Special Meeting 4/22

001Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Tell me to shut up. United States and our chief of staff. >> Yeah. >> They're probably >> Yeah. >> She's a lot. >> You don't want to go to hell. >> I don't know. >> Oh, no. >> We didn't have a >> Yeah, that's all. >> What are you doing with that? >> I don't know. >> Oh, yeah. >> I'll try now. >> Are we all online now? Thanks. Call me for the pledge. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, [snorts] with liberty and justice for all. >> Any person present who wishes to address the board or raise any questions about public school district matters or governing placed on future agendas. The public

002is also reminded that they may provide input on all motions being considered by the board at this meeting. Additionally, anyone wishing to make public comment virtually may submit to public the following public All received messages that comply with the following criteria will be read at the meeting. No discussion of personal individual students is permitted. Include your full name and address at the message. A limit of 500 words is placed on each person. The same link may be used to provide input on action agenda items. There are no action agenda items. This is This meeting is strictly to put out correct information. There's a lot of information going around out there in the public that we're cutting the CNA program, cutting the EMT program. That's simply just not true. Um, what we're going to do is

003we're going to go through everything that we've compiled. Uh, Don, Stacy, and myself worked over the weekend on this on what we've been seeing in the community and hearing from the community of the hot topic hot topic or hot button items. We worked all weekend on this. We put all this information together. We put it out there. I know Air Force JROTC is a huge talking point. And we put all the supporting document in there as well. So, what we're going to do is we're going to go through and we're going to start with the first one is enrollment decline. And [snorts] then number two is going to be Where's number two at? Two is teacher turnover and retention. Three is programs being cut, uh, unsustainable EMT, JROTC, CNA, and woods. Uh, next one is

004going to be communication and transparency. Uh, student experience, academic quality correspondence, online MTDA credit policy. Next one is board versus admin roles. And then the last one is Air Force JROTC. We'll go back to the top here. >> [snorts] >> Don, do you want to talk about enrollment decline? >> So, I ran the enrollment per my board reports from 2023 till this month. The statement of 109 students who left Lockwood schools in the high school is very comparable to the 89 students that left K-8 at the same time period. But, nobody's focusing on that. It's all about the high school and how the high school's failing and that's not true. The trends we're seeing now across the state, I believe this year there were 3,359 less students in Montana schools than there were last year.

005And this trend is going across the state. I keep saying that. It's not unique to Lockwood. It's not unique to Billings. I know someone said, "Why are we comparing to Billings? Billings is the largest school in the state." And when they start to lose students, and they're projecting 3,000 students over the next 5 years, then it's something for us to pay attention to. It's not a Lockwood problem. It was also stated that of those 109 students who left, take your taxpayer money with them because of open enrollment. There are not 109 students out of our district in open enrollment. There are 49. We also have 119 students come into our district. So, we have a 51% more students coming into our district than leaving. And so, when these numbers are put out, they're without the

006whole thing in context, it looks very bad for us and that's not the truth. These numbers are from what we have on our records and anyone has access to these that want to come up and ask us. And although invited, nobody ever has. And that's why we decided to put this on paper because this is backed up by everything we have. I literally went through every board report and I was three kids off on 109. I only came up with 106. So, I don't know where that is in there, but it's close enough that I know that our information is not made up or fabricated and we're not hiding anything. When we look at the 89 kids we've lost in K8 since 2023, our class sizes are shrinking in the elementary. And when you start

007to have smaller classes in your elementary, you start to have a smaller high school. And we're going to start seeing that. We have classes in our elementary with 99 kids in them. We used to have 120, 125. Our class coming into freshman class coming in next year is 120 kids. The sixth grade is 111. It just keeps dropping down. Now we have 117, we have 120. Our kindergarten is holding it about 111 to 114. But that doesn't stay that high. By third grade, we were down to 99. Now third grade is back up to 113. It fluctuates in there. But that's what feeds our high school. That and open enrollment. And that's everybody's right to take their child to another school if they want to or to bring them to Lockwood. And I think that's

008being misconstrued as people are not happy here, so they're leaving. And there may be some that did. And so the idea that families are leaving Lockwood for other districts in large numbers is simply not accurate. People move. Of those other for the 49 kids did go for open enrollment, the rest of the families moved to other towns, to other cities, to other states. And so that is why we finally put this together. And the bottom line is the data tells a very different story than the narrative. Only a small portion of students exit and tied to open enrollment, Lockwood is actually seeing far more students choose to come into the district than to leave it. Montana statewide public school enrollment has declined for two straight years on the ANB adjusted fall count. It's declined in

0092022, 2023 and preliminary in fall of 2024. It's a drop of 3,539 students in 2 years or about 2.4% of our state's population of students. This is happening nationwide and young couples are not having children like they used to because you have to choose if you want to buy a house or you want to have a family and that's the reality of where we're at. To paint the district as being the reason for all of this is just not true. The data doesn't support that narrative and that's that's why I put that together because we need to refute that people are just leaving here because they don't like the district. Okay? >> Though some probably are. They're >> Some I mean they have the right to. That's what the open enrollment was for is if

010they're not happy. You have the right to go someplace else. Just like the people that are bringing other taxpayers money here. It's the same it's the same trade-off. Everybody has the right to do that across all of Sweetwater Montana. >> Um Oh, so I was just going to say I guess that and um I wasn't sure how we were going to do this dialogue or whatever. Like I guess just wondering how our 119 students coming in, is is that down also? I mean I know it's not showing something. I'm just trying to understand if you know, like in the years past we've had 170 in open enrollment and are we slowly declining? >> No, we're averaging out though 217 and 119. >> For what? >> For open enrollment. We had a large number when it

011first started. >> That are coming? >> Yeah, coming in. >> Well, yeah. I mean you said it right here that 119 students have enrolled. I was just curious like if again trending, right? Are we trending are we trending downwards in that avenue also or are we slowly this is only the second year that we've been able to record because of open enrollment law. >> Oh, okay. >> And so um before it was out of district. >> Before it was just out of district. Okay. >> Do we ask families who leave why they're leaving and do we keep track of that? >> I mean I have the numbers of current um where our kids are going. Um I mean I can share that if you'd like to know the numbers. Um So I Carly and I

012worked on this. We've been working on it um for a while. And um 19 of our kids um and this is our current year. So I'm talking what we have right now up until um 2 days ago is when we started pulling the data. We have 19 that have exited to home school. We have We've had some uh go to the Montana Youth Challenge. They're considered um we get to count them. Um so they're still in our count but they're off our enrollment. So they come under a different um category when we're counting. We had three of our students leave cuz they're under the age of seven and so uh Montana law says you have to be um start tracking their enrollment at the age of seven. So if they leave somewhere between preschool and

013to the age of seven and they haven't enrolled anywhere, we just um enroll them uh unenroll them um >> [clears throat] >> under the compulsory age for education. We've had 10 move out of state. We've had 11 early graduates. We've had 18 dropouts. And 53 transferred to other schools. So, of those 53 that's 53 new this year that have gone and it's just an in-state transfer. So, that could be going to Billings, it could be going to Hardin, it could be moving to Old Point. Um they're it varies. Our out-of-district kids are that are going other places, we're at 40 for today. Uh we're at 40. Some of those kids have never stepped foot in Lockwood School. There are plenty of kids that go with their parents to where they're working. So, we have kindergarten,

014first, second, third graders that we've never seen at our school. And um people move into the um district, but they want their kids to continue to go to the school where they live and you're allowed to do that with the open enrollment. So, it's hard to say the 53 kids we have leaving our school is that because they don't like it here? Well, 40 of them chose to go somewhere else, but that's not the 40 The 40 aren't in this 53 count. Some of those kids have never enrolled at our school. I don't know some of these names on the list and so I search our enrollment history and they've not been to our school. >> So, they're enrolled in our school, but they haven't been in our school. >> No, they're not. They're enrolled

015in another school. Those are our kids that our kids living in Lockwood School District that are going to another school. Shepherd, Pioneer, um Elysian. They go all over. So, those are 40 kids that live in Lockwood School District that are going other places. A handful of them have never enrolled here. >> Answer your questions. >> Um Yeah. I mean, it's hard to pull that number >> out of these. I mean >> I have a question again. >> Yes. >> I'm just curious. The 19, do you guys separate those like from the high school, K through 5? And then is it separated or is that just ending home together? >> What do you what do you >> Like the high school is the separated kids. Do you have numbers for how many of the of the

016kids that have left the high school versus how many have left our K through? >> Or >> open enrollment >> leaving the district >> open enrollment >> the 19 >> the home school >> Sure. Sorry. >> Let me start by the home school. Thank you for that. >> And you want to know what? >> Like do you have a percentage of what grade level that's coming from? Or the numbers that you have? >> I'll get it. >> Is there any other questions anybody wants to bring up while the answer is researching that portion? >> I'm ready. >> You got it? >> Nine from high school, five from middle school, two from intermediate, two from primary. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> And those are the home school students? >> Those are home schools. >>

017What >> Now when they enroll in home school, some kids prefer they do an online platform like Penn Foster. Um and so in the state of Montana, if you're not enrolled in a home school, then you're a dropout. So the parents are encouraged to enroll. They I just have to go to the county and register their household as home school and then and then we exit the student to home school. Some parents are not doing that. They're telling us their kids are doing Penn Foster, but that's based in your home. And so, some of that dropout number is those exact reasons. >> Could you give us the same numbers for the district? >> Yep. >> I like to point out one other thing, too, though, for the home school. Yeah, every year, everybody that's on

018our home school list, we as a district have to reach out with them and say, "Do you need, require, or want any services that we provide?" That is uh extracurricular. They can technically still play on our sports teams because they live within our district. That is CTE programming. That is What? >> Title special ed. >> Title ed, title special ed, and also it is our driver's ed. Probably driver's ed is one of our biggest picked up things because it's easy. It's here. They come in. They do their driver's ed, and they go back to their home schooling. So, even though we don't see them every day, we still have to require to offer them services throughout the year. Sorry to interrupt you. >> So, you want [clears throat] to know how many kids per building

019are choosing another school? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Okay. I have these broken down based on student count for financial purposes. >> Is this better? >> They're fine. >> take your time. It's a lot of a lot of information. While you're looking at that, I'll ask one question. Do we have an estimate on when kids leave our district and go to school district two, and then they have to come back here. That's really hard also because they I mean we can track it by We keep an internal spreadsheet um a document where um the exits and new students are entered and many people look at that for different reasons. And so a lot of people come and go. So to take that picture um we really have to drill down on where exactly they're going. We

020code everything 140. That means they're transferring in state to a public school. Then they come from in state from a public school. It doesn't say they're coming from Billings. Okay. You're welcome. >> So I was talking posted on a one of the websites or one of the Facebook posts that was from the Montana High School Association PDF and it showed there that Lockwood is down 15. whatever percentage. Are you saying that those numbers aren't factual? >> Those numbers are correct. It's the reasoning when people are saying why they're leaving that we're that that's 109 kids leaving and going open enrollment. That's why I wanted to make sure that people understand not all of those students that left are in open enrollment and taking taxpayer money with them. We can't recruit that. Our our population is

021dwindling. >> What's that? >> This number isn't concerning to you? >> It's across the state. That's what I'm trying to get. I That's why I put this on here is people across the state are losing students. We've lost a lot of students. I get that. >> [snorts] >> But then >> Go ahead, Josh. >> We can't stop people from moving out of the district, I don't think. It's people follow jobs, careers, everything like that. >> But if they do anything to get their own life together, we lose >> [clears throat] >> Because we're literally double what the next school is now. >> I mean, I've seen you can't stop speaking, but why are they >> It's parental rights. We as a district >> Shouldn't the school board admin know if it's a problem with the

022school system with the admin, teachers? >> The 100 and how many? They come in. The 109 people that are coming in from out of district, 119. That's a pretty good indicator that there's other people that see very much value in what we offer. I'm not going to I'm not going to sit there and ask every kid that leaves or every parent, "Why are you leaving?" Oh, you took a different job with Conroe and you're in Waxahachie. >> No one has to do anything to do that, but >> You know, sir, sir. I'm not ignoring the facts. >> Yeah, you can say that. It's not the whole picture, right? It's about that family. That 13-page thing, it's not the whole picture, but it's a significant portion of that picture. And to ignore that is doing an

023injustice and not fixing the issue at hand. There is an issue. And to ignore that is ridiculous. >> Yeah, so so I think what I'm hearing is just, you know, it is something statewide, but it is something that should be on our radar, right? I I mean, it's a good >> David's question. >> Yes. Yes. [clears throat] >> It is >> Yes or no? It's so yes, it's it's concerning if that I mean, it's not as black and white, but yes. >> It is concerning and we should be looking at it, absolutely. From a from a whole from a district perspective, you know, what that means, I don't think we have the answer tonight. >> I'm more I'm more concerned, David, about the trend in the state. Because it's right now it's said that we

024should be more worried about our elementary enrollment because it's now starting to hit our high schools and that's what we haven't even gotten to our kids that are their classes of 90 and kids. That's our actual enrollment. That's not people leaving. Those are 30 less kids in the class than what we are used to. That's what the state is saying across the board line is. The earliest pressure point will usually be K-5 classrooms, not 9-12 programming. Statewide data already shows the elementary schools are taking the biggest hit in this right now. It's going to start hitting everybody and the schools are showing that they have twice as many kids there then it's going to hit everybody eventually because our state's lost 3,359 kids in the last 2 years. It's going to start hitting everyone. But

025also there are price pockets where people are moving. Gallatin Valley by Bozeman has the highest population of moving in. I don't know what population that is. It's very expensive to live there. Same with Flathead. The Flathead Valley, people are going there, too. It's expensive to live there. So, I don't know what the draw is, but they're going there. I don't know if it's the programming or the real estate or or how that works, but we do need to worry about how we're going to keep people here. And I don't know I don't know also yet in in families moving in we're not having as many families move in with four or five kids coming into school and that's another trend that's changing as well. In a subdivision that was we were asked to fill out

026information on it and do a survey of 60 homes proposed, only there only before they're projecting 19 kids to increase in the district. I mean that that should be something we look at as well. It's not just unhappy families. There are unhappy families. But I haven't had a phone call from one parent leaving that said I'm leaving because I don't like the district. That's what I'm not hearing that. >> Well, what do you >> I don't think they would I don't think they would call say that. That's they would. they're probably going to talk to their friends and you know, neighbors and people who they're comfortable with. So, yeah, you're probably not going to hear them. But to say that you see that on Facebook and stuff is just a bunch of rumors and just

027spinning it. >> That's not what I said. See, this is what's wrong. I put facts on here because the information being put out was misrepresented. >> It was It was stated Are you saying this? >> Not that. It was stated in a Facebook post. >> Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, this is This is still a board meeting and we will have to form. >> Okay. I'll match your temperature, yeah. >> What's that? >> And I'll match your temperature. You set the temperature. >> Absolutely, not a problem. The only time the community can do anything is if we have a motion and everything else will be held until public comment. >> You're a board member, please take turns. Keep the tone down. >> You've got to run the I'm I'm I am, ma'am. I am.

