Special Board Meeting - December 08, 2025

001[music] Heat. Heat. >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. >> [music] [music] >> Heat. [music] Heat. >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [music] Heat. Heat. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. [music] I'd like to call this meeting to order. >> Good evening. >> Can I get a roll call? >> President Sterling >> here. Vice President Thompson >> here. >> Board member Mcnite >> present. >> Board member McKenna >> here. >> Board member Carlson >> here. >> Johnson here. Secretary here. >> Terrell Yarro superintendent. >> Terrell Yarro. Superintendent. >> Shelley Wagner. Human resources. >> Michelle Herb curriculum and instruction. >> Josh, business and operations. All right. Thank you. Get everybody [clears throat] to stand. >> Dr. Would you like to lead us off? >> To the flag

002of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Good evening everyone. Thank you for coming to this hearing. I would like to call this hearing to order. This hearing is going to be conducted pursuant to section 10-22.13 of the Illinois School Code. The hearing will begin with the presentation from administration on the issues confronting us. Thereafter, we'll open the hearing to public comments. We have some guidelines for the public comment. We understand the importance of the topic before us. We greatly value and welcome your comments. Your opinions are essential to the decision-making process. Our goal is to ensure that all voices are heard in a respectful and orderly manner. We have set aside two hours for this meeting. Each

003speaker will have three minutes to share their comments to ensure equitable access. Any public comment requiring Spanish interpretation will have a time limit of six minutes to account for the time needed for interpretation. You may not donate your time to another speaker. When you come to the podium, please state your name. All comments should be directed to the board as a whole, not to an individual board member, administrator, or attendees. Demonstrations such as shouting, cheering, booing, and personal attacks and/or of any other behavior that disrupts the hearing will not be tolerated. We appreciate your cooperation and helping us maintain a constructive environment. We look forward to hearing all your perspectives in a courteous and civil manner. Thank you that all right. Thank you, President uh Sterling. Um again, good evening everyone and thank you for

004being here tonight. Uh your presence reminds us of the strength and unity that defines our community. We're not gathered here simply to discuss a plan. We're here because we believe in building a future that honors our staff, uplifts our students, and strengthens the foundation we all share. Before we begin public comments, we as an admin team, we want to clear up a few misconceptions about this proposed change. These changes at the heart of this process is care. care for our students and those who make this community strive. None of us would choose to walk this path unless it was truly necessary. But sometimes the most difficult roads lead to the most meaningful progress. All right. So again, what we want to um reiterate to everyone is that the rationale for this change declining enrollment. when

005we started to look at again our enrollment you know and and where we stood with that um particularly in our buildings um we really needed to to make sure um that we were able to balance out our buildings. We have some of our buildings right now um where a capacity of may maybe 460 students are about 220 right now and so we really needed to look at that to figure out a way to balance all of that out. Um, again affecting that is sever of our buildings are at or below roughly 60% utilization. A typical building when you're talking about maximum utilization, you really want to be around um 80%. And we're and we're not there. And so that's why um we really have to look at something like this. And then two, and this

006is we're going to dive into this a little bit more um with Mr. Iran. when you when you saw the headline and it said 3.1 million deficit, um, everyone's assuming Harlem's broke, like we have no money, right? And that's not the case. This is an operational deficit. And this is something that Mr. Iran will explain further and really dive deep into how that looks and and which pockets um come out of of which um which buckets when we talk about money and how things are spent within the district. And so, I just want to reiterate that like we're not broke. um we do have money. We could have um continued down this path, you know, maybe two, three more years, but when you look at it then we would have been further behind. Um when

007you look at other districts like Evston's, for example, that is going through the same thing that we're going through at a 15 million deficit right now. That's not something that that we want to be or where we want to be. And so that's where we are um with this process. So when you look at the again the enrollment trends you got that this is just reiterating that these enrollment trends are only for our K5 enrollment starting in 2009 and going to 2026. Another misconception too and I and we've seen this as well is that you know what if sixth grade was added you know to this because this is only K5 numbers. If sixth grade was added to these numbers this decline would even be worse. And so by it being K5, you see at

008the height it was uh 3,192 students um up until now uh 2,661. So now what we'll do is we'll go into um our comparative enrollment. Dr. Bloom. >> Yes, Dr. Yarro mentioned with the decline, what we've seen is a mirroring of the Winnebago County uh rate as well. um they've decreased since 2009 about uh 18% um 17 to 18% and we're right about there as well. So we're mirroring the the county rates when we look at um uh birth uh birth rates within the county and then our enrollment trends across the district. Um up here we just put this together. This was just a different visualization of a slide that many of you have seen in the presentation previously which showed our capacity limits um a comparison from FY7 through FY26. Uh so this just

009gives you a little bit more of a visual representation of what our uh numbers look like. We chose FY7 because um this is one of our more recent um higher enrollments as as a school district. We've seen some trends as that's gone from the mid70s we were at the highest we've ever been. Um and then we saw late 80s another jump up and then um here in this 06 07 uh time frame as well. And so this just gives you a little bit of breakdown as what what to what Dr. Yarbo was just talking about as far as where our buildings were at that time and where we're sitting uh currently with our enrollment. >> All right. Good evening. There are a few items that I would like to clarify regarding this slide and Dr.

010Yarro just talked about a little bit. Some interpreted this slide to mean that the district is broke or out of money, which is not the case. What this slide is showing is the current projected operational deficit in our education fund. When we look back at the district's ending FY25 fund balance, so last school year, um it shows an amount of just over $34 million. When you take all of our funds and add them up, we had a fund balance of about 34 million. There were also some comments or concerns regarding the district's audits. So on our website, uh there are the district's last six years of audits. Um and our FY25 audit for last year will be presented at our upcoming committee of the whole meeting by our auditor Sikitch and that audit will also

011be uploaded to our website once it is approved. Q slide. So this shows this shows the different kinds of funds as Dr. Arbo had mentioned and a vast majority of our expenditures are in the education funds. So that's teachers or really anything for teaching and learning. Um our tort fund pays our workers comp and liability insurance, our operations and maintenance, keeps upkeep of the buildings, utilities, repairs, uh transportation is kind of self-explanatory, but all things transportation related. And then the bottom two right ones, the middle one is the capital projects fund, which is funds a lot of our big um one-time facility projects. And then the one on the bottom right is our life safety fund, which are life safety approved projects, too. So that's where a lot of our projects are coded out of.

012>> Thank you. So this graph shows the rising cost of staffing for early childhood and the relatively flat funding from 2019 through 2026. Uh when the grant was written and we received in 2019, it was designed to be all-encompassing um to support 360 students. It was supposed to be that after the first three years, we were supposed to have the opportunity to rewrite the grant and make any adjustments that were needed. Uh but the since then the state has not had us rewrite the grant. They have continued to maintain the amount that we had been receiving and the only way that you could rewrite the grant was if you wrote for more students and they were putting the priority uh was given to communities with limited or no early childhood program. So the graph really

013shows that since 2019 we have received only about a 2% increase whereas the cost of living has gone up between 25 and 30%. The early childhood preschool for all grant has many different expectations um including that we can't charge families for um enrollment. We cannot ask them to bring any supplies in or materials. Um the grant tells us what type of assessment and curriculum that we need to use, the uh type of license and endorsement that teachers need to have and those are just some of the guidelines and expectations that are given within the grant. But we have a whole bunch of rules that we need to follow within it. Um this grant graph here shows only the cost for the teachers and the paras. it doesn't include um in the green anything else that

014we are ending up um purchasing. So, at this point, the district has picked up the cost of uh special education teachers, social workers, ESL teachers, most of the materials and supplies, the required assessment, uh transportation, snacks, and then we even had to cut our two parent educators, unfortunately, because um it got to a point that we could not afford to have them in the grant. In uh spring of 2024, the state acknowledged the fact that early childhood heard just try that again. Early childhood programs were underfunded and so they gave a one um time hardship uh grant that we ended up getting over a million dollars because we were able to show that we were spending that out of uh the district. So even with the support that we got with the hardship, the annual

015allocations haven't kept up with uh salaries and benefits and the service requirements. Now all of you who know me know that this um how much I care about early childhood education and uh the value that it has in supporting our students, closing the opportunity gaps, especially for those students who are at risk. And this breaks my heart that even thinking about having to decrease these numbers. But unfortunately, this is what our financial reality has become. For every dollar we receive, we pretty much pay uh out of our local funds to help support the program. So that's why unfortunately we can only no longer sustain the nine classes and we need to um go to two as the highest that we can financially support. Now that is our floor. It's not our ceiling. If we can

016get additional funding, that's what we would like to do. We don't want it to be two classrooms. It's just where we can um maintain right now. I do want to say how much I appreciate all the people who've advocated for early childhood. Um and uh we've received different suggestions on ways to reallocate positions in order to fund early childhood. Um Mr. Ran and I met and even looked at some of those possibilities, but it doesn't solve our core problem because as we add additional staff, we add additional expenses as well. Um, bringing in classroom costs, transportation, uh, additional instructional materials. So, unfortunately, it's a program issue. Uh, secondly, if we did that, we continue to deficit spend, which continues our problem. Um, our only long-term solution is is revenue and funding. Uh, we have had

017someone reach out to Dr. Yarro who wanted to hear our story and see if they could help advocate with us and um, they have gotten us in contact with someone from the state for early childhood policy advocacy who we uh, have a meeting set up this week. So, I remain very hopeful that we can continue to try to work through this and get additional funding. Um, we are also actively working to get funding from the state. I've been in contact since September with the state trying to change the number of students that we serve. So, if we can drop it from 360 to a different number of students to support, that would allow us the possibility of additional classrooms. So, um, but I do want to point out the reason why I was so supportive

