001Good evening. We will now call to order the regular monthly board meeting for the Levvenworth USD453 school district. The date is December 8th, 2025. The time is 6 pm. >> We will start with roll call. Miss Murphy >> here. >> Miss Reed >> here. >> Miss Wilson >> here. >> Mr. Carney >> here. >> Miss Price >> here. Miss Overby here. And Miss Wells is um not going to be here this evening. Okay. Please uh stand for the pledge of allegiance. >> I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. [laughter] >> Hey, Dr. Adams, will you proceed with the district mission statement? >> Yes, ma'am. Thank you. Just a reminder to speak
002clearly in the microphone for our friends listening at home. The mission of the Levware public schools is to prepare every student for success in every classroom every day. >> Okay. Do we want to go through the individual board member commitments? Miss Murphy, >> I commit to facilitating the wonders and to ask more questions. >> I commit to sharing my wonder with more clarity and share my discernment to provide thoughtful feedback. Wilson. >> I commit to working on my wonder without letting it overtake my focus. >> I will work on not discounting the [clears throat] importance of my enabling genius is being nice. >> I will commit to sharing ideas and achieving results for positive change. >> Okay, moving on to the adoption of the agenda. >> Oh, sorry. Sorry. >> Well, I think I won't
003commit now. >> Okay. I commit to being open-minded and attentive to the ideas of others for the good of the whole and staying focused on the task at hand. >> Okay. Now, the adoption of the agenda. >> I make a motion to adopt the agenda as presented. >> Second. >> All in favor? 6. Okay. Now, the fun part, student, staff recognitions. So, we'll start with you. >> I would agree this is probably the best part of the meeting. Actually, I know it is the best part of the meeting. Uh, we've got two groups we want to recognize tonight. Both of which are for our fall sports that have obviously reached a conclusion. Uh, but both of these represent state level achievements. So, first up, boys cross country, specifically Diego Garri, who qualify for the state
004cross country meet. Diego, come on up, sir. [applause] And then I'm looking for Coach Robinson if she wants to say anything. You can go right there to the podium. >> [clears throat] [snorts] [laughter] >> On behalf of Leworth USD453, this certificate is proudly presented to Diego Garrick as a state qualifier for the 2025 state cross country meet. [applause] >> [snorts] [clears throat] >> I've had the pleasure of getting to know Diego for three years now and it's been so fun seeing you go from what was your time freshman year >> to 17:30 this year. [applause] >> And he's not just a great athlete, he's also an amazing leader and teammate. And he also had to fight injury this year. And you know you're a real runner when the hardest part is taking a break. So
005way to go Diego. [applause] >> Mrs. Troy will take a picture. >> [applause] >> Okay, moving on to our football recognitions. Mr. Carney. >> All right, folks. I'm just going to warn you this is going to take a little bit. We've got quite a few individuals. So, Mr. Carney, make yourself comfortable up there. Okay. Uh what I thought would be probably most efficient is as these individuals are called up if they want to stand to be recognized and then kind of at the end Mr. Carney will take care of the certificate. >> Yep. I'm gonna take care of that part for you. Yep. Yep. Um so at this time we'd like to recognize the 2025 Levvenworth High School football team. This team recorded one of the most successful seasons in program history, earning nine wins,
006the most in school history. [applause] They finished with an overall record of 9-2 and a 6-1 mark in the United Conference, finishing as conference runnerup. Both losses came against the eventual state runnerup and the season concluded in the sectional round of the playoffs. We'd like to now acknowledge several athletes who receive postseason honors. Our first team selections, Aaron Phillips on the offensive line, and Trey Brockington, running back. [applause] Our second team selection is Davier McCrae as wide receiver. And our honorable mention selections are Jamal Herman on the offensive line, Keegan McB on the offensive line, and Braden Bridger, quarterback. [applause] Moving now to the defensive side of the ball, we'd also like to recognize our defensive player of the year. He is also the KFBCA allstate nominee Davier McCrae. [applause] Our additional defensive honors include
007first team defense Gabe Edins on the defensive line, [applause] Frank Giamalda as linebacker. [applause] Second team defense features Will Dale's linebacker, [applause] Julian Simon, defensive back, [applause] Emanuel Lee on the defensive line. [applause] And finally, our honorable mention defense is Xavian Bronson, defensive back. [applause] All right, Mr. Carney. Each of these athletes represent our program with both effort, commitment, as well as pride. Their dedication both on and off the field helped elevate the standard of success in our program. And we are extremely proud of their accomplishments. Mr. Carney, >> I couldn't say that any better. >> If you would please. Do I have a team captain that would like to come up and maybe receive this from Mr. Carney? Team captain. >> Jump right up. [laughter] like agents. >> Well, this is really a pleasure
008handing this out because it's only been a hundred years since we got to this point and I'm hoping that we don't have to wait another hundred years. I don't think I'll be here. I hope some of you might be here. [snorts] But anyway, the kids really uh hung together. Uh I' I've been watching these kids since middle school. I went to every game this year and about every game last year and you could just see him jelling and getting better. So, it's it's really a pleasure to do this. And so, what this is is a certificate of achievement. This certificate is proudly presented to the Pioneer Football Team 2025 regional championship win and historic 9-2 season record. Signed by Mr. Zerby, president of the board and Dr. Adams, superintendent of school. >> [applause] >> What
009do you want to do? >> Ready for the next one? >> You want to do the ball at the end? >> Yep. We'll do a picture gentleman here at the end. But I've got one more thing I need to announce. All right. Finally, we'd like to recognize the individual who led, developed, and unified this exceptional group. His leadership made a tremendous impact on the success of this season. Ladies and gentlemen, help me in welcoming and giving a big congratulations to coach Sean Sachin as the UKC. [applause] >> I think coach S did a great job, but he's also got a team here. I want you who helped you do this wonderful piece. Yeah. [laughter] [snorts and clears throat] >> Okay. Yeah. Just call. >> Sure. Uh and [clears throat] then you know the the the
010pride that the community feels u the thing that I think to be even more proud about is the young men that that we're building, right? The success on the football field. That's just that takes some talent and and work ethic. Um, but be proud of of who these kids are becoming uh as young men because they they bought into the things that we're teaching. Um, and we couldn't do it without [clears throat] their their hard work and talent as well as uh our coaches. coaches in the back. For our offensive line is Justin Bod. [applause] For our wide receivers is RJ Subtles. [applause] Our freshman offensive coordinator is Cam Beum. [applause] Defensive line is uh Anthony Payton. [applause] Our linebackers and defensive coordinator is Steve Short. [applause] And also here is our quarterbacks and running
011backs coach Terry Jordan. [applause] So with all that said, [snorts] Leworth USD453 certificate of achievement. This certificate oops certificate is proudly presented as John Sichin United Kansas conference coach of the year 2025 presented by signed by Mrs. Over uh board of education president and Dr. Adam superintendent school congratulations. [applause] >> All right Mr. Carney thank you gentlemen once again congratulations on a historic season if you would please make your way up to the logo or Mrs. Troyer would love to take your photo. Thank you again for being here. [applause] >> Congratulations. >> Well done. >> Thank you. [snorts] You want to go take a picture with Michael? Take a picture with [laughter] [snorts] [applause] >> whole crew. >> Come on. Come on, hustle the way you make the players hustle. [clears throat] [laughter] >> There'll
012be enough people. We can't see. You can't see. [laughter] >> Yeah, they can't see. Go Pioneers. [laughter] >> He's hiding. >> Okay. All right. Ready? [applause] >> Well done. >> Thank you. Great job, everybody. [cough and clears throat] >> [laughter] >> Okay, moving on to item uh 3.1. Um the Levvenworth Jag K program is going to give us a presentation tonight. So, come on down. >> [snorts] [snorts] >> Is this the Okay, good evening. Thank you guys for having us. Um, we just want to give a short um, introduction about Jack Hay and what we've done so far this year. So again, thank you so much for your time. Um, go ahead, introduce yourself. My name is uh, Miss Tama Morsen. I'm the actual Jack case specialist at Levvenworth High School. >> My name is
