Edgewood City Schools - Board of Education Meeting - 5/18/26

001All right, we're going to go ahead and get started. This was a regular regularly scheduled board meeting of the Edward City School District. Miss Bowers, you call the role, please. >> Mrs. Amy Ashcraft, >> present. >> Mrs. Lorie Barnes, >> present. >> Mr. Kevin Fall, >> present. >> Mr. Mark Meers, >> present. >> And for the record, Mr. John Thomas is absent. >> Would you all please stand for the pledge of allegiance and then remain standing? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Go ahead. >> Let's pray together. Lord, we thank you for Edward City Schools. God, many things are needed to make our school system happen. We thank you

002for certainly this school board. Thank you for parents and sometimes grandparents that help raise kids. We thank you for the kids themselves. And Lord, we pray that tonight as this school board meets that you would give them wisdom, Holy Spirit, that you would come and where there's discernment needed for big decisions or small, Lord, that you would grant them that. I pray thanking you for each member, Lord, for decisions uh financially that are going to be made. We pray you'll lead them, Lord, for uh anything even smaller, just uh again, even small votes are important as they make those and those decisions. Lord, for the transition for uh the school board and teachers and staff and students. Give them a good summer as they come out of this week and you keep the kids safe.

003Renew the uh strength of teachers and staff as they have their summers. And again, we commit to you tonight, Lord, be glorified and uh do uh wonderful things in our school district. In Jesus name I pray. Amen. Amen. >> Thank you. All right. At this time, we'll look for a motion to approve the agenda as amended. >> So move. >> Mr. Fall. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Mrs. Barnes. >> Mrs. Powers. Call the role, please. >> Mr. Kevin Fall. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Glory Barnes. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Amy Ashcraf. >> Yes. >> Mr. Mark. Yes. >> Motion is 4 Z. And I guess next we have employee attendance awards. Mrs. Becket. Well, what a what a great evening to come out and to see everyone and to celebrate our difference makers in

004the district. A difference maker is defined as an ordinary person who accomplishes extraordinary things by creating positive change in his or her community and in the lives of others. Every day. Every day you show up. So, we're going to we're talking about people here today who come. They come every day. They're the first the first face that our students see on those school buses. There are those cafeteria workers that hand them their their breakfast in the morning. That teacher that's standing by that door ready to see them. The secretaries who who let them let them come in and nurses who hand them a band-aid. Principals who also take care of everything that these kids need. And we're here tonight to celebrate you and to thank you. We're also here to celebrate the the people I

005call the long haulers, the ones who have decided to make Edgewood their forever home. And tonight we'll celebrate those people who who are are retiring or who have retired and have come back tonight to celebrate with us. So let's begin with perfect attendance. Now, as a principal, sometimes we would have some discussions with parents and different people. Well, what does perfect attendance mean? Perfect attendance means you've come every day. You've not missed the day. So, tonight we're going to honor these people who have had perfect attendance. Now, if you were here last year or you were here two years ago or you were here three years ago, you're going to start noticing some patterns here. We have people who year after year have perfect attendance or exceptional attendance. And one of the things that fascinates

006me the most is that we have couples who have who have shown that that exceptional excellent attendance. So you're going to hear some names and and you're going to you're going to notice that these are couples. So let's start with Doug Baker, Kristen Butler, We have we have we have several things going on in the district tonight. As you might have guessed, we've got an awards program. We have several acade or athletic events going on. So, some people couldn't couldn't join us today. Stacy Gamrell, >> at least they come to work. >> At least they they're out there changing the world. Debbie Juel Tim, >> I have to cut on a trip. >> Okay, let me get it for you. >> Is he driving the lacrosse? >> And that would be that one of those.

007>> He's driving. >> Bethany Johnson driving lacrosse. Christina Pence, Craig Smith, James Schwarz, and now we have our friends of exceptional three or less. We have Alicia Adams and Alex Aaylor. They are at the middle school for an awards assembly or program. Melissa Allen, Christopher Barnes, Dan Benjamin, Jade Benner, >> Kim Barry, >> Mark Blair, >> Maria Beckman, Kiron Bo Clemens. >> Remember those middle school words too. >> Lazy Clemens Doug Eler, Lisa Irvin Mary Goredto, Diana Gdderos, >> Jenny By, >> Bob Hawkins, >> Chloe Ditch, Logan Hoskins, Paula James, Angelina Kendrick, Kevin Hans, Becky Couns, Chris Thy, Kit Cresty, Jennifer Mains, >> Britney Markham, Debbie Markham, Kevin McDonald, Nikki Meyers, Charice Edwards, Overton, Andrew Parker, >> Tracy Phillips, >> Eric Litz, Marjorie Sllayton, Leanne Smith, Darren Steiner, Chris Stratton, and Valerie Sullivan. >> Thank

008you all. And a little piece of information that I noticed from last year to this year we have increased by 10 people or people who were just receiving awards. So So that's a a great thing for sure. Our next our next part of of our program tonight will be retirements. And these are people some of these people may have retired last year and they're just now now we're bringing them back for for the end of the year. Some people have just are getting ready to retire here in a couple of days. So, if we could have each person come up, that would be great. Rhonda Aman, Carol Bag, Jeff Banks, Amy Bendle, Stay up. Stay up. Stay up. >> Hey, I came. >> Just stay up here. >> Okay. >> Congratulations again. >> Teresa Ber

009Sheila Brunswick. >> Teresa's retired. >> Yeah. Her brace. >> Charlotte Buchanan. Thank you, >> Brian Pardell, Cindy Fields, Michelle Harris, Lana Heler, >> Beth Hinsley, Kevin Johnson, Margaret Jordan, >> Ken Mayor, Kevin McDonald, Anita Melvin, Linda Porter, Cindy Roion, Laura Schuler, >> Chris and Mary. Thank you all. Thank you all for what you've meant to these to these students, to the staff, to everyone. What an honor it's been to work with you all. Thank you. >> Thank you. We're coming back. >> Okay. >> Thank you guys. >> Okay, I can breathe now. There's wire. Second thing, >> so before everybody leaves, just want to introduce a couple people. First time, I know some people are leaving. Our new superintendent, Jeff Matt, who was approved last month, is in the room. Jeff, say hi to everybody.

010perfect attendance, guys. We have a new assistant principal at Edgewood High School starting next year. Uh Mr. Gagan scoured through a lot of candidates, brought in the top five, put them through a grueling process. They had to do multiple presentations. Andrew's presentation was so good, I said, "We're stealing his stuff even if we don't hire him." But the good news was, we loved his stuff. We loved him. So, we hired him. So, Andrew Lee will be our new assistant principal here at Edgewood High School next year. Coming to us coming to us from Lakota and uh spoke the Lakota people spoke so highly of him. We're honored to have him. His family's here tonight as well. I think his wife might have stepped out with his little ones, but I want to introduce you before

011everybody else. Two two small children. So, anybody else I need to recognize here tonight? >> Okay. >> You if I forget anybody, I'll get you here in a minute. So congratulations Andrew. >> All right, we have no public participation tonight, so we'll jump right into treasure items. Get ready. This is a long one. I tried to get her to block A through V, but she won't do it. So it's all for you guys, not for us. >> Mashcraft, first I'd like to block item A and B and these are board meeting minutes from April 27th and May 4th. I could have a motion to approve those, please. >> Is there a motion to approve A and B as a block as presented? >> So move. >> Mr. Mr. Schmid, is there a second? >> Second,

012>> Mr. Is there any discussion on these items? >> Miss B, call the RO, please. >> Mr. Mark Measure Schmidt. Yes, >> Mr. Kevin Paul. >> Yes, >> Mrs. Amy Ashcraft. >> Yes, >> Mrs. Lorie Williams. >> Yes. >> Motion carries. 4 Z. >> The next agenda item is the financial reports for April of 2026. I'd like to have a motion to approve those, please. >> Is there a motion to approve uh approve the April 2026 financial reports as presented? >> Move. >> Mr. Paul, is there a second? >> Second. >> Mr. Measure Set. >> Is there any discussion on these items? second positive month in a row. >> We don't want to get used to that. >> I would like to know. >> All right, Mr. Ball, please. >> Mr. Kevin Fall. >> Yes.

013>> Mr. Mark Measure. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Amy Ashcraft. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Lorie Barnes. >> Yes. >> That motion carries 4 Z. The next agenda item. Uh, no. This one's by itself. Um, I'd like to ask for a motion to approve the FY26 Butler County ESCO for Union Day School. >> Is there a motion to approve the Union Dayou as presented? >> So move. >> Mr. Merson, is there a second? >> Second. >> Mrs. Barnes, is there any discussion on this item? >> I have discussion on this item. This is coming back. It's actually a reduced amount. We had a student there that left for a little bit. Um, and they're back now. So, it's just a reduced cost and we've updated the with the reduced cost. >> Okay. >> Follow your phone call,

014please. >> Mr. Mark Meer. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Lorie Barnes. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Amy Nashcraft. Yes. >> Mr. Kevin F. >> Yes. >> That motion carries 4 Z. Uh, next I would like to block the And this is the FY27 Butler County ESC resolution for annual services and the Butler County ESCO for the teacher of visually impaired students and OM. >> Is there a motion to approve BNF the uh contracts as presented? >> So moved. >> Mr. Mr. Smith, is there a second? >> Second, >> Mr. your fault. I'm sorry. My computer's acting up. I'm trying to do two things at once. I'm not good at that. Call a roll, please. Or do is there any discussion on these items? >> Did these go up? >> Um, they are up a little bit. Um,

