USD 418 Board of Education - Special Meeting - November 25, 2025 at 6:00PM

001This is I use my computer. >> I think they're in sync this time. Call the meeting to order and then join us for the pledge of allegiance. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay, I understand Sherry is in root and Bill is on the phone. can hear us. Okay, Bill. >> Okay, need um motion to approve the agenda. So moved. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All in favor with a yes. >> Carry 6. >> Okay, we have 2.1 our facility um discussion and I believe we're going to have Mr. should come and join us. >> Absolutely. I'll give a quick overview as he comes up and transitions just kind

002of where we're what to expect it. Uh he's going to share an update on the long range facility plan and an overview of that. And then around 6:45 or 7, we will have Dr. Jared Tomlinson from Excellence K12 zoom in and go and provide an overview of the initial report from our phone survey. Um, so and I don't know what happened up there, but precious. >> There we are. Switching over. Perfect timing. >> Can everybody everybody help me? Do I do I need the mic or >> No, you're I'm good. >> Yep. >> Okay. Thank you, sir. >> Well, I appreciate uh meeting again tonight. Uh things have evolved. Um, we heard a lot of good discussion our last meeting we had together and there's been a lot of conversations uh going back and forth

003and uh we feel like we're getting really close to a plan that uh aligns with what you're going to hear a little bit uh later from uh Excellence K12. But really, I what I did is I stepped back a little bit and I went back through all the data that we'd heard at the three committee meetings and the community meetings and the surveys and then all the discussions we've had here. And I started to really kind of look at what was the main themes. What were we hearing? And we heard a couple clear messages. They really want safety and security. They really want to be efficient in the buildings uh that you operate. They really want uh excellent education for uh the kids uh and in buildings that serve that mission, right? But they also

004want to be very frugal. There's a there's a strong sentiment out there to be frugal with the dollars, be real transparent with the dollars, and have the best plan that that meets those core goals. And so that's what we've kind of hammered in on a little bit here was we start to develop this draft for the long range facility plan. Um and it's, you know, it really is start to talk about, you know, safe, modern, efficient, future ready. Those are the kind of themes we heard uh through this process. So what I've you received today is a a modified version. I think we're on draft number five uh of that document. And I'm just going to go through some of the highlights of th that document uh here real quickly. There's a lot of text

005and I don't want to bore you, but the the document is much more in-depth and has much more specific spec specifics uh in it. Uh there are the four essential goals safety and security for all students, improved prek to 12 educational opportunities, addressing facility efficiencies, and a long-term financial stewardship efficiencies. That's the goals we heard loud and clear. So how do we do that? Uh our plan right now as a as a budget it's about $89.5 million to accomplish what I'm going to talk about here today. I will say at the very beginning there's still a lot of work to be done on the details of what that $89.5 million will buy. And then the market also has to tell us what that money will buy. Uh we know that we will be able to

006hit some major goals. It's the other things that we're not 100% sure of as the market tells us where the uh the bid market wants to be for some of the things the goal that and I'll show you a little bit of a spreadsheet here in a little bit that will address that a little bit of some of the things that give me a little bit of pause about do we have enough funds and that really uh connects to uh remodel spaces at the elementary schools the existing spaces, remodel at Eisenhower if that's the plan and that existing space. Remodeling the existing high school and the the remainder space. Do we have enough dollars and the fund for that? Uh cuz we're trying to do a lot uh with the final amount of dollars. So,

007uh but that is that is the goal we're at right now. >> Have a quick question before we move on. So, we're looking at a 68, not a 58 at the campus. >> Yep. that that was the kind of the the the conversation we've had. Um it just is it comes down to dollars and cents really. Um there's a lot of conversation uh happening about uh we would love to have a 56 78 campus but can we afford it? And that's really what it comes down to. I think you're going to see that a little bit in the survey results. There's a lot of uh concern about the cost of the total bond package, but what we would do is I think this is a first step in the long range plan is to build

008that building and design it to where it could become a 56 78 building in the future. The other comment we heard a lot was there's a lot of disruption in the district. A lot of movement of people, a lot of movement of kids, a lot of movement of staff, and there's a lot of trepidation to that. And we felt like it might be just a little bit too much to to bite it off at this time. U but the the plan does it hits every school. It would affect every child in the district. Uh somebody will get everybody will get something. Um, it renews the high school with the new academic uh classrooms and where the kids spend most their time. And it adds districtwide safety, security, and side improvements across the board. Um we

009we know from the RSP study that we're public capacity in square footage, the number of children we have in the elementary schools and that they've recommended that uh the district go to three uh buildings. Um going to the prek five instead of the 5 6 7 8 middle school uh will uh utilize those buildings at a higher level. Right? Those three buildings would be uh I would not call them over capacity but rights sized capacity. They they won't have a whole lot of empty space in them. Uh especially one of the buildings would be uh pretty full. We can talk about that a little bit if you want to. It does preserve the neighborhood schools uh supports operational efficiencies by going to the three buildings. And uh you know this was something that we in

010a previous draft we had some recommendations for schools but we think we want to let you uh uh determine which schools those would be uh retained and repurposed. Uh all five all the preK5 schools would have new secure entrances, multiple purpose storm shelters, uh classroom modernization, updated sped and early childhood areas and technology and building system upgrades across the board at their three remaining buildings. a modern 6A campus at Eisenhower. Um, this does kind of align with Eisenhower. We're just really talking about how that happens and when that happens. Uh, but it le leverages the district's newest building. Uh, it's got the best site. It's set up really nicely for that and it really being aligned next to the athletics complex uh really supports that as well. It does minimize the disruption to kids. uh

011that is the 6A campus was something we heard quite a bit a lot of feedback from the community uh and it's designed to expand expand in the future if needed and it would be a 45,000t addition what I showed you last time what I have here in a second is more like a 70,000t addition to make it the 56 uh so that's a big chunk of dollars that we'd be able to save uh going around uh and that is the plan I showed with you shared with you last time, but I wanted to show it again because I just haven't had time to uh update it. But it basically we would just chop it off with this basic right here. That wing we would just cut here. So it' be the first step in that

012bigger classroom wing to make it a 5 6 7 8. Uh we would just truncate it at this time. Uh and there's that floor plan. So basically we would chop it off here at this first four classrooms. Uh what would that look like? Uh here's a a rendering of what uh Eisenhower looked like as the Manu McFersonen Middle School. This is with a longer wing on it of course, but we're going to scale that back. It would be shorter than this. Quick quick little video just kind of give you a little bit of idea what that might look like future at the high school. Uh the goal is to mo have a modern high school campus that honors it history. Honors its history. It retains approximately 18,000 square foot of investment that the community's made

013in that campus. We've heard a lot about the Hexacon building and I think the survey here in a little bit will reinforce that the Hexagon building is what the uh community has most concern about. Um so we would replace that square footage and add new square footage for about 90,000 ft of construction. Creates a completely new academic environments and a renewed high school. So in in a sense would be a new high school on the existing campus. Uh new science and CTE labs, safety and security, an academic wing with flexible studio labs, updated classrooms and technology, improved site design and access, and a permanent flooding and drainage solution. It preserves the investment the community has made in the stadium and track, the roundhouse, the performance center, the athletic support spaces, and the administrative areas. Here's

014a campus uh a view of the campus uh the total campus with that new uh high school built onto there. You can see how the traffic pattern changes. I've got a little bit of a zoom here just to give you a little bit closer view of that. So, as we talked, we're really just going to we're going to build around to the east side and the north of the roundhouse predominantly. We'll build that first. uh move the kids into that building, take down the hexagons leaving the B building, which you show right there. Uh reconfigure the drives up front, separate the two drive pass, make it really safe, get right up to the front of the building for better AD access and safety. Um and and more parking as well. Um and that and that

015would be the second phase of the construction. And I showed you the floor plan last time. That has not changed, but that's basically the same idea of the concept of how that classroom wings would be built to the east and north. >> So, where is the hexagon now in this like >> gone? So, >> I know, but like show me where it >> would have been. It would have been right here. See, here's the B building. >> Okay. >> See, it' be that's all that space between the >> the roundhouse and the B building. >> So, now we would be able to go to both sides of the campus on driving through. >> Yep. >> You wanted to get back on the street. If you go forward one more, then have it blocked out. >>

016Yeah, you can kind of start to see it here. And then this plan is it's still there on that plan. >> Uh the second floor. Uh so it would be a two-story edition classroom academic queen. Here's what it could potentially look like. This is very early conceptual renderings of just wanted to give people an idea of how it could look and what that might look like at the front of the building. Couple different views. Uh you see to the right uh the big piece of glass that would be the common space that would feed right into the roundhouse but also be your main paths for the district what you call your AC now but it'd be really light filled and transparent a great place to be a new front door right there on the right

017where you see the red uh the bulldogs uh bulldogs. Um so that that's right there with the McFersonen High School right there on the front of it. Um, another view that this one's the video here and you can see the classroom addition on beyond behind the brownhouse. So, districtwide improvements uh would be storm uh safe shelters across the campus across the district. Everybody would have them. The high school would have it as part of this project. The middle school would have it as part of their project. And then the three elementary schools would have it as a separate project. Secure entrances for everybody. Modern access control really cut down on the number of doors and who's in the doors and how they're operated and who's got master keys. Now we go to a more of

018a modern access control system. You saw some of the side circulation upgrades at the high school and at the middle school. uh the elementary schools are a little harder to uh address on that that front and updated communication systems across the district. So why is this why is this a benefit? There's fewer buildings equals lower operating costs. More modern facilities, lower operating cost. You don't have to do as much chasing uh daily needs and you can really concentrate on long range facilities plan and maintenance plan. It improved energy efficiency, rightize facilities for enrollment, and it supports a long-term fiscal health of the district. Um, and it's what the community asked for. Uh, community feedback emphasize maintain the high school campus, protect the roundhouse and PAC, safety and security, solve the flooding, be fiscally responsible, and

019ensure operational efficiency. The plan delivers all of these. Uh we would suggest and in the the latest draft of the long range plan you got I have added this to the plan but we would recommend that most districts when they do a bond project like this it gives them a chance to reset the clock on most their buildings. But what does that mean? It means that you now you have to take care of those facilities. And we would recommend that you engage in a yearly asphalt program, a yearly broken program, a yearly HBAC program and a yearly finishing program. Now, the top three of those would be something you would contract those out. You would then contract with the roofing company. They'd come out, inspect your roofs quarterly. They would fix the roofs on a

020contract basis. And then they would put you on a schedule for replacement of sections of roof so you can manage it through your capital dollars every year. And the same with HVAC equipment. They would come out, they would they would give you updated information on where your facilities are and they would give you heads up. Hey, these these components are about end of life. start budgeting for those in three years in your capital plan. And the same with u your asphalt. Uh you know, we need to sil coat this section. This section over here probably needs to be mil and overlaid in 5 years. Uh so they they're constantly working on that year to year. Uh and it really helps you be more predictable so you're not caught by surprises as these things come up.

