001Good evening. Oh goodness. >> And welcome to our board meeting this evening. Uh where we do have a quorum. So we're able to move forward. Calling the meeting to order. First, we'll go ahead with our district celebration. >> That's what they're here for. >> Got lots of celebrations today, but I'm going to kick it off to Miss Blake to get us started and then I will uh come back with some additional celebrations. >> Well, thank you for that. It's a a pleasure for me to be here and I haven't seen many of you. So, happy new year. >> Happy New Year. >> And I think I think tomorrow's like 100 days we've been in school. Am I right? Close to it sometime this week. So, we've all been hard at work and thank you for
002supporting our students in our schools as some of our greatest volunteers. So, we appreciate that and I hope that all of us have, you know, days in 2026 filled with strength and wisdom and patience and guidance as we support the students of our community and schools. So, thank you to all of our volunteers and partners. That's the best part of my job is to get up here and brag about how wonderful our community is. And tonight we have I know Principal Strong is so excited. We have Hamilton Learning Academy in the house and I want them to come up here. We have a couple of partners to celebrate and we want you to know who these people are. Look at them in their attire and all. So, just step up, say your name, introduce so
003everybody knows who you are, and stand over here for a photo. >> I'm Christy Strong, principal Hamilton. >> Ginger Beck, high school English teacher, Hamilton. >> June Joseph, middle school resource teacher, Hamilton. >> And I'm Patricia Brown as nurse Brown Hamilton for many years. >> Yolanda Rook's middle school math. I'm Javvarus Grant with the city of Little Rock and I'm the school-based interventionist at Hamilton Learning Academy. >> Thank you for being here. Let me tell you, let me let me tell you anybody else. Let me tell you what this demonstrates. They are excited to be here and they're going to support their partners. That makes a big difference. So, we're grateful to all of you for doing that. The first partner we have to recognize tonight is bronze closet Brooks. Come on up, please. While
004I'm ready, I'm going to give principal hers. Um, this partnership, we love the fact that Brian's closet. Go ahead and take the pictures. I can talk while y'all smile. We love that Brian's closet has been doing this at several of our schools. She keeps expanding her resources. Thank you for that. She helps provide school supplies, hygiene products, things that students need and we know that that's the basis of our learning process, right? So, thank you Dr. Brooks for doing that. We appreciate you. Jake, do you have all the pictures that we need? Okay. And Dr. Brooks, if you'll sit right here, you can join us for another photo. Now, we have a second partnership. No stranger to the district as well. City Connections Anthony Hampton, my friend, come on up. Uh, City Connections has been
005a a long partner and the Hamilton's excited to make them official. I know. And Mr. Hampton was on the community advisory board, I think like 10 years ago or something. So, he's his roots are deep in Little Rock. He's he's raised here and we just love all the services that all of his organizations provide to us. And I know that Hamilton's pleased as well. So, Dr. Brooks, stand up here when get their that done and then you can join and we take one big group photo. >> Oh, you know what? Who who is who is the director for this school? >> I didn't even ask >> and she's not here. >> If you would like to join President >> Wesley, we would love to have you in the photo. Make it official and y'all can
006act like you know each other. Move in a little bit. Move in a little bit. Show some love. >> Oh, and here's this other >> I'll let Miss Miss Joseph has been working hard on these partnerships, too. She's calling me going, "Are you ready? Are you ready when we doing this?" >> Would any of you like to speak on behalf of these partnerships? >> You have one one sentence or two. We are very grateful. >> Well, come here and say it so the our viewers at home can hear you hopefully. >> I would just like to say that we are very grateful for uh Brian's Closet as well as our partnership with City Connections. Um Brian's Closet is very personal and I use that to talk to the kids and and help them with dealing
007with things in life. And then of course with our city connections during Thanksgiving time, they gave every student in our building a Thanksgiving basket. And so I'm just grateful to have you guys. >> Grateful. Thank you. >> We also would like to recognize Terry Elementary Young. Come on up. And that's Director Rose. >> Join her because we're going to be recognizing tonight Central Bank. Patricia, will you come on up and join us? This is we're excited that uh the the central bank has decided to join Terry. If you remember, they previously became a partner with Brady. Yes. >> And she called. She said, "No time to waste. If we're going to close the school, show me show me where to go next." And and we got you there. So, we're proud of that. Thank you,
008>> Jesus. uh central bank supports with literacy, teacher appreciations, school supplies, and would either of you like to speak on behalf of the >> Yeah. Um we are also very grateful to have Central Bank. Um Miss Kian had reached out to us this summer. We said had a long discussion about the needs at Terry and she came through very quickly. So I'm very thankful for you. >> Thank you. Thank you. that and that's what this is all about is giving people the opportunity to demonstrate just how supportive they are to our community and you know volunteering and financial giving complement each other ensuring that our schools have access to people and monetary resources needed to help students thrive. So I'm also going to acknowledge some of our district donors that have been submitted. Um, I'd
009like to acknowledge Nicole Smith, a donation of $3,118 to Central High School AVID annual banquet. All right. >> Rocky's Corner, $150 to Central High School's girls softball team. Bruno Grill, $664 to Central High School girls softball team. Thank you both for supporting our female athletes. Uh, Fullbrite uh, PTA provided a $2,000 donation for Fullbrite Elementary School Media Center improvements. Keith and Karen Woodsmith $3,000 for McDermott Elementary Teachers Appreciation. And then we had a collaborative donation that valued at $2,462 to um Stevens Health Clinic through the um Little Rock School District Health Services Department. And so the following help contribute to this uh collaboration. Carla Brown, Central Arkansas Library System, Fidel C Company, Mary Fields, First United Methodist Church, and St. Mark Baptist Church. We want to thank all of our partners, our volunteers, donors, and
010contributors. Thank you for your time and attention. We appreciate you. All right. Before we get into our celebrations for the month of January, we have some special guests with us here this evening, um, who have an important announcement. So, we're going to ask the representatives from the Arkansas Association of School Business Officials to come up to the podium, introduce yourselves, and to tell us why why you are here. I know why you're here. >> Thank you, Dr. Ray, and thank you, board, for giving us the opportunity to be here tonight and uh celebrate with you. Um, my name is Sharon Chucalate. I am the fiscal services coordinator for the Arkansas Association of School Business Officials. And every year we give an award to the school business official of the year. These nominations are sought from
011their peers. Um the nomination for tonight's award winner says he is a wealth of knowledge in all areas of finance and operations. He serves faithfully in both his professional and personal organizations and is frequently asked to present at conferences across the state and the nation. He is always willing to lend a helping hand and steady force for the students, employees, and community of the Little Rock School District. And so based on his application and recommendations, I'm very proud to recognize Mr. Kelsey Bailey as the school business official. All right. >> Speechch. >> If we can borrow Kelsey in the hall for a little while and take a few photos. >> Sure. >> Before the speech or after. We'll hurry because I'm sure he's got lots to tell. >> Can Before you leave, can you uh
012>> can we get a picture too because I know his family is here. >> Absolutely. Come on up. >> Come on. Speechless. I walked in. Somebody said my brother was here. My oldest brother's here. >> And while they're coming, I do want to add that the award is sponsored by American Fidelity. And American Fidelity is here with us tonight, Mr. Kurt Novak. And so we are very appreciative of everything that American Fidelity does for the association, but also all of the districts across the state. Come on. >> Come on. Thank you all so much. >> I introduce my family, part of my family. This is my oldest brother's four. He's the oldest. I'm the youngest. My sister-in-law, my wife, beautiful wife here and my two boys here. So, yeah. >> This where I met on
013Lake Congratulations, uh, Mr. Bailey. I'm sure this award is welld deserved. >> All right, we're going to continue on with our celebrations for the month of January as everybody exits out of the room and it's only a few people left, but we're still going to celebrate anyway. We got Lita Alson is here. So we will speak to Letha. >> All right. So is lightning about to strike twice for the Chin family? Robert's Elementary student, Alex Chin, third grade, is one step closer to finding out after advancing from the LRC Elementary spelling bee to the Palaski County Spelling Bee set for February the 21st. Alex outspelled a talented field of 26 top spellers who earned their spots through school level competitions across the district. And just to make a little sense out of my first couple
014of sentences if you remember his sister, it may be referenced here. I haven't finished reading what's down here, but his sister uh won the spelling be. Was it last year? >> For the state. Yeah, she won for the state last year. And so um we will see if Alex makes it all well. We know he's going to do well. So we're going to wish him the best of luck on the 21st. We want to uh give a special congratulations to Alex who won first place in our district spelling bee, second place winner to Sydney Adams. And I didn't mention that Alex I believe is a student at Roberts. Roberts, right? We got to break that Robert's winning streak. Um well, never mind. I'll just keep going. Uh second place winner goes to Sydney Adams, who
015is a student at Fulbright, and we had a three-way third place tie. Um the winners were Nathan Bunting from Williams, Zianne Gayy from Roberts, and Bennett Liam from Farits Heights. So good luck um at County Alex. We are wishing you all the best of luck as you represent the Little Rock School District. Congratulations to our seventh grade stock market champs. And I need to set an appointment with these folks to give me some tips. Uh, shout out to Alex Udike, Link Hutchinson, and Corbin Thomas, and Christian Evans for an outstanding performance in the school start market game. Starting with $100,000, these students grew their portfolio to one $131,173 in just 90 days. An impressive display of strategy and teamwork and financial literacy. They finish first place in the school and third out of 710 teams
016overall. As a reward, I don't think this reward matches their accomplishments, but I'm going to go ahead and read it anyway. Um, as a reward, the team earned a choose your own lunch made even better through a partnership with Popeye's Chicken. Uh, special thanks to everyone who helped to celebrate their success. Congratulations to uh the stock market team from Parks Heights STEM Academy. >> 30,000 about 6,000 lawyers got >> Yes. >> We got to work on a better >> this young man we have seen uh before. So, I want to give a special congratulations this time to Palaski Heights Middle School student, Mr. Landon Anderson. is now a published author with the release of his novel, The Williams, a family that rose from the ashes. Landon's accomplishment showcases the power of student voice and creativity
017and LRSD is proud to celebrate his impressive lit literary achievement. If if anyone asks, his book is available on Amazon and again it is called the Williams, a family that rose from the ashes and the author's name is our very own uh Landon. What is Landon's last name? Oh, Landon Williams. >> So, congratulations to to Landon. If you ever heard him speak, he is an eloquent um speaker. So, we are proud of Landon and and um looking forward to his accomplishments as he continues to grow and develop. Parkview High School student Alencia Jones was crowned Miss Pi Lambda 2025-26 at the 75th annual Alpha Alpha Ball. Alencia's achievement reflects her academic excellence, leadership, and commitment to community service, and the Little Rock School District is proud to celebrate her outstanding accomplishment. Congratulations. Please join us
018in congratulating the congratulating the following outstanding students from Central High School. Caitlyn Chin's original poem, The New Me, earned first place in the poem category of the 2025 Rachel Carson intergenerational sense of wonder sense of wild writing contest. It's a mouthful, which is a global competition. Sid Harin and Eric Tang were named among the top 300 scholars nationwide in the prestigious Regeneron Science Talent Search, a science and math research competition for high school seniors. and freshman Maddie Lemans was selected for the Southwestern American Coral Directors Association seventh through ninth grade honor choir. She will represent Central and the Little Rock School District this March in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Way to go to all four of these students. And it is a great day to be a Griffin. And it is especially to be uh exciting
019to be a Griffin today as we are congratulating Miss Kamari Lee, the very first volleyball student athlete at Little Rock Southwest to earn a full volleyball scholarship. >> Where is she headed? You have to stay tuned for more information about the signing in two weeks. But we are proud of Kamari. Way to go. We are thrilled to announce that Christine Duman from Parkview High School has been named presidentelect of the Arkansas State Nurses Association. Nurse Duman will be officially installed as president in June at the state conference. Congratulations to nurse Duman. We continue to celebrate the joy of reading with LRC students and we ask the public to join us as we come together to put books directly into the students hands helping to build home libraries, spark a love for reading and support literacy
020growth. We are thankful for all the great news coverage we have been receiving lately and we continue as we continue promoting LRC's efforts to support literacy across the district. What this really means is we are running out of money. We have had four book distributions where we have been able to give books to all of our prek to fifth grade students and we have a book distribution coming up in the spring and we need some more money. So please donate uh as soon as you can especially to the person who won the billion dollar power ball who was just identified I think today. So, if you're out there listening, >> they didn't identify. >> They just they just they did I thought they they claimed it but they didn't. They remained >> whoever you are
021if you're listening. Um >> and there are probably plenty of other >> and I don't want to be too premature, but we have an exciting announcement to make about reading in the rock as we get close to our one-year anniversary, but I'll save that for state of the district, which we will be announcing that date in March. We are also happy to announce the establishment of our very first customer service committee. We've been talking about customer service for a couple of years now. These staff members have taken upon themselves to volunteer to create a district-wide standard to improve customer service internally and externally and are establishing criteria for districtwide district-wide recognition of a staff member who demonstrates excellent customer service each month. Miss Johnson, that's you. Uh we know this will be of particular interest
022to you since you bring this up quite often. >> You are invited to join if you like and we know that you will be there. >> Uh they will determine how often they will meet and we will be sure to get that information to you. >> Thank you. >> That's right. >> So thank you to our employees for stepping up um and making this a priority. We just wrapped up the seventh episode of the cheesiest podcast on the planet on this planet. If you haven't checked out right on education Shame on you. >> But we just >> but I've been I've been watching but I'm behind. I >> need only up to episode three. >> But we just filmed episode seven. Um and I couldn't have been happier about the the happier and prouder of
023the students we had a chance to visit with. It is school choice month from now until May 1st and we are using this opportunity to tell our story through the voices of our students. And you would have been impressed, very impressed with the young people you see on the screen. They attend Metro as part of the nursing pathway and you'll have to tune in to the next episode to hear more about their inspirational journeys. If you happen to be watching, it's a path you too can take as part of school choice, graduating with an LPN nursing credentials well ahead of the game for college and career. So, we hope you'll watch and listen wherever you get your podcasts. We've been referencing this a couple of times this evening, but um as we mentioned, this is
024a time that students who don't live in our zones are invited to join the LRC family. We are saving a seat just for you. We have several seats for you. More information may be found on the registration page on our website. And if you need more options, check out our new and improved magnet themes for elementary and high schools. The QR codes you see on the screen may also be found on our website. and social media sites. All right, a quick reminder about our upcoming community meetings to discuss our budget. They'll take place Tuesday, February the 17th at Southwest Community Center and Thursday, February the 19th at Henderson. Both happen at 5:30 and we'll be sharing more information on all of our platforms starting tomorrow. Also want to take a moment to remind everyone about
025the upcoming schoolboard election on March 3rd with early voting beginning on February the 16th. Serving on the school board is an important responsibility and we are deeply grateful to the community members who are willing to step up and serve in this way and support our students, families, and staff. January is also National School Board Appreciation Month. And while there is no way to truly compensate you for the time, all of the time, all the energy and care you pour into this work, please know how thankful we are for each and every one of you. Even you, Mr. Rose. >> Well, thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Even I'll thank even you. >> Oh, thank you. As a small token of our appreciation, we have certificates to present this evening and they should Are they in
026their >> bags? Okay. Yeah. Each of you have a certificate in your bag and it says certificate of appreciation presented to the Little Rock School presented by the Little Rock School District to each of our board members for your hard work, dedication, and commitment to helping us shape the future of education for all students, staff, parents, and patrons in our district. We also want to thank our partner Bowwin and Shell for providing a wonderful dinner for you tonight. We hope that you enjoyed it. And finally, our team has prepared a brief video tribute in your honor. Make sure you have your tissue tissue ready. >> Um, at this time, please direct your attention to the screens for this video presentation. My name is Elizabeth and I'm in fifth grade. I would add an extra hour
027to recess. My name is Harper and I'm in eighth grade. And if I was on the school board for a day, I would give students more opportunity for mentorships with other grades in other schools just in our district. >> If I was on the school board, I would take away the no beanie policy. >> My name is Kobe. >> What grade are you, Kobe? >> Kindergarten. My rule would be anything they want to do. If I were on the school board, I'll make our school start at 8:40. >> If I were on the school board for a day, a rule that I would make is high schoolers get to take naps, too. Not just prekers, high schoolers can take naps as well. >> My name is Zyla and I'm in second grade. They help us
028keep keep us safe and choose our lunches. >> Something that I think the schoolboard does is organize events for LRSD and just try to get all the children together and have a great time. >> My name is Kennedy Scarbor and I'm in eighth grade. And I think the school board reflects off our answers and gives us opportunities to state our opinions. >> I think the school board helps with scheduling, making the rules, and making sure school goes the way it's supposed to. My name is Lucas and I'm in fifth grade. >> Uh makes rules for the school. >> I think the school boards make the decisions after they check with the the people hired them like the superintendent. >> Okay. >> My name is Bonnie Kumar. I'm in eighth grade and I want to thank
029the school board for allowing us to choose our electives so we can do what we're passionate about. Hi, my name's Christian and I'm in second grade. Thank you for making our school laws and they keep us safe. >> Thank you. Thank you for all the support. Thank you for all the the changes you do for our community and school. My name is BJ Robinson and I'm the student council president. I'd like to thank the school board for allowing free lunches for all students. >> My name is Camille and I am first grade. >> Thank you to making a war so we can stay safe. I think that our school board really makes a um good job of showing us what diversity and representation looks like. They do a great job of cultivating great ideas and
030really encouraging us to go further and beyond. Thank you. >> Thank you, school board. Thank you, >> Mr. Rose. I think that was a little better than just announcing. That was so cute. >> Yeah, well thought out. >> That is it for our celebrations for the month of January. >> Right. All right. Thank you so much, Dr. Wright. All right. So, we're going to move forward to public comment. All right. This is >> just one correction. Okay. >> Voting early voting starts February 17th. The 16th is a presidential holiday. >> My apologies. >> I have a quick question. Am I feel like my microphone is so loud? Is it >> No, it's not loud. Jeez, I just have a big m Okay, I understand. It's okay. All right. So, public comment. This is the place
031in the agenda when we hear from the public. Parents, stakeholder, and friends of LRSD. We like to hear public comment regarding LRSD issues. We allow three minutes for public comment. Our responsibility is to listen to your comment. We are not allowed to respond or have discussion. All right. So, do we have um anyone for Okay, remind me. >> Carl McGee. >> Mr. McGee. >> Yes, I know who you are. Your name. Okay. Yes, Mr. McGee. >> Uh good. I about to say good morning. Good evening to uh all the board members to the superintendent. Uh I just came to speak real quick uh about um the student leadership institute that we are doing uh here in Little Rock School District. I spoke with superintendent about that a while back and Miss Vessel and myself have
032been working on it and today was our first session. Uh we had it at Philander Smith College and we had uh several speakers uh Scott Hamilton um Dr. Bruce James um Brandon Campbell. >> Brandon Campbell. >> Diana. >> Uh Diana Donahghue, who is uh who is a career coach at Hall. And there's one more. >> Bruce James. >> I said Bruce James. >> Yeah, >> that was >> There was one more. That's okay. We'll get it. By the time Mr. Tony comes up, we'll have it. But um but no uh the kids >> Sorry. Rock High. >> Rock Highland. That's it. Okay. Yes. Yes. Um so uh they spoke to the kids. Mr. Hamilton was the uh keynote and the the rest of the people were uh on the panel. The kids had an opportunity
033to ask questions and uh they were very engaged, very active. Dillards sponsored the lunch and after lunch uh we did a couple workshops, interactive workshops with the students. So this session was about um corporate and uh business leadership. The second session, which will be at the Clinton Center, is going to be about nonprofit and uh community leadership. And the third session, which will be at the Capitol, will be about government uh leadership. So, we're very excited. Uh we're very glad that we could provide this opportunity and this exposure to our students and uh the students seem to be very receptive. So, thank you all for your support. We appreciate it. >> Absolutely. >> Thanks. >> Thank you. >> All right. Um, was there no other no other public comment that we're missing? Stephanie? No. Okay.
