight's awards. Thank you. Tonight we would like to recognize excellence at Red Clay. In recognition of outstanding excellence in social studies instruction, this award honors Miss Erica varieties for her commitment to creating engaging inquirydriven learning experiences that bring history, civics, geography, and culture to life. Through her innovative teaching, students are empowered to think critically, make meaningful connections, and develop

003into informed and active citizens. The Collins Skinner Elementary Award reflects a proud legacy of leadership and dedication to advancing highquality social studies education. Congratulations on this welldeserved honor. That's so sweet. Can I get one here? Can I get one for me? >> Thank you. >> Congratulations again, Erica. >> Again, we are excited to honor excellence in education. We have 11 teachers who have successfully completed the Delaware Teachers Institute in partnership with the University of Delaware. To help me present these awards tonight, I'm going to ask Mr. John Cox, director of the DTI program at University of Delaware to please come forward. Thank you, John. >> I'll just say a few words about the Delaware Teacher Institute. We're in partnership with the Yale National Initiative, the University of Delaware, and five school districts in Newcastle County.

004Uh, Red Clay is just such a strong component of this and we thank you for uh your support. Um, I want to say something about the teachers as well. You know, they spend all week teaching. Uh, on Monday they go to class all all day long and then they come to the University of Delaware in person for another two hours from 5:30 to 7:30. In addition to that, they write a 10,000word curricular unit to use in their own classroom. And that's also shared uh statewide but also nationally. So, big round of applause for the teachers. >> Thank you, John. As I call your names, please come forward. Holly Brick, Aaron Cooper, Moren Gibbons, Lorie Gordon Dwski, Dr. Kristen King, Elizabeth McClennan, Stacy N. Morrison Thomas, Jennifer Reap, Autumn Rebels, and Beth Wagner. Here you go.

005Congratulations again to our remarkable educators. It's with a heavy uh heart that I cover this next portion of the agenda. Um Red Clay unfortunately lost three staff members um over the past month or so. Um, Miss Denise Braden, who was a devoted member of our business office team, known for her diligence and sharp wit, whether she was keeping us all on our toes or sharing a laugh, her presence brightened the office, a passionate fan of Eagles and Phillies, she never missed a chance to critique last night's game. Uh, she was a true pleasure to work with and uh, it will be deeply missed by us all. and I will miss the the good morning hugs and the goodbye hugs that that I share with Miss Bratton on a regular basis. Um we also want to

006recogni um uh share that one of our transportation uh staff members uh Mr. James Gibbs. He joined our transportation family in September 16th of 2024. His kind spirit and smile brought joy to his fellow employees and the students that he drove and served every day. He was often selfless, even taking time to shovel driveways of some of the older colleagues throughout uh the treacherous winter storms that we had recently experienced. And then lastly, uh Mr. Jason Wilson uh will be remembered for his dedication, leadership, and strong work ethic. We are grateful for the opportunity to have worked um alongside Mr. Wilson uh and witness the positive impact impact he made throughout his career. Jason proudly served the Red Clay Consolated School District a maintenance department for over 17 years. He began his career in August

0072008 and he started as a custodian at McCain and quickly demonstrated his commitment to excellence and just three weeks uh later in September 12th of 2008. uh he was promoted to assistant groundskeeper through continued hard work and dedication. Uh he was promoted again in June of 23 of 2014 uh to the maintenance B uh position. Um again a second generation employee for Red Clay. And so for those three members, again, we want to send out our condolences. And then lastly, uh Mr. Buzzy Cook, uh who the William F. Cook School was named after him. uh it was fitting that you have a school named after you when you're alive. Um let alone something in memory. And so for those former and uh current past staff members that we've lost, we could just have a brief

008moment of silence. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. We now have public comment. The Red Clay School Board appreciates any member of the community who would like to make a public comment. According to board policy 2006, the Red Clay School Board allocates 30 minutes to public commentary. Each person may have up to three minutes to address the board and this time may not be transferred to or from another speaker. The board generally does not respond directly to a speaker. The board meeting is not an appropriate forum to raise complaints or concerns about individual employees. Upon request, the superintendent shall provide the speaker with the procedure for submitting such complaints or concerns. The order of the speakers is listed on the screen as you see your name. Please make your way to the seat near

009the podium or if you're virtual, unmute when called to respect the time of anyone present tonight. When you speak, please state your name and organization if you are speaking on its behalf and the topic of your comment. There is a timer on the screen that will turn on when you have one minute left. It will turn yellow with 30 seconds and flash red when your three minutes are over. I will thank you for your comments and call to the next speaker. Let's begin with Eric. Mr. >> Eric Fort. Mr. work. >> Good evening. My name is Eric Ford. I teach fifth grade at Brandy Wine Spring School. I've been an educator for 20 years, including the last 10 in this district. I currently serve as an RCA building representative. I'm speaking tonight about safety, classroom

010disruptions, and enforcement of the district's policies. I became a union representative in part because of what I watched my wife, Melissa Ford, also a teacher in this district, go through when she tried to raise safety concerns and was not heard. She'll be speaking after me, and her story is hers to tell. But that experience showed me why teachers need someone to speak for them when the system isn't listening. Last year, I filed a grievance because the district was not following its code of conduct when addressing behavior incidents. After I filed the grievance, I experienced a change in how I was treated by administration at both the building and district level. My integrity as an educator was questioned and I was called into meetings over things that would typically not warrant that level of response. These

011interactions were documented and created a perception that questioning district policies, especially around discipline, could lead to consequences. My grievance was denied at three levels and moved to arbitration. Before the hearing began, the district chose to settle. As part of that resolution, the district agreed to follow its code of conduct as written, including accurate coding and consistent use of progressive discipline. If that had already been happening, that agreement would not have been necessary. In my experience, behavior incidents are still sometimes coded in ways that minimize their severity or avoid progressive consequences. When incidents are miscoded, the data may look better on paper, but it does not change what happens in the classrooms. This year, with new building leadership, the tone has improved. However, the same issues with how behavior is coded and addressed do still sometimes

012occur. I understand that many building level decisions are influenced by district office and that administrator's hands are sometimes tied, but that does not change the outcome in the classrooms. In the past, there was a more disregard. Now, it is less visible, but the outcome is still the same. The district's handbook states that students have the right to a safe environment and to attend classes without distractions. When behavior incidents are systematically minimized, those rights are being denied not by outside forces, but by the district's own failure to follow its own policies. If discipline were handled consistently, students would not be learning in disrupted environments and teachers would not be teaching through constant interruptions. When instruction is protected, outcomes improve, including proficiency. when the response fails to account for when teachers come forward um is that when

013teachers bring concerns to a union representative, it's because they're asking for someone to be their voice. Yet, those concerns are often dismissed unless the individual comes forward themselves. In my own case, the stress surrounding these issues exacerbated an existing heart condition while I was trying to get help that ultimately came months later through the grievance process. Over the summer, I began experiencing panic attacks about returning to work, something I had never experienced in my 20-year career, and they still occur from time to time even now. I would welcome the opportunity to follow up with the board to discuss these concerns further. Thank you. >> Thank you, Eric. We now have uh Melissa for Melissa. Hi, my name is Melissa Ford and I am currently a fourth grade. >> Excuse me. Just can you just point

014a mic down towards you? Thanks. >> How's that? Better. My name is Melissa Ford and I'm currently a fourth grade teacher at Richie. I have my bachelor's in elementary education and my mers in reading. The conclusion of this school year marks my 10th year as a classroom teacher with the last four years spent in Red Clay. I'm here to detail my experience as a kindergarten teacher at Joseph E. Johnson Elementary, previously known as Highlands. From September to May, my students in my classroom were physically harmed nearly every day by their classmates. They were hit with open hands, fists, shoes, toys, and chairs. They were spit on, kicked, whipped with lanyards, knocked to the ground, scratched, had their hair pulled, and were threatened. I was also hit, punched, pinched, climbed on, my hair was pulled, and

015I was hit with a metal rod that had been ripped from my file cabinet. I had written up and documented each incident as required. Administrator coding ranged from offensive touching to leaving an assigned area without permission, all for similar physically aggressive behaviors. The consequences handed down were reprimand, temporary removal from class, and parent contact. There were a handful of lunch detentions. Two mid-year wraps listed referrals to the police, which seemed severe enough to require additional classroom support, yet none came. Each meeting I I called concluded with the same results, suggesting strategies I had already tried, the requirement to collect more data, and to teach through it. In November, it was suggested that the problem with my classroom was due to my not starting our day on time. So, administration came in to demonstrate how to

016do so. This guidance led to administration triggering a student meltdown that lasted for over an hour and required at least three adults to attempt to handle. That child was returned to me during my reading block, disregulated, crying and screaming. In January, I was given a walkie-talkie. In February, I was gifted 30 minutes of non-instructional time with a support person hired from WLC funds. When I fought for additional time, I was told no one is entitled to adult support and that this decision was made with specific students in mind. On my final day of work in May, a student hit me on my back with shoes and another jumped on and climbed me, scratched me, and pulled my hair before later ramming head first into my stomach, causing nausea and bruising. My doctor diagnosed me with

017a contusion of the abdominal wall and PTSD from my job as a kindergarten teacher. I was excused from work for the remainder of the school year. Teachers don't give up. District says referrals are down, but we know the truth. Document everything and when the code of conduct isn't followed, contact Vicky Kapernolo and file a grievance. Support your colleagues and file as a group. Retaliation is real, but there is strength in numbers. Light up the Facebook groups. At this point, refusal to follow the code of conduct is either willful negligence or the result of incompetence. Thank you. Thank you, Melissa. Okay, I now have uh Ziza Rajab. Hello, my name is Aziza Rajab and I have a poem based on the innovation center at McKe. Don't close our doors by a Z or a draw. >>

018Have you ever thought of your own pre or past? >> I apologize. I'm just gonna have him come over so you can adjust the mic so that we can all hear you. >> We We will start the time over. Everyone's going to get their three minutes. >> Don't close our doors by a zeiz or a jaw. Have you ever thought of your own present or past hoping that the memories would last? Memories will only be left in Mcken. My oldest age registered will only reach 16. Only because we have the longest sheet. Laughter will echo the empty halls bittersweet. Where futures extended and lessons took place far more precious than any database. We are the artists, thinkers with futures bright. The vets and builders shine in the light. Each classroom holds a whisper sharp and

019clear of dreams that some may leave in dreer. To shut these doors to duel our ambition will only cause us to start a petition. Having us end our graduation queue dims the hopes of McKeen and our crew. We stand as one, a voice that will not cease. For this is our school, our home, and our peace. Let wisdom guide, let vision see worth of our routine, of every student and every staff member in Mcken. Don't let our announcements end with our doors closed. This is the place where our big dreams get recomposed. So open your ears as the district hears anything but our voices. Keep these doors open so we have our own choices. Thank you. We now have Morgan Dukes. >> Hello. Um Morgan Dukes. I'm a current McCain staff member and alumni. School

020boards exist for a very specific purpose, local governance, to ensure that our schools remain responsive to community values, student needs, and the laws that guide public education. In other words, schoolboard members serve as the bridge between the school system and the community that it serves. And that matters because public schools do not belong to a committee. They do not belong to an administration and they don't even belong to a board. They belong to the community. They belong to the families who entrust you with their children every single day. They belong to the students whose futures are shaped inside those walls. And they belong to the taxpayers that fund them, the educators who serve them, and the neighborhoods that rally around them. Because of that, when decisions are made about schools, about programming, structures, closures, or

021redesigns, the people most affected deserve more than an update after the fact. They deserve a voice in the process. Community engagement is not a procedural step to check off. It's not a survey with low participation. It's not three minutes at a microphone once plans are already in motion. Meaningful engagement requires early involvement, clear information, honest dialogue, and the willingness to adjust course when concerns are raised. So, I want to ask a direct and respectful question tonight. As individual board members, what have you done to engage with the community that you represent to determine their thoughts, feelings, and concerns related to the McCain Innovation Center initiative so that you're informed and able to speak on their behalf? Have you spoken with the families that will be affected? Have you met with the students whose opportunities may

022change? Have you listened to the educators who will be responsible for implementing these decisions at union coffee opportunities or meetings offered with school staff? This is not about resisting change, but durable change is built with a community, not delivered to it. That's why I urge you to recommmit to authentic engagement and transparent communication. Charge the district with pausing this plan and re-engage the community through structured surveys. Well publicized town halls and direct outreach to families and staff give stakeholders the opportunity to fully understand the proposal and provide informed feedback. That feedback can inform the district's future plans and ensure that whatever direction is taken reflects the priorities and concerns of the communities it serves. If our school truly belongs to the community, then the community has to have a real seat at the table before

023decisions are finalized, not after. Thank you. >> Thank you, Morgan. >> Now, uh we have uh Tracy Doberwolski. Hello, my name is Tracy Drowski and I'm speaking on behalf of my son Braden who is a sophomore at McCain. He has autism as well as an intellectual disability and anxiety. He is in a setting B with a shared parah. We picked McCain because of the high special needs population. Braden is thriving at McCain and has made friends and plays sports through their unified sports program. We oppose the innovation center for some key reasons. Pulling kids out specifically during their senior year and having them make new friends and acclimate to a new building. Busting kids during the day for a career path is more time on a bus as far as safety and on the road