018of scenario 7. It's the only one that allows us beyond two classrooms and [snorts] so of early childhood. So, I'm working hard on trying to obtain more money, but I need the space along with that um, as we look at any type of a plan. So, like I said earlier, this is not what I want to have to sit here and and share, but it is unfortunately our reality. We value early childhood. I value early childhood. Um we believe in its impact and uh we're committed and trying to do everything we can to keep as many classrooms as possible. >> Cost that that she was discussing. >> Sure. So transportation specifically related to early childhood is we take the kids home at the midday and we pick them up at the midday and that also

019doesn't count as like claimable miles for us too. So, it's a pretty significant cost at the middle of the day to drop off and pick back up. >> What does that mean? >> What do you mean? >> What does that mean to the to someone who's hearing it for the first time? >> So, we have to pay the drivers to and the the bus aids to take the kids home. So, there's salary and benefits involved in that fuel. Um and then when we do our transportation claim that impacts uh the revenue and and gives less transportation money >> because the state doesn't claim that as >> because it's not a required education piece. >> So it comes out of our transportation fund when normally it would be an education thing. >> Yes. >> So okay

020>> um we want this to be you know about you and continuing to hear um from you. Um so um board president Sterling, you want to start with the public comments? >> Yeah. >> Speaker, >> it doesn't matter. >> Okay. >> So my question is especially since you have this early childhood thing up here. So you had surpluses in those years is what you're saying. Now did you I mean did you add them into the next year so your numbers look better? You know what I mean? Like all the purple should have been added in when you look like you're losing money or it pays for transportation or what. I mean that I don't understand. And then um the other thing I don't understand is on page two of your you know and sorry I'll

021probably take more than three minutes since you had 29 pages but >> you only get three minutes. >> I know. So you said the births you know dropped in Harlem but your chart shows it's Wnebago County. So those aren't you know there's so many statistics in here that aren't really Harlem exclusive. And um and when you're trying to do 2007 to 2025, there's just no comparison. I went to school when we only went half days. I mean, somehow Harlem made it work. And there's so many things on here you should be able to make work. And why did insurance go up? If you knew you had a deficit and it was coming in 2020, why did insurance go up six million and salaries go up seven million? you can't give that money out if you

022don't have it. And to me, the biggest problem here is salaries. And it's more the um principles and stuff. I mean, you got six principles at the high school, four at the junior high. I compared it to Rockford and there's no comparison. I mean, they have 41 schools, we have 11 schools. I mean, you're topheavy. It's not the teachers always, but still you can't. And the and the insurance was 13 million in 2021. How does it get to 19 million in 2025? Because if you look back from 2021 on up, it only went up minimally and then it jumped. So to me, it's sad to think that I couldn't figure out why all these numbers were so off. And you said that, you know, the schools in Chicago do that. Well, they they don't have

023a problem. I mean, they have a problem because they have a lot more students. We don't have that many students. And I don't have a problem with you closing one school or two, but you still need to keep first through fifth together that you do neighborhood schools, kids walk. It's less busing for you guys. And there's a lot of stuff you can do with that. And um there's one more thing that I want you to see. Oh, somebody said that uh [clears throat] that the the principles were a state law. You had to go by state law with how many principles you have. And that's not true because I called the state and they said the only thing they do is special ed and something to do like with preschools or something. They have no

024requirements for how many principles you have to have. when we went and like I said there was 9th and 10th from noon till 4:30 and 11th and 12th from 7 to 11:30 we had two principles I mean so there was a lot like you said a lot more kids there so I think before you start cutting things or closing schools which Olsen is fine because my grandkids go there and I don't like that school especially I was just talking to somebody walking in what you have to do to get those kids out of there if there's an active shooter because there's no doors on. >> Thank you. >> And stuff. So, it's something you need to look at. >> Jordan Smith. Hello. I'm speaking to you today as a parent and an educator. Thank you

025for the opportunity to share my concerns. From a family standpoint, the propo the proposed parenting plan creates major challenges. First, it increases the number of school transitions. Students would change schools three times in six years. The research shows that multiple transitions in the early primary years can be detrimental to both academic and social emotional development. Just because this structure has existed in parts of the district before doesn't mean it is the best model for all families. My family moved into the Rson boundaries intentionally. The community we've built there has been incredible and important for my children. These teachers and staff go from seeing my children at their events from infants to toddling in the hallways to teaching them in their classrooms. Because of this, they will already have a sense of familiarity when they enter

026rston. Under the proposed model, parent communities would be more fragmented. A single family could be involved in four to five schools at once. In my case, I will have next year a middle schooler, a fifth grader, a third grader, a kindergarter, and possibly a preschooler if he made the cut. That means different schools for family nights, conferences, concerts, fundraisers, and meet the teacher events. For single parent households or families work with working parents, this dramatically reduces the ability to stay engaged. And we all know strong parent school connection is vital to student success. This also impacts teachers who are parents within the district. Their professional responsibilities may increasingly conflict with involvement in their own children's schools. Transportation becomes more complicated as well. Family with multiple children will struggle with drop off and pickup at several

027buildings as well as possible different bus times and bus routes. For our younger students could become longer and more difficult at a time when drivers are already scarce and behaviors are high. For teachers, this structure introduces significant emotional strain strain. Forced building or grade changes creates uncertainty, anxiety, and a loss of professional identity. Teachers may feel that they're starting over with new expectations, new administers, new building cultures, and even curriculum if they're forced to change grades. This disrupts the relationships and support systems that they rely on. When teachers feel interchangeable, morale drops and retention suffers. We must ask, where will the social emotional supports be for the very people who are expected to support our children through these transitions? You cannot pour from an empty bucket. And finally, there are concerns about the early childhood

028services from our community child care centers in this district. These centers feed into our EC programs and they cannot provide the same specialized supports our district currently offers. Under this plan, some children will lose access to these services entirely. Families may struggle with insurance, transportation, or time to seek outside services. The result will be increased behavioral and academic challenges at the early childhood level. These challenges will ultimately follow these children who are in our district into kindergarten and beyond. Thank you for listening and for considering the real impacts the scenario could have on our students, our teachers, and our families. Stephanie Gazi Ritter Good evening. I am speaking tonight from the perspective of a current staff member and a former parent. Sadly, it is obvious that some changes need to happen for the district to

029stay financially healthy, and I certainly do not envy those that need to make this decision. As hard as it is, we know that buildings will need to close. We also know there will be redistricting and that this will affect students, family, and staff. If scenario 7 is approved, the amount of staffing and redistricting changes that will need to be made could increase exponentially, disrupting the lives of a larger number of students, families, and staff. Scenario seven seems like an extreme change and then what and one that feels as if it is a complete dismantling of what our Harlem community is. I had two children that attended Rston and are proud Harlem graduates. In 2005, my husband, their father, unexpectedly passed away, excuse me, two weeks before the start of the school year. My son was

03012 and was heading to the middle school, which is a natural transition for his age. However, my daughter was eight, getting ready to start third grade. If the elementary schools were set up as we're looking at with scenario seven two weeks after her father passed away, she would have been going to a new building where she would know not the building, not the staff. And I can't imagine the trauma that would have occurred with that. Sorry. Trauma is one of the things that concerns me most about this plan. [snorts] As a district, we have focused on trauma- based training for years and it's about building relationships to work through that trauma, work with our students. Scenario 7 compromises the ability to do this. We work on building relationships with all of our students, but children

031with trauma crave and need predictability and stability. Moving building buildings every two years negates this component. What will our PTO's and PTAs look like? As a Rston parent, I was involved with our PTO and now as the building secretary, I work closely with our PTO. We are lucky enough to have a strong PTO that supports our staff and students. They raise money to reimburse teachers for expenses, to improve and beautify our buildings and grounds, to purchase larger larger items for our schools, to hold fun family events, to fund exper fund experiences for our students. If we only have students for two years, will families continue to raise money if their children do not reap the benefits? The list of items and concerns could go on and on. I believe that we need to minimize the

032negative impacts on students, families, and staff while addressing the financial challenges we are facing. Personally, I don't feel as if scenario 7 accomplishes this. Again, I do not any of envy any of you for the vote you have to make and the decision you need to make, but I want to thank you for your time and commitment to this district. Thank you, >> Tim Dhy. My name is Tim Dhy. My wife and I have three current elementary students and a fourth who will soon be in kindergarten. We are both Harlem alumni and lifelong Harlem supporters. I myself am a third generation Harlem graduate. As educators ourselves, we reviewed this proposal both professionally and personally. It would be an understatement to say that we reject scenario 7 in its entirety. The top goal objective was to

033put students first. However, scenario 7 fails to do so. To put it simply, we would not support any proposal, including two-year grade bands, and neither should the board. As an elementary school principal in one of the neighboring districts listed in the proposal, I can personally attest to the challenges that frequent transitions present regarding student anxiety, logistics, vertical alignment, and student report card data. You will hear various arguments from parents across the district this week, and after a while, they will all start to blend together. So maybe this will stand out to you. In an effort to actually put students first, my wife and I interviewed our fifth and third grade daughters at Rston. We started by asking them what they love most about going to Rston. They said, "The specials are fun and the teachers