034All right. Okay. So, certified PPC. >> Hello everyone. >> Happy new year. Happy new year. Um, I don't have a long report, but the PPC, certified PPC, we did meet on January 5th, which was our first day back. Um, to get the message out about the 2027 budget, of course. Um, I think it was on Monday. I sent Miss Dr. Wright and Miss Burgess the responses that came in from the certified PPC. And, um, we just really had a couple of concerns about some of the insertions that will be in the new contract. Um, one of those concerns, um, was that, um, you could be terminated based on the enrollment numbers in October. That is very alarming. Um, very alarming consider when we've had these, um, things in the past to happen and numbers were
035low. Those teachers did act as substitutes for that year. And um so the question came up if if I'm terminated because the numbers are down, does that mean I qualify for unemployment benefits? So um that is kind of alarming to the certified staff. Also um we just want to make sure because we know that we have to have cuts. We know that 12 to 17 million is a lot of money and the certified PPC just wants to make sure that when we kind of start putting teachers on the chopping block for um un you know enrollment numbers that we're looking at every position not just teachers looking at those positions where individuals are not tied to children. um looking at any kind of contracted position just to look at every single thing before we say
036hey um you got to go you don't have enough kids in your class because we know how it usually goes students will go to different schools and then after October one they'll come back to us and if we're getting rid of teachers because of enrollment numbers what happens when the enrollment numbers come back up and we need those teachers so that was really alarming Norman and then also um you know we just want to make sure that building level people are held to the same you know I mean district level people are held to the same standard as building level people because if enrollment numbers go down and teachers go down then it seems like that district personnel should be going down as well. And so we just want to make sure that everything is
037just just done in an orderly careful manner. And one other part of the contract was the expiration offer where we used to have or at least this past year had 30 days to sign the contract, look it over. It is being um cut to 10 days. The certified PPC did want to know what's the rationale from going from 30 days to sign the contract to 10. And um if if it's related to the state law, then of course we can't do anything about that. But if it's not, what's the rationale behind it? And you know, there could have been somewhere in the middle to meet, maybe 15 days, maybe 20 days. Because essentially what happens is when people aren't recommended for a job, the first thing they're going to do is start applying for jobs
038everywhere, whether it's our district or not. So this could be a situation where a person may need that extra time to decide if this is where I want to be or if I want to be somewhere else. And 10 days may not be enough for them to really make that judgment decision. So, we just want everything just to be fair as we are looking into cutting budgets, cutting positions, and things of that nature. That's all that I really had. >> Sounds good. Okay. Questions? Well, >> so you're waiting on an answer from the things that you said. >> Yeah, I just verbally said this just overall right now, but we'll we'll talk with Miss Burgess and she'll you know, or Dr. Right. But those were just some of the concerns that we wanted to let
039you all know that um was kind of alarming to us was really that contract language. >> Thank you so much. Any other questions? >> I just hi. This is Vicky Hatter. I have question. Hello. >> Okay. I'm sorry. We didn't know you were there, Miss Hatter. Go ahead. >> Oh, yeah. Um so, yeah, I've been here the whole time. um question about um the filling around the new um the the proposed contract language. Um, do you believe that or have you gotten a sense among teachers on whether or not that uh this may uh play a role um and whether or not they seek uh employment elsewhere or or is this just a general uh question? So >> because we are seeing the language at the same time as you. >> Absolutely. I will say
040this, it's alarming because when you sign a contract, you want to at least know that you guaranteed to have a job for an entire school year. So, that in itself is alarming enough to know that because I'm one of the ones that's on the list. I have five classes that have less than 15 students, but I'm sure it's because it's an overflow because there's only two CTE teachers. So, I'm just using myself as an example. There are only two CTE teachers in our middle school. So I have seventh and eighth and then the other CTE teacher has sixth and seventh. So she basically has all of the seventh graders that she can hold and then I have the overflow whereas all of my eighth grade classes they're filled to capacity. I don't have any computers
041left over. And so to answer your question Vicki, yes I think people do have um you know a sense of fear of knowing that they could be working somewhere. Then we get those October numbers in and then it there's this writing here that says that you know there's a chance that you could be terminated. >> Thank you. I have other questions but I I'll I'll uh ask those offline. >> Okay. Thank you. Any other questions? >> Yeah. I'm sorry. >> I just want to say that you have a great bunch of students when they come to do the interviews. It's just amazing how articulate how they are so confident in what they want to do. They sit there and tell you, "Well, if this don't work, I'm going to do this." And I just want
042to tell you, you're doing a great job with your students. I was just so impressed. I was like, >> "Thank you." >> Well, I want to say this this semester, kids, they are awesome. >> You are really going to enjoy this lunch. So, just be ready. >> And let me You know what? Let me ask you real quickly. Yes, ma'am. When will your interviews be coming up? >> I'm going to try to do them in March. It if it'll either be the week after we come back from spring break or the first week in April before testing because I don't want testing to interfere with anything. >> Okay. >> So, yes. And I'll send out an email to you for anticipated dates for that. >> So, you know, just if you'll contact me via phone,
043even if I'm gone, by the end, >> I have your number. >> Okay. All right. Absolutely. >> Okay. >> U Miss Austin, I have one last thing. I'm sorry. >> I'm sorry, Miss >> Sorry. Um, right when you send out the email, if you could uh send it or give me a call on right on my alternatives because by then then I'll probably be off the um and then my term would have ended. So, um headed over. So, >> yeah. So, I just wanted to say that if you could contact me. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Thank you, Miss Hatter. All right. Thank you. I appreciate you. classified will okay CPC. >> Good evening everyone. Hello Tangela Jacobs for classified PPC chair. I don't have much to report today. Uh we are on our very last
044sess section of our um >> policy. So we're excited about that. Uh it's a big one but um we're going to finish that up next month I believe. and um get it all formatted and presented to the board as soon as possible. So hopefully hopefully by the end of next month you guys will have that uh language in front of you. Um I've also just to kind of piggyback off the certified I've also had some classified employees contact me personally about um their jobs and they are truly concerned as anyone should be. But uh and it's mainly the um instructional aids that have been reaching out to me about their positions and I just kind of wanted to put it out there tonight and I'm going to also have a conversation with Mrs. Burgess to
045see what language we can give them or provide to those uh employees that are concerned about their positions. Um but other than that, I think that that's all I have tonight. Okay, questions that we have any questions, Miss Hatter, anything you have. Okay, thank you so much. >> Have a good evening. >> And thank you. >> All right. And principal's round table and superintendent student advisory board. Okay. >> Last name. H A Y A R. >> Okay. >> A R. >> And um pronounce it for me. It is HR. >> Yes, ma'am. Hey R. >> Mr. Har. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Okay. We want to make sure we have that correct for you. >> All right. >> Good evening, Lit Rock School District board members. I'm Tony Har with the comprehensive board report on behalf
046of our superintendent student advisory board. First, we would like to recognize our school district board members in honor of the school board appreciation months. >> Can we get a round of applause for them? THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> Our board is very proud and grateful to have extremely supportive board members who continue to listen and hear our thoughts and opinions. Turning to this month's updates, we have two main events that occurred this month. I'd just like to intervene right here real quick and say that I think personally January has been our most productive months and we've got it very much done, especially with Mr. McGee. >> Okay. We have two main events that occurred this month. The first event was our regular monthly board meeting and then our LRC student leadership institute.
047This month, our board meeting consisted of many different segments which required robust dialogue and critical reflection. First, in our board meeting, we discussed some concerns we had. For instance, having student speakers at graduations and our future meeting dates. The next time the student board will be meeting will be February the 19th. Feel free, as usual, to come to our meetings and reflect on similar concerns and issues you have. Our doors are always open and we welcome anyone to join us as long as you can reach out to Miss Vestal at Stephanie. LRC.org. After our general concerns, we provided suggestions for the upcoming LRC student leadership institute that occurred today. Our next part of the meeting was with Mr. Stranger, the newly promoted assistant director of safety and security. We expressed concerns with him about officers
048and security guards in the school district. We later asked in the future if we could see the in-depth information about the budget um on safety and security and how it is being managed. We expressed the need for the LRC website to be updated and since our meeting I can confirm it has been completed. It is up to date and then we had Dr. Wright step in for a good 45 minutes which we appreciate his his time with us and we talked to him about issues and as usual it was very productive. Thank you Dr. Wright. >> Anytime. >> The next part of our meeting consisted of reaching out to the company Innerbe which is I think you've heard about this before at the board. They haven't been presented. Okay. Well, I'll tell you a little
049about we met with the CEO and co-founder Sean Welock and the head of partnerships IE. The students on the board were then give after a brief demonstration of the app given a free trial to test it to see if it's something in this something students in our school district would appreciate. Essentially a a brief background on the app is it's a AI therapist essentially with like many different personas where you have like sunny hill climb and they take you through these checkpoints and in the chat if it ever feels like you're emotionally down it may send you like help like would you like to call 988 if it seems to escalate to that level but they most likely wouldn't but throughout the chat there's apparently licensed uh therapist who would give actual responses that's been
050trained on it and then it gives the video where it will tell you how to manage your stress or anxiety as a student. >> What's it called? >> It's called Inner Peak. I N E R space P E A K. >> Can I continue? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Sorry. >> We're given a free trial to test it to see if this is something in our school district would appreciate. These events made up most of our meeting and were very productive. The next big event that we had was our LRC student leadership institute held at Philander Smith University where we partnered with Mr. McGee. This event occurred earlier today and students and speakers were given a Dunkin Donuts breakfast which is one of our partnerships to start the day. We were then introduced to Get
051Loud Arkansas which helps people who are 18 and older to get registered to vote in elections in their community. The next part of the institute was led by our keynote speaker, Scott Hamilton, who is a distinguished businessman and our and current CEO of Urban League affiliate, a nonprofit. He's worked with Energy, Energy, Summit Utilities, and even worked in car dealerships. We then had a panel of five very successful and distinguished people who shared some of their experiences with managing mental health and being set up for success. One of those people was Brendan Dampant Bell who has been with the International Radio Television Society, Nickelodeon, MTV and Fox New Fox News and facilitated a $230 billion broadband deal. We then had two very great breakout sections which I'm pretty sure Mr. McGee introduced you about where
052we were given like a slip and a problem and how to manage it and then we discussed as a whole group using a spokesperson. Thank you for your time and continued support board members. I wish you a very good evening. >> You too. Thank you. >> As well. Any other questions? Any questions that we have? Thank you. We appreciate you. >> All right. Okay. So, the chair will entertain a motion. Give you a moment to review that consent agenda. >> Sorry, that moved quickly. I move that the LRSD board of education approve the consent agenda items as follows. 5.1 approval of consent ag that that 5.1 should have been personnel changes. Yeah. >> Uh five or 5 point I get I will remove 5.1 because it's not an actual agenda item. So 5.2 personnel changes,
0535.3 approval of schoolboard meeting minutes, 5.4 community service learning applications, 5.5 purchasing reports, and 5.6 Six, donation of property. >> Second. >> It's been moved and properly second that the LRSD Board of Education approve the consent agenda items as follows. 5.2 Personnel changes. 5.3 approval of school board meeting minutes. 5.4 Community Service learning applications. 5.5 purchasing reports. And 5.6 donation of property. All in favor? >> Any oppose? Motion carries. >> The second was Mr. Mason. Okay, we're moving forward to >> I agree these are louder. >> Aren't they louder? >> Can I ask a question? >> Um, >> sure. >> Is there a particular process for the community service learning applications? Because I had people just reach out to me and they are waiting on responses. Is it a certain like time frame that they
054usually hear back about those? >> Uh, typically those are handled by Laquita Grayson. So um if they're in in you so yeah you want to come up and and talk about it. >> Yes. So if an organization wants to be a community service learning partner we just have a short application we ask them to fill out to gather some information. It can be sent back to either Miss Lita Grayson or myself. Um and then we compile them and put them on the next agenda uh our board meeting agenda for y'all. the application either someone can reach out to me or Miss Grayson and we can email it to you or the community service learning page on our LRSD site. So, if you go to the lrs.org and you just type community service learning, it should
055bring you to a page and the uh the application's also on that page. But if you email Stephanie.vestylst.org, I can get it to you as well. >> And what's what's usually the like the turnaround on as far as like getting approved? you I mean it can be just the next board meeting that you all meet. So as long as I can get it on the agenda by the time Dr. Wright sends you all the agenda the Friday before. So as long as it's the week before the board meeting, it can be approved the next month. >> Thank you. >> Yep. Thank you. Um 6.1, we'll move on to LRSD employee discount benefits for early childhood education enrollment. Miss Jones or Dr. Rice? >> I was just going to say come on up, Miss Jones. And
056you have a copy, board members, of the the latest addendum, the one that we are looking to consider in your folders. There were two on the agenda. >> Good evening, M. Jones. Good evening to the board and to Dr. Wright, our superintendent. Um so several months ago we were um the board did approve for us to begin um pay options for our overincome families, families that did not meet uh financial eligibility for our ABC grant. Um we introduced the sliding fee scale if you remember uh which provides also pay options for families on a sliding fee scale. Um, however, there are a group of families who are beyond the sliding fee scale that they're going to be paying full rate. And so, we've had a lot of inquiries um um you know, in my office,
057I'm sure Dr. Wright as well, uh questions from some of your the board members about discounts. We've had employees requesting that we offer discounts and giving us, you know, some feedback on uh whether or not that would um you know be a a plus for them to stay with the district. Also, we've had families who have two children, which is kind of rare where you have a three-year-old and a four-year-old in the prek program. And so if those families are at full rate then they're paying twice that much the 51050 a month. So um I want to start by saying that you know our rates are definitely um lower than what you're going to find anywhere uh from any other districts that are uh that have pay options for overincome uh families. So it's um
058pretty reasonable from comparison. However, we do want to take a look at what we can offer our um staff here in Little Rock School District and our families who have been faithful to the district and they have children that um you know have two or more children in the program. And so we decided to uh kind of take a look at what we could offer um knowing that also that um our district is um in a financial strain as well. And so if you look at the chart there, the discount summary chart, it shows that the full rate, and this is only offered to families who are at the full rate at off the sliding fee scale. Uh the fee there, monthly tuition fee is 51050. Okay? No discount there. That's the full rate. However,
059if you're an employee, we're looking at maybe 10% discount. And if you have two children in the program, then full uh rate for the first child and 20% discount on the second child's tuition. And so it'll show you there in that last column. And for the 10 months that we do bill for our families, all of our families, that's what we would uh lose um with the discount for sibling and for employee discount. So, and that's a 10 month uh total. Okay. So, I will add um that you know we did take a look at about how many employees employees we have for the upcoming school year that have children in pre-K and it's under 10 um also with the families who have siblings. We're still taking a look at that but uh typically it's
060under about 10 families as well. So, um you know, when you put that into perspective, it's um not a lot, um of families that will be needing these discounts. >> Any questions? >> Questions? >> Yes, Miss Drum. >> Thank you, Miss Jones. Always I really appreciate all the work you do uh to make child care 0 to 5 accessible to families in Little Rock. Um, is there any reason we can't do more than 10%. >> Well, you know, our program doesn't rely solely on the Arkansas Better Chance funding, >> right? >> Um, actually, we're in other funding. >> Um, >> we used to we use K12 dollars, right? Is that what you're >> Yes, we do. Yes, we do. And so we're having to really take a hard look at um how much of those
061dollars we're using because we're, you know, as you see, we're we're cutting things left and right. So we're having to take a hard look at that. And so um I think anything more than that and we don't have a baseline. This is our first year going into this, this is a safe place to start. Um I really believe that after we review it at the end of next year, it it could likely be increases. So >> increases in the discount you mean >> increases in the tuition. >> Oh of the tuition. Okay. >> Yeah. >> The reason the reason I I ask is just that if it's an employee partic I am particularly speaking about the employee discount for those employees who are above the income limit. Um, I I would love to see that
062be 15 20% if that is possible, especially if we're talking about a small group of families. I mean, if we're talking one or two or $4,000, you know, I mean, at $510 per child, I mean, this is very margin of error, like, you know, not even a margin of error in the in the district budget. and and I just think that that this is a really high value benefit for a lot of our educators and staff within our district. So, um I know we're just supposed to discuss this tonight. Um and I and I love how much work you guys have put into this, but I would I would just advocate for increasing that. Um, and then the second question I had, I just wanted to make sure I know when you put in place
063the sliding scale that is prescribed by the state for families up to 250% of poverty. Correct. >> But is if you're over that, it is you're allowed to give an additional discount for a second kid. That is that is for sure okay with the state to do that. Oh, yeah. A second. Okay. I just wanted to make sure because I know that they had they had some prescription on the way that you >> did the sliding scale between 200 and 250% of poverty. So, um, okay. Thanks. And I don't know if Dr. Wright or Mr. Bailey, if either of y'all on the money side of things have any comments on on the on my fe on my on my thoughts on the the discount. >> I'm going to use this opportunity to uh be a
064tattletail on Mr. Bailey. >> Um, the the discount. >> There were um some deeper discounts. >> There were there were deeper discounts before Mr. Bailey got a hold of the document and made some changes. So, I just just wanted to say that >> I didn't say anything. >> I know you you did well. You see how you threw me under the bus there? >> Yes. >> So, as we talked quite a bit as far as >> this is why you made this is why you get all the big awards, Mr. >> Drawing hard lines, right? >> Trying to make sure we still get paid on the 15th and the 30th >> for sure. >> So, as we look we talked about we didn't have a baseline on that. So once you're getting >> for certain
065services or discount employer discounts once you pass 20% it may >> reach their IRS guidelines as well where it becomes taxable too. Okay. >> Looking at those. So it definitely probably needs to stay under 20%. >> The 10% we looked at and 20% I think if they had two kids in there. So >> like she said we may be able to increase it. Uh but tuition rates may have to increase as well. >> Okay. >> Not knowing where funding is going to go. uh we pretty much have utilized all our ESA funding. We have no funds uh available. So uh I don't know. We we want to do as much as possible, but we're trying to be as cautious as possible as well. I think there were there were some other numbers of there too.
