001I 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. All right. Now, we'll move right along. Uh, first thing on the agenda, the agenda tonight is the adopted agenda. Any additions? >> Motion to adopt Steve Carmichael. >> Second, Scott Bram. We got a motion. All in favor? >> I. >> Anyone oppose? Uh, motion carries. All right. Um, attendance report. Let the attendance report show that is Mr. Collins on Zoom. >> Yes, sir. Mr. Collins. [Music] >> Yes, sir. >> Can hear you. >> Yes, sir. We can hear you, Mr. Collins. >> All right. Uh, approval of the minutes. Recommended approval of the minutes of the September 8th U regular board meeting. to adopt. Get
002a second. Second. Steve Carmichael. >> All in favor? >> Anyone oppose? Motion carries. Financial report. Good evening. Overall for September, our revenue has increased by just about half a percent. The increase is primarily driven by an increase in our seek of approximately 6% or $188,000. Other revenues continue to be flat for the year. I've said this at previous meetings, but that's primarily due to the timing of taxes being paid. Those revenues will begin to increase over the month of October, November, and December as property taxes are received for the fiscal year. Expenditures for salary and benefits are up 7.4%. That is reasonable based on the step and 4 and a half% approved. Um, but I do anticipate that to level off closer to 6 1/2% range. We are down from 7.8%. 8% last month to
0037.4% this month. So, it's kind of steadily going along there. Non-s salary expenditures are up 47.4%. Now, that's a little bit uh misleading. We do have several drivers that have increased our overall cost, but this past month, we received three new buses and we paid for those buses in September and that was a $415,000 expenditure. So, that really throws off the percentages. If we remove that expenditure, the non- salary increase is closer to a 16% increase, which is a little bit more reasonable. On another note, uh we have received the seek tenative calculation for this year. The updated amount from the seek forecast is approximately a $98,000 increase from what was uh what we thought we were going to be receiving. That is largely due to our local assessments not being as high as expected.
004And thus, our local contribution is a little less and the state contribution is a little more. And one other note, we are very close to finalizing um our inflation reduction act application. Incredibly close to getting that submitted. I signed off on some final paperwork the other day, so it should be any time. And we are estimated to receive $1,72,000 in the inflation reduction act tax credit. So hopefully all that flows as it should and we get that in the next three to four months I believe is the timeline. So thank you very much. >> Any questions? Can I get a motion to accept the financial report? Motion >> to approve. Steve Carmichael. >> You got a motion, a second. All in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries. Orders of the treasur. >> Are
005there any questions regarding the orders? >> Okay. >> Can I get a motion? Motion to approve. Scott Brown. >> Second. Steve Carmichael. >> We got a motion. Second. All in favor? >> I. >> Any oppose? >> Motion carries. Uh, >> superintendent report. >> Welcome everyone to the October 13th board meeting. Thank you for being here and thank you to everyone online for uh joining us. Um, I'd like to uh recognize and thank our MV Ward students. Mrs. Lusher, thank you and your students for um doing the pledge, the prayer, and that beautiful music that they uh shared with us tonight. We appreciate that so very much. Um, and I'd like to welcome everyone back from fall break. Um, I hope everyone had a restful um, week with the beautiful weather. Um, it's glad to be
006we're glad to be back. We had a great first nine weeks and we're very excited to go into our second nine weeks in the fall where we have a lot of holidays and activities going on. So, welcome back and we look forward to all of the fun activities ahead over the next couple of months. On October the 2nd at Anderson County High School, we congratulated and um recognized 47 recipients and inducted them into the 2025 um Anderson County Schools Hall of Academic Excellence um at our awards dinner and ceremony. Um each recipient, I want to say, represents the best and brightest of Anderson County as well as our public schools. whether it was a student, an alumni, a current, past, present, um, or retired staff member, or a community member, or a local district leader
007or partner in education. Um, they are the reason Anderson County Public Schools is the top 19% uh, of the highest performing school district, one that is the best across the Commonwealth. So, I'd like to again publicly say thank you to all the recipients for all of their hard work um in all that they did in order to receive um that nomination and that award. So many of those recipients um Trob's excellence that we hold dear to our hearts um and the pride that we hold today. Um they gave us roots, they planted seeds and taught us what it means to be excellent and they helped our children of Anderson County Schools to understand that as well. Um the opportunities that they gave our children along the way um of which some of those folks did
008receive awards um at the award ceremony that night shows what public schools does for all all students. It gives wings, it gives confidence, it gives everyone the understanding that um their own personal success is who they become when they walk across the stage and leave us and go into our wonderful community. So, thank you again to all of our recipients. Um, their contributions, all of their contributions um just contribute to our overall um who we are today and we're so very grateful for that. Um I'd also like to say thank you to our Hall of Academic Excellence planning committee. A lot of folks spend a lot of hours planning and meeting and really putting the fine details um on that night to make it possible. Blake Drury, Beth Morgan Cook, Miss BJ, Miss Melissa Wells,