021Uh and we would also encourage the district is although the specifics are not in the plan but but we would be consolidating um the middle school the existing middle school uh that is a big win uh operationally uh to um walk away from that uh facility but we go beyond that and look at how you could consolidate this facility. And we talked about I think Chelsea came up with this idea using the B building as the district office. That is a great idea. It's a a great use for it, especially if we're not talking about using one of the preK elementary schools, the prek administration building. That'd be a great use for that space. It's about 50% bigger than this building is. Um, and then start looking at other options for what you could do

022uh with your other facilities as they go to market or change hands or dollars become available. Uh it's a balanced responsible student centered plan, safe campuses, modern learning environments, operational savings, neighborhood based elementary schools, future ready middle and high school, and a strong alignment of community values. Uh and here's the the spreadsheet I talked a little bit about. Uh this is what we've been using to budget uh the pro the projects. Uh you'll see there that if you skip down just a little bit down at the bottom, renovate and renew the current high school would be uh a 90,000 square foot addition. Uh the high school building updates, some we have some dollars in there for that uh to finish the athletics. Have some dollars in there. We have to uh we want to pay

023off the lease purchase payoffs as part of this uh plan and then demo the hexagon. It's a pretty good chunk, but taking that hexagon down has to be really surgically done, especially to preserve the B building and to make sure that we're we do that well. So, we've got about 62.5 million for that. Uh our recommendation would that would be uh the question that moves forward at this time. It's what we've heard the most support for from the community. I think the survey results that Dr. Thomas is going to show here a little bit will support that as well. That would be a no levy increase uh at a $62.5 million ask uh question two which we would support that you go ahead and ask question two now um because we don't see any disadvantage

024to it and I think there's a lot of momentum you'll see that in survey as well that there is a a strong support for the right plan that they will look at a tax increase um and that would be a 4.75 mil increase which equate to $910 per month for a $200,000 house would get you the extra $27 million to do the top part of the plan. Top part of the plan would be Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Washington uh in that scenario to be your elementary schools. Storm shelters at all three of them. Uh those storm shelters would be just multi-purpose rooms at this point, like an indoor kind of event space or play space. Uh remodel secure entrances at Lincoln and Roosevelt. and then a military building updates. And when I talked a little bit

025about having be a little thin, that's where we're a little thin. $1.4 million seems a little thin to replace the carpet, replace the walls, do roofing, HVAC, the things we need to do in those buildings as we really dig into them. Uh the middle school uh moved to Eisenhower. That would be a 45,000t addition. It's a 68 building. Uh and then uh updates to that building for 1.2 $2 million. Now, how those dollars actually get divided and what projects we we want to push forward will be a conversation once we really get into planning design, but this gives us a uh the buckets of money that we would identify. So, we think question one would be a new high school with a no levy increase. That would be question one. And question two would be

026a new middle school and safety and security improvements for $27 million. That's it. Any questions? My biggest one is we were already talking about how the buildings and the teachers and the staff were going to be as far as classroom sizes, but now we're leaving prek through five in three buildings. I think that is a lot of students to put into three buildings for our teachers. What would be classroom sizes? >> So I'll answer that and go ahead just we would still spread those same students out through the same number of sections. So we would still have appropriate class sizes. You would have in that scenario just for from a logistic standpoint. What we've talked about is when we would need we would need to work with RSP associates to do bound do a boundary

027study and set that. But we would want to make sure that we set one of the buildings to be your three section building and the other two sections would be your two section buildings. So you'd have a total of which if you'll recall back to what we had looked at, you were looking at always having six plus a seventh section. So that's what we would look to do. And that's why it's important that Lincoln and Roosevelt are in that equation because they're your two biggest classroom buildings and you need those classroom buildings to do that with a three section. One of those buildings being a three section most likely Roosevelt uh because of the numbers they're already there. Uh wouldn't be that three section heavier building. Other two would be two section buildings. All of

028that to say seven sessions, they'd be very appropriate classes at or at and below some of the what we've seen in the last couple years. >> Shelley, do we have 112 kindergarteners? Is that right? >> No, we have 140 kindergarteners. >> Okay. >> We actually bumped up a couple right at count day. So, we we're right on that 138, but we're at 140 kindred. Our first grade is 113. >> Okay. So that's the group that would only need could have fewer sections. >> And when we look at RSP, there was, you know, kind of like we declined quite a bit with kids coming in projections and then it kind of levels out. Yeah. >> Yeah. I recalling back to that it we'll still see creeping down from the RSB study. there's creeping down in total

029enrollment over the next 3 to four years and then >> belief that it levels out at that point. >> And we're starting to see that a little bit already in that your previous years where you had the 113 kiddos that came in and 180 some graduated the year before that resulted in in a bigger disparity of total enrollment. We're seeing now 160s and kind of 140s 130 to 150. >> How does this elementary school thought process with the sizes care for the various needs um that we already know and then projected unknown? How how do we ensure that what we have is meeting that for future ready? Um I'm not sure if that makes sense, but I'm just I know we have a certain number of students with FE or 504s and then others that

030just have additional needs. What does this space look like with what we're doing? Is it meeting that? I don't know if that's an architectural question or not, but it was clear that envisioning it, of course, without knowing how those boundaries would be set, things like that, we'd be fully confident that the sizes of those spaces would match the or the number of kids in those schools would be the same as they've been in his in the past. So, we know that we would be able to support those numbers of kiddos. We obviously have a lot of diverse needs. So, some of that in general is just staffing questions and considerations longer term >> um with some of the challenges. But, um from really as long as it's from a space perspective, if we can do

031it, we can accomplish the >> I think that I I did a little bit of a worksheet using this year's enrollment 25 and 26. Um we would be uh a three section not completely three section across the border but three section at four classes potentially and but with that configuration we would still have 10 classrooms available and it's flex classrooms across the three buildings. So we still, you know, we have starts to fill, but it I don't want to use the word full because it's not, but it's going to be fuller than they feel today for sure, but I think more appropriately sized where you can really get three teachers working together as a team, more kids get, you know, that grade level. They can find their their niche to where they need to be,

032the extra services. They have that flexibility with teachers and to support them in that way. And we also have sped rooms accounted for at that plan as well. >> Inside of the 10 or outside of the 10 addition outside of the 10. I have two two beds for each building. Okay. >> Two spets for each building. I did not count, you know, >> cuz it it really depends what kids and how many kids and what the building population is, but you still have the flexibility to bump that up to three or three here or three there across the board. Now, how does a birth to three program fit into this? Because we didn't talk about that and we now have no space to put it. So, how do we incorporate that into this long range

033planning? Because that was one of the things that we were pretty set on that was something we wanted to accomplish as well. And it's not it wasn't discussed. I don't, you know, as I've looked over at things, Chelsea, so like is that possible for us to do with keeping three neighborhood schools? Like that was the big, you know, thing I wrestled with over the last couple of weeks. I mean, I know that we love that idea and we love having the availability of additional daycare for all of our families. You know, that's something that was really like I mean, I was really passionate about that. But also, if we want to keep three neighborhood schools, how do we do that? you know, do we use those 10 rooms? Um, and then they have no space

034that they need extra for behavior program or for other ones. And so I I can't see a way to do that with currently if we keep three buildings. However, if we're intentional, which we are going to be within this, then there's right phases. I want to think of it phases if that's what we're thinking up down the road to come back to this. But I think we need to make like label everything. I think I use the word a timeline, some kind of phase timeline to get my head around all these. What are what do we need? How do we do this? So we can see it visually and understand it would be super helpful beyond the immediate. So, like thinking down the road if we were able to do a 5, six, seven, eight,

035then moving into transitioning into having now the space to configure. Yeah. >> Or whatever iterate, whatever the next needs are. How do we recognize and see those so we can plan intentionally as we grow and as we move? But I think it's really important for us to start seeing that now the future of the 30 years. >> I think we heard quite a bit of feedback that there really is a strong strong desire to be in three elementary schools, not the two. And the only way to get that program is really to go to two. And I think that would go against what the community is really telling us to do. Unless we explored other options for a middle school and kept a north, a central and a south school and repurposed a central school.

036That's an option, too. >> Yeah. Just more dollars. Yeah. I think that would be the the the part that would play into that is how much more would the community want to support to do the new middle school? Because if you're talking about a new middle school on a new campus, you're talking about three times the cost what we're talking about getting a middle school for today. when you were planning out this to present to us um with the middle school and that playground that we have. Was that calculated into this budget plan? >> It is to move that. Yep. But as Shiloh and I have talked about where that would go and how that would work, but we have that. >> Yep. >> Thank you. I'm curious why the decision was made to make

037option one the high school and option two the middle school because if I recall in previous conversations the middle school was the building with with the lowest grade and the least capacity for renewal. Why would we present option one as our primary and option two as the secondary instead of the other way? Question one is when you say option one, you mean question one of the ballot. Okay. >> Yeah. Um >> I'm I'm just >> Yeah. >> If if we understand that the middle school is the building that most needs taken offline, >> why would that not be question one? >> We I think that you know what we heard a lot is that the high school and I think you're going to see that in the survey results we're here in a little bit

038is the hexagon was the number one community concern. >> High school hexagon. And it's what Bill uh deals with the most in his u maintenance crews out at the high school more than the middle school. The middle school is is a building that's out used its useful life as an educational facility. The high school has used out used it life as a as an educational facility and a building. It's just a really poor building. Um and I I don't know that you would be able to accomplish as much if you flopped it. If you swapped it, you would not be able to get everything you're going to be able to get with question one. Question two, brand new high school for the most part. Uh if you flopped it, you know, flipped it and you

039said, "Let's try to get Eisenhower done and then try to get the elementary schools and a little bit of the high school." You haven't made a you're now you're more compromised and and how that gets accomplished, I think. So, I guess what I struggle with too is if we're looking at this, let's say we get option number one goes, people agree we're going to go ahead and invest in the high school. We're going to do that. We close Eisenhower because that's the path that we're going to go with and number two doesn't pass. So, now we've got the middle school and now we have Eisenhower that we've moved all those kids out and nothing's being done with that building. It's just going to sit. So, I struggle with disrupting all of those families, all of

040those kids, moving them out of that building without a definite we know for a fact we're going to have community support and it makes sense to close that building. That is where I struggle cuz I just don't see that that's the clear path right now. And even looking at the survey results, I'm getting ahead of the path. Option three, the high school is the biggest need. And I just don't see that the middle school moving there was 100% sold yet. So, I think we're disrupting a lot of lives, moving a lot of families. We're going to have to think of transportation needs because we're going to have to help families with that. So, to me, in my mind, it makes sense to keep a north, a central, and a southern school and eliminate or repurpose

041one of the two central schools. >> I can talk a little bit about that. I I totally get that, Chelsea. I really do. I think that that is I mean, it's it's a really tough decision. Uh how do you do that? not knowing what the final result may be. Uh but I think if you looked at it from what you just said, Eisenhower, one of the two in the middle and in a southern one, uh then you're really start to get tight in the buildings. We'd have to look at maybe doing something that's one of the buildings to make it a little bit bigger because we don't have the amount of classrooms at Eisenhower in Washington. uh really needs to be Roosevelt Lincoln to be in the mix somehow >> and those sites are very

042very tight. >> Yeah. So I don't know and and I I follow your pain. I don't know how you make that decision to be honest with you. I think that um >> I don't know. >> So what you're saying is that Roosevelt and Lincoln have the most classrooms for when we adjust. So want both of those for us to do this and keep class sizes where we want them. >> You're going to be a CR prek5. >> Okay. >> Yep. It really does cuz you got 24 classrooms in those two buildings where the other Washington's got 20 and got 16 right now today. Just something to think about. I reached out to KSDE as it related to to all of this to just try to get a sense of gain a little bit of an

043understanding of if you're if you're changing these you're executing moves what what would the what would the process be what would it look like so to that point if if the the board transition from four elementaryaries to three and Eisenhower was the one first and foremost the transition for that in question one and question two are both on the same ballot. You you make that transition. You would basically we would just have on the back side from a directory perspective, we would just note that that was under construction until it was uh till it was converted fully into a middle school. So there's no I mean there's there'd be some logistics that we would have to do in terms of that but for the board's sake from a construction standpoint Eisenhower would be vacated students

044would be transitioned out using our boundary study and then in two years roughly when you would bring that online as the new middle school. It would be at that time that you would have to the board would have to take action, set a hearing to close McFersonen Middle School officially and transition away from that. Um along with that, if something was to change, you were to take action to go down that that way, then I then ultimately you cross that bridge when you get there. So then you re-evaluate what what goals would we have? How does the board or the district want to utilize that space? If if it's we know we're naming in a long range plant how it would be used, the intent would be to use it as a middle school. If

045our voters didn't come out to do that, then you just have to come back together and start having Bog. But from a transitional standpoint, if that was the direction to go, it would be we would start making plans well before the bond election. We would we would be want action on that. Well, before questions, I realize things change over time, but when we first started officially talking about this, you had a $42 million figure called to do the high school 62 and a half. Is that because you did all that stuff at the roundhouse you presented at a previous meeting? And when I made a comment, if we spend all that doing the roundhouse, we're saying this is going to be the high school for the next 30 to 40 years. >> Yep. Bill, I

046think that um I can't remember exactly what that spreadsheet was at that time, uh how many square foot we were talking about, but this this addition we're talking about attaches to the roundhouse. It doesn't spend much in the roundhouse. Uh we only have $3 million allocated right now to upgrade across the whole building, 100,000 ft of space uh where we need to upgrade uh the priorities of that space. But we're looking at $45 million for that addition construction right now uh for the for the high school edition. And we have the $1.5 million in athletics, $4.6 million on the lease purchase payoffs, and the hexagon price. All adding all those together with soft costs gets you to the 62.5 million. >> And I want to note Bill what he's added on that 4.6 million was