024and wasting more academic time. Collectively, we all worry about our the kids' mental health. Yet kids, getting kids to change schools and start new, especially as seniors, fosters more anxiety. Unified sports and best buddies are amazing at McCain. And why change it? Mrs. Schnicker is working hard to be inclusive and be a place where our kids can be social and have fun. Braden has been stressed about this since hearing about it. He actually heard about teachers talking about it. It was never talked to us about it or talked to anyone else. Please think about the kids that are already thriving at McCain and won't be yet able to graduate from there. Why are we making McCain who was already successful change? We have kids that don't always fit in, but at McCain, they do. Please

025don't take that away. Braden wants to graduate a Highlander. >> Thank you, Tracy. We now have Knolandis. Hello everyone. I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for allowing me to serve for a full term as my um seat was unopposed in the recent um nomination process. So I vow to continue to listen to voices of my community, our red clay community, and I hope that that communication continues in the coming weeks. Thank you. >> Thank you. NRA, Mr. David Hogan. Good evening to the board. I'm reading on behalf of a McCain student. Protect McCain. Imagine being sent to a country where you don't know anybody. That's what it feels like to switch schools from McKeen to a different high school. Today, I'm talking to you about McKeen High School and why it

026should not shut down. Mcken High School located in Delaware is about to get shut down because the Red Clay Consolidated School District wants to change McKeen High School into an innovation center. Every student who goes to McCain is very sad and disappointed at how the school has to shut down. As a McCain scholar, I have heard many stories and talks about how McCain is a really good school and that it shouldn't get shut down. I am a McCain student and everyone else who goes to McCain will be greatly affected by the switch. All McCain students and teachers would have to switch to either AI High School or Dickinson High School where all McCain staff and students would rather stay at McCain. McCain as a whole has developed a strong foundation in terms of learning and

027in relationships between students. Why would Mckeen get shut down instead of any other school in Red Clay? And how did they decide which school gets shut down? And why was Mcken chosen? These are all questions that McKeen students, staff, and parents are asking, but they're not getting the answers. It's just a pure waste of time to switch schools since students will be on the bus for hours on end, and the expenses are not just worth it. Every school in Red Clay is getting better over time. And this goes especially for McKeen because McKeen overtime has had fewer fights and more students keep showing up to school. So it doesn't make sense for Mckeene out of the three high schools to get shut down. If McKeen wasn't getting shut down anymore, there would be three high

028schools in Red Clay that every student would go to each one that was happy and staff especially also would be happy. Cost of certain stuff would be lower and students would be able to learn effectively and efficiently without having to waste time going on a certain bus for hours and wasting time. If you and your parents do not want McCain High School to shut down, you should sign the petition to keep McKeen High School alive and you should be vocal about why McCain should not get shut down and stay open. You should also tell how you feel about the school shutting down on the internet. To summarize, McCain High School should not shut down because it is very important to a lot of people, including students, teachers, and parents. Therefore, shutting the school down is

029not reasonable. McKeen as a school should continue to develop and help kids learn new subjects. Thank you. >> Thank you, David. >> We have Lindsay Williams on Zoom. Williams, are you there? >> Can you hear me? >> Yes. >> Okay. Uh, I'm Miss Williams. I am a staff member of Thomas McCain High School and I am reading a statement written by McCain student Moses Goldborn. My name is Moses Goldborn and today my topic and issue is McCain closing down and the aftermath of it closing down. Thomas McCain is closing down because they want to turn it into an innovation center for future purposes. Also, McCain closing down is going to cause a lot of problems for students, teachers, and those who work there. For example, students moving schools can be catastrophic for them. They can

030lose their friends and the other people they have friendships with. Also, sources online state that students that transfer to high school while in the middle of it, school can cause disruption in their academic performance and can cause potential behavioral issues. Also, instead of closing down McCain just like that, you can look at the status of other schools. For example, AI Dupont would be a school to look for at for stats and compare them. One good comparison would be attendance. If you compare both attendances from schools, you would see that Thomas McCain has a higher attendance stat than AI Dupont. When I first transferred to school for the first time, it wasn't very comfortable. I had to get used to the environment and other stuff, but not everyone is used to that. When someone transfers school,

031suddenly it's not very healthy because not everyone is used to being in a new environment all of a sudden. And this rapid change can cause mental and physical problems for them. If Red Clay Schools wants to think rethink their decisions about closing McCain down, it would be good because the students and staff of the school would have a better piece of mind. Also, if they can find an alternative route, that would be good. Also, for example, shutting AI Dupont down and transferring their kids to John Dickinson and McCain High School because overall AI Dupont has the least attendance and it would be better for them to transfer instead of good attendance school transfer student getting transferred. A special action that we could do is to create a voting poll for everyone to vote and decide

032what action comes next instead of just picking a school at random. Thomas McCain is a really good school with a welcoming community. Also, McCain offers a lot of career pathways that the other schools don't offer in their career pathways. McCain offers a lot of after school clubs and sports for students and some of the afterchool clubs and sports are not at other schools and this can affect the children if they love doing a specific sport and love to be in a specific club. Thomas McCain has built a great environment for their students and it would be unfair to them if that just gets taken away from from them just like that without a complete overview of the consequences of it being taken away from them. Also, it is not fair that Thomas McCain is facing

033the consequences for attendance issues with the other schools. Thank you very much. Thank you, Lindsay. Now have Tally Shinder on Zoom. Shinder, you there? No. Okay. Um, Taylor roommate on Zoom. No. Okay. Uh, Beth While Beth, are you there? >> Yes, I am. Can you hear me? Yes. >> Okay. Good evening, members of the board. My name is Beth While and I'm a teacher at Thomas McCain High School. I want to begin by saying that I support the vision of creating an innovation center that provides students with meaningful career pathways and indust industry certifications. Expanding opportunities for students be prepared for both college and workforce is an important goal and I appreciate the district's efforts to expand opportunities for our students. My concern is not with the vision, but with the timeline for implementation. Transforming

034a traditional high school into a district innovation center serving multiple schools is a complex transition. It requires coordination of transportation, scheduling, facilities, staffing. When changes of this scale move too quickly, schools often spend the first several years solving logistical challenges instead of focusing fully on student success. We currently have a strong career CTE program and we look forward to expanding those programs into a district-wide innovation center. It's an exciting opportunity, but it requires careful planning to ensure that systems are fully developed before implementation. Research has shown that large school design efforts are most successful when implemented through phase transitions rather than immediate restructuring such as grade level phas and begin with a freshman and a pilot pathway then years two through four expand on them. Grandfathering current students complete existing programs. The innovation model begins

035within new cohorts. Pilot pathways we can launch new programs that are being discussed. Um, traditional courses remain temporarily while labs and facilities are completed. We do need some work to our building for these new programs to start. We also need a new roof to the board. Just so you know, a phased approach allows time to ensure transportation and scheduling are aligned. Prepare teachers for new certifications and programs. Ensure facilities and labs are ready for students. Without these systems in place first, students may face barriers such as lost instructional time or limited access to programs. For these reasons, I respectfully encourage the board to consider pausing the current timeline and implementing a phase transition plan that allows these critical components to be addressed before full implementation. The vision of the innovation center is exciting. Its success

036will not depend on how quickly we open it, but on how thoughtfully we build it. Thank you for your time and your commitment to our students. >> Thank you, Ben. Now have Avon Zoro. Ivon Zarko. Okay. Uh Terica Jones on Zoom. No. Okay. Um Sean or My name is Sha Ore representing my wife and I. My wife and I have spoken previously about how converting McCain into an innovation center would impact students, specifically students with special needs. We discussed concerns with midday transportation and how that could cause undue stress and anxiety for students who already struggle with transitions and the resulting loss of instructional time. We talked about the obvious inequities present present by shutting down one successful high school by leaving two applicationonly magnet schools not only untouched but also vying for the opportunities

037presented by the proposed innovation center despite their already abundant and specialized resources. McCain is more than a brick and mortar building. It is a culture that has been built over years of collaboration between the community, Red Clay Consolidated School District and students. A culture built on equity, inclusion, and compassion. What my wife and I haven't spoke about is how this proposed plan impacts our child, currently a sophomore at McCain. This plan would occur during his senior year, a year that is supposed to be celebrated with his classmates over the last four years. Instead, if this proposed plan moves forward, he and many other students will need to pick a school to attend, learn how to assimulate into a new school culture, and attain a diploma from a school that he spent only one quarter of

038his high school career. He struggles with meeting people. This change may force him to revert and return back into a shell. The trust and comfort that took years to establish will be taken away. If Red Clay is committed to this proposal, consider alternative plans such as a graduated transition that allows students to finish their high school careers at their school of origin and allowing teachers and staff to give greater input in any proposal. One successful school should not be pileed to save another school. Thank you, Sean. Uh, Adrien Fields. >> Good evening, Adrien Fields. um from Thomas McKeen, Red Clay Par Assoc Association vice president. Um my understanding is that the current plan doesn't include the uniqueness of the Meadowwood student. So my question is what will the confirmed status of the Meadowwood program and

039its students who attend Mcken High become? Will this population be able to remain in an equipped supportive environment that includes all their medical um issues minus the rigor of daily additional travel that deducts from classroom time that includes moving all their therapies and medical issues in travel. Thank you. >> Thank you. Karen James. >> I can do that now. >> Okay. Excuse me one second. Uh, we need to make a motion to extend the uh public comment. Do I have a motion to >> Nandis? I move that we extend public comment so that everyone who signed up has had a chance to speak. >> Second, Devonza. Thank you. All in favor? >> I I >> opposed. Motion carries. Thank you. >> Sorry. Thank you for doing that. >> Good evening, distinguished board members. My name

040is Karen James and I am the mother of Natalie, a sophomore in the Medwood special education program based at McCain High School. My husband and I are both concerned about the intended move of Medwood students and staff to AI High School in the fall of 2027. Given the lack of planning for the special needs challenges when this decision was made, we urge you to consider allowing the Medwood program to remain in McCain if and when it becomes an innovation center. For those who may not be aware, the Medwood program serves those Red Clay students with the most severe intellectual disabilities, those who require constant supervision from teachers, paras, occupational, physical, speech therapists and behavior intervention specialists. These are students like my daughter who is 15 years old chronologically but is only 15 months old developmentally.

041She has a rare genetic syndrome and cannot walk or talk nor do most anything on her own. She wears a diaper and cannot feed herself or communicate effectively. She has not truly achieved academic skills at any level. Her IEP is 45 pages long. Natalie and students like her will be much better served if Medwood remains at McCain versus AI based on three things. A sufficient budget, safety concerns, and equal access. It will cost the district and perhaps ultimately taxpayers thousands and thousands of dollars to make AI H AI high school compliant with the American with Disabilities Act, including installing ramps, upgrading the elevator and stairlift as well as creating an accessible bathroom and ensuring there are adequate turning radiuses throughout the building for all mobility equipment. The safety and liability risks are high considering what

042may happen when the Medwood students, many of whom have behavioral challenges, are bust back and forth from AI to the new innovation center in order to pursue a career path of their choice, giving them equal access like their general education peers. Keep in mind if the Medwood students are not allowed to attend the innovation center once they are based at AI that would essentially become a form of discrimination against the special ed population. In addition, the transportation when this busing occurs will consume many unprotective hours during the week, hours that should be spent in the classroom. If too much time is spent in transport, it will jeopardize students being able to meet their IEPs, which are legal documents. We encourage you to tour a Medwood classroom at McCain so you can see for yourself the

043provisions already in place to meet the high level of need the Medwood students have including taking particular notice of the physical accommodations that are available at McCain that simply do not exist at AI. Lastly, if you find the budget and the plans for this move do not realistically meet the needs of the Medwood program, we hope you will urge the administration to keep Medwood intact at McCain, at least until such time all the above compliance and program supports can be secured. Then we can be assured that the Medwood students IEPs are fulfilled and that the individuals with disabilities education act or IDA. >> Thank you. Andrea Arena. Good evening, distinguished Red Clay board members. I'm speaking to you as both a concerned member of the community and a mother of a nonverbal child with disabilities

044that currently attends the Meadowwood program within Red Clay. He's being very patient in the back of this auditorium. If you are not already aware, as Karen pointed out, the Metawwood program is a specialized program in Red Clay that serves students with intellectual and developmental disabilities in kindergarten through age 22. Both the Meadowwood program and the autism program are housed within McCain High School. I stand before you as a member of the public at large to communicate that we are not in agreement with the innovation center idea due to the there being no plan of action, no budget, and no public transparency regarding the inevitable increased taxes and costs to every single family in this district. The innovation center idea was voted upon with nothing in place, no tangible plan nor a proposed budget. The cart

045before the horse scenario to a tea. In addition, students, parents, and community members were misled when the board stated they would allow discussion and community participation regarding the innovation center, but instead voted quickly before giving the public appropriate opportunity to learn more, voice our concerns, and be a part of the actual decision. With no plan or budget to date, the taxpayers, we the people will indeed be paying for this innovation center idea to include but not limited to bus transportation during the school day to and from the innovation center. Additional insurance costs to cover all of that busing. Over 67 hours of missed educational instruction per student due to that busing. An additional nurse on staff to accompany medically complex students from the Meadowwood program to and from their feeder school on the buses. additional