013Carla Pledger and I'm also a JAG uh, specialist, but I work with success academy. >> And this is our you can introduce yourself. >> Uh, my name is Reno. My name is Reno Seahhorn Jackson. I am Jack K jobs for making graduate vi vice president. >> [applause] >> Okay. So, we wanted to talk about our mission statement. Um, Jobs for America Graduates is a national program. Um, but we're Jack K, so we're Jacks for American Graduates Kansas. Um, we help prepare students for successful futures. We partner with students to help identify a career path compatible to their interests and skills and overcome various challenges that might put them at risk of graduate of not attaining a high school diploma or just having uh good positive success after high school. Um so our vision is we
014want all students to have successful futures. [clears throat] Um this is the Jag Kansas how we oop sorry how we align um to the KSD graduation changes. Um our model has always kind of aligned to the new changes that the KSD is implicating um with our post-secary assets. Um so some of the things that we have already done at Levvenworth is we have gotten students OSHA 10 certifications and we've also gotten stop the bleed certifications and then all of the students before graduation will will receive CPR certifications as well. Um so our freshman's and sophomores will already have those two post-secary assets after this year as well being in Jack K. So, [snorts] um, also students have gotten their practice ASVAB test and, um, the ones that are wanting to enlist into the military will
015be able, uh, to take the the real one for free. Um, this is kind of our vision for quality instruction. What we do in class, um, we do project- based learning, um, in different pro, uh, different projects um, to lead them to success and a pathway to success. So just a little bit on how we are um meeting those uh Kansas Department of Education requirements as well. And then that's kind of more of it of of the VA the JAG advantage. One of them is project based learning. Our projects that we do in class um our trauma-informed care. All of our specialists are very qualified and trained in trauma-informed care because some of our students have barriers. Um like we said before that puts them at risk of not graduating. So, we want to make
016sure that we're being the support that they need. And then we also do employer engagement activities like getting guest speakers in the classroom, going on different business tours and field trips to get them exposed to different careers as well. This is some of the things that we have done so far um at Levvenworth. Um this is a new program this year, so we've only been almost a semester in. Um we have stopped the bleed training. Um al also the ocean 10 certifications. We have been on a um job tour at Marvin Windows, which is a new manufacturing factory um in the legends. Um we have went to scrub camp at University of St. Mary. They did a JK Marine for day where the students got to uh do like a boot camp Marine style um
017thing. Um students also volunteered at Catholic Charities. We had a JK FASA night. Um and then we also attended Dozer Day. So that's just some of the stuff that we have done so far this school year uh in Levvenworth. And then this is more about us. Um what our program is is the competency based curriculum, project based learning, uh career exploration um and planning. We do employability skills. So we help them um with resumes, cover letters, u mock interviews and things of that nature. We do work-based learning opportunities. That's like going on the job tours and things of that nature. student leadership, like we know, he is our vice president, so he actually conducts meetings and leads his classmates. And then for our seniors, we do a 12-month programming and follow-up, which we follow up
018with them for a year, call them out each month, um, just to make sure that they're having those positive outcomes. So, I'm going to turn it over to you about the different [snorts] types of programs. U, Miss Pleasure, um, because we both service, uh, the students in Levvenworth, we just do two different things. Kind of similar, but two different things. Um the program that's at Levvenworth High School like the in-class program. It's called a multi-year program. Um that's where I service freshman, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Um but we also have a transitions program as well. >> Well, success. >> Oh, that's okay. Um once again, my name is Carla Pledger and I work with um students that are in foster care, uh homeless and displaced students and they have the same opportunity as the students
019in the classroom. Our our curriculum just look a little different. Um, I do follow my follow-ups a year after. Um, I've been in the program for about seven years and I'm still following up with some of the students I had a while back. Um, the success numbers that we have is outstanding. Uh, for success academy, we are 98% of graduation. So, we work really hard on u making sure that our students are prepared to exit high school. One of the first things that I will do when I meet the student is that we set up a success plan. Their plan is five years out, how they feel, where are they going to be within about five years. So, our first goal is to make sure that we maintaining our grades, making sure they graduate from
020high school. I also have middle school students. Um, and I travel throughout the whole state of Kansas. So, I'm almost everywhere. Uh, my roster is 25. Um, right now I'm 29 because I have people that have made referrals to me and asked me to please work with those students. Uh my students also have the opportunity to be in the classroom with Miss uh Tama. If they if they ask me if they can go into a classroom, we automatically transition them over into the classroom. I never hold them back because they have every opportunity as any other students. And nobody, if you see my students, you would never know that they're foster care, homeless, or displaced. We do not label our students. And they their their attire is just the same as the one she has
021in her classroom. We also have guest speakers. We also go on field trips. So, they do a little bit of everything. I have five officers. My officers this year are actually traveling around to the different schools to induct our JAG K students. We just had our induction what, two weeks ago? Two weeks ago here in Levvenworth and they did an outstanding job and I'm very proud of our students. So, thank you [applause] Um so Jack Hay students have a great potential and are selected to join their local program um if they meet um at least six of our barriers. Our barriers are very broad. Um I say that they can be from simple like hey I need a ride to school or I'm on free or reduced lunch or I have a fear of public
022speaking. That's one of our main ones. All the way to um I my parent did not graduate high school or I have an incarcerated parent. So the barriers are very broad. Um so I when I first became a career specialist because this is my fourth year, I actually listed some of the barriers that I would have had when I was a high if I was when I was a high school student and I had 20 of them and I feel like I had pretty success after high school. But I was just saying that that's how general the barriers are. So they have to have at least six of those, but usually um that's not really hard to get um anyone that's recommended. Um these barriers can be academic, physical, uh psychological or workrelated categories. So
023it's just a broad um different [snorts] um we have over 121 programs in about 85 different Kansas schools. Um they're actually expanding more. Levvenworth was the newest program that they have and I think they are expanding to Poliola next school year. Um so that's really good. We were able to service um at least 60 students in these schools. Some schools have multiple programs. um where they're serveing um multiple students like more students. But yeah, really is good. Um Success Academy, which was is Miss Pleasure, has seven programs um all around the Kansas City Kansas area um helping out students that are in foster care and um the juvenile system. And then this is like the map of like all of the Jag programs all over. And we're like in the corner right over there. [laughter]
024Love. So yeah. And then um this is our demographics for the class of 2024. U most [snorts] of our students are single parent households. Um they are students of color and then they are at the bottom 25% class standing. Um and then 75 70% of them are on free or reduced lunch. So just showing you different demographics. Um things of that. These are some of the state and national events that we do for Jack each year. Um, we do local things in our community like going out into our own personal communities and having our own field trips, but this is something that they do each year on the state level. We have a local initiation and installation um ceremony. Miss uh Price had the pleasure of being there with us um and it was really
025success. We had Germaine Wilson as our guest speaker. So, it was a really really fun event that the students put together. Um, we have a regional leadership development conference where where this year we went to Johnson County Community College and it was kind of like a PD day for students. They got to go to different breakout rooms um and learn new things. I also led a session over networking. So, it was fun to see students all over our region come together and network and just be together in unison. Um, we do JAG day at the Kansas Capitol, which I think is fun and unique. Um, they get to go to the Kansas Capitol and um, basically see us. So, we we basically get to see if we're going to get funded that year. And I