066>> Have Have you all looked at the DECAP accounts, dependent care accounts that are a pre-tax way to put dollars into an account that could help support employees contributions to child care costs? Yeah, we we have it available for employees. >> So, you already have a decap available. So, they can put dollars into this pre-tax and pay with those pre-tax dollars for this >> personal spending plan. Yes, ma'am. >> Okay. That helps a lot, too. So, they're paying the the tuition with their discount with their pre-tax >> dollars in the DECAP account >> if they choose to have that. You don't >> do we put any dollars in into that? We don't match that. Okay. Um, I just wondered, I know there have been some really great policy discussions at the state level on on
067that and I'd love to see us continuing to like to push the push the envelope on what um what we can do to support our employees. But um >> you have something? >> I got a question. I just have a question on the the rate the fair market rate on um that tuition rate. The fair market rate, not our rate. Do you do you have a number for that? I do not. But you know the one of the meetings I did send some information where we did some research around the city of Little Rock and we did look at what other centers were offering and districts and what we are offering is much less. >> Much less. >> Yeah. >> Like >> Yeah. >> $300 less. >> It's it's it's significantly less. >> Okay. I
068was paying over 900 um >> Monthly. Yeah. >> Okay. >> For Yeah. Before Fair Park. Um I mean I think most of the centers were $7 to $900 a month. And and you do I will say on on this you would potentially pay because we did not do the piece on the afterare, right? The sliding scale, >> right? We didn't. So, because there is you have to pay after care from 250 until if you if you have a full-time job and that's about 200 about it's exactly $210 and some change a month >> additionally. So, it's about 720 a month if you or 730 to 530. I know that's just because I know I'm in I'm in the thick of it still. >> That's it. >> Mr. Right. >> Um I'm vacated tonight for some
069reason. Uh you said approximately 10 employees for the >> Yeah, that's so far. >> That would be high. Is that what you're saying? You said probably under 10, around 10. >> It's around 10. We counted about six, but >> And then was the sibling discount the same? >> It's usually around 10 or less. Okay. Yeah. >> Okay. So program loss per child. So that would be uh $5,000 and $10,000 total of $15,000 for those two for the employees. So that am I reading that right? >> I think 15 a little over 1,500 is >> I'm counting. Yeah, that's just for one employee and one uh >> Okay. >> one family. >> Okay. >> But yeah, multiplying that by the 10 months because we only build for 10 months. >> You were saying 10. So you
070But you were multiplying times 1000 per in each situation. Yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> And so that would be 15,000. >> Yeah.$ 15,000. >> 15,000. >> Is it It's just a little bit of the of the budget, right? That $15,000 that we were in the black. Just that much of the budget. >> Much of the budget. >> That much of the budget. >> Huh. How can we how can we how can we flog that, Director Strong? It's just, you know, it's just $15,000, though. >> It's an employee benefit. >> It is, and I'm all for that. I'm all for this. I'm not I'm not opposed to it. I'm I'm gigging her. I'm not saying a word about this in a negative way. I just want her to look at me and say $15,000. >> We
071all know why. Because, you know, she was worried we were going to wipe out the $15,000. >> Anything else? Any other question that you might have? >> I'm good. No. Okay. Miss Hatter. >> Uh, thank you. Um, question. Uh, Mrs. um Jones. Um, looking when when looking at child care, I guess for families, this probably is more for families, but there's a question in there for you. um our our our early childhood services they they align with the regular school day. Correct. >> That's correct. >> And so after and and so at the end of the school day um children that are still in care um they would need need to sign up with the afterare. Is that how that works? Yes, that's correct. >> Okay. Um I guess not for the good of the
072conversation and for those that are listening, I think that that's an important part of it. Um for and then like for the public to know is that we are not a 7 to 7 or 6 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. center. That like we are a we operate the the same way that the school um uh schedule operate. And then that there's a um afterare option for those that need it that will come right at an additional cost. Did I understand that correctly? >> Yes, that's correct. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you so much, Miss Jones. >> Oh, I'm sorry. >> Was there another question? >> I do have one more. I do have one more question. Sorry. as so since and I just I did not I had not read all of
073the things to say that we were not doing the second shift afterare cost piece of this also until today. Um, sorry I would have asked you some of these questions ahead of time, but I know we already do 7:30 to 5:30 at, for example, Rockefeller or Guy Springs that have the 0ero to2 programs. Correct. >> That's correct. >> Is that how is that is that different because we have school readiness assistance there or full tuition or how how is that different? I know I my kids went to school at Rockefeller from that early time to the later time. >> It's precisely for those reasons. >> Okay. Yeah. It's because we have compensation for a full day. >> Absolutely. Okay. >> And there's a whole set of different staff that works that particular those particular >>
074I know they had some folks that came in later and were there till 5:30 like kind of like you're talking about here. I guess it's the same model you were thinking about. >> I was hoping to do that, right? Yeah. Okay. >> But a lot of our pair professionals that um work uh with our prek students, they have second or third jobs, right? And so once I started thinking about, well, that's going to be tough to do a second shift for preK because they're going to want another, you know, source of income and it wouldn't be one. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Johnson. Did you have a question? >> Okay. Thank you, M. >> Okay. Thank you. >> All right. 6.2 First semester discipline report. Miss Dr. I
075didn't get a new cut. >> Hello Dr. hoping you wouldn't recognize me. >> That makes sense. Um, good evening everyone. Um, >> I am here to just provide an update on our discipline and alternative uh program data from the first semester. Uh, you all already have a copy of the slides. I'm not going to prolong the night, yes, by reading the slides to you. But I will go um through each slide and see if you have questions and then uh focus on the highlights and the things that we're doing to address some of the disparities that may still exist in our discipline data. Um so we yeah, I guess I jumped right in it. Uh so the first few slides the slide deck is divided into overall district incidents and data and then by grade
076band high school middle school and elementary school and then there are some there's some additional data about our alternative education program. So I'm just you had a question. >> What time period are you covering with these >> from the first day of school through January 6th? First day of >> I'm sorry. August 11th >> microphone. >> Okay. Go ahead. >> August 11th through January 6th >> is where this data covers. So first semester um and then there was a sprinkle. We didn't have a lot on on January 6th, but there's a sprinkle into the second semester on that first day. But that's what No, I take that back because they weren't back. It's just first semester. So, I'm looking at the third slide. Is that the third one? Yeah. >> And black males are having
077a hard time. I mean, a really I mean, look at >> females. >> Was it females or males? >> Males. We only males. 1480 incidents >> between the number of students. >> Number of students. Okay. >> And then the incident is 2874. Yes. >> It seemed worse. >> Yes, ma'am. I should have let I should have stayed with your number. Um, yes, that's that's part of what is in our areas to address. We do have a disproportionate number of incidents compared to the number of black males in our student population. Um, there are a number of reasons for that. We part of our work in our schools and in our culture, climate, and wellness always get that department wrong department is to figure out what those reasons are. and then to tackle and address those
078those issues. So >> so these reports are coming from teachers security. >> So this this data is pulled from e school. Um it is also in our um in a data platform that we have which is also pulled from eh school. So what this comes from are the discipline referrals that are entered into e school and processed by administration. Security does not put in um discipline offenses. They just help support the order of the school building. Teachers do put in referrals, but they have to be processed by administration. So teachers will put in um referrals for things like tardies, minor classroom disruptions, major disruptions are are entered by administrators. So, I'm just struggling with that number. Um, do you think that maybe some teachers or staff could be over overdoing it? >> I think there's
079a number of possibilities and that is that is one possibility. Just to be honest and transparent, there are a number of reasons why um our data looks the way it does. um because we have a larger population of black and brown students, you would expect the discipline numbers to be higher for that population because there are more students. Uh however, you would not expect for it to be that high, >> right? Um if you if I click to this slide for black females, you would expect it to look more like it it's more representative of the student population of black females in the district than males. >> We seem to be We seem to be forgetting some things that we went to court for 25 years ago. One of those was particularly the disparity between
080disciplinary actions, black males and white males. Also, we particularly went to court about not having buses taking kids home from practice. It's two things we're backing up on that we that we the court held us responsible for correcting those things and we did. they were corrected and that's how we got out from under court supervision. Now we've forgotten how to do it. We're behind again. We're not following the rules or something. And I I I'm really curious about that. What's the difference? I mean, you weren't here 25 years ago, but I would really like somebody stand up and tell me what the difference is, why it's happened this way. >> And of course, nobody's going to jump up because I was here 25 years ago, but me. But you said someone is looking into >>
081Well, not just someone. I think we all are. The assistant superintendent um that's part of the reason that we pull this data. Each one of the assistant superintendents pull and track their discipline data with their principles every um I do mine every nine weeks and I believe um Drs. Bradshaw and Cooper do the same. I know they do it at least every semester. We we pull our discipline data. We track our discipline data. Um, we have them, just like with grades, we go in to see what teachers are having high rates of discipline referrals, where are they coming from, what's going on in those classrooms the same way we would if we had a teacher who had high failure rates, >> right? >> In order to figure out where these high failure rates are coming
082from, we need to go into the classroom, visit with the teacher, look at the training and support that's been provided, and see why. >> Discipline is no different. Um, as I said before, it's probably a variety of things, right? There are some things external factors um which we can control. We're focused on those things that are in our locus of control. What additional PD do we need to provide? What um understanding do our teachers need about our due process, about our tiered discipline policies? Are we implementing our tiered systems of support with fidelity? Are we putting behavior plans in place? do we have additional um supports not just for students but for teachers to bridge cultural gaps and differences among students. So there's a variety of reasons and a variety of issues to address to
083help um >> address solve thisdeed. >> But aren't they all just >> the daily work? They ought to be hitting it like this. Every one of those things, if there's a problem there, we've got a serious problem. It means that what they've been told to do, the teachers, the administrators, they're not doing it. If those if things you listed >> if even one of them but you said seven or eight and I agree with you it's more than one problem but the things you rattled off as correctives for those are things they're supposed to be doing right now. They shouldn't have to be told to do those things again. They were told at some point in their training and in their uh professional development. So I it's going to sound argumentative and I don't mean
084for it to be. Why do you think those things need to be readressed? >> So I think that >> teacher training and and accountability are >> and I have a question. Miss has a question >> are just like anything else. Um you set in any business in any industry um you set actually this is actually part of my leadership lens in my network right now. You set your um accountability and your expectation standards. You set your bar >> and that's all that's all you're ever going to get is the bar. >> Yes. And in every organization in every company the employees >> um in the in the book we're reading the employees say the employees move the salt shaker or they don't necessarily meet um that bar every time. It is the job and the
085role of administrators um support staff to continue to reiterate the bar just like we set a bar of expectations for students for behavior and they and they figure out a way to break that rule every day. So we have to continue to train, reer iterate, support, hold accountable those who just won't or maybe just didn't really get it the first time. So it's a continual process. Also, the we aren't always training or working with the same teachers this year that we did last year. >> And the teachers that we had 25 years ago, I was here 24 years ago, but a lot of us are a lot of them are gone. So, this is a new process of training, new teachers, new staff, new supports every year and reiterating what the expectation is. >> We
086had another question online. Did you have something you'd like to add? I'm sorry, Miss Hatter. She had questions. >> Um, so Um I first of all thank you for the um information um but I do think uh just you know moving forward uh this is the type of data that the board uh really do need to dive into because um and um other districts and states and things like that u the the board is very heavily involved in writing and helping to shape and correct um and provide right resources um in this area. And it's one thing to do case studies and and of course like looking at the data that is very important to do um to make sure that um staff or faculty isn't uh pencil whooping um uh students or else just
087um uh very um arbitrarily or for whatever reason just kicking them out of class. Um, and out of everything that I' that I've heard tonight, the one thing I haven't heard then I haven't heard um talking with the students um any conflict resolution um um teen court or juvenile court or uh and and so like having teen and youth summits and talking uh with our kids to help them um learn how to properly deal with conflict and understand that conflict isn't a negative thing um but it is just part of life and so I would be more interested in hearing um for u about um practices um that are being done um to help students understand um dealing with conflict um beyond the fact of whether it's Hamilton uh and then beyond the fact of
088like buzzwords right? Like um to help to to to help these numbers uh come down. >> Okay, we had was there a question in there? I'm sorry. >> Yeah, the question was what are the practices like the daily practices um outside of you know like a change in staff. We're always going to have a changing staff because you know that is just the nature of this business right now to where uh there was a rotating door and so um and then we have and so how is um seeing students engaging students um in conflict resolution happening within the fabric of just the overall campus uh culture um K through 12 or 9 through 12 just throughout >> I I think I think that um and and you guys um correct me if I'm wrong. I
089think we have about 24 25 slides and I think uh primarily they're covering um the particulars of what was asked of um administration and it looks like those are updates regarding the discipline data and so that may be why we're reflecting more. So at the end I would think so. I mean, I don't know, but I would >> What is He's at the end. Um, we just I think we're just Yes, we're just >> the part that answers >> two or three right at this point. >> Yes. But but I assume we all um read the the PowerPoint and I was just going along with Dr. Lauren and then right when she said that she she isn't going to read them and that she was going to highlight and that we could just jump in
090with the questions and so I so I wasn't expecting us to go through all of those slides. >> Absolutely. So, you were just wanting to kind of look at that piece. Okay. You have something in particular to address kind of question. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> M. >> Okay. Yes. She You're next. >> Okay. Are we Are we ready? >> No, she's respond. >> You want me to question? >> Pardon me. Pardon me. >> No, you're fine. I'm I'm going to skip through >> She's just going to respond to the question >> um the data slides um and go to these last couple of slides. So, I'm actually going to start here >> with what schools are doing. So, one of the things that we've done is that um the assistant superintendent, the alternative learning
091program, student hearing, and the department of culture, climate, and wellness have all been working together to help schools create and implement tier one behavior matrices and expectations for their students. What we want is to um teach students the appropriate way to behave at school. We know that there are things that we do at home, all of us, that are acceptable at home that aren't acceptable in the workplace. Um the same goes for school. So, if we want students to understand and know how to do school, then we need to teach and model that behavior. So, that's part of the tier one um behavior matrices. it's unfair to hold students accountable to a standard that they haven't been made aware of or taught how to meet, right? And but we also want to do that in
092a way that affirms our students culture and their backgrounds um as well. So that's one of the things that we're doing in the schools. The next thing is that we're training all of our staff on our school-based intervention team and multi-ter systems of support processes. So, our stu our teachers and our administrators, our counselors are learning about preventative behaviors. How do we target students who are before they're suspended, before they're recommended for ALE? But students need additional supports and helping them determine, find, and implement additional behavior intervention programs. Things like teen court, mentors, um safe teachers, uh behavior incentives that will help um programs that help us with student replacement behaviors that will help deter um the students from getting um discipline infractions in the first place. Um the best intervention is prevention. How do
093we keep students from losing their cool, from fighting, from breaking school rules before it happens? Um, after it happens, it's kind of too late at that point, but we still want to implement restorative practices so that it is a one-time thing and not a recurring issue. Um, we've been collaborating with student hearing and those other departments to create behavior support plans for students and create targeted interventions for specific students that we know need them. We don't wait until the student has already been suspended. We know that Tony may need additional support. So, we go ahead and and put that support in place, a buddy, teacher, a mentor for him at the beginning of the year to help prevent those incidents that happened in the past from happening. Um, we've created behavior incentives in all of
094our schools, K12. We've restructured, you guys have heard about that already, the AL to provide behavior interventions and supports for students, not only while they're at AL, but when they return to school. So, it's not like a you're you're done, goodbye. We have regular check-ins that are going on with all of those students. Um, if I go back to my highlights, all of the secondary students who exited AL in 2025 have had check-ins and follow-ups by our student hearing staff. They're doing double duty along with some of our AL staff. All of our school-based administrators received training in AL, student hearing, student code of conduct, and ESPIT. And we've done follow-up trainings in each one of the networks and specific school-based support has been provided. Um the culture, climate, and wellness department conducted fidelity tiered
095fidelity inventories at each site to determine what areas of support they need. Is it in tier one expectations for behavior? Is it in providing tier 2 supports? Is it follow-up support um and resources for parents? we we need to figure out what the school is missing, where the gap is for the school so that we know how to fill it. So, those are some of the things that we've done. Um there's some staff that have been engaged to do that. And we have, despite some of the gloom that we see in our data, we have seen some bright spots. These four schools that had high discipline incidents last year have reduced their discipline incidents almost most of them by 70% 60 or more percent um from this time last year. And our recetivism rate for
096AL um none of our students that were in elementary AL have returned and only 12% of the secondary students that were in AL have returned since then. So we're doing some work. is not going to happen overnight, but we are doing some work and putting some things in place to help address these discipline issues. >> Dr. I have Oh, I'm sorry. >> I just have one follow-up question and it's really quick. Um what about the students that are put on um um what is the percentage or number of students that are on distance learning to to where they were at campus and and the AL was not a good fit and so the district put them on uh district um I'm I'm calling it um district learn uh distance learning but what is what is
097that number and then how does and are those um individuals reflected in those numbers? >> So, we don't have any students who were put on distance learning because of discipline issues or um to use your words good fit in AL. The only students that we have that are on distance learning are students who have um felony charges um pending or they are in some type of uh court issue that deals with a felony charge. Those students are on distance learning and it is less than 10 >> there. It's six students. >> Okay. And that um also includes those students that are um expelled and we still pro uh provide learning to them. >> That is those are the students who are expelled that are still providing if they're six. >> Thank you. >> Yes, ma'am.