034are nice. We get to see teachers that we already had around the school. We know the rules and where everything is. And Mr. Rollinsson is the best principal and we get to be with him for a long time." When we asked them how things would be different if they were only in each school for 2 years, they said, "I wouldn't like switching schools all the time. I wouldn't get to say hi to former teachers. I wouldn't open up as easily to teachers and that would be too much to handle. It's just too much change. Lastly, we told them that some people were trying to make it so their younger siblings would only attend Rston for fourth and fifth grade. Their response was, "No, that can't happen. It's not fair. Kids should go to school with

035their siblings. I feel safer going to school with my sister because we can look out for each other. Please don't let that happen." We assured them that we were going to do everything in our power not to let that happen. What we discovered was that all the things that they loved about school would be stripped away from them under scenario 7. Board members, when you vote on this proposal, I want you to think about our four kids and every student in this district as real kids and not just data points. Our recommendation would be to pursue scenario two. This provides more balanced approach to gaining financial stability while preserving neighborhood schools for the majority. Hearing the proposal of scenario 7 was not only shocking and disheartening for me and my wife, it was also embarrassing

036to think that it was even a viable option in the minds of our district administration. I want my kids to be fourth generation Harlem graduates, but I've accepted the fact that this may not be the case if scenario 7 is approved. Kylie and I are anxiously awaiting the upcoming board meeting and a unanimous no vote for scenario 7. Thank you for your time. [applause] Gonna try not to murder this last name. Uh Megan at Emerson Parkway. Hi guys, can you hear me? Okay, >> thanks. I have three kids in the Harlem District, one in EC and two in elementary. I'm choosing to speak today because I am severely disappointed in the lack of response that I received from the board. I reached out to each one of you and I did not get a response

037except from Michael and Kurt. I asked you what can we do and more specific questions and I did not get a response. It's disappointing and I I as a parent want to help in this situation and I was giving I was given nothing. We're stakeholders in this situation. Kurt, you told me that there was really our hands are tied, right? It's a very complex situation. That doesn't answer my questions that I didn't get answers. This district has known that changes were coming since 2018. And you've previously discussed that a school might close. Since that time, outside of a board meeting, where were we notified that the district was seeing a lack of funding, enrollment, and that you were discussing changes that were going to be made in the last 2 years of around 122? All

038the emails we're seeing, money coming in from donors, expansions in programs, upgrades to buildings. Where were we going to be informed? When were we going to be informed? You announced this ambitious change that would be implemented in the next school year and gave us less than 30 days to absorb and to truly fully comprehend all of this. Changes that impact how our households run, what our children's futures look like. I think it's shameful, honestly. And if scenario 7 passes, all of us, after all of this backlash that you've received, you'll prove what some people are saying is that you've made your decision. We're not coming first. Behind closed doors, you decided on scenario seven and that these public hearings are basically to save you from any legal backlash and that the timing was intentional. Cutting

039early childhood is incred incredibly irresponsible. That's where our children learn most of our social emotional skills, which elementary schools heavily focus on, which our district pays a lot of money for. And I'm not going to stand here and tell you all the consequences of cutting early childhood because you've announced them yourselves. You understand cutting early childhood, the impacts that it will have on our community. What I will say is that this proves to us that our kids are not at the forefront of this administration. And I have lost so much respect and faith in this district that I moved my family to in hopes of something better from than what we came from. And to the parents, I say we deserve better. And these improvement they you guys made improvements to our schools and poured

040money into our schools, especially Olsen Park. And now you're voting to close them. And I feel like this is a lack of planning and incompetent incompetent decision-making. And this board represents the parents, our kids, us. So it is important that you for it's important for us parents to ensure that our voices are heard during this time. It's time that we take a stand and we don't let this happen again. We need to be informed. Thank you [applause] >> Ellie Riner. [snorts] [clears throat] Oh, I am tall enough. Um, my name is Ally Reiner and I am the pup lab kindergarten teacher at Parker Center. Um, where I've been teaching special education for almost nine school years now. I want to start by thanking all of you um, for having these meetings and being willing to

041face such harsh harsh criticism. I love working at Parker Center and take pride in working in the Harlem District. There are a few things that have stuck out to me through this process that I feel need highlighting. One, school districts are nonprofits. Many function in deficits, and we are currently not in a deficit. The new elementary reading curriculum that was rushed through last spring after a very minimal pilot and not much teacher support, zero kindergarten teachers to be exact, cost about $750, sorry, $750,000. It seems that these funds could have been used more effectively, for example, by reallocating them to save our EC program. A positive that continued to be noted in the scenarios where kindergarten joined other grade levels were quote instructional coherence and quote collaboration. I don't necessarily agree that these would be

042real life benefits. To be quite frank, kindergarten is still early childhood. I've been in and worked in K5 buildings. Either kindergarten becomes the forgotten grade level or they're forced to implement developmentally inappropriate practices. Furthermore, Parker Center is literally built for small children. um updating it to fit upper elementary as scenario 2 outlines would require a complete renovation including bathrooms. We have tiny toilets um sinks and playground equipment which costs a lot of money. It's been stated that the bands are similar to area districts. I worked in an area district probably being referenced um as far as I know they are EC to two and three to five not true grade levels at a time. The final and most concerning part about all of this is the cut to EC. There is an abundance of research

043available regarding the benefits of EC. The fact that every single scenario cuts 280 spots is unacceptable to me. Harlem needs to do better for our youngest learners, their future, and the future of our schools and overall community. Why are the youngest students being impacted the most while the middle school, high school, and hack remain untouched? To conclude, due to the projected deficit, it seems appropriate to take a scaffolded approach, such as closing a building or two next year. Completely dismantling the entire structure of our EC and elementary schools seems entirely excessive and unnecessary at this time. >> Thank you, [applause] >> Thomas Slugget. >> [snorts] >> Good evening. I'm Mr. Slagot. I am a graduate of Harlem, former teacher of Harlem, former administrator of Harlem, and presently a substitute teacher. This is not the first

044time Harlem school district has faced difficulty with low enrollment and deficit spending. Harlem's enrollment has been like a roller coaster since the 1980s. Is constantly going up and down, up and down. We have dealt with school closings before. However, this is the first time we have experienced a proposal that would end our neighborhood school concept. This east west proposal would have a negative effect outcome to the educational achievement especially to those at the elementary students who would normally walk to school. It is questionable if it's in the best interest of the students especially K and first grade to be bus to three different schools elementary schools in instead of attending their neighborhood school. Parents with more than one elementary child may find it challenging to attend PTA meetings, school events, and parent conferences. It is

045unfortunate that two elementary schools are to be closed. It should be noted though, it's also difficult for the administration to create new boundary lines for home schools. But Harlem administration has met that challenge before in the past. For example, I remember students living on Harvest Trail attending Lus Park Elementary School. Now, if you don't know where Harvest Trail is, if you take Riverside like you're going to Costco, you [clears throat] get to the mobile station with the lights, you take a left up in that neighborhood is Harvest Trail. And for a student to travel to Lo Park, they have to go down Riverside, cross Alpine, cross Forest Hills, cross North Second Street to get to Love Park Elementary Schools, but those boundary lines were drawn so that the neighborhood concept schools could be there. It

046is questionable that the east west concept will improve academic performance or district test results due in part to the challenges in the buildings and busting required in this proposal. Also, what happens when the enrollment increases or the financial situation gets better? Are you going to go back to the neighborhood school concept? If so, it may be beneficial to keep the neighborhood schools in place and just redraw the boundary lines. Thank you. >> Thank you. [applause] >> You like it or lose? Okay, scenario seven. One of the most drastic and disruptive proposals this district has ever put forward. Many of us now understand why the sixth grade was moved so quickly and the decision about closing schools was delayed until after elections. These actions feel connected, like steps in a long-term plan that ultimately places several

047of our elementary schools at risk for closure. What will become of the building you the buildings that you are coming they the buildings that you are cutting they will still need to be maintained heated cooled what is your plan with these buildings and I have to be honest the proposal for scenario 7 is a slap in the face for every staff member student every parent every community member in this district sends a message to our schools our relationships and our community roots are somehow replaceable and they're not. All of this is happening. While um sorry, got off there. Um also, if we're going to be justifying closures, we need to be honest about the problems already created. Students at the middle school are being taught in outdoor classrooms with no bathrooms and insufficient heating. Lo's

048Park had a fire this year and eight classes that don't have doors as well. Yet, we talk about Olsson Park as unsafe. So, is this a safety issue or a money issue? These contradictions only deepen mistrust and confusion. We have Alice drills in place at Olsson Park that we get our kids out in less than three minutes and e and we coordinate that with the police and it is all taken care of and they are out they always give us recognition on how fast we can do that. Let's also talk about million the millions of dollars invested into built in Olsen Park building over the last two years. New heating and cooling systems, a completely new playground, new blacktop, an entirely new parking lot this summer, millions of dollars spent for what? If the plan

049was to all along close, why invest so heavily? Why install all of the Why install all of this if the closure was already in your minds? This is not just poor planning. It feels disrespectful, wasteful, and it leaves families and staff wondering if transparency ever truly existed in this process. But beyond the contradictions, beyond the numbers and dollar signs, lies and emotional impact, closing at any school is heartbreaking. These buildings hold thousands of childhood memories, hallways filled with laughter, stories shared between friends, graduates walking down those floors one last time. These buildings carry decades of love, learning and community. They are more than structures. They are they are history. They are home. The district spent significant resource training staff to be trauma informed. Teachers were taught that children need stability, consistency, and strong relationships. Yet,