046safety issues that will require specialized training and the list goes on. To further the point, special education, specifically the Meadowwood program and the autism program were never considered in any part of this decision from the very beginning. There was no one from red clay on the original committee to ensure that this fragile community be considered. More importantly, there are still no concrete plans for both the autism program and Meadowwood program currently housed within McCain High School in regard to the innovation center idea. McCain and its students and staff should not be collateral damage in an attempt to revive a struggling school with the innovation center idea. It makes no sense logically or fiduciarely. Fiduciarily. In summary, we are requesting the board votes to stop reverse the innovation center idea due to the following reasons. There's

047no plan of action. There's no budget. There's been little to no public transparency throughout this process. And there's been no public transparency regarding the inevitable increased taxes and costs that will be incurred by us. We're looking for the members of the board to make the decision to stop the innovation center idea. And we're looking to you, the members of the board. We voted for you, each and every member of you. And you're responsible for making decisions on our the public's best interest. We thank you for your immediate action. Ad thank you Melissa while good evening. Melissa While I'm one of the school psychologists at McCain. As a school psychologist, I tried to be a voice for students who may be not able to come up to this microphone. In this instance, a group of students

048was asked to write a soapbox story on their civics class about McCain Innovation Center. I'm going to read snippets of some of their work. Josini Seeda wrote, "The halls of Thomas McCain hold more than lockers and classrooms. They hold years of memories and traditions and opportunities that have helped many generations of students. Turning the school into an innovation center wouldn't simply change the building's purpose. It would remove a vital institution that contributes a lot to our community. McCain became a haven for its students thanks to its welcoming environment and culture as well as the opportunities the school offers. McCain will greatly be affected by this change. But this year's ninth and tth graders and the first year students next year will be affected the most because after they have settled in and gotten comfortable at

049the school, they will have to go through the process all over again at a different school. The culture at our school is what makes people want to come here, not just the classes or teachers. Jacqueline Guadama Lopez wrote, "The school district is trying to change McCain, and we need to make an impact to show them how important it is they don't make that change. One reason why I believe this change should not be made is the large effect this action will have on the students. Students that have to switch schools could get thrown off and start to do bad education wise and some will not be able to make good relationships with completely different people. Imagine you already understand hallways, understand what you're doing in class, and understand the teachers teaching ways, but out of

050nowhere you're forced to restart all those understandings. Imagine how inconvenient and stressful that could be for you. I have great bonds with teachers. surprisingly because I'm very introverted person and have trouble speaking out and not losing focus, but it's mostly due to how friendly and welcoming the teachers are. Another reason I enjoy going to school is because of the career paths. I've always wanted to work with either children or animals, and at McCain, I'm able to figure out which one I enjoy better and which one fits me personally. I hope that the school board doesn't go forward with this change and us students don't have to go through even more stress than we already have. And lastly, Aiden Russell wrote, "Though it may seem like nothing but a simple replacement, this change to our school

051poses various threats to the mental stability of students. Friendships and social interactions may be a valuable coping mechanism for students under stress. I can say so because it's helped me from time to time, which is why I believe these bonds are so important. What the school board is trying to pass threatens us with the possibility of tearing those bonds. Having to make students pick between their social bonds and their education seems cruel. Red Clay plans to take such drastic action without giving us a say and is leaving us with insufficient information to put our trust in. We need more answers that will reassure us that the threat it poses to students and staffs is not of concern. We must show them that we do not want this change and that we want to save McCain.

052Thank you. >> Thank you, Melissa. Jessica Bragel. >> Thank you. Sorry. >> Hi everyone. My name is Jessica Crragel and I am also a school psychologist at McCain High School where I've worked for the last 10 years. I'm speaking tonight on behalf of Red Clay's high school students whose school experiences and educational programming will be significantly dis disrupted by the high-speed timeline of the innovation center transition. The timeline to dissolve all three comprehensive red clay high schools and turn them into two comprehensive high schools and the innovation center seems needlessly urgent and quick. There are many details still to work out related to every aspect of school life. The master schedules and offered classes, schoolwide expectations, academic and behavior supports, special education, athletics and clubs, transportation, CTE pathways, not just for the innovation center, but

053also for the two comprehensive high schools that will have to make changes to create these new school communities. In all of these details, I worry that the experiences, needs, and concerns of the students themselves are taking a backseat to our district's plans. I love working with high schoolers. The final four years of school are incredibly impactful in shaping who our students become. Our red clay teenagers on the brink of independence, grown-up responsibilities, and adult decision-making deserve our best plans for the innovation center transition. I urge us to consider extending the timeline for the innovation center so that all aspects of this change can be fully thought out and thoroughly planned to meet the current launch date of fall 2027. I fear that corners will need to be cut, details will be missed, and plans will

054be incomplete. If the transition is challenging, it's our red clay teenagers who will struggle through that chaos. As a school district, our students should always be our first and most important priority. We owe it to them to take our time so that all of the innovation center committees can create strong, meaningful, and organized programming for our students. I believe that more time is required to adequately meet that goal. Thank you. >> Thank you, Jessica. >> Alicia Howard on Zoom. Miss Howard, are you there? >> Is she there? >> You can unmute. >> Unmute, please. Alicia, are you there? Okay, we can go on. Uh, we have uh Mike Cole. Good evening members of the board. My name is Mike Cole and I'm here on behalf of my daughter Molly and for that matter all the

055special education students that go to McCain. Tonight, I want to speak about what makes McCain's special education program not just important, but irreplaceable. Special education at McCain is far more than compliance with federal law or just checking boxes on an IEP. It is woven into the culture of the school. It has been forged through years of hard work, dedication, and a unified vision into a truly exceptional program. McCain is the home of Best Buddies and is the unified sports hub of the district. It is home to events like Special Olympics, Rock Your Socks, Spread the Word Day, and the incredible Bake and Brew program recently featured on Channel 6 News broadcast to the entire Philadelphia market. McCain students benefit from resource level language classes, functional math and reading classes and community-based learning experiences with business

056partners developed over many years. McCain also houses the STEP program and provides strong transition support to prepare students for life after high school. All unique to McCain. So all of the these initiatives exist because McCain has a team of teachers, administrators, paris counselors, and staff that are all aligned and deeply committed to the mission. A team that has been built and trained over many years to be collaborative, supportive, and effective. The people, these people are Mcken's greatest asset. And once dismantled, this team cannot simply be recreated at two different schools. If these programs could easily exist anywhere, we would already see them thriving at AI and Dickinson. And we do not. My daughter Molly is a testament to what this environment makes possible. She has grown academically, socially, and emotionally. She belongs and she is

057accepted. She has friends across both special and general education. And uh her experiences have shaped her confidence, her community, and her future. Inclusion at McCain is real and it is working. To transition McCain into an innovation center is to erase the best special education program in Newcastle County. And as a parent, I believe doing so would be irresponsible and unethical. So I urge you, do not dismantle what is working. Protect this community. protect the culture and the extraordinary program. Our most vulnerable students deserve nothing less. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mike. Uh Mr. Steve, >> want to just call and see if Miss Howard is back. Okay. Uh is Miss Howard back on Zoom? No. Thank you. I Okay. Thank you, Mr. Steve Fenthal. >> Good evening, board. My name is Steven Fakenthal, music teacher

058at Richie Elementary and president of the Red Clay Education Association. I come beforeh you this evening to speak about educator burnout. But you're not going to hear my personal stories, but stories of five of my educators throughout Red Clay who work tirelessly for their students day in and day out. From an elementary teacher as a kindergarten teacher, I am struggling to keep up with everything. I have 22 students in my gened classroom, case manager for three IEPs, three students who just got qualified for 504s. I've got several behavioral charts going and flexible seating options for those 504 students with chewies, fidgets, etc. I have a student getting a full evaluation and some students who just don't come to school on a regular basis that I'm always trying to get them caught up on. All this

059while trying to stick to pacing of all of our curriculums, the many parent emails and daily life of teaching five and six year olds. I am tired. And now with both my own kids and sports, it's all feeling a bit impossible. I love my job and I love teaching kindergarten, but this has been an extremely tough year full of behaviors. From an elementary teacher, it's impossible complete all your work within the contractual hours. I go in early every day, most days over an hour early. Work through my lunch, work through my planning. Sometimes I still barely have time to go to the bathroom and I still sometimes have to take things home to do. I've been teaching the same grade for 12 years. So I have my curriculum down where I don't have to spend

060a lot of time on that and I still don't have enough time in my day. The number of meetings before school and during planning have also increased. There are weeks that I barely get a planning due to PLC and the number of meetings I have scheduled. From Erin Ellis, behaviors are huge. I can't go through all of my lessons because I am managing elopments, back talk, work refusal, kids with zero motivation, etc. Then I fall further behind. I don't need more pies about how to manage my room or teach with fidelity. I've been doing this for years and the behaviors are not managed or given consequences. From Courtney Chashini, I am feeling burnt out. I'm not able to complete my professional responsibilities within the contractual day. For example, last night I worked a school event

061until 7:30 and then went home and graded papers and I was grading again before school this morning. I technically have four plannings this week, but two are taken up by meetings plus a faculty meeting tomorrow morning. The there just is not enough uninterrupted time to plan, grade, prepare effectively. From Jill Leak, teachers are dealing with students who just do not seem to care. They fail an assignment, a marking period, even an entire course, and there's nothing to hold them accountable. At the end of the year, no matter how many failing grades they have, they are passed on to the next grade. No consequences at all. This is primarily began during the pandemic, but it has continued. The mentality is now it doesn't matter what my grades are. I get to move to the next grade

062each year, no matter what. So, as a teacher, the struggle to keep students motivated and engaged in learning is hard because we aren't technology. But why do we need to learn anything since they just got moved on to the next year? Our stu our working conditions are students learning conditions. I appreciate your time. >> Thank you, Steve. >> Now have Gianna Howard. >> Hi, my name is Gian and I'm in seventh grade at HP. I'm also a member of Best Buddies and Unified Champions at HP. I'm here because of Danny, a student who in the Medwood program at McCain High School. He's also here with us tonight in the back. I met Danny last year through the Best Buddies program. Sometimes when Danny saw me at school, he'd say hi. One morning, we got dropped

063off at the same time and we walked into school together. Danny and I had played games together at Best Buy. I don't see him anymore, but I've thought about him since I heard about the Medwood students because they are going to be moved because of the innovation center. Danny knows his teachers. He knows the hallways. He knows the faces around him every day. For a lot of kids, starting over is hard. For Danny, it can mean losing everything that makes schools feel safe. His mom and other Meadowwood parents are here tonight because they're worried and their voices should be heard. I'm in seventh grade, but I know that when a decision affects someone's life, you should think about them first. Please think about Danny and stop the high school plan now. Thank you. >> Thank

064you, Giana. Now, Jenny Howard. >> Good evening, President Leonard, Dr. Green, and members of the Red Clay School Board. My name is Jenny Howard. I stood at this podium many times on behalf of Red Clay students and families, and tonight I'm running for a seat on this board. I'm stepping forward not only as a former Red Clay teacher and student advocate, but as a committed member of this community. I believe in transparency, accountability, and success for every student. But tonight, I'm here first and foremost to stand with the parents, teachers, and students who are speaking out against this plan. Meadowwood serves some of our most vulnerable students, children with profound disabilities who depend on this district to see them, protect them, and prioritize them. Displacing that program is not innovation. It's a choice, and this

065community deserves a full accounting of that choice before any vote is taken. I urge this board to support board member Landis' motion tonight. Take the time, ask the hard questions, and listen to the families in this room. To the Meadowwood families here tonight and the Red Clay teachers and students, I hear you and I stand with you. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you, Jen. And Brenda Stefan on Zoom. >> Hi there. Thank you for um giving me the time to speak today. I am a parent in the Red Clay School District. I'm a 1988 alumni of an AI Japan high school and I'm also a board member on the friends of AI a group a community that was founded by our late uh band director Mr. Paul Perets in order to have some

066accountability for keeping public secondary schools alive healthy and wellfilled. So I bring tonight after um having many conversations, we're a very active board in discussing with various um board members here. We ask questions, we pull the community and we have questions that we would like to see if the board would address tonight. One is can you go into detail in order to have transparency with the community at large on why Mckeen High School was chosen as the innovation center and what were your um reasoning for doing that? We'd also like to uh highlight that there is a sensitivity with the Meadowwood program and that should be greatly um had communication with the families involved in the logistics of moving that population and um having that deep dive with that community because it seems like there's

067a lot of um medical needs, transportation needs um and and that needs to be a very thoughtful conversation. Um and then as well as for the communities that might be merging with the different high schools, there is definitely going to need to be a access point for students um to have a space to express their emotions and to have a space on how they can feel a part of a new organization. Historically, Delaware is a is a state that runs on where did you go to high school as one of the top meeting questions. And I find this really really triggering at this point because we are here showing up for the community at large. Regardless if you went to AI, Mika or Dickinson, we are here supporting the aspect of secondary comprehensive public education

068as a fiduciary duty not only as a committee but also as participants and taxpayers. So the last question I have is in regards to the financial metrics of this. I know that in ma in March, can you say when we will have that information on the logistics of the cost of transportation on any retrofitting that needs to happen? Um how can we um ensure that as taxpayers what is going to be our burden? Um and I appreciate your time. Thank you so much. >> Thank you, Brenda. >> All right. Thank you all for your input tonight. It's well received. All right. Uh on to approval of the minutes. Is there a motion to approve the minutes from the executive session held on February 11th, 2026? >> So move Susan Sander. >> Do I have a