098>> Dr. Oh, I was going to say Dr. Lauren, can you speak quickly to I know you show data from the first semester. Can you speak to why we don't have comparison data on some of these some of these topics? I just want to be even though the numbers may look bad from a first view. I also want to well I don't want to answer your question for you but um yeah. So let me hush. >> So if if you dig into some of the school's data, there's a couple of reasons. Um if you um have taken had some time to look through the discipline data on Aubrey which what what it'll look like for instance for Hamilton is that their discipline rates are much higher than they were last year. Um that is ina
099in fact not the case. What they are what is happening this year is that they have been more diligent about inputting the data. Um so it what looks like an increase in discipline is actually not. Um, another example would be um I hate to call a school's name, but they actually have great discipline data would be Park View. Um, if you look at Parkview's data from last year, last semester to this semester, it looks like they have had an exponential jump in their discipline when what it is is uh personal electronic device sanctions. If we take out the personal electronic device sanctions, um, their discipline goes down exponentially and it is about the same and a little bit lower than it was last year. So, we're talking the difference in Parkview's data in about 460
100discipline incidents if I take out personal devices. So, those are some of the reasons that you would see or we don't we didn't um I didn't want to put some of the school's comparison data in because it doesn't really tell an accurate story. It would be a cause for alarm for a Parkview pair to see a jump from about 40 discipline incidents to 500 when the discipline hasn't increased at all really on that campus. It is due to our um law and new processes in in place for cell phones. >> Okay, we had another question. Uh Mr. Adams. >> Thank you, Mr. Besley. Yeah, my concern is connected to that, Dr. Laurian. And I think that um it it's really helpful. I I really appreciate those numbers. I especially appreciate the highlights that you mentioned
101at the end, >> but I it's really difficult for me when I for instance the at your your first data slide that had the common offenses. >> It's hard for me to to make sense of it because I don't have a context. I feel like I'm getting a a snapshot like >> for instance a number of fights. I I don't know is that a high number for us? Is that what's a trend line? Is that going up or down or or where it fits? And so, and it may be that as you mentioned, maybe it's hard to get a trend line because we haven't had dependable, accurate input, >> you know, to be able to make those comparisons, but >> as a board member, that's kind of what I think we need. >> We we
102maybe we we don't have it yet. I don't know. You can tell us, but to be able to to make a judgment about if we're making progress, you know, to be able to see over time is are we going up or down or or hanging steady? And I appreciate the m the comment about the electronic devices, but we could pull that out and still be able to compare apples to apples, >> you know, and to see >> I think so. Yes, we have that data. We always that's part of where this came from. We do comparisons. Um our new platform that the board members use to look at discipline data is Aubrey. Um last year is not in Aubrey. It started from this year because we just started this year. So those reports are pulled
103from e school. Uh, I actually thought I'd link that for you. I can share that with you. But in terms of your question about it, it varies by school. Um, in some instances, the the incidence of fights or common discipline offenses is higher and in some incidents like at Mapleville Middle School, it's lower. It's it's it's much lower. So, it varies by incident and by school. Some schools have seen some successes in um reducing the number of incidents for a particular offense, but not in others just yet. But yes, um we can pull that data from e school um it is not as pretty as the um data is outlined in um because it's an Excel export. So it's it's just a data dump. It's not as pretty as the data and the charts that
104you have um access to and operate. Yeah, I think that that for me at least going maybe the next time we do a report or look forward that you know thinking about it by school is is one lens that is helpful particularly to be able to you know highlight the ones where a great deal of progress is made >> and but also to be able to if we're looking at districtwide to be able to see what the trend lines are on these on kind of the major offense categories would be really helpful. >> Okay, thank you Miss Johnson. Yes. Thank you for this report and I know you going to get to the bottom of it, but I noticed on your common offenses, elementary, high school district, >> they don't have tardies, but you do
105have tardies on the common offenses for middle school. Is there a reason for that? >> So, the common offenses, these were offenses that there were high rates for that band. So, um, high school, um, it's not so much, uh, tardies, it's skipping. In elementary school, more times in middle school is tardies. So, you know, high school kids uh, maybe are like me when I was in high school, they can move around a little bit more. They have cars, they can actually leave school. Middle school kids are usually dropped off or or ride the bus. So, they don't leave campus. They tend to wander and not go directly to class. So they have less actually cutting school like leaving campus or skipping school and more tardies. We're just not getting to class on time. I may
106be talking to my friends in the bathroom, etc. So these are not common like common offenses by district. These are well I did the ones by district, but these are by level. So what you see on the screen for middle school, these are the highest. I took any offense that had over 100 incidents for each grade band. So that's what you're seeing here. There were other offenses, but they were below a 100 incidents. >> So the kids that are car riders and they're tardy, do you guys include them as well? Because we know that it's not their fault, right? We know that their parents, it's like they're being punished for their parents. I mean, it's not like if you late for work, your kids going to be punished. So, if kids are car riders and
107they're late and I'm sure it's documented when they come in, is that included or not? >> I would have to ask. I know each school has their own um attendance policies. I know in my work as an elementary principal, I did not really deal in tardies. All children are being late or on time as a result of some adult. So I didn't um but I would have to ask um okay >> I don't directly support elementary so I would have to ask that question to Dr. Cooper and Brashoff. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Um Mr. Bali. >> Uh thank you for the for this report. Um, I just want to speak and I might have a question, but um, I just want people to understand that this is uh, when we talk about the disproportionate
108statistics for black students versus students that are not black. It's not a I don't I don't personally feel like it's a school district problem. I think it's a community problem. And I'll give you an example because I'm going to keep on bringing it up every time we talk about stuff like this. The junior takeover incident happened last year, last summer, and over 90ome over 50ome students were given uh citations and uh cuffed had cars searched and everything and the majority of those students were black. Uh at the same on the same day around the same time, it was a whole another takeover incident happening at All Park. we that did not make the news because it was majority white students. They weren't viewed as a threat. It wasn't uh they weren't manufacturing crime for them.
109But all of a sudden when when I kick it, when I do it, it looks like we're breaking the law. Even though we're we're celebrating joy, we're becoming rising singers, it looks like a issue when we do it. So the misinterpretation a lot of times comes from the fact that these students look like me, look like you. And uh things aren't are subjective. These are subjective incidents. And so uh I'm glad I'm I'm not going to say the whole name because I I can't remember right now. I'm glad the department of culture is looking into some ways to uh rectify these issues and uh work with students because I think it's important that uh when we talking about student discipline, we should be looking at some culturally responsive ways to do that. U and also
110since I'm since I'm talking about it, I also want to point out that uh every as a black male student that went to the Little Rock School District, I remember having my first black male teacher because it wasn't something that I was used to until I got to uh my sixth grade year and Mr. Gwyn was my first black teacher. And so I know a lot of times black men know how to work with black male students on a different level because there's a connection there and we don't uh misinterpret things. We see it for what it is because because of our lived experiences. And so um I think that that's also an opportunity to do more recruitment to make sure that we get black male teachers and not black male teachers who just I
111love them but focus on sports. But when we talk about our core subjects, science, math, English, we need black male teachers who are uh teaching band, art, those type of things as well, too. And uh I I know we've had a a black male leadership summit, but maybe that's an opportunity to uh stress to the community how important it is for our black men in the community. We do it on the first day of school. come through the fraternities and everything, but it would be nice to have somebody uh more of them full time in the school because I know you would see a difference in behavior and incidents with more presence from black men in the schools. So, I don't want this to turn into a whole uh what are we doing wrong decision
112making for the district? What are we doing wrong in the community? Because like I said, that jingle takeover incident, they were targeted because of what they look like. But over here off camera at All South Park, there was no police presence. They were able to have a good time and celebrate and nobody called the cops. Few adults are out there too monitoring, but letting them have a good time. So, uh, we can't be so quick, like I said, to call this a a problem in the district because when we talk about the school to prison pipeline, this is how it starts. When we look at our students and we start manufacturing crime, we start criminalizing youthful behavior. There's going to be disputes. There's going to be altercations. Uh, I agree about the tardies too. uh
113because that's also how they criminalize them to the truency court. But we need to focus on ways to turn this school to prison pipeline problem into a school to prison mean I'm sorry a school to success and opportunity pipeline instead. And that's all I have to say on that. >> Thank you. Thank you so much, Dr. Lori. >> I like haircut. >> Thank you. >> All right. 6.3 discussion name change proposal from Pinnacle View High. And as Mr. Hillmick is coming, this is going to be a um a two-part conversation. Uh he's going to present um his rationale for name change and then we also have an update with regards to um I was about to say West High School but clinical whatever the name of the high school is going to be. Um because
114we're ultimately going to have to have some discussions and some decisions around uh this other topic that we're going to talk about. Well, good evening board. Um, it's an honor to be here with you guys tonight. Um, thank you for the work that you do. Um, following that topic as an elementary principal, like it's it's a hard conversation. I appreciate what you're uplifting what you're talking about because it matters. Um, I do believe that my conversation tonight matters as well. My name is Stephen Helmick, uh, principal at Roberts Elementary. if I haven't had a chance to meet you. Um, and also honored to be uh the first and founding principal of the high school uh that we are currently building in West Little Rock. Um, before I get started, I want to give you just
115some notes that I have so you can look at it. >> Thank you. So, what you have in front of you is is really a lot of my talking points, but just so you can kind of follow along, um, we are already 20 months out from the high school being opened. And a lot of people say that that is a long time from now, but let me tell you that is not a lot of time and there's a lot of things already happening. My request to you is that we change the name of Pinnacle View High School to Little Rock West High School. I've got quite a bit of rationale for this that I want to walk through with you as incoming principal and then I'd be happy to answer any questions that you have
116um once I have a chance to share through my rationale. The first is unity within the Little Rock School District. We currently have two existing traditional high schools in the LRSD that are zoned by nature and they're Little Rock Central and Little Rock Southwest. Little Rock West would continue the geographical naming pattern of a traditional high school while allowing two other schools, Park View, our magnet school, and Hall in its new version to keep their unique identities. I think this is extremely important in terms of building a new high school, recruiting and getting as many students as we can into the building. The next rationale is recognition. And this is super super important. The name Little Rock West immediately connects the high school to our city and to our district. This easily identifies where the
117school is located, which helps in marketing and branding. When our athletic teams compete across the state and results are reported online, on social media, on television, with Little Rock West, there would be an immediate recognition of where we're located and who we belong to. This recognition is also beneficial as we hope to host not hope when we host the state tournaments all throughout sports with the AAA. I think that clarity is important since I've been named principal and thank you for your recommendation. Multiple news outlets have already gotten the school name wrong multiple times. That's a problem. Like that's a branding problem. Like we shouldn't have to try to convince people of who we are and where we are before the school even opens. We've been called Pinnacle High School. We've been called Pinnacle Valley
118High School. And consistently as people are like, "Hey, Stephen, this is awesome. How are you feeling about this? Are you still in the Little Rock School District when you take this job?" like people are very confused as to where the school is located even with them living in Lorac. Differentiation. Now I think this is a big one for the district as a whole. I if we are Pinnacle View Middle School and Little Rock West High School, it will be so much clearer for students, parents, and visitors because we share a campus. I was on the campus today. and we are within feet of each other. Something that sounds simple but can be complex like inter office mail. Should this document go to Pinnacle View? Well, did it go to the middle school or did it
119go to the high school? If we're having sporting events, always having to clarify Pinnacle View Middle School gym or Pinnacle View High School gym. Clarity matters. precedence. There is statewide precedence for the naming convention that I am requesting. When you look across the state, districts with multiple high schools use geographic location andor city name. So just some examples, you've got Bentonville, Bentonville West, Fort Smith North Side, Port Smith Southside, Springdale and Springdale Harbor, Rogers and Rogers Heritage, even in our own district, Little Rock Central, Little Rock Southwest, uh, community, community matters. When you look at the survey that the district pushed out in 2024, it was split almost 5050 based off of what people really wanted. Out of the 800 something people that responded to that survey, 42 to 43% selected Pinnacle View or Little
120Rock West. There was like 17 to 19% that had two other school names. Um, and so when you're looking at community buyin, right now I don't think that if we switch to Little Rock West, people's feelings are going to be tremendously hurt. The half of the people voted one way, half voted the other way. I think at the end of the day, when you talk to most people in West Little Rock, they're not as concerned about what the high school is called. They're super excited that it's happening. Duplication. There are already a lot of PVs in Little Rock. Look at our own district alone, Park View. Park View has been around for decades. Parkview has a tradition of excellence. Park View has a longstanding success in so many areas. And why would we create a
121high school in our own district that muddies that up in terms of who we are? Pinnacle View and Park View are so closely when you just say those names, but also PBHS, which school you talk about? Um, I don't want to compete with a school in my own district in terms of marketing and branding and recruiting. I think that when you look at West Lorac, Pleasant Valley, Pleasant Valley Country Club, Pleasant Valley neighborhood, PV, people say all the time, you going to PV, are they talking about you going to the country club? You're going to the high school football game. There's also Pinnacle Classical Academy. I I saw this today in my research and I'm just like I don't I don't know what kind of school that is, but like I don't want to be
122confused with something that we're not. Um, finally, there there are other things that that in terms of duplication that are out there, but board, I want you to know this. Um, I'm ready to roll. Um, I am super excited about this high school. It's going to be successful regardless if we're Pinnacle View High School or Little Rock West High School. What I'm asking is in the midst of a lot of challenges in our district, we can make a name a non-issue in terms of just bringing clarity of who we are, being proud of who we are, bringing structure, stability, clarity, and differentiation. So, um that's kind of my rationale for you. Um, regardless of what you guys do, I decide on I I think it's super important for me, just as I'm speaking as principal
123here. Um, I I really would hope that we can have a decision sooner rather than later. Um, I had the privilege of being in a meeting just on Tuesday with Dr. Lauren and um, athletic director Tim Turner. We met with the architects and the contractors. And in terms of just signage and the gym floor and other athletic facilities and the name in the front of the school there, there's just so many things in terms of timelines that we're going to be running into that we need to go ahead and make decisions on in terms of jerseys that we'll be ordering sooner rather than there's just a ton of things that that a name really does matter for. Um, but also I've already sent um to my leaders um just kind of my game plan for
124the next four to five months of kind of what I'm doing. I'm committed during the day to doing everything to make Roberts Elementary continue to be as successful as possible. But by night, I am already working on ensuring that this high school can be successful. And a lot of that for me is communication, getting out into the community, getting our social media presence and platform started. And so, um, as early as next month, but for sure by March, I'm going to start having community meetings all throughout West Little Rock where I'm going to be showcasing what we will have to offer and who we are. But I don't want to put anything out there until I'm certain of what the high school name will be because I don't want to have a false start in
125terms of who we are. Um, I don't want to be our own problem on the front end. So, we'll be happy to answer any questions that you guys have for me. Um, and then once again, just really excited for the journey ahead. Um, and the team that I'm going to be able to build to help deliver world-class education in West Little Rock. >> Absolutely. Questions? Yes, Mr. Adams. >> Thank you, Mr. Thank you, Mr. Helmick. This is really helpful. I I do have one question that if you might we wanted to say some more. The community part is probably the part that gives me some pause just because the process we had before was to do a survey and even though it was close and we had you know Pinnacle View was uh the most
126common response is had the most support and then we voted on that. if we went a different direction, you know, what what are your thoughts about community input or community communication so that that would be successful as possible and and and still be a good community relations right out the gate? >> Yeah, I I'm I would be open and fine to that. um I think is is my main concern would be is just can we do that efficiently and quickly enough to be able to not miss timelines in terms of the building itself, right? And so um and formally I've had lots of conversations with lots of different people um and and people the more and more that I've had conversations with people um because to be honest with you at first I didn't I
127didn't say yes to be in principal at the high school because of the name of the high school. Um, but but I will tell you that as I've shared more with people about kind of even my rationale and being willing to come to the board and and talk about this, most people are like, "Yeah, I never thought through a lot of that kind of stuff." And it it makes sense. Um, and and so, sure, I think that if if the board felt like it was um best to go ahead and have like another community input on that, like that I I wouldn't be against that in any form or fashion. Um I I just I just know based off of our meetings that we had even on Tuesday is that time is of the essence
128in terms of just ensuring that we um we don't lose ground on on what we need to do to have the building right. >> Okay. Oh, I'm sorry. Go ahead. >> Do do you see that that would be from your sense of because you you've had more conversations with stakeholders than probably any of us in in this room >> about that. Do you see that as a necessary step or and or if we did do it, h how do you think would be a helpful way to go about it? >> I don't I don't know if if if my opinion alone in terms of necessary or not, um I think that when you look at the data, and I don't have the exact numbers in front of me, but in terms of 42% and 43%
129in terms of Pinnacle View High School in Little Rock West, um >> that's 28 and 44. Let's be fair. >> Well, but there's >> No, it's not. No, that's that's what I'm trying to I was trying to get to it. >> Okay, hold on one second. >> Please continue. >> So So I think if you look at West So I think the original survey was West Little Rock High, Little Rock West High, Pinnacle View, Prince Shaw High, I think, and one other name. So, so I I think that when you look at the the two camps that had the largest populations of votes, right, you're you're probably looking at I would say 40 to 80 votes. I'm not sure exactly on the data itself, but um I think that my here here's where I would
130go with that, right? I'm thinking of what's best for this school 75 years from now, 100 years from now, of of when none of us in the room are here, but the school's still going to be there. And and I think that um to me, a name of a school is not what makes a school. The name of the school is important in terms of who you are and where are you. And I think that um so I'm not it's it's not a it's not a political thing for me. It's not a a personal thing for me. It's a I've got to find a way to get 12 to400 kids in seats in this building as soon as possible and we have a chance to brand ourselves with we are Little Rock West. It's not
131some you know where is this school located? We're losing we're having to cut 17 million from a budget because we're hemorrhaging kids in this district. And I I'm bringing something here that's saying we're just going to simplify the name so that way we can get to the business of creating this amazing place for kids to come not only in our district but people all across Little Rock will want to come to. And so I guess to answer your question of do I think that it's necessary? I think what's necessary is for the board to be able to make a decision regardless of what it is, right? Because I said, "I'm ready to roll, right? I'm ready to roll." And so I think the board needs to make a decision on what they think makes most
132sense for the success of the school long term, not did the 60 people that voted for Pinnacle View are are they getting exactly what they they they they want in the name of a school that honestly we don't even know if they're going to send their kids to the school because these were community members that voted on it. They could be people in a private school that voted on this. And so I I think that um we've got to just make a decision in my opinion on what we think is best for the overall success of the building and the school itself, which ultimately will be the success of the district. >> Thank you. Yeah, you're welcome, >> Madam Chair. >> Dr. Wright Madam Chair, >> I'm sorry. Dr. Wright has something, Miss Hatter, and
133then I'll call on you. I'm sorry. >> I'll be I'll be very quick. I know Mr. Adams didn't ask this question to me. um although he did yesterday um and I don't think I answered but I I do want to just just point out real quickly I I forwarded um all the board members the survey results and part of the issue with the survey is that there were two names with West Little Rock in it um which split the votes between um those two names. When you add it up you're looking at 43% to 44% which isn't significantly a difference at all between what was chosen. And so in my mind, I really don't want to waste time doing another survey, but if that's what the board um desires because the survey results actually supports