047not originally included in that cuz we weren't talking about paying off our leases and rents before. >> That was so now we've added almost 5 million to the bond to pay off our rents and leases. >> We're going to talk a little bit about the that and I've shared that with the board for the rationale behind that. That would be a part of a topic at the end of our time here today too. But you have an an you know, one of the things we heard from our community was that we want to really maximize operational uh and make sure that we have operational efficiencies. And you have 300 and just just shy of $400,000 annually that are wrapped up in uh lease purchases that were really for all other intents and purposes items that

048would normally have been purchased and paid for in a bond. Yeah. >> Um that's just a factual statement. So to to take care of them now would free up from an operational perspective nearly $400,000 for annual uh in your operating to be able to do number one help meet a $1.75 million shortfall in your general operating across all of your accounts, but also uh help longterm with the long-term sustainability and maintenance plan. So >> there's a long rationale for why that would be in there and the board needs to certainly have discussion around as as you approve a final scope and a final ballot whether that's of interest to you. >> And I Oh, go ahead. Go ahead. >> Honestly, I feel bad cuz I really should know this answer, but what is the length

049left on those lease purchases? What is the furthest we go out? Because I struggle with if we only have five or 10 years left and then all of a sudden we're rolling $5 million plus I don't know how much worth of interest into 30 years. Does it make sense to to refinance 30 years when we could be paying it off in eight or 10? I love that Chelsea cuz I'm right there with you when I think about you know >> it's borrowed money. I just don't get it like >> Yeah. And however though you know to celebrate the the work of USD418 we're paying off another bond seven years early. Right. So that's we've been aggressive with that thankfully. Um and the other thing that's really I think the the difficult part for school systems

050is the way capital outlay really doesn't cover everything that it needs to cover because of budget cuts that we've had over the last you know 15 years. And so when I think about that being in there that excites me because of the annual maintenance plans that that is where we're investing capital outlay money. I mean, we are taking care of the resources that our community has given us so that we've got a plan. Lar, I love what you said because we need to be talking about 20, 30 years. How are we going to do this so we don't have to keep coming back to the community? Um, or that this is the last time we come back after the, you know what I mean? That long range vision for that. >> To answer your question,

051two of those mature in 2037. Those are your highest amounts. So your original HVAC um at the high school and in boiler plan uh in 2017 rough original amount was 1.6. That again would mature fully in 2037. 3.1 was the original amount for your athletic complex that matures in 2037. So 12 years. And then the most recent uh HVAC improvements at Washington and Eisenhower, those mature 2040. >> So you're looking 8 to 12 years. It still doesn't make sense to wrap that into a 30 year >> 12 to 15. >> It does. I just want we'll talk that through just so you're aware later, but to give you an idea when you're re when you're talking about um the need to and in your operational expenses, $388,000 annually will have to come from somewhere else.

052And just to give you an idea, that's a little over six um employed positions. So a lot to weigh but if but when we have to hit the mark 388,000 can be achieved in that manner or it can be achieved through absorbing six employed positions. Those are the kinds of balancing acts that that we're talking and that's actually on the light end. Six to seven. >> How many years has this gone? >> 30. So, I know a lot of folks had had expressed strong investment in having safe facilities and and forgive me for asking, but I've heard it elsewhere and I'm just going to bring it to the table. Did folks ask for storm shelters or is that a suggestion? I think it's a little bit of both to be honest with you. I think

053that we heard it. It wasn't a super strong. The storm shelters wasn't a super strong, but when we go through and you build a new high school and you build a new middle school, you have to build storm shelters. >> Okay. >> That's part of the code. Uh, and then for as a professional architect to say you get it but you don't, it's just it's probably sends the wrong message that we're prioritizing storm shelters on one age group but not the others. Um, so that's where it starts to come into play a little bit of but that is your choice 100%. It it's not required at the elementary schools. >> It's not required. I've I've had it posed to me as to why we were focusing with millions of dollars on storm shelters that have

054never been there and if that's something that we need to look at. No. >> And we never pointed it out in the meetings that they don't currently have storm shelters. >> Right. >> So they could be assuming that there's already shelter space available. Many of us went square. We know there's not, you know, >> well, and I think, you know, it's a different day and age. We didn't have our day. >> It is. And I can understand needing it to meet code, but >> when our community is really diligently watching us and asking us what are we doing to ensure that we're not spending more than we have to, >> which is >> I want to hear that the community asked for it before we're saying, "Hey, you know what? Let's tack on an extra

055XYZ million dollars." >> Which is more important, the kids lives or destroying shelters? Well, safe and secure entrances is one thing, but a storm shelter is a different thing. And I don't think you should rope them together about children's lives. Like that taken it to a different extreme. >> We've we've gone how many years and we've functioning fine. >> The climate has changed. Those storms are coming more frequently and more severe than they were. >> I'd be more worried about flooding than a tornado. I'm just going to put it to the table since it's been brought to me. >> Can you go back to the budget when >> this? >> Yeah, >> it's $4.8 million. and knowing too that we were light probably on some of the um uh remodeling that would happen inside of

056like that might be a place that we could consider some things I feel like we're getting closer. Um, so I feel like after our last meeting, you guys listened and have brought back something that was responsive to that. So, well done. Um, the price tag's getting a little better for our community and where I feel like we are. Um, and so, thank you guys. I know you've been giving us a lot of attention and appreciate that. >> Yeah. >> What's in the athletic line? >> Uh, additional bleachers. Uh but we >> no at the stadium. >> Uh but desperately need toilets uh at the con and concessions at the stadium. Uh and I've got money in there, but I think there's an opportunity we could do this inside the building and get it close enough.

057If you remember the plan, I kind of show a dog gym that would be there at the end of the track. I think that end of that could be the toilets and concession stand so we get more use out of it. It's less of a an out building that gets built because those get really expensive sometimes. >> Uh so I think it could be either or but I have the that's what that money is for. >> Most of that's going to be concession concession stand. I just priced one not recently or very recently a million dollars for a toilet and concession stand building by a football just that it's quite a bit of money. >> And how much are we spending currently? We don't we don't have a concession stand, do we? We just have

058a ticket booth. Do we have a rented >> rented concession stand? Okay. >> And that's $7,000 a year >> falls a little short. >> So I'm just wonder I'm just wondering when we're talking about meeting those needs. Not saying that's not something, but something for us also to consider when we're thinking about the scope and phases. How well does the current rented concession stand meet or not meet the needs? >> Oh, from an actual needed facility for the future, it it is inadequate. I mean, it's it's a stop gap is the reality of it. It's not something that's longterm. I mean, it's rented for I mean, I'm not being flippant when I say that. We rented it for a reason. It was because we needed it shortterm. We were able to do some modifications to

059it. It needs I mean, it's a it's a rental storage unit that's been placed out there. >> Does it have toilets? >> No, >> I think toilets are the is the biggest concern as an architect. I mean that you have people that need to get to a bathroom and there's no bathrooms available. ADA bathrooms accessibility those things just and that's where the majority of the cost comes in those buildings just toilets. It's not concession stand. It's the toilets. >> Okay. >> You know, as I think about um the communication ladies that we talked to and some of the um like some of these things I think would be interesting to hear from the community on. Right. That's what they did with that field that they were talking about and what really the community was really

060what they really wanted kind of bubbled up to the top and so might be a good idea. >> Mhm. Cuz now we're getting kind of into some finite things which we need to be in. We need to we need to make decisions and then present that and then follow those decisions. I just would wanted to draw your attention to something that this board should be extremely proud of with the being able to to be in a position to bring your lob mill rate down. It's by bringing your mill rate down um a little over a mill and a half that you're able to see the ability to ask your community for no mill increase. by bringing that down and then increasing your bond, you've got the capacity for 62.5 million in a mill neutral ask.

061And I think the fact that you have a potential second question that would only be a 4.75 mil increase and for $910 a month for the average person homeowner. I just I I think that I'm proud of the work of everybody in this room and and all of the people that have contributed to it. I pulled up the taxpayer comparison um but that we've looked at for other districts and that still keeps you right at or just below the middle of total mail rate for um for our taxpayer comparisons. You if you recall that so that that I'm saying that both both questions were asked. That's exceptional. I also want to throw that out there. Instead of wording it just as it's $910 for the average homeowner, we have to think about the people that

062rent because as a landlord, their house is going up $9. You know, they're not charging that renter $910. They're going up by the 25 or by the 50. So, this doesn't just only affect homeowners. Our renters are going to get the probably the biggest impact of this. >> Yeah. I don't want to try. >> So, I just Yeah. I don't I don't I just want to be clear. I'm not trying to peer into the future or try to see what games are being played. I'm just saying that from a residential property, anybody who owns a $200,000 property, that would be a $910 increase. So, I I don't want to diminish that there might be something that's done differently in the future. you know, my heart keeps going to um just this idea that gosh, if

063we could get our high school and middle school future ready. Um man, that would be a good thing. and knowing that if we begin with a high school that is, you know, um a huge win for our community and we are going to need to address the middle school. Um after that, >> where do the students go during if if we did this high school when we take all those students because you've talked remind us how that gets played out. >> That's the that's kind of the other nice thing about the plan we're talking about doing it. When I say it's two phases, it's really three phases. So the first phase would be what we call enabling work where we'd have to move the uh cooling tower and electrical and you know do all that

064prep work of utilities to clear that space, clear that building where the early childhood center is now. Uh and get that all prepped. Uh and that could all happen while kids are in the building. That's not a problem over the summer. Um, and then we would do the construction uh adjacent to the high school. And the construction companies are really good about building buildings next to kids. You know, when they're lifting things or they're doing demo or there's noisy things. We work really closely with the school district to make sure, hey, it's going to we're going to have to move kids out of this section of the building cuz we're doing some big things right here, you know, for a day or two. Uh there's so inconveniences there. Uh but for the most part, they

065it'll happen right next to and they want to know what's there because it really doesn't affect them uh tremendously. So, we would build that whole academic wing uh and then make a transition, move the kids at some point hopefully. I think I had it on the the fall of 28 27. I think it's fall 27. Don't put me on the spot on that. Uh we would move those kids in there and then they would take down the hexagon and then build that front part. That' be the real basis. >> Yeah. >> So, not really displacing the kids. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Right. I just wanted that like >> this is to digest and there's lots of emotions attached to all of it >> um along, you know, the conversations. >> Yeah. I mean, that's what's

066that's what's really kind of nice about the what we have here is because we don't have to move kids out of their building while we do construction. We don't have to say you have to move out of here and go somewhere else, maybe not appropriate for you for a year and a half while we tear down your old building and rebuild a new building. We're able to keep most kids pretty stable, especially at the high school level. We don't have to do anything. Middle school kids, they can stay where they're at and elementary school the same. I I just want to say Dwayne, yes, when we're talking about building, but we are also talking about moving an elementary school. And so I just want to make sure for folks that are listening that that there

067there's, you know, a lot of pain with that. Um, >> so we we will move some kids um but not due to construction. Just looking around to see if there's other Jeff Perry. Any thoughts, comments? >> This is Bill again. Do I understand you're right, Mr. cash that the first 62 and a half or whatever it was in would not put the additional space at to house the sixth grade. >> Correct. >> But how are we going to close the middle school and save some money? >> That's the second question. There's two parts, Bill. The first question would be new high school no levy increase 62.5 million. Question two would be new middle school and safety and security updates for 27 million. >> So the first one passes and the second one doesn't. Where are

068we? You're building a new high school and you're collecting feedback and identifying what the next steps are for crossing that particular bridge that you've gotten to. >> But under that scenario, the middle school, the prison middle school would still be utilized for the next two, three x number of years. >> That's correct. >> We can't afford that, can we? Can we afford it? I I mean it's it's goes back to >> save a lot of money by closing the president school. >> There's a lot of really good opportunities and a lot of rationale for why the middle school needs to go away. It costs a lot to ensure. It will cost a lot to fix. Yes, there's a lot of reasons, but um but that's yes is the short answer. Bill, what would you see

069being another road to take currently? >> Well, it seems to me that the whole scenario's got to work together and maybe it's what's the cost waiting for the the addition to Eisenhower put the sixth grade up there. The total package would be 89.5 million. >> You're talking about what's going to cost space to an hour to make it 68 school. >> 20 million. >> Okay. >> So if you're going to make the whole scenario work in my mind, we got to add that to this 65 so we get it all first time. Bill, did you look at some of the survey data? >> Yep. >> So, >> I think the question is where did sixth graders go >> in that sense? >> That's correct. >> You can't close Eid without knowing that it's going to