015these are annual contracts and you're going to hear that repeated throughout the night. Everything is going up. All right, responders. Call the role, please. >> Mr. Mark Measure Schmidt. >> Yes. >> Mr. Kevin F. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Amy Ash. Yes. >> Mrs. Lorie Barnes. >> Yes. >> That motion carries 40. Uh, the next agenda item is the applied behavioral services contracts. I have a motion to approve those, please. >> The motion to approve the ABS contract as presented. >> So, Mr. Fall, is there a second? Second. >> Mrs. Barnes, is there any discussion on these items? >> I will share that this total package here will be an increased cost of about 50,000 this year. Um, you might remember that we have a student that which is there for half a year. All all

016five students will be there for a full year. Um, but their rates have increased as well. Last year a couple of the students um our rate was 75,000 and that has increased to 77250. So about 2250 for those two students. The other students the contracts last year were 94,500. Um that's an increase up to 95,445. So um less than $1,000 on that one. But again common theme there is an increase for services. >> These are for special needs. >> Yes. >> And there's nothing to negotiate. This is all just standard. >> Yeah. I I will tell you with these um Lindsay has worked with them and negotiated and we weren't paying for the related services. We um the OTN uh speech. So we kind of negotiated where we do get that without paying an added

017fee. Is there any other discussion? >> Is transportation included in this? >> No, transportation is separate. >> That's why I think I could find >> Yeah, we have a contract with UTS or we're trying to use Everdriven, but even their rates are going up, but we don't. They were a lot cheaper than even UTS. But um sometimes we will pay the parents mileage if they transport them if they can't get in there. But that's all added costs. >> And then I couldn't tell there was basically almost two categories per their monthly contracted rate. What is the cost price difference in that service for >> services? Um and again these are all I driven so their services are different. Got it. >> Mr. Kevin Fall. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Lorie Barnes. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Amy,

018>> yes. >> And Mr. Mark Schmidt, >> yes. >> That motion carries 40. Uh, the next agenda item is the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Agreement. >> Is there a motion to approve Cincinnati Children's Medical Agreement as presented? >> So moved. >> Mr. M. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Mr. F. Is there any discussion on this item? >> I can tell you that this is um a second grade student, medically fragile. Um we've had her at least since kindergarten. Um we we don't pay on the days that she's not there, but again, it's so this is a one year. She's at the hospital. >> Yes. Yeah. And that's why it's so children's specialized. >> Yes. >> M please. >> Mr. Mark Measure. >> Yes. >> Mr. Kevin P. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Amy

019Ashcraf. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Lorie Lawrence. >> Yes. >> That motion carries 40. The next agenda item is the FY27 data serve IP system renewal. Is there a motion to approve the IP telephone system renewal as presented? >> Mr. Merson, is there a second? >> Second, >> Mr. Fall, any discussion? >> What is it? What exactly is this? >> The whole phone system. Um, I don't know if you remember years ago, we used to employ someone here that managed all the phone services and now Spoka actually does this for us. So this is the entire district. Yes. >> It's the same company that also >> SWAT. Yes. Our a site. They do a lot of things for us. >> Mr. Call, please. >> Mr. Mark Meer. >> Yes. >> Mr. Kevin P. >> Yes. >>

020Mrs. Amy Ashcraft. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Lorie Lawrence. >> Yes. >> That motion carries 4 Z. Uh, next I would like to block J and K. This is FY27 parent square quote and the FY27 Raptor quote. >> Is there a motion to approve the parent square and raptor technologies quotes as presented? >> So move. >> Mr. Flet. Is there any discussion on these items? >> Is Raptor the only like is that what most all districts use? I haven't heard of anything different. >> Okay. >> What actually is it? >> Just quick ID background check. Swipe a swipe a garbage license. That's a quick uh scan background. I don't know if it's FBI sexual Ohio. Not sure what BCI is checking. It's a quick check. It's not like >> it's not negative. BCI, but yeah. Just

021think what would people in the building >> flag? >> So like if I were doing volunteer swipe that so that I come up >> that's just building. >> Yeah, just a couple. You're all familiar with um parent square. We started that last year. Um, more likely than not, I'll be coming back next month um with a supplemental to this. Um, there's something that they do with attendance. Um, and I think we're looking to add that module on. We just have to get more information about it. So, it seems like more districts are going to square. Is it relatively new? I'm not sure because I've heard I mean I've like heard of two or three other districts that have started using that. I think it's great. >> I mean, I like it. You know, >> I

022think it's great. >> I think the I mean, I don't know all teachers, but I think I know my daughter uses a Lakota and I mean, the teacher seems to like it. So, I don't know if >> better have a platform than a bunch of different tools. >> Yeah. B, the role, please. >> Mr. Kevin Paul, >> yes. >> Mrs. Lorie Barnes, >> yes. >> Mrs. Amy Ashcraft, >> yes. >> Mr. Mark Measure, >> yes. 4. The next agenda item is the FY27 triwells contract renewal. Is there a motion to approve the Chartwell's contract renewal as presented? So, >> Mr. Master Smith, is there a second? >> Second. >> Mr. Faul, is there any discussion on this item? >> Yeah, I've got some. So when Chartwells came in here a year ago, brought this to

023us, I was a little hesitant to bring Chartwells on board because I've worked with outsiders, you know, contractors before and sometimes it seems like there's difficulty in assimilating and figuring out a way to work together. Honestly, I kind of feel like that's where we're at right now. When they came in here a year ago, they made the promise to us that we were going to see $100,000 in savings and made a comment that we would receive a check for $100,000. And I haven't seen that yet. Is there still discussion around $100,000 savings from from them? >> We probably won't pay that until the end of the fiscal year. We're still >> They guaranteed us that that was their that was their guarantee that we would get that much money whether they made it or not.

024That was their guarantee that was in the contract. I didn't see it writing on the contract. Pretty sure that's contract in their last one in the last one. >> So e either way. So looking at the cost, we that's about $40,000 a year to have this contract with them and then it works out to be almost 8 cents per meal that's that's sold. Um, kind of going back to the the original piece of this, we're spend about $40,000 a year. Let's say we get this $100,000 back. So, we still are slightly positive, but I also I'm starting to question whether this is the the right thing for the for the district for a lot of different reasons. And really, I kind of brought up, you know, I kind of feel like we've had to assimilate

025to their business model versus them assimilating to our our district. And there's a lot of discussion that's been uh been around this. We are bringing a business manager on next year. I think you one of the reasons that this seemed so attractive to us is that we wouldn't have to manage it and at the time we didn't have the bandwidth. I I question whether we really need to continue to do this. You know, it is an additional cost. I haven't seen that $100,000 yet. Um so that makes me a little nervous that we're not going to see that. It wasn't in the writing the contract. So kind of fearful that we vote to approve this. We don't see any money back on it. And then we incur another cause that I don't necessarily think that

026we need to have. So just kind of my thoughts, you know, right now is I I'm at a position where I would either like to look at doing this internal or I would like to look at maybe tableabling this and send it out for bid for another company to come in here and tell us what they could do. Any other discussion? I know when they were here before I thought they had And I don't recall I don't have that in front of me, but they shared some of that analysis on what we could potentially save and they did say would take anywhere they average two to three years to get to that point. So understanding it's been one year. Where are we in that analysis? And they said that from the get-go, you know, I

027did recall them saying this is pretty standard. It takes a couple years to get acclimated. It takes everything to get going and to start realizing some of the savings. Plus, I hadn't read the previous contract over a year ago, but I don't I don't recall any of the $100,000 payment or guarantee. I I just I don't remember them talking about that when they presented it. Um, but overall it sounded like whether it be some sort of buying roof or service, it may take a little bit to see that benefit, but >> again, I'm coming into it here x number of months. So, >> we've been working through growth paints um and we've been we started having meetings. We got another one tomorrow. We had one maybe two three weeks ago and we brought charcoal management

028leadership in our team. We met with our team individually brought everybody together to have another meeting. Um here's what we can't do. We can't buy as cheap as they can. We can't buy can't buy as cheap as they can. Um, you know, it is more from scratch cooking as opposed to eat and serve, which I know some kitchens occasionally did more, maybe here at high school more so, but I, you know, at the end of the day and and they've gone through this in a lot of different school districts. First year's the toughest. What we're going through here is not being typical for what they see in most districts. There's growing pains. There's little bit of adjustments necessary. We are to the point where, you know, we're listening to our people and we're trying to

029get Charwells to find some middle ground. We we we like we like some of the things they're doing, but maybe it's too much. Maybe like Mark said, maybe they need to come to us a little bit instead of us all coming to them. I think at the end of the day, they will work for us. I will be in that role next year where I will be more hands-on where we didn't have anybody in that role. And we'll never buy food as cheap as they can. I feel like the meals we're put in front of our kids are better and the surveys and the feedback we get are better. I believe we will make more money, sell more meals and a lower cost. This year we have catastrophic calamity days which crushed us, crushed our

030meal sales. We've had a lot of days here at the high school with schedule things which which has hurt us late arrivals. So, it's kind of been the perfect storm. Um, you know, I I I feel like they have a lot to offer and one year would be like kicking them out after the most difficult time. They almost 100% of the time tell us that year two's better. Then year three people are like, "How do we ever do without trouble?" That's what they're telling us. So, I feel like we need to give them a shot. Um we'll be more hands-on. We're going to meet with our our group, our team. uh have open lines of communication, make sure we're going through chain of command involving the building leadership. Building principles need to have a say