134um whichever way we go. Um it was 43 to 44. So that's not anything that's really different between the two options that we're talking about now. And can I can I also just add one more thing too is is that um what I'm requesting in in conversations that I've had um is that it would be just a name change. The mascot will stay the same, the colors will stay the same. Um and I think that that really enhances in terms of just the shared campus um in terms of the simplicities for that. So it would just be the the name of the school itself, not the mascot or the colors. >> Okay, Miss Adam. >> Um yeah. Uh thank you for the uh information. Um I do see uh the um uh potential logistical issue
135as far as um the movement of mail and things like that. Um then with the school name so close right to the middle school. So Pinnacle View High School male going to middle school. um and confusion in location even though it's um it serves it's it they're both on on the same campus. Um but I and then and then I also um agree uh with the uh community input uh because uh we we did put out a survey um and although it's close uh there there there were there was a dominant name that came out um that was voted for. So, uh, I don't I I don't know if, um, I I don't know how a a name, um, could hold up a building right as it's being built, unless there's going to be engraving
136or things like that within the the building right as it it's being built. But, but then perhaps we can still, if it's the will of the board, put out a survey to the community because those 12 to,400 students are going to come from the community. And so even if those parents are in pra private school or charter school, they are still taxpayers that are paying for that building. Um they too should um have a say um along with the current families uh of white of the district um within the name change. And so, um, I am in in agreement with, um, taking it back out to the community and and having the current name versus the proposed name and only have two options opposed to the four or five options that was there, right? just
137um see what say the community cuz I've had heard uh those same conversations about taking it back to Little Rock West um as well, but the survey came out as Pinnacle View High School. >> Okay, >> that's all I have. >> Um what are your thoughts >> about what specifically? Um, I think what I heard her say is, um, she would be interested in, um, looking at just the two names, the community, having a survey where they're just looking at those two options. Is that something that you would support or what are your thoughts? >> Sure. Sure. I I think I I think I'm the wrong person to answer that question though, right? I I I honestly think that like >> I I I mean honestly I feel like >> I would be more than
138okay with the community input. I I mean I am here for the community, right? Like going to be working with the community, excited to meet with the community. >> Um >> and and so you know, just to kind of cast a little bit more vision for you guys in this is that what gets me excited about this is for the first time ever in West Little Rock, we are going to have a K12 option for students. When I was a fifth grade teacher at Robert's Elementary, we had 130 kids in fifth grade. 115 left the district every year. As soon as we built Pinnacle View Middle School, we now have about 195 fifth graders at Roberts. So, we're keeping our students and about 180 plus are going to go to the middle school. I know
139that the middle school is having problems right now in the eighth grade. That's going to be fixed as soon as we have the high school. And so, for me, it's more of an issue of I wanted to present it to the board. Sure. because ultimately you guys are the ones that are are approving things. Um and so um Miss Wesley, in my opinion, I I'm I'm here to put that to you guys to let y'all make that decision. And if the board decides that a community vote is most important Yeah. then I will champion that and I will also be voting in that. Um absolutely. And then um if the board decides that y'all can make that decision tonight, then I'll roll with that, too. >> Sure. Okay. Thanks. Just wanted your insight and input
140on it. Uh, yes, Mr. Bali. Did I I'm sorry. I just want to make sure so much back and forth. I want to make sure I did not omit anyone. >> Okay, Mr. B. >> Yeah, I I'll be quick. Uh, uh, you seem very passionate about the the change the name changing to that. And so my only suggestion would be uh people would like probably like to hear the pros and cons and your ration off why you would like to do that. And so like I think uh transparency and just being honest with the community on why it would be a good decision that should probably be something like I don't know a video public statement or speaking about it in person because uh people may have feel differently and change their minds about it
141if they hear your perspective on why somebody why would you want to do this uh for the name of the school. So yeah. >> Okay. Yeah. Did you have anything that you'd like to share regarding that? >> I No, I mean I I'd have no problem doing a video. I think the just knowing the format and how to send that out to people. Yeah, I could do whatever needed in that. >> Okay, this >> I tend to be um Hi, thank you for coming. Um I tend to feel very supportive of uh I trust you. You are you have worked in the West Little Rock community for how many years now? >> Uh 14. >> 14 years now. And um and I trust that. Um my kids also go to a school that is uh
142two schools that are next door to each other that have the same name at Paskki Heights. Um that operate separately, have different addresses. I know we recently had um um there was some issue where a student was having a medical issue and uh the the ambulance went to the wrong place, you know, and so I I totally see these kinds of things as being confusion and making sure that we are we have access to all the right things. um for our kids. So, um that being said, um one other thing that I think is really important to this is that it um not sharing the name with the middle school. I see I see this in the elementary school where my kids are that the middle school with the same name feels inclusive to them
143because it's the same name, but it brings in kids from a lot of other schools as well. And it may not feel quite as as much like home to them because it's not the same name as the elementary school they went to, if that makes sense. And I feel like having a different name for this will feel welcoming to the students who did not go to Pinnacle View Middle School if we have a name that feels more inclusive of a bigger um bigger geography and maybe footprint than the middle school. So um that is another reason I just feel pretty supportive of this. >> Well um >> yeah just just another thought just in the kind of in the in the frame of brainstorming. >> You know we we've had a good discussion here. I
144appreciate you bringing this to us. I'm I appreciate what we're doing here. >> I wonder if there's another way to think about, you know, if the public who's interested to say we're going to vote on this next month. We've had a recommendation. This is the reasons why we're considering it and people have a chance to weigh in >> and and and we can hear from them >> if if they have a strong feeling either way, right? >> And we may not have to do another survey. We may, but we've had a public discussion. We could invite people's input. We could do that individually. We could invite people's input if people want to and and and I feel comfortable with that too to make a decision because we will have given people a chance to weigh
145in who who have strong feelings about it. Also gives people a chance to to ask questions and you know if they weigh in to any of us or to you or to you know the administration then we have a chance to respond back to them. It's more of a dialogue than just a one-way thing. I absolutely agree with that just from the perspective of I mean I think surveys when you put surveys on the internet they are inherently flawed. You don't know who's responding. You don't know if it's your target audience. You don't know who is giving you feedback and if they have the intentions of really truly moving the district in the right direction and so >> self- selected service. >> So I I love um the idea of the community input. I don't
146know you know you guys are kind of in charge of that. And I know that when we have polls and you know time frames, I love um that you were able to bring it before us because I think you spearheading it. It's important. Um and I've had lots of people that have ideas about this and I actually I agree with it because I think there is a lot of confusion. So I like the idea, but I also like the idea of ensuring that the community ideas are represented. So, um I don't know if that that's something that perhaps that um we could have placed out there and by the time we come together for our work session that we could have that those um ideas, those findings and then discuss it at that time um
147and then be ready for a vote perhaps. >> Uh director of communication is shaking her head. >> She's shaking her head back there. What are your thoughts? I'm just I'm not involved in that. Y'all tell me what you want. >> Is that something that's doable? >> What's I'm I'm not clear on what what we're I heard survey. Then I heard another option of getting community input. That's not a survey, but I'm not sure what how that looks like. >> Okay. What What does that look like? Greg, I was thinking a survey. I think Miss uh Hatter was thinking a survey. What are your thoughts? What were you thinking? Well, I I had wondered about another surveying, but then I the last thought again just in the spirit of brainstorming otherwise would just to be to,
148you know, to invite people's intel, invite people's input to say we're going to vote on this next month. If you have input on it, you know, we are seriously considerate. This is the reasons why and and if they >> So, would you like for them to submit it through their board member or >> Sure. >> Okay. Okay. And but we could you know we could we could publicize this this you know this you know this rationale which which would help people >> to have so they have some context about why why we're deciding that. Okay. >> This is perhaps we could do both. >> That makes sense. >> Yeah. These are compelling reasons. I mean sorry I don't want a lot of work on anything. I know >> we can we can we can do
149that. >> So we could go through the zone. >> It's what we're here for. >> Sounds great to me. Okay. Very good. All right. Any other questions or comments? Thank you so much, Mr. Helman. >> Yeah, thank you. I I have one more question. Okay. So, just to make sure I I'm hearing correctly because we might be asked by >> who knows >> architects and other people. Um because a lot of it is like it's it is the basketball court design has to be ordered by a certain time or the scoreboards and those things. So, so if I'm hearing correctly, the idea would be is to put out a rationale and and of of the why of my request essentially and then >> an avenue for anybody in the community to communicate to you guys
150of if they have strong feelings either way and then in February at the board meeting, you guys would then >> make that decision. >> We could even do it as soon as the 12th, right? >> Yeah. Because we have a special meeting on the 12th as soon as Yes. get back to the contractors and get the deadlines to us. Then it'd be easy for us to say, "Oh, well, we can't pull that late." >> March. Okay. >> March. >> Yeah. >> Great. >> Wait. Let me say something. >> Okay. >> That's helpful. Thank you. >> I have Hold up. Hold up. Hold up. >> Some people don't even know we have a board. Some people don't even know who their board members are. So, how do you handle that? So >> what I envision is
151us sending out a message through our various communication streams that how we communicate anyway and it will have this we we're crafted to where okay um people will know who to reach out to if they've got an opinion on the other. >> Miss Hatter has something as well. Is that correct? >> Yeah. So I think that that causes a level of confusion. So, I think if we were just to do a survey and then that takes all nine of us out of it, um, and we just do the survey with those two names and then that way we'll we'll have the record of who voted. It's very clean and simple instead of having them craft a message to us and or else to do a blanket email to all of you know what I mean?
152So, if if we could just do a Google poll or a survey monkey and with two options, that seems pretty >> We don't need to do both. >> If we if you want to do a survey, we just do a survey >> and we just post it. >> Okay. Um >> I like that we collap into confusion. That's that's always a great thing. >> Yes. Okay. So >> I will just Well, >> you have some >> I do have a strong feeling about another survey. I I mean just as a person who I I don't know it it it sort of locks us in, right? If if that is we regardless of who is filling out this anonymous online survey that's on the internet for all the public to see, it locks us into the
153results essentially. I'm with director strong >> and I think we are here as representatives of our zones and I think for the people that feel strongly enough it is not super hard. We have all have cell phones for the board for the district that are on the on our on the website. We all have emails on there that we can check. And I think it's a great way for people who feel strongly about the idea of changing the name to Little Rock West High School um to be able to reach out and say, you know what, I really liked Pinnacle View better or I really like West. >> Did you say you prefer the survey? >> I do not prefer the survey. I prefer in this case um I really strongly feel that >> there's
154a lot of room for interference. >> Okay. >> In a public Dr. Strong. So how do we so how do we um calculate all those? We all get together and we say so and so talk to us because still in all we we will still have the same concern of yours. We don't know if those individuals live in the zone. We don't know if they go to the um Little Rock school district and plus we are a public school district. So even if they go to um a private school and they pay their and they pay taxes to us, they too still have a say. No, I didn't write in the naming. So that's why I was just thinking about the survey. I don't have a dog in the I mean I do have a
155I mean I care about what what goes forth but at the same time if if we are going by your um premise that we each represent a zone then technically that would mean that the the zone rep for the school would get all of the um feedback on that and but but then we all represent. So, I was just trying trying to make it simple for per for record. >> Okay, >> that's all. >> I don't feel one way or another about it. Whatever you guys decide, I'll >> Okay. What? I'm sorry. What' you say, Miss Hatter? Miss Hatter was saying something at the end. I didn't >> Oh, I I was just saying how what whatever whatever you guys decide. I mean, that's the way that we'll go. But that means that we are
156going to have to keep track of the phone calls, okay, >> and the emails, >> okay? and all of that when a survey could keep track of what people want. >> Have the simplest thing in the world. >> Okay. >> I move that we name the school Little Rock West. >> Second. >> Are there any questions? Questions, thoughts? Any questions, thoughts, comments? It's been moved and probably seconded that we name the um new high school in West Little Rock, Little Rock West. All in favor say I. >> I. >> Any oppose. The motion carries. >> Hey, hang on, hang on a second. >> All right. Well, with that, I'll get to work on the right side. Thank you. >> Absolutely. >> All right. Do you need names on that? Did you get the numbers on
157that? >> I'm sorry I didn't do that. >> I'm sorry. Hold on. Hold on. Did you get the numbers on that there? >> Are we ready for the call back? >> It was un Vicki. doing. >> Wonderful. >> Vicki, how did you vote? >> Vicki, how'd you vote? >> I I didn't I just looked at the screen. >> She's in. >> She's still in. >> I mean, because it was right. I mean I mean, you got a motion could have been made in second and ro, but I was uh leaning on giving the public their their right to um weigh in because they are the ones who named the school, but we ultimately have the right to change it without their weigh in. So, There we go. >> So, which which direction? >> Which way
158did you vote, dear? >> She can't I just looked at the screen. I didn't vote at all because I was >> yay nay or you abstain? >> I didn't I I didn't I I didn't vote on on that. I was going >> thought that we was giving the public the option to >> 7.1. >> We got one other >> Oh, you have something else. I'm sorry. >> Oh. Uh oh. I'm scared. >> Why didn't you yell? No, no, no. But I spoke up. >> Go ahead. >> Oh, it has nothing to do with the name. >> Oh, thank God. >> No. >> Um, so in part of our planning for the uh school opening, um, a big part of that planning is determining our extracurricular activities and our athletics um, departments. Uh, agree with that
159or not, athletics is a huge part in a recruitment tool for schools. So, one of the things that we've learned, we actually had a meeting yesterday, um Mr. Turner and I, with uh AAA, is that our school, Little Rock West, is opening in the middle of a conference cycle. What that means is our if we open 9:12 um as a full opening, which is what we initially planned, we will not be able to offer team varsity sports the first year. >> Um that means no girls or boys basketball, football, volleyball, soccer, >> baseball or softball. Let me >> Does it mean we we did they say we couldn't or that we couldn't count it as a record? I mean >> you So you So technically you can offer it but you can't compete in conference.
160You won't you can only play non-conference games. >> Okay. So we could still play everybody that would sign up to play with us. Right. >> Which they won't if I'm just being really direct and honest. One most people's >> I know three that will because they'll be told to. >> Did she finish? >> I'm sorry. Well, no. It doesn't work that way either. Um because um football conference schedules are set two years in advance. >> Yeah, that's what you said in the middle of the middle of cycle. >> Okay. Well, that >> So, if you're in the middle of a cycle, you're asking football teams or basketball teams who already have their conference schedules set to find additional days after they're already playing two days a week to find other games. They have also changed
161conferences uh change the conferences. So like for the conferences that say uh Park View and Central Volleyball are in, their schedules, they don't even have room for additional non-conference games. >> Okay. >> So we would be putting the school in the position where they would have to find games where they may have a season where they only have two or three games. Um >> so do we have another option >> for varsity sports? No. >> But we do have an option for um >> opening. We we we have to open the building in fall of 27, but we do um that's what I'm asking you all to consider a staggered opening for the building where we open 9th and 10th grade. We can compete in conference in ninth grade in junior varsity, just not in
162varsity the first year. So if we did a staggered opening um enrolling ninth and tth grade the first year and then 11th and 12th grade the next year, the second year we could fully compete in conference in all sports. Now, we can I do want to say we can still compete in conference varsity individual sports. That's things like tennis, golf, wrestling is considered an individual sport. Uh swimming, those things, but not varsity team sports. >> So, there's no date that is available for us to open fully and be able to compete. >> Uhhuh. In 2028, >> right? But not in 27. >> No. >> Okay. >> And the Yes. Is the AAA the decider on who's they are the AAA and this is what have other high schools in this position that have been opening
163have opened up in the state done in this situation? >> Um they they asked I asked them how many schools they knew of that opened and there was one and they did a staggered opening. >> Wow. >> Is that your recommendation? >> That is my recommendation. >> We don't have a recommendation. >> Oh no I don't have a recommendation. Our two our two options are to open. We can fully open. >> Um I think I think either choice will have an impact on enrollment. Let me say it that way. >> Indeed. >> Okay. >> Question. >> Just so I can understand just so I understand to think about it >> to see. So the disadvantage to doing the full opening would be that students who were interested in participating in varsity athletics would have to
164make a choice. They could they would not be able to they would either have to stay at whatever school they'd be attending otherwise >> or they would not come to the new high school. >> They would if they came to the they would either not come to the new high school. um if they came to the high school, they would not be able to compete, right, in varsity athletics. Um I think it also impacts the student population as a whole. Um I I didn't play football, but I did go to the games and and cheer for the teams. Um athletics is a huge part of school and it's a huge draw for even non non-athletes in high school. >> Well, you also have the cheerleading teams and those >> So So let just just to
165make sure Lauren Dr. exploring that. So if you if you did a staggered opening, your nth and tth grade would be would have a full array of options. >> Yes. >> You know, for activities and things like that. >> If you did a full 9th through 12th grade, then you you're you wouldn't have a full array of option for varsity sports and those team sports. >> And so then families would have to make a choice. >> Correct. So activities like other activities like choir and band is that are those also impacted by those decisions like all all state and all district choirs and things like that? >> No. So one I'm just I'm thinking out loud with that. So if you did open 9th through 12th, then you would have to be very clear to
166people that that were that if you come, so we we might have some students come who weren't interested in that. But and we'd have to be real clear that if you are interested in that, then this is not the time for you to come. >> Or you have to wait, >> right? >> Yes. >> You'd have to wait a year. If those students, if we open fully and those students wait a year, then um because we're open then I think they uh those 11th and 12th grade students then are under the transfer rules. It could only be students that year that were transferring to back to their zone school. So it would only be students that lived in the West Little Rock West attendance zone. Yes. for for eligibility. Now, anybody could for enrollment, anybody
167could >> for athletics. >> Yes. >> Yeah. >> Yes. >> Yeah. >> So, I'm glad we're not voting on that tonight. I I hope we could I hope that we could talk if we could get some, you know, some executive summary kind of comparisons about pros and cons about different ways. It's just to help us to think it through. But thank you for giving us the heads up. >> Right. Mr. May. >> Oh, I just said and a recommendation. >> Recommendation. Okay. Perhaps February. He'll get you on. >> Yeah, that's what I'm asking. >> No. Any other questions? Okay. Thank you. >> Yes. February work, >> please. >> All right. Now, 7.1. >> Oh, he's so happy looking. 7.1 financial report >> to the uh >> administrator of the year >> Arkansas Association of >>
168delay >> uh school board officials >> get it right >> administrator of the year >> thank y'all for let getting them in early as well so >> absolutely >> uh I won't be before you long I don't think here I'm going to pull up I guess I need to plug in before I pull Thank you. First first one is going to be our December uh 2025 financial report which is attached I think right live up there. Uh so we have one thing and I did I do have a comparison thing. So doc um Mr. Rose or Director Rose, give me one more to February. So, we get that added on there. Uh, just jumping right into our revenue update here. Our property tax collection, you know, we have uh two parts here where main collections
169at these two first lines is basically 110 and 120. Uh, 110 goes from July through December and the next part goes to January through June on that part. So, we had projected about uh 113.6 million coming in that period of time. Those collections are closed off. So right now collections are off by about 2.3 million. It's hopeful that we'll make this up in this latter part. Of course you can't do projections based on you know past things and but you can't mandate people to pay their taxes at that given time. So I think we'll we'll we'll meet those expectations there. As far as delinquent taxes there coming in as expected uh almost 70% collected 68% as the end of this uh actual reporting quarter or period. Other pieces here seem to be on schedule. Uh
170the latter part, interest on investments, we actually collected uh 101% so we definitely have met that goal. So we are still going to be earning some interest on those deposits we have out there. Uh either the capital, we have capital improvement funds along with our operational funds out there. Now, as we look at expenditure updates, it's not a whole lot right now. Of course, you're going to continue to see this security update here. This is a one-time offset based on those uh those past due in or past invoices that we've received this fiscal year. But right now, um this has grown a little bit, but salary and benefit projection are trending to come in based on vacancy about 2.75 million under budget. Uh about 2 and a.5 million before. So hopefully that that'll stay true.