070become a middle school fairly soon. Like you said earlier, you're not going to disrupt all those kids and families. Well, part of the conversation here in a moment, Bill, is going to and what's been talked about the whole time is that we do in fact have the capacity and the ability to transition from four preK5 elementary schools to three preK5 elementary schools. So, so, so if we were to close Eisenhower, transition students away from Eisenhower, it could become through the extra 20 million could become a 68 middle school. So, we'd have the new middle school >> or it could sit vacant for a couple years >> sit and have to be used different depending on what was determined at that time. >> I don't see that as a viable option. You can't do that with

071a good building. >> What? >> There probably would be a multitude of I don't disagree, but I think we'd want to be cautious to think that we wouldn't leverage a building. >> I've already heard all kinds of different things brought up about our childhood. So, I mean, if something was to occur, it will be utilized. >> Chelsea, we don't have enough classrooms. That's what I'm saying. We're not if it doesn't pass, you could keep the kids there and we could figure out something long term. We're still going to keep that building. >> Going to keep the kids or we have to close the building financially. >> We still just go back to I don't think Eisenhower is the right one. But >> see, that's our discussion. It's financial difficulty we're having and how we're going

072to navigate that. >> Well, it it is a part of our conversation tonight. So, >> transition. >> Yes, you're correct. It concerns me to place the high school as option one and everything else in the second option. >> The other things make it all >> that we can we can be courageous and make it one option. If it fails, then I mean, we know from the feedback that we've seen that a large amount of people are like, I'm there for for option three. And so that's the part that's concerning to me. >> And and I'm concerned that we're going to focus on one school and ignore four others, >> five others. We've been focusing on all of the schools. this is our fourth bond, >> right? >> And you know, and our community mostly has

073said we can't afford it. It's an afforded conversation. I I don't think anybody out there wants us to not take care of all of our schools, >> right? >> It's what they can do for their, you know, and keep their own family feeling secure. The kind of clarifier I'd say on that is, and I think it'd be good for us to all know, is by having both questions on there, you are ensuring that all all buildings get touched and all items get addressed. If something change, if voters turn out differently, that'll be our community telling us something. But I think to that point, if you were to only do one, you would be knowingly leaving some of the other impacts off the table. >> I think it's worth >> things to consider. It's worth noting

074these price points that we currently sit at, we know will change, right? These continue to move as we anticipate down the road. So, I'm just mindful of that when we talk about our financial outlook. We if we make public >> materials, labor interests, >> yeah, all of that will continue to grow. So, that's just as a very mindful as we try to execute a solid next step and then what those iterations are. >> Like Shiloh says, we only know state finances for the next year. Beyond that, they're redoing a new finance law. May be the same one again, but may not >> maybe better. Thank you. If you want to take a little bit of a break, I'll call Jared, let him know that we're ready because he's been on, but I want to make

075sure that I get the technology. So, >> can I ask one question before you take a break? >> Yeah. Is there anything in the draft long range plan you want me to address as we move forward through this process? Is is there any comments specific to that or any other comments you want me to address for the our next time together is December 1st which is not when working day >> for example like what would be an example >> well we we've talked about storm shelters at the elementary schools we've talked about the lease purchase at the at the bank um there was some discussion about you know the I'd love to hear if they going with a more affordable option of a 68 at Eisenhower is the way to go and with his potential

076to be a 5678 in the future as we design it those and do you want me to incorporate that language into the long range? >> So, how do we quickly get this in front of the community and ask for their input? We have 10 days, 12 days, probably days. So, the first a week, whatever it is, how do we get that in front of the community and ask? It's that thought bubble thing, >> which I know that some people don't know what we're talking about. And so when we were at the KASB conference, we met with some communications folks and they gave us an example of a community that wanted to part of the community wanted to build a new field, part of the community wanted to keep an old field because it had legacy

077and history. And when they used the thought bubble, so when someone makes a comment, people like it and it pushes it to the top. If people don't like it, it goes to the bottom. And what they figured out was it really came down to ADA and bathrooms and people were fine keeping the old field and the board knew which way to go because many people had engaged it. >> One of the things that I would offer is just just from the vantage point is certainly we can communicate information out as the plans get finalized. Um this is a tremendous amount of community input that's resulted in that being the recommendations brought forward with a lot of vetting that's occurred throughout. So I for me as I reflect on it there's already a tremendous amount of

078community and but that's created that long-range plan. Is that true? >> Yeah. Yeah. And I think that's where we're at is that and as any good plan this is a living breathing thing. We talked a lot about that when we started this process is that we we need to land on something knowing that that something will change. It is malleable and you know as we go through this process and you take the next steps of a bond uh campaign you know that will tell us too uh you know where we're at. But to Shila's point I think we've got a lot of input a lot of data uh and real good conversations in the community that kind of all funnel back to this. And I think my presentation kind of goes back to that that

079we've hit a lot of these buttons that we heard from the community uh that they really wanted to have us address. So I I feel like it we're very very close to that plan. I just um >> 53% of our people surveyed said that we listen but we don't respond well. And so >> I I would also clarify too, we're already just for the board's knowledge, we're working with KASB to leverage things like the thought exchange. Those are good ideas. We're that is something we've actively got built in the background to already start collecting feedback. So I don't want it to seem as though that's been brought forward and isn't worked. We literally have that working and ready to go in the background. But by just from a decision-making perspective here at this table, I

080think it's important to know a tremendous amount of community feedback has is what's brought this forward. So beyond >> don't want to diminish that. >> Well, I I just to me is we're going to also hear in a moment from from Dr. Tomlinson what the community feedback was on the surveys that we've invested in and things like that. So all of them seem to be coalescing around the same plan. What do you have working on the backside with KSB community? >> But that's not for the community to see that. Those are questions because the whole intent around that was for people to put it out there and people to actively engage and be like, "Oh, that's a great idea. I didn't think about that and it comes up." Whereas what I think you're referring to

081is people are submitting behind the scene questions to you and nobody sees about two. >> Let me let me be clear. We were >> I know they were you could click on that link and submit. We're talking comprehensive communication plans very in depth and we're partnering with KV as a result of the feedback to make sure that we are doing the thought exchange that was recently brought forward by multiple people after that and we have other mechanisms that we're collecting feedback. So there's a multitude of different ways that we're doing it. I don't I collect a variety of different input in in an effort to make sure that we're helping push out frequently asked questions and things like that. I'm explicitly talking about the the the item that was referred to. I can the name

082of it is >> I thought exchange. >> Yeah, that is that is something that we from a couple members on this board thought that that would be a useful tool. We're incorporating our usage of that tool. >> I think this kind of stuff be where that tool will be helpful for me as a decision maker. I don't know about the, you know, when we're thinking about leaving some of those things in because, you know, when you have a lot of people that say bathrooms and a good concession stand are really important to us and that comes to the top and we're like, okay. >> Or putting in the storm shelters versus just safe and secure entrances. It's really defining what security, what are we talking about? >> Well, we did some of that before, too,

083when we had the community focus groups. People went around putting little sheets of paper on this, this, and this, and Dwayne >> accumulated those. >> That's good. It's a >> same sort of thing. >> The thought exchange will have many more voices attached to it. Um, many more. And so from >> from the community, it's done on social media, Perry. So where lots of people are exchanging ideas already >> by and on social media >> the thought exchange would happen in different places on social media right but it's it's it's its own thing um but it would be shared on social media and people would engage with it. I think back to Mr. Cash's question for me this timeline of iterations you know we've talked about so many different components I think getting for for

084me to see visually that scope and sequence here we are today but where do we need to be of the other things that we can't attain right now would be helpful to see that there will be phases we just know that I mean I take care of my home there's phases of responsibilities I have for the upkeeping care or making any additions or um modifications to that. So I would plan that out. So that's if that can be like some kind of timeline of what that looks like. I don't know if you need more definition. >> And the tough the tough part about that Laura is that what is the are the voters going to do >> because what depends what the voters do what you decide to do would change that drastically. I think

085the what we will look at is when we talk about a long range facility plan is that this is the plan we want to move towards over a month or 3 years or 7 years or 10 years. So the timeline doesn't have a lot to do with it at that point. It's like these are our goals that we want to move the district to. financial health, less roofs to take care of, less buildings to take care of, less parking lots to take care of, all those things, but also at the same time strengthen our educational opportunities for kids in a safe and secure manner. And so that's where the plan really is that that uh guidepost for you that you can always go back to and say, are we following the plan when we make

086these decisions? But if the if the community votes for question one, uh well that's great because that makes us a step into that direction of the plan. If they vote for question one and two, we've got a lot accomplished for the the plan. But then we also know there's more to come and that's where it comes in those maintenance plans that we would do next based on what happens on those first two. Uh and I think one thing I would also uh that we we kind of skipped over is that uh I think that our of the bond council and we us would suggest that you tie the two together. You question two only happens if they pass question one. I think that's important to be like that. >> Yeah. It has to you don't

087have to do it that way actually but you that's the way it should be. >> My gut says >> right >> it has to be that way. >> Yeah. Person two they're not standalone on the choices. Right. >> They are one and if you support one, do you also support one and two? >> Yes. And I think that you'll you'll and from the the feedback we see and what we've heard that there's strong support for question one. It's the is that question two is the one that is close. >> It's close, >> you know. Yeah. So that's why I think it's viable to ask the question to find out really where that's at. So, I don't know if that answer your question or not, but I think the big part of this conversation is the

088the bigger pictures of 5678 68 and then you have a decision to make regard elementary schools. So, >> Dwayne, can I give you a challenge? >> Sure. Can you cut 10 million out of the high school cost and we'll ask the voters to add another 10 million so you can get the 20 million at the for a new middle school 6 through 8. It would be very hard uh very hard. I've looked at it several different ways to get this the the baseline classrooms that they need and the spaces they need in the lab spaces for modern educational spaces. Cutting square footage would be the only way to do that and that would be a very difficult ask. I think they would end up with a building that would not meet the community's expectations. That

089would I'm blown away saying that. But >> you're not utilizing the B classrooms of the new plan. Yes, we are >> in some way. >> Yeah. Central office, right? Is that what you said? >> High school. You said >> we don't have an official plan for that. It was just a stick it to the wall and see if it stuck idea. It wasn't something that anybody had discussed. It was just a what can we do with this building? >> Yeah. I don't care. >> Yeah. Well, there's no way you could design that to incorporate those key classrooms connected to where the theater is and all that stuff. come that way instead of going on the back side. >> A long ways away. >> Not not not keeping kids in the high school. I do the

090construction. I don't see how we could do that. >> Okay. >> We have to move the kids out of the high school to do that. I would believe. I mean that if that's the direction the board wants to, you know, like, hey, find a way to do it. I'll do what you know. I'm here to serve what your wishes are. >> Yeah. working and just saying we got to figure out a way to make this work so that I become 6A middle school the same time they improve the high school in my mind in my mind you got to get some savings from closing the present middle school as soon as you can >> I mean you have 63 and athletics and lease purchases bill I mean those are easy places for us to kind

091of have that brainstorm that makes me nervous about maintenance schedules I mean, if you took the they got $5 million in storm shelters. That was my question. Is there any way that you can use existing multi-purpose areas in those schools and harden them to become storm shelter without building news? I'm thinking um >> you'd have to tear it down and use the same footings for >> Yeah. I have to make it an ICC 500 storm shelter that would meet the current codes. No. Uh to make a harden space that would be better than what you have today some way. Yes. How much would that would cost? I don't know. And where would we do it? I don't know. Top of my head. But there's potential to do that. It just would not meet what the

092modern code requires, which is an ICC 500 storm shelter. >> But just like our homes, >> you can harden space >> within your home. >> You can I mean there there's there's opportunities to do something like that. It would be I don't know how feasible costwise it would be. Yeah, that's what >> that's where it gets complex just in what to what level would be 150 mph wind. Okay. >> When you talk about high school building updates, is that updating your offices, updating the theater, the like kind of stuff? >> It'd be the that we heard from the community that we need to address the theater. There's some theater concerns. The band room is too small. They'd like to enlarge that. We think we can do that by shuffling some of the practice rooms around.