031in how their kitchens, how their buildings operate. Um you know, our our our our head cooks are meeting with short wheels now and us and sharing ideas, sharing concerns, and they're going to listen to what we suggest and we're going to listen to what they recommend. We're going to find middle ground or or we won't continue to work with them. But we'll never, the goal was to cut into that big deficit that we accrewed over the years. We're only going to do that if we're lowering our costs and we're selling more meals. That's what it's going to take. So knowing that they can buy, they have such buying power will never buy as cheap as they can, no matter if you have business manager, EPC or anybody else. So um my recommendation is to give

032them another year. We're going to work on our end to uh work through these bumps of the road. middle ground, listen to our people. We want our people to be happy, satisfied, not stressed out, not work to a frazzle. Um, and I think we can do that. I think we can still put a good product. We can still give the kids a fair amount of choices, but they don't need, it's not the food court at the mall. They don't need 50 choices. We can we can find the middle ground because at the end of the day, we all want the same thing. We want kids to get good meals that are legal compliant and we want to make money. We want to we want to sell products. We want to, you know, um turn a

033profit because that's what we're trying to do is recover this big deficit that we have to roll in out of the general fund and back in every year. And and and so I you know, we we give them a try. I didn't think it was going to be a one-year deal. I would hope that we would maybe year two might be the breakthrough year. That would be my hope. >> Barring the issue you mentioned and I know in lie of this $100,000 payment potentially, how have we chipped into that deficit? >> Uh well, because of all the things we've talked about, we've had good a good couple of months. I I think we're going to end up to the good, but we were negative most of the year because of the snow days and because

034of our, you know, just not enough sales. But the rebates are what help us. They get they get big rebates. So, you meet with >> Yeah. Yeah. I I meet with Sarah regularly and go over the bills. Um like this building here this month with all the testing and seniors getting out early and curb I mean there there were no middle is selling more meals than the high school. >> Has it been all year? >> Yes. >> I I'm of the opinion I would like to table this until we've got more data and see numbers what we're going to get off this because I was led to believe by what they talked about that night that we were going to see a check for $100,000 and and she's pulled it up and it says a

035guaranteed return of $100,000. I don't think that's a check of $100,000. the way that is maybe we're going to see a savings but you know I I don't think we have that data yet because listen to what you guys are saying right now my understanding that we would have $100,000 if we did in our food service so we'll have to verify that >> yeah I just I would until we get more information and I also really be curious to hear how this next meeting goes before we commit to another year >> the meeting the meeting tomorrow is to try to focus on things that we can do better next year to be better on day one the last was just a lot of fingerpointing and emotions and not productive really. I mean, it's good that

036we get things out. We understand what we need to work on, but we got to focus on what we can control moving forward. And that's how can we be better on day one than we were on day whatever this year. And that's that's the goal of the next meeting is is not to not to not to compare our grievances against the other side, but to focus on what we control and be better on day one. But at the end of the day, these are our cafeterias, right? So, you know, again, I think we're assimilating more to their business model than they are to our district. They definitely have a way of doing business. They have the trucks way in and in in most districts, it works great and they they they sell a lot of

037meals and they make a lot of money. So, we're just we're having a little bit of learning curve. I I hope that we can >> So, we would not have to sign on this contract till because it says July 1st. 2026. So, we do have time, but we could take >> that's your choice. I >> 29. >> I would have recommended that we did it two months ago and just committed to them and focused on the future instead of still hanging on to trying to the past. No, >> I mean it's not it we're in this position for a reason and we brought them in because we needed help >> to get out of it. Um I mean it's a year contract so it's not like we're signing five years. I think if we table

038it, it just shows we don't have any faith in the system. Um, I'd rather just do it for another year and then next year come back and see. All right. Did you put the money where your mouth is? Because that's what we're looking for. You want to make a motion to table it second and we can table it. If everybody wants to do that, >> where you guys at? I guess I feel like there's a part of me that says, you know, they really do need to listen to our our people's what they feel and what they've seen works best for kids. And I understand that there is a conflict in this assimilating thing. But I also understand the part of it that like usually anytime you change and start something new, it takes more

039than just a year. I mean, you know, for it to work all the kinks out. Um, and it is only a year and, you know, going in and knowing that we can not be in the, you know, that next year. I mean, I see both sides and um, I don't, you know, I remember their presentation and I don't remember the word check being, but I thought it was like they said we would just see, you know, a rep positive. So I the part of me that I understand where you're coming from, but there's also I feel like we need to give it a shot because if you just walk away after the first year, it just seems like you didn't try. You know that but you know, not that neither side's not trying, but it

040just seems like maybe you know something broke down, but we do have you going to be hands on to help negotiate that. >> I'm sure it would be one of my big time commitments next year is to figure that out, make it work or decide we're going to we're going to cut. But at the end of the day, our kids are getting quality meals. They're compliant. They're healthy. They're good. They're fresh. And so if you're thinking about what's best for kids, you never know them. If you're thinking about a business model or employees, we got to work through that because I value our employees and we want our employees to be satisfied, fulfilled, and again, are listening to him and Charles Mills will listen. Um maybe we were too hands off this year because we

041didn't have anybody in that role. That will not be the case next year. >> Yeah, I I don't know if I agree necessarily what's best for kids. I you know I mean it's I think that's kind of subjective. I mean I I did have lunch with a group of middle schoolers and the feedback that I got from them is that some of the food is better and some of it's not. And you was told put enough ketchup on the bread, it's not hard anymore. you can actually eat it. So, um I I I do think and I agree. I think some of the food is probably a lot better than what we've had before, but I don't know that all of it is. So, you know, like I said, it just I think it's just

042a matter of opinion. So, you know, whether I support it or not doesn't necessarily mean I don't care what's best for kids cuz I absolutely do >> that that to me I I believe what they're the product they're putting is a healthy and you're right. We did have some learning curves at the middle school versus batch cooking versus cooking too much up front and the heat lamps and putting things out and and again Charles has to listen because Doug was making some recommendations on how to prevent that and was they didn't want to wrap the sandwiches which protect the bread. They want the eye appeal but the eye appeal and the the taste was so we worked I think we worked through that and it probably took longer than it should have. That's where going

043to be involved in those things are going to take so long in the future. That's up to the board. Like I said, uh I'm not a food service expert. I I I've never managed food services, but I can solve problems and I work with people to get solutions, but uh you know, I'm not going to be as good on day one as what Charles is going to be in terms of the business side of food and ordering reduced and federal guidelines and what's got to go on the menu because of you got to have the right proportion of this, this, and this meet the the food pyramids and all that. And and that's probably where we get trouble is because again schools are trying to be jack of all trades and really what we're what

044we're good at educating kids, you know, teaching kids. That's up to the board. I know it's been a tough year with that. We want it to be a better year. No one wants to be better than than I do. But I think we all care about kids. I think our folks that work in the cafeterias care about kids, too. And to your point, I don't think this is beyond But I also think it's took entirely too long to figure all this stuff out. I mean, a full year trying to decide whether we wrap a sandwich or not seems like that's a pretty slow process, right? So, >> I think they got that resolved a long time ago issue took that long. >> It should have. And we have we've had some conversations about some of

045the different bean carbons, salads, and different things like that. And just is that really age appropriate? I don't I don't know. But um it just seems to me like this took a lot longer to get to this point than it probably should have. What's your thoughts, Kevin? And I thought a lot of the issues you alluded to were heading in the right direction. So unless I'm hearing otherwise, you know, I'm looking at from the financial perspective is is it making the improvements that it initially let out to do a year ago and is it headed down that path? And I did hear it was not. I don't think we know that though. That's the That's part of the concern. And that's why I'm asking like are we going to know that in another year or

046is it another month or is it >> Well, I don't think we have the results of the first full year yet, right? Is that what I'm hearing? We won't know, >> right? >> So, I mean, we're being asked to vote on a contract that was guaranteed to deliver and we don't know if it's delivered yet. when it was discussed a year ago, was it kind of the understanding that it would be that, you know, I know it's a yearly contract, but that two to three years and I keep hearing it come up since I've been involved. I don't recall that discussion. I don't I don't remember this being >> I don't think that they talked about the learning curve that a lot of districts go through and the fact that uh it was a difficult

047process and but but as we've met what we're hearing is what we're going through is not atypical. Year two is always better and you know it just it just takes time. It's it's a lot of changes. A lot of changes that are being passed and some of them aren't necessarily we that's where we got to sit down. We got to meet. We got to talk. We got to discuss. We got to find middle ground. Um and I think we can do that. I think we can do that. To me also we have someone to hold accountable as such. The other thing for me is is that I I yeah I What's the alternative? I think we've got some other options. Do we go back to what we were doing? And I wasn't involved in that

048decision a year ago when they decided to go this route. Right. So, what were those criteria, pros, cons, all those scenarios for getting to that point? But, so to me, it's one of those where, you know, yeah, we can switch out for a different food service company, like what is the Chartwells 2.0 or the next one versus going back. >> We not have enough time to go through the whole RFP process at this point. That takes that takes a long time >> or to revert back to what we were doing before which obviously there was something for some reason that you chose where chart was to begin with um at that time. So I'm just trying to catch up on that from what I've heard. So I think the incentive to go to him in

049the first place was because we had cut the district so deep we didn't have anybody to manage food service and this comes with built-in management. That was the that was what made it attractive to us. >> Had a half million dollar deficit >> and guaranteed $100,000 >> to the posit to the positive. So that's kind of that unknown at this time what they're alluding to, right? I don't I mean I think if if we don't approve this contract, we're going to put Curtis in a real hard spot to find somebody to run the food service and get it up and running again back, you know, without a company. I think my opinion is going to second year, we look at it in January and give him the direction, you know, like listen, we want a

050report in January. What's this look like? And then we have the correct amount of time to come back and evaluate it and see like, okay, did they, you know, give the $100,000 to get that? Is it too depositive? How's it going the second year? Cuz we should know by then. And if it doesn't work, then he has time to come up with a different plan. I don't think we have time to come up with a different plan. Our next meeting is up till June 29th. >> Run ads in the paper and everything. issue public notice has filed stuff with the state >> days. Yep. They have so many days before then you got so many days when they reviewed and they got so many days pretty drawn out process. We could do something like we

051did the year before like with EPC or do it internally. Again, I'm not a food service person. We we have to hire somebody to be our food service consultant. So, we did we did bring this up back in the fall and asked to kind of get some updates. Remember, we started talking about this right before Christmas. It was right before y'all got on the board and was hoping that we would have a lot of this stuff worked out because I really kind of hoped that at this point in the year we would all be on the same page and moving in the same direction and it kind of feels like, you know, we're first of May, you know, several weeks ago we had that first meeting and kind of talked about a lot of fingerpoint.