028>> Okay. >> Yeah, but I'm not I'm not disclaiming what you're showing. What I'm What I did this for is because there was a statement out there that we have 109 kids leaving here and taking your taxpayer money with them. That's not true. That is why I put this together. >> Well, I'm I guess my point here is, you know, if we're kids are if if this is what we're looking at we're the worst in the state. Then that shouldn't be a red flag for all of us to >> Exactly. >> say, there's something wrong and we need to get to the bottom of it. I think that's what the state is saying. Is that Yeah, there's something wrong and we need to investigate to figure out what the problem is so that we can

029work on a solution. >> Yes. Shane, to answer your question, there's seven primary kids, six intermediate, seven middle school and 20 high school going to their places. >> Can you see Anne, can I bug you for one more thing? Yeah, don't have it tonight. Don't worry about it, but the 119, I think I'm getting all these numbers confused in my head as I keep writing them down, that are coming to our district. Do you know where they're enrolled at? What >> They're coming to our district? >> Right, where they're coming from? >> No, just how many are going to each grade level? >> Up, yes. The same thing you're doing with the exiting, do you have that number for who's coming to us and how many are going to primary, how many are going to

030middle and >> I get how many are going to our high school. >> You don't have it tonight, it's not a big deal. Since we're doing it one way, I want to see if the other way works. >> Wait, can I ask you something? >> You know, just give me 1 minute. You're good. >> These are all district wide. >> Yeah, I'm just doing it this year. This one, this one. >> And so those aren't ending numbers because kids still could go to another district because or a family could be moving out of our district and doing the open enrollment and we do allow for that um if they follow the proper channels in our open enrollment. >> Can I ask a question? Well, Dan, what's up with that information? >> You know, Don, I

031guess again, we know it's a state problem. Um is there is there anything at a state level that's being done and I see Chairman Benton here. I don't know if there's if you guys are concerned about the numbers state wide. Is there anything we know of like in legislation or anything else that's talking about the the bigger picture, I guess. >> Yeah, I'm happy to address that. Yes, your chairman, with your permission. Um I look at this a little different than a lot of the folks here. I call the coming and going of students education freedom. That's what we're doing. We're we're allowing families to choose the educational setting that best fits the needs of their student. Now, there's a lot of a lot going on. Number one, Lockwood has always been a pretty transient

032community. A lot of people moving in, a lot of people moving out. But we're we aren't building a lot of new developments here. So, there aren't really families moving in. It's just And anyone who's looked for a rental here in Lockwood knows they're few and far between, especially ones that will accommodate children. So, that's you know, that's one part of it. During COVID, I think this is just my opinion, I think that families learned how to home school, and they they tried it. They hadn't tried it before, and they liked it. And they're doing it. There was just a huge home school convention in Melba a week ago, and it's gained a lot of momentum. I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. So, there are and there as I think um Superintendent Kristen pointed

033out, there's opportunities in other districts that maybe um aren't available here for a particular student. Two of my kids came to Lockwood for we didn't know our high school then. The other two went to Huntley because it was a better fit for them. So, I just I think we're looking at this and I I get that there's some dis- dissatisfaction. I can hear it. Um and I I read the same things that everybody else is reading, but I think those are two separate issues. If there's a dissatisfaction with what's happening at the school, that's one thing to address. But if it if the issue is students coming and going, there's a multitude of reasons, and not all of them are bad. So, that's just my my take on it. Thanks for letting me interject. >>

034Thank you. >> Did you find that at the end? >> Yes, they did count it. >> [clears throat] >> Okay, so and primary Primary has 19. Intermediate is at 20. Middle school is 21, and 60 are coming to our high school. >> Do you have information on what specific home school programs they're going to? >> No, that's not required. >> Or like if they're going to a religious versus a uh >> Oh. >> What are the home schools? Home schools? Home schools? >> Home schools. Home schools. >> Hopefully we have their addresses cuz we're required to mail out the >> request if they want to have a participate in the federal programs, and we sent out 30 this year. And that's all we know is the address. We don't look at how many kids are

035in it, or we just send it out, and then they have an opportunity for 20 days to send back and say, "We want to take part in special ed, or we want to And we got no We got two responses back this year that said they don't want to participate, and there were no other responses from the rest. >> Another question, we're going to go over to two Turner teacher >> Yes, sir. Go ahead, go ahead. >> That's a almond. >> Actually >> The number that uh we're getting right now That's That's what I guess this is what I'm saying as far as transparency is not there. We're talking about 100 and however many students high school students leaving. >> No, we're not. >> For 100 for for Are you talking about >> The 109

036That is the district wide, not high school. >> Parkwood High School. >> There's 800 of them. >> 84 of those 109 >> Yes, it's high school. >> 109 high school, right? >> Yeah. >> But then you want to claim you have 100 and however many coming out of district anyway. 24 of those is coming to the high school. So, we're taking 600 600 of them. >> The last number >> There's still a significant loss, but you're playing you're putting those numbers and comparing them to the high school. Like I said, we're not doing apples and apples on the numbers you're showing. You're saying you're showing high school numbers and comparing the numbers coming in to the district wide >> That wasn't what my information was about. It was about the statement that the 109 kids

037leaving the district were all in open enrollment, and that was not true. That was all that was addressing. I'm not saying anything else about it being only high school or anything else. That was a misstatement. I wanted people to understand. We don't have 109 kids going to another school. >> But they're leaving the high school. >> They're leaving the high school. Yeah, that's not refuted. Yeah. >> So, but what I'm saying is you're saying we have 109 kids coming in. So, it's a it's a net gain. Right? That's what you said. But you're comparing it to all grades, not just the high school. So, it's not a net gain. >> The The 109 people that are leaving from the high school are not >> It's not just the high school grades. is that open enrollment?

038>> They are 49. >> 49er open enrollment, so >> But they're leaving. >> It doesn't matter if it's >> We can't control parents. >> I understand that. But my my question is the point. There's an issue and we wanted to gloss over it. >> My question is what do we do with Why is no one concerned about the 89 kids that left K8 at the same time? Nobody has said a word about it. >> That is concerning, but you're taking You're talking K8. You're talking what? >> But it's silly. >> Kindergarten through 8 is >> 89 kids that feed our high school. >> Compared to four kids. >> So >> You're You're You're apples and oranges here. >> No, it's not. >> It is absolutely >> K8 feeds our high school. 89 kids have left

039in that same time. That's 89 less kids. >> K through 8. >> So >> Not 9 through 12. It's It's not rocket science. It really isn't. Certainly. >> So Mike, I think I'm I'm trying to follow you. But I don't Because I don't see the Like and I'm sorry, I don't but just looking at Diane's number again, right? We had 20 high school for that are going going away and we have 16 coming in. So I mean from just a high school perspective, which is not the purpose necessarily of tonight. I'm not saying it's not important for us to look at that level. But we had 20 leaving and 60 coming in. That's That's apples to apples, right? 20 high school kids that should be here left and 60 decided to come here. They're already

040coming here? >> They're here. >> And those are >> That should be included. >> This is just This is These are the open enrollment. >> Yeah. >> You got to get the people home school numbers in there, too. It's just because we're calling them home school that's what they are now, like 10. >> I think can I just We can sit here and talk for another 45 minutes about the numbers. And okay, but we all know the numbers. If you guys think that the board needs to be concerned about why they're leaving, I think we all agree. But that's a separate discussion. These are the numbers. This is the way we presented it. I'm I'm being respectful, sir. I do I want We want to know why, but that may be a different That may

041be a different discussion. And you know, we have a lot of things we want to talk about. Mr. Criswell, we're just trying to correct what we thought what we thought was misinformation to the public. We've given you the numbers. We do want to hear your concerns or about why the parents are leaving the district. But I don't think we're going to have time to discuss that tonight. We're not trying to push it aside. We presented the numbers. Now, I I think we need to move on to the next thing and revisit the concerns about that at a different time. Cuz there's a lot of other things that people want to hear about. Politics is a hot button issue right now. You know, there's a lot of other things you want to hear about. So, that's

042what I suggest. I don't know if anybody else feels better about it. We We're going to continue to talk about the numbers and not get anywhere. Yeah, I think it's important. We're all agreeing that it's a concern. We're not going to solve it tonight, I don't think. Thank you. Does anyone think it's not? >> No. >> Right. >> Let's move on. Thank you, guys, for I guess acknowledging that I guess what a lot of I'm seeing in the community is that we want acknowledgement that there is a problem and that we want to work towards a solution. So, thank you. >> I think that's why a big part of this meeting is This is our effort at transparency and communication. You know, we don't have to have these extra special meetings. We don't have to

043sit here for We could just have one board meeting every month and just ignore everything, but we're not. We're trying to take what we're seeing and address it and it is It's not always going to be 100% the way people want it done, but we we are sitting up here and we're trying. >> And I want to also note that our attendance and enrollment [clears throat] and our attendance rates are listed on every superintendent report that I've done since I started. There's not None of this is hidden. We're not hiding it. It talks about we're down 51 kids. We're down 19 kids. But we also have months where we have an increase. So, and it's might be an increase in the elementary, but we're looking at the district enrollment because that's where our money comes

044in. So, it's not being hidden. We're not saying it doesn't matter. And I've been concerned since we had 51 kids drop over year to the next because of We used to have a lot, like 250 a year that moved in and out. But that That's a pretty big drop for one building. And we know that. And that's what we need to look at, and I agree with that. But I was not addressing that when I put this out. So. >> Mr. Herring, can I just ask one Just make one more comment? Yes, ma'am. Thank you, sir. Um I know I know you all love it when people like me make suggestions that you do a little more work, but I wonder if it could be as simple as an exit interview. O- And And by

045interview, I mean a check mark. Reason for leaving. Move. Uh home school, dissatisfaction with programs offered. Dissatisfaction with some, you know, social climate. Just like five different things that a parent that is taking their child out of the school could could check mark on. And it might it might give you some information. Just for discussion at a later date. >> Well, I'll add to that by I think that's a great idea cuz that's what businesses do to find out, "Hey, do we have the normal situation, or do we have a problem?" >> We can We can definitely talk about implementing that, but we can't make the parent fill it out if they don't want >> I would agree with that, but I would also encourage you to have talked legal before you did something you

046can't. >> Okay. >> Whenever we're done at the university, it was that we do with all of our SPED students. >> [clears throat] >> So, I don't It should be something that's standard policy. >> I don't think that's a bad thing. We can look at that. It'd be something simple to create. >> We can We can look at that. Let's go to item two, teacher turnover rate. I have the numbers right here for 23-24, we had three in the primary building resigned, four in the intermediate resigned, one in the middle school resigned, six in the high school resigned. 24-25 school year, one primary, three intermediate, three middle, six high school, and two district staff. 25-26, we have zero primary, zero intermediate, five middle, and five high school. You want to tackle this one, too? >>

047Well, I'm just looking at the statistics. So, it was a 14% or 12%, 13%, and now we're at half of that. The trend is improving. We had nobody applying last Two Two years ago, we had 26 openings, 15 openings in July, and no applications because there was nobody applying for us to take. During our meeting last night, when the board was in training, I got a text from a friend that said, "Hey, we're moving back to Billings. Do you have any special education jobs open?" And my wife is a Loves Middle School special education. I notified Mr. Goyer to watch for the application coming in, and that will fill our special education teacher positions for the first time in 3 years. We hired a woodshop teacher. We hired both of our FCCLA positions to fill

048in the school and high school. So, the trend is changing on that, and that wasn't a local issue. That was an issue of there's just not people out in education. This year, MSUB's graduation cohort of teachers that'll be available here is up to 39. It was at seven the year before. People are just not going into education like they were, and that's not something we can control. But, we're also being thinking outside the box and bringing people in to say, "Yeah, I want to get into education." And get them on a provisional license. They're doing their classes, they're supervising. The One One case of a high school situation, I have somebody in there supervising. So, they're watching a master teacher teach and they're supervising that while they're getting their degree. Now, we could have put

049them in the classroom, but we found sometimes when you do that, they're not ready for that. They're not ready for classroom management. We're doing that a little bit differently. Mr. Goyette transferred over a former paraprofessional who's going to be a counselor, and she's going to be doing work in the middle school. We're trying to grow up because that tends to keep them here longer. And that used to be a lot easier because we have people that said, "Hey, I love being a para in special education. I'm getting my degree." And that teacher's been here 17 years. So, it works that way. Again, this is a trend across the state that people are struggling. I mean, we're lucky. Some teachers Some districts have up to 13 emergency certifications just to get their quota filled. We um

050attempted to do think outside the box and go through a placement company. There's no guarantee on what you're going to get till they get here, and it was not successful. We probably won't do that again. And now this year we're not in the position where we have to. So, um uh we're in much better shape this year. Now, I can't say we're not going to have a couple more resignations. People Things change over the summer. We had one teacher who's going all the way back to Africa to teach because her boyfriend is having trouble getting a a passport because of all her That What do you call it? Visa because of all the new laws. So, those kind of things are natural things. We had a teacher just announce that her husband's transferring to South