009um Allison Williams, and our past committee members, Mr. Ronnie Fields and Miss Marshia Rogers. A special thank you to Miss Elizabeth Schwarz, um who does an amazing job organizing all the little details um for the night. Um there's a lot that goes into organizing and planning and making sure that all the things and the the touches, the personalized touches are are added. Um but without all of our shining stars who are students and our staff um this event absolutely would not be possible. We had so many people that contributed to um that evening cooking um serving, performing, decorating, setting up, cleaning up. Um without all of those folks, Mr. Jury and his team who uh do a lot of uh front loading and back loading, um all those folks make it possible. So, um, for
010all of them, we're we're extremely grateful. Um, because of them, we're allowed to be able to hold such a beautiful night for our community, students, and staff. Um, but an extra special thank you to those folks who take their time always um to support our sponsors. We had several, the ACE, um, Anderson County ACE, Richie and Peach Funeral Home, Walmart, Anderson County Public Library, and BCTC. they support us in in so so many ways. So, thank you to everyone who helped create a beautiful evening um celebrating excellence in Anderson County, past, present, and future. Some of you were here tonight. I have to I did not invite Mrs. Lois Todd to come to this um recognition because it's dark outside and as she says, I want to get home before dark. But I do want
011to honor her. We honored her at 5:00 p.m. Um, and I want to just um share some special things about her because she's an amazing person and deserves all the recognition um that we can give her. Uh, Miss Lois Todd um has been capturing Anderson County's beauty for decades. If you've lived in Lawsburg long enough, you you chances are you have seen her art of work somewhere in a bank. Um maybe in your school, uh definitely here in central office, or maybe you've purchased one um to have in your home um that's special to you. Her art tells a story of our community. You see our courthouse, you see our school houses, you see downtown, you see our people. Um and it she just captures it all with beauty and grace. Her artwork captures the
012heartbeat of Anderson County and reminds us of how lucky we all are to be a part of this amazing community um and the beauty that surrounds us every single day. Tonight, we celebrated not just Mrs. Todd's art, but her spirit behind it and her generous heart that so graciously donated to our district. So, all the pieces of arts of work that have Lois Todd's name on them were donated. Um so, if you haven't already, there is a gallery around our central office. Please um take a minute whenever you have time to enjoy it and uh you'll I promise you you'll learn something special about Anderson County. There are some pieces of artwork still left in the lobby if you'd like to have a piece of art. Um she donated those, so please pick up one
013on your way out and take it um and um share it in your own home if or your classroom if you would like. Um all of it was created by the special lady, Mrs. Lois Todd um who has such a servant's heart. Um she gives so much and has given so much to our communities and she gives us so many special memories to enjoy um for decades to come. So special thank you to Mrs. Todd for sharing her talents. Um she absolutely represents the best of Anderson County and we're so very proud to call her one of our own. Please let's give her a round of applause. That's all I have this evening. >> All right. Um, one of I would like to make this comment. Someone had asked me once just a few weeks
014ago about Sergeant, are you do you are you against sports? One from Bargetown Independent and one from right here. And one of the things that I bragged about us is they're starting a bass fishing uh group up in Bstown here in very soon. I said, "Well, we already got that." But one of the things they told me they they were starting to that we don't I don't think we have and that's the question I have for the athletic director. They are starting girls flag football. Do we have that here? >> Um that hasn't been So it would be kind of like sport every school this year is doing a survey that we don't girls probably will be a sport right now probably not the reason why I'm asking I have two grandkids that play football
015and I have a granddaughter she'd probably fit in better playing football than at other sports and I'm sure that since her two brothers uh play football that that's why I was asked and you know but I do you know I do uh support sports um there's no doubt uh you know my f like I said my grandkids participate but I can't help it because I'm very conservative that's just my nature so thank you all right comments from visitors uh Dr. Davis, you're on the list. >> Good evening. I'm Dr. Anissa Pin Davis, president of the Anderson County Education Association. And being October, we always discuss testing. And test scores are coming out in a couple of weeks. Last year, we did a great job being in the top 19%. But I always want to remind
016you that test scores do not always represent our children. We don't know what they're going through at home, what their night's been like. They may not have gotten a great breakfast, you know, a good night's sleep. You I've told you the blueberry story. We take all the blueberries. And so sometimes, you know, we have to remember that testing is just a snapshot in time. Sometimes it's a great looking snapshot like I got a great one going down the interstate over fall break and then sometimes it's not coming back I blurry. So I just want you to remember that no matter how they come out in a couple of weeks our Anderson County kids are so special. You all support us. We support them. Our kids are wonderful. But just remember testing is just one snapshot
017in time. Mr. Davis, I like to comment my belief and I've always defended teachers. It's not fair for teachers to be graded on kids test scores because when I was in school, we had I forget this test we had. I used to sit in class and draw take the dots because you had to circle the dots and and deliberately make faces because I knew the next year they would put me in lower grades uh level back then we had grade levels and they would put me in lower grade levels and I didn't have to work and I always told everybody I don't take books on and all the kids saidge how do you pass you don't take books on because I get in lower grades and I'm capable you know I was a little better