026think that's pretty fun that you have over 500 Jack students all over um Kansas and we're going to see if we get funded or not by the state. I'm like, how do you say no to 500 students? Um very strategic for Jack, but um they do that and they also have fun. They get to meet different senators. Um they get to uh eat lunch there and they also get to do like the dome tours and activities in the capital. So, that's fun. And then something that we have coming up in February and March is our local and regional career development conference. Um and then our state and national um we call them career development competitions because they're competitions. They're competing against other schools and categories like employability skills or career prep and things of that
027nature. So really fun things, really exciting things coming up. Um what our requirements are for employer engagement. So tier ones are like our guest speakers, a minimum of 10. I actually have 10 at this moment. Um, we have tier twos, which is going on those business tours and things. I have a minimum of one of those. Um, but we have to get these before the end of the year. And then a minimum of three that's associated with a PPL. So, uh, an employer coming in based on a project that we're doing. And then this is our employer engagement framework. Um, where the different tiers are. So, tier one is like exportation where we are [clears throat] doing the guest speakers and things. Tier two was like the business tours and things. And then three is
028actually getting our students aligned with like a career um that they apply to uh nine times out of 10 out their senior year. Um so that's the goal. The goal is to get those the guest speaker in to go do a job tour there and then also connect them with actual in a job so they can take after they graduate. And then um our full-time uh positive outcomes is we want to have them either uh fully in um enrolled in school or full-time job um are placed full-time in the military um and things of that nature. So we just want to make sure that they're having those full-time positive outcomes either that's um enlisting into the military if that's uh getting a full-time job or if that's um being full-time in school. So, we're aligned
029with uh 11 words um employed and listed are enrolled thing. And then these are our six to six multi-year outcomes. Um on the first side, you can see the data from JAG National because it's a national program. Like for example, their graduation rate was 90% and ours was 98. So we are JAG Kansas are exceeding the um the the standards for our national criteria. Um so yeah and then this is 505 uh nonc follow-up um outcomes. Um these are outcomes like improvements in attendance rate uh academic improvements and things of that nature. Um so multi-year is our program. Um and we cannot wait to see the data from this year's program um from Levvenworth. And then different career associations. Um local, we have our local which will have a Levvenworth career association. We have a
030regional career association, a state and a national. Um Reno is technically a part of our local Levvenworth career association, but next year he has the opportunity to apply to be a regional career uh officer or state career officer. And then these are some of the projects that we have done in class. um the students were doing career posters um and then actually sharing them out. Um all of the students that are in the Levvenworth um JK program all put that they have a fear of public speaking. So I always try to kind of push them to the spot of sharing out like fun stuff like this um to help them with that fear. And then we are piloting something new. Um, I'm actually getting training on this this summer, but the Jack Hay is now
031doing uh micro credentials. They are piloting these programs in Witchah and Augusta. Um, so next year we will have the training and be able to do it in Levvenworth. Um, these are like different career credentials that they can put on their LinkedIn and um like Indeed to um basically make them more marketable for a job. Especially for the students that are not wanting to go to college, they still have these credentials to help them um when it comes [clears throat] to applying for a job. And then that is all that I have. Does anyone have any questions? >> I do. Miss Morson, I know you had the breakdown by demographics by percentages. How many kids do we have in our program for JAG K? >> We have 41. >> 41. Okay. Awesome. >> And how
032many in each of the tiers >> did you the tier one, two, and three? How many? So I have a minimum of tiers um for you talking about for employer engagement. >> So I have a minimum of 10 guest speakers that have already came in um already this year. So we're probably projected to have at least 15 by the end of the school year. I have one tier two which means that they have went on a they had a guest speaker come in the classroom and then they went on a interactive business tour. Um, so hopefully we'll have like two or three before the end of the year and then hopefully before the end of the year we'll have a tier three which is our the student actually getting offered a job through one of
033those employers. >> Awesome. >> So our data for Levvenworth is ahead um per se. I just did my review. So but um yeah. >> Do you get any federal funding? >> We do get federal funding. Yeah. I don't know the logistics of that, but um I know that we do get federal and state funding. Yes. [snorts] >> Any other questions, comments? >> Thank you. >> Hey, >> I will say if Reno wanted to say a [clears throat] few words. Um >> sorry, [laughter] >> Jack has maybe helped you. >> It has improved my public speaking. [laughter] >> [applause] >> Thank you guys so much for your time. >> Thank you. >> Great. Moving on to agenda item four, executive session for non-elected personnel. All right, Madam President, I move we go into executive session to
034discuss non-elected personnel pursuant to the exception under the Kansas Open Meetings Act or coma in order to protect the privacy interest of the individuals to be discussed and that we return to open session in this room at 651. The board will invite Dr. Adams, Amy Sloan, Amy Joe Troyer, and board attorney Robert Hangula via telephone into the meeting. >> Second. All those in favor? >> I zero. All right, let's do it. [snorts] Okay, the board will now return to regular session. Madam President, I move that we accept the staffing report as ex as presented. >> Second. All in favor? >> I I All right. I move to extend Dr. Adams contract through the 2027 2028 school year effective July 1st of 2026. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I move that Dr. Dr. Adams
035receive a $5,000 retention stipen to be paid on July 20th, 2026 and a 2% salary increase for the 202627 school year. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I I accepted the staffing report. >> Yes. Okay. All right. Moving on to item number five, the consent agenda. Any issues? We move to uh to accept the consent agenda as presented. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Okay. Um moving on to KSB policy updates. This is a first read. >> Not a lot to offer tonight. Um, if we want to kind of work backwards on the calendar. Sorry, it would help if I have January up. January regular should be 12 January. Beth, thank you. Meaning we would set the agenda by 7 January, posting by the 8th. We've got a holiday to work
036around. So if I could have suggestions, questions, etc. No later than the 5th. >> 5th of >> Sorry, five of January. Yep. Yep. >> That would then give us the full totality of the week. It'll still be on the agenda like that part won't change, but it would give us the totality of the week of the 5th to be able to address the questions, concerns, etc. Um, just a quick reminder, the December January update typically represents one of two things. Either issues that have come up in other districts that KSB is then saying, "Hey, we see a problem here. Let's go ahead and address it now." Or two is recent um, example, uh, recent SCOTUS decisions that have an implication for the system that need to be enacted right away. So, you have this Supreme
037Court decision, I think I'm saying this right, the Muhammad or if I'm not saying it right, decision that impacted some of these policies that needs to not wait until June. So, Beth, anything you want to add to that? >> Okay, moving on to item number eight, the strategic plan highlight. We have an HR presentation. [snorts] All right. Uh [clears throat] this evening we are going to provide you with an update of last year uh review of the 2425 human resourcing review. If you recall, a year ago was the first time that we presented in September. Um, this year, uh, due to scheduling, we're in December. So, we are discussing the 2425. Everything that we discussed here is the data for last year. Just keep that in mind. Uh, we will be focusing on the areas
038of the staffing and personnel with regards to the strategic plan. Our strategic plan in the area of HR, you'll see specifically our objective is to recruit and retain. And the data that we share here tonight will be a reflection of our action steps that we've taken over the last year in the 2425 school year. So throughout this presentation, you're going to see highlights of the different action steps and the data that results from that. Last year in 2425, we had a total of 544 uh staff and 90 substitutes. So you'll see that uh we had a total of 544 with the certified. Just a reminder, certified are anybody that's tied to the negotiated agreement. Those are teachers, counselors, psychologists, anybody that is a part of the negotiated agreement. They are under contract for one year.