051Carolina. Those are normal things. These are not people leaving who don't want to be here. And it's nice to have those resignations that are just, "You know what? Wish I could stay here. Love being here, but you know, we have young moms that are staying choosing to stay home because it's cheaper to stay home with three kids than it is to try to do daycare. Even with our daycare, having three kids is still expensive. So, those things are things that we don't we can't control, but they're they're natural. Um we also are seeing across the state a high number of teachers in 0 to 5 years of experience and then leaving education completely. They're just saying it's not for me. It shocked me when I saw that because I never thought about doing anything else

052because it costs a lot to be to get your education, but people are choosing not to stay in education very young. >> [clears throat] >> So, those are things that we're dealing with. It was rough for the last 2 years Previous 2 years were rough just trying to find people to fill that made up our CNA program. We have a nurse on board that got our that had the experience necessary and are certified by the state. It'll be a dual credit class next year. Those things are really starting to fall into place. So, that is the nice side of being here and having people call. We put an application online and just opened it up. And we probably have 40 applications in there sitting. So, people now can go and look and say, "Hey, I

053need a social studies teacher. Is there anybody in there?" Uh, it's a lot more efficient than it used to be. So, that part of it, I don't feel like our teacher turnover high school or anywhere else is out of hand. 12 to 13% is typical of 120 to 125 teachers. So, and that's less than national, which is 15%. So, we're we're still doing okay here with that. So, that's the reason I put that in there. It was difficult for a couple years just getting people here. And I know parents were frustrated because we had teachers quitting. They'd start and then quit or we'd bring somebody in from one of the companies and they'd be like, "You know what? This isn't good for our kids." So, we had to do some adjusting there, but I think

054we're in a much better place now than we were a couple years ago. And that's why I just put this in so that we can again look at the state trends and how that affects our program. >> Yes, ma'am. >> So, does that mean that kids for next year are going to be sitting in study hall while there's, you know, like woods or some other class where they didn't have the teacher, so they were sitting in the cafeteria maybe not doing anything. That's just what I heard. So, I [snorts] think Well, I hope this year it's happening, you know, kids are don't have teachers. >> We'll address woods in the [snorts] next number three. >> Well, okay. >> And we'll go over all of that. And they weren't just sitting in a study hall, they

055had program and they were still doing it. >> I can answer your question now. >> I can answer your question. I know what your concern is. Right now, we have a certified woodshop teacher for next year starting in the fall. We also have a FCCLA teacher who came in to sub and now has decided to get a degree in that, so she's going to stay. Middle school had a chance that somebody really wanted to do FCCLA in middle school, so that one is filled. Those are hard ones to fill regardless, and >> And >> Yeah. [snorts] >> Because it's just mainly like the English, math, you know, the core subjects. >> And those are right now we're looking for a math teacher, but our English is full, and I think they do have a math

056teacher they're interviewing and they're looking at. I'm not sure where we're at. I think Lindsay said today that they had found a math teacher they're interviewing. >> Okay, so the English teacher, is she what um How do I put this nicely? Uh American or Filipino? >> There are no Filipino teachers in our English department. >> Okay, that's always what I wondered cuz those were just rumors that I heard, so I wanted to >> There is not. >> Got it. >> Would that be a bad thing if they were qualified? >> Oh, absolutely not as long as they can speak clearly. >> And before I go any further, I need to clarify that we had a Filipino teacher in our special ed ELA class as a teacher, but not in the general population. >> Well, and

057it wouldn't matter if they were in the general population. I mean, that's fine. They >> But there was one here, and then she left. I mean, and that's again, we try to do things outside the box, and it's not always >> Oh, absolutely. >> So, the concern was that there were foreign teachers access teaching English and the kids couldn't understand the language barrier. >> Yeah. >> That's just the rumors that have been going around. >> No, there was never anybody out in the general population that was actually here. >> Okay. Yeah, that was just a >> So, back to teacher turnover. >> Yeah, so I just have a couple of questions cuz I mean this is nothing new. I remember sitting on a board two, three years ago where we were talking about teacher turnover.

058I'm pretty sure Pam and you guys worked on a billboard. I mean it's it's common. One of the I guess just trying to understand um you know, have we do we do exit interviews for our teachers? >> We do exit interviews. >> Okay. And then are we I guess I'm hearing you know, like the rumors are is that we think that our teachers are unhappy and that they're leaving and so we have high turnover. We do teacher surveys, correct? To to check that or we use to have surveys for like culture. Like are you happy? Are you >> We usually survey them. >> Okay. Cuz I I mean I know again that's the part of the concern, right? I mean this is nothing new. It's I mean parent people don't want to go into education.

059>> It was a concern a few years ago. It really was because we had a high >> Yes. >> and we were not having any applications that was kind of startling. >> Right. >> Now, we're back to where we're getting applications for core positions and teachers right here in Montana, which is nice. >> Okay. >> Yeah. It's nice to have people call and say, "Hey, I want to move from Sydney. Do you still have a position open? My daughter lives in Billings and I want to get to." That's kind of thing you want to have happen because those are people that are going to stay and that's happening much more. Our two new English teachers from Billings are amazing and they love it here and I mean >> And I think again it's something to

060always be on our radar because it's been on our radar for years, you know, it's it's nothing new. It's the state. I mean we we have to get creative. You've gotten creative. I think we continue to be creative and >> it I didn't enjoy because we had to do it because we were like without teachers and it wasn't for me it wasn't successful and we called and said, you know what, this isn't good. We're not going to keep doing this. And we did find one teacher though that was virtual that was virtual virtual that taught our special education math this year. She's flying up from Florida to go to our graduation ceremony because she loved this district so much. And we asked her to please move here and we would hire her cuz she's certified

061in Montana. But the company pays them much more than we pay our teachers by contract here. It's a whole different setup and I said there's no way we can afford to do, you know, it it's a whole different area and we can afford or sustain company placements here because it is expensive, but she did an amazing job and when tried tried to convince her to move to Montana and she said she'd come up for graduation. So we just talked with her and informed her that that we're not continuing with the company, but she's still going to come up and go to graduation and that says a lot for a connection for a teacher with kids that she's only seen virtually through a computer and it was very successful. So that part of it I was

062glad. Other parts we will never work with again. We will never try it again. There's companies that I won't work with anymore because they're not good. Sorry. >> Uh Don, I think I've heard multiple people ask why we're not uh showing the resignation letters anymore. Can you talk to that point? >> There was a period of time where resignation letters became weaponized and they were targeted towards specific individuals and that's not information we're going to share in a public meeting because we don't discuss personnel. The community can't come in here and talk about personnel. Why would a teacher that's left here be allowed to defame somebody on their way out? It's just was not good practice. So we stopped doing that. I mean I could share 30 nice letters. I mean, but we just stopped

063doing it across the board because it just was not Once people realized that those were being presented, then they become much more defamatory and we don't need that. If you're leaving, you can leave. You can say what you want in your letter. We have noted that. You had your exit interview with the end. But we don't need to have that continue on in the in the public the public arena. >> I would say that there's a way to do that though in that manner. Cuz in that data, there might be a problem. There might be red flags that pop up and if if nobody's looking at those But Mr. Christian, you're looking at those, correct? >> Yes, I do. >> And and you and you are overseeing the district. >> Yes. >> And that's your

064responsibility to see if there's issues, correct? >> Yes. >> And then and then you would be in the on responsible for that. >> And the end has come to me and said, "I just did an exit interview. This is what's happening." Have we We have these conversations, but I'm not going to come in and report every time somebody blames a principal and doesn't like another teacher because that's what the resignation letters were about. It wasn't about I'm unhappy with the social studies curriculum. It was defaming other people and that's not that's not something I'm going to bring here and share in the public arena. Ready? >> I just have a question to you, what is the process and procedure? He just kind of answered my question for when you're doing those exit interviews. If they

065become I understand that's your job, Don, and I do checks and balances, so right? They exist in every environment. If they're not there, it makes no sense for all seven of you to sit up there. So, my question is how does that information you start to see a trend that's not good? If you're not putting those out to the public and taking out information that can't be public, how is that information getting to the board? Is there a procedure for that? Is there a procedure for the board understanding or do you guys check with them hey what's the climate how many exit interviews have you done do we have great ones what are they leaning towards like how is that cuz it can stay with you forever and you can know there's 42 teachers that

066left and they can't stand the district or there's 52 teachers that love our district that left for other reasons how do we know that and I know you're going to say you just need to trust that you hired me and not I'm not a I want to see stuff I guess do you know what I'm saying like I like to see facts that support evidence that you're bringing forth so if you're saying >> I guess I could do I could report in general terms of why people are leaving but I would not want to individualize that because it became very ugly a couple years ago and I don't want to go back to that again but we could say people four teachers left this after this year when we're done when we know how many

067people are gone in August we can say of the seven teachers that left three of them left to take jobs in another state two of them left because they were not happy with the culture we can do that I just >> I think that's important for our board to >> and that's that's fine what was happening though was people were wanting to see the letters because they knew that there was something negative in there about somebody at school and I didn't that that had to stop and so that's why I stopped publishing >> Yes Kelly >> I I think on the other side too I we we don't have the right to say this person is leaving because we don't want them >> Yeah but we didn't do that >> I mean I can I

068say I think what really hit me we're back to the edge again of saying I don't trust what our admin or anybody is doing I want to run it myself and know >> I don't think >> and I I hold on and I don't think I I think if you're in that situation you either need to get your degree and be in those administrator roles or I mean we have an opportunity to have another superintendent here this year so >> I think I think you know what would be beneficial again and I I want to say that you know we we hired you for a position. If you start seeing you guys start seeing a ton of exit interviews that are against operation, admin, or whatever you guys are handling it. Now, you know, again

069if it's every every one of our exit interviews is the culture sucks. Culture and climate, that's when we we need to step in and say, "Okay, we have a culture and climate, not a personnel problem, right?" And and I think what the public saying is we want to trust that you are doing that. And so data-wise, you know, I I mean we can probably do one one month and say we had five exit, three of them left for this, two of them left for this, one left because of culture. You know, and here and there checks check in, right? But I mean you're going to come to us and tell us if every single one of your exit interviews manager and that person that has the issue and then we work on that together. Right,

070but again I think we're asking for high-level information just to for checks and balances. Like I'm not going to give you my checkbook and tell you, "I trust you, do whatever you're going to do." I'm going to be watching what you're doing. Like I'm not going to just say, "I'm going to hire you, DeAnn, I'm going to pay you, but I want you to do all my stuff, but I'm not ever going to like check what you're doing." That's not something that I think is responsible, I guess. And I and I think I know what you're saying, Charity, and I I mean I guess, you know, just from the board back to is it is, you know, is the numbers concerning? If they are concerning, then we need to care about it from a cultural

071perspective. But I mean that's something we I believe have been working on for two or three years, right? The culture we knew the culture wasn't the greatest at one point and and we're we're moving. So, now we just need to do a check-in. >> And Deborah Silk said it best last night. People leave the district sometimes because there isn't their fit. There's other districts that is maybe their fit. So, maybe this isn't the fit. Maybe it's too big. Maybe it's too small. Maybe, you know, it's She had a really good point last night and I think we need to remember that that we aren't for everyone and everyone isn't >> For context, Deborah Silk is the Montana School Board Association trainer who came to train us last night and she's an attorney and great resource

072and does lots of trainings. >> Yes, I'm not done, Billy. Anything else? >> Also needs to come with verification. We can't just blindly trust our leaders. There needs to be trust and verification. >> At the same time, and I will cover this, there's a the division between board and admin roles that I think will get very confused. And it's not until you're like on the board that you understand that there's there's a hard line. There's a division and you you live and die by it. And it's it's not preference. It's not choice. It's it's law. It's it's just what you have to deal with as a board member. Um and in turn, you know, trying to remind the community of that can be very tricky. You combat that a lot. You know, what is what

073is it admin? What is board? What is where's that area in between? And it's not what everybody thinks it is. So, we'll we'll cover that, though. >> I just want to give a contextual picture of this teacher shortage in the in the teacher turnovers in the state. >> [snorts] >> Because this is a statewide issue again. So, as of last year, there were 1,000 positions to be filled. As of May of 2023, that was the year the last of the data was filled out on that part. A 12.5% teacher turnover rate heading into '23 and '24 for the state. And 918 teachers in Montana working under provisional or emergency licensing at that time. Nationally, there are 74% of schools reporting that have difficulty filling all of their positions. True. So, this is bigger than just

074us. So, I I I just want people when they see something here not to think, "Oh my god, what's happening in Lockwood?" When it is it's a national problem, you guys. And it makes me sad that that is not Teaching is not a respected profession anymore. That's all I ever wanted to do. When I hear somebody in their fourth year say, "You know what? I'm going to go back into retail." I didn't really want to be a That breaks my heart because I never wanted to do anything else. So, that stuff tends to resonate kind of personally with me because I taught special ed for years. And now not seeing anybody going to special ed because it's a hard job, it makes me sad. So, those are things that we look at. But also, this

075year we've been very lucky because we've had competent people applying and we've been filling positions. So, it's trending in the right direction now. Um and lucky for us. >> When do teacher surveys go out? >> We will do ours in May and that'll be a survey through This year will be through our CTE CNLA. It's a survey that we do with teacher happy and teacher support. So, that'll be May this year. Usually, we did them in September, but we quit doing that 30-page survey because people get halfway through and then it just became like a middle-of-the-line thing. So, we >> And then is that broken up by building? >> Yeah. >> Like [snorts] grade level? >> And then we did a very brief kind of one survey during our parent-teacher conference this year. Um we

076will [snorts] look at a more formal survey, but not anything like we did the first 3 years when it was so extensive because I think that people were confused by the questions and if because we kept getting this data that teachers trusted themselves to do this, but they don't trust their team. And I said, "That's not what we what we see or hear anywhere in our building." So, I said there's a question in the skewiness and they they said, "Oh, no." And I thought, "So, we we questioned that." And it was a it was hundreds of questions. Families don't want to sit in parent-teacher conference and fill out a 45-question survey. We're We're working on finding that little road where we get the information we need for teachers and parents. >> So, then there there