052I mean, I guess I kind of feel like that probably should have been worked out a lot sooner. Like I said, I have not felt like this has been a real flexible process and it just it bothers me. I I had a lot of hesitation in the very beginning. We got a lot of kids that this is this is where they come to eat and I I don't know that I don't know that we're we're doing doing it the Edgewood way, I guess, is what I'm saying. So, I I'm kind of hesitant on giving them another year till I see what the results of this this current contract is >> we have >> so Mark I when they came and gave their presentations and like you said the one rep for the beginning years when

053I started getting up to speed I know you put a lot of time and equity sweat equity into figuring out feedback from students and everybody presented you could kind of feel a little bit of that tension uh with with her name Sarah and I can't remember the gentleman that came with her and went through their whole presentation and then I didn't know we were going to have, you know, a medium to meat with, you know, all sides and all pieces. But so from a lot of those things, like you said, even the garbanzo bean salad and some of the surveys that came back with the bread, I kind of felt like since then, and I haven't heard otherwise that a lot of those were moving in the correct direction, but your hesitation is telling me,

054you know, or have heard otherwise that that's not going the direct put in perspective, you had a graduation party this weekend. It was a great graduation party. The food was awesome. If you would have hired me to come in and do the food, I would have done it exactly the way that you wanted me to to do that. I just don't feel like that's where we're at with this contract at this time. >> Well, I mean, if we wanted them to do exactly how we were doing, why did we hire them? >> Well, we hired them to manage it because of the buying power that they have, and it was a guaranteed savings in that in that aspect. But, like I said, it just worked. We're we're a year into this and we're still trying

055to get on the same page. Did we want to give was it our intent to give up full control over our kitchens? >> I mean that's part of what they do. >> I mean, you know, I mean, if you guys want to vote, we can vote. >> Question I have is like I hear a lot about the management and the management on their side. Are we getting the same manager that we currently would we be getting the same manager next year that we currently have this year or do we have like the right to ask or request a different one? >> I I wouldn't say we do that we would have that right. I mean, we're the we're paying the bill. We're the they work for us. So, we said we'll renew you with a

056different manager. But I don't know that I know that's part of the issue. I don't know if that's 100% of the issue. Um, this person, you know, is is trained and gone through their program and they're they're being supervised. They brought a lot of people in. So, but that's always the possibility. That's where the issue lies and that's something we could address with them. Not sure that again it might be a little premature to say we want a new manager because there's a learning curve. There's >> Yeah. I mean, I just didn't know If it was more management or >> little bit of both. Little bit of both. What do we do? We need to decide if we table it until June 29th. That's coming pretty close. But I mean, >> well, if we table

057it, if we table it till June 29th, We either have two options. Either we go through EPC or we try to do it in house because Charles probably wouldn't be an option at that point. Right. Well, I guess we still I guess I was third option. We could still bring their contract, but you're not bringing anybody else in here. To Curtis's point, I think we probably should have had this conversation two months ago. Is anybody else interested in tableling it? >> Well, and I kind of and that's where I'm learning just because I thought after all that presentation before and kind of hearing that the meetings were going on. I hadn't heard how they were going, but I thought they were going on. I thought it was going right. Well, we've had we met we've

058met with our people and we've met with them and we've met together and then we're going to meet again tomorrow just as a follow up to meeting the other day. Again, they they they spend more time, you know, in the kitchens with people and their and their teams, but as a group, we've only had those meetings as of recently and we're going to continue those. keep that as kind of a ongoing thing because we see some value in it and uh can try to be a little more hands-on. We don't want our people to not feel like they're supported and have a voice through through us and again I think it's chain of command too. They there's a chain of command and the one party that I feel like left out is the building principles

059and I'm going to include them moving forward because they need to have the same buildings operate. Maybe we can't have better year next year. year two is that different >> that that you know I tend to believe it'll be better. It takes time and you know they they say what they're working through is not atypical and they they they can give examples of other staffs and kitchens and everything we've gone through is not atypical and your juice better and like I said year three people say how we ever do without you know we're a long way from there but but um you know I >> so that was the information I had received and heard just from the presentation from the board meeting to >> some of our kids are more, you know, maybe they're

060the easier kitchens and smaller meal counts and embraced that they >> so at that point I was prepared to at least give another year and we're sitting in this boat even in 6 months from now. >> So yes, until I heard some of your concern tonight from hearing some information that we hadn't been making improvement. I was feeling like the information I was getting we were making improvement. >> I don't know if we've made improvement, but I don't I don't feel like it's came as quickly as it should have. >> What's that? I I I don't know if we've made improvement or not, but if I don't feel like the improvements have come as quickly as I would have expected. >> Yeah, that's fair. I I like to think we're headed in the right direction.

061I I feel like again, I think we're putting a good product, a healthy product. I feel like our costs are lower, our meals are better, and I think we're going to chip away at this deficit, and we just got to do so. Not I don't want, like I said, we don't want our people stressed out and upset and crying, taking personal days because they're stressed over their jobs and this and that. We don't want that. It's not what we want. And um you know, if Chartwells is not their manager is not willing to listen, you know, I I am and I you know, I represent them and I'll go back for them with Chartwells and if it means give us another person to head it up, that's what we'll ask for, we'll demand. But at

062the end of the day, I I said, we didn't I wasn't a part of why we got into this in the first place. I was over in the middle school. I know what I deal with in the middle school. It's gotten better with our current team over there, but it was pretty bad for most of my years over there. It's pretty bad. I'm fine with here. See all those questions. I'm I was just sitting here listening all this and it just kind of reminds me of like when you teach and they throw at you a new curriculum. You do that new curriculum that first year and you are so I can't do this. I can't do this. Where where could this is not how we always did it? How who do I go to? Who

063do I go to? And it truly does take growing pains. And there are times when I know for me personally there was a curriculum that I never did really truly embrace it. And um I didn't teach it with fidelity and there were times when I could tell I wasn't teaching it with fidelity. Um so I I really do feel like they need us they need a second year. However, I think, you know, going in they need to know they're going to be scrutinized more than ever than what they were the year before. And that, you know, and I I'm just saying if I knew that I had someone who was willing to go to bat for me and my team, that would make my job, that would give me so much relief because like the

064classroom teacher that first year, we had nobody. And finally, the people listened and they gave us like a go-to person in our building who really, you know, helped. But, um, I think that, you know, everybody needs to know that you will step in and that you're not going to allow them to, you know, disregard our, you know, our people's feelings. >> I anticipate that's where a lot of my time is going to be spent next year. >> And so, I I'm good with giving them a second year. And but I I do think they need to show that when a problem does come up, resolving it in the quickest fashion that they can that benefits everybody. Um so that's why >> Mr. Mark Measure. >> No. >> Mr. Kevin F. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Amy

065Ashcr. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Lorie Barnes. Yes. Motion carries >> or 31. I'm sorry. >> The next agenda item is the FY27 property liability and cyber insurance. >> Is there a motion to approve the property liability and cyber insurance renewal as presented? >> So, >> Mr. Paul, is there a second? >> Second, >> Mr. Is there any discussion on this item? >> I know Mr. Paul had a couple questions, but did you pretty good with it? >> Um, yeah, I was going through it quite a bit. It's an odd thing of mine to be interested in insurance for some reason. I don't know if it's the farm or if it's the what, but um the only thing I question and and you answered that is they did different surveys. It just was odd to me

066how we had a seems like a substantially larger number of employees in their analysis compared to what was being covered before. But um I mean it's not inaccurate. I just didn't know where they got their number from last year from the different company on those number of employees. Is this in line with what the cost has been in years past? Obviously, insurance is going up. >> Yes. And it has gone up every year. In fact, this policy here is 37,000 more than what it was last year. But >> again, if you you saw tonight, we just put in another purchase order for $40,000 for fuel. That's what we're going to wind up being short this year. Um what we projected at the beginning of the year. So everything, >> but I will say also in

067reviewing this that it was pretty standard that the liabilities went literally from on a number of these items from a half million to 5 million coverage. So if you go down through um I mean I know for some of my stuff I have probably 2 million liability just because of being involved in the way the world is. So I I was much more impressed. I understand it was, you know, $30 some thousand more, but the coverage and the liability coverage on all all the hirings was substantially more than what it showed we had last year. >> And again, this is through EPC, so they go out and and bid for us and get us the very best they can. U they they've done a great job with segregating our flood as well as the primary.