018but I do not agree I've never agreed with students being tested in because some some kids just don't do well in test either. And I always thought that's very unfair for teachers to get graded how their students are taking test because I knew what I did, you know. All right, that's looks like that's it. We'll move right along. Payments to architect consider to approve payments to Roth Tarant Architect in the amount of 9,42087 for professional services from September the 1st, 2025 to September the 30th of 2025 for the Anderson County Middle School and Sappel Street uh elementary HVAC project BG23-130. >> Motion to approve Steve Carmichael. Second. Scott Brown. >> Got a motion and a second. Uh, all in favor? >> I. >> Anyone oppose? >> Uh, motion carries. Anderson County Learning Academy presentation. The
019teachers and staff from Anderson Learning Academy will present an update on the program. >> Oh, yeah. We're all here. You have you have our power. While they're getting that up, as you may know, um we've moved. We're not in the high school anymore and we're not Apex Alternative School. We are now the Anderson County Learning Academy and we are housed um in the basement. We're downstairs. Um so our mission statement um we didn't really change it because our focus is still always on the kids. So we just want to lead them into developing the necessary life skills um to be hello to be successful and contributing members of the community. We just talked about test scores and how Sarge would do the little bubbles. Um, I've had students do Christmas tree lights down the scantrons
020and not we differentiate instruction, but it's a standardized test. That's never set well with me. Um, because you've seen the cartoon if like you have to climb the tree to see how smart you are, but the fish can't climb the tree. Not every kid is meant to sit in a classroom with 30 kids. They just can't do it. And so that's what we're here for. So our vision is to be the most flexible and encouraging consistent mentors in a child's life. And we do that. We have students online. We have kids um in person five days a week. We have kids in person two or three days a week. Um everybody's schedule's just a little bit different. So we're always moving and shaking um to make sure that our kids are getting what they need.
021and we're going to show you um how successful we've been just since school has started. Yeah. So, you know, like I just said, we exist to create the non-traditional pathways because not every kid can sit um in a classroom with 30 kids. They just can't do it. And everything we do is aligned with um Kentucky academic standards. We use Edmondum, which is exactly what we've used in years past. Um we've just changed our name and our colors and locations. Yeah. Okay. So, here's our staff. Mr. Harley is our director. He's in. Is he in? Oh, there he is. Yeah. Um and then we have um Claybird Whistle and CJ Penny. They do our off-campus suspensions. Me, I do um middle school and high school. Um the virtual middle school kids in in-person high school. Mr.
022Hollowman is our special ed person who works with middle school and high school as well. We have Kim Jennifer who is our school counselor. We have Carissa Rollins who is our secretary and Melissa Spencer who is our high school teacher and home hospital. My name is Melissa Spencer and I have done home hospital instruction for 15 years and I truly love going into all the schools and all the homes and meeting with families in different new ways and I'm very blessed that that's my job. Um, students with doctor's orders are educated in a home setting. Students receive one or two see receive two one-hour visits weekly and the students receive their assignments from the teachers that they have at at their school. So, if it's a high school student, they get their assignments from their
023their teachers there or even elementary or um or younger. Next. >> Um, this year at ACLA we have graduated seven students as of Is it 1010? I thought it was 101. As of 101 10 We have graduated 10 students from ACLA. We have recovered 141 credits and we have 45 students enrolled. >> I don't know. Hi everybody. I'm Kimberly Jennifer. I'm the school counselor at ACLA. Um, we do a lot more than just academics. A lot of our friends that we have are not shown home skills, opportunities outside of the regular day running around the neighborhood. They need to be shown what job opportunities are for them. Some of them can be collegebound. Yes. And we do have kids with a GPA of 3.5 and higher. We do. Um they asked me what their GPA
024is. Had to enroll into BCTC and I showed them that some of our kids don't have those skills, but you don't need to go to college to be successful. Um we have a child that he told me he's really into HVAC. He works full-time now for Brian High at 40 hours a week. I text Brian Hyatt once a week. I said, "How's he doing?" He goes, "He shows he shows up early every day and he's on time. He hasn't missed a day." So, we do check up on those students after he graduates because he needs that. Um, we work with some of our kids on shopping on a budget because a lot of them don't have food at home, but we want to buy fast food. Fast food. Fast food. Well, honey, fast food is
025expensive. You need to save pennies. So, then we do that. Um, we show them how to cook. Some of them need to do laundry, but they don't know how. I like to call them laundry savages because they just throw it all in the all in the washer at the same time. I'm like, "No, you have to take the whites out, take all the things out." Um, we also do classroom opport opportunities. We take them out in the community to show them if you don't want to go to college, what is something we can do? Um, we took them to see what's his name? Give me the fire. >> Yeah. We told him, we took him to go see Brian Durr um at the fire department and he was very willing to work with our kids,
026show them what it means to be a firefighter and being part of the fire community, have a brotherhood. Um, we also took him to give me his name. The county gr what's his name though? >> Yeah, Kevin Beasley. And he showed them what they do. Um, those are two very good opportunities for our children. Um, it will make them successful. It comes with 40 hours a week. It comes with health insurance, all the things that they need to be successful to stand on their O2 feet. A lot of our kids come from a single parent home or grandparents are raising them, aunts are raising them, and they're an older generation. And so no one's taking them out in the community to show them what's available. And that's what we're here for. We're just not education.