077would be an opportunity that may can choose to to evaluation and teacher surveys, I think. >> Yeah, because some of our grant funding from the state, you have to have that information. You can't You can't You have to repeat that every 3 years. So, this is the year for our uh our CTE survey, which is a community-based survey on our CTE program and how our teachers how t- our teachers feel about our career readiness. >> And is it anonymous? >> Yeah. >> Kelly, >> we did have a parent survey during >> And the teacher conferences. >> That time we did not have any people >> Yeah, just to wrap up stuff from last year. >> Right? >> Yeah. >> Any other questions, comments about teacher turnover before we move to programs? Kelly, do you have

078another one? Next is going to be programs being cut or unstable. Woodworking. Everybody knows about the woodworking one. >> What? I said less of a safety issue than the other sheets. Allergies, sorry. >> Woodworking was adjusted due to safety concerns in the wood shop. Um when did a audit of it, I guess, found that there was unsafe working conditions and we felt that kids do be in there because kids have potential being hurt. I think they was actually somebody that was hurt. So, that had to be changed. I will circle back to that in a second. EMT program. EMT program is not being cancelled. That's just flat out not going to happen. EMT and CNA are are two biggest uh career ready pathways, correct, Don? >> Yes. >> JROTC. JROTC was not that was not

079removed because of funding. JROTC was cut because of the MOA that it says at the end of any at the end of any year either the school [snorts] or the Air Force can remove it. And then we have I put the MOA up there. Also Don, can you bring up the the attendance? One of the biggest things that the Air Force ROTC says is that we have to have a minimum of 100 people or 10% of our population, whatever is less. So, if we go off of our population for K-12 high school high school April 2026, we had 461 students. That means we need 46 people to attend. That's 10% if I did the math in my head correctly. 19. That's what we have in second semester. Also, if you look, we started with uh

080PowerSchool 2022-2023, we couldn't get this in time for the PowerSchool numbers because they were archived. I apologize for that. 23-24, 37 ended with 28. 2024-2025, we started with 31 ended with 23. 2025-2026, we started with 21 ended with 19. There's also a trend where first semester's enrollment should be at least the same as second semester's enrollment. That's not. It's always goes down. Yes, sir. >> And >> add that uh to uh increase these numbers, we also tried to add JROTC to our eighth grade as an elective, and we had eight students that are part of those numbers included because the Air Force said that we could include eighth graders as a part of the building, and that's a part of the 19 as well. >> And another thing to note is of those 19, seven

081are graduating this year, so that will leave at least 12 kids in the program. >> Yep. >> I thought the number was 30. >> Nope. That's the number. >> Don, can you open up that letter from the Department of the Air Force? >> This is our third probation probationary letter from the Air Force. We've gotten one of these every year, and it's always because of our enrollment. So, if you go to the underlined part, if it is determined your program will not reach the minimum enrollment enrollment requirement for your program, may be considered for deactivation for the school year 25-26. Please understand if your program may not continue to school year 26-27 and fails to achieve the minimum minimum statutory enrollment by October of 2026, PSR, you must consider all courses of action available to

082include program deactivation. And that is quite honestly what we did, because in the MOA, it states that anybody can either party can at the end of the year decide we're not going to do Air Force JROTC. Mr. Chrisman sent the letter at the end of When did you send it? The end of What month are we in? >> April, end of March. >> End of March, he sent the letter saying that we will not be having Air Force JROTC next year. And he had a call today from the colonel >> He's the regional regional manager of the ROTC programs in Alexandria, Virginia. >> The regional ROTC program. And he looked at our numbers, and he completely understands why, because our enrollment is not there. It is not because of funding. Also, it has also been

083said that Gerald Keith, wait, no, I'm going to have myself a whole section on that. Next, we're going to go to CNA program. The CNA program is not being cut. We are, correct me if I'm wrong, Don, we are the first class A school with school with a state certified CNA program. Am I correct, Don? >> Yes, we had to wait, um, we went through a semester not knowing you had to have a nurse a year of nursing home experience on your to oversee the program. We had an RN that was helping set the program up. We did that when we got approved by the state to do it. It got to the point where the kids were going to take the test and they said they didn't approve the program because the nurse she

084provided did not have a year of home of uh >> Home health aid. We now have a registered nurse that volunteered to do that. We got certified by the state and our last class now, all of those students will be certified CNA when they leave. >> So, if if they pass the test. >> If they pass the test, but now we can actually give them the test. We couldn't even give them the test and it was really it was not fair. >> And then >> We got picked up by Highland Community College and next year they're doing credit. We're also we're offering health intro to health one semester, CNA the second semester. So, they'll have intro to health and then so they'll have two health professional credits on their transcript. The CNA being dual credit.

085>> So, will that be taught by >> It's taught right here on campus. >> The CNA will oversee it and then the teachers will be through Highland. >> Correct. Yeah. >> Okay. So, we're not [snorts] hiring a teacher. >> No, they >> A separate teacher. Okay. Is that Sorry, Josh, to go back, but the EMT, is that the same thing or >> No, the EMT is a completely different program. >> Right. >> But, the EMT, um, because the Wish Up teacher was also EMT teacher, I think that was an issue. Um, high school already has EMT lined up for next year. >> We have a teacher or we have a >> We uh we're hoping to have a request to hire a CNA. >> Gina's working with them to >> Because an EMT and a

086CNA teacher, they do not have teaching credentials, so they have to get a CTE class >> four provisional license to teach in the school setting. >> I think I got all that correct. Yeah. >> And right now they're working with OPI to get all that paperwork done, so we're hoping request for hire May But if that's not done yet, we're looking at possibly request hire for the EMT. >> And Don, are we getting HOSA in there also? >> We, uh, we will next year. We couldn't this year because we weren't a certified program. Now, we're already working with the state HOSA president. She's the one that got us, um, connected with We at least got our kids to be able to go take the test that first year. This group now, Gina will then be

087certified through Highland College to actually administer the CNA test through our campus, which we We had to send them into the buildings, now she'll be able to take that >> Okay. So, what is HOSA? >> HOSA is a It's not called HOSA anymore. It's called >> Health Occupation Students >> It's, uh, health It's like our FCCLA group, partner. It's a group of students focused on health the health care and health profession. >> It's all medical. That's all they do. Great, great opportunity for scholarships, grants, things like that when they >> And the state president works at the career center and she's amazing, so it'll be really, really good. >> And they do competitions. >> Yes, they do. >> [snorts] >> English courses Um, Don, can [clears throat] you talk about this one? >> Um, we

088had some definite difficulties in finding certified English teachers when school started. That's not a secret. Um, these are some of these were these company placements that came in. We said no. We had our curriculum director who is a certified English teacher who prepared lesson plans for the substitutes that were in there until we finally filled our positions with certified English teachers. Was it messy? Yeah. But I mean, it was like when you're in it, we're trying to figure it out and it's not something that was hidden. We were trying to figure this out as we've never been in a position where things fell apart like that. With an actual certified teacher. A certified teacher in the state of Montana that really that came from out of state, but they are certified. That was like, no,

089we're not doing this. And so we are very lucky to have had the two people that we did find. Program's been very stable since then. Was there educational damage? I don't know if damage. Was it as good as if you had a certified teacher in there from the start that carried the program through like they have now? No. But we were living in it while it was going on. So we did I have to give Mrs. Bull credit. I never even thought about anything being certified English teacher and she was writing those lesson plans based on the curriculum we use. She knows it better than anybody else. She's introduced it and trained on it and brought it into our district. So I don't feel like that was neglect. We had a administrator in there during

090those most of those days just supervising, making sure that people subbing were doing a good job. Again, was it ideal? No, but the kids were not left without a teacher. They were in a study hall. They were actually doing designed lessons on high school English. >> So on that English just to clarify, if you could clarify because I think in one of our meetings again when we were probably living in it I believe that it was discussed that they it would have been a pass or fail. Um because we were in the thick of it, we hadn't maybe >> Maybe it was because the people that were teaching the class were not qualified to give them actual letter grades. >> Okay, so is that still the case or we >> I believe >> fixed the

091problem and we >> potentially it was fixed, but I wish that would be something we would have to address. Yeah, I didn't go back and look at transcripts. I just know that was a discussion that we had. >> Right. >> was a very big topic of does it take away Does it Is it weighted if they get a point? >> Exactly. >> Yeah, and it was. It was weighted. They still got the point five credit. >> Okay. >> And Don, can I point out that you actually stole an MSUB teacher? >> Yeah. >> You stole her. >> Yeah, I know. >> She came from the MSUB because she wanted to work there. >> She used to place student teachers here. She's She's amazing, so. >> Is that for English or just in general? >> English.

092>> And she said she only wanted to work at law. >> I know. >> So, uh, any other questions? That's what the things we've been seeing about the discussion of everything has been. The MT not going away, CNA got not going away. Uh, Air Force JROTC, I'd see it go, but the numbers just are not there to support it. >> So, tell me how many others are here in the room that are able to be seen? So, my understanding is that the MOA says that Thank you. And you What you're saying is it's clearly based on enrollment. Now, have Don or um, Gwen or whoever is in charge of uh, that whole thing, has anybody ever reached out to um, the majors of the guys who are um, in charge of the JROTC Who is

093the Who is the major officer beforehand? >> They come here and do a live tour with us. They walk through the program with us. They're the ones that were telling us what was wrong with our program. The program was labeled an >> that this year? Was it this year or >> He labeled this as an anomaly. He said, "We don't understand why with your population and demographics why we don't have kids enlist." He said that this morning and I said I don't know if you have to explain that to me. We had a very long discussion. >> And which is totally I understand, but what the at what point does it do you deem it unnecessary for the program when you already have so success with kids getting scholarship and getting scholarships and enlisting in

094the in the military coming out of your JROTC program? >> Here's the analysis, Jamie, I used and this is really probably the biggest factor. We have a math teacher that makes $65,000 a year. >> Mhm. >> He sees 85 kids a day. We're investing $647 for the year and those kids getting a core math class. That teacher is expected to follow all of the rules and regulations of the district, everything else. We look at a program that is an elective where the individual is not under those same contract. At least the same guidelines. We pay half their salary. That average with 20 kids to $2,585 for a year that we're investing into this elective that now has dropped down to 12 kids. We were then required to hire another instructor who's in the N O

095A which there was one ready to interview. We said, "We can't do this." Because that would have raised per child what we're paying into that for 20 kids to over $6,000 a year. Now, I'm not saying anything about the quality of the program. That had nothing to do with it. But are we saying then that that an elective that serves 20 kids is more important than our core requirements to graduate, which are math and English? Because some of our math and English teachers see 120 kids a day. I just took one of the lower average classes and an average salary. Now, that coupled with the fact that we have no say about the raise. Our teachers received a 3% raise last year. The individual in this program received a 12% Just just there's things there

096that and when you look at this and you're managing and you're going if we're really going to go into a tight year next year is that fair? >> How do those numbers compare to the other CTE courses? Because a math course doesn't require a whole lot of extra materials, but like metal fabricating shop, metal's expensive. >> But that costs a lot of money. >> So can you make that same comparison to what CTE cost is per child between a CTE course versus JROTC? Everything's funded other than the salary. >> No. >> All materials are paid by the MAA. >> Uh yes, there >> Even transportation and food and the hotel is covered if they go on a field trip. >> That's what I was just told when I called and talked to him. >> Yeah,

097that's what's in the handbook. >> Yes. >> Do you have anything you want to talk about about that? >> Yes, there are a few things. There are things that that Air Force covers. Um major puts the um request in and we wait for the Air Force to give us the refund. This year it worked because this is my first full year. Last year is another story. It was overspent. We didn't know where the funds were coming from. We didn't get as much reimbursement as maybe we were expecting. This year we are on it. Like we are [snorts] making sure you tell us when you turn in the receipt is this uh reimbursed by the JROTC or the Air Force? As Fish Wildlife and Parks, they reimburse. And so everything is documented and we are documenting

098it just so not everything is covered by the Air Force. There are things that the kids raise money for that they use in their activities. So anything that >> Not to be >> Anything that is extra, the kids are the program, the JROTC program is is fundraised funded for. >> Meaning that the JROTC does not have a budget. >> It does not have a a budget line in your guys' budget, correct? >> Correct. >> So that's what I'm saying. >> Yeah. >> So it doesn't take There's not a budget line for JROTC. If you put anything extra, they got to raise money for it. >> We did uh start them with like supplies like office stuff, things like that. >> Mhm. >> Yeah, they they they did start with money. >> Can I just say

099>> You were already on notice from the Air Force, right? >> Yes. There was a letter. >> Every year >> that you were that they were going to cut the program regardless of what we just said. Um >> Last October they came to cut the program and we agreed to try to get more kids involved. But then the second instructor left. And then our enrollment dropped again. >> Mhm. >> And so like I I I think what where the district they could have done better is there should have been a notice to the community about what was happening with the program. >> Absolutely. >> I think that um I'm regardless of whether they >> Hold on. Let me just speak please. >> Whether regardless of whether regardless regardless of whether there's 12 kids or 30

100kids and I I totally understand the reasons why we cut it and I and I support you because those are valid reasons. I think it was it was the only decision we could make. It was going to happen anyway. But we have the district has to better about notifying the community about things that are important. We know you can do it. We all receive pushy mails and infinite campus emails. But we know you can do it. So I think if we could have gotten ahead of it and said We're getting this from the Air Force anyway. This is where it's coming from. I think we could have maybe done better than that. On the community side though we got to stop getting our information from school pick up line and social media. It's not right.