093Uh the then there's some work to be done in the old locker room areas, the old building and uh the weight room and wrestling room and some of those things need some dollars as well. Um but then we haven't really done much more beyond that. You know, we haven't done new roofs on that building. We haven't done, you know, major HBAC upgrades on that building. We haven't done those things either. We just, you know, that's really kind of cosmetic stuff. >> So that's more just flexible dollars cuz you don't have anything assigned to that to know what cost is actually going to be. You're just throwing a percentage in there. >> I am. Yeah. I'm trying to hit an $89 million number is what I'm trying to do. I mean, I can I can add

094a million, add a million, add a million all day long, but we know that from what the feedback we're hearing, they they really want to stay as conservative as it possibly. So, we're really efforting to be very conservative in our dollars and hit as many buttons as we can hit. >> So, Dwayne, you said something really important there for me. This plan here does not include making sure that all of our roofs are cared for at the high school. >> We're going to take care of the majority of them because we're getting rid of all the hexagon roofs. We're getting we're going to update the roof on the groundhouse. We have to because we're going to attach to it and sell the level and what exactly that is. Um, and the the PAC roast in

095pretty good shape is the athletic building that we'd have to see where we can get the dollars to do that. I've got a pretty good chunk of dollars here for the high school project and there's going to have to be a lot of decisions made about how we use those dollars to cover all the bases >> cuz gosh, I would sure hate to like I would sure like to make sure our roofs and our AC and our electrical and all of that is solid for a while. Like I think that that would be a a hard >> Yeah. HVAC and electrical will definitely be addressed >> and all the roofs like come back and let us know. Like that's something that we want everything done >> so that we're working on maintenance schedules. We've got

096a good plan and that high school is set and ready to go. There's not anything else that's going to come our way in the next 5 years that is that is predicted. That is predicted. Doesn't mean that something's not going to come our way. >> I understand what you're saying. We we've done what the high school is. >> Yep. And that's, you know, and if you remember, I I there was a plan that we were up to 110 $15 million. >> You started cutting stuff out. >> That's where, you know, that would get, you know, we're we're cut, but you know, we have to make some choices. >> And that's my biggest concern is we're at 89.5 million. We failed twice at 88.5 million. So we're right back asking the same question we asked the

097community though before was not just money >> that wasn't 88 those two $88 million figures and the 115 those weren't defeated just by because of dollars. There were other questions that the community had. >> Correct. But you're you're also paying the $3 million uh payment on the stadium. Do you think people aren't going to say anything about paying that lease purchase off with the bond that they voted no to three times? Now they're going to You want them to vote yes for it? That these are questions that are going to come up. We're asking them to pay for the field that they say >> we have to convince with what we're doing. You can't just go back to history and say that's going to be that way forever. So Chelsea, you bring up a good

098point. I mean, um, if we don't want to go over that price there, you know, is it stadium or roof? >> Roof. Hands down. HAC, hands down. >> Okay, we'll talk here in a little bit. It's >> Yeah, if you pull that out, it's also stadium or people. I mean it's also races are people. So that's the challenge that >> Thank you for bringing that back over to people. >> Well, good dialogue. Good. There's a lot for everyone to look over in the next few days before we're back to this part of the conversation. So, thank you. >> Thank you to both of you for bringing more information to us. take a 10 minute recess here. >> I know it's probably because I was sick last night. >> Bill, I'm going to call you back

099here in a little. >> Is there any way to get these documents at your meeting like right before the board meetings so that cuz I He's flying blind unless you sent those to him cuz when I was with you guys we I was flying blind. I couldn't see anything but I could look but you can't see when you're watching a >> he's not able to see anything. You can't see it the other. Yep. I can I can do a better job of sharing that. >> Absolutely. >> If anybody's not here. Hey, hey, hey. No, that's it. I don't know if it's for you or for him. I have no idea. >> Speaking of radio one. So, you got some right over there. right over. >> Thank you. Keeping my head on We are moving a

100couple things around here, Mr. Dr. >> Okay, we're ready to >> Dr. Thomasson, can you hear me? Okay. >> Yes, sir. >> Perfect. We can hear you on the other side here. I'm going to share my screen so that you can see. Great. I'm going to bring you over here, which will probably mess with me a little bit. We appreciate you taking the time to share this and I'll uh you just kind of let me know how you need me to page down or whatever. And I'll just let you, Dr. Tomlinson, kind of lead the lead this conversation, this portion of the meeting. >> Sounds good. I want to thank the board and yourself for letting me come in tonight and actually talk a little about first data that we've gotten back from the phone

101survey. So I know that time was an issue of the essence for you guys. So we try to put this together as quickly as possible. This is not our executive summary. This is just our data overview raw data as soon as we can get it and get it in your hand. So just did want to walk through some of these things. I think there's some telling numbers in here for you guys to consider as you move forward. Um the first thing we did is we segmented this um Dr. Chado asked or Dr. Vinc sorry sorry asked for uh additional uh certainty on the survey. So we actually increase the number of calls we have and we split those out as you can see on this first page. So we got what was that uh 550ome

102uh surveys. So this actual full respondents to the survey. Uh there were probably over,200 phone calls made to get these 500. So, oh, I think the the first thing that you should know is the the message is getting out into your community and it's the first step in engaging your community and what it is you're trying to accomplish as you move forward and uh kind of address your facility issues and talk about upcoming elections. So, what we did is we se separated the calls between north and south of Kansas Avenue and then east and west of Main Street. So, we kind of took the percentages based off where your students mostly live. So that would be the most uh accurate uh portrayal from each of those areas where we had the highest population of students.

103So that was kind of our approach to that. We split it up that way. Can I go to the next page for you? Then we get into this section. This section really talks about grades. We just ask the participants, your community to grade uh different aspects of the school district. We like to get a feel of what their support is of the school district, how they feel things are going. And we kind of place these in a couple different areas. What I like to do when I look at this data is I like to group my A and B and my C and D's together, right? Or even my T and Fs so I get a comparison. So right here, quality of education, you're looking at 75% of people think that their students get a

104quality education occurs in schools, right? You have very low number of D's and F. So we have overwhelming community support when it comes to the quality that you're putting out there. Then we ask about preparation for students or college educational training need. Again you can see a very high response. So just in looking at a number of these over the years I can tell you these are really great signs right you've got a a 38% b 46% overwhelming your community feels you prepare students well for college vocational training or employment after high school. So those are all really strong. Uh you get into the next one, number six down here, the performance of the school board, we do see a drop in this area. Um we only had 6% of people said A, which was

105the one of the lower percentages. Uh and then you had 31% in the B and the majority of people over about half the people said that the school boards performing at a C level. The way I read into that is a couple different things. there could have been problems between the board with the school and the community in the past. Uh or it could just be that they're not aware and not really sure what the school board's current vision is or what their their goals are for the upcoming year. So, typically when we see something like this, one of the recommendations I would make is to actually come up with an action plan for how are we going to improve upon that? What kind of steps can the board and the administration take to better

106communicate to the community what the board's doing, how you're interacting, how you're listening to people? And this survey is a great opportunity for that. You can actually go back and say we actually here's all the things we did to survey our community and this is what you told us. This is what you said you wanted to do. That's the missing piece that most school districts don't capitalize on is you got to give them their data back to them so they can see what everyone else said. uh they know what they think and what they ate on the survey, but they don't know what everyone else feels about what's being proposed. So, we really want to take this information and push it back out to everyone in the community. And we would hope in time to

107continue to do that type of step with your decisions. You should see that number increase. So, that that's just one thing I noticed six uh school facilities falls honestly that's about average almost come in. they all come in in that B range unless there's some huge issue that's going on with or something like that. But you guys have a 40% 62% in A and B. So that's very strong. People obviously in the community value the schools and think here uh value received. This is where we start kind of getting their mind thinking about you know finances, right? So what's the value of tax? They know that they're public tech schools and they want to feel that that's being spent uh in the best way possible. Stewards of the community's money, you see, you've got 37%

108give it or 39% give it an A or a B and then you got 52% in that C and D range. So if I were to grade this out, you know, it's probably a a C plus if you want to think of it that way. So again, this is probably an opportunity. Uh, and I would pair this in with the communication that I start improve upon how the community feels about the board is I would probably pair in how the tax dollars are being spent and add that into that information. And I think you can see increases in both of those. It's probably just an issue. You're going to have to make it a point to have an action plan that address those issues to better, I guess, interact with your community. Uh, safety of

109students very high. So, you got 73% say A or B. Uh almost no one says it's a DRF so people feel the students are safe in your schools. So that's that's a great response. Uh we all spoke down here about the district's efforts to report its plan and progress to citizens. Okay. So this one is split pretty evenly. So in this one you're probably looking at around a C plus B minus range of kind of the median there. Uh again, that probably is going to deal with how you're communicating back out to the community, what decisions you what what direction you're going in. And as we get down, there are a couple uh questions to the very end of this that I think will tie into this perfectly, but overall what I'm seeing here is

110that there needs to be a few things done differently to better communicate back and forth with the average citizen. So I would say that uh number 11, the district's efforts to involve the community in decision-m. I always love this question because that's exactly what we're doing. When would you do this survey? Right? We aren't asking you to help us decision making. Um and you see here that it's kind of split. Um most of them in the C range. We like to see that more up in the A B range. Um this can be done through you know lunch and learns, coffees with community. You can have uh listening posts where the board members and superintendent, you know, have a night somewhere for an hour or two where maybe you can come and ask questions. Things

111like that could help push these numbers up a little bit, too. So, you scroll down to the next page for me, sir. All right. Thinking about everything you know about the district, we asked 550 people told us, you know, what would you give them? An A, a B, a C? And you can kind of see the B's with the heavy mark there. And it's a little bit more C's than A's. So, you're never really going to get all A's, but if you can maybe swap some of the, you know, maybe get that 31% of the C's down into the 20s and get that A up into the 30s, that would probably be a realistic goal. You probably want to shoot there at least. And then what we did is we ranked each of these uh

112scales from your highest to your lowest. So you can kind of see of all the questions that we asked, how did people respond the most favoritatively versus negatively potentially? And you can kind of see that uh they think the students are doing well. They think the students are safe. They think there's a quality of education, overall grades pretty good, school facilities pretty good. And then you start to dip a little bit down. You get to performance of the school board, the value of the tax dollars spent, and then the district's efforts to involve the community in decision-m. So, I think we've kind of talked a little bit about that. Those are the areas that probably target and come up with, you know, three or four specific action items that might be able to address those

113in a positive way. Obviously, the next couple questions, that's data that we don't have put together yet. It's put together this morning, but we'll have that for your executive summary uh next week. This next one here talks about um I like to ask this question because I want to start getting their mind thinking about the impact that public schools have on them even if they don't have kids in school. Right? So the public schools contribute positively to maintain and increase your property value. When you invest in schools and have good schools, more people want to live there, more people want to work there and it increases property values. And it shows right here that almost everyone in your community agrees with that. They want good schools because they want good community or people want to

114be. So that makes sense. Uh next one talks about does the district do a good job of listening and responding to community opinions. So we have 41% say they somewhat disagree. So that's probably a statistic that again when you come up with this communication approach, how are you going to start getting people to feel like their voice is heard and that they're valued and that you guys are doing the best you can for kids while also taking their input? That's something you're going to want to figure out how to communicate that with your community. The next one talks a little bit about how important is it for us to keep our buildings up to date in good condition, right? Well, 74% what is that? 88% of people said they agree or strongly agree. So it

115I would call everyone agrees that you should keep your school buildings up to date in good condition and they think if you can do that in a fiscally responsible way, right? Then they're going to be even happier with that. Uh then we start asking them, well, would you be willing to support improvements to make sure the quality stays? Do you look how the numbers change? Do you believe it's important to keep them up? 74. Strongly agree. Are you will are you going to support it? 53. Look at the change in those two questions. What drives that? Right. I'm going to scroll down to the next one. Sir, uh investing in school improvements. Now we're starting to get their mind thinking about it cost money to update buildings to keep buildings maintained. So invest in school

116improvements will benefit future students. 60% strongly agree other 21 81% agree with that. So basically everyone knows that you have to spend money to have a good school district and you have to keep your facilities up to date and modernize. So now the question is what are you willing to spend to do that right? So we'll get into that a second here. It's important for maturity to keep a plan for school facilities that are up to date. Strongly agree. So they want this. What this tells me is they agree that they will work with you. They would just like to make sure they have some input or at least some voice in what's happening. I think that's how differentiated the numbers change there. Now when we started the survey, we had a couple different options

117on the table. what you guys are discussing currently, but hopefully we can gain some insight for how the numbers came out on our three options. So, we had three options. The first option was going to be the new high school and and then do all the other work, too. So, a brand new high school. Almost half the people said they likely vote in favor of the bond issue to do this. Uh the number that concerns me the most is 22% said they don't know. So that means there's definitely going to have to be an information campaign if you were going to do all these things. But just on the surface level, hey, I think okay with having to be my school. Next one. The second option which is kind of in the middle was going