027We're here beyond the education. Can we make them successful community members of Anderson County? Um but yeah, it's okay. Um they have little hearts on their faces so you can't tell who they are. Um the picture on the left is a picture they I asked the boys. I said, "What do you want to make?" You tell me, "What do you want to make?" And they said, "We really want tacos." And I said, "Do you know how to make tacos?" "No." And I'm like, "Well, let's figure out how to make tacos." So, we made a list of what everything cost. Um, we went to Walmart, everybody had a buddy, and then we had a And then, but so if you forgot the taco seasoning and you had the lettuce, you just messed up the whole meal
028because you forgot the seasoning. Like, what are we doing here? Like, they're depending on you to make your part of the meal. Um, one of them really didn't know how to cut a head of lettuce. I know that sounds shocking. He goes, "Are we buying shredded lettuce?" I said, "No, it's cheaper to buy the head of lettuce." I don't know how to cut that up. I'm like, "Well, come on. I'm going to show you." Um, we also go to Life Adventure Center. They come here once a month and then we go there. That's the rock climbing wall. They will climb that this Friday at Life Adventure Center. We will be there 10 to 1. Um, a lot of times when things get hard for them, we give up. My number one goal for them when
029life gets hard, we don't give up. That wall's over 50 ft and they will jump off the top on Friday and they know that. They're like, "You're trying to kill me." I'm like, "No, cuz when life gets hard, we don't give up." All everybody goes through challenging things in life. Everybody, not just you all. And you have to learn to persevere. And that's a big thing that they need to learn. Um, at the end of every day, we tell them, "I love you. I see you tomorrow." And we mean that. I spend more hours a week awake with them than I do my biological children. And they know they're part of our family. All right. So, the next few slides are our goals. Um, some short-term you we want to continue doing the credit recovery.
030um when we were Apex but over or the Phoenix Academy um over in a different location when a kid recovered a credit we put a certificate up on the wall with their names as so they could see their progress they could see their achievements we want to do that I haven't done it yet we're going to do that um we are continuing to move some on at an accelerated pace in order to graduate early because they've got hardships thank you all for always approving those we appreciate that Um, we're looking for some funding and for some project-based learning that we're going to talk about here in just a minute. Yeah. And long-term long-term um a building that has Yeah. Longterm um that has a building with um a gym and like maybe a workshop area
031for our kids that like to work with their hands, a kitchen area so we can continue um doing what we do to help them with um cooking skills. and then a transition coordinator because when our munchkins leave uh we just don't want them, you know, flapping in the wind, they they even though they've graduated, they still need us. And so we would like someone to help with that transition to help keep an eye on them. Right now, Miss Jennifer does that, but that's a lot um for her. And so looking um so in the future to maybe get a coordinator that would help get them from point A to point B where we can continue to check in on them and make sure that they are being successful. >> All right. Um pro well project
032based learning or also social and emotional uh piece to what we try to do. We've talked we've researched and looked at a couple different programs. One that we've used in this district before is why try and um I'm not going to read everything about it, but you can see there, you know, some of the good things that it offers that all of our students need. And um they just don't have them. And you know, I know we may only have them for a short time, but if we can give them one or two little tools that they can take with them, then um we feel this program um is has shown to be successful in the past and can help us in the future. One other program which many years ago u Mr. Swank when
033I first started over uh at the alternative school he brought with him uh he came from Henry County um was a discovery program uh we took a lot of uh tools from that to help with the kids and some of the areas it does focus on is anger management which as you know most of our kids uh deal with some of that conflict resolution which most of their lives are in conflict 247 um team building uh those group skills um which we hope to with the life adventure center also we're hoping uh that will help with those things um and we've laid out some of the cost and things I know you know money is tight sometimes but um some of these programs we think will really benefit um our young people so all right
034and um you kind of look here so discovery uh structured skills-based approach coach focused on communication, assertiveness, and conflict resolution. We kind of want to blend them together if if possible, if that's something that we could do with the Y tri program. Um, I think there's some some good things with with both of those programs that that can help help our kids and help our program overall. So, >> want to read some of them? >> I promise we did not make these up. >> We did not make these up. I asked our students, I said, "We have to make a board presentation." They said, "Why?" And I said, "Because they don't know you. They don't know what we're about." I said, "So," and I asked them to their face, "what do you say about ACLA?"