101It's not It's not accurate. We have to go to the school and but the school So, I think there's a two-part thing here. School could have done better. The community needs to do better. And I'm part of the community. I have kids in this district, too. So, um you know, that's the transparency we're all looking for. But, I don't you know, I think that the community's acting like this is something the district did. It was going to be done. Right? >> Mhm. >> I think that we should have known 2 months ago that we were struggling. It's the first any of us have heard about it and then it's just gone. >> And that's what I said. I said I think this district could have done better about notifying parents about what's going to happen

102with the program. >> But, it might not be gone had they done that. Do you understand? >> Well, >> That's the frustrating >> And if you call down here, you can get a hold of somebody very easily. They're very easy to talk to. And lots of schools have been on probation for a long time. So, I mean, make the phone call yourself, but when you say we're just going to social media, I I guess I would argue with you that some of us are calling. Charity >> Do you know what just a question. Do you know what other Montana school has the JROTC in their school as an elective? >> No, we were like the only ones, I think. And so, that was really exciting. That's the another exciting part of >> It doesn't normally

103work, but it's not successful in this setting when you isolate it just Well, we're doing it. That's what he was saying. >> what you're saying and I I do Don, I I can appreciate what you're saying. >> also, we had to do it They required us to bring our counselors in and recruit. The counselors were supposed to be out there recruiting. Do we ask our counselors to recruit for welding if we have a class with 12 kids in it? >> Don, I'd like to ask one more thing. They JROTC had first sign up rights. So, if you were in a JROTC, you got to pick your schedule first, so it did not interfere with JROTC. No other child in any setting has that. So, if you got into JROTC, you got to sign up for

104all of your classes. So, you got to pick your math, when you wanted to do this, when you didn't want to do that, so you could tailor it around JROTC. The district has done bent over backwards to make it as easy as possible for recruiting of JROTC students. And we still didn't see the numbers. With our graduation, we're going to let you down to 12. >> Well, in the improvement plan we received, it stated that there would be 60 kids enrolled by the fall. That's almost a third of our high school population. That's unrealistic. This is a third year in a row. That's what's being presented. That's not a solution, and I don't feel it's fair to put all of that pressure on other school personnel for one program. It's The requirements were not being

105met from the start. It declined from the first year, and now it's declined down to where it's not feasible. It's not about the quality of the program or what the kids get from it. >> I think that would have been a lot easier to follow to Christie's point, but my other struggle with this is that we were told they were 4 months behind, and that's not >> They were. They were until Diane got on the phone, and we've gotten double payments twice. >> No, I got a double payment. The very first payment I got for salary came in November. And paid >> And did we bill >> September? We don't bill. >> You don't bill. >> Bill. >> That's I They You're at the mercy of the Air Force sending us that reimbursement. I get

106the notice, and then I have to wait for a main statement to make sure that it made it in trust for that month. So >> it comes from the Air Force, they'll be They said that you got to send a bill first. >> We never We have never sent a bill. And >> And they They also told me that they would never be on one month during the government shutdown. They were never outside of their normal payments in arrears. >> So, I got So, that says a month in arrears. They've expanded that to 2 months. It was not like that last year. I'm just telling you what from last year to this year. I gave the government shut down because that's what I was instructed by the instructor. Everything was going to be delayed because

107of the shutdown. November, I received the first payment. And they paid 11 months. >> [snorts] >> And it was November when we had already been in the >> So she said they they paid 11 months for >> 5 months or 6 >> They paid 11 No, they paid 11 months throughout the year is what they did. >> [clears throat] [snorts] >> And so I did reach out to them because I compared last year's to this year's. I mean I don't know if the they're suggesting I'm not doing my job. I don't know. I really >> What the chairman said at last meeting didn't apply to my situation. >> At the time we did it, I didn't have the double payment. They work though. I didn't have double payment. I just received February's payment notice today.

108We paid out April. >> That's 2 months. >> We close our books in June. We don't have the money. >> And I don't think we ever did get fully reimbursed for last year because we hadn't closed the books. So it was like >> We did. It came in this year, but it wasn't exactly what we were expecting. So yep, they're uh I worked really hard on tracking. It's very hard to when you get your first payment in November for something that's been going on. And he sees the kids earlier. Um that's I mean I waited for the shutdown and I did reach out to them. And I received the second payment. >> Any question about the the hosted units uh thing in NWA? Is that something that you guys explored? Um based off our discussion

109with home students, but that home school students are doubling more likely to be veterans, um, and based off the numbers that I'm looking at, that would be like a five to 15 students. And then if you expand it, it's two home school students and the highest is a potential opportunity. That's a pool of 120 20 122 likely, uh, cadets that would be available based off of, uh, national and state school districts for uh, dare to see them all. >> I'm not following. >> In MOA, there's a a provision that encourages you to have act as a host unit and provide a kind of a regional state of operations for other schools. So, like home school students can come and participate in it. You can bring people in from from Huntley or wherever. She was the

110same. Some of her kids went to Huntley, some of her kids went to Lockport because of of the fit. So, maybe the kids who are at Huntley would come over and do like a pre-period or or a late period. You know, just a Is that a no? >> Something that was explored and it's I mean, there's a whole section on that. >> of that would be almost impossible. But who would manage that, getting them back and forth? Who's going to be responsible while on the road coming here? I mean >> That's their parents. The parents or the school district how they want to work it. >> I I guess the question is to how like was that explored by this by Lockport? >> on my behalf, I would not explore that option because that would

111be a nightmare for Lockport to try to I think keep that off of an elective. We don't ask other schools to bring kids into our wood shop. It's It's an elective class. >> So, why couldn't that be a CTE credit? >> It's not one. >> A CTE? >> No, it is not recognized as a CTE course in the state of Montana. >> Okay. But you can create a learning path for it, too. >> You cannot. We already tried that. We current major and I tried that. The state does not recognize ROTC as a CTE course. We can't get any funding for it or anything else. >> Right, but if you created That's not I understand the ROTC part, but if you created learning paths through the ROTC program, those could be accredited, right? >> No,

112he tried that. He tried to get it through aeronautics. He was certified. In fact, he wasn't certified. He was trying to get certified into the aeronautics teacher. And it did not work. The state did not recognize that as a career pathway where we give credit on a transcript for >> And when you say he, you're talking >> Major. Major reached out to me. I reached out to DI. He reached out to DI. We had that conversation a lot. >> I think this spotlights why we're here, uh which was correcting misinformation. And I I don't I don't think you're trying to do this, but you were suggesting that DI gave bad information or false information or that it was done on purpose. It was not, period, point blank. DI didn't give that information. No, the information

113that was presented at the last board >> at the board meeting. It was presented, but not from DI. >> And it was correct. We were 4 months in the arrears, as DI just stated, when I made my statement of we are 4 months in the arrears. We were Correct, DI? >> Yes. Yeah, but I don't know what you're trying to say. You know what I'm trying to say. So, >> there's a whole section on JROTC. Does anybody have anything else about any of the other pathways that we had? >> Just because there's different information doesn't mean that it's bad information. Two things can be true at the same time or maybe there's crossing paths of information or the numbers, you know, are in two different places, two different not not like account-wise, but you know,

114that information that you're getting at one time is going to be different than what DI has and there's just moving parts to it and this could have been avoided by just going directly to DeAnn or directly to Don or Gwen. Just another example of how quickly misinformation spreads and it is made to look like there is lying when it's it's not lying. It's just >> Different emails and never got a response. We were calling directly to the Air Force and just just for transparency. >> Who is the email to who? >> The entire board sent a email. >> I do think there's a little string to it also where there's four or five auxiliaries. One's almost an entire semester, one's a quarter. With this auxiliary and there's a big difference in there and you especially

115when that's how you got the last five months. I'm sorry Mr. Scheduler but that was I think that's what led to the school. Us calling the the uh Air Force ROTC and and everything because that seems so extreme to say four to five months. And you know, three months is still not good in arrears but there's a big difference in terms of this auxiliary but people are perceiving it's you know, a full semester. >> As a district we would not be allowed to be three months in arrears on anything legal. I mean as a person I wouldn't be able to be three months in arrears. >> I mean that is not the way to manage a program and I will defend DeAnn till the end on this. It was not bunched by any deal with

116the amount of what people told you on the phone which is great that you got through talked to somebody. It's a whole different thing when you're actually dealing with them day to day. With the program and the Air Force and that talk this morning validated what we did in moving forward with just closing the program for now and agreeing to meet her we may look at reopening it again. Different circumstances, maybe even a different section of the armed services but right now that's not going to happen. >> Um it also mentioned that there's this must be a strategic recruitment strategy that involved in communication like the counselors and >> His His recruitment strategy was he was going to have 60 kids in ROTC by next year. Yeah, that was it. That was his report to

117us. >> Has that kind of strategic plan been done in the past years in April as I'm reading this letter or was it just >> That was a recommendation. That was best practice. That is not required and I was not going to have our counselors out there recruiting kids into ROTC. I think that the The instructor was very well paid and I think that would have been his job and it was not done for 3 years. >> Yes, sir. >> I would just add as a part of uh the middle school trying to increase the numbers, we did have JROTC students and the instructor come over uh when we were doing our course selections and uh speak to our 7th graders and our 8th graders to try to uh get kids into the program. And

118so uh we did do do that. >> So you tried to increase those numbers. >> Yes, sir. >> Uh well, I would suggest that when you first got the probation letter, that's when the letter takes precedence and you should be aware of that you know, this program's information possibly could be lost if you don't such and such and such a degree. I think that's something that the community should know. >> Yeah, I think that was pretty clear. >> And she knew that at the time. >> But I'm I'm saying prior to this >> Yes, sir. >> All I'm saying is you should have been aware of this. >> Yes, sir. >> You should have read the first provision of that letter. >> Yes, sir. >> Is there anything else about uh item three, program being

119cut on stable, wood shop, AMT, JROTC, CNA, English, or CTE? >> What is this? >> Only woodshop. >> Yes. >> Correct it, but the kids that are in that woodshop are just having study hall. My child was in that. >> Is that just study hall? >> in the comments. I walked past him twice 2 days in a row when I went to check on him. I watched him sitting The whole class is sitting in there with the instructor on the phone. Cuz it March 18th is when we got the email. And that's too late to enroll him in another CT class. So, he isn't going to get an A cuz he has a good score or good grade. Um So, it's going to go down the steep hands road, but I don't know how what

120happens to him next year then or cuz he can't can't retake a class that he passed, but he didn't actually get the foundation. So, he can't get advanced cabinetry. See, he can't. So, I don't know how that >> Did you receive the communication from Mrs. Poole explaining that and what was going on? >> Just the one that said that due to safety you have canceled the class. >> And then what was going to happen for the rest of the year? >> Yes, but it said on there that they weren't doing a study hall, but they are. So, I just wanted to like correct that they they >> Wasn't I told My understanding is that they do safety lessons because they were not trained on any safety lessons. If they were doing those, that was my

121understanding. So, I mean I can walk down there and check on it, but I haven't heard anything from here that that wasn't. So, that can be checked on. >> Yes, definitely cuz I just I saw it 2 days in a row and he said that's what they're doing and I asked him if that's everybody Could the kids repeat it if they wanted to? I mean >> They would take a repeat of non-credit. >> Yeah. So, that doesn't feel allowed. So, that was just >> Yeah, I think definitely go down and see what's going on cuz that's what's happening and it just feels a little different, sorry. >> Yeah. It's definitely a bad situation. >> Yeah, definitely >> And it is a bummer cuz he really he really enjoyed it. But and again, it's nothing to

122be sad about. It's just that it was the way that he actually could get the foundation of Wolverine so he could continue. >> Yeah, I think I most of the kids are probably are feeling disappointed with the way that it turned out. >> So just disappointed when they said that was misinformation cuz I thought like that's It's It's unfortunate but that is 100% accurate. Oh well, I just wanted to share that. >> Anything else? >> I have a question. What happens So I know you said we're hiring an EMT teacher for going out for hiring. What happens if we don't find one? What's our backup plan I guess cuz since it's so hard to find people and we're struggling >> You know how the whole menu of people that are willing to work a couple

123hours? That's how we found our nurse. She just reaches out to her. That was her job forever. She just reaches out and says, "Hey, I've got a couple hours here. Are you interested?" That's how we brought in our nurse. Because she's only working a few hours a week to oversee it. So I say with the EMT person, they only wanted a couple hours a day. They didn't want to be a full day teacher because they had another job. So that works out really well to those two hour courses because that's how Mr. Broke came here. He took care of this himself before he came here and got certified by the state and then she just he do it. So it'll be the same format. If that person said, "Yeah, I don't want to." She'll just

124keep checking until we find someone but I don't think we'll have any trouble with the person that's in this so cuz she she was very thorough vetting who really wants to be committed to doing it. And they're working now on getting certified so they have a bachelor's so pretty good pool. >> So our plan is to keep it We will continue to try to fill Yeah, fill the position. If by chance it comes down to whatever, we will We will have to make a decision about >> And you had known that in the summer. >> Right. Yeah. >> But right now we're Yeah, it's it's going to work. >> I want to jump into our fourth topic here and try to get this wound up. >> [snorts] >> Uh, but I'm going to read this

125because this is really the only chance that the board has to address our her thoughts or defend ourselves. We can't do that online. We have to act as one body. We can't uh, >> [snorts] >> say anything really besides in this room. So, I'll take this opportunity to read this. Lockwood Lockwood School District is aware of recent comments circulating in the community that portray the Board of Trustees in a negative light, particularly regarding communication and transparency. It is important to address these concerns with accurate information. The Board of Trustees and district leadership have made a consistent and intentional effort to engage the community in open dialogue, especially on sensitive and complex topics. Over the past year, the district has held multiple publicly noticed meetings and forums specifically designed to provide information, gather feedback, and allow

126for community participation. These include regular board meetings, work sessions, and additional community discussions when needed. Some examples of that are uh, 4 plus and whether or not that program was going to stay, it stayed. Start stop times of the schools. Um, we spoke with the community about that. We listened. We got that worked out. Getting rid of standards-based grading. We accomplished that. And the discussion on correspondence courses. Though that wasn't a board meeting, that is something that the board supported encouraged based on community feedback and what the community wanted. In total, the district has conducted numerous opportunities well beyond required board meetings for the public to engage, ask questions, and provide input on key issues affecting our schools. Each of these meetings has been conducted in compliance with Montana's open meeting laws with agendas posted