039Classified staff, those are your support staffs, anywhere from facilities, custodians, um building aids, administrative assistants, those are hourly uh employees. And then administrators are all under contract. um they are typically under a one-year to two-year contract. Our subs Amy Joe works really hard to increase our sub pool and so we are at 90 which is one of our highest numbers that we've had. This again is last year's numbers. >> Oh, and I apologize. This is my wonderful uh assistant Amy Joe Troyer, assistant director of HR. >> Sorry Joe, >> it's a little late. Sorry. Um, so, uh, as Amy had shared, this is just an overall breakdown of where our staff fall in terms of some of our general demographics. This is often information that you all ask of us. So, we're putting it together
040here. So, see, predominantly female, uh, just over 71% of our staff are female. And we look at our employee types. This is just a visual representation of the numbers that Mrs. Sloan just presented to you. Uh, you'll see the significant portion, both the green, blue, and red represent all of our staff. Um so certified is in blue at just over 40%. Shortly uh behind them there at 39% are our classified staff. We were 14.2% as substitutes. And then the glare is bad excuse me 6.6 for administrators. In addition uh information that we share with you all is relative to residency and the ethnicity of our staff. So additional demographics you'll see predominantly that uh individuals who serve in our district uh 60% of those individuals live within um our district an additional 15% live within
041the county or reside within Fort Levvenworth. And then just shy I apologize I can't see the glare there. Just shy of uh 24% are individuals who are out of district or travel in to work here. We also have a breakdown of our staff ethnicity. You'll see predominantly there uh that our staff is Caucasian at just over 91% with the additional breakdowns as noted. So those are our generic or general staffing demographics we share with you all. We do have information in addition of all of our new employee onboarding. And so this gives you just a visual representation again that same uh idea or same concept of that donut graph giving you a visual of the staff that we're welcoming. In 2425, we welcomed 134 new staff. That was just over 21% of our total staff.
042For our new onboarding, you'll see our trend data for the past three years of the staff members that were onboarding and welcoming. Um that you'll see some significant drops. Of course, uh you know that we took some steps for a reduction of positions in the prior school year. Um so you'll see some of that reflected there. Um and then again an increase in the subs. This is just our new hires, not our full staff demographic. So you'll see some trend line data there. Our onboarding investment is really important to consider. Uh each 134 of those staff members uh do require support for them to join our team. So we'd like to give a quick breakdown. Um, these are just kind of generic numbers to give you an idea of what that total time investment is,
043not only within our staff here at the board office, within our school-based staff during their tours and interviews. And so interviews, um, through office prep, through candidate communication, creating their payroll, conducting their on-site visits, um, all of the work that the HR portion, not even what our, uh, learning services team does, that would go in, not even what our special education team does that goes into that training, just the HR investment is roughly um, on average about five hours. for our classified new hires, very similar to that. We have the interviewing process, we have the onboarding, offer prep and discussion, our candidate communication, their on-site visit, their new hire orientation as well. And so, generally speaking, about a five-hour investment. So, if you take that 134, and we're just going to assume five hours. We
044we don't necessarily delineate what type of employee they are um because there are more hours depending upon who you are and what you do. It's roughly about 670 hours. At 8 hours a day, it's over 83 days of onboarding work. And so it's a pretty significant investment that our team makes. One additional shout out I want to share. Um in addition, Dr. Bonsteiner, Dr. Soon, and their team uh definitely support with all of the activities of new teacher academy. That's generally three days. HR is just one small portion of that. As well as our special education team as an example, uh with our classified new hires, our pair of professionals, in addition to the five-hour investment that we make, our pair professionals receive an additional 25 hours of training before they ever set foot in
045the classroom. So, uh, at your direction and part of our strategic plan, we make that significant investment in that onboarding experience for our staff. >> All right. So, we just talked about onboarding. So, now these are uh employees for the 2425 that offboarded we actually separated with. You'll see 144 separated and that percentage is a little over uh 22%. Um I do want to make you or remind you the previous year in the 23 24 we had a much higher uh rate. We were actually at 36.9% but that was the year that we went ahead and esser dollars went away. So those positions all those positions we added through esser dollars we had to uh go ahead and absorb those positions. So I'm happy to say from the 2324 to 2425 we actually uh reduced
046our separations by 14%. Which is pretty significant. So we increased for one year and [snorts] then we actually decreased and that is reflected here in this next slide. You'll notice our separations drop from the 22 23 23 24 and even the 24 25. Um I believe it's a result of the actions that the board has taken that I'll talk about here shortly regarding salary and benefits that is retaining our staff. I also believe um there are fewer footprint so we do have less staff but I do believe the HR department along with administration and staff as a whole are working to retain our our our staff through a variety of um whether that's salary compensation professional development whatever. Um with regards to our separations for um resignation obviously is the highest followed by retirements. We
047did see an increase. You're wondering why. Last year was the first year that you gave an incentive um above and beyond the negotiated agreement. You gave that incentive. If you did an early retirement, you would receive a stipen. So that's why you have an increase there. And unfortunately, we did have a slight increase with regards to terminations from two to six. certified recruitment. Um, just to remind you, that takes a large percentage of our time. We're on [snorts] the road. There's there's peaks uh times during the fall that we do recruiting. Uh, and then of course in the spring, right after the first of the year, we have about a six week stretch where there's a lot of recruiting going on. Uh, in education, the the way that you find educators is to go on
048campus and recruit. There was uh for a short period some virtual, they've all gone back to on-site. Very few offer virtual recruiting. So, we're traveling to all these universities and colleges. Um along with the interstate compact, which we are a part of, we're one of 13 states, the u interstate mobility, which is allowing us to go to other states, which means we share and it's easier for lure if they reciprocate in our state. And so we did extend out to Oklahoma this last year uh to OSU and OU and then we went to two universities in uh Colorado and we plan to continue that um with our recruitment. I will say that we hired 11 brand new to the profession or excuse me 13 brand new to the profession um both instate and out of
049state from these different uh various colleges and universities. And I'll let Amy just speak to classified [snorts] recruitment. So for classified recruitment, we do a much more traditional uh there are not [snorts] necessarily college fairs for some of the positions that we employ. Uh where there are, we do attend those. Uh but certainly we um host our own uh job posting sites on our district website promoting those through social media and through traditional posting. Those posts are also picked up at various sites like Zip Recruiter, Indeed. Um, we also dual post and they are pulled to LinkedIn. Um, we also participate in many of the chamber events and chamber advertisement for local organizations. [snorts] We've partnered with ACS on for Levvenworth to attend our uh not only college fairs or recruitment fairs, employment fairs for
050them, but also to participate in general activities and events what that they may be hosting for individuals that live on base and that we are able to be there as a vendor type. Um so think back to school style events and activities and celebrations that they host. All of our positions are also dual posted to school spring. It is a partner of the recruit and hire. So those positions are posted online. In addition to that, one of the things that we started just a few years ago uh with the support of the special education team was on-site job fairs. And so those initially were predominantly geared towards uh trying to fill some of our pair professional vacancies, but we began to see some opportunity for placement in other classified positions. So we do those in
051specialized ways either for classified staff, pair of professional staff. We host those here in our district facility. So those [snorts] are on-site opportunities for candidates to get direct access to a hiring manager and we're able to move forward with opportunities. Uh I would say upwards of half of the individuals who interview with us at those events do metriculate forward into employment with us. So going back to uh retention, I also believe this is a huge part of our recruitment and has helped us in our recruitment through the board's action and direction. If you recall in 2425, you gave a $5,000 increase to the base. It was at 45 and went to 50,000. In my 29 years, 28 here in the district, I've never seen an increase to that magnitude for one year. So that was
052a huge step for our district. Um and so that was uh something that we actually felt like when we were out recruiting our salary was well above a majority of western Kansas. Some areas in this area as well as definitely in Oklahoma we are higher. Um so very competitive. Um we're still competing with our metro a little bit. um unfortunately, but we're we're still um close. Um we're slightly below, but we are getting closer. Um with regards to classified, uh the board continues to make it a priority. And so you can see what you invested with regards to classified increases and that pool of money, 530,000 was a significant um increase in comparison to the previous year where you invested $400,000. and that was for our only classified staff. In addition to that, uh the