069second? >> Second. Beth Tortois. >> It has been second and approved for the minutes of the executive session February 11th. Any discussion? All in favor? >> Opposed? Motion carries. Is there a motion to approve of the minutes from the regular session held on February 11th, 2026? >> So move Susan Sander. >> Thank you. >> Second, Naj Melandis. >> Thank you. It has been properly moved and seconded to approve the minutes from the regular session held on February 11th, 2026. Any discussion? Any all in favor? >> Opposed? Motion approved. Is there a motion to approve the minutes from the board workshop held on March 10th, 2026? So >> move Susan Sander. Second Nandis. >> Thank you. Has been properly moved and seconded to approve the minutes from the board workshop on March 10th. Any discussion? All

070in favor? >> I opposed. Minutes are approved. Now we have uh Superintendent Green and there's a report. Mr. Great. Dr. Gray, >> thank you, Mr. Leonard. Um, thank you to those who are here in the Richardson Park auditorium, those who are joining us online, and in keeping with tradition, we will kick it off to our student representative. And that student representative is from Thomas McCain High School. Uh, Ryan Reamer, who I know eloquently gave public comment last month, but also serves on the Superintendent Student Advisory Council. Uh, so we want to turn it over to Ryan just to share some insights about what's happening at McCain. It's on. >> Okay. >> Good evening. My name is Ryan and I'm the junior class representative at Thomas McCain High School. Thank you for the opportunity to speak

071tonight. I'm here to share some of the programs, achievements, and opportunities that make our school such a strong and supportive community. McCain is well known for its incredible CTE programs. The current pathways here are automotive technology, early childhood and education academy, audio, radio, visual technology, animal science, culinary and hospitality, marketing, marketing, communications, engineering technology and plant science. These three to fouryear programs help students acquire certificate certifications that make them desirable new hires and set them up for future employment. As a member for three years, AVID is definitely one of our most impressive programs um that McCain has to offer. AVID provides top tier college and application knowledge and support. Starting in AVID 9, we learn about options after high school, time management skills, and overall prepare for a school and a career after graduation. At

072Thomas McCain, we offer a wide range of athletics across fall, winter, and spring seasons, giving students many opportunities to get involved throughout the school year. Among our athletic programs, two teams have really shown this year. Our football team had a strong season last fall, advancing to round two of playoffs after beating Conrad 22 to 21. Our wrestling team continues to dominate, winning the Blue Hen Conference and securing six titles in the past seven years. Let's go Highlanders. 2026 season, we had 20 athletes and partners. This year, our unified basketball team made it all the way to semi-finals. Unified is no longer just a sports team, but it is a family. The bonds formed through McCain's unified program are like no other. A pivotal moment of my high school career was joining and becoming captain of

073the unified cheer team. My teammates Anna, Ava, Natalie, Molly, Tova, and Lexi are forever my go my girls, and I cannot wait for another season with them. McCain offers many clubs that encourage creativity and build community. Clubs such as the art, theater, creative writing, and Latin dance club celebrate culture and expressiveness. I'm a proud member of the National Honor Society at McCain. Since my induction last year, we volunteered at school events and programs such as Special Olympics. Despite the cancellation of this year's polar bear plunge, it's such a big event in our community that we still participated by plunging in the McCain swimming pool. McCain raised the most money out of every single school that participated, raising almost $20,000. 32 plungers were a part of McCain's team this year, including students, teachers, alumni, and staff.

074In level three of the plant science career pathway, students begin learning about the art and business of floral design. We build, price, and then sell our arrangements through the McCain horiculture shop. Working with flowers has honestly been a highlight of my year as I've discovered a new talent and passion passion that I wouldn't have anywhere else. McCain is one of the only schools in Delaware that offer floral design classes. We've worked on projects such as weddings and the bouquets for teacher of the year. We also offer seasonal and holiday themed bikes and arrangements made and sold right through our classroom. After a year with no production, the McCain Theater was booming these past couple of months with the production of Beetlejuice Jr. 30 students participated in this performance. 90% of those participants had never even

075been on stage before. This production was a wonderful showcase of not only the arts at McCain, but also the bravery and ambition of our students. It's clear from our academics, arts, and athletics that Thomas McCain is a school worth supporting and sustaining. As we look ahead, we have an exciting line of upcoming events. On March 21st, we have the Rock Your Socks for Down Syndromes Day, Down Syndrome Day. March 23rd is the blood drive. Autism Awareness Week is from April 20th to April 24th. The Best Buddies Friendship Walk is April 25th. The Special Olympics Unified Soccer Tournament is April 30th. Prom, which I'm planning, is um May May 15th. Avid Field Day, Avid Field Day is um sometime in May. The spring concert is May 21st. Senior the senior awards and senior picnic are June

0764th and graduation is June 6th. These events reflect reflect a school community that is active, inclusive, and constantly moving forward. Thomas McCain is a strong, committed, and passionate community filled with wonderful athletic athletes, artists, and students. Thank you so much for your time, and I hope this gives you a better understanding of what makes our school such a strong community and one worth continuing to support. It's a great day to be a Highlander. I have to ask what is drone soccer? >> Um, so the teacher of audio radio visual has a bunch of drones and they play soccer. Um, I personally have never witnessed it, but I've heard great things. >> Ryan, you're more than welcome to stay and sit up here at the Deis. uh understanding that it it's still a school night. I

077don't know. And you're busy. You have a lot of things going on. Planning the prom and being a student leader. So again, you're more than welcome to stay. Um but if you have other things that you need to get home to studies and and planning, feel free to >> um Okay. My mom says I'm good. >> Okay. >> Thank you, mom, for allowing her to stay. So, thank you again, uh, Ryan, uh, for again showcasing, um, what's happening at McCain. I know there'll be some additional discussion just around, you know, planning and and everything that's happening with reimagining our secondary schools here in Redclick, but I'll be brief with my report. Um, again, on my cover page this month, we have Cook's Lego robotics team, uh, who won several awards at a state competition. So,

078go Cook Cardinals. We have Principal Jacobs. and back there in the back. And we want to give again a shout out to Cook Cardinals um and their Lego robotics team. And again, the several awards and that's the the cover picture. Um this month also um we want to highlight and have the names um of the 2026 2027 teachers of the year. Uh to all of our educators across Red Clay, um thank you for the care, passion, and excellence you bring to your work in our school environments each and every day. Um this is indicative because they are voted on by their peers uh within each of our buildings and again they routinely display um the excellence that Reglay has to offer and I do have to apologize I forgot my glasses. Um and so even

079the fine print on my document here as well as my screen is blurry so I don't want to butcher anyone's names. Um but again congratulations to all of our educators um for a job well done. Just a couple highlights again. Uh I want to give a shout out to Holly Schniker and her work around um Best Buddies and Special Olympics again over at McCain. Um again, the Polar Blair Punge was cancelled. Um but this year was the 11th year participating and they raised close to $20,000 by jumping in the McCain pool. Um good job, job well done and it takes, you know, leadership to to make that happen. So definitely want to give her a shout out and all those that participated. Also, the John Dickinson School um is is proudly inducted the first six

080members into the National Business Honor Society uh becoming the first and only school in Delaware uh with an official MBHS chapter. So, congratulations to those members of the John Dickerson School, the staff that's supporting that, but more importantly, the scholars uh for this inaugural moment of having the first and only school in Delaware to have an official uh MBHS chapter. Additional highlights, Skyline Middle School. Um this this is truly a gym um within Skyline, but more importantly um in Red Clay. Um their Skyline cheerleader is a national champion and they place actually first place um in the national cheer champs um in stunt and tumble division and this is unique for a middle school. Um, I would say that they rival any high school cheer squad. Um, and so thank you to again the the

081student athletes um because cheer is a sport. I will go on record and say that for anyone who's questioning it. Um, for their achievement in winning first place in the national cheer uh champs in the stunt and uh tumble division. Um, we also want to uh give a shout out to HP. uh they had the 2026 uh Math Counts team at the Delaware State Math Counts Competition. Um so congratulations again to all of our scholars, student athletes, um more importantly the staff and families that support our athletic and academic based teams. Uh we have incredible playoff performances uh coming off the winner um championships. Obviously had the opportunity to see AI High's basketball team uh make the playoffs. I believe they went 19 and3 regular season and unfortunately lost to Cape Pen open um in

082the playoffs. Um but again, thank you to all of our coaches, athletic directors, administrators, teachers who support again our student athletes and scholars in the various competitions uh that they participate in. And we will have a recognition next month. We had the third place winner in the national I mean in the state spelling be. Um we acknowledged Warner um had three students uh last month that won the Wilmington spelling be. They took first, second, and third place. And we actually had the third place winner in the Delaware uh spelling bee um scholar over at Northstar who we will recognize publicly during April's board meeting. In support of uh Senate Bill 4, which requires all K3 teachers to receive training in the science of reading, um Red Clay is proud to offer um additional cohorts throughout

083the district and the letters volume one in the early childhood training for prek educators. I believe we have well over 100 of our educators uh who are participating in that work. So, thank you for continuing to just grow your craft. Again, albeit it's legislative, we do know that the teachers see the value in the training and are going above and beyond with support um from our teaching and learning department led by Dr. Toanda Bond. Again, I won't um belver this, but we we continue to work out work through our strategic plan toward student growth, toward equitable outcomes. And uh just pictured here is a session um that was hosted at the Hokessen School 107C which is located in Hokassen which is a a actually on the national park registry. Um I would encourage anyone in

084our community um who who want love a cultural experience really seeing um how Delaware serves as a landmark uh for Brown versus Board of Education terms of the desegregation of schools. Um, Hulk Hessen 107C actually was one of five cases or excuse me, Delaware was one of five cases in Brown versus Board. Um, but Hulk Hessen 107C along with um school in Claymont and others are actually the landmark cases and Delaware was actually the only case affirmed by the US Supreme Court um back in 1954. But again, that school um was initially up for sheriff sale um and it took a a group of community members to advocate, get resources um and now it's turned into an equity center um that we've partnered diligently with here in Red Clay around HB98, which is the teaching

085of black uh history um in all of our curriculums. And so it is our second year um of a three-year library of congress grant. And so we hosted a cross district professional learning uh session actually with other neighboring districts where Brandy Wise School District as well as Colonial joined us focusing on expanding the work under again House Bill 198 and supporting literacy and social studies across K3 curriculums. We also want to highlight um workforce skills and experience seminar. Um it's a pilot course. Um Red Clay's workbased learning team is developing a pilot course for 11th grade students at Aadon High School in the John Dickson School. Uh this course uh is workforce and skill experience seminar uh will help students explore career interests and post-secondary pathways. Again, this being a pilot would ultimately uh be

086an opportunity for to expand this across all of our secondary schools. Um the curriculum is aligned to the Delaware workbased learning standards and focuses on key employability skills as it's aligned to our portion of our graduate really ensuring that our students uh most often we say soft skills. I think it minimizes that we're looking to hardwire our students um to be workforce career college ready um upon graduation. So successful completion will serve as a prerequisite for students to participate in work-based learning emerging experiences through um you know future planning uh should we go there. I do have just some slides. Won't go into it, but it's available for the community um to look at if you are bored and want something to read and you're going to go back and actually pull up my presentation.

087Um it's it's highlighting the board workshop around the midyear academic achievement um that we had last week. Uh the presentation is loaded in there as well as the video recording and the supporting documentation. Just a couple of brief announcements. Uh Saturday, March 28th is our annual career fair. Um so join us at the Red Clay Career Fair. I believe we have well over 200 um uh prospective employees already pre-registered for that event. Um it's at Wilmington University and uh come join the remarkable place to work which is Red Clay. For our families, kindergarten registration is open and we're encouraging families to, you know, if you haven't registered yet, please do not wait till the upcoming school year. You can register now um for registration for kindergarten. We'll also have uh open houses on April 26

088from 4:45 to 6 p.m. Uh this is the first step to a lifetime of learning. Uh so come visit uh one of our elementary schools on April 22nd for open house. And again, we're encouraging all of our families uh to register earlier rather than later. And we're also hosting our third annual health and wellness fair uh April 25th at Warner uh Elementary. Uh it's from 10:00 to 1:00 p.m. Uh this is an opportunity to get free health screenings, uh free health information, um that impacts our community, uh free food, beverages. Uh this is supported um by the recllay education foundation who generously has given to this event over the past three years and we're partnering with various organizations uh community based organizations. There will be bike raffles, vendors, games, music. Again, just an opportunity to

089um share some information. Uh it is also a medication disposal uh site too. So, if you have medications that are in in, you know, medicine cabinets, um, and additional information on mental health supports, kids and adult activities, as well as health screenings. So, come out and join us on Saturday, April 25th, uh, free, uh, at Warner Elementary again from 10 to 1. Not only do we have kindergarten registration, but also pre-K registration. Uh, the early years program choice window opens March 30th through May 1st again. And so the EYP choice window is March 30th uh for the 2627 school year. Last couple of announcements and I would um be uh announced that the Red Clay Education Foundation annual golf tournament uh will be June 20 uh June 18th, excuse me, at the Newark Country Club.