127in advance and time provided for public comment. Uh, Uh, this is not here, but speaking of public comment, I know people have been confused why it is at the bottom of the agendas now. It doesn't change the amount of time that people have to respond to or their access to responding because on each action item Josh will say uh he'll ask for public discussion, and that's the same thing as public comment. You You still have an opportunity to speak on any action item at that time. Yeah, online or in person to sit here. Um one of the reasons that we made that change was because the board meetings were getting so contentious, and we're trying to have students presentations here, and it's just getting glossed over, or maybe if somebody has an award or an

128accomplishment, it's not being acknowledged or noticed at all because there's just this tension in the air, and these students are here, people should feel proud of what we're about to acknowledge, and it's it's just completely overshadowed. So, they're still exactly the same time limits, people It's still the same process. It's just removed so that at the beginning of the meeting, we can better showcase or spotlight the more positive things and keep kids away from the contentious parts of some of these meetings. Like I used to have my my children here, and I don't anymore. I try to avoid it because I don't know what what the atmosphere in this room is going to be like, and I think that's that's really too bad, you know. While not every decision will result in universal agreement, it

129is inaccurate to suggest that decisions are being made without transparency or opportunity for input. The board operates within its legal authority, and administrative decisions are made with careful consideration of student safety, educational quality, and operational responsibility. It is also important to recognize that misinformation, particularly when shared through social media, can create confusion and misrepresent the work being done. The district remains committed to providing factual, timely information and encourages community members to attend meetings, review posted materials, and reach out directly with questions. Lockwood School District values its community, which we are [snorts] a part of. We have students in the buildings. We are your neighbors. This matters to us, too. Open and honest communication, compliance with all legal requirements, providing opportunities for meaningful public engagement, making decisions in the best interest of students. We appreciate the

130continued involvement of our community and encourage direct participation in processes designed to ensure transparency and accountability. As long as these types of meetings are productive and collaborative, we can continue to have these. So, hopefully, there's a good takeaway from this. Any thoughts? >> I'm going to say say this, you know, I think the district can always do better. >> Yeah. >> And, you know, the past years as a board member, it's hard to be a board member and be up here. And And but we're all here cuz we love the kids. And if you spend any time in the schools, they love your kids. I mean, go to a house game with Mr. Boyet. Mr. Boyet, you can see Mr. Boyet kids. I mean, bring your plugs, but they love your kids. Go and watch

131what he gets. I pick up in primary. You know, and she has dance parties or jump about or, you know, look at Mr. S in the primary. Walk across the campus, he's like the Pied Piper. They love your kids. For human, we're not doing everything to our fit. But we are following what we're supposed to be following in terms of the guidelines. Um, we're making decisions with everything in the best with the kids. So, I do want us to try and focus on some of the positive things that are going on in campus. We can always improve, most definitely. I think we've seen a lot of things in terms of transparency, communication have been gotten better, but they need to get better. But, we're a small community, a community that's always supported the school. But,

132find out what's going on. There's so many fun things going on in your school. I mean, they're going to have a recitation of Aladdin. Who would have thought in last year the Little Mermaid? I mean, there's just These are great things going on in the schools. And um so, just you know, try and remember those things, too. But, we do want to hear about the things in our book. And we do want to try and fix those things. Um but, it needs to be in a productive format where we all can hear and talk about it together. So, that's my experience as a years of board member. Yes, right. But, um we do it because we love our kids. We love our kids. We love them. We love all of them. I'll let myself off

133the hook. >> Thank you, Kirsten. >> Are you ready? One of the most important topics why everyone is here. This is a public school. So, we'll talk about student experience, academic quality, correspondence online, and CDA credit policy. I'm not an expert. Gwen, Andrea, the experts, are not here tonight. So, I'll try to answer what I can. I think between all of us, we should be able to. Uh there's been a surge of claims about student experience and academic quality, mostly on anecdote. Uh under Montana law, the Board of Trustees is responsible for governance and policy. Administration is responsible for day-to-day day-to-day operations, staffing, scheduling, and program delivery. That's not something the board has control over. We take the hit for it a lot. Um there's nothing we can do per Montana law. So, I just

134want to make that clear. This is one of those different divisions. Um our authority is delegated through board policy. Operational decisions do not require board action unless they rise to the level of policy change or formal program adoption or elimination. And even then, programs must be defined as those specifically actionable goals by the board. Uh regarding the claim This is a broad, generalized claim, but it was one of the things that was said, so I pulled it so that we could address it, that there was no credit for correspondence courses. Um and I do have a correction here because I typed this portion, and I made a mistake. So, I need to correct that. >> [snorts] >> Um I might have to read it before I catch it, but a student All right, so the

135claim is no credit for correspondence courses. The truth is, a student, and this is based on Gwen and and our new handbook, a student may take as many correspondence courses as they wish in whatever topic they like, but those beyond what LHS policy allows I have will not be included on the LH LHS transcript. That's not true. >> It will be on >> It will be included on the transcript, but the grade is not weighted for GPA. So, again, they can take as many as they want. It is the grade is not weighted for GPA. The class will be on the transcript. >> She said it was not going to be included in the GPA. >> It's not. >> Okay. >> Let me make the distinction between weighted and included in the GPA. >> It's

136not included at all other than the ones that are allowed, like one, two, three, and then after that, you can do as many as you want, but it's not weighted, it's not for the grade. It can be listed on there if you fill out the form. >> How many classes? >> So, the student will need to get their transcript from whatever institution or institutions they receive the credit for the correspondence correspondence course from and submit it to the institution at which they're applying. So, any college that they're applying to for secondary education will still know that they took the course, that it's it's not for nothing, it's just not weighted on the GPA. And this is the reason why allowing students to stack weighted grades through paid correspondence courses would create a fundamentally inequitable system.

137It would introduce a dynamic where students with greater financial means could access additional opportunities to boost their GPA beyond what is available within the standard school days and course offerings. This is not a level playing field. So, this is where as a board we have to consider the whole district, the entire student body, and make sure that we're not disenfranchising anybody or giving somebody a level up based on essentially money that other kids will not have access to. >> Is it those courses for credit? >> No. >> Just the first two. >> First two? >> You can only do >> two. >> So, you get to do up to two college courses for free. >> Okay. >> Right. >> I thought it was only two. >> So, academic distinctions such as valedictorian and salutatorian are

138intended to reflect sustained achievement within the district's established curriculum and expectations. If students were able to add unlimited or disproportionate weighted coursework outside of those structures, particularly those courses that require out-of-pocket payment, it risks shifting those honors away from merit and toward access. District policy is intentionally structured to prevent that imbalance. Correspondence courses require prior approval and are reserved reserved for situations where a course is not offered. Not as a mechanism to accelerate GPA or bypass the integrity of the school's academic framework. Essentially, you cannot purchase titles. Likewise, dual credit opportunities offered through the district are built into the system, ensuring students have access to advanced coursework in a way that is equitable and aligned with staffing, certification, and program standards. The goal is not to limit opportunity. It is to ensure that opportunities fair,

139consistent, and accessible to all students. The board and administration take the integrity of academic recognition seriously and are committed to maintaining a system where achievement reflects effort, rigor, and equal access, not the ability to pay. And then I've got the latest >> [snorts] >> LHS handbook language that we just approved at the April meeting attached, and I will not read that. Um There may be other questions. Maybe not everybody saw that when did post a spreadsheet of what she and her team consolidated based on the question and answer session that she held, and that was attached to the last board meeting. Do you have any other questions related to that? What? >> The date piece rolled up. The date you rolled up. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> I think you missed the last

140one. I just want to make sure you >> The list it should be May 1st then the second. >> First semester's Yeah. >> So, [snorts] are the dual credits still weighted? >> There's a whole section here. Dual credit is the broad term. Dual enrollments are part of our high school course offerings taught by our staff and found in the course catalog. These courses would not require corresponding course approval. And that's the that's um through the 1 2 3 program students may enroll in their first two dual enrollment courses for up to seven credits tuition free. Students may enroll in additional dual enrollment courses at the dual enrollment rate of 50% of two-year resident tuition. Course fees may apply for specific courses. Students are responsible for all additional tuition and course fees after their 1 2

1413. >> I believe the answer to that is yes. Let me follow up about that and I can email you, but I believe because everybody has the same access to that amount, I believe that that is correct. >> It is. >> Meaning it's weighted at a 5.0 versus a 4.0. And it's only a Is it worth five points? Is it the same? Is it worth five? So, the first seven up to seven credits that the district is allowing the kids to have, is that credits weighted at five point on their on their uh transcripts? On their grade point average. I don't know. I'll find out. Is that like the college um math class? >> Yeah. >> And Mitchell got a 5.0. Mitchell got his weighted. I don't think that changed. >> I don't think that

142changed, Jamie. I think what they said is you can't just go take as many as you want and then it goes towards a weighted point. >> So, anything after the seven is not on your >> It's the same as you It doesn't go. You can ask to have it on your transcript. There's a form to fill out, but it doesn't go towards the weight and it doesn't go towards the grade. Anything >> It doesn't go towards a GPA, Phil. >> Yeah, not enough. >> Okay. >> Which could balance that out. That was that equity thing. >> It can still be submitted to the colleges. >> Right. And you don't have to get your actual college transcript anyway if you're applying to college. >> So, you'll still get So, after your seven, you will just get

143college credit, not high school credit. >> Yeah. >> Is that Am I >> You're good. Yeah. >> clarifying this correctly. >> Yeah. >> But anything that's seven credits right there for the high school is weighted at a five. >> Towards your GPA. Yeah. >> Towards your GPA. Is anything else on a weighted on a weighted range in Lockwood High School? >> I think our [clears throat] honors >> Meaning like your honors classes. >> classes. Yeah. I believe the honors are and I I'm being I'm saying I believe. >> Yeah. I'll I'm ready to Okay, because you're Your honors students have a 5.0. No, you don't. So, honors and college is weighted at a 5.0 optimum. This one I'll just have it. I think so. I'll confirm. I I don't see how else it could be

144differentiated uh to you know, figure out who's going to be valedictorian or salutatorian. It doesn't have to be that way, but I'll find out. Which I I just want to make very clear that that you guys that Lockwood is unique in that way that allows >> [clears throat] >> your dual credit, your college credits to be weighted at a 5.0 versus at a 4.0 because in Swedish or two it is at a 4.0. Anything AP or honors is a five point. All your college courses is a four point. So, I'm just letting the community know that Lockwood right now is allowing your children to have seven credits of college courses at a five point, which is which is awesome. >> [clears throat] >> Yes, sir. >> Um I I'm not going to confuse but what's

145the difference between a dual credit and a correspondence? You do If I'm not mistaken on the dual credits you you get the two and then you can take more at a 50% discount, right? So, you can take as many of those you want to count for your weighted GPA. Right? >> That's right. My >> You only get those seven credits if we offer the dual credits. Correspondence you can take as many as you want, but they don't go towards the weight of your grade or towards the grade when it's weighted. Valedictorian, salutatorian. >> So, the the list of dual credits on here right here >> Civics, American government. >> Right. Okay. So, I think the paragraph above that says you can take as many of those as you want and they will count towards your

146weighted GPA. As I read that to you before. >> dual credit offering >> It's just the college credits versus, right? That you get the 2 3 those dual credits don't count. These These are the ones we offer at the high school everybody has access to those so you would that would go towards your actual right. That's what you can take all of them. You can take all of those because everybody has access to them. You can take all seven of those. And look at that. It's the ones that you're going outside of to find that won't count towards it. The ones you have to pay for are not going to count towards the weight on your GPA. These are all offered at the school. But you're still paying to not those. No, not the ones

147that we offer we got no offered school or civic you pay for. No, I know law civics college EMP college straight calculus district. We pick those up correct on? That doesn't go to your 50% of your So that 50% was the first part. Yes. Got it. Okay. It's confusing because we get bills in the mail tracking down the table. Yeah. It is confusing. Any other questions on dual enrollment correspondence? If anyone has hasn't seen Wynn's question and answers and Andrea's and her their school leadership team go to the April agenda and it is attached there. And any follow questions I would encourage you to ask Wynn or Andrea. Do you know just and this might be a follow up for Wynn or Andrea because it is still confusing. I get I'm getting it more but

148the corresponding courses again I always try to use like German right? German could be a corresponding course. So is there I mean is there a list somewhere that has the list of corresponding courses? I I don't know if I've seen one. I don't think I've seen one. Okay. you can take it from so many different >> places. >> You can find your own person that gives it and they might not even be Yeah, certified. So, you go through all that time, spend all that money, and you're like, "Oh, I took German. I'm good to go." And then you try to transfer it in and it's like, "Oh, no, that's >> It has to be accredited. >> Yes, it could be not accredited. That's the problem. >> And and that's why I mean, again, I I

149think why sometimes I feel like we over confused it or complicated it because it's you know, it is those corresponding courses that somebody went and found themselves. >> Yeah. >> Right? And and so, I mean, the amount of the amount of people who are actually wanting and needing those corresponding courses are in that in that higher or lower percentage. Not saying, you know, it's not important, but then it's just that's where it's getting Yeah, it just gets confusing again because, you know, and and Stacy, I thank you for how you pointed that out is that it's, you know, inequitable. So, I mean, that's very important for us to keep and continue to say it's inequitable because I mean, again, corresponding courses can be bought. >> Yeah. >> But if they weren't, if there would be

150no reason to to have a >> have a valedictorian. >> Yeah, but it's very okay. >> I'm not saying we're getting rid of valedictorian. I'm not saying that. >> Or if anybody has taken advantage of this, or if anybody has earned the title, absolutely. It's This is just, you know, thinking ahead down the road and and uh thinking of the students who just don't have that same access. >> Any other things on corresponding school enrollments? All right. Next, I'm going to go to board versus admin roles. Um on a board, uh we had great training from uh >> [clears throat] >> Deborah Silk the other day or yesterday, literally. Um and she went over the duties of what legally we are required to do as board members. It's called uh there's three of them. There's