053board went above and beyond what is required of the negotiated agreement within benefits, health, and fringe. And we chose we did not want our employees both certified or classified for that matter to have to uh take the um 17% increase to their uh benefits. And so the board went above and beyond what is required or what we even negotiated. and you invested $635,000 towards health and fringe for all of our staff. And that is our presentation tonight with regards to HR. Are there any questions with regards to anything uh that was presented tonight? >> Thanks for the hard work. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> All right. Thank you. Um, moving on to item number nine, superintendent report. >> All right. Thank you. I'm just going to warn you right now. This is going to
054be a heavy topic. So, I want you to prepare yourself mentally for what we're about to discuss. Uh, this really represents the next step in some very tough conversations facing the district over the next couple months. All right. Just to kind of level set where we're at and what we're dealing with purely and simply, we have less students residing in the 17 square miles of our district than we did the previous year. For context, we used to be a system of over 4,000 students. We were once a 6A high school and I'm looking at a number now unawudited that's just barely over 3,000. So, you have seen that very real decline. and absent of any new or what I call reggreening of those rooftops, you're going to continue to likely expect this until you see
055that economic development in the way of single family and or multifamily households. So that is a huge I would say component here. We are largely landlocked due to the geography of our district. The geography of our district is not in our favor so to speak. Okay. At the same time, we are experiencing the same thing you all are personally at home and with certainly within our community and that is uh the effects of inflation, including things like the wage environment and some of the other things we're going to discuss tonight that are either out of our control or largely uh are something that we have control over but we still believe we need to plan for. All right. So, let's take a look at where we're at today. And the snapshot I have here for
056you breaks it down pretty simple in regards to known, I'm going to say, or projected revenue. The projected revenue comes by way of the final year of the current school finance formula. that school finance formula is currently tied to a three-year CPI. It says as that Midwest CPI raises, so will the base aid for each student. So, we have a reasonable reliability with that 700,000 plus number. The only caveat there is that number will not be final until April 20th, and it of course fluctuates as that three-year average continues. You're going to see a blank there for impact a dollars because this one still largely eludes us in how to best collect that. But for context, this is for both our military as well as our federally connected students. Those dollars flow when a survey
057is properly completed by the family. The caveat here is the family has I would say no incentive to complete it because there is no g net gain for the family. the net gain is entirely for the district. So I would love for ideas, suggestions and otherwise on how we can bolster that impact a dollars because again that represents revenue that I would say has very minimal expense attached to it. That expense being of course our staff time working from that I'm going to call it 3.3 deficit. I'm just rounding numbers here. We've got in the neighborhood of 700,000 so far in revenue. The rest of course then represents uh if you will deficit savings. Today as of today we have a total of 607,000 with positions that we have effectively frosted. So I've asked staff
058to implement what we did last year which is to frost positions at the onset and then we can decide which ones we will slowly unfrost once we cross that proverbial line. So you'll see the breakdown for our three classifications, administrative, certified, and classified. So net total just over 1.3, leaving our gap as of December 8th. Let's just call it a nice even $2 million. Let me pause there. What questions are there about the financial picture? Okay, you may or may not have been a part of it, but we put out two groups uh surveys over the course of really the month of November. The first of which was geared towards the external stakeholder audience. I believe these both closed on or around the end of November. Correct. Okay. The second of which was internal and
059geared towards staff. I will say the survey instruments largely ask the same questions but of course as you can imagine internal stakeholders um have a different slightly different interpretation and perspective than our external stakeholders. What I will tell you is that both of those groups largely speaking said the same thing and have the same priorities. So for what it is worth internally and externally we have more coherence than we do not which I can appreciate as you navigate these very difficult decisions. You're going to see here a list of what survey participants indicated they were most willing to consider reductions. So these are the things that they're I would say um most likely to let go of that will have the least loss aversion for them. And you'll see here everything from athletics and extracurriculars
060through student supports or school structure changes. The statement at the bottom I think is important because the area of least willingness is staffing and core academic programs. I will tell you personally that does seem to contradict some of the things in the bulletin list above. I think as you try to protect staff size or staff that is you will invariably you will have less class sizes right if you are willing to go with larger class sizes yet usually means you are willing to let go of some staff. So those kind of work I would argue in tandem with each other. questions about what the survey indicated? Nothing yet. All right. So, we used as a team this survey externally, this survey internally and synthesize what do those results say? What are the top priorities? Knowing
061full well that our team cannot explore with a great level of detail 15 different options. We just frankly do not have the capacity to do that. So tonight is about previewing for you the options that we are going to push forward. If you think about it from the funnel analogy, we started really wide and we're now moving to more narrow. Okay. So from an option one perspective, option one is going to be we will entertain closing one of the elementary buildings. Okay. What I cannot say tonight is which elementary building it would be. [cough] In the survey, we asked people to indicate what they believed was appropriate for purposes of if we should close the building. What are those characteristics? As you can probably imagine, we received feedback for things like the aging infrastructure andor
062the age of the building, the location in town, number of students impacted. So, I would say all very reasonable characteristics to consider. With all of that said, I believe it is reasonable to say tonight to you that Henry would be the last on the list of our three. Okay. So priority-wise, Henry would probably receive the highest priority based upon not only the age of the building, but less dilapidated and/or aging infrastructure. >> What's the capacity at that hour? Where were there >> at Henry? I'm going to say your elementary buildings generally speaking have a capacity between five and 600 students. They are all currently under capacity. What is the current capacity? >> What's that? >> What's the current capacity right now? >> Current enrollment at Henry >> Henry. Yeah. >> I show for next year
063is slated at 232. That's again with a pure carryover model. A pure carryover model assumes that no students leave, no students come, you simply move all the first grader up to second grade, so on. Does that make sense? So it does have some assumptions built into that model. >> What did the enrollment look like in the other two [clears throat] elementary school? Anthony, again, this is the pure rollover model for 2627. Anthony 252 and Brewer 298. All right. So, there's a caveat with option one, whether it is Brewer, Anthony, or Henry. That caveat is you need to fold other sites into that now vacated building. Simply moving all of the students from one elementary to another does not represent a cost savings. So you need to take that vacated space and then close other buildings.
064What might those buildings be? You're sitting in one of them that I would propose. I would also recommend anything else at the central services level be folded into Anthony or David Brewer or Henry. Does that make sense? >> That is where you begin to realize the savings as you reduce that operational footprint as you have less square feet of footage to maintain etc. I want to make it very clear with option one. There is not a plan to take all of those students from whatever that vacated building is and simply drop them into the existing classrooms. The staff from that vacated building [snorts] would largely come with those students. Let me pause there because that's a lot to take in. >> [clears throat] >> Well, that um that alleviates the concern about getting huge classes
065if you're bringing the staff with you. So, you conceivably just have more sections, right? >> I'm just telling you, I am unwilling at this point to entertain class sizes in the 20, high 20s, 30s. I don't think it's what's best for kids, >> but we don't have enough vacant rooms per school building to house that. >> We actually do. There are a number of classrooms that are either currently vacant or have been occupied by a non-eing position >> and both all three buildings. >> Correct. >> For context, those buildings used to have fifth grade. And correct [snorts] me if I'm wrong. Did they also have kindergarten? >> They used to have kindergarten, too. >> Same buildings, right? >> What happens, Mrs. Wilson, is we naturally grow into our unoccupied spaces. >> Right. I think it's
066probably just a natural human tendency. Hey, here's a classroom. Here's an individual that would like their own space to land. Let's put them into that classroom. And that classroom now has one individual in it. No kids in there for the majority of the day. and it becomes an office. Does that make sense? >> Yep. I was just talking about that. >> You were. So, here's some context that's important and I need you to think long term in this regard. Fourth grade with the pure rollover model is going to be at 225 next year. Pure rollover. First grade is going to be at 180. >> Total enrollment. >> Correct. >> That is 45 kids lost from the exiting fourth graders to the entering first graders. Again, this is pure rollover model. I want to emphasize that.