050under scenario seven, students would be moved every two years. A child who finally opens up. Oh, shoot. Okay, I'll be back tomorrow. Thank you. [applause] We'll make sure that you're first tomorrow, Jennifer Hartman. >> I'm going to try to read this because I'm a little emotional about the whole thing. So, good evening. My name is Jennifer Hartman and I'm a parent at Olsen Park and an active member of our PTA. I'm here to speak against proposal 7. I want to be very clear. I understand budgets are real and tough decisions sometimes have to be made. I'm not ignoring the financial challenges the district is facing, but the way proposal 7 solves these challenges asks our youngest students in our neighborhood schools to carry a burden that I believe is too heavy and frankly unfair. Under

051this plan, children as young as four and five will be uprooted every two years. New school, new building, new staff, new routine over and over again from preK through fifth grade. We talk about all the time about the importance of social emotional learning, safety and stability. How do you reconcile that with repeatedly pulling kids away from places and people where they feel secure? Our children are not just numbers in an enrollment chart. They form deep attachments to their teachers, their support staff, their principles, and even to the physical spaces of their school. That sense of this is my school. This is these are my people. That's what makes them feel brave enough to learn, to try, and to belong. Constantly shuffling them from building to building risks creating a generation of students who never truly

052feel rooted anywhere in this district. This plan also hits working families and vulnerable students the hardest. Every transition means new bus routes, new drop offs, pickup routines, add new afterchool care challenges. For students with anxieties, IEP, sensory needs, or trauma histories, change is not just an adjustment. It can be a real setback. The message we send when we treat stability as flexible and expendable is that our comfort and emotional safety are secondary to spreadsheets. My family bought our home with the understanding that our kids would go to Olsen Park. We chose this community because of the school. Olsen is not just a building. It's a hub of relationships, memories, and support. The staff here have shown up for kids in ways that will never appear line by line in a financial report, but will absolutely

053shape who they will grow up to be. I'm asking you to slow down and truly listen to the families and staff that are telling you this proposal is harmful. Don't just check a box that says community input gathered. Show us that our voices actually matter in the outcome. There are other solutions worth exploring, ones that don't sacrifice stability, mental health, and neighborhood schools in the name of efficiency. Please vote no on proposal 7 as it stands. Our children deserve consistency. Our schools deserve to be treated as more than just cost centers. and our community deserves a plan that balances financial responsibility with the emotional and develop developmental needs of our youngest learners. Thank you. >> Thank you, [applause] >> Olivia Carson. Hello. So, I want to thank everybody who's here, all the parents who are

054taking time to um express our concerns. And I'm here today because early childhood education uh programs are absolutely vital. Uh I could discuss the transformational experience my son has had at Parker Center. I know I do that often to anybody who will listen. Uh but this is actually about our community as a whole. And this is about what Harlem actually values as a district. Early childhood isn't just glorified babysitters or daycare. These are educators who are certified and trained and they're laying the foundation for education for our children. Early childhood plays a vital role in kindergarten readiness. And multiple studies have shown that kids that enter kindergarten not ready or only partially prepared do not catch up to their peers who enter kindergarten ready. Every single one of this admin's proposal cuts capacity to 80

055seats. And by doing so, for all intents and purposes, strips eliminates early childhood for kids in this district without IEPs. It also strips students with IEPs of an inclusive classroom. Families have moved to Harlem for their early childhood program. We are setting kids in our district up to be behind before they've even set foot in the door. If the idea is that we just simply cannot afford early childhood, unfortunately, I don't think we can afford not to invest in early childhood. These cuts are pennywise and pound foolish. EC improves ELA and math proficiency, increases graduation rates. It's linked to better socioeconomic outcomes later in life, and even fewer chronic health issues. The interventions at the later stage of education are more expensive and less effective. When the grant did not cover all of the CTE

056addition, this administration and the board found a way to make it work. You can tell us that it has been level funded. You knew that when you went through and put millions of dollars in an addition. You can say that you prioritize, but priorities are hopes and dreams until rubber meets the road. When you're staring at the red, your choices will show what you prioritize. [snorts] They do not. By the time these effects and graduation rate and proficiency come to fruition, most of you will have moved on, graduated or retired or stepped down. These children do not get that option. These children do not simply decide that they don't have to be affected by these. I am asking the board to be leaders and be leaders who believe in the stated values and take seriously

057and value our children and the strength of our community and vote no on scenario 7. Thank you. >> Thank you, Aaron Shut. Good evening. My name is Aaron Shu. I was a graduate of Harlem in the class of 2009. I'm here today not only speaking as a Harlem graduate, but as an educator within our district. I currently work in the life skills program at Lo's Park Elementary School. And today I'm here not to advocate just for our kids all through the district, but the kids in our program. I understand that school closures may have to be a reality in our future. But can you please explain how you're going to make sure that with these two-year transitions that my kids, my children in our program are going to have a fair opportunity? Are the playgrounds

058going to be adapted to them? Are the bathrooms going to be adapted to them? At Lo's Park, we have two changing tables that we use within three classrooms within the life skills program and for some of the gened students who may need it. What's going to happen to those students? Are you going to have changing tables at all the schools that we need where our kids are going? What about the playgrounds? How are you going to adapt that? Are my kids just going to have to sit on the sidelines and just play with the ball? or are we going to make it so that they're not having to move every two years? They can make friends. Almost every staff member in my building knows our kids by name. We know all of them. We love

059all of them. Our kids make an impact in our classrooms. I'm here today to advocate for art my students and I'm here today because I'm concerned about what's going to happen to them if this goes through. Like I mentioned, I understand that school closures may be a part of our future, but what is your plan? Your plan is to implicate this in August. How are you going to be ready? Are the bathrooms going to be ready for my students? Is the playground going to be ready for my students? Are the classrooms going to be ready? Are they going to be accessible? Thank you. Amy Chadwick. >> Good evening. U members of the board. I my name is Amy Chadwick and I am a parent for a child and life skills and I'm also a learning

060lab teacher here at the high school. >> [sighs] >> Uh, I am here because the proposed closures to the two elementary schools affect far more than building assignments. It affects the learning environment, relationships and sense of belonging our children depend on every day. While I know these decisions are difficult, I want to highlight an impact that hasn't received enough attention. How this plan affects students and specialized programs such as life skills learning lab and STP. These programs support some of our district's most vulnerable learners. Yet, under the current plan, these students would not receive the same opportunity that general education students would. The chance to stay with the same cohort in the same school community throughout their entirety of elementary school. General education students build friendships, peer support, and consistency for six years with their

061cohort. They enter kindergarten together, grow together through fifth grade. That continuity is treated as a priority and it should be. But for students in specialized programs, the continuity becomes optional. If programs are moved or redistributed, these students may have to change buildings, switch cohorts, and rebuild relationships again and again. This sends an unintentional harmful message that their stability matters less, that their friendships are secondary, and that their community can be taken apart and rebuilt on demand. For many children like my son, that could not be further from the truth. My son receives life skills services and also spends meaningful time in general education classrooms. That time helps him connect with peers, builds social skills, and feel a part of the broader school community. Those connections matter. Even if they doesn't always remember names, he recognizes

062faces. He lights up when his classmates greet him. If he if this program moves, he won't get the opportunity to stay with the peers with his cohort. He'll lose those connections. He'll have to start over while general education students stay surrounded by the community they built for years. Students in specialized programs already work incredibly hard to navigate the schools and the world. They deserve the same consistency and the sense of belonging we consider essential for every other student. I'm asking the board to reconsider these closures affecting life skills learning lab and STB if consolidation is avoidable or unavoidable. Sorry, these consolidated um in a way that protects cohort continuality for special education students. Give them the same chance to stay with the same peers in the same cohort and in the same environment through elementary

063experience. Stability is not a bonus. It is a need. We can do better for these children and I believe we want to. I urge the board to make a decision based on not only logistics and budgets, but also equity, inclusion, and the real emotional lives of students. Thank you. [applause] >> Thank you, Ashley Brag. Okay. >> Good evening. My name is Ashley Bragg and I'm a parent in the district. I want to be very clear that I am not a financial expert and I may not be interpreting things correctly at all. I'm only sharing what appears confusing from a community perspective while reading the publicly available budget documents. When looking at pages 21,22 and 23 of the budget, there are some numbers that are difficult for some without a finance background to connect or fully

064understand. On page 22 under the working cash fund for 2223, it lists um it shows what appears to be 8.5 million in the bond sales which was for the CTE. And then you can see the transfer to the capital project on that same page. On page 21, it looks like the expenditures were higher than the $16 million balance shown there. And then on page 23 under the fire and safety fund, it shows what looks like 5 and a half million more in bond sales for 24 and 25 year. What's that specifically for? And again, I may be reading these numbers incorrectly since these are separate funds. My only intention tonight is to clear the air. Many of us in the community are trying to understand, ward, whether the spending on the CTE expansion and the

065additional bonds reflected in the budget documents relate in any way to the financial situation we're facing today. With conversations happening around desk deficits and future planning, it is important for the community to understand how past financial decisions connect to the present. Thank you. >> Thank you. Petty Reed. Good evening. My name is Patty Reid and I'm a special education teacher and diagnostician at Rockcut Elementary School. I prepared questions, but I am submitting them for you to consider later since there's a time limit. I appreciate the difficult decisions that have to be made in order to remain fiscally responsible. However, I have concerns about the proposed building restructuring and its impact on student services and staff workspace. According to the district's proposed plan or posted plan, Rock Cut is projected to use 19 classrooms for general