035Um, one of our little guys said, "It had helped motivate me to work to my fullest potential. I don't think I would have graduated without us." Um, another one said, "They help you work and help you find your missing. They help you with your missing credits. They'll help you get a job and take you on job vets, and they're nice and they care about me." Another little guy said, "They helped me recover my missing credits and pass my classes. I know they care about me and they will keep me out of trouble." Um, and that is um when they do graduate, we do check up on them. Um, we had a little guy, his dad passed away. We went to the funeral home today to go see him. We have kids that graduate and have
036babies. They send us pictures of their babies. Um, they invite us to their weddings. They if they get in a car crash, kid me not, do they not? They will call within an hour of getting in a car crash. But Jennifer, I was in a car crash. I need your help. And I'm like, "Huh? Okay, you're okay." Like, we're more than just school. We're family for them. Um, this was about parents. I text the parents um through the parent square that we have. And I said, "How does ACLA help your parent? Like, how do we help your kid?" One of them says, "It has helped my kid tremendously. The one-on-one has made a big difference in being able to work at his own pace and the teachers and counselors being there for my kid." Um,
037another parent said it has helped her to recover her missing credits and get her grades up. It also helped her cope with her social anxiety. Um, another parent said ACLA has helped him to bring his grades up and graduate early. It has made him have more confidence in himself and I really appreciate everything that you all have done for him. Thank you to the staff for all the hard work they have put in him for the past four years. Thank you for helping him, caring about him. He is so proud of himself. And that's a lot of our kids. A lot of people sometimes look negatively about them. Those are our babies and we care about them. We love them and we are here for them for the long haul. We tell them, "We want
038to be invited to the wedding. We want to see the babies. We want to see you graduate and we want to see you be successful and get your own house. We want to see all the things." And they do. They call us. They send us pictures. Look, my baby's learning to walk. Look, look, look. And they're excited to tell us. So, we're more than just school for them. We're family for them. And we do love them. Um, one of our other parents that we have, we had this little guy for the last four years. It says, "Acla has helped my child tremendously. It has helped him to focus better on his schoolwork and stay on track. ACLA has made many advantages for children. The most amazing part about ACLA is the teachers that come along
039with it. They give them confidence and shown them that they love them and caring for them and every child. They give them determination. The way they work with children is absolutely amazing. Um, and we do, my parents text me all the time. Um, I text them back on the parent square. They need me, I'm there because they're also part of the family unit. Um, it's not just us taking the parents role. We want to help the parent to help the kid. It's a group effort. Um, but we do we love our babies, so that's what we got. >> I do want to add a couple things. Um, we are graduating kids. They are finishing. It's that's our goal. We know we want them to walk out of here with a diploma that they probably would
040not have gotten. And um that's our goal with these kids. So we're hoping to have some type of ceremony just for them in the fall, maybe one in the spring or something like that so that the parents can come too so they can feel that, you know, something that they probably were not going to experience. And so we're hoping to do that. Um also I know used to we used to do an end of the year cookout and many of you maybe have came to visit. Um, we kind of want to do that. Try to get as many people from the community involved. Um, showing up just to, you know, we want these kids to be a part of our community, right? In a good way, you know. So, you know, one, but yes. Um,
041also, I know I speak for the staff, we probably haven't done a good job of this, but we want to say thank you to the people in this building for opening your arms and accepting. and we've probably rocked your world a little bit uh having us in the building, but uh thank you for being very welcoming and um all the tech guys downstairs. Uh you've guys have been great. Everybody's helped. And also, Mr. Drury and maintenance, thank you. I know we had a couple boxes, probably maybe a desk or two this summer that you had you guys had to move. Um, but we want to thank you for for helping us out there and getting all our stuff over here that we may or may not need, but it's our stuff, right? So, but thank
042you that. So, I think that's it. Thank you all. >> I would like to share something with you ladies. You know, >> I too, sir. I'm sorry. Uh, I just started working with a 22-year-old uh, young man that they assigned me to train at work and he's from Corbin. So, he finds out I'm on the school board. And he says, "Sarge?" He said, "You're on the school board?" I said, "Yes." And then he said, "Down there where I'm from, they had a special class and I attended and if it wasn't for that special class, I wouldn't have made it through school." So I said, "Well, did you have problems reading or something or he said, "No." He said, "In my school, half the students were foster or adopted kids." And I said, and he said,
043'When my when I was 10, my father got killed in a drug deal and my mother was a drug on drugs and she ran off and left uh me and my two brothers when I was 10. And and he said, you know, I got adop put in a foster home and now I'm adopted. I was adopted later on. and he said, "If it wasn't for that class at school talking to me every day to keep me going, I I probably wouldn't be here at work with you today." And people in the communities doesn't realize what public school does. And they may not see it in Anderson County, but it's around, you know, in other counties. You know, he told me, I don't see any reason why he would want to tell me any different. He