171We still have quite a few vacancies out there. Some of those are filled with long-term subs and but we have uh several custodial or maybe other paras and teacher positions that won't be filled this year. So, we're still cleaning those up and be eliminating any that's not needed. As we get to our fund balance update, uh you can see operating fund balance is currently uh as of December, end of December, a little over 53.5 million dollars there. Uh followed by capital improvement fund balance is 51, which that balance you're going to see going down quite a bit. So, the major projects we have going right now is really the I guess y'all just voted on West Little Rock High School. Uh, so >> Rock West. >> Little Rock West. >> Is that what it is?
172Little Rock West High School. >> All right. >> So, y'all just voted on it. So, uh, majority of funds are continue to go out there. We're wrapping up, uh, Park View as well. If you hadn't gone by there, you should be seeing a nice facade there and the inside is looking great as well. I think they're wrapping up the the stadium, rest of the stadium renovations over at Central. We have some mechanical things going on around the district as well. uh federal fund balance ended the month of negative $2.3 million in no way no reimbursements on those though no risk of not getting those that's just the timing part of that and when we actually get collection so that's the part why it's always important to have a a decent fund balance there because I
173mean you you spend all your federal money you get reimbured none of that money is typically fronted to you so you wait on reimbursement so uh child nutrition fund balance is still healthy uh for our district so 1.7 we hadn't had to contribute any to them. So they stay in the black year after year. So uh just a pictorial picture here. So we're still we're down here on the end here. So we're still looking pretty good. Just reflects the uh balances I just went over on the the previous slide there. So uh we don't want to get like October 25. So our plan is with budget reductions we can, you know, have a little bit little more cushioning when we get to July, August, and September waiting on those uh major tax revenues to come
174in. And of course you have all the detail back back here as well. So when we're looking at the the detail here, I'll make it a little bit larger here. Uh so when I was talking about this is what we budget for that tax $113,655,488. And as you scroll over, you can see what our yearto date is always up to detail back available balance. So it shows uh we're at 98% collection at that point. So you have a lot of details here. If you ever seen any negatives out here on the revenue, that means it's good. over collected based based on what we actually budgeted there. So, and you can scroll down through these of course and look at we have a lot of funds that come in, a lot of different funds. So, and
175keep going. If you go to the very end, you'll see all the detail as far as what makes I'm going to scroll down real quick for you all. You'll see what makes up these different fund balance totals. Scroll up here. So if you're looking at federal funds and want to look at all the funds we receive federally, start at the sixes and go down. So you'll be able to see all those as well. So any questions? >> I have a question, Mr. May. >> Yes, sir. >> Right. Go ahead. >> Uh can you give me all the your budget for all the security costs for the district? >> Yes, sir. I think I should be able to do that. >> Can you can you send it to me? You can send it to the whole
176board. Just I just need that. Okay, one more time. Yeah, >> I just want to make a a quick comment. I don't know how many of you have been paying attention, but I was very concerned about the House Appropriations Committee's drastic cuts to a lot of the federal programs. Um but last week or early last week um both the House and Senate Appropriations Committee came up with a um proposal that's hopefully going to go for a vote and it actually keeps level funding for all of the federal programs and like a very slight increase to like title one and IDEIDA. So that is comforting. Although they haven't actually voted on it yet, but it is I don't know if you saw the House's original um proposal. It like slashed everything and got rid of several
177um federal programs, but it looks like um they have a joint bill that it's that's keeping everything level um for the upcoming fiscal year. So keep crossing your fingers and keep praying that that actually happens. >> Is that for this fiscal year? were already in. >> No, 2627 next year >> for the one that starts in October for the >> for our school year 2627. >> Okay. >> But federal Yes. >> I wasn't sure which federal budget that was. If this was a holdover from this October and the continuing resolution or if it was >> that concludes my question. >> Okay. chair entertain a motion. >> I move that the RSD board of education approve and accept the December 2025 board financial report as submitted. >> Second. >> It's been moved and properly seconded that
178the LRSD board of education approve and accept the December 2025 board financial report as submitted. Any questions, comments? All in favor say I. >> I. >> All oppose. The motion carries. >> All right. 7.2. >> All right. So the the next one is a resolution we submit every year for the calendar year but it's for the board of directors approve uh unwave is our electronic posting receiving district bid invitation. So uh we send all our bids out electronically so we have records out there so every registered vendor out there would actually get a bid notice uh when we have some available uh we can track whether they responded or not. Uh it's a seal when seal bids are open. There's nohere nobody saying that you know somebody opened the bids preal date. Uh all that
179stuff is electronic. So uh we have to have a resolution in hand to actually do it electronically. U so that's what you have before you have this every year. So we won't go back to ever receiving paper uh bids because things get lost in the mail or you know a fax they used to fax them in or fax mess up or something. But when you submit it electronically you have a time stamp and everything so everything is transparent and on the up and up. Madam Chairman, I move the LRSD board of education approve the attached resolution on the electronic bid posting. >> Second. >> It's been moved and properly second that the LRSD board of education approved the attached resolution on electronic bid bid posting. Any question, comments? Been moved and properly second. All in
180favor say I. >> I. Any oppose? The motion carries. 7.3 budget development process discussion. >> One thing on 7.2, to I know you all travel and go to professional development and different vendors and people may contact you. So always encourage them to go to our website and register as a vendor. So if we ever have a bid to go out that service or product whatever they're providing there actually get you know notice on 7.3. I'm gonna let Dr. Wright >> All right. Got two updates. Um so the first one I don't know where David is but I need him in here. Um, but if you open up the budget development timeline, I made um an adjustment. Uh, >> you pull it up. >> You got it. You want me to grab it or you got
181it? >> So, um, and I hope I don't get this wrong. So, I'm waiting for >> to walk in the door. >> You want to put it back to me, Miss Smith? I got it. >> I got it. >> Okay, >> this is 7.3, the budget development timeline. If you scroll all the way down to the highlighted part in March, you'll see that I changed um the date for the vote uh to March 12th and it was February the 26th. And that is because I'm talking slow. Hopefully, he's going to walk in here. We got um indication from the county clerk's office that the March 3rd election, the votes will be certified on March 18th, which means that this board will still need to be in place for the March uh work session. And so
182that actually gives us additional time uh to continue working on things. Actually gives us a couple more weeks. And so I pushed back that um 22626 vote on um the the planning document. I pushed it back to 312 which would be the last board meeting that this board will serve on. Did I get that correct? >> Yep. >> Okay. >> So that was one update to the timeline and I just want to make sure that you all were aware of that and that gives us a little bit more time to kind of work on some things. Thank you, Dave. And the other the other big change, if you click on the um uh the planning document, revised FY27 draft budget reduction planning document. U when I first went over this, I said that we will
183continually be making updates to this um as we proceed to now the March 12th date for uh the vote on this. And if you um look at it, I want to highlight um several updates that we've added to this. I do want to thank um certified PPC, classified PPC, our principles round table. Uh we have been meeting about these things um early in December. Uh and so they all the groups have gotten their feedback to me. some of the ideas and suggestions um from our classified PPC and from our not just our principles round table but all of our principles um in our leadership team uh last week or a couple weeks ago actually got some additional ideas to consider and some of those are actually reflected in here. Um I haven't had time to
184go through the certified PPC's um feedback yet but I we'll we'll do that this week. It just we just got that earlier uh this week. Uh but real quick and I do want to say this too like this is our third year now going through uh various forms of bud budget reductions and I will go back and find some of the older data from the previous two years but I do want to remind folks that the biggest hit especially in the first couple of years was really admin. Um and so I shared data that showed the proportion of budget reductions compared to administrative staff versus um people at the school level. Um, and so I just want to make that point. Secondly, for this year, because of, you know, how we've been framing this and
185the data that we've been sharing, there is no there's no person, there's no department, there is no area of our district that is not contributing to reductions in some type of way to get us to the goal that we're trying to get through. Um, so this is not on the backs of just teachers. And I want to be clear that the the cuts that will come from the school level are coming from the school level based upon either enrollment because we're trying to staff schools more closely based upon the number of kids that we have um and the other set of cuts are going to come from when I share the data uh with regards to all of the classes that we have that have uh below the minimum enrollment number of students. And so
186there were hundreds of those across the district. And so we will be looking to um collapse as many of those sections as possible to make larger class sizes which will result in some teacher positions being cut. But the cuts from the teacher positions are coming from enrollment and or course enrollment. These are not just arbitrary arbitrary cuts to teacher positions. Just want to make sure that's clear. So I'm going to go over this real quick. I'm not going to read everything on here, but um district leadership superintendent cabinet, you see we've identified one position there. Um and even I am offering and volunteering to cut um the number of days in my contract the same way that other 12-month employees that you will see reflected here. And so when I say that this is touching
187everybody in the district, myself included. And I want to be clear that per my contract, it actually states that I can't be paid lower than what I'm currently getting. And so I am volunteering to do this. This is not something um this is something that I'm volunteering to do because I feel like I should contribute um to these cuts and reduction reductions just like everybody else in the district. So when I say no one is >> is exempt, no one is being exempt. >> I'm I'm not being smart about this. Thank you. Sincerely, thank you. >> That's right. >> Um network level position changes and there will be like I said, we will continue to update this. Right now, we aren't making um any reductions to the network level personnel because if you remember last
188year, we cut a whole bunch. Um as a matter of fact, networks two and three. Prior years they had their own staff. Um this year, networks two and three are sharing all of their staff. Um which which is why there are two elementary multi-sight facilitator positions listed here. These are teacher positions. And the reason why we are recommending these or will be re recommending these right now in our elementary schools we have 20 something actually 23 22 or 23 plus when you take the elementary portions of our K8s I don't know how many that is but right now we have one ELA coordinator and one math coordinator who is responsible for all of the curriculum updates curriculum planning curriculum guidance and responsible for supporting schools Um and so this is the first year that we
189have done that because we cut a lot of those roles at previous years. It is not a model that is working very very well at all. And so rather than hire two more administrators because those salaries are more, we are looking to add um two teacher positions to for networks two and three that will provide some additional support uh to schools because it's too much for the one ELA and the one math coordinator to do curriculum work because remember we cut all of those positions from teaching and learning. There is no one in teaching and learning that's giving leadership over ELA and math. They're all at the network level. And so that's why you see those two there. district office uh personnel reduction. So far, we have we have agreed to recommend to the board
190to reduce all 12-month employee contracts by five days, and you can see the number of employees that that is impacting and the cost there. Um we've identified nine positions thus far for elimination at the district level. Um and that's equaling 473,000. There may be more, but this is just what we have identified um at this point. And we will get an update from our marketing branding um partners soon. They have already briefed us um as a leadership team. Um was that in December? >> Yeah, that was in December. Um but when you hear them and some of the things that they are recommending um and some of the work that we know that we need to do um they did recommend when they looked at the size of our communications team and the work that
191they are actually recommending. Um, so we're taking a conservative approach and just just recommending the addition of one person and it'll make more sense when you hear from them in terms of what what that um what their recommendation and what that's going to result in, but I went ahead and included it here. Um, schoolbased administrative and admin support reductions. You see a number of things here that we um will be recommending. So all principles with the exception of high school principles um we are recommending that they go to a 11.5 contract and you can see the savings um and the number of people that it impacts. Um high school principles will uh their contracts will be reduced by 5 days just like other 12-month employees. Um based upon the staffing manual that you will be
192voting on today. So this is presuming it is approved. Um but based upon the way that it is uh written now um it will result in six um reductions of APS across the district and you see that amounts to about $83,000. Um and then because we are doing some things unique with AL and ACC on the same campus at hall next year um we have identified some additional positions to reduce because they'll just be redundant because we'll have um a number of people um on that campus schoolbased extended contract reductions. We have more work to do here. Um but you can see some of the things that we've already decided. Um, we've got we've got several examples of the same people in the same position in our district at different schools working different contract terms.
193And so, um, we rectified this with all of our network personnel last year. And moving forward for 2627, we're rectifying it by make sure that that it's it's the same for everybody. And so, high school and middle school deans um, will all be 10 months. Elementary deans will be 9.5 months. elementary and middle school instructional texts will be 9.5 months. I'm I'm not going to read all of that, but you can you can see all of that there. There are still some that we are working on. Um so we have not completed this yet, but I just wanted you to kind of see where we're the direction we're headed and what we have now. The next several the next three um rows, we're not going to have those done by the time you all vote
194on this. These are and this is the biggest area where some of the cuts are going to come from. These are all of the cuts that will come at the school level based upon enrollment and course selection. Um and that process will start um in the next couple of weeks. Um we'll start the recommendation rounds. Uh the first round, first couple rounds will all be elementary. Um and then the secondary recommendations will come later because their course selection process sounds like this just came on. The course selection process is longer and it it it you already know because we've been through this before. Program partnerships reductions working on that. We just didn't have anything to report right now, but we are having conversations and looking at different programs and and other things that we can
195reduce and we will update that probably in the next one. I think that's all the things that are on here that are new. But I wanted to give you an update in terms of where we are right now. And everything that's on here right now equates to about uh a little over two million in cuts. So, we are still way off from the total um the total amount we're trying to get to, but we are well on our way. >> Anybody got >> questions? Can we guess how much more there will be? >> 12 to 15 million. >> That's the goal. >> 12 to 15 is the goal. >> Well, I know that's the goal, but do we feel like we're going to make the goal? >> I do. >> We have to. >> All
196right. And I know I keep hearing references to, you know, we cut 50 million last year and 50 million the first year. And I've said this verbally and I've said this in writing, but I want to say it again. We don't know what we cut the first year because it was we we didn't have the right mechanisms to to really know. And I think last year we didn't get to the 50 million. It was more like nine or 10 >> maybe. Yeah. Seven, eight, nine. >> Yeah. So we didn't hit that mark. So when I I just want to make sure that that's that's understood. >> Other questions? >> Just a just a quick so on the on the reductions for you know for staff or particularly classroom people because adjusting to enrollment adjusting to
197minimize the number of small classrooms. Do we have any ballpark at all about where how much we think that's going to help or of the remaining savings that we're looking for? How much it's going to get us closer to that? >> Yeah. So, every classroom teaches about average about 87,000. >> Can I you pull up can I share my screen here? I show as well. Uh so there are some other pieces on there. Maybe some transportation pieces as far as routing uh reduction of routes. Uh of course we have some other operation savings, utility savings. We pretty much have hit that. We We're still replacing some mechanical. So, you have a little more utility savings, but it's very minimal. We've gone through the LED and changed out, you know, a lot of mechanical things. U
198the minimum, you look up here. We shared this before as well when we're talking about reductions because I've been here since I'm coming up to 17 years in a few months. So, and we've been cutting for a long time because we've been talking about DEG wind down since I when I first got here. So, had a you can notice here we had 4,200 employees. Uh we had a few more than that because this just goes to 12 13. Uh we cut as far as away from the the classrooms as we could at first. So I have larger divisions like maintenance operation probably up to they probably up to 85 maybe even 90 employees less now than when I started. You had a full you had a lot of employees there. Uh bus drivers you can
199kind of look over here. Although we've lost a lot of students over the years we hadn't been as aggressively on the certified side. we have lost you know reduced 480 since that time frame and classified or non-certified about 624 so just over that period of since 1213 to now we're down about 1100 student 1100 actual FTEES so uh there are some other pieces but of course we're spread out across the district we have a lot of smaller schools so uh comes to scale you can't achieve those when you have them spread out so uh when you're combining some of those campus like some of the proposals that's going on at Hall that that'll save some, you know, resources there along with uh staffing challenges. Right now, you're lucky to get five or six people apply
200for a job and out of those, you're lucky to have the ones that accept the interview, half of them are to show up for it. Uh so the the challenges you have staffing is especially on you looking at nurses or whatever it might be, custodials or bus drivers. So there's challenges out there, but I think we we're going to have to get to it. So >> other questions? Other questions? Okay. >> All right. This was discussion only, correct? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Thank you so much. >> All right. Um I'm sorry. Did you have something? >> I just expected it. >> Okay. All right. Okay. So, uh 9.1 staffing formula manual charges. Good evening board. >> We've had lots of discussion. So we are to the point of the staffing formula that we presented to
201you about a month ago and we're asking for you all to uh adopt this formula in an effort to implement the cuts and that we have been talking about >> two months ago. >> Two that's right two months ago. That's correct. Do you have any questions? >> Questions? >> And I think uh this was uh this has been referred to a number of times and yes ma'am >> you have been addressed and >> yes >> are looking forward to no doubt having those discussions with those particular parties >> because this this will uh allow us to move forward with the first round of recommendations next month. >> Very good. We don't want to uphold up that process. I'm sure. Uh, chair will entertain a motion. >> I move that the LRSD board of education approve
202the FY27 staffing formula guidelines manual. >> Second. >> It's been moved and properly seconded that the LRSD Board of Education approved the FY27 staffing formula guideline manual. Any questions, concerns? Moved and properly second. All in favor say I say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? The motion carries. Thank you. >> I do want to uh clarify something that Miss Austin asked earlier about the contract because this of course impacts um our staffing formula about the 10 days. Um that will help our field administrators to know what staff that they may have. However, the employees still have an opportunity by law May 15th to resend their uh their contract. So even if even though they say, "Hey, I'm going to go ahead and sign this." but they get something later on, we have to release them
203uh up to that particular date. So, um so we're just trying to ensure that we know what our staffing looks like uh expeditiously instead of waiting till later on. So, they do have till May 15th. >> Okay. Very good. Thank you so much. >> Necklace. >> Thank you. >> All right. 9.2 LRSD board policy updates. Mr. Cass board. I'm excited to see you this evening. >> Um, there are a couple of things that I want to draw your attention to. >> That didn't say I'm genuine, Mr. Pay. Are you sure? >> I've got kind of a a certain >> relationship with that. >> I don't know. A effect. There's sort of a effect to me. He's a lot of times a little >> Okay. Okay. >> Little lowkey. >> Blunted. Well, and you know, not
204to chase too big a rabbit, but I I totally fell in love with like Epictitus and Senica a few years ago, so I'm like kind of trying to channel my inner stoic. >> Okay. >> So, so you're telling us that this is what excitement looks like, Mr. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Fair enough. >> Yeah. >> All right. Of >> course, watch me try to walk outside the next few days and you'll see some excitement. Okay. Um after our conversation board, uh there are a couple of items that I want to uh draw your attention to and then there's one item that I want uh I want some guidance from you on before you vote these uh policies as we discussed in the meeting. Uh these are largely taken from the Arkansas School Board Association model