066education and four for self-contained special education programs for a total of 23 classrooms. Rockcut is noted to have 26 usable classrooms. This includes the four portable classrooms already on site as well as the current art and music rooms. It appears that art and music may need to move to carts, which would also require additional storage for instruments, equipment, and materials. If I am mistaken on that, and art and music are continuing to use the spaces they currently occupy, there will only be one room available for what I'm about to mention. Assuming art and music are on carts, this leaves Rock Cut with three rooms remaining to house 10 to 12 specialized staff, including special education teachers, reading specialists and interventionists, ESL teachers, professional development specialists, and the MTSS coordinator. In addition to these 10 to

06712 staff, we also have traveling staff like OTP and hearing itinerants who require private spaces and storage for equipment to be used when they are in the building. This arrangement raises concerns about small groupoup instruction, privacy for students, and access to materials and intervention tools. As the building diagnostician, I also administer assessments that require quiet, controlled environments. Sharing limited spaces makes it extremely difficult to meet these needs. Additional additionally, Rockut currently has a motor room used for sensory and movement breaks and occupational therapy. The STP program, some of which will be relocating to Rock Cut, also relies on motor sensory space. With limited space next year, it is unlikely that students will have access to appropriate motor or sensory areas. I understand the district's financial challenges, but I urge the board to consider the operational

068realities of this plan. Without adequate space, we risk compromising legally required services, smallroup instruction, and the ability to meet students specialized needs. I ask that the board ensure that all staff and programs at Rockut have appropriate, usable spaces. so we can continue to deliver deliver high quality instruction and services. Thank you for your time and careful consideration. >> Thank you, Paul Hoffman. >> Good evening. My name is Paul Hoffman and uh as many would know I was a former candidate for the school board and I can appreciate the decisions that you face the challenges and I um as some of the comments have been made um we foraw this great difficulty with the financial situation and it was uh one of the key points that uh uh was in front of the board declining enrollment

069and uh maintenance buildings and a lot of expenses. And so uh what I encouraged in my uh written comments that I've submitted is that uh affordability for the people in our district is a big issue. It's being talked about uh in news media, social media, and so uh I know there's a squeeze to get funds that's been described, but but from the state and from uh property taxes, this is a big issue. There is a squeeze uh financially. So my comments uh related to uh a restructuring plan is really we need to look at everything. We have to look at all the revenue sources the uh complete evaluation of programs academics fixed and variable costs. uh when we look at a peace mill uh and not everything is revealed as been described by one speaker

070uh we need uh more openness and transparency and so I as as former candidates uh representing by the strong schools alliance we would be happy to participate in this type of restructuring plan to evaluate valuate and to bring in other community members and uh that we can consider how can we uh improve academics and um and reduce cost. The other thing that I think has been a big topic tonight has been early childhood. And the key focus of this program I believe is to increase reading skills. And the reading statistics are pretty poor when you look at the just the statistics. And so it's important to as part of not only worrying about the funding issue re with early childhood, what can we do better to improve reading uh skills and and this is something

071that uh multiple schools uh wrestle with but uh really needs to be evaluated. Uh, thank you. Thank you, >> Dane Young Bloodood. >> Uh, good evening. Uh, my name is Dane Younglood. I am a community member, a parent, a Harlem alum. I also worked in public education for about two decades. So, just give you a little context where I'm coming from. Um, wasn't sure this uh the format here, so I don't think I'll need all three minutes, but I also didn't do my typical well polished presentation. So, just a couple things I wanted to touch on was um scenario one seems like the solution. Like to me, like uh reducing the schools and redoing boundaries to fit utilization is a pretty standard thing for school districts to do. I don't find that super controversial personally.

072can't speak for everybody else, but I don't know why that's why scenario 7 is the one that was chosen over one. Um, to me, it kind of feels like, you know, this enrollment problem's been a long time coming, but this feels kind of like a knee-jerk solution to something that's been coming a long way, and we're like couching this uh really drastic change in like the whole concept of grade school education and to a boundary thing, which are I I don't understand why we're changing neighborhood schools. I guess I I wish we understood that a little bit better. Um I think that also somebody else touched on sixth grade. My son is currently at the middle school. Um they still have module units there. I think they're probably the ones that were there 96 when

073I went there unless I mean they look that old, but I don't know for sure. Um so again, just a little more clarity on why we bumped up a grade to a building that has modular units would we have this much utilization in the buildings they were currently in. Um, I think one of the things that I was really hoping we would touch on is um how the staff will be rifted. Is it going to be specifically just the people in those buildings or is there going to be like a district-wide effort to make sure we retain the best educators overall district-wide and we just don't, you know, x number of people from these two buildings are gone. It doesn't seem like the best way to to, you know, um maintain the best uh staff.

074Uh, one thing I noticed there was a lot of focus on like uh, CPPRT, uh, evidence-based funding, things like that. A lot of that is, um, a lot more out of our control than the just standard property tax base. I did double check on my way here just to make sure my numbers are pretty accurate. I think that my my neighborhood, the property values have roughly doubled almost in the last 10 years since I've lived there. And my assessed value has gone up 45%. So, I guess and I did send you guys an email. I never heard back but on some more data for how that more should be more sustainable more controllable funding stream has gone over the last 10 years. I know there's been a push in the other governments to basically leave

075that money on the table and I just hope that wasn't the case here because frankly this day was always coming. Um the last thing this is uh somewhat unrelated but I learned about eliminating ALP through this process and I was wondering if you guys can give a little more background on that. Uh I went to that program, my son went to that program. Uh it's one that if it goes away, like a lot of people, there are other options, private schools, and typically you wouldn't want to see people leave the district uh for other schools that way. So, thank you for your time. >> Thank you, [applause] J Littlefield. Good evening. My name is Katie Littlefield. I'm a taxpayer and I also uh was a former candidate for the school board. And so I just

076wanted to talk tonight. You brought up in the in the beginning um if the deficit means, as you state, that the district isn't broke. I'm wondering why it was mentioned and tied to the closure of two schools that the two were put together if it isn't. And I think it's interesting that the news is here. Closure of schools is hard for sure. And a $3.1 million deficit is makes big news. I was getting a lot of text messages when the news came out. So I was thinking um I think all of us think $3.1 million deficit is a really big deal. So I I sort of um I think that's sort of disingenuous to start that out to saying, well, we're not really broke at all. So let's just speak plainly about how we got

077here. Our district obviously is facing the deficit and a deficit is means you don't have that money. Um and it can be from you know enrollment has gone down but it's also because of mismanagement by the lot of the people that sit up here the superintendent the assistant super assistant superintendent of business and operations and members of this board who allowed it to happen. Uh for years the district has relied on CPPRT as the gentleman just said uh which is a volatile and unpredictable revenue source to fund teacher salaries, one of the most consistent reoccurring expenses the district has. And any responsible financial leader knows you never fund permanent staff compensation with temporary or unstable revenue. And yet that's exactly what's been done. So the result becomes a manufactured crisis that was foreseeable and avoidable.

078So now the propo proposed solution is to close two or three schools placing hardship on the families that we've heard today disrupting children, early education, destabilizing neighborhoods. So let's be very clear. Even if you close these schools, it doesn't come close to addressing the real financial picture, especially when we are staring at $120 million in infrastructure needs over the next decade. And let's also be honest about these community events. They're designed to make people feel heard without actually changing how they op how any of you operate the budget. Maybe I'm wrong. I would like to stand corrected there. And unfortunately, when the closures do not solve the budget crisis, the same people responsible for this mess, will turn around and say to us, the taxpayers, we have no choice but to raise your taxes. They

079will point to the shortfall that they have created, that you have created, and use it as justification for a referendum, which means raising our property taxes. And to think that we won't get any better education, we won't get better facilities. It's just nothing but a check. But here, so and is >> Thank you. >> Yes. You're welcome. Thank you, >> Andrea Bruner. Hello, my name is Andrea Bruner and I have three sons who are special needs and my youngest would be starting next year in the EC. I will have a first grader and then a fifth fifth grader. I have not seen yet any mention of start and end times. What is that going to look like for a parent like myself with three kids at three different schools? I am fortunate enough to have

080the opportunity to drive my children because I refuse busing with that being a common and bullying setting. However, that means that I will be driving three kids to three different schools. How does tardiness come into play because I'm bound to be dropping one off late regularly. I've heard others mention it already, but I truly believe that siblings should be kept together. My oldest is verbal, but my younger two are non-verbal. Before this proposal was sent to us, I have spent the year knowing the next year that my older two would finally get the chance to be together, which makes me as a parent feel more secure. I've also gotten to know all of Parker Center and Windsor's special education staff. So, I know that my children were in good hands with their amazing staff and

081teachers and paras, etc. Now, with switching schools every two years, I'm constantly going to be getting to know staff. Two years is not enough time to build trust for my children and myself. to years is also not enough time for staff to get to know my children's quirks and triggers, which how it is currently, the staff knows to look out for my lopers. They know when my oldest is starting to get unregulated and know exactly the signs to look for and can offer him options before a full full-blown meltdown. New staff so frequently, I truly feel my children are going to get lost. Wait, did I think I messed up? Nope. New staff so frequently. I truly feel my children are going to get lost in the system till they get shoved to the middle

082school. We have all been concerned with the money being spent for things that were not needed. The extension to Harlem, which I want to say I took welding in Harlem in 2010 and probably the two whatever the years, but um the extension to Harlem to add that welding building and other extracurriculars in the softball diamond. I just didn't see the point that we needed to add 15 million to an addition when there was currently nothing wrong with the building that was being used. You could have even just taken 2 million and upgraded the building, which this building that I'm speaking of was the one that was attached to the bus depot. Uh I know we're seeing where we at. I know if we knew that we were seeing a decline in enrollment, why are we