044said over half of his class was either foster kids or temporary foster kids or because of, you know, drugs. And, you know, we've got to we've got to educate our community because we've got to keep public school system funded and keep it what it is or or kids like myself that grew up don't have a chance. >> I just want to say thank you to all of you all. ACLA has been a blessing to have in our office. So, thank you to all of you all for what you do for our kids. We're very grateful for each and every one of you and the connections you make with our students. You make a big difference in the lives of so many kids. So, thank you, Mr. Harley. Thank you for your vision for helping us
045get ACLA set up. Everybody's done a great job. Thank you all. C >> could I just add quickly? Being a teacher is a very special calling. It's a gift that teachers have that not everybody has. And we're not all called to do the same thing. I think working with non-traditional students is really a very special calling. And when I listen to you, it's more than just teaching. It's that you actually love the young people that you're working with. And that's a gift. Not and and like all of us love kids, but it's when you're working with a non-traditional young person, they're looking for a lot of things. One of the things they're looking for most of all is somebody that cares and is willing to love them and accept them for who they are and
046where they are and to try to grow them from that point forward. And y'all are doing a great job. You know, I've I've lived through Phoenix Academy and Apex and now ACLA. I just think it's a great opportunity for young people in our community to know that we're not going to leave any child behind and that we've got folks like you who are committed to making sure that that happens. So, as an old retired teacher, thank you very much for all that you're doing to make a difference in the lives of children every single day. Thank you. >> Amen. [Applause] >> All right, moving right along. Uh, softball field request. Athletic director Corey Sacri is requesting permission to get field work completed for the softball field to include removal of sap coating and turf at
047infield to make KHSA dimensions. Laser field install of infield mix to achieve positive slope off skinned area. SAF coating to field laser grade setting. install base anchors at home plate. You all will see the uh quotes for the field work. Uh there's three quotes and this is um this is uh could have been in the you know the over 10,000 ones, but we wanted to make sure you guys knew that um you guys had the foresight to put some money in the budget for field maintenance. So this uh very well stays inside the budget that's already been put out. This is not new money. This is money that's already been put aside. Uh the budget put aside I think $20,000 for uh field maintenance every year. Um the uh you can see the PO or
048the quotes were wildly different. The $39,000 one was obviously more involved. Um but uh between our baseball field and our sock or our softball field, we're having about $20,000 worth of stuff done. It's extraordinarily expensive to do this stuff. Um, and these fields haven't got a lot of love for a while. The softball field specifically, um, doesn't drain very well right now, and it needs to be graded very badly. Um, it has to have the lip moved back, that is to say, where the infield meets the outfield. Um, they need to change that a little bit. And while it looks pretty from the outside, when you get on the grass, there's a lot of holes and stuff we want to make sure are taken care of. So, our athletes are in a better position to
049play. Um, and then the baseball field and next year, just to let you know, with the money that we are setting aside, again, this is money that's already being budgeted. This is not new money. Uh, we're going to try to look at the soccer field, which um has a real drainage problem and we're going to try to fix that next year with the money that's been budgeted for this. >> I would like to make a comment to the board members. You know, I Steve Steve, I'm old, too. I've been on this board for 15 years. When I first became on this board, Steve Higgins was a very softball and baseball. It was his love and and he would be here fighting tonight to see for the softball and baseball field. And we did but it
050we did some improvements back then, but that's 15 years ago. And and I don't think we really done that much in work uh over the past few years for for that. So I'm recommending that it's probably time that we do do it. >> And the soft before I vote I want to say >> yes sir that is correct. >> The softball field it's since major work it's actually been about since 2011. Uh the baseball field's been about seven or eight years. And one of the things that I work with um Mr. White on and then you guys eventually with the board uh approving this money set aside is that um we haven't had a good rotation of fields getting money. And so what this is is our first investment and then every year we can
051we have essentially three big fields that this money goes towards footballs in a different uh money. It's also been budgeted but the softball field, the baseball field and the soccer field at the high school. If every year we can do something to it, then we don't have to come back and do some major work to it. And that's kind of what I wanted to get on a rotation so we don't have to come back and ask for new money. Again, this has all been budgeted money. >> Cory, what's the difference in these quotes? cuz one of these is like way out of sight and the other two are fairly close together. What What's the dramatic difference in those two quotes? The the first folks don't really want the job. That's why they quoted it that
052high. >> Now, if you look at So, if you look at there aren't a lot of companies that will do lots of this stuff and we've been lucky. Asbury Sports Turf has actually done um if you've if you've looked at our football field, uh our football field looks better now than it's been since I've been here and that's 24 years. the practice field. If you've seen the practice field, by next year, our practice field will look like our football field, which is better than it's ever looked. Uh the practice field will Asberry's great. Um Chad Asbury has also started to do some baseball stuff. He's he doesn't charge us more than he needs. He'll even call sometimes and say, "No, you don't need this right now. Let's just wait." I think that's why he beats