067Okay. [clears throat] That in elementary terms is arguably two sections. You with me? >> Your largest classes are leaving [snorts] the stage in May. And as near as I could tell, every class after will essentially be smaller than the one that graduated before. That's again just pure rollover model. assuming no other things happen. So we know there may be some economic development. We know there may be some other challenges that come our way. This is just what we know with pure rollover. >> So we have access. >> All right. Here's what I want to make sure is very clear. We have a plan with option one and any other option that I have to detail tonight. a plan that does not include the reduction in force process. Let me say that again. Unless it is
068a performance related matter, we intend to keep all people who want to be here next year. They may not sit in the same seat that they're sitting today. But I have a spot for them somewhere in the system. Any other questions on option one? All right. Option two, I'm going to argue represents what we heard on the survey and also what I've heard anecdotally. And tell me if it aligns with what you've heard as well. Option two is to reimagine the current 56 campus, meaning or including, let's say, repatriating the fifth graders back to their home elementaryaries, shifting possibly the sixth graders up to the middle school, possibly a combination of both of those. But I believe that building has a lot of life left in it. you just built it, >> right? >> So,
069I don't think we should be listing it on the local real estate market, >> but what I have heard at Nauseium since taking this position is a concern about that transition right there from fourth to fifth and some of the behaviors and otherwise that are at that building. Does that align with what you all? >> Yes. >> Okay. Mhm. >> So I still think then the caveat is you have to realize the budget savings because again if I move the fifth grade, if I move the sixth grade, I haven't saved any money yet, right? >> What is the total enrollment of the fifth grade that gets repatriated? Sure. Is that going to be enough that would shift the numbers? I mean our capacity is less than half at any of the buildings. So what >>
070that's not going to affect any particular building to be over half. So what does that look like? Fifth grade rollover 219. Sixth grade rollover 209. >> All right. So the second part then where the savings comes in is you have to move other programs just like on option one into the intermediate. So again the idea again reduce the operational footprint realize savings when when you have you know classes that get combined and you can go from say 10 sections to nine all those things that come with that. So largely a mirror I would say of option one with that second part. Again, I feel like it represents what our survey said was a concern, but it also has the budget concern as well. >> Questions on option two? >> Our staff would still be placed
071with our kids and this building would still be re >> Yes, ma'am. Yep. What I can't tell you, Mrs. Wilson, is that instructional model looks a little different at Fifth and [laughter] Six, right? I I I argue it's the elementary hybrid model, right? What does that look like if we repatriate the fifth graders? What does that look like if we take the sixth graders up? Maybe it's only one and not the other. You get the idea. I just I don't know if I'm ready to commit tonight to what the instructional model would look like. All right. Option three that represents survey data stakeholder input that I'm going to tell you does not represent administrative recommendation and that would be to vacate Lawson and shut down our early childhood center. A number of our stakeholders have
072concerns about the transitions at first grade have concerns about play-based learning and some of the other if you will issues surrounding early childhood. It is not my recommendation that we vacate that building. So unless you all believe we should entertain that, I would say we need to take option three off of the table. Could you talk for a second? Like I remember a lot about the play-based learning model. I'm trying to think um maybe back when Ida Cabbage was here or something like that. Um that the idea was it was supposed to roll over into the elementary schools. It was supposed to kind of become a rhythm, a part of like wasn't supposed to be isolated to Lawson. So what what happened with like what's the point of having Lawson be play-based learning but then
073when they get to whichever elementary school they're going to >> that rhythm is into live on into >> that would have predated my time. >> Yeah. >> Right. So I don't know if I'm prepared to talk about tonight. >> Okay. >> But >> no we're going to come back to this topic. >> Well that would just be something I would ask you know >> coming back to the playbased learning thing. Yeah, but what I don't think what I don't recommend is that you explore closing lawsuit. You just built it in the latest bond issue. I think you've committed to that space. That space is largely designed specifically for early childhood. So, I think we need to say, hey, we've heard you, but unfortunately, we are not recommending that this one move forward. That is my
074recommendation. [laughter and clears throat] But we could move forward on possibly losing the playbased portion and going into more constructive. >> That would be a curricular or programming change. Y >> and again I'm happy to have that conversation. M back and join us >> like to have that conversation. [laughter] >> To be clear tonight I was only prepared to talk about the financial implications. So I do apologize. >> Well there's financial implications with the curriculum change as well. >> Sure. Uh, but yes, just from the the larger options that we're concerned. So, >> okay. So, what I'm not hearing is you think that's a great option and we should explore that. I just want to make sure I'm reading the room correctly. >> It doesn't get us where we need to go. >> Yeah. >>
075I So, I think I mean in my mind that's kind of off the table because we it's it doesn't solve the problem that we have. >> Okay. Very good. Anybody else? So if it's an option then why doesn't that solve it? I guess if you can reiterate that for me >> as far as sorry >> like you're presenting it as an option. An op option could be to close >> Sure. It's only a savings if you move all those kids out. >> Yeah. >> And then you move other programs or other buildings in there and you close those those buildings just like we we were recommending with options one and two. >> Right. >> So you vacate Lawson then you move everybody here. you move everybody at the support operations center, etc. I'm just telling
076you doing that would not work as easily as it would at an elementary building. >> But you're presenting that this evening because it rose to the top as one of the top three based on the on the survey. >> And I think if you ask stakeholders for their input, you need to acknowledge that input >> and I'm acknowledging it tonight. I'm just saying it does not fit an administrative recommendation at level two. But the survey, correct me if I'm wrong, um, didn't necessarily address the side of what you're doing with the space after the fact or like what you >> these were just these broad generalizations andor broad recommendations. I would say there was a a consistent theme that expressed concern over Lawson andor Lawson's curriculum. >> All right. So, I recognize the first three
077represent a budget savings if you go through both parts. Option four, I want to acknowledge does not represent a budget savings, but I believe it should be explored. And here's why. I believe it acknowledges one of our most pervasive issues right now. Ready for it? I believe we should actively explore a comprehensive alternative setting K through 12. I want to emphasize this does not represent a budget savings but rather a shift in current dollars. Here is why I believe this should be explored. I have reason to believe we have folks that have chosen to remove their students from our system because they are unsatisfied with the current situation of the climate of the building, the disruptions in the classroom, etc. And those disruptions, that environment, that learning environment that's been compromised could be improved if
078we provided an alternative environment because I still believe every kid deserves a chance to succeed. But some do better in an alternative environment than they do in the traditional environment. So I am acknowledging that this very much has conjecture built into the the model. I do not have a dollar figure to tell you, but for context, every student that we lose is north of $10,000. If you could gain back 50, 75, 100 students, that has a real implication for you. I also believe it acknowledges some of our other systemic issues that are tied to the disruptions in the classroom and otherwise. >> Let me pause there. Is [clears throat] there um is there capacity to do something like that within one of the other options? >> Yeah, I apologize. I didn't preface this. These options
079should not be viewed unilaterally. >> They're all correct. >> They should be viewed as potential hybrids, potential pairs, potential trios, etc. Right? Option four is likely not possible with your current bricks and mortar space. >> Okay. >> Option four becomes a reality if and when options one or two are executed. What I don't want Mrs. Overby is we have a great plan. We figured out how to shift staff etc. But we now need 40,000 square feet to educate our alternative space. We don't have that. So if we execute option one or two option four off the table is or or saying no makes it oh okay okay >> because of space use >> okay >> because what I'm trying to do is reduce the operational footprint so [snorts] what I don't want is hey we