083spending 15 million plus when we could have used some of that 15 million for another four years to figure out new solutions or other grants to being offered? Instead, the high school got that and now our elementary kids are suffering for it. You mentioned this one goes to you sir in the corner second you mentioned with EC being the half days and unable to claim the miles for the bus funding why couldn't we switch EC to full days instead of half and now this one I feel like nobody's addressed yet but I feel like I've heard rumors that our superintendent is currently having an interview process with Rockford Public School District and I truly believe that if that's the case why can't we table this until the new superintendent that comes into play has an

084opportunity to look at all of this and maybe see another solution that our current one isn't seeing. Thank you. Good job. [applause and cheering] [applause] >> I want you guys to take a look around the next scenario and see how far it I'm actually [clears throat] The biggest scenario and I'll be driving past every single school and then the school my daughter and I can't drive 12 to 15 minutes to each and get on It's unfortunate. It is. I moved here for this district. I really did. It's a shame that we're not thinking about I had a problem actually and all the money and the kids don't get anything. They don't have the time and we're still paying sey and when I talk to the people at school the The high school gets the money,

085then the middle school, and then us. And yet we're still the ones that have to make the change. All these kids. Look at all these kids. They don't understand. And it's really unfortunate. [applause] for early childhood and he's been to and now he's in three years he's not getting support at his school and every time you guys are going to take out early childhood what does that do for kids that are high functioning low functioning what is that going to look like every two years that's not a good structure for those you know I'm just curious how that that Windsor is set up for the STP program. I couldn't go to Machetes that Olsson is right in front of my house. You can't go to Olsson because of that program. So, I'm just curious what

086is that going to mean for these kids that are special every two years. But if I have a child that's going without a sibling because they're going to have to go every two years. We really need to think about our special kids as well having limited bus access because now they're having to transport. They're 15 to 20 minutes away to different schools. That's a long day. My also dropped off the ADA after school. So, he's from school from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. What is that going to look like for those kids that need to go to just please? >> Thank you. [applause] >> Clearly, this is a huge problem that we have and I think that all of you This is bigger than any one of you. But there are people in the community

087that have an expertise and have ability that you look at this withertise of their um your eyes. I think you would bring some of those people to the table that more people that help solve this situation rather than just looking at the small group that we have here. >> [applause] >> You know, it's funny like three million is what we're in deficit. There are between multiple people at this table right now over $500,000 a year in salaries they get. Those salaries are astronomically higher than other people in other states with the state in their positions. They got a raise this year. They got a raise every time you come up. The private sector, if you don't do your job, you certainly don't get a raise. You get fired. And frankly, I think if we really

088need money, then it should be coming from the salaries for people. They're being overpaid. They should be let go. They're not doing their jobs. And it goes for the teachers, too. It should be merit based. We don't have a single school with any grade school district that have children reading over 28% at grade level. not one that has children computing math 18% [clears throat] but we can't do better than that and we pay more than any other district in the state that means people here shouldn't have their jobs [applause] if we're talking about early education and the busing how about the fact that I would now have three children at one bus stop getting bus to three different schools how that This is this is where we're going to stop. >> No, we No, we

089can't. >> All right. So, someone's following the rules. I want to come back up here. >> Um Closing any school is heartbreaking. Like I said, we all have schools we all care so much about and they all carry so much history and and love for our kids, from our teachers, from our staff, from our community, our PTAs. Um, let's be real with ourselves. Scenario 7 doesn't just affect Olsen Park or Maple. that affects every building, every teacher, every administrator, and every child in this district. It dismantles relationships, destroy stability, and redistribute staff across east and west zones and no with no regard for human impacts. And yes, this plan will lead to staff cuts. It cuts if cuts must happen, they should be based on performance, dedication, and impact, not just seniority. Some of our

090most passionate teachers are newer and they have and they deserve fairness and they have new fresh ideas for our kids and new love to give to them. We watched the sixth grade move happen almost with no notice. Now we are being asked to accept closures and total restructuring of our district. And I wanted to remind each of you as board members and people making these decisions um that this will defy your legacy here at at Harlem. This is going to define for each one of you. And I know we have new members here. Please, please vote against this. This is your chance to stand up for the community that voted for you. I voted for each and every one of you that are up there. I voted for you. Please take that in consideration. And

091I also urge you that if you are going to clo close any school that you go up there yourself and tell those kids. You go up there and yourself tell those kids what you're doing and why you're doing it. So, I know many of us would like to ask I know many of us would like to ask if you will be closing schools if you look into it yourself um and ask um look into yourself as assistant superintendent and see how many you can afford to be cut in considering the the decline in in enrollment. How many of you are willing to take your jobs? How many of you can be cut from the top and not the bottom for our children since the decline is so so steep? How many of you are expendable

092as our children are in our schools? Um even on your uh podcast talk 122 emphasized in um Dr. Yarberg with uh Mr. Valentine, you talked about how student transitions every two years, you said the goal the goal you said should be reducing transitions, not multiplying them. Yet, scenario 7 does exactly the opposite of what you were saying in that podcast. At a time that our nation is deeply divided, I always believed Harlem District 122 was different. That here, no matter our political differences, we remained one community. But this plan has fractured that unity. It pits neighborhood schools against each other and neighbors against neighbors, schools against schools, families against family. This is not how a community should be led. So tonight, I ask you to look beyond spreadsheets and projections. Look at the people you

093serve. Look at the communities that built these schools. Look at the children whose voices you are responsible for protecting. Choose a plan that strengthens us. Choose a plan that honors our investments, our history, and our relationships. Choose a plan that keeps us together, not one that divides us beyond repair. And our slogan at Harlem is we are Harlem. But I want to ask right now today, are we Harlem? Is this Harlem? Because that's not what I signed up for. That's not why I bought my house in this district. And um and art and music on carts is just inacceptable. Sorry, that's the end of my spiel. Thank you guys. I know you're in a hard position. [applause] [clears throat] >> Mike, Mike, >> this is we're we're we're not going to keep doing this. You

094have to have the time. All right, I'm going to let you finish, but you have two minutes. >> Thank you. the top three people in the Harlem District that one got a 65% raise in the last four years, one got a 42% raise in the last four years, and um >> who votes on those raises? >> Yeah. >> School board. >> Yeah. >> When you put our administrators up against the other administrators, they do not make the most. They're in the They're in the middle. They are in the middle. >> Uh I got everybody's >> in in the area. >> No. >> Yes. >> The top nine people make $1.2 million before taxes. >> Check them against their counterparts. >> That's including the director of transportation. And don't get me started on my kids bus

095driver. [clears throat] >> Mike, you're losing it. started on [applause and cheering] $17,000 to reofer just tear it down and rebuild a new one. >> So if you want to talk about using funds the correct way, take a pay cut instead of cutting 70 teachers. I KNOW >> we got a LOT OF PISSED OFF HERE. SORRY. UM, and the third one got a 79% raise. So that's 49,000 for one of them, 155 or yeah, 155 for the second one, and 83,000 for the first one. That's like 78 teacher salaries that you guys all got. I mean, that's how it went from the district being $3 million for pay up to $7 million in four years. That's unacceptable. That's totally unacceptable in the climate that we're in. So, and that's the problem. You guys have to

096decide. You guys gave these guys the raises. So, you need to know see when you go to cut who's more important. It shouldn't go by money. It shouldn't go by your friends like you told me. So, let's just be fair about it. And really, I've got a whole sheet of I don't know how many people, but there were 29 people that got between 30% and 41% in four years. That's 10% a year. Who gets 10% a year at their jobs? >> Wow. >> It's I've got it printed out, Mike. I can give you a copy of it. Thank you. >> We're gonna We We're We're We're going to have to have you fill out a form like everybody else. >> We voted you in. >> No, I understand that. All she has to do is

097fill out the form or or just say your name or just fill out say say your name. >> Okay. So, my name is Jess. >> Thank you. >> Yep. Absolutely. Um I did not talk today. I appreciate that this has been an incredibly emotionally charged evening. I appreciate that you have all sat there and listened and taken this in. Um I have a few questions. I am a Harlem graduate. My children go to Harlem. My mother went to Harlem. My grandparents went to Harlem. My kids will not be severely impacted by these changes. I want to be very clear. My son right now is a fourth grader at Olsson Park and the ALOP program. He will end up changing schools if this is the case or if we have to have a school closing. And

098I appreciate that for him that is going to be a big feeling moment. He said to me as I got ready to leave the house today, he said, "Where are you going?" And I said, "I'm going to the schoolboard meeting." And he went, "Please, mom, go save my school." And it nearly broke me. And my kid isn't one of the ones that's going to be so intensely affected by these changes. I have watched my children who are not in need of all the extra attention that some of these populations are in need of. My children have not had to go through those programs and yet they went to Parker Center. Then they went to Windsor. My daughter got into the fine arts academy. So instead of being in the same school as her brother when

099he went into first grade and she was going into third grade, she went over to Machznney. Then Machznney's got cut and everyone went up to the middle school. school. And so instead of them both being in the same school when he was in third grade and she was in sixth grade, they were again at two different schools. It's hard. And I just point that out that my kids have gone transition, transition, transition. They have not once yet been in the same physical location for school despite being three years apart. That's bananas. And my kids who are neurotypical, who have all of the supports in the world, I get to work at home. I have an incredibly flexible job that I have been blessed with that allows me to go, "Hey boss, I need to go