090Uh this is an event um where the foundation has supported um McKenna Vento's families and students who might be displaced um who are unhoused. Um they've generously contributed um to the tune of whatever they typically earn um they provide funding. A lot of our McKenna FinT families that that money is um restricted in a sense. Um, so when families find, let's say, housing, but don't have bedding or don't have, you know, other things that they need once they secure housing, uh, the foundation has supported our federal McKinnon Vento office with that additional funding, uh, to be able to support those families. So, if you know a golfer, if you are a golfer, or if you just want to come out, have some fun in the sun, um, come out and join us on June 18th.

091Uh, take advantage of the early bird special, which runs now through March 30th. And just lastly, um, in recognition of all of the, uh, various things that are happening, um, in the month of March, I do want to haul out one thank you um, to all of the women who serve and represent uh, Red Clay. Um, March um, serves as Women's History Month. um also inclusion day and a special thanks to all the Red Clay employees um which we had the appreciation day on March 7th but um again recognizing women's history month as well as um you know national inclusion day and all that goes on in the month of March and it's it's just highlighted on there school breakfast day and everything else. So just a celebratory slide and that concludes my report. Thank

092you. >> Thank you Dr. Green. Do you know uh typically how much uh they raise at the golf outing? I >> mean, again, I don't know. I know they're they're generous in giving well over $10,000 um to federal program of Kenny Vento um families. I want to say it was maybe close to 30 last year, but don't quote me on that. >> Very nice. >> And a lot of our obviously community partners um again, it's a good event for those who whether you like golfing or again generally want to come out and have a good time. you know, the generosity of our foundation. And if you know someone who has interested in serving on the Reclay Education Foundation, um please send that information to Maria Stevens or Miss Alva Obi. Um again, this is just

093wonderful opportunity to stay engaged. Um and they do a wonderful job. Not only they support the back to school block party, um various arts programs, um and so they they they're really supportive of initiatives throughout the district. So >> great. Thank you. Okay, we have a presentation now from Mr. Mark Puit on the innovation center update. Mr. Puit, Good evening, President Leonard, board members, Dr. Green. Uh uh thank you for allowing me the opportunity to provide an update on reimagining secondary the reimagining secondary education initiative. Uh as you know uh in the fall of 2024 uh this school board charged us uh with coming up with a recommendation to the board at the November 2024 meeting uh which uh which outlined a plan and gave a timeline for us to um for us to come

094up with a uh attendance zone changes and programming changes. Uh our recommendation was presented in November. Uh it is worth noting that that plan was as submitted was uh for uh to launch the programming in uh 2028. The board amended that recommendation and pushed that for back condensed that one year to the launch of 2027. Uh we then uh formed a committee, met with that committee from January 2025 through June 202025, came up with a uh recommendation from the committee, that 19 person public committee, gave that to the school board in July. The board voted to move forward with the plan which allowed us from July of this summer through today and we're still not finished with coming up with a plan and executing that plan to launch uh these changes in August of 2027.

095Uh addition to that uh the board uh formed a uh district committee a schoolboard committee. Uh we had our first meeting which was pushed back a little bit by a snowstorm. So, we met on February 5th, just over a month ago. Uh the agenda at that meeting uh was to come up with some meeting norms for the committee. Uh what the board's charge was of the committee. Uh a bit of history uh as to how we got here. Uh uh a review of the district team, Dr. Green's district team, and and topics that the district had been working on. We took a look at internal workg groups that had started at that point. uh took a look at the district's action planning overview document uh came up with a meeting calendar and topics uh of

096focus for each meeting and gave public comment both at the beginning of the meeting and at the end of the meeting. Uh then showed the committee the uh the steering committee our cabinet steering committee and the planning areas. Uh you see a list of uh the buckets of planning areas that we thought were important. We formed those in September of 25. uh the steering committee lead at the district office and those committees which we f felt warranted for certain a work group made up of uh various stakeholder groups. Uh we then showed the committee our action planning document uh that is a summary of our planning document. The first two slides you're going to see are the work uh that we've done to date. A couple of items maybe worth mentioning here uh is um

097Dr. Bond and her team got started right away with work in transitioning my she's met with the international bar balariet regional team so that we had a smooth transition to that program. Another uh listed uh done so far is our partnership with the University of Delaware to work on having accurate uh partial and attendance zone information for when we present attendance zone changes. Um, we uh spent the month of October uh providing presentations to impacted schools. Uh came up with uh written communication plans. Emma uh emailed first all of our staff in the school district uh of the changes. Followed that up the next week with it uh uh with a letter to all of our families of the changes. followed that up the next week with a letter letting those families know uh if

098they were going to participate in the choice process. You know that understanding that parents may want to make choices based on having that information before the choice window. Uh so that was some of the communication we did early on. Also, uh we engaged with rcea uh to begin creating a uh memorandum of understanding on any staffing changes and transfers that would occur based on the plan uh with the goal of hopefully having a completed in June of this year. Um we launched a website in December, established working groups, uh uh had collaboration as you see regarding um finance, facilities and student services regarding the Meadowwood transition uh to be successful and then also shared a couple of slides uh regarding upcoming information and that would be the cadence of those meetings, what we've done since

099the last meeting and what we're going to do moving forward. >> Oh, no. Back slide. There you go. Uh, we came up with of all of those planning areas we uh you see the introductory meeting originally scheduled for January 27. Uh, and the rescheduled date of February 5th. As I showed you, the agenda introduction and uh it consisted of an introduction and an overview. The March meeting will focus on the planning areas of communication. Uh Dr. Celeston and her team will present student services. Dr. Celeston and her team will present I'm sorry, communications, Miss Mobley. The next two, Dr. Celeston and attendance zones and school choice uh will be Mr. Sha Snyder and myself and then so on so forth. um the May 28th sort of a district operations flavor, August and October and then

100this committee is charged with continuing through September of 27. And so we will just start those updates again uh with the meeting uh that for with the December uh 26 meeting. Couple items uh worth mentioning. Um workg groupoup meetings thus far the six the seven meet the I'm sorry the six meetings that we've outlined uh you the McCain Innovation Center has a work group which includes 21 uh members mostly members of the McCain uh high school staff. Uh we met on the 21st the 24th we have our next meeting um I believe in middle of April. The Melewood transition team has met twice so on and so forth. Student services is to support uh students particularly uh you know vulnerable populations of students students with disabilities uh you know in their uh 504 students and

101such with their transition if they're transitioning from one program to another. The student life team is uh I'm facilitating that committee with the AI Dupant athletic director Mr. hadalgo to look at all activities and athletic programs and how we could have a successful transition of those programs uh particularly for those students who are having a gradeband cohort. you know, I'm a 10th grader at McCain and now I'm going to go to AI High School to make sure that we have all of the uh clubs uh that that group again made up mostly of McCain teachers, but also some AI and Dickinson folks to make sure we have all of the clubs stood up at Dickinson and AI High School and all of the athletic programs stood up that currently exist at McCain. Uh professional learning

102team, uh Dr. bond. I'm sorry I missed her my team as well, but professional learning uh focusing on making sure the skyline staff is trained in inter back international balarette uh pedagogical strategies and uh as well as professional learning for uh building a staff culture understanding that uh in a year and a half from now even an a staff like AI will be made up of half AI Dupont High School staff half McCain high school staff, right? And how do you bring how can you spend the time building essentially a new professional culture in that building? Uh she's began to meet with that team. And then late May, Dr. Corey Heck is bringing together a team uh which will deal with master scheduling, building a master schedule which has two schools flowing into one school

103at times, their timing, their scheduling, their calendars, and all that sort of work. and she's got t uh rcea members primarily counselors that are interested in in helping her with that transition. Uh I already spoke of theou with rcea when we have that finalized our goal is to transition to the pair of professionals um uh attendance zone changes. We we are finalizing a presentation for this board in April. Obviously, we would have to change attendance zones uh and have that work done and communicate those changes uh prior to November 1st of next year so people could make accurate decisions based choice decisions based on what what their new attendance zone is. Uh those the work that we've done really was already outlined by the board. uh but we were to look at strong and balanced

104enrollment across schools that we were to align high school boundaries to K8 attendance zones when possible and consider geography in the neighborhood schools act when possible uh we've also had the opportunity to engage with students uh over the past couple of months we have our uh superintendent Dr. Green of which I attend with him, the superintendent student advisory committee and also our new student voice advisory which is really it's been great whether it's about uh the innovation center or the changes or any other topic to see that stu uh to see those student leaders growing in their communication dialogue how they engage in change. Um, next slide. Uh, we are, uh, we've just invited a group of people, uh, uh, leaders from our business community, uh, to an what we're calling an advisory community to

105an advisory committee to help us with program development, partnership opportunities, and alignment with regional workforce needs uh, with the innovation center. Uh, that group uh, we we've spent a lot of the last three months, Dr. Green, myself, others on the team, reaching out, getting a leader from uh del all postsecary uh educa uh education partners in the state of Delaware, the college board, uh re some re research ed organizations and key industries, particularly those uh where we're adding new programs of study for career and technical education at the innovation center. So, we're very excited uh to partner uh with FMC, Christian, uh GFP, and CDW. I'd like to take a moment to sort of reset here um regarding, you know, we certainly have spent a lot of our efforts and we certainly field a lot

106of questions about program changes, right? the M from McCain High School to an innovation center, the MYP program moving from Dickinson to Skyline, the Meadowwood program, moving from McCain to AI High School, and those are all very important uh you know, very very touchy subjects. I mean, I've worked at two of those three I just mentioned and am really proud to have done so. And so, you know, they are proud and talented organizations that do great work. Um, it is particularly difficult and I think you have to concede any student that is in the middle of a of a grade band that's making that change is the most difficult thing that I deal with, you know, each and every day. When I deal with a concerned parent, a concerned teacher about the concern of a

107student that's gone three years and one or two and two are going to go at my two in one, what whatever that combination is. You know, I understand that having worked in secondary schools my entire career. Uh but it is, I think, important to back up and take a look at uh the big picture here because those program shifts, right? Actually picking up a program and resetting it, you know, in a different in a different location is only part of the issue here. the the committee work that we worked on last year really came up with key findings that high school attendance zones were last updated in 2002 and that that result that has resulted in no straight line feeders and fragmented school communities. Okay, if you we have about 130 students in 8th grade

108at AI middle school, they're going to take off and go to three different high schools, right? McCain High School is going to pull students from all of our middle schools, right? We there is no sense of a a vertical feeder pattern and community building. We did a great job with changes in 2015 in my my opinion uh through K through 8, but n you know with 9 through 12 being from many years ago, it's resulted in a very fragmented system. We also know that we have enrolled the same number of high school students in our district give or take a hundred for over 20 years. Okay. We have underenrolled schools because we've gone uh that's high school students and the same number of middle school students over that time. We have gone from five to

109seven high schools and six to eight middle school programs during that time. That is why we have underenrolled schools. We also through a UD center for applied demography and survey research uh uh study know that red clay as well as the rest of Newcastle County is going to see a reduction in enrollment over the next 30 years with uh red clay estimated to go from 15,000 to 12,000 because of the growth below the canal you're Delawarian aquinamink and south uh from that from that work of the committee from those findings. The committee, in addition to the program changes, came up with core principles to create an alignment of attendance zones, create straight line feeder patterns that align high school attendance zones with existing middle school attendance zones, create balanced enrollment to distribute students equitably across

110the high the home high schools we were going to use and have them have strong and sustainable enrollment, which in turn would to create program equity, ensure that all students regardless of high school have access to high quality academic and extracurricular programs. Okay. From that we believe we would have equitable outcomes including expanded career programming for all students. Right now if you go to one of our schools you may have 10 or 11 career programs to to choose from. Another four uh same thing broader range of elective offerings. additional AP and dual enrollment courses because we've got enough students to offer the section increased athletic programs and including junior varsity programs and not having to cancel high school sports teams and comprehensive extracurricular and co-curricular activities. Uh we are Delaware's largest school district. you see

111schools that either have or have had enrollment um issues uh you know underenrolled schools uh over the years uh the current enrollment of those schools are listed five column enrollment is the current enrollment in those schools. Okay. The middle column is a comparison of that enrollment to all of the attendant zone schools in that grade band in the state of Delaware. Okay. So, what that means is Alexis uh Alexis Idupont High School is the smallest attendant zone comprehensive high school in the state of Delaware. McCain High School is the eighth smallest and Dickinson is the fifth smallest. It is more pronounced at the middle school level. Alexa Dupont High School is 33 of 34 in enrollment when trying to pick up comprehensive programming. Skyline is 34 of four and Stanton is 30 of 34. Okay.