118to be where we configured the elementarymentaries differently and as well as the middle school. And we were focus on taking one of the elementarymentaries and converting it into space to have district activities and some other things for elementaryaries down three. and then still do some work in the high schools for renovations and modernizations. This one had 57%. Uh more completed those. So again, pretty solid number, but if you look at the difference here that scroll back on pages without bothering you too much. Yeah, it goes from 48% approved the high school 57% even more people support the second option um that's presented like this our don't know did drop down to 18% but that's still like to see that in the single digits. So again that's just an informative campaign we'd have to run. Option

119three was going to be um just the most urgent needs. So this is going to be this is what we have to do. This isn't going to be a new shiny high school. This isn't going to be a lot, but we will uh work on the hex swing issue that we've discussed for and it's going to have some upgrades to elementary schools for safety and security. Uh that went at 72%. So that had by far the most support of any of those three options. Again, we saw your don't know drop down to 14%. So there's still some room there to to gain some. Um but we didn't tell them what it was going to cost. Right? We just said, "Hey, here's a couple different project ideas." And we didn't put money to it. Right? So

120then we said, "If the district proposed a bond issue that included the projects we just discussed, how how do you think you would vote if the election were held today?" So 30% strongly support, 30% support. You're 60% support. You're opposed at 20%. You're unknown high number 23%. So that tells me right there that if you had a goodformational campaign where people knew what was going on, what was being proposed that you can pass something, right? Something can be passed with those numbers. Now we have to get into how much was their tax tolerance. So now we want to find out in your community, how much are they willing to spend in order to get those things. So the first option again which was the brand new high school, one of the things we recommend is

121always advertising how much it costs per year as opposed to how much it costs per month whenever you communicate with the the community. We've done this hundreds and hundreds of times for hundreds of school districts and we've done a lot of research on it and we have more success when we advertise the cost per year than we do by month. So that's just a lesson we've learned in our experience. Uh, so we recommend that to all of our clients. So if we took here a $160 million bond issue for option one, this is going to be the brand new high school. It would cost $485 a year for an average home. And you're seeing me oppose it at 35% and you're unknown at 24%. So at this point in time, if this election were held

122today, we would not pass that, right? that that's not something that the community is uh telling us that they're supportive of. So we went to the next option two which was where we do almost all we don't get a new high school but we redo everything. We reconfigure the elementarymentaries. We up make all the updates. Um and that was going to be at $242 a year. And now you see the numbers start to shift in more support. So there's a little bit more support here. We've got 47% said yes, 38% no with 15% saying they don't know. So my opinion on this one, if you were going to run option two election, I believe it. I believe it could pass. I do believe it very important to have an effective campaign that you run and

123inform people properly. I think if you can get that 15 swing to those supports, make sure you get all of your staff to vote. Um, you know, there's really going to be an important you get to vote out there, but I think you could do it with this one. The key is going to be how good of a campaign. Uh, the next one here was option three. This was just to do a no tax increase, a much smaller amount. It's a $50 million bond. And now look at the support. Now you've got 65% already saying they support it and your donos are down to 7%. That's where you want to see those. That gives you a better idea of where you're at. So a no tax increase I believe in today would pass. Just that

124simple. So option one I don't think would option two could if you run a good campaign. Option three would pass. So that's kind of the breakdown of those. Uh we talked here about uh Merson public schools been working on long range facility plan. Are you aware of that? So you've got about half your people are aware uh a little more than half. And then you've got about 40% not aware. So that's that's too big a number, right? More people should at least know about it. So that's again a communication thing. We want to make sure we're reaching out let people know what we're doing, why we're doing it, what's going on. Uh the next question here talks about uh and this is going to tie into what I was talking about earlier. These were a

125couple things from your leadership team. They wanted to say they wanted to kind of probe the community and see how much they know about what's going on in schools. So we asked them uh how aware of you that public schools is one only two school districts in Kansas only two in the state that are recognized as a national showcase district. Uh which is a huge deal, right? So very aware 30% some unaware. So you're right at 40 what is that? 43%. So less than half the people are aware at all. And then 66% said either not aware not very aware. So that's probably something that you want to figure out a way to put out there and advertise. That's a lot of success and probably a lot of hard work that went into getting that

126distinction. Uh, so we just want to make sure that we advertise that and support the hard work that was done to get there because that's a great what a great thing to say. I mean, we're capturing kids hearts relative to school experience. How that's amazing. That's exactly what you want in your school district. So, and then the last question here was um, how aware that McFersonen public schools has aligned all its K12 curriculum to increase student learning outcomes. So, you're talking about how you scope and sequence all of your learning objectives. um prek through 12. Uh but it's a huge it's a ton of work to get that done. I had to do it myself. I can tell you didn't do it, but no one's aware that you guys are doing that or have done

127it. You're at 32% have some awareness and then you have almost 70% say they know what you're talking about. So I think if I put this whole thing together, I would say we need to improve upon how well you celebrate your successes and how you listen to community feedback so they feel like they have a voice. Um the rest of the questions in there were just demographics just to give you an idea that you know it's spread out from how long they lived there, where how old they are. There's male and female. It's split out to do you have kids or grandkids in the school? you have kids or grandkids who've ever been in the school just to get a feel for what the makeup is in your community. I think the distribution here is

128is really great. Um the fact you did more calls made it even more conclusive to me. So I think it's really strong data. Uh but overall I think there's a few overriding things that you can probably see come up with ideas of your own you think would be good to adjust those. Uh but now the key is going to be how do you translate some of these numbers and what you're seeing and then apply that to you know updated decisions and updated project options that are sitting in front of you. So um Dr. Benson I I hope that I explained that concisely and clearly but if you guys have questions I'd be happy to address those as well. >> You did an excellent job Dr. Tomlinson. I just uh lost you though. So, let me

129move you around differently on the screen. >> And uh >> that's okay. It's better you can't see my face, I think. >> Yeah. Let me see if there's any questions around and I'll pull this up as well. >> Sounds good. >> 26 and 27. It says, "This question was only asked of those respondents who answered question 25, oppose it, strongly oppose it, or don't know." So, what does that mean? Did you? >> So, what they're trying to do is they're trying they're trying to find a tax tolerance. So, they're saying once you get if you're willing to spend $485, you're also going to spend $242. So, what we try to do is figure out at what point will they switch over and say yes, I'm willing to pay that amount. So then so the the

130uh basically the 33% in 25 that said yep support it strongly or support it they just kind of that that portion was done for them. So then we go down to 26 they're going to be the 358% 24%. Now we've got percentages broken out of those groups. >> Right. >> Correct. >> Got it. And then >> yes >> from those groups there the 38 and 15 they moved down to hey so so we can kind of watch where things shifted. That's a little hard for me to watch wrap my non-algebraic brain around. >> Great question for clarification though. So 26 and 20 well 26 then is reflective of the >> 60% of people >> 60% roughly actually a little bit more than that I guess >> 67% so the 2/3 and then you've got another

13153% then >> that that's what 27 53%. >> It's an interesting way to engage fast. >> Yeah. There's 8% of people that strongly oppose it. >> You have 80% of people are going to go no matter what you ask, >> right? >> And and then others got more comfortable, which is what we've seen in the past. I I think yes, Perry, you talked about earlier there were some things that we were people were opposed to, but a lot of people just we just felt we can't afford it at this time. So, it's interesting to watch that cascade down to okay, yeah, we we would support it if it was zero uh for us. >> Yeah. And then interestingly, your do not know are the ones then that shifted over time. They became more certain as

132the Mhm. >> Tax change. >> That's right. >> Right. I support 160 million dollar nothing. Absolutely. I'll support it now. >> Which is common, right? You would expect to see that type of transition. Sure. >> Okay. >> Are we doing anything with the online survey that people has the option to fill out? >> Yeah, we just closed that today. So I haven't that data yet, but I will put that together when we get your executive summary done. >> Oh, so this this data is hot off the press. So again, I wanted to get it in your guys's hands as soon as I could because I knew time was an issue. So I told Charlie I would move mountains to try to get this form. So >> thank you. >> That's why we're here today. >>

133Thank you. >> We do appreciate you, Dr. Tomlinson. That's been this this is extremely informative and very helpful. So we appreciate you. Yeah. Well, I appreciate the opportunity and I can't stress enough to you guys that this to me is the first step of you guys going out and engaging your community. Make sure you capitalize on the positives of that. Make sure you tell them, hey, we asked everyone and here's what you told us. We are listening. We do care about what you think. That step is where I see the majority of superintendents or boards make mistakes. They don't celebrate the fact that they're doing the things that they should be. And so I just want to encourage you to do that whenever you can. >> Dr. Vincent, will we kind of bring this into

134some of your communication strategies that you're working on right now? And >> yeah, I think as we get more as we continue to get clarity around direction and cohesion around it. This will be extremely important for all communication, whether it be for the scope of the bond or just in general communication. It's all good, great information. Are there any other specific questions around the data or the survey? I'm fascinated with the curriculum question because I wonder if there is not an underlying something else that's going on within our community since that was some very in my opinion very conservative efforts for some time and bringing that curriculum forward and seeing it touching it um pushing that information back out. So, I I'm just curious how we unpack that because that could be systemic of some

135other issues. >> I think it's a lot of times we don't talk about it >> or we're still waiting on data. Maybe bringing that forward and having Mrs. Williams come in and talk to us more, >> maybe that'll help. It's just not usually part of our board meetings. >> I feel like it was for >> but then it just like disappeared and dropped off. We haven't talked about academics and we're still waiting on our test results. So keeping that relative, even if it's just small little increments, could help. >> It's an interesting idea. >> I I think one of the things you can do also is anytime you have a big initiative that takes so much work like that is is make sure you come up with some kind of a strategy of how you're

136going to tell people, you know, what we've done. So even getting a local newspaper to run an article about all the work teachers did to rework the curriculum and get some pictures of teachers in their work. You know, some of those things could be really good PR for you. Laura, could that any of that go back to some of the negative curricular things they had precoid during Phil? I don't know because when I read the question I didn't get I didn't wasn't one of the survey folks on this but reading this how are how aware are you that McFersonen public schools has aligned all of its K12 curriculum to increase student learning outcomes and the response you know who are not very aware at 48% and not all aware at 19% not at all aware

137that's staggering to me and I just I it could be uh a part of other um that's why I'm saying is it systemic is there something else >> well sometimes when people are satisfied they don't sure >> and that was something they talked about they said we do have good we they feel like we do and we are setting our kids up that was something that was brought up so >> that was really >> maybe they don't talk about it because they already know I don't know that go hand in hand >> but there's a problem then they all know about it, >> right? >> My take away from it was they just weren't aware. They weren't aware of the fact that you spent all the time to align everything K through 12. It was

138just that process. They weren't aware that you guys that was a big issue for you guys. >> Appreciate that. >> Very good. Other questions for Dr. Tomlinson? So, we'll be having more detailed once you're able to uh do your analysis of the rest of the information. >> Yes, we definitely want to look at the online surveys and get as much of that put together and see how it either contradicts or complements what we have here. Uh the online surveys are not statistically reliable because we don't have any control over who takes them or there's just so much variability with that. But it will give us some biggest thing about the online survey is it made sure that everyone had a voice. So you may not have got a phone call, you may not have been

139able to take the survey, but you still have opportunity to give us feedback that we will look at uh discern and decide how pulls to statistics. >> I I would be interested on that option two and option three question where not all respondents were asked those to see that percentage reflective of total respondents asked. Does that make sense? Okay. >> In the in the total respondence versus Yes. >> In the scientific one, Cherry, in this one. >> Yes. >> Not necessarily the big broader one. >> No. But in in this particular one where you have the option two where not everyone was asked when you're breaking down those percentage for responses I would like to see those percentages for option two and three reflected in relation to >> the number of people asked so >>

140it's done by the number of people asked. I would like to see option two done by the number of people taking the survey not just the number of people asked number the question 26 >> percentage wise Sherry >> yes >> so yeah like that's where my >> I can do the math if I have to but I don't want to will you do that >> she's talking to you know hard pass >> I'll coordinate with you and pose the question. Do you understand what I'm getting at? But I think what her point is, she would like to know of all of the respondents >> that were given, what would those percentages are broken down? If we if we are going to assume that those who had previously answered for a tax tolerance, what would those