100drop my kids off at 8:50 in the morning. Hey boss, I got to go pick them up twice in the afternoon because we have separate end times. I can do that." So many people cannot do that. I do not understand how this is the scenario that we've come down to. And while I very much appreciate and I don't take issue with the fact that this is a hard decision and that a lot of you have put a lot of thought into it, I argue with the fact that I don't think you're doing it enough. This is this is problematic. I also argue from a standpoint of someone who's worked in higher education and who currently works as someone who gets paid very very much to help schools figure out what's going on with them. Higher

101ed, not K through 12. Um where is the year-over-year comparison at? like who have we brought in to help us compare this data and be really critical thinkers on it. Have we consulted with any outside firms? Have we consulted with anybody who specializes in this? Where was the decision to compare as our baseline to 2007 almost 20 years ago is the year that we're comparing all of these numbers to. And that might be industry standard. That might be best practice and I can appreciate that. But could someone tell us? And just to wrap up, there's been a lot of questions that have been asked here, and I appreciate that you are also taking additional questions on the website, but then we need some follow-up. We need some concrete steps. So, when are those going to

102be available? Because these meetings end in two days, and then the vote is on the 15th. So, when are those questions going to be answered? Where can we find those answers? Thank you. [applause] I know, but something made everyone think and not because driving from, like I said, I live off a road and I'm going to each end of the spectrum. I mean the small portion that was the other side and then another question why does everything have to change all is it possible to close one and then in a few years see another like I know these people are passionate they don't want I don't either but seeing how it looks online and how this is all going it doesn't look like it's not an option that you guys have. I know that we

103have this and all that, but is there any way that we could like slow it down? Not [snorts] every single I know we'll still be in this deficit or whatever, but it is a lot for little kids. It is it's a lot for me, not for an adult. So, I can't imagine for kids who are still processing emotions out. But like I would love if the next talk about followup questions because I'm sleep anxiety but you know these questions people are asking people >> thank you we have to wait Are there any more comments? Are there any more questions? >> Can you state your name, please? >> Thank you. >> I have a daughter. First of all, I graduated. My daughter's live here. I got pregnant with the district and I have four young grandchildren.

104My daughter is a single parent. I know she's not the only single parent that's going to be impacted by this. She's going to have four locations to go to if this goes through. She's got one will be at Walmart, one will be at L Park, one will be at uh uh Parker Center and the baby has to get to daycare and she has to drive back home to River Lane to start her job at 8:30 so she doesn't get fired. How is this putting the kids first? It's not in any way, shape, or form. And I know there are many, many single parents who don't have any one to help them. They're on their own. How are they going to be able to make this work? You guys have got to put the kids first.

105And this this scenario seven is not in any way, shape, or form putting any of the kids first. None. I'm begging of you guys to rethink this and make a smart, wise decision for the kids. Thank you. My name is Mario. One of the questions that I have that I keep going in my head is you guys knew the enrollments were down. Why weren't things being acted on early? Why would you wait until it got to this point and then make a big stink about three, you know, the $3.1 million and all of that? To me, it looks like paralysis by analysis. You guys need to be able to act and you need to be able to be agile in these decisions that you make instead of waiting until it's to this point. Take a

106book, excuse me, take a page out of the book of the uh the Rockford School District. Look at how big of a dumpster fire it's been. And it only continues to get worse. You guys are committing a lot of the same sins that that district did by waiting until things got as bad as they did. And then what do you do? you start making knee-jerk reactions. What does that do? That makes all these parents show up angry because something wasn't done early. That's all I have to say. My name is Payton Flipitz and I'm a senior at Harlem. I want to go into education. I'm actually an intern at Olsson Park and I love Olsson Park. It has truly changed my life. Um, and I want all of you to know that this is not

107only affecting your students. It might change your life, but it turns all of us upside down. You your number one thing is community, but this is driving the community away from each other. And unfortunately, it's driving future educators away from this district because we don't want this for our children or our future students. I'm thankful for everything that this district has given me. But if this is what my future looks like, I don't want to be a future educator. I have so much passion for changing a student's life, but not this way. I want to change my students lives the entire opposite way of what you guys are doing. Thank you. [applause] Hello. Good afternoon. Mike Shaby. Um, Harlem graduate, uh, class of 09. Went to Maple. kind of sucks that, you know, we're talking

108about closing uh elementary and, you know, certain neighborhoods because a lot of my fondest memories come from those those different schools and and scenarios and things like that. Um, my biggest thing, and it's not going to take three minutes, is there's been a lot of questions asked and uh I would like to know some of the answers to those. So, is there a place that these answers will be given out? Is it on the website or anything like that? Um, can you answer that now or is that something for later? [clears throat] >> So, the a lot of the questions that you're asking tonight, you know, we're taking notes, we're recording it. Um, it will be on the website, but two, we'll use some of that to base some of our our PowerPoint tomorrow where

109we address some of the questions that's being asked today. >> Okay, great. Uh, one question to add to that is what is the average class size now with the way the district is is written versus the average class size of the proposed scenario 7. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> [clears throat] >> Jordan Smith again. Hi, how's it going? Um, so I had a question because uh about the advanced learners program and I do understand that that would phase out if this scenario would take place and I do see that there would be chance for possible fourth maybe fifth or fifth possible fourth grade honors programs to help with those. My concern comes with my son who's been in enrichment since Parker Center, early childhood center. He's always been in the boost group. He's always

110been in enrichment classes. His teacher at his last conference said that she's just trying to find things for him to do and now he's in second grade. We've been mentally preparing for his initial possible point to get into the advanced learners program. He's been in the 80th and 90th percentiles for reading and math on all of his I Ready scores. He wrote something for you guys today. Hello, my name is EMTT. I go to Rston and I'm in second grade. I would like to talk about the advanced learners program. I have been in enrichment since preschool at Parker Center. Parker Center helped me grow a lot. For me, school is easy and I want a challenge. The advanced learners program would give me that. If it was gone, all the kids who worked hard like

111me to get there can't do it anymore, which means less learning. Thank you for listening. Now, with that being said, he's in second grade now, which means in third grade he that's where he would go. Would the early or like would the enrichment go down into second and third grade? Would there be classes that have to do with that? Not just and I know it's trying you're trying to give more opportunities, but I need more information about my son's enrichment, not just 30 minute MTSS time, which he does and he does it well. I need he needs more and he's always needed more. And so we've been hoping for ALP, but it being phased out concerns me. So if you guys could give us answers regarding on those for all grade levels not just the

112fourth and fifth that would be great. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> [applause] >> I know when they explained that to the board, north and south would deepen the disparities between economics. So that's one reason why it was split east and west >> in the proposal. >> Questions concerning this, please. >> That does concern. >> It really does because it looks like he's trying to bail on a situation that he helped create. going down to the very >> low. >> All right. I'm Peter Bracket if you want to write it down. My kids going to go to seven different schools if this thing goes through. Seven ADHD. Both my girls got it. Unacceptable. Second, from everything I found online on your website, nine of these top nine of these top positions for the school administration

113make $1.2 million before taxes. That is ridiculous. I found schools in the suburbs that make 96k as a superintendent. That is ridiculous. Don't give me the eyebrows. I found it. >> Okay. >> It's public knowledge. And you commented on Facebook title 19 and from correct me if I'm wrong that's about >> no title n >> title nine sorry >> title n equal uh access to coaching and funding and this and that >> and and services >> which is why you got the softball diamond. Correct. >> Correct. >> Why is this now an issue when they've been playing at HCC since I went to school here? >> Because they've been doing it wrong the whole time. >> That's not okay. So why is it >> wrong the whole time that it's okay? >> No. Why is

114it just a problem now when it could have been taken care of before this deficit even happened? >> Not to mention, I took welding just like Andrea did in 2010 over at the bus barn. Nothing wrong with that building. So why was this added on? Now I find out you guys have a clinic for the teachers in this addition. Who pays for the doctors or whatever is in there to see all these people? Is that provided by the government? Is that provided by the school board? Who pays for this stuff? >> So, why was that needed? There was nothing wrong with teachers going to prompt Care to see their doctor. >> It's a It's a way to try to lower costs. Actually, >> how is that lowering cost when you're paying doctors now to be

115in the building? I I don't understand some of the decision making you guys do and the people that were voted in by us, the taxpayers, are allowing this to happen. Giving people raises when you're in a deficit. You said you knew in 2020 that there was going to be a deficit. And yet you went and got a quote in April of 2020 to put that softball diamond in. You got your building addition. None of this was necessary knowing that you had this deficit coming. This is ridiculous. It's malpractice. It's misuse of funds. And you have a lot of angry people here. And a lot of you might just be your face, but you look like you don't want to be here right now. And this is a joke. [applause] And then you want to get

116mad at us because we speak up. This is absolutely unacceptable. And like I said before, if you think that enrollment is going to go up if you go through with scenario 7, you are sadly mistaken because I know countless people that are already talking about leaving this district because of the crap you guys are putting on the table right now. And I know countless people that were going to come to this district and now they don't want to. They would rather stay at Rockford at Rockford of all places. Thank you. >> [clears throat] >> Is there a possibility of making it? Essentially, it feels more like we're taking three. I know one school has people there, but you're moving those kids like you're shutting down at there. possibilities over time to make it smaller and