068Um, so we've had a couple things this year that they've had to step in and help out. >> And that's one I specifically looked at because I wanted to see what that difference would be and it was substantially better coverage for you know that money. So I mean not saying I want call up but at least this time it seemed like we compared line item by line item they give you a lot more coverage. >> Yeah, we also get rebates from them as we purchase. Um, we use EPCI for our medical insurance. I just tell you right now that's up 6 and 12% as well. Um, our loss ratio was 104.5%. If it would have been 104.9, we would have been 7 and 12% on the increase. So, that everything is going up, but we

069do get rebates. Anything we do to EPC, we do get rebates. Is there any more discussion to call roll please? >> Mr. Kevin V. >> Yes. >> Mr. Mark Measure. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Amy Ashcraft. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Lorie Barnes. >> Yes. That motion carries. 40. The next agenda item is the FY27 Sinclair Community College. There >> a motion to approve the Sinclair Community College on CCP as presented. So moved. >> Mr. Mr. Master, is there a second? >> Second, >> Mr. F. Is there any discussion on this item? >> Do ahead. >> We do quite a few different CCP all three is the only one that except right now. >> Um Doug emailed this to me and asked me to get it to the >> Yeah, we'll have state Miami. We're still kind

070of negotiating with Miami. We're trying to negotiate county rate higher than Cincinnati State and Sinclair. So, we're trying to reduce that reduce that rate. >> Do you think that a certain number of students in those classes to for them to come in? >> M to follow up, please. >> Major Smith. >> Yes. Mr. Kevin F. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Amy Ashcraf. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Law. Yes. That motion carries 4 Z. The next agenda item is the NRG agreement. Is there a motion to approve the NRG agreement as presented? >> So move. >> Mr. F. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Mr. Mr. Smith. Is there discussion on this item? >> I would like to share that we also get rebates from NRG. Um, basically what we do is we draw back on energy

071at certain times. Not sure if you've heard of it. PJM is Pennsylvania, Jersey, Maine. So like as they're drawing more energy, there are times that we will have to draw our energy back. There's no consequence if you don't. You just don't get the monies back. Um, but I have pulled I got a few up here just so I can tell you what this looks like. Um the most recent ones that we just got back in January from uh conserving over the winter months was 19,157. Um the draw before that was only 3158. So it just depends. There's no harm in doing this. Um it's just giving us money that if we draw back when they ask us to get a little bonus check. So basically they're just >> it's almost like the local ones they

072do where you pull back to get a little rebate because they're using that elsewhere. >> Yes. >> They have that demands on their >> Yeah. >> Mr. Kevin Paul. >> Yes. >> Mr. Mark Meers. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Amy Ashcraft. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Lorie Lawrence. Yes. Motion carries 4 Z. Uh the next agenda item is the easy flex quote. I can have a motion to approve that. Please motion to approve the easy flex quote as presented. >> So moved. >> Mr. Merson, is there a second? >> Second. >> Mrs. Barnes, I'm sorry. Discussion on this item. >> I I have something. Um this is uh mats for cheer and these were damaged in that flood. Um so we need to get their mat replaced so they can do this but we will turn it

073in. >> So this is not by general fund. >> Well we're paying for it but we'll get it back. >> M would you call the role please? >> Mr. Mark Measure. Yes. >> Mrs. Lorie Barnes. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Amy Ashcraft. Yes. >> Mr. Kevin F. Yes, >> that motion carries 4 Z. I'd like to ask for a motion to approve the Robinson Fence quote as presented. >> Is there a motion to approve the Robinson fence quote as presented? So move >> Mr. F. Is there a second? >> Second, >> Mr. Master. Any discussion? >> Is this to replace existing fence? >> No, it's a new fence. It's it's a grant that we got last year. We were going to originally install big swing gates. Now it's a immediate back that driveway around the building.

074They just run a little change across when the kids are out there in the playground and Molly's always felt like that was a safety concern. We were going to put big swing gates but then we swing gates would lose all the parking spaces because they got a swing that's a big span. So, we've met with different vendors. Robson came up with the idea of these big roll gates. And we're going to literally um put chain link so that in addition to the roll gates, we'll have chain link in because right now, even though we got chain link from poles across the the driveways, but it's not fenced in, you can just go off you can just go off the ground and drive into the playground. So we're we're basically creating a safety barrier around our

075playgrounds to keep discourage any vehicle from going in there or any kid from leaving that safe space. Sure. It was fully funded by a safety grant. >> Okay. So everything this quote came with it within the amount that the grant was for. It's actually less than the grant. >> Wasn't the grant like 40,000? >> That's what I thought. And and part of this is actually going to be to put the the playground in for uh or not the playground but the fencing area for head start >> for head start. We might be able to include some I don't know we're going to watch that. It may just be grass but we might we might we'll spend the whole amount but this is also for head start playground please. >> Mr. Kevin F. >> Yes. >>

076Mr. Mark Measure. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Sammy Ashcraft. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Lorie Barnes. Yes. >> Motion carries. 40. I'd ask for a motion to approve the Aqualus Group Cooperative Purchasing Program resolution. >> Our motion to approve the Aqualus resolution as presented. >> So move. >> Mr. Fall. Is there a second? >> Mr. M. Is there any discussion on this item? >> I can share with you that I've asked to join this um because we have in working with Wel just like we're part of the EPC and get products and services from them UPC this is another purchasing group um we've done a lot of work with Wel and they always seem to come in under what they bid and doing quality work for us um the project that we need done the scope is

077it's huge um we need to be able to work with wel um but we need to join the co-op in order to do that >> and that prevents you from having to go out for bid because we have to have multiple engineers spec this out. We did get multiple bids, but the purchasing group ensures you're getting >> basically bid they're bidding it out. They're bidding these positions out so we don't have to put out an RFP. The purchasing cooperative does that for you and there's no cost to the district because normally they join into those to get >> there's no cost to the front end. They get a percentage of the job >> percent. the um through wel >> through wel so what kind of contracts are we talking about because I don't really see

078like examples of contracts >> so we have some of those right after this that if you agree to be part of this group then I'm going to be asking you to approve the contracts that follow this >> but this person cooperative like we may be like high school furniture desks furniture supplies they computers there are a lot of things that this coop it just gives us another place to shop products because they got again buying power deal with a lot of schools. It's government school agencies. So you get better pricing through these person cooperatives than you would out on your own. So it'll just give us another source. And I went through all of their vendors that they use. It's a lot. So it's a good it's a good company to be a part of.

079>> So they're the name of the co-op is Equalist, but the contracts are wel. >> Yes. So, if you go out onto EPC, I got you. I didn't realize we're >> talking about that. >> All right. I got you. >> It's like EPC, but it's Southwestern Insurance. So, it's a qual but contract already. So, for this, >> I got you. >> Is there any more discussion? Mr. Bowers, will you call the roll, please? >> Mr. Kevin Paul. >> Yes. >> Mr. Mark measure. This is Amy Ashcraft. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Lorie Barnes. >> Yes. Motion carries. 40. Uh, next I'm presenting to you four wide bull contracts. Um, this is for work at the geothermal here at the high school. I'd like to ask for a motion to approve those, please. >> Motion to approve

080the four contracts as presented. So, >> Mr. Fer second. Is there any discussion on the side of these items? >> I know we knew this was going to be a pretty substantial cost to get those repaired, but if I did my rough math, right, it was looking better than what we had initially expected. >> Is that correct? >> Uh I mean it's right where we thought it would be. Um we we could have done this in pieces um again but then we would have like right now the system's probably at 40% capacity. We were lucky that we had cool weather for graduation and we were able to crank that down nice and cool. Um but we had to close down all the other buildings to force everything there. So there's like five different modules in

081in the system and three of the five are down or not 100%. Module one's completely down. That's where the bulk of your um heating coolant comes from. It's both compressors. Both heat exchangers are out. Module two's got a compressor, a heat exchanger. There's different That's why it's four different bins. We thought we might do it in chunks as opposed to one um fixing the whole thing at one time. But I think there's going to be savings in that they're going to be out here at the same time going to do raining one time. They're going to be ordering and we just there's price increases. We we just cut a little bit of our price increase so it's likely to go up every year. Um so that so the four bids total will basically repair that

082system back to original quality. We had two different engineers go into it. Um you know it's it's it was installed in 2012. So it's those things last about 20 years. So we're getting close to the end of life. But the way they work is the early modules carry the load. The later modules kick in upon demand. >> That's why all three of three of the four bank one. Right. >> Right. Right. So, so replacing those early modules which we're replacing all and you know and we're also part of this is also preventive maintenance agreement moving forward because I think that was part of our problem early on. We kind of got behind on some of the preventive maintenance. So, we're hoping we can get another 5 to 10 years out of this geothermal, but in

083the next 5 to 10 years, thinking about a fullon replacement. I think back in 2021, we had an engineer come in and bid that out. And I think if you adjust for inflation, you're talking just a shy of less than $2 million to replace the system here. So what we're paying to get this system back up to capacity and if we can get five to 10, that's money well spent. But we have to be mindful of that. And at some point the system's going to have to be replaced. And it may not be it may not make sense to go back with another geothermal. >> This will come out fund from the high school. I actually met with them this morning to confirm that we could use that old 34 fund for >> So did

084you said it'll take it back to near 100% or back to 100%. Does that mean that the 20 year life cycle starts over again or does that mean it's back to 100% for six years? >> Well, the the I mean, we're replacing compressors and heat exchangers. A lot of the parts inside of these modules, especially margin one, will be new, but They're still They're still 14y old modules that we the the new modules don't even fit in the same footprint. They're not cloned the same way. They wouldn't even fit in our room. We couldn't replace the module. So, they have to literally gut the module, pull out the guts of it, rig it out, and put it back in. So, um it's kind of like rebuilding a bus. You're doing the engine and transmission, but