053Aggra 1 with a sports field place. Um, I I don't They had a lot of stuff they were recommending and it wasn't everything that we asked for, but they thought that we needed. Um, like like I learned, you know, Mr. Harley always says, you you do the best you have with what you have. You know, you bet you you do the best you can with what you have. We don't have a $40,000 budget for the softball stuff. Um, and if you've been in sports, I know Mr. Fres has, I know you have, you can spend all you want, right? There's no limit to how much you can spend. This is to get us more KSA certified in terms of our field, our grading system and the lasering. The baseball field's also going to be lasered
054um uh this fall also. Um it was cheaper because they don't have quite as much stuff. Uh this year with some of the rain that we had in the spring, uh Mr. um who's no longer the coach, but he was putting in tons and tons of stuff, but it was just it was just melting the stuff away and it just drains horribly. And so we're trying to fix all of that and more permanently. This guy was putting in stuff that we didn't need. And so that's >> So what's the difference in the two? Because you know if we're looking we're looking at low bid. What's the difference between Agra One and Aspberry Sports? Is it that's the same work? >> It's it's pretty much the same work. Yeah. He's just a better bid. We when
055we've been working with him and as a result I think he gave us a a little bit off because we've been working on the football field and the baseball field and the softball field and I think he gave us a little bit off because of that. And he's just he's a he's reasonable. Um, and he's good. And I've met with him a couple times on a couple other fields we've worked on. So, this is just the high school stuff. You know, we um um the only field we use with the middle schools, we have the middle school soccer field. Actually, the middle school soccer field is a better field than our high school soccer field is right now by quite a bit. Um hopefully we'll change that next year because we like playing on the
056high school soccer field because it has lights and has a has bathrooms. It has, you know, um uh concession stands and stuff like that. So hopefully that will be a little better. >> For example, with the sports fields um their quote it did include um pre-construction and construction meetings as well as a field supervisor informant which is not needed for this project. So that there was a lengthy um list of additional things that they had added into theirs which would probably be nice but it's it's like um AD said it's just not necessary. Um, Agra 1 versus AST. Um, you've got cut 6 in infield skin radius. Add new HGT blueg grass saw it radius. Remove infield conditioner as needed. Purchase and spread 48 tons of southern road rock infield dirt. Sand dress outfield turf
057with 25 tons mason sand core airate outfield turf. broom outfield outfield turf to disperse and sand and break up uh cores and clean up parking lot versus you've got your typical one a load of saf select infield mix your one set of base anchors shuttle home plate removal of saf coat from skinned area to use upon the final grade uh removal of the turf at infield outfield transition to make it those khsa dimensions um install saff select mix and laser grade to achieve positive slope slope off the skinned area, install the saff coat to the to the field and laser grade, and install new base anchors at home plate. So, those are your specific differences um in those three um um >> and like I said, >> so they're not bidding on the same work.
058>> They're they're bidding on they are and they're not. So, what happens is and and um you know, >> determine who you want to use if they're not bidding on the same thing. So what happens is uh coach Aldridge said, "This is what I need to get done. This is what I need." >> Oh, he listed them out. >> He list here's what I need to get done. >> Everybody's bidding on the same thing. >> They have what they they're bidding on what he needs and then they're trying to sell us on other stuff. Um Sports Field stuff try to sell us on lots of stuff. >> What do we need? >> We need what Asberry's giving us. We need it graded. We need the sand in there. We need it rolled. We need >>
059get those specs out and get down what we need and then all three of them bid on the same thing. Wouldn't that be the right right way to do it? >> Probably. Um, to be fair and to be open, um, when we have these bids, I usually have the coaches do it because they know what they need um, in terms of what they're looking for. Um, what Mr. Aldridge did was say, "Here's he he brought them out to the field and said, "Here's what I want to get done." Um, what's your bid? Um, and then they did that. I can't speak to turf bidding with any sort of overly intellectual capacity. Um I I know that I know that coach Aldridge said here's what I need to get done. We had worked with Chad Asbury
060before he bid it. Um and then Agro one went a little bit further with stuff they thought we needed. A lot of this stuff is they particularly with sports fields, but they're they're trying to sell us on stuff as as Miss Mitchell mentioned. um the putting in um extra labor costs that um or management um that they're trying to have done is not in our budget, nor is it something that's going to actually yield the money that we have that we budget and try to get the biggest bang for our buck as we can. Um we're trying to stay in that $20,000 range between um the softball field and the baseball field. Um, and Asberry was also our lowest on the baseball field and we're trying to stay inside that. Um, in terms of like
061the dimensions and stuff, I can't speak to what Brett said. Brent told them other than he brought all of them out and said, "Here's what I want." And they gave them bids. >> Aspberry Sports is going to want to listen. I'll make a motion. [Music] >> I'll make a motion. I'll second that motion for Asbury for 13,500 or 13,250. >> Thank you, Mr. Collins. So, we have >> a motion. >> We got a motion >> accepts Asbury Sports Turf 13250 >> cuz they listen they listen to what we wanted. >> Yeah, >> if the coach is satisfied with that and that's the low bid, I I think we can support that. It's what we wanted and I think he gave us a deal because we are working on stuff and like I said, we've worked