112uh you know I if you look if probably we could have come up with an average number of comprehensive attendance zone middle schools or high schools much larger than that across the state uh as well as regionally regionally and across the nation. The final column shows you the high mark of enrollment of those schools and the year they were at the high mark of enrollment. questions. >> No, I don't obviously I I think it would be negligent of me to sit here as the superintendent and just not express that we were given a charge. Um and then given that charge and and hearing from community that a lot of what we probably just shared isn't widely known amongst our community because we often are siloed. Um, I have the enviable and sometimes unenviable task of

113being able to see things from that larger perspective. And no different than choice window just closed. And typically the experience has always been individual schools get kind of spotlighted and and and held up at the expense of our other schools. and our community being the Red Clay Consolidated School District has to get to a point where the numbers we have to confront them to to some end and and not and look at what the change is going to be. So regardless of what the next charge that the board gives us, I'm and as I sit in this seat as well as the team will be committed to to working through that charge, probably doing a better job of educating our community as a whole as to where we do have those bright spots and and

114and McCain in terms of the innovation center was one because it's centrally located, but two because of the anchor CTE pathways that are currently there. I just last week had to file a waiver at DIAA to allow students from one of our high schools who only had nine baseball players to have to participate at another high school. We won't be able to offer field hockey at one of our schools. We have limited band participation at a lot of our schools. So this is the reality that we confront as a district and and willing to work with whomever, whenever, wherever that the board chooses in terms of giving us that charge to to be able to understand that we are at a tipping point just as a district. And I know many said, well, why don't

115we wait for reading? If we wait for reading, red clay no longer exists. if Reading's plan, which has now been delayed to 2027, um, comes to fruition where it's just one Newcastle County school district. So, Relay, as we know, it won't just be reimagining secondary education. We're probably going to have the Chase Center full of of families wondering why Reclay no longer exists because in essence, it's merging all of Newcastle County into one school district. Is Reading's plan. We can ill afford to wait for reading to figure that out. So as the board deliberates, as you get the feedback from the community and you give us our next charge, again, we unfortunately have to look at the context of some of all the parts. um and understanding that it it unfortunately is tearing at specific

116stakeholder groups within our community. And that is where the sleepless nights come from, knowing that this change inevitably is going to impact someone more than others, whether you look at it positively or negatively. But we do have something as a district that we have to confront um just in terms of our enrollment because historically what we've done is we'll isolate a problem within the district address that issue not realizing that 5 10 15 years down the road we've created three other problems. So in 2015 when the district was confronted with an issue at Skyline when the feeder pattern changed and Dickinson had low enrollment we in essence put a middle year's IB program in there that now is preventing Dickinson from growing and expanding and we now see Skyline which has historically served anywhere from

117700 to 750 children for close to 50 years and at their high mark were at 880 are now serving 385 students and So that's where we So whether we phase things in, whether we rethink what we're doing around secondary schools, however we do it, we're going to have to eventually do something. And again, if if we need to regroup, however the board charges us to do so, um again, we we stand at the ready and and and this isn't to, you know, our timeline was different than what the board ultimately initiated to vote on. The advisory to bring other folks in who are subject at matter experts in this will probably do our community some good because there are examples and places where where this is working and it has worked. But I'm hearing from

118the community that we got to do that with the the the care, diligence, and and forthrightness to ensure that although they may disagree, they have a better understanding as to why the change needs to happen and who it's happening for. So that includes Mama Rocks and obviously I'll let the board ask any questions of myself or Mr. Puit relative to the presentation that you just heard or the update that you just heard. I have some questions. Um, first, we heard a lot of testimony today and we the board has received emails from Meadowwood families that are impacted by this change. Um, what is the plan moving forward with how we're going to engage that group regarding the transition? What are the plans for tours? Uh I know that there was a tour that or walkth

119through that was done according to the >> that was that was >> that was just that. >> Okay. So is there a plan to do that for families of Meadowwood >> um >> that are students that are impacted? >> Yep. Um I could say that that they've met twice as a workg group. They've got parents on that work group. I joined that that committee one time for the first 45 minutes. So I'm not you know they're giving us presentation at the next district uh committee and you know I'm I I I wouldn't want to speak I don't have all of their plans yet. I do know Dr. Culliston uh Miss Kathy Maddox the principal teachers parents are working on that plan you know for the transition of the program. >> Um I have a couple

120more. Sorry, just going to slam them all at you. Um, so regarding communications about the transition, what communications have gone out to middle school students and families that are currently feedered to McCain um, regarding what school they'll be attending. >> Sure. We sent out communications on November 1st to all students about the changes. Um, and then followed up, sent that again a week later where it was tailored to help them in making decisions during the choice season, right? The choice season, I think it would be October 31st was the first date, November 6, November, somewhere like that. And so the first was a broad communication to all of our families. The second communication was tailored from the choice office to say please keep in mind as you if you're choosing to participate in school choice

121or not, right? Like you know that that these changes are occurring and that should help you with your family. So those two communications went out uh in emailed letter uh or as our communication as our communication office sends them. So, Miss Meanis and I and I will and again and this is in full transparency because we are talking about lives being impacted. I think one of my lessons learned is not everyone is also not tied to our district communication and people receive information in various different ways in various different platforms >> and languages >> and and well again yeah and languages. Um, and so that reflection and it was actually meeting with the superintendent student advisory council because a lot of neighboring students actually didn't know a lot of the details until Ryan platformed. And

122so that was, you know, a learning curve when we talk about student voice. So, you know, again, this isn't we're laying out a plan where we feel we've gotten it all right. there there have been blind spots that we've continued to reflect on. Um I think the other challenge too is the the new feeder patterns with the center for demography hasn't been so it's it would be hard to tell the 130 current eighth graders for example at AI where they would be going if we didn't actually have that level of detail to to be able to lay out. So again in and full transparency around the communication especially how prevalent social media is a lot of people get their information in a lot of different ways um and and not always through district channels. >>

123Yeah. Our next our next benchmark of communication is waiting for attendance zone changes because when we start to talk about changes to someone's programming they're going to go okay well I don't go here well where do I go and our answer cannot be I don't know right it could be or we're going to be you know so the answer is we have to get attendance zone changes to approved and then say yeah these are the changes and this if you don't participate and school choice would be your new attendance zone. >> But in what has gone out, it has been clear that it's not going to be here. Yeah. >> For the entire duration like your four years of high school, >> correct? >> Like at McCain. >> Yes. >> Can you go over your

124um question of or your timeline for when the attendance zones would be done? >> Did you mention? >> Yes. So >> in June >> I think we are make we are giving a presentation in April. Uh normally it would be a presentation in April, a vote the following month. Certainly consideration could be given to uh do we want to give more time to engage the community about those changes right that it's you know this what neighborhoods are going to basically comes down to what neighborhoods are going to Dickinson or AI and in some cases there are some students who would go from Dickinson to AI but we could obviously grandfather that small group of students >> what I will say is I recommending to the board in terms of once we get from the center

125of demography the whatever the proposed feeder patterns, new feeder patterns are based on the existing charge that we put that out as proposed. Allow the board to get feedback, allow the community to weigh in and then obviously the board would have to take a formal vote on if you would are going to adopt those new feeder patterns. Do we have a timeline on when we're supposed to get that data? >> I know we got some preliminary data. We sent it back >> and we should be >> We have 95% of it. We're waiting on one adjustment sort of a mapping slide that we're going to get and then we could start to finalize our presentation for April. >> I have another one. Sorry. Um >> so ju as in terms of the workg group meetings

126so far. So, it's just the student life and the master scheduling and logistics that haven't met yet. All other work groups have met. >> Both of yours have met. >> Yes, they've all met. >> All right. And um >> the student life is meeting next week and then by design the logistics and master scheduling will have one meeting in May. That's mostly work to be that would be done on this timeline September through March of next year. So, if the timeline were to change, there could be adjustments to that, too. Or >> Well, there would be if the timeline changed, there'd be adjustments to everything. >> Um, looking at the uh the action steps that you shared, the screenshots of each department and their actions and the the times that they were uh aimed to

127be completed. I noted that there were a few that were still marked in prog in progress or didn't begin that have dates that have passed. So what is the plan to >> right that was those those were slides from the February 5th committee work. >> So at the beginning of the presentation I was giving you some slides as to what the the the board committee saw and I just showed you the slides that they saw. They've been updated now. >> Okay. So they have been updated. >> That's not to say that something is not behind. A couple of them are not behind schedule, but that was that was a snapshot on actually a snapshot going back to the original schedule of the meeting when it snowed. So it was a snapshot on January 26, something

128like that. >> Okay. >> I'd just like to add that the amount of work this has taken and taken place so far is um for me mindboggling. So, I I'd like to thank all of the district administration and staff who put all their time and effort into this. Um, you spent a lot of hours on this and it shows. >> Well, I actually have a question that goes along with that. Did you have does that like directly correlates to that? Because I I I agree with you um Susan because I'm looking at the time that's already been spent and I'm looking at the steering committee lead names and these are all names that in our district have full-time responsibilities. So my question is is do you have a sense from the cabinet level from this

129group's level that are they able to still be maintaining their daily responsibilities while also taking on these responsibilities? >> I'm fine. I'm going to let Mark Puit's fine. I'm going to let Dr. Green >> I I I would I would say they're proverbial ducks on the pond where they going to make it look like they can't. This is a it's it's a lot of work, right? So folks are are paddling to to address future deal with current. Um I I I would again say that was one of the reasons why the recommendation between a board committee and an advisory um to allow subject matter experts to help some of the load. Um and not that we aren't consulting and working with partners and different folks. Again, this is both the internal and external. So, of

130course, they're going to say it's their job. They're going to do it. But it it's it it's a lot of work and it's a lot of angst, I think, on our community as a whole because we're looking at major first order change within our district. >> I have a few questions, just uh comments with the groups we met with from the schools. Uh the three major uh things that I heard were communication and transparency, which you addressed, I believe. uh job security and the effect of the middlewood program how that would be affected. So job security I see you here have on a on here that no reduction in staff as a result of this plan. Yeah I and I would agree with you the biggest concern we've gotten we've got a draft out to

131RCA. We're hoping that they say, "Hey, here are some recommendations. We're ready to meet a second time so we can further that I can assure you we we can be assurance just based on attrition and retirement each year that no one is going to lose their job because we're not re we're not losing units, right? We're simply moving staff around." Okay? So, not only is no one going to lose their job, our goal is to have, you know, we're not trying to pull a fast one. So, our our our our goal is to get high school English teachers into high school English positions, high school math, you know, and so on and so forth. Uh, you know, that that that's what we hope, right? We hope that that there's some buy in, teachers stay, they

132pick up, you know, the great work they've been doing and continuing to doing to do it. and what will be a new school culture, a school staff culture. But no, no one's going to there'll be no reduction based on >> not our intent to but obviously we know we're in a a labor market where someone may choose right that this isn't the change that they want to >> endure and you know so that that's part of our conversations as well as we we work through this process. and the other was was the uh AI and the Medwood program being fitted for uh some of those Meadowwood students. >> Sure, we've met the obviously that that subwork groups met that has parents on it, but I've been a part of meetings with uh finance, Dr. Ammon,

133uh Mr. McCy Mcowsky from facilities, uh Dr. Green has has been in a couple of those meetings to, you know, make some adjustment to capital funding. It's not my department. And so I don't want to speak to that, but uh you know to make sure that we are have new bathrooms set up for the metalwood program day one make sure they have access beyond I mean the building is ADA compliant but it's not to our it's not to red clay standards and there's some work that we need to do in that regard. >> And the last was the finances. Uh I know Dr. I haven't talked to her or not, but is there going to be a a large financial burden from this transition? Has that been determined or including the busing? Of course, >>

134I will use incorrect terminology. You know, I get I get Yeah, I'm a social studies teacher. >> I wasn't sure if you wanted me to come up or not. Um there there's really two pieces to this that we've been looking at. One is costs related to change, one-time costs. Um Mr. Puit mentioned some examples at AI High of things that we would have to do to bring that building up to our um what we would expect to see for the Metawwood program. And those are things that are going to be covered under major cap, excuse me, and we're scheduled to be done um like for instance, the elevator upgrade was already scheduled to be done um at AI through major cap. Then the second bucket of costs that we're looking at and we'll talk in

135more detail at May um based on the current schedule. The second piece would be more ongoing costs once we make that transition. And so we're starting to look at that now and that involves DOE because a lot of our funding is formula driven and and as Mr. Puit said, we're moving teachers around. We're moving students around but it's the same number of students and teachers. So for the most part that will just be moving to different schools. I know that's a very quick answer. Certainly in May we will have >> How about the buses? >> The busing any additional cost for that or >> there will certainly excuse me there will certainly be costs based on the midday transportation. What we're looking at now is there also will possibly or even likely be savings in

136the AM and PM transportation. Um you've certainly heard from parents that say we see buses drive all over the district with no students on them. um slight exaggeration, there are students on them, but certainly based on our attendance zones, they are not the most efficiently routed buses just based on the the way the students are spread out. So, what uh Miss Shahan's looking at now, and she just today, as a matter of fact, got a file from University of Delaware with some of those actual um rough ideas, assuming the attendance zones are changed the way we're looking, what that would look like. So, I can't tell you right now whether it's a complete wash. There will certainly be costs related to that midday transportation. How much of that is offset by savings and AM and

137PM is something we're looking at now. Certainly by May we will have a a first first run of that. >> Thank you. >> What Ted? What would make you believe that there's going to be some savings when you guys haven't really worked out the numbers? And that's why I I didn't commit to those savings, but we uh Mark and I met with Kelly about a month ago and started looking at some of the just because if you have students that are more comp more routed to the same school, a bus right now might be able to pick up students and take them to Dickinson and it was previously two stu two two different buses. One bus going to Dickinson, one bus going to McCain, one bus going to three buses. So there's some efficiencies in