085there's still other things that could go wrong. Um but Live was pretty confident with preventative maintenance that this system will last us. You know, it lasted us this long, 14 years with, you know, even though it went down in phases, it's barely functional now, but we got through the year we got through graduation. So, we're optimistic that this will it'll give us, you know, it's not warranted for five years. Warranties a year, but we're optimistic with this company and the preventive maintenance that we won't be spending that 2 million anytime soon. >> You probably need to start putting together a plan to slowly replace it. Maybe replace it in pieces and because you may, you know, Yeah. because we you may be knocking out walls, tearing off roofs to to or if we if we

086go to a different system like a just a chiller system, outside units or whatever, that's probably what Donny's recommending. That's what he had engineered back in 2021. But um we can't afford it right now. Okay. We we had two companies bid it two quality companies. I mean they're not locals. They're one was Alpha out of Louisville Kentucky and they do the boiler for us. And they also sent an engineer in here. We had Wel come in and sent engineer here. They took the thing apart. Their bids were so identical. It was kind of It's kind of crazy. They're both the costs were very similar, but why does it not to exceed and they've always come in less? And because Patty said we were able to pull it off in one chunk instead of doing it

087out over years, that will not only uh save inflation, but I'd almost bet that they'll come in less than what their bid is. They're they're pretty efficient. They were able to do those uh units at the primary school and they gave us a pretty high bid. They came in like a third of what they bid. So, This one's a little tougher, a bigger job, but that's why we want to hire. >> Well, not too often do you get any kind of contracts that labor is only a fourth of the expense. So, there's some expensive components and pieces probably. >> And parts of Chill is proprietary. It's owned by train. So, you're dealing with train. So, you're paying train prices. They are they even got the compressors of from a vendor other than train because the

088compressors are not proprietary. So they're you know it's the same compressors the train compressor they're competing but heat exchangers and some of the other parts they have to buy through train and the new Arctic chill modules don't they're they're totally different different footprint different pumping different sizes. So because we we we have price out switching out the whole modules could do it. >> Is there any discussion? >> Mrs. please. >> Mr. Paul. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Lorie Barnes. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Amy Ash. >> Yes. >> Mr. Mark Measure. >> Yes. >> That carries 40. The next agenda item is the Rush bus quote. >> Is there a motion to approve the Rush bus club as presented? >> Mr. M. Is there a second? Sorry, Mr. Is there any discussion on this? >> I have

089some discussion. Uh you may remember I asked you to pass a resolution. Mr. Crack was adamant that this is not locking us in, but we could at least start the process. Um, talk to Jim O'Brien and we have to make a decision by May 31st if we're going to get something. And I want to share with you, be it one or two. And I'm not sure that we can get two. I know that we can get one right now. The cost from last year to this year has increased on this 72 72 passenger stock bus $15,07. But I I would like to at least get one bus if if we can do that, please. >> I think my first year on the board when we voted to buy new buses, I think they were in

090the $90,000 range. So they're significant compared to where they were. >> Um now the state did mandate that they have to has some LED lighting on. So that's a a little bit of the reason for the increase. But the total cost of this stock 72 passenger bus that's comparable to what we bought last year is $15,7 more. So you may recall that we disposed of a couple buses. So um our spares are going away every year. >> Yes. If I could at least skip one. >> I know Miss Ashcraft. You said, "Can we afford this?" We can't afford everything. If I feel like we need a bus, at least one. >> How far are we behind? I'm sure there's a place to schedule for those. >> Well, we got um two last year. We got

091a special needs bus and a regular needs bus. There was one year that I was here we didn't get anything. Um and then another year it was like a buy to get to. I wouldn't say that we're behind, but we don't want to get this would leave us one bus behind. We don't want to get behind on our buses. If we're going to transport, we need to keep keep rotating our our fleet. >> So, are we voting to buy one or we voting to buy two? >> I I'm asking you to if you would let me at least buy one, but if you will approve two, we would double this and it would come out of the PI fund. >> How much money's in there right now? >> 3 million. Do we have any other

092large >> Well, we have some roofing things that we're we're going to be working on, >> right? We talk about that. >> I tr I tried to reserve this fund. Um, you just you don't know when the roofs are going to start pouring water. You don't know when the geothermal is going to go out. You can't sit on this and let other things Patty, these buses are at $40,000 in four years. I mean, if we put it off another year, you're >> it's going to cost you more money. So, I think you stay on track and we'll get to a point where we can't afford it, then we stop buying. But right now, I think if it's going to cost us more to wait, then it's going to cost us to do it now >>

093cuz this is where these negotiated, but it's only got till May 31st. >> Yes. The EPC puts these out for bid. Yes. And they give us a list of vendors we can work with. Um it has been Shane's preference to work with Rush. Um they've done good by us. >> So do we need to amend the motion to do or >> No, we passed a resolution to two and I'm just asking you to approve this quote. If if you tell me I can get two, I will call tomorrow and we'll get the ball rolling. If you tell me I can only get one, we'll do that. I just I wanted to point out how quickly these costs are increasing. >> I think I know the answer, but over the years past whenever we've tried to

094adhere to this replacement schedule, it's not like there's usually a large decrease in the cost. So I'm I'm kind of with Mark at that point. You almost got to kind of keep up with your replacement schedule. That's kind of how we got that boat with some of the roofs or you know whatot even the geothermal like you said we did keep up with some of that maintenance. So >> in the long run you end up hopefully saving more money than losing by having to catch up. >> Nothing else we've approved tonight has been PI right. We've had grants. We've had 034. We've had Is that right? >> I think you're right. >> And then we've had general for the the service contract for special needs. So, it's not like we've approved the whole big chunk

095of stuff before that, >> right? >> I'm okay with you, too. >> All right. >> Please. Thank you very much. Mr. Mark Measure Schmidt. >> Yes. >> Mr. Kevin F. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Amy Ashcr. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Gory Lawrence. >> Yes. Motion carries 4 Z. Uh the next agenda item is donations. I'd like to have a motion to approve those as presented. Please. >> Is there a motion to approve the donations as presented? >> Mr. Fall. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Mr. Mr. Smith. Is there any discussion on this? And this is from the PTO to all four schools, not the high school because they don't cover high school. >> It's all very generous. Thank you. Thank you. >> Is there So is there two donations? Intermediate school because it shows

096that >> it is. It's intermediate, primary, early childhood, and a middle school. >> Okay. So, what is that? >> Yeah, the top one should be middle school. We call please. Mr. Kevin Paul. >> Yes. >> Mr. Mark Smith. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Amy Ashcott. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Lorie Barnes. >> Yes. >> Motion carries 40. Uh the next agenda item. This is actually something that Mr. Measure Schmidt brought to my attention. someone had shared with him something that was out on our board docs back in 2020. Um, and it was a snippet of then purchase orders and there was something on there for the Butler County Sheriff's Office and out of the little box where it had the fund it said food service. Um, I put two attachments on there. Um, again, I wasn't here

097in 2020. I can tell you this information just comes off of a spreadsheet that's kept in the accounts uh payable office that they type these on and it truly was just a typo. Mark asked that I bring that to your attention, but I did pull that purchase order. Um so you can look and see exactly what was paid and the SRO contract came out of general fund with the exception of that $30,000 line. You hear me talk often about grants that we get and that was a state toward that. Then the rest of that contract was paid with general fund. We wanted to get that on record. I can't go back and change something in history, but we at least wanted to acknowledge that that Butler County Sheriff's contract was not paid for out of

098food service. >> I appreciate you doing that. I mean, that was well Amy was on the stage. It was here back then, but certainly there was a mistake people identified. I think it's important to correct it. six years later. >> Thanks for coming on the bus. >> Yeah, at least it's a new bus, >> right? >> So, we don't need to do anything on that, but it's justformational. >> If you want to acknowledge that that you've seen this, but again, like I've given you the purchase order so you could see that there was nothing to charge the food service. That literally was a typo. Okay. You want to vote and acknowledge that you've seen this? Again, I can't go back and correct, >> right? And the AL reviewed and verified it was correct as well.

099Right. >> Yeah. How did they not >> and that really scrutinized food service because it's federal funds. So, it would be >> I'm not going to say you couldn't get away with something like that. It would be very hard to get away with something like that. >> I don't I mean I don't think we need You brought it up. >> Okay. All right. We'll just leave it like it is and just know that we acknowledge it, right? >> Okay. >> Is there anyformational items from you tonight? >> I I think I've taken up enough time. Thank you. >> All right. Next superintendent items. >> Okay. The first item are just the board policies. This was our January update through NEOMLA. You had a couple of uh I guess a month or so to look at

100these. Um these just reflect changes in federal and state halls to be compliant. Pretty boilerplate policies on here. There's changes to board policies as well as administrative guidelines. >> Is there a motion to approve the board policies as presented? >> So, Mr. measure. Is there a second? >> This is Barnes. Is there any discussion on these items? >> What I read through it, but what was the biggest difference on use of credit cards? Were they scrutinizing more on the >> on what now? >> The use of credit cards. >> Uh the credit card procurement. >> My goodness. And I can't see >> because when I read through it, I didn't see like there was I didn't know if there was an issue or they just recognized there was some wording. >> Uh some of it

101had to do with the changes to the the uh loyalty like you're allowed they changed the law about using the rewards. >> Okay. >> So I think that a lot of it had to do with >> you used to not be able to use a credit card for the points and and that didn't change. I am going to be coming back um and asking for a couple changes on this credit card policy in the next month. I have a meeting with my team later in the month and there's some language in here that I one thing for example is I ask um for people to return credit cards to me the next business day. I don't want them carrying them in their pockets. We've had incidences where people accidentally swiped the wrong card, stored their