080need to add an alternative center so now we need a new space right >> I want to try to be able to reduce current space [snorts] >> to To be very clear though, this one does not represent a savings. Where the I'm going to say revenue comes in or where the financial um sense is made is as we address some of those other issues that I believe would be resolved by by providing a true alternative environment. Tell me if you disagree, but I [clears throat] believe we have families that have left the district because they are unsatisfied with the current climate of our classrooms. Now option one, if you vacated a whole elementary school building, would you have the capacity to then con maybe consolidate board offices, facilities, technology and maybe have the alternative uh
081compreh comprehensive alternative setting? >> I believe yes. Do you think you you would have the capacity to do that with that large of a building? Like if a whole building were vacated? >> Yes. That's my idea. >> Let me ask, [snorts] how many students do you think that we have enrolled within our district right now that should probably be served educationally that you would consider as an alternative student? I'm gonna say typically an alternative site will target your 5%. >> Number. >> Oh, sorry. So 3,000 is our round number. So 150. >> So back to Karen's question, Anony's capacity round numbers is five. 500 >> 500. Yeah, they're all about 550. >> So you could conceivably like with that big of a space do all of those things in that >> building. So, let me
082track because I know we've had conversations prior to you with Dr. Roth about a possibility of alternative because it was even brought up as using this building as an alternative school uh and bringing in other districts alternative students. >> Got >> we did >> Fort was mentioned, Lancing was mentioned. >> True. >> Is that something that you were thinking of as well? I'm going to say at this point everything should be on the table but I'm going to prioritize 453 kids first. Right. >> Okay. So then the next question is is the district going to be because my thing if we're building I I know basically we have open doors where districts can request permission >> to come into this district and go to school. But do we also want to sat here and take
083behavior problems, let's say, or disruptions from not just Levvenworth County, but other counties outside of it? That's a huge responsibility. [snorts] >> I mean, that's a huge responsibility. Are we as a district going to be running that school or are you going to outsource it to another organization to run it? >> I I don't know if I have a plan for that right now. I'd say right now my focus >> because that's pretty important, too. I'd say right now my focus would just be on the 453 matters. >> If you were serving just the 150 I'm sorry um for um 453 >> then um that would just be another setting for our district. Right. >> Correct. >> I mean is that kind of what you're picturing? And I remember that discussion too. I mean, I
084wasn't on the board, but >> her model exists in other parts of the state where a district decides, hey, we're willing to offer five external seats that here's the seat cost, right? >> And I think there's room for that conversation. I'm not opposed to it. It's just right now today, my concern is I want to make sure we take care of our kids first. >> Right. I was going to say it could be a phased thing if we discover if we determine we want to do that. We do it now with capacity when we set our open seats in May. >> I just didn't want to see where we had 150 of our students utilizing it. Let's say we decided to fill it with capacity that we're getting 250 300 students from all outside of
085the areas. Now we're in the business of being living works alternative education center rather than >> that is a valid concern. >> But see it still goes back to we set our capacities in May. We don't necessarily have to say we'll take everybody's people, right? So we set that up front bodies bring in bankroll. >> But that first part we we don't have to say hey we'll take everybody's upfront. We may need to go through that first year and say, can we make it work? Is it working? Is it are we happy with this? Do we want to take on more? Then we can say, okay, our capacity says we can have X kids here and X kids there. I wouldn't I wouldn't jump the first year anyway. >> The question had to be asked.
086>> I understand. I still wouldn't jump the first year, but our capacities, we had determined those up front. >> Good question. >> Still more things to think about, Kellen. >> Sure. Okay. Okay. So, I've given you really, really broad sense of the options. Now's your opportunity. Would you like to kill any of those so that we don't explore them? Because the last thing I want is I set my team in motion. And they go through a lot of labor hours to I mean do the due diligence necessary for these, right? And then we knew from the start these were non-starters. So, I would rather just have that conversation in earnest. now. >> Well, closing Lawson is a non-stop. >> Yeah, I don't think we can close Lawson. >> We need to change curriculum in Lawson.
087We don't need to close law. >> I will remove option three from our investigatory exercise. >> And option two was moving to Warren. Is that just moving just fifth grade? Are we moving fifth and sixth grade? >> Fifth grade back to >> Yeah. So, is I mean it's repatriation of fifth grade back, but is it also moving sixth grade out or is it like a A and a two. Yep. It can include both. >> Okay. >> Include one [clears throat] or the other or include neither. So I would really argue you have options. >> Well, I'm just asking when you when you pitch that, is it? >> I just think we need to see those options. It's really hard to ask to cut that if we don't see that >> because the numbers >> especially
088the various phases that are mentioned on it. >> Sure. just from >> I mean I think option one and option two cuz option two's got two parts because you're going to vacate that >> side of the building and so now what is going to go in there? >> Yep. >> Um but I I feel like those are the two that um your efforts should be concentrated on. I don't know is that the consensus? I mean that's in my mind because it g it gives you the savings and like you said you can't you can't you don't have the manh hours to do what if we did this what if we did that. So, I feel like you should concentrate on those two options and kind of fleshing that out and give it and uh and
089seeing what it might look like. >> Great. >> Okay. >> Does that sound kind of any other ideas, concerns? Does that sound good? If we kind of concentrated on option one and option two, >> it does from my end. Anyone else? >> When would you consider option four with the alternative school to kick in? >> When I would love to go live in the same year, but we're finding with Netty as you vacate a building, it is not as clean and simple as one month after school you're ready to list the building. Does that make sense? >> Right. So, we may very well, just being fully transparent, have a transition period before the building is ready to go live. Does that make sense? >> Sure. That's part of my when you said originally it was
090K through 12, but um yeah, I've got some questions about how that would be implemented. So, >> all right. So, to make sure we meet or manage expectations, here's what the team has been charged with. And every department is doing their individual take, if you will. They are to bring back a comprehensive report listing all the pros, all the cons, the savings, any increased costs, because sometimes these come with either a one-time cost or sometimes they cost money to get going. And then finally, the political ramifications. Is there anything else that you would like to add to that list for this team as they go through this very deep dive? When you say political ramifications, are you talking about um like where students live or what? >> I'll give you an example. Let's say we
091closed Brewer. That would mean >> totally hypothetical. >> Yep. >> You would have a school in Henry and a school in Anthony for all one through four. I have reason to believe that would have a political implication in our community >> because of redist redistricting and transportation. >> Yep. >> And removing kids from their neighborhoods. >> Yep. >> Does that make sense? >> And those are things that I think need to be a consideration at the onset. >> I'll be frank with you, the IC is concerning because you sold people in a bond issue six years ago or whenever it was, help me out, >> that hey, we're going to make this an intermediate center. it's going to be specific for fifth and sixth grade. I think that has a political implication if you now
092vacate that instructional model just six years later. But is that outweighed by what has been stakeholder input that said, "Sorry, this isn't working. I have concerns." Right? >> I just I think that's an implication that we need to put on the table. So that's what [snorts] that section represents. Does that make sense? Mr. Well, and they were actually working and talking on that with site councils at least in early 2017, even before I came on the board because I was on one of those site councils. >> Okay. >> And I remember those discussions. >> So, if you were on that site council, how would you feel if the district's now talking about entirely shifting that, right? >> I'd be really ticked, especially seeing since I just saw the flyer again of, you know, vote yes
093for kids, no taxes, all these other things. And there's two people that sat on this board that worked actively to help promote and push that bond issue. >> So that to me is a political implication. >> Yeah, absolutely it is. And one of those school that school I sat on the night the site council for um starting in like 2016 I believe was Medi and now it's gone. >> Yep. clarification. When we do this centralization of central office stuff, is the intent to bring everything or do you [clears throat] think some things will still stay like some facility shops? Because some of those shops have other things that may be difficult to move. >> I'll paint this with a broad brush, but this office probably moves easier than anyone else because it's largely office spaces,