138routing when you look at bringing those buses to two schools instead of three. >> Did you calculate for because I think that initially they mentioned 10 minutes to get off a bus and transition onto another bus and they found that that's not nearly enough time. So that's going to increase the number of hours. So I'm trying to figure out how you guys are calculating what those costs are going to be if you're not even calculating the time. >> Right. and we will have that in May, the actual cost and a scenario of showing that. But as I said, midday certainly is a cost that we don't have now. We aren't doing midday transportation to the scale. Um, and now what we're looking at is the AM and PM runs to two high schools instead of

139three and what that impact would be. >> So I guess my challenge is that you use the word savings and it it doesn't even sound like you know if it would be savings or cost increase. So to use that word, I'm just trying to understand what was the purpose of that word being loaded into that comment. >> My my point in that was that I know for sure and have said that there will be costs related to the midday transportation. What I don't know yet is whether there will be savings or what those savings will be based on the AM transportation of going to two home high schools rather than to three. I guess the other thing is that we keep saying that because here here's here's my challenge, right? Like I just think it's

140unconscionable to put families in a position where they have to track us down to get information, right? I'm not saying that that's anybody's necessarily their fault, >> right? But I >> but but I believe that it's important that like we're saying things like we had a meeting and the people >> Mr. Henson sorry don't want to cut off the microphone. >> People gave information and that information was not addressed. They were also told that they couldn't tour AI high school. They were also told that the person that was in charge of that committee was just put in charge of that committee. So what I'm saying is there there's so many like there's so many contradictions that it makes it very difficult for the community to believe that this is going to go forward and it's

141going to be implemented with any level of fidelity. And it's just unfair to to me. It's unall I did I never supported it. I did not if somebody is sitting on the stage I did not vote for it to begin with. Right. And I I just believe that like the superintendent said, it is our responsibility because we are the ones evidently that gave them the charge to do something. We're the ones that accept accepted in my opinion what is a hairbrain idea. At least the way that it's being communicated and articulated there. There's really there's no evidence of anything. There's no budget. There's no like everything that they say is antithetical to good educational practices. Like we're saying that, you know, programming or or um enrollment drives programming, but that's not the way it works,

142right? Programming drives enrollment. You bring a program and then you attract the student base to go with that program. And so I understand I I I get it that we have to do something, but I'm just I think that we should think this out a little bit more. I think that we should take on the burden of reaching out to the community. And yes, I appreciate you guys taking your time, but I want everybody to understand that you get paid for that time and you guys get paid handsomely from our tax dollars. So that's a commitment that we're going to ask you guys to make, right? Like put this plan together, make sure that we're reaching out to the communities. We're we're the same way and for all of us up here, the same way

143that we ran for office and we went to their doors, we can go to their doors with this information. we have to take on some of the burden of making sure that the community understands exactly what's going on. But I think a part of this was we didn't even know it was going on. I'm going to be honest with you. You know what I'm saying? That's why I didn't vote for it. So, I just think that once again, you guys have to be you you have to be eager to make sure that you're reaching out to families, you're having those conversations, and you're not just dismissing their concerns because you guys are you keep saying things like, "Well, they just don't understand it." No, they understand it. And the more they understand it, the more

144that they they don't like it. Like everybody that I've talked to, there's been no stakeholder group that I've talked to that they like this plan. So the goal is you got to get out there and you you got to you you got to either sell it to them or we got to revise the plan and do something else. >> Sorry, I know we're we're going to have other board discussion in a little bit. So I just have another question about um the presentation and then I don't know if any of our board members that are online have questions to follow up as well. Um, so you mentioned about the professional learning time for the building for the administrator to bring the Dickinson and McCain staff together when it got to that time. Is there anything

145right now or have you heard from administrators or teachers about needing professional development or I I know or PL or just guidance on how to be interacting and answering the questions as the students are asking them. No, but that is certainly something we can do. >> So, other than the the information that's been sent out from the district and the website that was launched in December, that's really where the teachers and administrators are going for their information right now. >> We've had principles ask, >> can our staff talk about this? Like, this has been a public and approved by the school board since July. Of course, they can talk to students about it. And since the principles have asked that question back in October and November, I haven't heard anything else about that. I did

146have a meeting with some teachers, some folks that are here in in early January about a plan to engage with students assembly style in May. >> Okay. >> And we've we've got that plan. We've got another premeating for that in in April with uh Miss Dukes and and a couple folks from McCain. that it any discussion >> I do question I'm just >> about the advisory group launch >> oh can I ask okay um so the the list of companies that you had listed on the slideshow these are all confirmed to participate >> yes >> okay so not just invited they are they have confirmed their >> they haven't confirmed confirm whether they are attending the first meeting yet, but they they confirmed their participation on the commit on the advisory group. >> Okay. >>

147Generally, that it >> Thank you, Mr. Puit. >> Thank you. >> All right. We go to action items now. Superintendent Green. Action item A uh 2026 2027 school year calendar is a recommendation that the Red Clay Board of Education approved the 2026 2027 school year calendar as submitted. >> Is there a motion to approve the recommendation? >> So moved. >> Second. Bethis. >> Thank you. It has been seconded and and is there any discussion? >> Yes. I have a question. Hi. >> I saw the agenda. I was wondering if I should turn and pretend. >> No, you can stay right there. So, I did have a question to follow up because you gave your presentation about the calendar last board meeting last month. Um, and you spoke about the committees. Can you just share a

148little bit about how the committee was formed, how many times it met, who was involved in the process of creating the new calendar? >> Sure. We follow uh admin memo of 3002 which is uh work groups within the district that can that group is made up of five rca members and five members appointed by the superintendent of which I'm one and you know set up the meeting. Uh most years the district the rca gets us to five members. This year they did only have three members that were interested in that committee. Um uh we then set up a meeting uh for uh the beginning of December, last week of November. We bring a uh we schedule three meetings. The first meeting involves a draft calendar um that we we create a first draft in the

149business operations office with Dr. uh uh Niccastro, myself uh bring that to them uh to get their feedback on it. Uh when we do that, we load it with, you know, the start date for teachers, which for 28 years or more has been 14 days before Labor Day. Um it has to have 188 teacher days, 185 parah professional days, 170 or more has always been Red Clay's expectation for student days. Uh has to have state holidays. uh we by precedent have always had students and teachers off on the Rashishana and Yam Kapoor holidays. We've also had students off for the past five years on Eid Aleteer holiday and Diwali holiday. We have to consider lengths of marking periods during that time and then inservice days including four startup days, four grading days, uh three teacher

150uh three parent teacher conference days, one checkout day and the remainder are professional learning days. Okay. Um, thank you. And then there's been conversations around um the winter break u with Christmas not being on Wednesday um this year. It's not in the middle of the week. That's made a little bit of an adjustments around um the winter break. So were there how were stakeholders involved in that process? >> Well, after that first meeting, we did make some adjustments. You know, we made a move here. Can we do this here or there? We then say, okay, are we good? I'll make those adjustments. We then have draft two. I send that out the first week in December. Ask them to take that out to their groups, provide feedback on that. Um, please get it to me

151by the last day in December that we work. I tell them the 19th, 20th, whatever the date was that year. Um, I did not receive any feedback, which is unusual because usually I do and we have to have a second, a third, and even last year we had to have a fourth meeting. Um, this year there was no feedback. Uh therefore we did not I said we won't schedule a a second meeting. Uh I then take what is a draft two to Dr. Green and his team um or our cabinet uh make sure that it fits with them and then uh you know we put it on board docs for a reading in February. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. >> So you said there are three uh union members on that. >> There were. Yes.

152Yep. And did they have any concerns about the calendar at that time? >> Oh yeah. Yeah. I mean well concerns I mean like hey can we make this adjustment? Can we oh that this week here and they're escaping me but we then make those adjustments and there's back and forth. I've got some principles on that committee too. Uh we come to an agreement as to where we are at the end of that meeting. They then take that they then take that calendar get it out to different stakeholder groups in the case of RCA their membership ask them for any feedback I just say hey give give me the feedback in the next three weeks so we can then get it to Dr. Green and his team. Um, >> and it was the first year that

153we did we did not need a second meeting. >> And I think one of the unique situations with this year's calendar one, um, Labor Day starts late this year and the past two years, we've been fortunate enough again to your point where the holidays have fell that we were blessed with two full weeks off over winter break. And so to kind of now honor that, we would be starting three weeks before like before Labor Day and and then really so as straightforward as a process that you would like to think again because to Mr. to Pu's point, we're really scheduling for 188 day calendar year for staff, 185 for pair educators, and then all of the other contractual things in there, but also being mindful of families, right? When you fail to account like how

154many weeks are disruptive weeks or you used to start where like every week to start school, there was a 4 day week or so, we got to be conscious of, you know, that broader impact on on the community as well. um given the parameters that we we structure school, >> there's other employee groups as well. So when you we talk about um transportation and nutrition services, do they get affected by um lessening the student days? Like if we were >> they don't get typically they don't get paid >> they always reach out to us when we go less student days because it it they get paid less for that year. So that they always that that employee group reaches out when we drop by a day. >> What does that two-way communication look like? Like

155does it look like like so if they say we want the last two weeks off like is there a conversation or do you just write it down and you say I'll come back to you with an answer like what what style >> at the meeting itself? >> Yeah. like for the for them to have input because I guess what I'm speaking to is I'm noticing a pattern that there's never really meaningful engagement. Like there's not two-way communication. It's like you you guys present something and then you say we presented it and they had an opportunity and they most people that walk away say, "Well, we disagreed with it, but we didn't have a choice." You know what I'm saying? So, what does that look like? Is there real time conversation with you and these stakeholders

156saying well we want this schedule to look like this then what what is your response? So say I said I want the last two weeks of the year off like I had this year. What would your response be? >> The winter break two weeks off. >> Yeah. >> We would debate that. There's there's eight. This year there was eight. Usually there's 10 people on that work group and hopefully come to a consensus. Ultimately I'm taking that information and getting it to Dr. green so we could put it up for a uh for >> what information would you take to him? What version? >> So So the version is we wanted two weeks off. >> Okay. >> Right. Christmas this year fell on a Wednesday. So it makes sense for us to have it off. But

157this year it falls on a Friday. So we have them coming in that Monday and Tuesday of that Christmas break and not giving two weeks off because then those two days have to come somewhere else, right? Where >> I get that, but I'm I'm speaking more to what the engagement looks like. I'm not speaking to what the decision is made. I'm asking about the engagement because you're saying that there >> we meet for >> for the person if I'm a person that's on that committee. Let me let me try to make it clear for you. If I'm a person that's on that committee and you just introduce something. Let's let's role play. introduce an idea that you brought up at the thing and then tell me how this conversation goes because I'm trying to understand

158if if they really have a stake in the conversation or they just there as participants to whatever it is that you guys want to do. >> I I you would have to ask them how they feel about >> where are they? Are any of them here tonight? >> I don't know. Okay. >> Any other discussion? >> Hey, Miss Stevens, could you please call the vote? >> Miss English. >> No. >> Mr. Henson. >> No. Miss Landis match meandis. Snow Mr. Matthews. >> Missander. >> Yes. >> Miss Portoris. >> Yes. >> Mr. Leonard. >> Yes. Mr. Matthews, unmute yourself, please. >> I am so sorry. Technical difficulties. Yes. >> Four yes. Three no. Motion passes. >> Action item B. It is the recommendation that the Red Clay Board of Education approve the refund of taxes paid

159by Inter Neighborhood Community Builders LLC for the parcel listed beginning on December 20th, 2024 as a result of Newcastle County's designation as tax exempt as a result of the Newcastle County Tax Pool. This approval will be contingent upon approval by Brandy Wine, Christina, and Colonial School Boards. >> Is there a motion to approve the recommendation? >> So approved. Alexander, >> is there a second? >> Nelandis second. >> Thank you. It's been properly moved and seconded. Is there any discussion? >> Miss Stevens, please call the vote. >> Miss English, >> yes. >> Mr. Hansen, >> yes. >> Miss Landis, >> Nandis, yes. >> Mr. Matthews, >> yes. >> Miss Sander, >> yes. Miss Tortois, >> yes. >> Mr. Leonard, >> yes. >> Unanimous. Motion carries. >> Action item C. It is the recommendation that the Red

160Clay Board of Education approve the refund of taxes paid by Az Property Management on the parcels listed as a result of Newcastle County's designation as taxexempt as a result of the Newcastle County tax pool. This approval will be contingent upon approval by Brandy Wine, Christina, and Colonial School Boards. Has the motion been approved? Is there Is there a motion to approve this motion? >> So move Susan Sanders. >> Thank you. Second. >> Second. Beth Toris. >> Thank you. It's been promptly moved and seconded. Any discussion? Miss Stevens, please call the role. >> Mr. English. >> Yes. >> Mr. Henson. >> Yes. >> Miss Landis. >> Nandis. Yes. >> Mr. Matthews. >> Yes. Miss Sander, >> yes. >> Miss Tortois, >> yes. >> Mr. Leonard, >> yes. >> Unanimous. Motion carries. >> Action item D. It