102card. So I asked for those cards to be returned next business day. Our policy does not respect that. That is the one change that I'm going to be bringing back. I don't want anybody holding their credit card for 30 days. So, couple little things like that we've started to identify and I'll be working with Nola. Um, but that that policy will be coming back for that reason. >> Any further discussion? >> Mrs. Bowers, will you call, please? >> Mr. Mark Measure. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Lorie Barnes. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Amy Ashcraft. Mr. Kevin F. >> Yes. >> Motion carries 40. >> Uh the next item is the uh updated Edgewood Athletic Department student parent handbook, the extracurricular um handbook that was previously reviewed to be approved. >> Motion to approve the extracurricular handbook as

103presented. >> So there second, Mr. Paul. >> Second, >> Mr. and like you'll be approving the subsidive part of the handbook like it still has me as superintendent so we'll change that effective beginning of the year when we'll bring it back for you for review but all the changes were in red I think Scotty might question >> all the changes were in red but and maybe it's minor but it says athletic department I know the title on the other one said extracurricular He's the extracurricular director. Now we got to change his title. >> Well, not that just Edgewood athletic department, but it encompasses all the extra. So, I don't know if that matters on that front page if it would say Edgewood extracurricular Handbook. >> Yeah, probably should. >> I thought that was just me

104being >> words matter, right? >> Yeah. >> Yep. It just says student parent like department handbook. So we should probably include the word extracurricular encompasses all extracurriculars. >> I would say that's a change similar to the name that >> I I do have a question. Maybe Scott can answer this or I don't know. >> You know the GPA is a 1.5. >> That's like a D, right? >> It's higher than But see, I think it should be at least a two two.0. I really do. I I don't know if that's just me having >> I don't know. >> The state of Ohio changes a lot with that say five classes. So says five classes. >> That just bugs me. It's always about the thing, do we have athletes that s ex succeed that GPA? Absolutely.

105Do we have some of those that are just barely making it? Yeah. And they graduate, but you know, so yeah, we are here sometimes with sports aren't keeping those orers or fans or something's keeping that kid at least in gates up to get that five and graduate. Is it low? Yeah. county a lot of schools that just wants the straight OSA so it's easy on counselors and that pays >> that's fine >> you're right but I mean I I don't know that Del does have a 20 >> and if you go below that you go what they call like a >> study table >> you go a study table kind of session you got to be back up if you go underneath that they was the only one in the league I got that was

106that had something like Okay. >> Most of our teams are well above. >> Yeah, I know. >> No, I know. I mean, I I realize that, but you know, I mean, I do understand >> we do we do have maybe 5% of our total athletes that that one five has kept them. >> You don't have to convince me. I mean, I'm letting it go. I'm not going to hang on to that bone. I mean, >> yeah. >> I mean, I like to do the one. Wasn't it? You said that the signing day we just had a week or so ago. I think you told me this that the average GPA was like three. >> That was in my report. >> All right. Forget Irres right now. Take away from her. >> Told me it was

107very high. >> Yes, it was. >> I don't take away. >> That's all right. Just go ahead and do my report for me. >> She said I couldn't talk about it. You didn't say anything about that. >> Well, I didn't talk about student achievement. That's my area. >> Okay. I'm good. >> Is there any other discussion? >> Mrs. B, would you call roll, please? >> Mr. Kevin Paul. >> Yes. >> Mr. Smith. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Amy Ashcraft. Yes. Mrs. Lorie Barnes. >> Yes. Motion carries 40. >> Uh, the next two items, they don't require a vote. Um, you've got items C middle school, high school, secondary student handbook just for first read. Most of these are just the old recommended changes. You'll see those highlighted in red. New policies that have to be incorporated

108into your student handbook. And then you've also got the elementary student handbook again for first read. We'll approve those in June. Um, item E is the 2728 school calendar that was recently adopted through the procedure set forth in the collective bargain agreement. The final calendar for the 2728 school year. >> Is there a motion to approve the 2728 school calendar as per second? >> Okay. >> So, Mr. Mr. Merson, is there a second? >> I'll second it. >> Mrs. Barnes, is there any discussion on this item? >> I was going to look much different than it does. Very. Um, I do recall we wanted to include there was something and I don't know if it's here with a calendar approval that if there were uh snow or calamity days that we had a built in.

109We will be doing that either in June or July, we will approve, we'll pass a resolution to have so many uh remote days, i.e. blizzard bags. If you do that before August and you go over your calamity days and you can make up days remotely, we were not able to do that because you have to adopt policy before the 1 of August. So, that'll be on the agenda. I've already helped these two because that was just something it could have it could have helped us a lot this year because we've got teachers make up days at this point. We could have done those days during the year remotely or >> duplicate bank. So you're right that doesn't need to be a part of the calendar. It's a separate resolution that we will be voting on

110either in June or July. >> Okay. >> Mr. Mark Measure. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Lorie Barnes. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Amy Ash. Mr. Kevin. >> Yes. >> Motion 4. Uh the next item is um >> we did have some additional graduates that were able to meet graduation requirements or include things that were not completed when you got your uh when we had our prior board meeting to approve the list of graduates. So those were included. There were a handful more. And while I'm on that, I will like to just basically recognize um the staff here at Edgewood High School for um really an amazing graduation. Uh the entire staff, the secretaries, Kane, Christy, Melissa. Uh big shout out from Dr. Toer, Valerie Toer, the assistant principal just organizing it, uh collaborating with staff to make

111a really nice graduation ceremony. Rusty Brie Love was spent the whole week in there getting it prepped and doing all the the preparation for the curtains, the staging. Um, as well as Scotty. Scotty Clemens was helping Rusty throughout that. Spent a lot of time coordinating with the flower pickup and just getting that gym ready. Gene Milolland is the evening custodian. Uh, she mopped and cleaned that gym span. Those upper bleachers have been stored outside. those auxiliary bleacher we rented. Those things were like brand new when she got done with them. Um, again, Donnie Donnie Coots really spent a lot of time making sure that that gym was not hot and we were a little fortunate we didn't have hot weather, but I had people complaining it was cold and that was a good problem to

112have. >> Right. So, when it started people >> when it started, they said it was cold, but it was not. >> Yeah. But we have we have some extra graduates that are graduation requirements. So that's what you're working with are those additional graduates. >> Is there a motion to approve the additional graduates as presented? >> Mr. M. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Mr. F. Mr. Call please. >> Mr. Mark Meid. >> Yes. >> Mr. Kevin F. Yes. >> Mrs. Amy Ashcraft. Yes. >> Mrs. Lorie. Yes. Motion car. Item G are two overnight field trips. This is boys and girls basketball team camp trips. These are overnight trips, so they require board approval. >> Motion to approve the two overnight field trips as presented. >> So move. >> Mr. F. Is there a second?

113Barnes. Is there any discussion on this item? Kentucky, Western Kentucky and Transsylvania, please. Mr. Kevin F. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Lorie Barnes. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Amy Nash. >> Yes. Mr. Mark Smith. >> Yes. >> So, um, the Purple Star Award recognition. We ordered frames. to get these framed up for the offices. But, uh, Edgewood Middle School and Edgewood High School, um, under the leadership of, uh, Emily Tilton, who is our coordinator of military families, um, once again renewed their Purple Star awards, which is their commitment to military families, supporting not only the kids that of military families, but the military veterans in our community uh, in the school and outside the school. Emily, that's just something she's passionate about and uh she does a lot of great things in both middle school and high

114school. Renewed their commitment to that also and both received purple stars. I know that the principal is doing other things tonight, but uh Emily wanted to present those awards and let the board know that uh that they they got their awards. Again, those are three year awards. >> She's back. >> No, I didn't. She made it. She made it. Congratulations. You got your awards. >> And um so there's nothing to vote on. want that to be in the minutes. Middle school and high school. That's the perfect star for me. >> I tell you, it makes me feel really good to see just how much emphasis that this district puts on military service. Being a retired Army guy, the Purple Star award obviously is a big deal. The Veterans Day stuff that we do, we do

115so much. And I tell you, um, it makes the hair on my neck stand up. When we were at graduation the other night, the first thing that we did was recognize those folks that enlisted into the military. I just thought that was just so awesome. So, you know, I just, you know, it all kind of starts at the community level, right? I think we definitely have it here. So, I appreciate all those folks that make all that stuff happen and do all that work because it's a it's a lot of work, but it certainly is appreciated. >> Awesome. Thank you. The last thing I got forformational items, I did introduce Andrew Whis, and I know he already left. Um Ri Ryan's here and I know um he he he would be voted on later as

116well. Andrew after executive session, but um it's my recommendation that we um named Ryan the coordinator of uh technology. Uh Ryan's been a loyal uh member of that department for years and uh has really worked closely with Zach. I think he's got the love for Edgewood, the drive, the hunger to uh to learn what he needs to learn, and I'm excited for Ryan and honored to nominate him for that position. And we're losing a good one in in Zach. But Zach's commitment to help Ryan be successful is one of the reasons that I felt confident in and asking Ryan if he was interested. He was super excited. So, I'm honored to come be him tonight for that. >> Good to see you again, Zach. >> Wish him best. >> And that's all I have. >>

117Oh, yeah. I do have one more, don't I? >> Was that on the agenda? >> Okay. So, yeah. So, last month we talked about pay to play again. One thing I didn't really know that I wanted to know was how many athletes are getting free or reduced pay to play fees. It surprised me how many were. I I I really didn't know what to expect. And you can see there I've got two different options. Um and I I gave you these options last time. I believe I only gave you one. a $400 pay-to-play fee, which would be a $100 reduction. Right now, we do 500,500, then free, $1,000 per student cap. Uh my recommendation, my proposals would be the third sports are not free, but the total free sport would still be less than the