151duty of care, duty of loyalty, and duty of of obedience. So, I'm just going to I have a printout here if you want it. Um we can get it to you. Uh duty of care is active diligence, completeness, and informed judgment. Uh what that means is a trustee must act in a reasonable prudent person uh as a reasonably prudent person would in similar position using care, attention, and sound decision-making. What requires in practice uh thorough preparations, reviews and reviewing board packets, financials, policies, supporting documents in advance, attending meetings consistently on time, participating discussion deliberations, and decision-making, uh weigh alternative risks and long-term impacts. Next, we have duty of loyalty is a fact act in the best interest of the district above personal, political, or external interests. We have to as a board act what's best

152for the district in every decision that we make. Um a trustee must act in good faith in a manner reasonably believed to be in interest of the district. What's that look like? Avoids a conflict of interest, disclose financial, personal, organizational affiliations, refrains from participating with conflict uh when conflicts exist, protection of confidential information, maintain confidentiality in personnel matters, legal discussions, negotiations, and student issues. Uh respect executive session boundaries, make decisions based on the benefit of the district, no personal relationship, political pressure, or public perception. And we the way that we vote it may just we as Deborah put it, we can't vote on things where it's like, "Oh, this is going to benefit my kid." But it could hurt 20 other kids. We have to do what's best for the district in everything that we

153do. Trustees separate personal opinions from fiduciary responsibilities, sensitive information is handled appropriately. Uh number three is duty of obedience. A trustee must ensure that the district complies with all applicable laws, regulations, and board policies, and that governance rules are respected. Adherence to law, follow Montana Code Administrative Rules, and federal requirements. Uh adherence to policy, follow and enforce board adopted policies consistently, ensure policies are the framework for board action, respect for governance rules. The board governs through policy oversight and direction. The superintendent The superintendent implements policy and manages operations. So, we're going to go back to this one now. Key points, the board and in that packet I've attached all the MCAs and our policies. Board governs through policy, sets goals and oversight consistent with the MCAs and policies. The board does not manage day-to-day operations

154and acts only as a body in properly noticed meetings consistent with MCA and policy 1511. What that means is even if you guys see us off on the street, if we're not sitting here in this room right now during a board session, we have zero authority. Uh the superintendent serves as chief executive officer and district and and is responsible for implementation policy and directing operations consistent with the MCAs. The ARM ARM is Uh administrative rules of Montana. Thank you. Board delegates administrative authority to the superintendent including management of staff and programs consistent with policy 1530 and 6110. Administrative policy operate under the authority of the superintendent are responsible for managing assigned areas for implementing procedures consistent with policy 6140 and the arm. Principals are responsible for today operations of the building including staff supervision, student

155management, and school operations. Now, uh authority flows from the board to the superintendent and through administrative administration to principals and staff creating a structured chain of responsibility. Also, policy 1511, 1513, 6110, and 6140. Operational matters include staffing and program executions are handled by the superintendent and the admin consistent with the FCA and policy 1511. Instruction, curriculum, and program implementation are carried out by administrators and staff under board approved policy consistent with the 2100, 2130, and the arm. The structures ensure accountability consistent seeing compliance with state administrative laws and board policy. Uh quick question and answer, who wants the district? The superintendent manages the district operation to implement and implements board policy. Uh what is the board's role? The board sets policy, establishes direction, and provides oversight. Can the board manage staff or programs? No. The

156board does not manage day-to-day operations acts only as a body in a properly noticed meeting. Can an individual board member step in to fix something? No. Individual trustees do not have authority outside of the board meeting. The only caveat to that is if we as a board delegate Christie, we all have faith and confidence in her. She is knows everything about bussing and we're looking at putting a bus plan together. We as a board can give her authority to go out into the community and work on our behalf. >> In a meeting. That is the only She still can't sign contracts or anything like that. But that is the only time that the board has allowed somebody else to do something. Uh what does the superintendent do? The superintendent implements policy, manages staffing, and directs

157operations. What do principals do? Principals manage day-to-day operations, buildings, including staff, students, and facilities. Uh who would uh how would concerns be directed Who would the concerns be directed to? Concerns should be directed to appropriate levels of administration, typically the principal or superintendent. The board is the last stop. We have 1,700 policy that you can go through the whole thing with. If you bring your grievances directly to the board, whatever we decide is what we decide, and there's no recourse from that. I would suggest that if you have an issue with Can I use you, Mr. Goyette? >> Absolutely. >> All right. If If If you have a If you have an issue with Mr. Goyette or a teacher in Mr. Goyette's building, you go [clears throat] to Mr. Goyette. Mr. Goyette sits down, he

158doesn't You don't like what you hear. Then you go to Kelly, the assistant superintendent. Kelly doesn't know what he's talking about, obviously. So, you go to Mr. Chrisman. Mr. Chrisman hasn't had his Alani for the day. Probably can't have you get a coherent thought all the way out till he gets that second cup of coffee. You don't like him. Then you come to the board. The board is the last stop. We have a way to procedure to do this. We have things set up, and that's the way it needs to be done. If you have information, and here's another thing, too. If you send an email to the full board demanding information, that is not a FOIA request. That is a demand. If you want information from the board or admin, I suggest that you

159direct it directly to Deanne. Actually, I'd say Mr. Chrisman, the superintendent. He's in charge of FOIA requests. Do your FOIA requests through Mr. Chrisman and say, "I would like this information." If we're able to give it to you, there's no confidential information, proprietary information, legal information in it, we by law have to give it to you at 25 bucks an hour to gather information, I think is what we have to charge. 25 bucks an hour, right? That's the proper way to do it. If you want information, we are available. But we have to do it properly. You can't just blast out an email to everybody and say, "Hey, I want this." That's not a FOIA request. Questions? >> Just FOIA requests. That's why a lot of those emails you guys send to the entire board

160go unanswered cuz you can't really answer. >> We had one today and I responded with this is not a proper FOIA request. Any other questions? >> I have a question. >> Yes, ma'am. >> If if it's documents that should be included in a board meeting, those still need to be requested, too? >> What kind of documents? >> Supporting. Like they need to be requested, you're saying, through a public I can't remember the terminology. >> FOIA? What the I don't understand the quest documents. >> If if we're in a board meeting, we've requested documents that aren't included that are supporting documents for a board meeting, those have to be separately requested that way? Or if we're requesting in a letter that you provide supporting documents for what's on the agenda? >> If you if you request

161anything from the district, it needs to go through a FOIA request. Because here's here's another thing you guys may not know. The agenda, myself, Stacy, and Don, we set the agenda probably >> 96 hours, but we work on it throughout the month, which Chrisky's description of hey, maybe we should give more information on things, that's on me. I can 100% do that because I am continually in conversation with Don, Kelly, and we're putting things together when we do the board packets. If you don't see something that you think is beneficial or is brought up, but that doesn't mean that I didn't deem it as necessary for information-wise. I have to get as much information as I possibly can to the board so that they can make a informed decision when we meet and we deliberate.

162So, if you want more information beyond that, yes, FOIA request is the proper way to do it. And we have I don't know the policy off the top of my head. There is an actual policy FOIA request paper you fill out, all that stuff. >> And And I just want to add, Josh, again, we went through a training last night with Deborah and I mean, as Christie said earlier, you know, we're We always have room for improvement. So, I mean, we we talked last night, too, about better ways for transparency on deliberation. Um because I think that is a huge concern right now with the public is that, you know, it might appear to you guys that we don't have the right information or enough information. And so, that's like Josh said, you know, he

163he heard that also. He'll work on that. Um we'll work on better ways to make sure that we're making sure everybody's opinions are heard. You know, I mean, it's Those are just things that as a board we also talked about last night is, you know, we we hear you guys. We understand. I mean, you're not I don't think it's personal attacks is how do we be better transparent that, you know, we're not making a decision because we think Shane has more information than Lacey. You know, here's all the information. Shane, what are your thoughts? Lacey, what are your thoughts? And I mean, we can only get better at that, right? So, just as an FYI, that was very helpful and informative last night that we need to continue to do better so that we are

164deliberating and talking and and, you know, not just making decisions that appear to be possibly rubber stamped. I mean I've heard different terminologies over the years, but yeah, so >> Yeah, the other thing is We also have committees that do a lot of the research and then bring it to us you know in the in the meeting and that's how we make our decisions. You know, I'm not in the budget committee, but if they have suggestion, I know that the three of them like to make sure that everything they let us know is true and we can make decision on it. So >> I think sometimes those things aren't included is what I'm saying. So for a community member to follow, I don't know when they're discussed. We've had those discussions, Stacy, like it's it's

165neither here nor there now, but I'm just saying sometimes it would be nice to see what information you guys have that you're bringing your decisions on. Because otherwise we are lost. >> It's the board packet. >> But sometimes you don't have supporting documents. Just like the raises, why are we doing this? How did we get here? I mean we've already been through all this. I'm not trying to rehash it. I'm just saying that's one example that I can give you. It would just be nice to have supporting documents to see why you're voting the way you're voting. >> We have these open board meetings that we have with the budget meetings that we have open meetings. You know, we have these open meetings. You can come and find out all that same information. >> And

166I understand that for him to say for for the family member who can't make it to every one of those meetings cuz it's a lot and it's hard to follow when it's not your everyday thing. A snapshot of what they're bringing to a general board meeting. Like we're we're going to recommend this. Here's why. Boom, you're voting. Okay. At least it gives the community a snapshot of what's going on. So that eliminates question. It eliminates room for non-transparency, I guess is what I'm saying. >> Um I I re-watched April's meeting and we were talking about admin raises and there was reference to like a February 3rd email and I had mentioned that there was uh like this has been discussed and that was definitely the wrong word to use. Uh there was no discussion. Like

167Kelly sent us information. There was no deliberation or back and forth in emails or anything like that. So, that's I'm just pointing out that this is not a word I should have used. Uh so, we may receive information, but as board members we are definitely not allowed to have like back and forth banter on email uh or make decisions on email or uh that type of thing. So, I just wanted to correct. >> No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no. The only time we can really do that is when we're trying to figure out a date to have a meeting or something like that. We actually in that training last night uh Jackie Loven made a very good point

168of if I feel I don't have enough information what do I do? We originally went to you send an email to Don, you CC the full board, and then Don can respond with that. Deborah Silk said that can be viewed possibly as a open dialogue or a private closed meeting. So, what we have to know down now was if a trustee has an issue and they want more information they ask for it directly from Don. During the meeting when that agenda item comes up the trustee that asked for additional information will come up and say, "I wanted more information on this." And then provide the information that they asked. That way there is no nobody can say that we had a private meeting, closed meeting, anything like that. Even though we were trying to make

169it as fluid as possible so that full board had all of the information at the same time, that under the law can be viewed as a closed meeting. So, that's the procedure that we figured out is what we're going to do is if you have questions, you email Don. When that agenda item comes up, it is your responsibility as a trustee to say, "Hey, I have more questions. This is what I asked. This is what I found out." So, that was also a good training effort. We are trying to get better every time we have a meeting every day. Human, [clears throat] we're going to make mistakes, but we're trying. Any other questions on admin rules versus board rules? All this information that we're going over now is from last night's meeting that was an

170open meeting. I urge everybody to watch it. It is 3 hours long, but it's got good info. >> Yeah. >> Half an hour is just >> Yeah. >> How long is this meeting? >> It is. No, I would I'd change the Right. You should We record everything. I mean, we're the only district that I think I may be misspelling. We record our trainings, we record our committee meetings, we record our board meetings, we post them online. And it's actually NTSBA does not like that because it can give too much information out that they can't control. But, that's us being transparent as we possibly can with the community. We do everything in public except closed sessions or expulsions or things like that. So, I just want to throw that out there, too. Next, my entire section

171on JROTC. I'm just going to go over the Q&A that I did. Why Why was Air Force JROTC discontinued? The program did not meet the required staffing and enrollment threshold under the agreement and therefore cannot operate. Who made the decision? It was the administrative outcome based on program requirements not being met. Why did the board not vote? Uh there was no board action taken. The program cannot operate without meeting the required conditions. Can the board override this? No. The program operates under a federal agreement and defined requirements. Can the program return in the future? If required staffing and enrollment thresholds are met, it can absolutely be considered through the appropriate process. Why wasn't there another instructor hired? Staffing decisions fall under the superintendent operational authority and must align with program requirements and district needs. How

172many students were enrolled? We supplied that with uh that scale that we had. Uh is this about funding? The primary issue is failure to meet required staffing and enrollment conditions. Did the board choose to eliminate the program? No, the board did not take action to eliminate the program. Can the individual board members intervene? No, individual trustees do not have authority to direct staff or manage programs. Any other questions, comments, concerns? We do have two public comments right here. >> So, Josh, just really quick on the JROTC, I think you've done that. And Christie, I just want to reiterate that Christie did say I mean, I think we could have done better with transparency cuz it it was caught off guard. I think just some of the board members also that didn't know that this was

173happening. So, whether it's administrative or or whatever, like let's just try to get ahead of those things so that we're not um being blindsided by decisions that could become um pretty >> contentious, yes. >> I have another thing that I just just popped into my head. Sorry, Lucy technical. When you say it's Is it the law or policy that that Don is in charge of for working? >> We have delegated as a board >> That's what I thought. So, that you >> Don. >> You guys could as a board you do delegate your policies and how you want to see a board flow. Like you can change that as you go is is what I understood from your training last night. So major decisions like just to your point Christy like major decisions maybe would

174have been good for for great decision. >> Then we would have to define what are major decisions. >> That was a major decision. I don't know. I mean I don't know. I'm just saying for another conversation. >> Yes, go ahead. >> I I think I think some people are missing out on these are just advisory decisions. These are things that I mean no one in this room, no one in those schools just says, "Hey, today I think we're just going to let's get rid of the animal decision." That just doesn't happen. I mean there's a lot of conversations and things with the admin of the whole building and then to us. And then we go off of there. >> And I can understand >> I don't think again we're getting into your purview as a

175community member versus who's running the school. And I I think that's the question upon us. I think a lot of people want to have a lot of say than than they have to. But they need something. >> I guess I would just disagree with you. I guess Kelly, I'm not what I say um I just think more transparency. Okay, so I understand that you didn't flip a coin but you as it looks like you did flip a coin cuz it just came up last month as the first anybody knew about it. Unless other people in the community knew more, I have checked with a lot of people and I I haven't found that yet. So that's all I'm saying. >> Well, I think a major decision to some is also not a major decision to