205policies. Uh following our conversation the other day, um Mr. Rose, your suggestion on policy 1.19, >> board member length of term and holdovers. I rework the the language to use the expression following the election of 2026 when new board members are sworn. The district shall have seven members of the board of directors in seven single member zones. Uh and that echoes the statutory wording uh precisely. And so for clarity that will that will bring us more in line with with what we're actually doing. Um Mr. Adams uh in this I brought handouts. Um Madam Chair, can I distribute these to Yes, sir. And board members, if you'll if you'll notice, I've given you two documents. The top document is the revised draft of policy 4.11. Um, and to to make it very simple, I've struck
206through the ASPA model language and how uh how I arrived with this edit after the agenda meeting. We got together uh me and Mr. Heler and Miss Burgess uh and discussed all right well what what options do we have around equal educational opportunity and so what you'll see is the the one revision uh that's placed in item 4.11 is here at the very bottom there's an underline Arkansas Attorney General's opinion uh and I've given you a copy of the AG's opinion that we talked about in the agenda in a meeting that speaks to this. The AG's opinion specifically spends a lot of time talking about two statutes that are relatively new to the Arkansas code. One is the gender integrity reinforcement legislation for sports act and the other is fairness and women's sports act. And
207so the the thought that we had is that the AG's opinion and as you'll as you'll notice on the first page of the AG's opinion uh right under the the um boldfaced type response um the AGO opines that it would not comply with act 461 or act 953 if the polic policy were applied in such a way that the school district one failed to designate sports teams as male, female, or co-ed or two allowed male students to participate in female designated sports teams. And in our discussions and conversations and review of all right, here's what the AG opinion says, here's what the law is, here are some other things, it speaks about those two things, and the AG's opinion kind of gives us a guide. So, it occurred to us that if we put the
208AG's opinion into the equal educational opportunity policy, then we're capturing what state law has done around those two acts which are specific to sports teams. It doesn't say anything about chess clubs or drama clubs or AV clubs or band or anything else. uh and in those respects any student that comes to us will be treated the exact same as anybody else and we did not strike through their mentions in the policy. So, it's a it's a way of of using the AG's reasoning in our own policy to interpret it so that we won't be trying to avoid the requirements of state law, but we're not going further than the guidance from the attorney general. >> Questions? Yes, sir. Thank you very much. >> I mean, seriously, I mean, this >> No. >> Yeah. >> You
209use the word excited. This excites and encourages me that we can continue to have this language as much as possible and deep appreciation to you and and the others who involved in this. >> Uh I I would be remiss. Miss Burgess is always a champion on anything I do and she is always a great thought partner on everything I do and she usually catches those details that I miss. and Mr. Heler was invaluable in the conversations. So, this was a complete team effort on how to think through how we do this. >> Thank you to all of you. >> Thank you, Mr. Adams. Other questions or comments? The questions or comments? >> And I have one other item that I need some guidance from the board on >> uh around public comment. Um, and that
210comes in policy 1.14, >> the public comment section. And we we talked about this during the agenda meeting that >> it's redundant because there's another public comment policy out in our policies that if if the board enacts this one, >> then you'll probably be looking at that one as a striketh through or maybe a merger of some of those provisions. >> Um, but >> what I need specifically uh or what actually what not what I need what the board needs to consider is that in policy 1.14 >> that is the statutory wording uh around public comment now >> and I understand that our custom here at LRSD is to put a signup sheet out in the foyer about 30 minutes before the meeting I didn't put it in there uh because I figured that's a
211board decision. Uh some of the other things like five calendar days are are longstanding parts of the policy. It makes sense to me to keep doing that, but that's that's one I wanted some guidance from the board on uh on when the signup sheet goes out. And since we start at 5:35 seems to make sense to me, but >> sure. >> That's not a me decision. That's a board decision. >> Okay. >> Comments. Miss T, >> I did have some I did have some questions on um on a few of the policies particularly in in section one. Um >> well was I think he um >> this is on 1.14. Yeah, it's on I'll start with on on 1.14. Um just a few things in this policy after having a chance to read it a
212little more closely since the last meeting. Um, I I felt confused by the fact that we have both the opportunity for district patrons wishing to have an item placed on the board agenda meeting and that the process seems very similar um with the exception that the superintendent and board president may reject those um requests to be to have agenda items placed on the agenda. um but does not necessarily have that same piece same uh opportunity for public comment. U I was a little worried that that would be confusing to p persons in the public who were seeking to participate in sharing feedback with our board either through adding an agenda item to the board meeting or through public comment since those processes were were a bit different. Um, in this same one, I was a
213little worried. Um, I know we have in here that the chairman of BPPC and I know we have multiple PPCs and I didn't know if that would was inclusive of both personnel policy committees. Also, whether that included the principles round table and student council that are currently part of our kind of our our current process, if those should be stated in the policy that those were on there. Um, I know act 902 from session did require us to have just on the public comment piece the the pieces that are in the bottom. What I was worried about was that it would feel like we were violating potentially act 902 through the first the section above where we are limiting the ability for community members to put ag items on our board agenda and come to
214the board and talk about them through that avenue. So, that's what um on on this particular one, 1.14. That was a little bit of what I was concerned about on on that one. Um that doesn't answer the question about 30 minutes in advance, but um I'm fine with 30 minutes on that piece, but >> did you have a question in that too? So, just >> Well, I texted Mr. Kazay my my question about that and I I I I have concerns about the first section. I have concerns about the first section in that one and that that it could potentially feel like a sideways way to violate like if somebody we can't prohibit them from coming to talk to the board, but we can prohibit them from putting out an item on our agenda, but
215public comment is an item on our agenda. And so, I don't know. I just I felt that was potentially >> I generally think of I generally think of an agenda item being sort of like this one item 9.2 where you all are going to consider and take action. >> Uh and while a while a district patron or member of the public I suppose could ask for hey I want to be placed at item >> you know 14.1 >> right? >> I think that's a very different thing than if somebody came and said, "I'm going to sign up to to speak tonight because you all are considering whatever it is you're considering, budget cuts or naming a school or whatever, and I have something to say about it." Um, and generally in law, when you have
216a specific provision, then that controls over the more general one. And in this one, I don't see it as an issue because you have a robust statutory public comment provision that says, "Yep, you will have it." And it will be minutes before the before the meeting and people have three minutes to speak and they can talk on any item on the agenda to bring their concern. So, I don't see that as a as a actually I don't see that as >> it doesn't even have to be it doesn't even have to be on the agenda at that for for the public comment piece any agenda item if any that they wish to speak on. >> Sure. >> Yeah. >> Um and I I don't see this board or any board that's ever worked for Little
217Rock School District that I'm aware of that would ever not want to hear from the public. So, this is not a a an endound to prevent people from doing that. >> Okay. Other questions? Mr. Rose, did I see your No, it was Mr. Bali, your twin. I'm sorry. >> Yeah. Uh um I think it's kind of anti like outdated uh to put a sign out signup sheet. Uh, I mean it's good, but is there not a a way to have a option to do a digital sign in sheet? >> Because I feel like sometimes y'all see me walking here 5 >> 29. >> You can sign up online. >> Okay. Okay. Well, >> is that correct? >> All right. Well, I Well, I said this right here. I feel like whenever this room get ready,
218it's maybe we can just have a sheet out there. I don't know what time y'all switch this room up and, you know, put the chairs out or whatever, but I feel like it's easy enough to just have a piece of paper out there when this room starts getting set up for the public to come in. >> We do have some other questions. >> Okay. Well, he was asking about the 30 minutes or in the thing. So, I that's why I was like I didn't know. >> Okay. So, >> so I guess your ask was um should might we include it in the policy that is >> I just whatever guidance from the board I didn't feel there's nothing in your existing policies that says when you do it and I felt weird making that decision
219for you. >> Okay. So, I mean I definitely agree. Um the earlier the better. I mean it's I don't have any opposition. >> Weird looks just like exciting. >> Yeah, >> I know, right? >> Um any other questions or comments? I have some others. >> All right. You have another question. >> I have several others on policies. >> Okay. Go ahead. >> I'm sorry. Um this is my thing. You know, section 1.2. Um this this state so we will now be doing elections every two years as a district. And so for for and we this states that we shall now elect our officers for a two-year period because it says officers shall be elected at the first regular meeting following the later of the certification of the results of the annual school election or the
220results of a runoff election. Now there are the annual school elections where we would have the um millage I guess in in the oddnumbered years but those would not have an election and our board would not change. So what I'm I'm not sure about is whether this would be if there are since we are now only electing board members every other year and we have we'll have two we'll have four-year terms and except for our first round when some of us will have two-year terms that if we want to have board members last for two years because then further a little bit further down it said when the position of an officer of the board becomes vacant the officers shall be filled for the remainder of the year in the same manner as for the
221annual election. And so I just what I'm not clear on is if these are and it says election shall not occur except on a once per year basis or to fill a vacancy. So is it every year or every two years? >> It'll be every year I would I would say I the way it used to work two this year, two the next year. >> We used to have an annual election and now we only have every two years elections. And so that's what I'm not clear of in this because it talks about the annual school election, but we're really only having board elections every two years now. So I'm unclear in this policy if we are electing our officers for two-year terms or for one-year terms. >> Okay. >> I'm still Does the law
222specifically state that we will have only one every other year? Have >> That's why when we redid our board >> Yeah, I know. I know when we did all that, but there's still >> only we are elected in the partisan primary in even numbered years. >> That's what the state law says. >> Okay. All right. >> So, that's where I'm a little confused in this section. If we're going to rewrite it, I just think we need to be thoughtful about the fact that we will only have an election every two years. And do we want to elect officers annually? If so, I think we should not tie them to a school election that our where our board members would change because the annual school election is in March, but sometimes it's in November for the
223millillage. And so it just could just get very confusing because we won't have school board elections in oddnumbered years in March, which is when our terms would normally turn over when we reelect the board. Okay. >> I I think I appreciate that bringing brought up. hadn't thought of it had not caught that or thought of it that way. But I my first impression is I don't think it would be a great idea to elect officers for two years. I think that we should still elect by year and in some ways it's that's because I think that officers that's asking a lot from from people to agree to be officers because some offices, you know, h have a great deal more responsibility and in all frankness, you know, you also could have a situation where you
224could elect somebody as an officer and and it didn't work out very well and and you'd want to choose a different one and and and and you'd be kind of caught, you for two for two years instead of being able to make a change after one. >> Okay. So, is that something that um we can specify? Is that what you're asking? Essentially, >> my my thought on this was to maybe postpone this the vote until our the 12th meeting on February 12th. So, we could have a little more time to potentially I have a longer list of things. Um the numbering in here starts at number 10 and I think it was because of some of the strikethroughs above but there's a numbering issue. Um this requires our district to validate signatures of electors when
225we have a vacancy and I don't know that we have is our district qualified to validate the signatures of electors to ensure that they are um voters in the zones that they're you know being that that is that was a question I had here. Um, I just want to make sure that we're in line with the state. >> The instrument that this the county and the state use is that one that's available online. >> The NOVA thing. >> Yeah. So, >> no, we're not authorized unless that's an authorization. >> Yeah. I don't know. I just don't know that. I mean, I know the clerk does it when we file outside. >> Um, I also had some questions on um 1.19 regarding terms. It says that we will have four-year terms, but that's not true for
226when we have our first election as seven boardinate members. Some of us will draw straws for two years. And so, I don't know how we how and when that happens, but I do think if we're going to have a policy that says our terms will be four years, we need to reflect that in the first year, they won't be all be four years. Um, so those are again, these are all kind of small silly things, but I find a lot of importance in the small silly things in policy. And I think it's really important that we um get them right before we adopt them as a board. >> Board members, it's uh it's entirely I mean this is sort of me stepping over into the parliamentary side of it. If as a board you wanted
227to consider each of the sections individually this evening, you could do that. If you wanted to consider them as a bundle, you could do that. if you wanted to not consider them at all or uh take them up at another meeting, you can do that. Um from from the district's perspective, um I've kind of operated on the posture that we're out of date on a number of these things and trying to get you in date. Uh so, but I'm I'm happy to work with anybody on however you all want to do it. This is this is a board decision. These are your governing documents. Um, and I'm not I'm not just like, by gosh, we have to do it today. And as I told you at the agenda meeting the other day, as soon as
228I sent these off to put on the agenda for you all to review, well, holy cow, the school board's association had updated about 30 more. >> So, you'll get those, too. >> U, >> you're just not getting them at this meeting. M your concerns are they >> are they focused on the section one or are they on different sections? I mean I and also I mean I have had not seen this until just now unless I missed getting this in an email this section 4.11 and I yes um >> I guess the question is I wondered if if there questions were on on the section one >> but not the other sections if we might be able to take action on the others and then and then come back to section one when when some
229of those have a chance to be addressed. What do you have? >> I mean, I It's your call. I might be outvoted on these anyway, but um on a motion to postpone, but I just I didn't know if we wanted to. Your call if y'all feel if you all feel ready. love to entertain a motion quite frankly, >> but if you don't have one, >> at the same time, I hope you know there are niggling little things like you pointed out about the the officers and that those things need to be it'd be easier to correct them before we voted. >> Okay. So, could we entertain a motion specific to what Mr. Adams is indicating? >> Well, I I would move >> open to that. >> I would move then that we approve all uh
230proposed >> we >> do. Do you just want to hold out section one as >> Yes. I was going to I was going to move that we that we approve the proposed uh policy um updates ex with the exception of of section one >> is 4.11 incorporated into the new one the one that is here now incorporated into what's online. >> It is not. >> Okay. >> Uh that's the final revisions on that came today. >> Okay. Because I had not Yeah. So I don't know if we need to make that note Mr. Adams in your motion >> and I would Okay. Well, I would >> you restate that then. I'm sorry. >> I would I would take that to say that I would move that we approve um the recommended policy updates except for
231section one which we will take up in February and that we will include in section four the language that was presented tonight. >> Second. It's been moved and properly se um seconded that the LRSD board of education approve the updated policy with the exception of section one in February. This will occur and include in section four the um attached information from the attorney general. It's been moved and second. Yes. >> I have a question for director strong. >> Okay. Question. >> I can't help make it sound the way it's going to sound. Does your lack of comments in se for sections four, five, six, and seven mean that you haven't had a chance to read them very closely? >> I have not gone through them all and compared them to state law in the same
232way that I did on section one just because I was more familiar with section one state law and um so I but yes I I'm not as familiar with things like educational law. >> Okay. So >> like on education equal educational. >> So you don't intend to go through those with the same fine tooth comb? I would love to, but I have this is I have had a sick kid home for multiple three two and a half days this week. So, my life productivity has not been optimal. So, >> it's okay. It is my fault. >> Moved and public. Yes. Comment. >> Well, I can't support it because we have a board member that needs more time to read over it and study it. Are you okay with that? >> I mean, I'm happy to
233have more time. I also don't want to hold us up because I am late going through this all with the >> We can always amend it after we've approved it. We can change it next month, change it six months from now. >> Okay. >> If y'all are coming. >> So we So we have a motion on the floor right now. We can >> Madam Chair, not to muddy the water, but >> to Mr. Rose's point. >> Okay. >> Uh there are 30 or so more that you're going to get, >> right, >> that are that not a one of those comes in section one. uh they start at like section three or four. Uh so >> yeah, >> for this body's purposes, you're going to be looking at the section four ones. They're going to
234be updated. So it's really not that big a deal to update, >> right? >> Anything that that's out there because you're going to spend the next few meetings looking at some updates. >> Okay, >> that's cool. >> I just worry I it makes me always makes me nervous to approve a policy. I have questions about. >> Okay. >> So, thanks. >> Okay. So, we do understand the motion on the table. Motion to um approve with the exception of section one uh that we'll uh look at in February and then include in section for the attachment from the AG been moved and properly. >> It's not the attachment from the AG, right? It's the 4.11 draft. >> 4.11 draft. I'm sorry. >> Okay. I'm just making sure that we aren't incorporating the attorney general's opinion. >>
2354.11 draft policy. of the 4.11 draft. Okay, it's been moved. No, I appreciate that. It's been moved and properly second. All in favor say I. >> I. Any oppose? The motion carries. Okay. Thank you so much, Mr. Pay. >> Thank you, board members. I appreciate your time. >> Indeed. 9.3 employee contract presentation and discussion only. >> Mr. Gaz, where you going? >> Mr. Gaz, is that you as well? I guess so. >> While he's getting set up, I will speak to uh some of the concerns that has already been brought up during um Miss Alustin's uh PPC um report. Um this is a draft and so with any draft we are you know open to language changes that any you know changes that the board um considers. Um when I read it it does sound
236harsh. Um but at the same time um we as a district, you know, maybe as we get better with our projections and staffing, you know, it won't be that big of an impact. Um but we've got to we've got to staff according to we no longer have the privilege of overstaffing. Um, and I don't know how to make it sound softer, but the reality is the reality. Now, in some cases, you know, it's not going to, and I can't foresee the future. I I don't know how things are going to how things are going to play out, but in some cases, I do see opportunities where, you know, one school may be underenrolled, another school may be overenrolled. And so instead of necessarily terminating a teacher, they may move to a position somewhere else. Where
237it gets tricky, which is also the areas that I believe we're going to have the most cuts is with elective teachers because elective teachers depending upon the course is very very very specific. And so you're not going to have the same elective courses sometimes across multiple campuses. So that's where it's going to get tricky. Content area teachers. Um, I can see situations where we may be moving a math language. You know, >> they're also the ones that are less likely to not have the classes. >> Yes, pretty much. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Um, I did you have a question like Dr. Wright on that? >> Sure. >> Yes. >> Yep. one one of the points that Miss Austin raised that I wanted to hear your thoughts on she mentioned I don't know if
238this was a past practice or or if she's suggesting it as a possible future practice about utilizing teachers in those situations as substitutes since we every day in you know every day in the large school district we need substitutes and I don't know if that's a a cost-effective way to do that or or quality way to do that. Could could you comment on that? >> What I can comment on is that we are definitely going to take a look at that. I don't know if they have any additional in insight, but I do know I don't know if Mr. Bailey's back there. I do know that our sub costs have skyrocketed over the last couple of years because of, you know, absisms or whatnot. So, it could be a I don't know. We have to
239have some further discussion, but it could be a cost-effective way to lower sub. I I don't know. I think we just need more time to to kind of sort that out. I was intrigued by that, but I don't know I didn't know the pros and the cons of that idea. >> Yes. I I just wanted to say that um since we've been here, we have not utilized certified teachers as subs. Uh not to say that's not an option. However, what we have done is what Dr. Wright just mentioned as far as moving teachers to other buildings if needed um if there was a a need. So, that's our first option. Our first option is not to uh tell somebody in the fall, hey, you don't have a job. >> So, but Dr. Wright is exactly
240right about the allocation. We cannot predict what students will show up at the very beginning. So, if we have too many adults for students, then we have to make the adjustment. But that that's not um it's not popular. It's just not popular. I think what Miss Austin was directly referencing in the old PN agreement in the that was negotiated between the administration and the teachers uh seniority had a lot to do with any kind of removal or reshuffleling of people and the most senior teachers who were being bumped got the opportunity to say well I'll be a long-term sub before where you need one over here I'll take that job because you can't give it to anybody else because the contract says I get it that kind of thing And that's not what he is.