094a training space, right? the support operations center largely is more difficult because of the staging area, storage area. Does that make sense? So, I cannot promise you tonight that everything would move. >> No, I'm just saying when you're saying the pros and cons, I'm thinking some of that >> 100%. >> Well, and see, that's the other thing, too. Let's say you're moving into that other building, my mind's immediately going to retrofitting, and retrofitting is not cheap. So, you're taking a cafeteria, a kitchen, an auditorium, and you're retrofitting it into office spaces and cubicles. Yep. >> That's not going to be cheap. It's not necessarily going to save anything. >> Yep. We we recognize that any move will always have a cost with it. >> So, that is why that one of those five sections was
095what are your increased costs? Either permanently as an operational cost or as a one-time transitional moving cost. But then we also need to project what things are going to look like in five years. >> Yes, ma'am. >> And the studies do win. >> Oh, thank you. Beth has authorized that work. Um, and that will be, in my opinion, integral to some of these conversations, especially if you get into the one about redistricting. I think that alone will justify that enrollment study. So, that should be back to us in mid January if I'm not mistaken, Beth. Right. just in time for the January work. >> My gut is we need to schedule a work session in late January to take that information and the options and make that separate not a board meeting but a separate
096work session. >> Probably more than justified at this point. >> Thank you all. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Okay, moving on. Do we have any unscheduled patron input? Yay. Um, so we'll go to board member comments. You want to start, Miss Murphy? >> All right. Um, first I want to start with a request. I want to thank you for all the information and everything that you've given us uh to digest in this meeting. I would ask if it possible that we have the slides. Most of the time the slides used to be attached. So we're not either trying to look over here or not being able to see that over there. If the slides are attached to our things, we can at least see it >> here. Please do that. >> And if it's
097if they're attached in advance too before we come to our meeting, we can also digest some things prior to and maybe formulate questions and answers even before getting in there for things that we might not have thought about. >> Thank you. I appreciate that. Um, I got a golden ticket. Thank you. I can't wait to go see the play. Um, and also I want to thank uh our students who participated at the um mayor's holiday mart in treelighting. We had quite a musical cabernet. Cab cabaret >> cabernet >> cabaret. I don't even No, I don't drink Cabernet. Uh cabaret um entertaining us, singing and dancing on the stage and it was very nice to see that. It was very festive and I know all the patrons that were there uh thoroughly enjoyed it. So, we
098want to thank you for that and um we hope everybody had a really good Thanksgiving. Um please be aware of all the weather and fun that's going to be happening. Thank you teachers. I know it's been a big transition getting back and even with the extra snow day thrown in making the holiday longer. We do appreciate you and um I want to um thank Vanessa for her four years of service on the board. It's not an easy position to set in. Uh it does take work. Uh we can sometimes end up taking calls all hours of the day or night. Um, but you know, thank you for taking the time and standing up and uh thank Mr. Carney for all his multiple years. I've only served with him for eight full years, but thank him
099for his service to the board as well. It uh definitely has been um quite an adventure over the last eight years, but I still appreciate um everything that um he has done or tried to do over the years that he's been on the board. So, thank you very much for your services. [snorts] >> Start down four years. [sighs] Gosh. So, um I'm definitely thankful for this opportunity and those that voted me in four years ago. Um it's been quite the ride, I have to say. And um I wouldn't trade it for anything. And um I will be interested to see what you guys do with the decisions you have ahead of you. And um I'm not going anywhere. So I'm just not going to sit here anymore or probably be at these meetings because I
100promised my daughter when I got county commission I would not have these monthly evening meetings. So um thanks again to everyone that was a part of my journey whether you agreed with me or not. Um, I feel like I learned a lot and I value every experience that I had. >> Wilson, [clears throat] um, I just say thank you guys for being here, too. I know I've only been here a little while, but you guys have been great um, role models and just helping me to understand what there is to um, just be able to do what we can and do our best. Um, thank you to all of our staff and our students and our families. And I hope you guys enjoyed Thanksgiving and I'm looking forward to our uh Christmas break and just
101to be able to enjoy our family. So, go Pioneers always. Love you guys. >> Mr. Hi. >> Ring it up right now. >> Everybody's revving up right now. [laughter] So, [snorts] I think you know, well, you probably forgot it, but the [clears throat] reason I got on the board in 2001 is because my daughter got assaulted at West Middle School. I think they can you can hear me, can't you? And so, I I go to the principal and wonder why a guy that had six prior assault in that same building is still in the school because they had juvenile detention center back then. And he didn't have a good answer. So I said, "Well, let's we'll have to get some answers." And that's when I ran for the board. Mr. Darling was there, I believe.
102And since then, I've it's been kind of like I like to reflect on the fact that was the best of times and the worst of time in the last eight years. And I say that because um there's there was just too much uh implication or intervention from well say radical somewhat legislators and and other operatives that I think caused some real chaos in our district. and I I'll stand and on my grave and say that till the day I died. But there's been a lot of good things, too. And that's that's the be the best part about it all. I mean, we we had we don't get very good press as far as I'm concerned. We need to get get somebody back in that PR job and and uh get some some you know we're
103always look like with it feels like we're looking for dirt instead of diamonds you know and with our current uh what is the well we just don't get good public publications for things like when we had 350 kids get, you know, honor roll and then somebody turned right away got all these kids can't read, can't write. Why do you get 350 kids on the honorable read or write? So that whole scenario just started in the last eight years and we we never had the people that are in those places should be supporting the districts that they work where they are. So if you're in the 41st district or 39th district, you should be if you're a legislator, you should be supporting your school, not bashing them. Yeah, I guess I'll just leave it at that
104for now. >> Surprise. Alrighty. It's December. It's the end of the semester. So, I know that lots of students are starting to look at their calendar going, "Oh, goodness, their last reports, the finals, the papers, all the things. Good luck." I know you are excited about that, but I know the teachers are all more excited about having to grade those papers and finals. But hey, it'll be great. You'll have a great two weeks afterwards to recharge over the holidays. Please take the time to recharge over the holidays. Be with your loved ones. Take care of yourselves. Come back recharged for the next semester. And I hate saying farewells, but to Miss Reed, to Mr. Carney, thank you for your years of service. It means a lot. And I challenge both of you. Keep doing the
105good things for the district because once you're a pioneer, you're always a pioneer. And thank you all. Be a good human. It's all I got. Okay. I know um everybody's ready to go home, but I did forget to go over um the um some of the dates coming up. Um we are at the end of about to go on winter break, end of the second quarter. Um ends on the 19th. Um we've got a flex work day for no school for students on the 22nd. The 22nd through the 2nd of January is our winter break. Um, [snorts] January 5th, first day of second semester. January 12th, professional development, no school. Similar as today, January 12th is also the regular board meeting at 6:00 p.m. And the 19th is um, no school for Martin Luther King
106Jr. Day. Um, I'd just like to thank everybody for um, for sticking with us this evening. Um, and thank you for coming. Thank you for showing your interest. And um, we're about to go through some big changes in this community. And, um, and we're going to get through it. We're going to get through it. It's going to be, you know, change is hard, but, um, we're going to get through it, and we are going to get, um, smaller and better. And with that said, I want to I'm gonna go over to the podium for this, but I've got some certificate of achievement to thank our outgoing board members. So, I'd just like to read this. Levvenworth USD 453 um presents the certificate of achievement. This certificate is proudly presented to Mrs. Vanessa Ree for her
107four years of service as a board member for USD 453 signed by Karen Overby, board of education president and Dr. Kellen Adams, [snorts] Superintendent of Schools. [applause] And this certificate of achievement is proudly presented to Mr. Mike Carney for his 16 years of service as a board member for USD 453. Uh, signed by Karen Overby, board of education president, and Dr. Kellen Adams, superintendent of schools. Thank you for your service. Thank [applause] you so much. And Thank you everyone. >> And with that >> we're going to go ahead and adjourn this bad boy. [laughter] Have a wonderful winter break. Finish strong. See you in January. This way.