176others. >> True. So >> Maybe that's the that's the question. You know, I was reading the policies. What defines a formal program? Cuz I guess my understanding is something that involves MOA with federal government and the grant that would be grant funding with stream. There was no grant funding involved program that would require some grant discussion before. >> There was no grant funding involved, is there? >> Or a federal funding stream. >> That's right. >> And here's the thing people aren't realizing is we haven't canceled JROTC. It is not effective now. At any time Air or JROTC, Air Force, Marines, whatever, if somebody comes back in and says I want to do a JROTC, we can. We have not gotten rid of JROTC. We have because of the because of the number of kids that

177are currently in the program, we cannot under the current MOA with the Air Force continue on with the program. >> It was never a full-blown program to begin with. >> Yeah, but I thought Mr. Richardson said that he wrote a letter saying you're ending it in March. You're ending it in March. It was not civil to have a letter. >> No, at at MOA states that at the end of any school year either of parties can end it. >> With 30-day notice. We ended it with >> to. We So everything is My understanding is that the the district did not have to end the program. It wasn't mandated for the district to It wasn't mandated on either part to to dissolve or to end the program. Blackwood District is making Don is making that executive

178decision to end the program. >> The course, the course, not the program. >> Okay, so the course so So >> Because the program, if I said we don't want the program, I would have the the board folks say we don't want it anymore. It's gone. And we completely ended it. We stopped the coursework because it's not working. They're not meeting their requirements to have that elective on our campus. >> And here's the other thing. We're looking at 12. 12 kids. >> Well, I just I called and I emailed you uh I emailed the source and he that >> Who is the source? >> 25 25 right now in Um and that was today. >> Who Who is the source? >> I can't do that. in this >> So >> Can I Can I >> Well,

179just just one just one moment. >> Stop. >> One moment, please, because our source is Colonel Matthew E. Tipton. That is our source. That is who we deal with for the program. That we have shown you everything that we can show you. It is true. If you don't want to accept it, if you I don't understand how else we can do this. We're not hiding kids that are involved in a program. The person that we deal with is Colonel Matthew E. Tipton, Director Headquarters Air Force JROTC, Maxwell Air Force Air Force Base, Alabama. I don't know who everybody else called in the community who called an Air Force Base or JROTC, but this is our point of contact. And this is who we deal with. >> So, can I ask a clarifying question to you,

180Don? You said we're we're no longer offering the course, but we're not we're not stopping the program. >> No, because we have got to the program. The board would have to vote to remove the program. >> so I mean, help help me differentiate between I mean, I understand the class. >> That's what's being stopped. The class is not the program. >> The program. So, he's still can do it not in school hours. So, so I don't understand >> It would be the same thing if uh population if kids stopped taking photography. You could stop taking that pro- We could stop offering that program and the board would still not be involved with it. >> We could get rid of it just stop offering. >> Yeah, until somebody came up and was like, "Hey, I want

181to do >> Okay, so I get what you're saying now. So, the program, JROTC, is around >> Mhm. >> somewhere. I mean, school district two might pick up JROTC. >> They're doing it now. >> So, so they're not We're not eliminating the program >> No. >> to get rid of JROTC as a whole because JROTC is huge. Like, it's state nationwide, right? So, that's what you're referring to as the program. We're not getting rid We can't We legally can't say JROTC, you can go away. >> The only way that can happen is if we have it on a board meeting. And people have said that if we want to get rid of JROTC and say we will never offer it again, and then our light is never allowed on Lock wood School campus again. Board

182will. But, because of the MOA and we don't have the current population for it, we can essentially idle the program and say, "Hey, we're not doing it next semester." That's what's happening right now. >> That's Okay. I mean, I think I understand that a little bit better, like idling versus getting rid of it. So, it can come back if it wants to. Um again, I think it it stems from just you know, like, awareness. Right? And understanding that this was this was coming. I mean, that's what That's where I'm at with it is just I mean, I felt like we could have um not could have done anything. I'm not disagreeing with the the decision because it doesn't You know, you've explained all of that, but at that board meeting we didn't have that. And

183again, I'm trying to understand, you know, to Drew's point, I think uh like, you know, what does What does justify as a program? So, I mean, >> So, Dawn, what you're saying is let's say 3 years down the road we have a group of 100 kids that want to do JROTC. >> Then the Marines are going to do idle. >> And then they they go and they go to the Marines and say, "Hey, can we do JROTC? We have a program here. We just don't operate." >> Then they have the agreement. >> And then they would send an MOA and Okay. We sign it. >> John, do you have another question over here? >> Yes, sir. >> By pausing the program I I think I read that I did the school had not paused the

184program and it was stopped by the airport. >> Then it'd be done. >> The JROTC program would be dead and be gone for our future. >> That would >> That came from Colonel Maxwell. >> I read that earlier. >> Yeah. >> So we took pre- Not we, sorry. Not board decision. Don and Pat >> Pat, not Glenn. >> Glenn were proactive in Stop laughing at me, Kelly. >> I think you should call him Pat. >> Uh Pat Jesus. Glenn and Don were proactive at noticing the trends and looking at all of the letters that were coming from the Air Force saying, "It may be taken away. It may be taken away. It may be taken away." So they made the decision to say, "Hey, no. We're We're going to do it ourselves." Took it away.

185So if that does happen, I will wholeheartedly support any other JROTC program >> So would I. >> in this district if we can maintain the numbers. That is key. We We Our numbers were so low that they had to do a special exemption to allow eighth grade into the JROTC program. But those numbers of a hundred [clears throat] above a hundred and eleven eighth graders total added to our total and we still we were nowhere near able to maintain enough. >> So we didn't allow eighth graders. Did that not eighth graders already already done add on to the four hundred and some >> To the percentage, yes. >> So basically what you're saying a hundred and eleven eighth graders and eight kids we actually made worse. >> Right. Now you're 46% driven than 60. Yeah.

186>> 450. >> Cuz I think the bottom line is 50. >> No. >> 50 or 10% >> 10% yeah. >> Yeah, 10 No, 10% or 100 total. Whatever's lowest. So, it'd be >> I don't know what the other one is. 50 or 10% >> for the rule >> Well, I guess I don't even know what to consider. >> We could have got 50 would have been fine. >> Yeah. >> Either way. >> I didn't even miss them. >> Excuse the interruption. >> Thank you. >> Any other questions about JRPOC? At this time, we have two public comments. Uh Michael's Silvernagel >> me. >> Okay. >> I'd fill that out and just speak here. >> Oh, no. You don't do that. >> This is just for at the bottom public comment thing. >> Oh, okay. >>

187We're very informal. We do back and forth discussion. >> You've already discussed all my issues, so which is rare. >> That >> I'll take one. >> Yes, Don. >> So >> Wait, wait. One minute. I would like to thank everybody for coming out here, taking your time. Uh we've been here since 5:30. It's now 8:00. Um Thanks for coming out. Thanks for hearing everybody. Sorry we got a little uh sideways there at the beginning, but >> happens. >> I I hope we can still share you who after this or something. But, uh I just like to thank the community. Everybody here has a voice. You can do a public comment, things like that. Um if you don't have If you don't know, ask. Um Don, Deanne, Kelly, um us. If you ask a board member,

188we are more than likely going to say, "Please contact Don." Or if you send us an email, we are probably just going to forward it to Don, Kelly, or Diane and say, "Hey, can you answer this? Or, can you give me information on this?" Sending everything to the full Excuse my kid. Okay. Sending everything to a full board is not the proper way to get answers. So, that's the only thing I had, Don. >> So, um in talking about how social media and this stuff has become so divisive, this is how, and I don't think people realize that. This is how we should be discussing topics. I've been here for 22 years. And today, I got a phone call from an anonymous person. I mean, that's what people do these days. Who asked me who

189said, "I heard you're going to be retiring." And I said, "Yeah, yeah, I'm retiring in a year." I thought it was like a genuine question. And the comment was, "Well, yeah, it must be nice to take your fat pension and the block would have to pay you on leave." That's what happens when people don't come to meetings like this. And everything's anonymous out there. My door is open and has been open every day since I sat down in that office. And this thing of being able to just go on Facebook and say whatever you want to say about people has now become personal because now I'm being called sneaky, divisive, I don't care about the kids here. Come spend a day with me. Come at 6:00 in the morning and make backpack meals with us.

190Cuz that's the stuff we do. This divisive stuff has got to stop in this district. It's tearing people apart. We're not solving problems by going online and anonymously criticizing everybody. This is how it gets built back up again. Bring people to meetings. Have public discourse. These are good people. And I am going to leave next year because it's 44 years. It's time. But you guys, it's not the way to end it by constantly criticizing and questioning everything the district does, call me. I I sat down with a parent today in my office and had a heart-to-heart discussion because they truly misunderstood things that were going on. And they went, "Wow, I wish I would have done this earlier." That's how it should be going. I don't want to hear, "I called somebody and they gave

191me this information." That doesn't do me any good. Because I can call people, too, and get counter information. It It's the way the narrative works now. Come up and sit down and have a conversation. This stuff on Facebook, I'm exhausted from all of I mean, people keep sending me stuff. "Did you see this?" No, I don't want to see it anymore. That's not what's going on upstairs. That's not what's going on in our buildings. So, when teachers call me and say, "Hey, I want to work in your middle school. I love middle school special ed." That's the stuff that I'm going to grab onto. But, this is probably one of the most positive started out negative things that we've done is to sit down and talk through some of this stuff because the information out

192there is not accurate. And it's not fair to keep painting the district in that in that context. We're not asking the community for a $283 million levy to pay our teacher wages. We're figuring out how to operate the district within our means. This thing with the taxes, not our fault. But, we're learning how to deal with it. We have kept ourselves in control when other places are falling apart. And is it hard? Yeah. You ask Pia how many nights she's been here till 11:00 by herself trying to figure out how to do things. This is stuff I want recognized. What are our kids doing? What are we doing for our kids? This adult bantering and you didn't do this, that stuff has got to stop. And we have to start looking at what solutions do

193we want? >> Which our children do hear, by the way, might have and have come home and asked what certain people have said certain things about myself. So, the things that are being said at home do get back to our kids. >> I am not sneaky. I have been here for 22 years and I have not spent one year not doing what's right for kids. And this has been the worst year of my life and I've showed up every day at 6:00. Come knock on the door. You can come up and spend time with me. I am not above talking to anybody if you're mad at me or not. But this thing of just calling in honestly and throwing out insults like that, that's the stuff that's driving people out of education. Is that negativity.

194We're not doing anything evil here. We're not. And I just wanted to say that because it weighs pretty heavy on me personally when somebody calls and says that Lockwood is going to pay my big fat pension. I don't have a big fat pension. I'm sorry. Education doesn't provide that. Social Security provides more. That's why I'm working till I get Social Security, but I mean, it's not the reality of the world we live in. And I want people to come up here and see this world. It's amazing. And if Lizzie says something needs to be looked at, then we go look at it. That's It's as simple as that. I take her seriously. She came here and sat through the meeting and she had a concern. We're going to look into that and say, "Hey, is

195this really going on?" That's how it works here. I don't want to hear anymore that I called somebody or I I saw this or you don't care about the kids in Lockwood. That is the farthest thing from the truth and I just felt a little bit today like I had to defend myself a little bit. Not being defensive, but I don't like it when people say things like that that are not true. I'm not here to get a big fat pension. I spent half my career here because this is a desperate time level and it's giving me a good point to so So they I'm off the air. >> Put on a turkey costume on. >> Well, I did put on a turkey costume. I was really not. >> public was this beneficial? Did this

196work? >> Yes, and I think >> Yes. >> I think that Josh you brought up a a of points. You guys have fixed and of stuff, But, I'm just going to say that was That was rich That was after things had happened the wrong way and then went back and corrected them. So, it would just be nice to do this more before things get out of control and get to the point where maybe Don's talking. I haven't seen that kind of stuff that Don's talking about. But, before it gets to that point, that's that's not something you can help with that kind of stuff. Before it gets to the miscommunication and the misunderstanding about stuff, this would be great. Like, just having the information is going to eliminate so much of this stuff, I think.

197So, this was amazing. >> Can I Can I counter that with how did the even word losing EMT and CNA start? That's That's a good program. Yeah, that >> I'm not going to answer that in this meeting, but I will tell you later. >> Oh, I was like I heard the I mean, again, I'm hearing rumors, but it was because we hadn't posted the EMT teacher knew we knew the EM teacher was the woodshop teacher, right? Double. So, >> Nobody had Nobody talked to Glenn? I mean, Glenn knew this was a >> Yeah, I mean, I I sent him that way. But, I'm just saying like that's You wanted to know what what I heard. So, or what was heard at the school. >> Yeah. >> How How can it We will promise that we

198will try to do better. Can we ask to ask questions before you post? I mean, ask the district, ask the people in charge before you post things on Facebook and then you find out that it's not true. That's I mean, can we ask? >> Yes, I think that's building trust and accountability and I think that's super important and I think this shows this hugely. So, >> And I think I think what Sherry's also saying is, you know, we they they've seen that the teachers are not non-renewable or is is not coming back and then I think they get kind of worried that that's going to go away cuz that teacher is not coming back. And we don't have a post yet or something like that. And I think they From what I I kind of

199heard is that you know, well, how are we going to have a wood shop and a wood shop teacher is not coming back. How are we going to have this when this EMT when the EMT is the wood shop teacher and he's not coming back? And so I think that's just something the board maybe we hired a wood shop teacher it was part of our board meeting. >> I saw that. >> Plus we stole him from Red Lion I believe. >> And you know what I think is how the wood shop teacher was teaching EMT? Honestly, if I'm going to I'm going to say that out loud. That was confusing on that packet. But yes, we seen the higher packet. We seen that you guys voted on it. We seen who was in there. I'm

200going to move to adjourn. >> I got a I got a motion to adjourn from Is it 18? >> So much. >> So we're here tomorrow?