141It's hard to put those percentage wise. >> Well, you can still take it out. >> I can do it. I think what she's asking for is a raw number of how many people in each of those percentages. >> Right. >> I got you. >> Thank you. >> Good. Just time out. He got tired. >> I guess I should any other items for Dr. Tom? No, I think this gives us a lot to start to uh facilitate what what are the tasks that um as highlighted I mean we have a lot of how to follow up on these. >> Okay, >> perfect. >> Thank you, Dr. Tomlinson. >> I'll be in touch with you. >> Sounds great. Hey, thank you. Have a happy Thanksgiving. Appreciate you. >> Thanks everyone. Happy Thanksgiving. >> Hey, you too. Thank

142you. Yeah. Take a five minute race to transition to the next seven minutes. 7 minutes. You want seven minutes. Okay. Odd number. >> It's not trust me. >> It's very specific. >> Yes. Nobody said Oh no. Hope we lost some boxes. It's probably trying to call you. I'm going to start first with a higher level or just kind of a general level um on this and then I'll share a u take a little bit more of a detailed look on some of this information. So let me first start by saying that obviously we've had a lot of discussion this inner this interconnectedness of facility planning budgetary constraints funding what it looks like in in the future this entire environment that we're living in. Hey sir you good. Hello. I'm gonna just let him be with

143family for the moment. Um, so we've we talked about the the the realities of the the coming into the fiscal year. We started talking about that back in uh July. We I brought forward to you uh in October this conversation that um identifying 1.7 $75 million in savings. Now bringing this back as as a crucial uh reminder for where we're at and some of the planning that needs to take place, what part it plays in some of the discussion. um you know kind of the key component there is and as I've re reminded people is we have options as a result of a need to transition from four elementaryaries down to three that can that for example free up and make make an option like an Eisenhower reconfiguration an option but it's not the facility

144planning that's that's necessitating that it's actually the overall fiscal picture um of the district and so what I've shown you here is um this idea of what you know how do you achieve $1.75 million in savings. So my broad overview is just to show you that with um two different options. So I show in both cases here the the option is one if you're doing it without a lease purchase payoff and the option B then is with a lease purchase payoff. The reality is if you don't get, you know, if you don't get your lease purchase paid off, then you're already triggered back to option A. So, it's important for us to know what that means. But there's a couple of different um realities at least that we're looking at are where where's the bulk

145of your spending? That's where you're always going to look. And then that's going to be an indicator for where the bulk of your savings is. So every school district in Kansas, the vast majority of their budget is around people. So not surprisingly, if we need to come up with 1.75 million in savings, it's going to generally come from people positions. Uh in option A, you would have to identify roughly 1.4 million in um positions. uh that would be spread across a variety of of positions in the certified, classified, administrative, and even long-term subrem and is an a significant expense for the district. And there's been conversation uh not just in McFersonen, but across ESDAC pool um and uh continues to be a conversation here about uh finding ways to bring those costs down. So health

146insurance for example, there's savings related to um number one, if you have fewer people, then you have fewer people taking insurance. So there's some savings that would be achieved there. Um in addition to then finding a more affordable plan for the district. So there's a two-tier and a four tier and those those savings are reflected in uh what you see there in option two. So, by a transition um to a four tier, you'd have the ability to, depending on the plan selection, have an opportunity to save between $230 and $270,000 for the for the upcoming year. So, big overview, no lease payoff, you're going to reduce staff by roughly 1.4. you're going to have uh roughly 230 roughly a quarter of a million in your insurance savings. And then you'd have uh ultimately that bring

147you to right around your 1.75. Ultimately, those are all all those are all things that are actionable items. Okay, that's roughly uh 30 positions that you'd be thinking about in terms of your o overall staffing. Okay. B, option B, this is with a lease purchase payoff. This would bring, again, your insurance savings are the same. Your annual lease purchase payoff. That frees up that $388 uh,000. And so now you're now now you're looking for roughly a million dollar in savings through some kind of staff reductions. Um those staff reductions in that scenario um would be closer to 20 to 22 positions which um is certainly more achieve they're both achievable. Um they're are deeper cuts depending on the scenario. Uh but certainly would be an advantage to the board uh to be thinking about those

148those lease purchase payoffs. And throughout that um really kind of throughout this planning, one of the questions would be what what kinds of changes could result in some of these statements? Well, the reality is we're always ex we're always exploring those and we're going to continue to explore those and those will be continued to be updated and provided to you. What part does a transition from a four elementary system into a three elementary system play in this? Well, we've talked about a transition from from we currently have eight sections across six grade levels. So 8 * 6 individuals and you can transition to a a minimum of seven section transition down to seven sections and in one case a sixth section which would reduce your your overall FTE by seven to eight FTE just in

149that the board and and you what you can be prepared for is to look at you could reduce down even further and you could have six sections. Now you're getting into a question about what the threshold of of class sizes would look like. There'd be a lot of things to consider, but those are the kinds of things that um we we we will run modeling on and I will bring that back to you to say here's what would be potential savings in this kind of a structure, but here's the impact and here's what the savings would be in this other structure and here's what the impact is. So in the m in this ne next several weeks ahead, these are the kinds of things that will continue to come forward with more specific clarity. The

150generally the point with where we would be looking to transition is if we can transition our system from a four elementary to a three elementary, we can achieve a significant amount of the savings as we re as and most importantly we can continue to make sure all kids still have the same learning experiences that they do now. They just haven't been For a fourth of our students, they have it in a different setting. They still have music, they still have art, they still have PE, still have a teacher who loves them in the classroom. They still have pair of professionals who support them, but they're just doing it in a different set. The insurance plans are not new. That's not a new conversation. It's not a new conversation for for you as this board, nor

151is it in the past. It's becoming a reality that as those continue to escalate in in cost, we you this board and others need to really consider that. Some other potential savings that are we are still specifically looking at is what other property types of insurance setups could we have? So, that's a that's a continued efficiency that we're exploring. One of the others is that we've continued to exp and will continue to to look at is we've had really really good luck and really uh fortunate um outcome with the our transition to ATS uh at the high school specifically. There are several districts that have made a full transition across their whole system. So we want to run a cost analysis so you can be informed around whether that would be something that would be

152worth exploring from a cost savings perspective. In both of these scenarios, we can achieve that 1.75 in in the scenario where you're doing it without a uh without lease purchase solution. That's just um it just that's right around six or seven positions. So on. So an example with that would be is you might be having to choose between increased class sizes over uh payoff of of a lease purchase. And again that's a private those are all conversations that we'll have to debate or have to have some dialogue. I do continue to provide the projected uh ending cash going through the end of next fiscal year. As Mr. McCabe pointed out, we are entering our kind of final year of known waters and then we'd be entering into very uncharted territory that really nobody knows has

153any better idea about than than anyone else in this room. and that is we don't know what our funding formula will look like. Could it change for the better? It honestly I would anticipate it's going to change for the better for some district out there. I just don't know which district that is. And so we'll I think we're we're you're by recognizing that we're tasked with this, we are already moving towards making sure that we're entering those unknown years in the best position that we can. Again, it's the fiscal reality for why we have to condense from four to three. It's interesting that our community understood that from an operational efficiency perspective. It's uh in our community groups, there's been that knowledge. Um as we think and as you kind of deliberate over what the

154long range plan is, what part does that transition play? Um, we would be I would be my encouragement for us coming back here at the December 1st meeting to really be considering and weighing given this this admin team and and our group direction to say officially that we need to transition from four to three and then start talking about what that is. of staff right now is very uneasy because they just need to they're they're they're interested in just knowing what the plan is. So, uh there's a lot of how the plan can fold into it creates an opportunity for us to take some some steps towards helping to to really put this into action and start to bring you some clarity around what actual savings are are there and what what can we do?

155It's there. It can be achieved. Uh yeah, what questions can I answer? What comments would you offer? Let me I forgot to talk through the big take key takeaways. Um again in this scenar in the cases I'm talking you through both scenarios achieve again right around that 1.7 in savings. Obviously there's some things that are dependent on that. Incorporating, as you've heard me share, the lease payoff. That is a that's a board decision on how you want to develop the scope in doing in incorporating it in a successful bond. It can it can create an opportunity to not have to reduce as much staffing and still provide some longterm recurring savings. Ultimately, this is all oriented towards around making sure that we're strengthening our fiscal position for not just next year, but the years that

156come >> questions. I guess a comment is um This is I think the hard thing. We're we're we're talking about bond. We're talking about facilities which is necessary. It's very important we do that. But this is a reality. It can't be talked about. It has to be done. Now how we get there needs to be determined. >> But we have to do this. >> Correct. And so I guess asking from an administrative, you know, we know 1.75 is going to stabilize some things. Option B ties it to facilities which is an uncertainty. We don't pass a bond, >> right? We still so in my mind I guess I'm asking for you what kind of official action we need to make as a board to directing you and your team to come back with the specifics

157on how we're going to achieve this. So when we talked on our planning yesterday uh with with Dr. Vincson, you know, we could talk about a building, but is that our place to talk about a building closure or reconfiguration? >> We want your team to have the clarity for us in that >> we we have to make this decision and the sooner we make this, I think the better it is for us in all of our planning. And um yes, it can tie into facility, but I guess I'm asking what is it we need to to direct you administratively into and then what what will we expect back from that? >> I Great question. I in the I'd like the board to take action to say whether that be tonight or on December 1st. uh

158to take action to to make known that we need to transition from four to three. That is that is a ultimately a board level decision how we configure our schools and that can be that should be done independently of the of any kind of a facility plan. So that would be one of the points of clarification. The second one, which is why I wouldn't be necessarily seeking that yet this evening, because it needs to be thoughtfully considered in terms of how which of the four elementaryaries do we want to reconfigure and how does that thoughtfully align with a long range plan irregardless of a bond outcome. I know where I stand on that. Um but those are the two things in particular that for the clarity of where we need to go next is it

159allows us to start then planning and bringing back leg legitimate and then start having legitimate conversations with staff. Some staff will this will be a disruption for staff. Some will self- select not to come back because they're already on the fence or whatever it might be. I mean, this is all hard things that part of how that goes. Um, as we're continuing to see other positions open up, which we have had as a practice for my entire time here, is we always evaluate what openings are occurring and whether or not those can be absorbed through attrition. Um, so that action is still going to be taking place, but we'd be looking for I would be looking for a a firm action from the board to say tasking us with transitioning from 4 to 3. And

160I'd like to hear from the board on the building that you that we need to transition away from as it relates to our long range point. I've got ideas and can provide clarity on my thoughts on that. Um, there's challenges to every scenario. Um, but ultimately I'd be seeking that clear. Wouldn't necessarily be seeking it tonight. Um, but December 1st, I'd really like to hear from you all and start I'd like to in the month of December provide clarity to our staff. I think it would be safe to say we could go ahead and make that clarity that we are tasking with the reconfigurations of three to four or from four to three. We already know that. What I don't want to do is go ahead and name a building and say for sure this

161building is on the chopping block because we don't know. And I'm still I go back to the Eisenhower thing that Eisenhower's building closure is dependent on a bond. If the bond passes, we close it. I'd say we don't designate a building until we know what the March decision is when it comes to the election. I know that is totally not fair to the staff. I know it puts him at a very uneasy time frame, but if it comes back and the community says, "No, we do not support Eisenhower's movement in the middle school going to Eisenhower," then what is the purpose of closing Eisenhower? Then we need to look at a different school. >> Why do we need to look at a different school? Because if the community doesn't support closing Eisenhower and turning it

162into a middle school, then that needs to come back to us and say that wasn't a supportive plan, what's a plan B for a middle school. The community, nobody wants an elementary school to close. Nobody wants that. There's not a single person in this community that's going to be like, you know, which school sounds great to close that one. Nobody wants that. But what we are faced with today is the reality that one of the elementaryaries needs to close. Agreed. And if that's where we're at, thinking about it from the other side of it, teachers don't just find their jobs in in March and April and May. They find their jobs much sooner than that. And if we are being conscientious and truly expressing care for the people that serve our community, we have a

163responsibility to make that decision sooner and give our educators the opportunity to do what they need to do to provide care for their families, their children, and themselves. And I don't think it's ethical at all for us to try to postpone that contingent on a facility decision because we are leaving potentially what 22 to 30 people that may not have the time that they need to find employment that they need to provide care for themselves and their children. And I feel very strongly that's not okay. as much as it is painful, as much as it is distasteful. And and please, my kids wandered the halls of Eisenhower from preschool. I have educators in that building that I care very much for, and I have educators in almost every other building that I care very much

164for. But we are tasked with making this decision and putting it off. Let's not change it. And if I say that I care about our people, then the caring thing to do is to make this decision sooner to give people the time that they need and potentially self- select because they have something else. They'll be okay. But I don't want to leave anybody not okay if we have the capacity to do something different. And I I know you don't agree with me and I get that. >> That's fine. And and I'm not necessarily saying it has to be Eisenhower, but I am saying we've got to make that call. >> Eisenhower has 16 classrooms like the space thing is um the other part of this too. You know, we want our Is that was that