062with some of these vendors that we have. Some of these vendors we have tried to take advantage of what schools budget for and try to push that. Um, Agra One has lots of the same stuff that Asbury has and added a few extra pops and buzzes that we didn't ask for. And so, as a result, we decided to go with the cheaper bid who was giving us what we wanted. You're right. I used to sell to school. I didn't care school what the school was. I was caring about how much money I was making in my pocket. >> And that has been something that I've learned about school. >> That's that's why uh that's why we've tried to um be very conservative with the money that we budgeted and why I'm bringing in. If you've
063been to the games, you've seen that we have um facility selling rights. We're bringing in money to to pay off some stuff to give us chances for the kids to get some stuff they haven't got in the past. So, I've been trying to be conservative and stay inside our budget while also bringing in revenue we haven't brought in before. So, this is uh goes along with that. >> That's why schools get in the financial binds you've been reading about in the paper because people take advantage of them. They're that's the world of we live in, you know. All right, we got a motion and a second. Any more discussion before I ask for a vote? All right. All in favor? >> I. >> Anyone oppose? >> Motion carries. Thank you for your presentation. Uh early
064graduation approval. Consideration approve the recommendation of eight students who have hardship applications to graduate early when they complete their coursework. >> Motion to approve. Scott Brown. We got a motion. >> Second. Steve Carmichael. >> Got a second. All in favor? >> I. >> Anyone oppose? Motion carries. Trip requests. Recommend to approve the following trip requests. I'll give you all a minute to read those over. I don't Motion to approve Steve Carmichael. >> Got a motion. Can I get a second? >> Second. Jason Collins. >> We got a motion. Second. All in favor? >> I. >> Any oppose? Motion carries. All right. Purchases over $10,000. Ace Director Elizabeth Schwarz has requests permission to give $11,812.50 of Dolly Pardon Imaginary Library Fund to to Dolly Pardons Imaginary Library of Frankfurt and $10,687.50 50 cents to Jess County
065Public uh library on behalf of the first five bluegrass ACE and the Anderson County schools are the physical agent. And if you remember, we just the physical agent over their money. Uh if I'm correct, Miss Mitchell. >> Yes, sir. That is correct. >> It's a great program. All three of my grandsons get books from the Imagination Library. Motion to approve. [Music] We got a second. >> We got a second. All in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? >> Motion carries. Uh fundraiser approvals for 2520 26. Uh consideration. Uh I'm going to let you all all read all those fundraisers. Uh I don't see no sense of me sitting there reading them all. Thank you all for fundraising. I know it's not something any administrator or teacher or school or parent enjoys doing, but I know
066that you have to do it in order to make the bottom line meet up with your expenditure. So, thank you all for doing that. >> I'll go ahead. >> I'll say motion to approve. Steve Carmichael. >> Oh, we got a motion. Do I got a second? >> Second. >> We got a second. All in favor? Anybody opposed? Motion approves. All right, moving right along. Anderson County High School advanced placement proposals for 2026. I'm going to let Miss Mitchell go over all this. >> Thank you, sir. We are very blessed to have an amazing uh advanced placement program at Anderson County High School that has allowed a lot of children um and students at our high school to receive um college credit as a high school student. Um we offer a multitude of courses and our
067students benefit from that. So this year um the request um from our inner county high school administration, Mr. glass um and teachers and staff um are to approve 425 AP exams in the amount of 8,425 um with the Kentucky Department of Education, excuse me, Kentucky Department of Education to reimburse 3,033 of those dollars um for the cost of the district to be $5,392. This allows our children, any child to be able to take the AP course, um, take the exam and pass with with college credit, which is pretty awesome. Um, all AP exams for free and reduced lunch students, AP computer science principles and AP stats will be paid by the state andor advanced Kentucky, so they're free. Um, as well, um, this is 15 exams less than we gave last year, just for your
068personal reference. Um, and I want to say this, I'm very uh again proud of our program and our students and staff who work super hard to um provide these opportunities for students. But last year, Anderson County Board of Education saved students approximately $474,525 in college tuition um by covering the cost of AP exams. Um so we're very proud of our program. We uh humbly ask if you would please approve this again this year. So, uh, so many students in Anderson County High School can have these amazing opportunities. Any questions I can answer? >> Motion to approve. Steve Carmichael. >> Second, Scott Brown. That's amazing. Half million dollars. >> We got a motion and a second. All in favor? >> I. >> Anyone opposed? Motion carries. Uh roof repair for the Anderson County High School consideration
069approve the labor material and equipment to repair the edging on the Anderson County annex to be paid with capital A fund and here's the two options and is Mr. Dur going to speak about it. You got anything you want to comment about it? What's your recommendation? >> Make a motion of option one. >> I'll second. Steve Carmichael. >> We got a um first and a second. Uh all all approved. >> Any oppose? Motion carries. Good luck. All right. Surplus property consideration approved. Principal Robin Reckless Sapp Street Principal request surplus 314 student breakthrough delit curriculum books and student copy readers. They would like send them home with title one and RTA intervention students and to use as student intervent choices. >> Motion to approve. Steve Carmichael. >> Got a motion. We got a second. >> Scott
070Brown. >> I We got a motion. Second. All in favor? >> Anyone oppose? >> M postjourn. Scott Brown. >> Got a motion to adjurnn. >> Second. Steve Carmichael. >> And a second. All in favor? I. >> Any oppose? Y'all have a bless y'all need uh had