161is a recommend recommendation or it is recommended that the Red Clay Board of Education approve the donation from Operation Warm of 84 winter coats valued at $5,124 to William C. Lewis D language emerging school. >> Is there a motion to approve the recommendation? >> So moved. is best to >> Naj Mandis second. >> Thank you. It's been properly moved and seconded. Any discussion? >> Thank you for the donation. >> Thank you. Miss Stevens, please call the vote. >> Miss English? >> Yes. >> Mr. Henson? >> Yes. >> Miss Landis? >> Nandis? Yes. >> Mr. Matthews? >> Yes. >> Miss Ander? >> Yes. >> Miss Turtis? >> Yes. >> Mr. Leonard? >> Yes. >> Unanimous. Motion carries. Action item E. It is the recommendation or is recommended that the Red Clay Board of Education approve a

162donation in the amount of $500 to Cook Elementary from Sherry Bllye to pay the cost associated with an upcoming musical. >> Is there a motion to approve the recommendation? >> Natch Mandis. So moved. >> Is there a second? >> Second. Beth Toris. >> Thank you. It's been properly moved and seconded. Any discussion? >> M for your donation. >> Thank you very much. Miss Stevens, please call the vote. >> Miss English, >> yes. >> Mr. Henson, >> yes. >> Miss Landis, >> Naj Melandis, yes. >> Mr. Matthews, >> yes. >> Miss Sander, >> yes. >> Miss Toris, >> yes. >> Mr. Leonard, >> yes. >> Unanimous. Motion carries. Action item F, another donation is recommended that the Red Clay Board of Education approve a donation in the amount of $2,000 from Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation to

163Johnson Elementary to support children's healthy nutrition, education, and access. >> Is there a motion to approve the recommendation? >> So moved, Beth Toris. >> Is there a second? >> Second, Susan Sander. >> Thank you. It's been properly moved and seconded. Any discussion? >> Thank you again, Sprouts. Miss Stevens, please call the vote. >> Miss English, >> yes. >> Mr. Henson, >> yes. >> Miss Landis, >> Majandis, yes. >> Mr. Matthews, >> yes. >> Miss Sander, >> yes. >> Miss Tartis, >> yes. >> Mr. Leonard, >> yes. >> Unan unanimous. Motion carries. >> Action item G. It is recommended that the Recla Board of Education approve the FY26 final budget as submitted. Is there a motion to approve the recommendation? >> Nandis so moved. >> Is there a second? >> Second. Beth Toris has been properly

164moved and seconded. Any discussion? >> Uh I just want to thank Dr. Ammon who met with me a couple times over the last couple months and spent several hours going over the budget with me and answering all my questions. So I want to thank you for that. Um, I uh learned about building budgets and um, you know, how those are determined and I hope that moving forward that we can u find ways to meaningfully engage our employees, our staff in uh, providing feedback and input on those budgets. So, thank you though. Okay. >> Thank you. Uh, Miss Stevens, please call the vote. >> Miss English, >> yes. >> Mr. Henson, >> yes. >> Miss Landis, >> Nandis, yes. >> Mr. Matthews, >> yes. >> Miss Sander, >> yes. >> Miss Tortois, >> yes. >> Mr.

165Leonard, >> yes. >> Unanimous. Motion carries. >> Action item H. It is recommended that the Red Clay board have moved the Red Clay administration to review the following policies for board consideration. Policy 420 administrative vacancies policy 813 school choice and policy 94 advisory committees to the board. Um after anal draft first reading, uh this will go before the board policy review committee before it's up for a final vote for the board. >> Okay. So you want to go with 4021st. Any discussion? I'm >> has there has it been moved? >> Is there a motion to approve the recommendation? >> So moved. Best foris. >> Is there a second? >> Second. Susan Sander. >> It's properly moved and seconded. Any discussion? >> Okay. >> Do we need to give the charge of what we're looking to

166um have them look at? So if I know Mr. Leonard has brought forth policy 4,020 and 9,04 and Mr. Matthews has 813 and so if they provide that to us with the information that they're seeking, we can review that and then handle it that way. >> Okay. So 4020 administrative vacancies and uh the other was committees to the board. Um any discussion anything else? I think the committees to the board is something that we've been looking at clarifying around who's um how the different committees are made up, how how they're working, is it oversight, is it listening sessions um to the work being done. So, I think there's some language in there that might be able to be um clarified. Um, and I believe the school choice um policy making it access more accessible to

167more families in the district to be able to be applying um I think was what Mr. um Matthews was looking for. >> Okay. Well, um the 904 was my recommendation that we uh record and post all meetings. Uh and we'll see we'll send that and see what happens with that. and the other was just uh to clarify some loopholes in uh administrative vacancies. I don't know, Mr. Matthews, you have anything about choice you want to say? >> Mr. Matthews with us. >> Um uh President Leonard, thank you. Um that is accurate. Um u board member um to uh pretty much sums it up. I appreciate it. >> Okay. Thank you very much. All right. Any other discussion? Is there a motion to approve the recommendation? >> So move Susan Sander. >> Is there a second?

168>> We already moved second. >> We moved >> policy 4020 but not the other two. Are we doing them all individually or >> I mean you had discussion on them all and it's recommended that you move all three. So I would just >> unless you want to partial them out. That's Barack. vote on them individually. >> Okay. All right. So, 4020. Uh, there's a motion to approve. Is there a second? >> 4020. >> Second. Best to it. >> Thank you. Any discussion? Miss Stevens, please call the role. >> Miss English. >> Yes. >> Mr. Henson, >> which one is this? >> Vacancies >> admin admin vacancies. >> Yeah. Yes. Yes. I'm sorry. Sorry about that. Yes, >> Miss Landis. Nandis. Yes, Mr. Matthews. Mr. Matthews, >> yes. >> Miss Sander, >> yes. >> Miss Toris,

169>> yes. >> Mr. Leonard, >> yes. >> Unanimous. Motion carries. >> 813. Dealing with choice. Is there a motion to approve the recommendation? >> Nandis. So moved. >> Second, Deonson. >> Thank you. It's been properly moved and seconded. Any discussion? Miss Stevens, please call the role the vote. >> Miss Landis Najandis, yes. >> Miss English, >> yes. >> Mr. Henson, >> yes. >> Mr. Matthews, >> yes. >> Miss Sander, >> yes. >> Miss Portoris, >> yes. >> Mr. Leonard, >> yes. >> Unanimous. Motion carries. 9,04 >> 94 committees to the board. Is there a motion to approve the recommendation? >> So moved. Devon Hson. >> Is there a second? Thank you. >> Second. >> Thank you very much. It's been properly moved and seconded. Any discussion? Miss Stevens, please call the vote. >> Miss English?

170>> Yes. >> Mr. Henson? >> Yes. >> Miss Landis? >> Nelandis? Yes. >> Mr. Matthews? >> Yes. Miss Sander, >> yes. >> Miss Toris, >> yes. >> Mr. Leonard, >> yes. >> Unanimous. Motion carries. >> Thank you. Action. Consite items. Does anyone anything need to be removed from consent items before we move? Then is there a motion to approve the consent agenda? >> Naj Mandis. So moved. >> Thank you. >> Best for a second. >> Thank you. All in favor? >> I opposed. Motion carries. Okay. Uh we have schoolboard committee reports. Cbox is budget oversight committee from 3:11. >> I'll give that report. Um just in the interest of brevity because it is getting late and I I don't want to go on and on but we heard a lot of um the presentation on

171the final budget which was wonderful. I'd like to thank Dr. Susan Huffman for her presentation on the WLC and the work they've done and the admirable progress they've made. So, thank you to uh Dr. Huffman for her um insights into the WLC. Um and that's that's pretty much it. >> Okay. Thank you. Del School Board Association from 34. >> I will be giving that report. Um, so Red Clay is a member of the Delaware State Board Association, and I do know that um I'm not the official representative from our board, but I was able to go because Mr. Matthews was not. Um, I have official minutes from DSBA that I just received, so I will be um handing those in so that they will be reflective in board docs. But overall, we had a director's

172report from DSBA. And we also heard from the legislative committee which is I was very excited that I was there but I was also I think it's a moment to realize that when there are these spaces that red clay is invited to we need to be showing up because specifically the legislation committee at DSBA had met and given their recommendations as far as if they were deciding on upcoming legislations if we if DSBA was neutral in opposition or in support of some of these positions and laws that were um going to be discussed. The board approved all of the proposed positions except for one which is HB243 which this is a bill that would allow in that would put into law the ability for school boards to continue to split the tax rate. This came

173out after last year that our school board voted to split the tax rate. That is actually ending in June or July. I believe this law will um if passed will um be able to allow school boards to use that tool if they so need to. Originally the legislative committee for DSBA had proposed a position of opposing but due to conversation at that DSBA meeting the change was made from opposing the position to supporting the position. We also have the national school board uh conference coming up. There's 36 members across the state that will be attending um representing Delaware including President Leonard, Vice President Susan Sandard, Najmin Landis and myself. Um that conference is a national conference that will allow us to attend workshops on governance, learning and networking with other schoolboard members. We also received

174an election update from DSBA and school boards across the state. And then we participated in a roundt discussion about um topics that are affecting school boards across the state and cell phones were at the top of those. So that was um very interesting to hear how other districts and other boards are handling that. And um our next meeting will be May 6th at the Grey Fox Grill. >> And just if I may, just to update the board in the community. So the state school board meets tomorrow night. Um, and in my role as the president of the Delaware Chief Schools Office Association, which is a superintendent group, we asked for forgiveness for the two state of emergency days, um, which was January 26 and I believe February 22nd. Um, but in order for those days

175to get forgive to seek forgiveness, it has to get petitioned to the Secretary of Ed who then has to present that to the state board of education. And so on behalf of the 19 school districts across the state, we did submit a letter to Secretary Martin um with the hopes of getting those two days forgive forgiven. We also know DSEA um also has endorsed and supported that as well. So hopefully we'll have two less days. Again, those are state of emergency days that had travel restrictions. State offices were closed. Um and so we feel like those are two days that our staff should not have to um make up as a result. So, I just wanted that as to talk about DSBA and boards that that is going forward the state board of education tomorrow

176evening. >> Dr. Green, do you think um you'll need anyone to advocate or send in public comment to support those days being forgiven? >> No, I'm I feel good about the argument. Again, it you know, with travel restrictions, I think the two things that came out of these two storms is the overall impact. Um the first storm disproportionately impacted Newcastle County more so than than Sussex and then the last storm actually impacted Sussex more. Um but we do have staff members who drive from Kent and Sussex to come and work in rec. And so when you're having driving restrictions, hopefully we articulated that argument enough to where we get that support. So thank you for advocating that. We appreciate it. >> But if you want to feel free to because then I don't want to

177take you up on it and then they deny it and I'm like, "Oh man, I should have had I haven't paid for it." Okay. The woman learning collab. >> Oh, I'm sorry. Facilities from 32. >> Hi, I'll be giving that report. Um uh just in in in um the interest of brevity, I will keep it short. We had uh updates on the ESCO project. Uh just year to date, our um solar panels have generated whoa $111,000 in savings for the district. Wow. Uh we got some major cap updates. The work is ongoing. Um we're having trouble getting some of the bids in. So, we're um pushing the contractors to get their bids in and there are some ongoing issues with the HVAC system at Cook that are being worked on currently. Once again, my complete

178report will be in board docs is on board docs. >> Thank you, Miss Sanders. Uh wing collab. >> Yes. Uh so, I I'll keep it brief. Um uh I guess the two big items that were discussed at the last WLC meeting, one being a budget update from the new CFO and then the discussion of the WC's presentation at the general assembly uh hearing and uh we are currently working on uh seeing what level of flexibility we have as far as the uh adjustments that have been made to the to the current budget uh or the proposed budget. And um I hope to be able to provide a uh I guess more extensive um report after the next um WLC meeting which will be taking place on April 1st. Um so fingers crossed for that. >>

179Um aside from that my it's it's it's in my report is in in boards for anybody to review. >> And for the board edification we are um requesting a formal presentation to the board from WLC um at April's board meeting. Initially we had preliminary hazards scheduled for this month but there was some travel conflicts and again for those that are aware obviously in the governor's recommended budget there is a proposed cut to WLC funding um that we'll see what happens during the the joint finance committee's budget markup before it is finally approved. >> Exactly. And then we also I just also wanted to touch on the fact that we are working um to see where our flexibility is to ensure that the people cost specifically um can continue to be covered um you know just

180due to you know for a number of roles just specifically for the roles that are uh the WLC funds for our district as well as uh staff etc. So thank you. >> Okay, thank you for that update. All right. Items submitted by the board. Uh, Miss Knandis. >> Um, so I have submitted uh a resolution um to direct the board at next the next BOE meeting in April to um re-examine our implementation date for uh the McCain Innovation Center. I've um met with several staff across the district um secondary schools across the district and heard a lot of their stories, their concerns, their anxiety that they're hearing from their students and families and community. Um, so I put together this uh item in hopes to provide some clarity moving forward with the plan and hopefully

181um to to get more engagement and buyin in the process so that we can all um find a way to reimagine secondary education where everyone feels like their voices are being heard. Thank you. And I think we'll learn more from our next meeting uh of the committee uh so we can make a sound decision uh next month. Anything else? Okay, we have information items there and brings us to adjournment. Next meeting be April 15th right here, Richson Park. May I have a motion to adjourn the meeting? >> Nandis. So moved. >> Do I have a second? Beth second. >> All in favor? >> I >> post >> I meeting adjourned. Thank you for that. >> Pass my bedtime. >> Is it pass time? >> Mr. Mrs. Reamer, I'll excuse