241>> Just throwing that out there. >> Other comments or questions or insight? >> Well, I have a go ahead. I'm sorry. >> Yes. >> What is the rationale behind the 10 days going from 30 days to 10 days? I'm not objecting to it. Just what's the rationale? Yes, >> in an effort to make sure that our staffing is accurate in a timely manner. So then uh building leaders are not waiting 30 days for someone to come back and say, you know what, I'm not going to then have to repost to try to fill that position. So they know upfront that within 10 days that person is going to be a yes or no. However, as I stated earlier, they still have until May 15th. So if they go ahead and sign it, they have that
242security that hey, I'm going to have a position. But if they find something else, they can resign up until that point. >> Well, and what we can't make somebody work for us. What have we gone? Have we retaliated against people who have just said, "I'm not coming back." Even after they've been given a contract. >> No. So, I mean, I don't understand what the problem would be with just saying, "Yep, I'll be back." And then >> a month later say, "Nope, I won't be back." >> So, >> okay. >> Yes. Um, did I'm I know we've talked in the past about multi-year contracts, right? >> What did we just Did you just ask about that? Oh, >> what happened with us doing that? And is I did I miss that in here? >> No. Okay.
243>> That's not an option right now. Okay. >> Uh, it was presented to the certified PPC because that's the only ones that are um they're able to get a multi-year contract. However, u they decided not to move on that because of the criteria that was put into the multi-year contract >> like that you had to reach these very high levels of >> performance that that was just kind of put on hold. >> They just didn't want to have that at all because >> they wanted different language and so um but they for the law like Mr. Rose just um alluded to that it's some things that have to be in there in effort to even have a multi-year contract. >> Okay. Um the other the other question I had is um just as we're thinking
244about this sort of like dynamic need right that we don't know how many kids are going to show up on August is it 11th 10th 12th yes next year whatever day we start next year we aren't quite sure who who will show up until the first day. Um, I know we are looking into options through hall and the charter situation there for some of the folks who can teach much smaller classes. Is there an option to incorporate those type of um contracts into our kind of back pocket if we are having to cut entire educators? Can we still offer classes even if it's to a small number of students through some of those remote options and the options that are available virtually for students in situation in in in schools like hall? >> Does that
245make sense? So >> I don't know that um they they will have they will already have their own staff already. It's not like >> well what I'm Okay, so if we So let's just say at um at Park View we had to cut a class on um using I mean I'm trying to think of something real specific. Uh using AI and photography. I'm just making this up um for marketing. I don't know. just to try to, you know, for some very specific course um because we only had like six students sign up. Is there a way we can access content like that in those kind of niche interest areas through the virtual teaching program? And this is less about the contract I guess so that if we weren't hiring that position, if we said there
246wasn't enough demand for that class. So the way that we are doing course selection now is that if there was only six kids that signed up for a class, we wouldn't even offer the course. So we wouldn't have even we wouldn't have even gotten into a situation where we >> hired a teacher for this course because doing the course. >> So we're not even going to get So it's it's less likely that that will be the case and more likely that overall kind of like if we don't need another English teacher because we don't have full classes of every for every English teacher. So, the scenarios that we're talking about with the contract is we've done course selection, >> we've had the right number of students that sign up for whatever course, >> right, >>
247we get to the fall, some students don't show up, >> right? >> And I guess that that works for a niche class or it works for a general education class or it works for a kindergarten classroom where you have one teacher for 30 if you don't have a enough students to fill that classroom. Um, so I guess I guess my question is, you know, what I don't want us to do as a district. I I want to support our educators and offer them contracts we can hold and that is important, but I also don't want to start limiting our course selection because of an inability to fill certain classes. All I don't know. I just it makes me think about I just want to try to keep thinking about the way >> the practice >>
248of doing that is why we're in the situation we're in now >> right >> of of filling courses with limited number of students and as you saw with that document >> we're not talking one or two courses AC even not >> we're talking about >> dozens yes yes >> it's more than four >> so that but that being said there are a number of kids interested in those classes, right? Or we or we wouldn't have had them to begin with. It may not be a lot of kids. I just am trying to think about ways we can continue to offer a really amazing breadth of courses even when not as many kids are signed up for them. And maybe that's not related to the teacher contracts and it's related to external contracts for those those
249kind of virtual partnerships that we have coming at Hall. The tension that we have been the tension that we are trying to solve for is we have courses that are traditionally offered by teachers year after year after year that they >> are accustomed to teaching. Mhm. >> We offer them even when >> they don't have the right number of kids to make and then somebody else has a >> another idea about offering this course and so we add that and so >> and then you end up with >> so what we're trying to do now with scheduling is schedule based upon student interest and student demands not what I like to teach. And >> okay, >> this is hard y'all because this has been a practice that has been embedded and I'm not talking about
250for a couple years. This is this is this is the LRC way. And so um it is a it's it's a big >> change. >> If we had four kids at Park View and six kids at Central and seven kids at Little Rock Southwest who are all interested in the same kind I'm just I'm just throwing ideas. I just am trying to think broadly about ways we can continue to offer a breadth of courses and maybe provide our educators who may not have a traditional contract with an option to teach virtually if there were an option to teach across multiple buildings at the same time. Does that make sense? >> Yep. There are a couple of instances where we >> have either attempted to do that or do that now. >> Okay. Okay. I didn't
251know we did that now. >> But but that's it's not a lot. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> I'm Yeah, that that's all. just rather than cutting like being the same where we could maybe you know >> we're going to have to thumb wrestling match between those three teachers to figure out which one is >> right I know I understand that but it's maybe it's two that are no longer employee versus instead of three you know you know I'm just trying to kind of and I'm just trying to keep the some of something that I think is really wonderful about our district is the diversity of courses and options we have for students and I'm just >> but you're just you're just turning a blind eye is one of the main problems I get that is
252that you've got three teachers >> that needed to give people contracts. Yeah. >> Right. >> So, um >> ju just I'm sorry. >> Sorry. Just really quickly, just wanting to make sure that um we understand that if there are recommendations around wording or language or semantics, things like that, that we uh bring those forth so that when we're coming together on the 12th, there's nothing that will hold us back or impede the mission of going forward with the vote. So, either uh having that discussion tonight or sending something so that we have some clarity around that. Is that accurate? Yes. And I I want to say that just like approving the staffing manual today was time sensitive, right? >> Approving this on the 12th is extremely important because when we start recommending in a couple
253of weeks, we have to have the contracts to give to people. And so I don't want to delay this. So if there's something that we need to change, I just want to be clear before we leave here today, like what what is it that you guys want us to to look at and and >> Okay. >> I think Mr. Adams had I I just didn't want to I appreciate your patience, Mr. Adams. >> No, no, thank you. I just wanted to make just a brief personal comment on that just to say I think that we offer an amazing variety of classes and I think we were we're going to continue to offer an amazing variety of classes. Um which mean doesn't mean we're we're going to be able to offer everything we offer now because
254we may have to make some compromises. But I when I was in college, my roommates went to Little Rock school district schools. They would talk about classes they had and it blew me away. They would talk about different history and language and things that were never part of my school experience. And uh and then I got to Little I came to Little Rock and I heard people complaining about schools and I thought, "My gosh, do you not understand what you've got, you know, because there are so many opportunities, you know, that are there that many students, particularly in small towns like mine, did could only have dreamed of." >> And um and I don't want to lose sight of that >> that we have an amazing wealth of of opportunities for students and we still
255will. MR. >> Oh. Um, my my only followup to Dr. Wright's comment was given the feedback from Miss Austin tonight, is there any do you all intend to make any changes to this go further? >> So, the the the concept of being able to rightsize and make changes based upon the October 1st count, I think we still want to be there. So if there's a language semantics change, it'll make it >> sound better, but the the end result is is >> unless the board is opposed to us doing that. >> Okay, Mr. Bali, I'm sorry. Let's >> Okay. >> Yeah. Um, I I like this discussion and uh my thing is I I think this I understand the need to like cut courses and classes that don't have enough students and uh to reduce the
256budget, but I think it's an opportunity also to uh lean on our community uh organizations and partners and maybe this is an opportunity to do some uh it might not be a class that can be given a paid for. But if if a student is interested in something that would offer that as an elective and we can't do it anymore, I think this would be a good chance to like for instance if somebody you got to get rid of the photography class. >> This is opportunity now to connect with local photographers. Hey, turn in your community service learning application. Do you have a a a a workshop series or mentorship that you want to offer or apprenticeship opportunity? you might not get a grade for it, but you get the experience or something to add
257to your resume. Um, and it's uh maybe an opportunity to incentivize it by giving them some type of certificate or something like that. But, you know, I I do feel like this could be solved by doing like some unique programming, some independent project based things to connect with community and to get more um interests in things like that so it could eventually come back. And so like I say, I I think it's just opportunity to work with the people in the community that we have that want to get that experience to work with our students, mentor, but uh also a way to keep students engaged with those opportunities. And it could be something that's, you know, like virtual, in person, whatever, whatever these people in the community want to do. And it's just a way
258to just keep that interest and let them know that like, you know, eventually when enrollment uh raises again or whatever, we might bring it back as an elective, but to just keep them engaged while we're getting rid of it. >> Two things came to mind while listening to you guys talking. I don't know if I just text Dr. Lauren to see if she was still here. I don't know if she Well, oh, she still Yeah, because this is going to be more more work for her. Um, it won't necessarily solve the Well, it could it won't totally solve the teacher issue if we have to if we get to a point to where there's no where to transfer and there's no positions, you know, we may have to cut. But oh, there she is. >>
259The digital learning course. So, this is more so for students. Let's just say we had a number of students who were interested in a particular course, but we didn't have enough for it to make. We Is there a way? >> No way. Is there a way to offer basket weaving? We didn't have enough students to to for it to make, but if basket weaving was offered in our slew of courses that's available on egeneuity and we had like a number of kids who want to take something that we didn't have enough is there a way to to schedule them in in in in that? No, >> not without having an accreditation even the classes. So, like even when we use um like we use original credit and ed egeneuity. Um I'll give you an example.
260We had a kid that moved in this week from Arizona who didn't have a class. She's a senior. She didn't have a class. She needs that class to graduate. It's oral comm. The school she's in doesn't offer it second semester. we can give it to her in eeneuity, but for it to go on her transcript, we have to have a teacher of record in the building that is um licensed to teach that course, which we do. They teach it first semester. They just don't teach it second semester. So, that teacher has been assigned as her teacher of record to take that course online. >> So, in order for us to do what you're suggesting, I have to have a teacher in the building certified in basket weaving to be the teacher of record. >> That
261was a poor example >> or whatever it is. Correct. Yeah. >> What whatever the course is, you have to have somebody that's >> um it's easier with core courses because the lure is more broad like 712 English, 712 math is harder when you get into electives, particularly CTE because they're so specialized. >> The other thought I had, Miss Burgess, is we know we have a sped teacher shortage, whether it's sped resource, sped, you know, inclusion, self-contained. Is there a way that we get to a point to where we may not have a position for a teacher? Is there a a quick way to get them licensed >> in sped um and we could use them for all of these vacancies that >> if they were interested if they were interested. >> That's it. if if
262they were interested. >> Um there are many pathways to lensure and and and we could get them licensed if they're interested, but we had a little situation this year with accreditation that we thought a person was interested and uh we had to do something different. So it would have to be a true interest for them to >> but we could provide some of those teachers >> options to pursue a different license for a need that we had in the district. >> Yes. >> I was just thinking about that as we >> all the things we have. Special education is not one that I want to see handed over to somebody who hasn't had a good two years special education training. >> Well, it's it's either that or we've got kids who get nothing. Mr. already.
263>> And then there's the ESL piece, right? Too. Sorry. >> The Isn't there an ESL designation that is? >> Yeah, but I don't think we have a We don't have an ESL. >> Yeah, it's not required now. And it's not required. >> It's not a lensure. >> It's not a license. Okay. Gotcha. Okay. >> Just something to think about. >> Yeah. One other question just just and I really appreciate this discussion just to to help us think through but >> one thing that miss again Miss Austin raised and Dr. Ryder I wanted to get you know she said she talked about the pattern of even after October 1st that a significant number of students return is that what is that what we see? No, >> no, >> our data our data we have both things
264occurring. We have students leaving and we have students coming back. Um, and I don't I'm not going to say it's an equal wash, but the number of kids who do return, it's not significant enough. >> You can answer it for me better with the data, but it from what I've seen, it's not significant enough to cause a difference in for staffing. >> Yeah, I know there's a churn all the time, right? People coming and going all the time. >> Students that come in and out in and out. most of our movement which if you're only in one individual school will feel like we're getting an influx of school of kids. It is within the district. It's not from students coming out from outside of the district into the district. It's kids moving. We have some
265of that but most of it is them moving between schools. And so in that case most of the time it's not enough to warrant additional FTEES. And if it is, that means that we probably can move an FTE from one site to another because that's generally where the students are coming from. Like if we lost a significant number at school A that went to school B, we could move staff Yeah. >> from school A with those kids. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Thank you. Okay. Um, anything else? >> Thank you, Miss Burgess. >> Before we I I do want to say one more thing to piggyback on what Dr. right said about uh making sure that we're on the right road with this because I'd have to take it back to both PPCs, okay,
266in an effort to bring it back to you all in February. So, it's it's imperative that we know any feedback that you may have because I'm uh I think I meet with the classified PPC >> maybe next week depending on the weather and then um the certified the first February, the first Monday in February. So, it it's pretty it's pretty uh time sensitive that we get any feedback that you may have. >> And the vote needs to occur February 12th. We're having a special meeting. Is that correct? Okay. At our work session. Okay. That's correct. Um I think she had one more question. >> What if somebody What if somebody What if somebody gets their contract and they're on a cruise? I mean, I just think about that. I mean, I don't I mean, that
267teachers go on vacation in the summer. I I just that is the thing that worries me. Like 10 days is a really short amount of time. No, I don't know. I maybe it's because >> they can afford to go to a cruise. They come >> being they're getting we're doing recommendations and contracts before the school ends. >> Okay. >> So they're not happening like in July. >> I mean people hires >> but most the majority will happen a lot sooner than that and they will get their contracts then. o over the past >> couple of years they have gotten their contracts >> days after they were recommended. >> Okay. >> They they had a letter that says that you've been approved to look forward to your contract >> and it's going to be the same
268process. So it's not they're not waiting on current contracts. >> I just wanted to make sure >> Mr. May >> I just I just wanted to the superintendent said something about the sped the need for sped teachers. So, I think that should go out early to let people know that the opportunity is over here. If there if the window closes over here, a door opens over here. >> We definitely can advertise that. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Before she walks off. >> Okay. I'm not hearing any substantive changes from anybody up here that we need to make. And I just want to I don't want to I don't want to be caught off guard on >> the 12th. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> And you'll let us know if there are any changes your conversations
269as soon as possible. >> Yes. >> If I should put up tomorrow morning with brainstorm. Still good. >> Please send it. Right. Thank you. Thank you so much. Okay, board comments. >> Yes, ma'am. >> There's a rumor. Somebody called me and said that if the kids didn't do well on their testing in March that they could do it again in May. Is that true or is that a rumor? >> The third grade test. >> Uhhuh. >> Yes, we just got that. We just got that word. Um this week. >> Okay. >> Or last week. So, yes, there is a retest. >> What? >> Um there's actually quite a few things that we're processing and working through. Um I don't we're going to come before the board and let you guys know of what some of
270these change well how we're going to deal with it because all the decisions are really going to be based the decisions for promotion is going to rest with us the district. No one at AD is looking at >> the documents for any of these good cause exemptions. Um it's all on us and that's not something we were clear on until recently. But yes, there will be a retest opportunity for those kids who may not have failed and and so yeah, that is true. >> Not failed but didn't do too well. >> Yes. Who didn't who didn't meet level two or above? Yes. >> Was that in like a question or two? >> Yes. >> Okay. Other board comments. Other board comments. >> Thank you all so much for joining us this evening. Um >> you
271ask for superend >> and superintendent comments. this this past this moment has passed but I I really wanted to um just been sitting with um a comment Mr. Bobby made when we were talking about the discipline report and I just want to say thank you for sharing that perspective. Um just thank you. >> Yeah, >> I meant to say it after you said it but the moment has passed but >> all right charges. >> No, that that hearing isn't until the end of it's next next week, >> end of January. >> It's scheduled for scheduled. >> So it's going to be canceled again with the snow. >> Oh yeah. Is that next? on the 29th. >> The 29th is the week after next. Not a week after week. That's next week. Next week. >> The
27229th is next Wednesday. >> Thursday. >> Okay. >> It is. What's today? >> Yeah. >> Oh, the second week from tonight. >> Yeah. >> Um, >> and I do and I think I said this, but I want to I want to say it again just to make sure we all know like if the charter authorizing board denies the conversion charter for hall, we're going to come back with a recommendation to close hall. I just want to make sure that that is I know I've said it but I want to say it again to make sure it's it's it's clear because we we won't be able to afford to operate it without that level of flexibility. >> Okay. If there is no objection we are we stand adjourned. >> So Mr.