165right? That track, Shiloh, for you? >> Yeah, that tracks the two classrooms. I couldn't Are you talking about the size of Eisenhower? Yeah, >> there's two of the two open classrooms that are sometimes included. Is that correct? >> Yeah, there's two that are pitch. >> Yes, >> I got McKenzie. Sorry. Go ahead, Jeff. >> I you appreciate we need to identify that. What I didn't hear you say and that is we need to identify a dollar amount may we somewhere in a motion for uh preparing for next year's budget we need to affirm that that's the 1.75 >> I think that's I think that's wise also yes sir >> yeah otherwise we're we're we're reducing staff without a specific number or changing reconfiguration buildings without a specific number in mind. So I think that to

166me that number needs to be included. If that's the recommended cut 1.75 which will stabilize this then I think that would need to be a part of >> I agree with that. I agree with that because I've shown it. We've talked about it but I think to formalize it would be appropriate >> with the understanding that this is operational efficiencies. um as the target of of why this is all happening. I prefer that versus some of the other words that can be understood in this conversation because it's it's a holistic picture of our current and future >> positioning. Right. >> Well, it ties to your email you sent out. I mean, we we have declining enrollment. We have other factors that are all a part of this unknown future funding. I mean that's the key

167roles of the board is to make sure that we are financially stable more than anything else. We cannot um overspend the budget. >> Yeah. I don't I don't think I can ever over state that when you have a 100 student swing like what we experienced when we were expecting that to be closer to 65 or 70 that's helped to really ground us in okay there's a new reality the and what I mean by that is flashing back a year ago when we had 113 kids show up to kindergarten after we had graduated out a large class that you did the this board absolutely did the right thing by getting an RSP involved getting an idea of what our clear picture is. And what we've learned is that was potentially an isolated number that was reflective

168of birth rates, but birth but we're not going to see our numbers come back up to 150s or 160s anytime soon. And so this action by you would ensure that we are being fiscally responsive to our financial conditions and our declining enrollment for as it's project projected in the future. I also think my encouragement for you as you reflect over the the coming week and I'm available for phone calls um and and opportunities as well is for me we've heard a long range plan today that's been developed through community feedback. Anything that would happen in terms of us whichever building we would transition away from needs to needs to take a step towards in my mind whatever that final plan is because that's really I think an initial conversation that needs to happen too is

169by finalizing the direction of what the long range plan is then your decisions can make us go a step closer. So there are a lot of unknowns, but a step closer towards the long range plan would be in my mind. >> I I appreciate that connection. And yet we still have to make this decision. Hopefully there's going to be a successful bond and that plan could flow right in. But if not next fall, we need to be one location less than what it is. >> Correct. >> Y >> the other thing that I think is really helpful, Shiloh, is to understand that, you know, when we have these funds, capital outlay, special education, gifts and grants, contingency textbook, that, you know, when we see those numbers there, that's because those funds are in the year.

170That's what we start the next year with to get the system moving. Cuz I think sometimes people can see we have $4 million and they think that we're sitting on a bucket of money and we're not. That's what we need to pay for our curriculum to pay for. And I think that sometimes that message gets lost for folks too that are feeling the the pain and the and of this conversation in general. And I don't think we explain that good enough to people, Shiloh. Well, >> or often enough. Not good enough, but maybe often enough. Yeah, that's a very good point is that a cash balance is the exact uh a healthy cash balance between 10 and 15% is what's been is what's often recommended. There's a couple things that are not helping Kansas school

171districts in that realm and they haven't been helping Kansas school districts for a long time and that is that and is that our legislators will point to an isolated incident where a group has what is perceived to be too much cash stored up and they'll make blanket statements around how you know well everybody's hoarding money. Well, first off, that across the state of Kansas, that is generally inaccurate. Everybody across the state is dealing with the same thing we're dealing with. The same conversations are just happening at a different time in a different place, but they're all dealing with declining enrollment and and funding challenges and cash to your point and significantly increased expenses. And to your point, this makes sure that we're able to be able to start the year and pay the bills annually

172as we enter it. And if uh something floods, you're able to address the needs. If something backs up and sewer's running through somewhere, you're able to pay for it. There's a lot of things um that this just Yeah. that people, to your point, they'll look at millions and they'll say, "Wow, you got a lot of cash there." Well, we annually spend and just across our budget around $55 million, $53 million. So to have less than 10% of that in terms of outs is uh just thinking about what you would have sitting in your bank account for all your other needs. >> Yeah. So >> I agree is my point. Um and it's why there's going to be continued discussion in the future that this is now as we transition towards this. This is what stabilizes

173it. But future conversations, I'll use a I won't name the district by name. There was a district that slightly larger than us experienced when we experienced a 100 student swing, they experienced a 300 student swing. >> They had to cut $5 million in one year and then they had another 300 student swing the following year. So they had already cut what they felt was to the bone and then they had another 10% of their students roughly not come in. So that that district is having a sec. I don't predict that. We don't have anything that tells us that data is there. But we got to be cognizant of the fact that birth rates are down and there's legitimate consequences to that. And we also have to be cognizant that sometimes um as different experiences happen

174in our government such as an extended shutdown, I mean we want to make sure that we can pay our bills and pay our people's paychecks >> 100%. >> And so that's why some of this, you know, and so just to kind of help people understand that, you know, we're not sitting on these buckets of money is is I think a message that we can continue to share. I I would point out on there if you'll sh Well, I I would just point out that that brings your cash right down to us getting to 1.75 in savings keeps your keeps your operating uh percentage around just over 10 and a half%. The goal would be at 15 >> which is less been as high as 15. >> Yeah, we we've operated with more. This is we're

175not trying to I mean like if you look at our 20 25 into the uh >> right around 14 and a half. >> Yeah. And so >> yeah, historically we operated with a lot more savings and Perry remembers the days when when the state didn't make payments and if we didn't have the reserves we couldn't make payroll. So I mean we we haven't seen that for quite some time. But there's a reason that we need to be careful to set enough back to try to cover all of whatifs we can. >> It's >> Thanks, Jeff. From a historical perspective, it's interesting for us to note that historically when there have been cuts, they have come at the end of either litigation when it's been sunset or once basically once the the Ganon case was the

176one that lasted the longest. And as soon as that was action was taken to do that, it said that the sunset was going to be in place for 2027. If you go back over the history from actually pre-192, even we just were down at KASB, they provided this as an interesting snapshot. Every time something essentially sunset, there were cuts. >> There are cuts and we could end up. >> So we we know that there's a sun setting at the end of next year. We've absolutely got to be on the forefront >> which still is that, you know, as a board member, you know, I have a responsibility to the community to be responsible with the resources that they have entrusted us with. And this is still a conversation that none of us want to be

177having when we're talking about people and lives and families. And so, you know, I and I know that we all feel that, but I think, you know, sharing that here publicly to know that, you know, when you talk about we're having to possibly cut 22 to 30 people positions, is that extra in addition to the spots that we already have open or is that including like if we've got five spots of classified already open, is that reducing down those. >> No, I when I talk about openings, well, our classified fluctuates. So, >> that was just an example. >> I know that's a great example though because it fluctuates up and down. >> Um, those would be those would need to be positions that we know are that are positions that are currently filled. Would it

178include potentially positions that are not currently filled that we no longer see a need to fill? >> Absolutely. >> Okay. >> Say that again. Hold on. Let me verify. >> Let me verify that I think. So let's say that there's five identified that you can absorb that would be into this this other >> um you know amount of people in each bucket that we're talking about that we've got to >> Yeah. those potentially we could absorb those and have I think that's the question right like yeah there's some typical yeah we maybe we don't need to refill these >> and we've got people retiring >> this many >> I just don't want people to hear 30 people are going to lose their jobs that's what I don't want people to misinterpret is what I'm basically

179trying to get out there >> in a typical year I know how many people leave the industry average. >> Yeah. ES and flows, but you typically have 20 to 35 openings. I guess I'll look at Randy a little bit from just I mean that's not always been the case, but >> not just in Gen. Yeah, that's that's inclusive, >> but that the numbers we're talking about are not just in Janet either. So >> the the point is or a couple of the points to it would be is there's other opport there are other opportunities in addition to this then so I'm talking to you about people but we we're going to continue to look really closely at what other opportunities you know something that Bill talked about was the substantial savings um of transitioning the

180middle school. I mean truly your savings are going to come. I'm talking about in a future world where you have a different middle school. You're you're going to save a lot through your insurance. You're going to save a lot through that. But but I mean the generally those staff that are needed to whatever amount is needed to to serve your 678 is still going to transition largely over >> transition. Yeah. >> But there are going to but I do want to be clear and that the goal is through attrition. So to answer that, I've not heard I mean that that is the goal and we would be seeking to show you as we continue these conversations over the course of the year is here's our target and here's here's how that attrition is playing out.

181But at the end of the day to I think the point that Jeff is is making is um we have to work aggressively to get that number. We have to make sure that we've identified what those look like. Well, I think you know in my previous time here, there was maybe only one year that we actually had to cut. >> Yeah. I mean, >> it's always been attrition or or you know, some some manner of retirements, whatever you know how you identified it. But you're right. It's I mean when we went through some of the really challenging budget cuts, it was the goal of the war then was to protect people's positions. Uh but we eliminated positions when people retired or left >> and that's that's that's absolutely the the strategy that we would be

182seeking on this here. I mean, we already know we have positions today based on retirements or other people with seeking job opportunities or so there's we'll continue to bring clarity as we continue to to move forward. Some of them may be in uh related to more personnel and some more specific conversations. So, some of that may be brought in a confidential space. Um, but I think it's important for all of us and anyone listening to be reminded of that this is a nobody I I would echo the thoughts on everybody. This is a heavy thing. This is this is heavy for every person in our community in our system and it's not something that we take lightly. And for that reason, we're going to seek to do it through attrition. and we're going to seek

183to find every avenue we possibly can on our team to present you with options that can help us be the most efficient that we can be. >> I think that's helpful to make sure we're presenting the other operational efficiencies as we also look at this because it needs to be a holistic uh strategy long term whatever that looks like. So we welcome additional options. Can I ask another question? >> Sure. >> So you have number one on people and number two on insurance including the districtwide insurance plan. >> Is that a future conversation then? >> Yeah, I would say be prepared for that to to come up and and to give some direction on that. the board the board um has has the authority to make that decision from transitioning from 4 to two. So

184that resides at this table. Um and that would that would be something that you'll need to be prepared for coming back to you. >> Back to y'all have fun with us. >> Oh, that's why you asked the question. >> No, I I was wondering if there was something that I needed to know about that had not yet been discussed. >> I think that um no is the answer to that. Okay. Well, that'll be brought forward though, and that does need to be something that that that everyone's aware of is that that there's just uh the continuing increased costs associated with it just to not I mean, they're just like other districts in the pool, we're having to consider other alternatives >> everywhere. It's not just schools. So from a standpoint of timing, okay, we obviously

185next week is December, right? to start this forward. It would it be appropriate to consider at Monday's meeting and needing your help in wording a motion that would that be the most beneficial for the management to set the the budget reduction or or with the 1.75 million savings. with a understanding of moving from three or from four to three elementary locations but not identify the location yet until we have your administrative uh team input on that. I mean, I know we we will need to make that decision, but are we ready to make? I'm not comfortable. I have my opinions. We all have our opinions on location, but what is the most beneficial educationally and what is the most uh beneficial for operations >> and we need your help in that? Yeah, I I think

186that um what I noted down for myself here is to give to help provide a little bit of clarity around pros and cons of those different sites is what I'm hearing. That way you could have at least knowledge around what what are what are posit what are the pros of this solution versus and what are the cons of it for each of the potentials. Yes, I can provide that to provide that. >> Okay. Yeah. challenging um work that we must move forward on and um the changes struggles um we don't I don't think anybody here is taking this lightly so I think we need to make sure we have all the information we need so please channel that information so that we are hitting um the target for the next meeting >> I think with

187this understanding And to Perry's point, people need to be aware as soon as possible that changes are coming and so um and those will specifically be identified, but this has to happen and decisions are going to change. >> Thank you all. Thank you. appreciate the uh good dialogue and information. Next meeting is on the 1st. Everyone have a lovely Thanksgiving. This is I know really hard um to walk away with um lots for us to uh thank you.