117not such a huge change all at once. I'm only asking these questions because personally I feel like the board this is this is the easiest way to answer that one. So the administration came out with a scenario and they're presenting it to the public. Now the board's hearing that scenario and we're also hearing from you guys. Now when it comes to an eventual meeting where we would bring this forward at any time we could take the scenario we could take part of the scenario or say no to the scenario at all. We could also say after hearing from everybody we we would like to go in a different direction. But at this time we have the scenario that's that's put in front of you. Okay. >> Hi my name is Just make sure everybody can

118hear you then. Thank you. >> Hi, my name is Zachary Chadwick. I'm a parent of three kids in the district. Is there any way for the uh board to postpone to vote as the community gets to really understand all the changes that I believe [applause] what would that take for the board to have to postpone to vote so that it's not in >> two weeks? I know there so >> what about petitions? >> Actually there we'll go through these and then we can we can postpone a vote or we can have the vote but we could do that at the next meeting or we can do it at a following. There is no subsequent requirement after the these three meetings to actually bring this up for a vote, but we had to once they became

119presented, these three meetings had to happen >> because I think one of the major concerns from what I'm hearing tonight is we're having the meetings the next couple days and then the vote is on the 15th. I don't know if there's enough time because we all have jobs outside of this for us to really be able to go through and understand all the changes or all the reasons between these three meetings and the 15th so that everybody in the public has a good understanding of why everything's changing or going. >> Has the agenda been made for the 15th? >> Was that No. >> No. So it's it's not on the agenda yet for the 15th for the vote. >> So you're just saying >> yes it is. It's on the website. >> It's on the

120website. >> Is it? >> Yep. >> Okay. But it the agenda hasn't come out for it because we had to have these three meetings. >> So I guess as a member of the public, I guess I would just ask the board just to consider postponing this vote until the public can continue to have their voices heard. Thank you. >> Thank you, [applause] >> Rachel. My name is Rachel Thompson and going off of what he said in postponing the vote. I get where he's coming from, but at the same time that leaves me with concern because if in our family we do need to make changes with the district if this does go through. I would like to know as soon as possible to be have time to make those decisions for my children. Um, and

121this is just something that I do not want to go on and linger. Um, and you have you guys give us an answer come March or April and leave all of us families kind of in shambles trying to make last minute decisions for our children come the next school year. >> Thank you. >> Sorry, I couldn't see Hello, thank you for letting me speak. My name is Raven Hazakqua and both of my younger siblings, ages seven and 13, attend the Harlem School District. My sister is in the middle school and my younger brother is at Windsor. This is a very controversial um take on what to do scenario to say the least because from what we have heard tonight uh none of the parents are happy about this. A lot of the educators aren't happy

122about this and I certainly am not because I I have had to move houses year after year after year for the past couple days due to landlords kicking us out or financial issues. It is an absolute nightmare having to just pick up everything and go to an entirely different location with different people, different neighbors, different surroundings in general. You would be doing the same thing to hundreds of children just because there doesn't this wouldn't save you money in the long run. You would have to edit schools for accessibility reasons. And on top of that, you wouldn't gain really anything from this if enrollment if enrollment somehow does go up, which I don't think it will. Um, judging by the way all of these people are responding to this. Um, you don't not much is gained

123truly not much is gained for the school system in this scenario. If anything, oh, you guys make even more money than the hundreds of thousands that have been brought up. which realistically I don't think most people in this crowd make that much money in a year. >> Sure. Give enough away to them though. >> Yeah. So it's quite ridiculous. That is all that I would like to say. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. Are there any comments or any more comments? >> I am a staff. >> Um, I'm also a mom of many in this school district. I won't take three minutes, but I just want you to write this down. I know I heard a lot of people say STP. They have people in learning lab, pup lab. Um my concern is

124I have a daughter who has CP and multiple other disorders. Um she is in a genetic classroom. I'm blessed on that end. She goes to Machznney. Now my concern for her is she has a lot of pull out minutes. I know that legally you guys have to abide by her IEP. But I want to know with how frequent she's going to get bounced around, what is that going to look like for her? Is she going to get pulled out? Is she going to go in a specialized classroom where she can be independent but not people around her teasing her, making fun of her? She has situations now that she's trying to figure out, but at the end of the day, I don't need her pulled out into a classroom that has six or other teachers

125helping other kids, too. They need their own space. They need to be able to have that one-on-one. And I want to know what that's going to look like for her future. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> [applause] >> Are there any more questions or comments? Good evening. Yep. Good evening. Uh I'm Christine Barnett. I am also an alum. My husband is an alum and we've brought our daughter up within the Harlem system. Before she was born, she was going to be a Husky pup. We were always proud to start her with that started with early childhood writing co as many of these parents I know had kids who went through CO. We all know the after effects of COVID. Kids were not learning at the same pace. Remote learning was hard, right? The sociological impact

126of that, right? You're hearing from parents talking about the two-year band, what the trauma, the what that's going to be. I don't know about you, but I remember being in elementary school and being in third grade saying, "I can't wait to be a sixth grader." You know, simple things like that. You learn from your atmosphere and those two-year bands. There's no time to learn. There's no adjusting. All of those aspects of it are ripped off from these kids. They're going to have to regroot, regground themselves, be the new fish in the new pond. That is a big part of our problem in all of this is there's no concrete stability in this. And that's hard to put your kids in when we're already living in an economical time where nobody knows how we're running around,

127right? Everybody has something waiting on them of how is this going to be accomplished? And we want to do better for our kids. And we're asking you as a board, this does not feel right. This does not feel okay to give to our children. This is these are our legacies. These are what we're investing into. Your addition here to the high school has been a hot topic at my dinner table. I see it as in it was an investment, right? We're looking to bring more of a higher enrollment. That is understood at my dinner table. But when you invest in something, there is that deficit for a while. It's going to take time. And in the sociological waters of Loves Park, Machznney Park, nobody's going to move out of their houses right now. We have

128children moving in with their parents to be in the district. We're having people not moving out of houses. That's the reason why enrollment's down. They can't afford to buy a purchase a house, but they want to be somewhere where they know they're comfortable. And a lot of us alum, we've we've been through it. I remember being at 16 at a board meeting saying, "Don't charge don't don't change start times because that's not how the real world is. At the real world, you start 7:00, 8:00, whatever it is, every day, not every other year." And I understand school bus drivers were hard to come by, but it's been such an influx the past five years. Please just think about that for us. >> Thank you. [applause] >> Hey, Mike. >> Can I make a comment? >>

129Yes, sure. >> My name is >> I'm a father of four in the district. I am not an of Harlem. We decided to move into the district because we enjoyed hearing about what Harlem meant, what Harlem means to the community. We've heard a lot of social emotional feedback from the crowd tonight. My brain is more analytical and I'm not getting data points that I'm not seeing. um with many manufacturers moving into this community, where's the tax revenue coming in from all of those manufacturers that the school district should get? Um there's a reason why the district has I got it. >> I don't got it. >> Sorry, it's been a long day. Being a father of four in the district, we've had it easier or I've made it to where my wife didn't have to

130work so that she could take care of the kids and get them to school while I buried that burden of going to work every day. now having different start times, proposed start times. I start at 2 in the morning and having her get the kids to multiple different schools depending on their start times. I have the flexibility of being able to leave to pick up my daughter from Parker Center to take her to daycare, go back to work, still only pick her back up. A lot of people in the working class don't have that flexibility. And I've seen a lot of people where I work in the community get fired because they've had to take sick time away that employers aren't this forgiving. What can you guys propose to us to help the community for

131these dark times? Thank you, >> Maron. You want to say something? >> I just wanted to make a comment. Um, >> we Oh, there we go. There we go. Um, you know, I first of all, I wanted to let you guys know, and I I think I'm I'm not speaking on behalf of all the board members, but I am speaking on behalf of myself, and I think the board members are going to agree. A lot of people stated that we already had our minds made up, and that's not necessarily the case. That this is just a formality to so we don't get sued. I've taken notes. I've seen Kurt, we've all taken notes on this regard. Like, I want you to know that like I look at this district, too. Like my kids both went

132through this district. I'm looking at now some of my, you know, younger friends, their kids are now going through this district. Like, we're taking everything into account and, you know, I get it. It's frustrating. There is no perfect, there's no perfect solution to any of this. Um, these meetings are important. If I didn't think it was important, let's be honest, I have a full-time job. I have all the If I didn't think these were important, I wouldn't show up as long as we had a quorum present. But it they're important and there's a lot of things. There's 17 of us that are kind of making making decisions. Not every scenario can come. We can't think of every scenario. So I just want to let you know there's this was you know this is a is

133it going to be the end point? Is it a starting point? It's module. You know like Mike said we could pick one piece. We could pick another piece but I want you to know that I think the rest of the board you're being heard. Like I mean I'm >> you're being heard and and like I said we're gonna we're going to go through this tomorrow and it's you know it's >> it's a it's a tough decision but you're being heard. There's no there's no right answer but as a board we want to get it as close to that as possible. So just just know that and if if scenario seven's it, it's it. If it's not, it's not. But we need to hear from we need to hear from you guys. And and I think

134I think I can speak for the rest of the board members that we're taking this super seriously. Like this isn't this isn't something that we're just going to, you know, make a flip a switch and think that it's going to be okay. So I think my other board members would agree with a lot of my statements. I tend to ramble on sometimes, but I just want you guys to know you're being heard. You're being heard. So and thank you for coming. Really, thank you for coming. Um, >> I need a motion to adjurnn. >> Motion. >> Second. Who's >> in favor? >> Thank you guys for coming. >> Thanks everybody.