118$1,000 you're paying. Now, option A I've got is a 400, 400, and 100 would be a $900 total. Would still be a $100 savings. And again, $100 for each sport. And then, uh, there's a 350, 350, and a 150, which would be a $200 savings, um, or 150 savings on free sports. The, uh, uh, the big change is, do we charge students who are on free or reduced lunch more than we currently are? I actually recommend that we reduce what we what we charge for reduced lunch, but actually that we charge students who are on free lunch. Not that I'm looking to subsidize regular families with free, but if you're if you're in my or any sport, you're paying something for your for your new sports. The fact that we have students on a free

119lunch that are paying nothing, it's pretty substantial to charge a small amount which would help offset some of the cost of the pay to play also speaks to commitment of the student athlete and I I don't see that being a big deterrent from u students participating because we're trying to remove barriers. So, you've got a couple proposals there. Um I what The numbers never the math never m works out but these are the numbers that we had at the end of this school year. We have approximately 415 full pay, 52 reduced and 312 free. And you can see that based on this, and this is not the number we collected, and again, I'll never know how we got to those number we got to, but based on this map, so it's consistent across all the

120proposals. You can see there that the current fee structure with 415 full pay, 52 reduced, and the reducer were 300 per sport, uh, and then 312 free netted a total of $223,100. option A, which would be uh the pay to play going down to 400, uh the reduced going to 250, and the free being charged 150 per sport. Um 150, 150, and 50. So it would be a total of $350 per year, which is still a pretty good bargain to play year round of sports. you would actually make about the same amount of money um 225800 uh in that in that proposal if you went down to the lower option of 350 uh 350 and then the again the free could be you could do a 100 um you can do a 150 and I

121I worked that out in that scenario as well. You would see there on the next page if you did If you did the free students at 100 instead of 150, you would uh collect 31,200 and total would be 210. So it' be about 13,000 less than you're collecting now, but the hope would be you get some increased participation by lowering the pay to play 100. I don't know that that's substantial enough to increase participation, but it is a it is a reduction. Option B, if you lowered it to 350 um and then you did the 250 on reduced and the 100 on pay play. You're at 189450 which would be pretty substantial reduction of over $30,000. I don't know if you would receive that increase participation. Uh and you can see currently we wave $156,000

122pay to play fees for free lunch and we wave 10,400 reduced fees. So, um, and I think that was one of the board members recommendation that we look at that. So, I just gave you some different scenarios to look at. I don't think we're ready to make a decision tonight, but I know this was the information that we wanted. So, I wanted you to have it and got those numbers for you. So, you can play with it. You can plug in the numbers, do the math. Um, I think ultimately Patty would feel better if we're collecting at or near the amount we're collecting now because a lot of the other things we're doing are costing money and you know the state's telling us to cut positions and reduce expenditures. So lowering pay to play is

123not doing that. But the theory is if we can increase participation, we if we can find the sweet spot to lower the participation fees enough that we maybe increase participation that we break even, that's a win-win. Um and um so that's what I put out there for you guys. Can you tell us just so it's out there what what's the income level to qualify for free? >> I don't I don't have that off the top of my head. >> Anybody know that? >> I I signed up for those. I've looked it down. >> Low. >> It's pretty low. >> I mean, is there a way to >> Any principles know that? You know, off the top of your head, >> I might I might have a computer. I don't know if it's changed since I

124was the principal over there, but I used to sign off on one of those. >> While while you're looking at that, you know, just looking at option A and option B, that's a $100 savings and a $150 savings over the current plan. I don't know that that's really removing any barriers. So, I I I do kind of think, you know, if we really want to remove barriers, option B, I I I do kind of like the way that looks, but I I I think that third sport, and actually learned this from Gary Gabard, we're paying the supplementals, whether the kids are participating or not, and it seems like we've had an increase in spring sports because that third sport was free. I I would just my personal thought on that would be maybe take a

125look at whether we could still do that at the 350 mark. And then in terms of free and reduced kind of my opinion on that is I I don't know that there's a whole lot of difference in the in those I almost kind of think those should be similar if not the same. So it says for four their income is $59,000 a year for a family of four to qualify for a free lunch. >> I I mean >> the whole idea is to remove barriers, increase participation >> and we know we know we're not going to make money on this. We we just want to try to minimize >> how much do we have an appetite to save or cut. The the other thing I thought about too was, you know, we're trying to increase

126participation, remove barriers, but we also got to be mindful that we're likely to be on the ballot in the near future. And um, you know, when I people that don't have kids in sports, you know, that's something that that may not be a really positive position. So, >> so >> I did I did also look at our neighbors and what they're charging with the higher pay to play. Um, you know, most like obviously there folks probably getting ready to change their recent news. A lot of schools have no or very small fees. I don't know. Franklin's going to change. Um, Lakota's one that's more comparable to us. 300 high school, 225 for junior high. A lot of them have very low level 310. A lot of them have lower middle school rates and have high

127school rates. Um, like I said, most of most of our neighbors as it is now. >> Do they do the free day schedule like we do? that that I don't I don't know. I'm just looking at your prices. >> They do not >> happen. Do you know what Ross Tales are? >> What's that? I don't have Ross is I have uh Tales is not on here either. I think it' be a healthy discussion for the the next meeting, but I do think we need to make some changes to this because I I do think this is a barrier to some families, especially family, multiple kids with a family cab, right? So, just five. I think we have some opportunities with this. I got some ideas, but I think it'd be really good conversation to this

128up as a agenda in the next month and try to figure this out before >> when do we like what's our >> well I mean you want it in place for the start of the school year we'll communicate in the weeks leading up you know especially for uh for fall sports they start August you know early August so it be nice for people >> definitely talk about it >> I have an appetite for lower >> I would like to lower it I would also not like to increase the family. I just I mean, if you have a family with $59,000, they have two kids, you have to pick which one gets to play, and they probably don't get groceries that month. I'm just I mean, I just can see that as $150, you know, to

129some people, it's a lot of money, especially when you have school fees, which I know they pay reduced school fees, but they also have all the other stuff that comes at the beginning of school. >> It's it's play ball. It's a tough uh it's a tough thing to do. You know, we we have seen increased participation and maybe that was due to the fruit because the first couple years what it did we didn't reduce. So that could it's creeping back up with just the way it is. So if we can maybe tweak it a little bit but again I know Patty's watching that bottom line real closely. So I don't want to recommend something that's going to hurt us. But >> thank you for putting the information together. I I I agree. A whole idea

130of I want to increase participation and I have multiple kids in this course and I understand a whole of those size but also for me I understand I don't want it to be a barrier to pay something but I feel they do have to invest something. And so even if it's 50 bucks or a hundred bucks, you can't go play say soccer for less than 100. >> I don't think they play soccer. I'm just saying like they're not on select teams, they're not on traveling teams. I think they don't get that opportunity. I think when you have a kid who goes to a public school, they expect to be able to play on a sports team that they don't pay $2,500 for. I mean, >> no, I mean like sales like like a wreck league

131is still 150 bucks. And the other thing I'd like to say to that is I know we've had a ton of people in the community and I don't know how you incorporate that into it, but like I mentioned too, like maybe you have a some sort of hey, we've had tons of people saying if you have anybody with the fee as a barrier, >> we would be glad to help out with that. But I think having some investment >> into it of some sort, whether it's monetary or if you volunteer for the booster of some sort, you know what I mean? Just some investment. I think could go a long way to just and I don't want it to be buried but I and something >> I don't disagree with that. I think the key

132is finding the sweet spot that increases participation. >> What increases participation >> because that's the whole point. We want more kids to participate. >> I agree. >> Put that on the add it on the agenda next month and we'll just keep it as a discussion item until the board's ready to to put a put a proposal. Well, also, I know it will come up eventually, I'm sure, at some point, but and this is my opinion. I know I hadn't been part of that discussion, but if we're going to ask for our community and students to pay to participate that we should probably look at also freezing those supplementals. If we're going to ask that, it's just my opinion at that time. I could have discussion, but I feel it needs to at least be discussed

133if we're asking them to pay. I'll look at that. >> I don't know the history on that. I know maybe that's been done in years past. Not really sure. >> Have we phrasing supplemental supplemental? >> Okay. Well, that is the agenda for next month. >> Okay. >> I think that's all I got. >> All right. Thank you. All right. Board member items. >> You go first. So, everybody takes your stuff already. >> I'm a little salty on the outside. >> I should start reporting on veterans and stuff. Um well I just want to bring to the attention the student achievement um the extracurriculars not just athletics but we did have 16 athletes sign letters in the tent and I know Mark said it 3.822 GPA combined between all of those guys so that was pretty

134good. Um I did ask Scotty to get me the GPA for spring sports. Um softball definitely wins 4.02 baseball 3.665. Boys lacrosse is a 3.03, girls lacrosse 3.334, boys track 2.8, girls track 3.4, and boys volleyball 3.13. So those are pretty high averages. Um, and I asked them how many of those guys are in the National Honor Society. So 52 members of our extracurricular department um are in the National Honor Society and or we have 52 members of the National Honor Society. 44 of those are either on a sports team involved with band corers or FFA. He did point that out for me. So, um yeah, so I mean we have a lot we have we have, you know, high achieving and the athletic curricular and their GPA and things. So, thanks for that. >>

135The softball their average so high they had Madison Frell. She graduated >> 5.9 GPA or something. Would that be better? or five. >> They had a pretty good head start. So, >> the whole team could have had a 1.0 and she brought it up. >> They said 5.9. I'm like, "God, I was impressed. I had 3.9." I thought that was good. I thought it went down. Ridiculous. All right. Well, that's all I have. Mark, >> so wanted to talk about the uh got opportunity to go to the spring concert at the middle school a couple weeks ago. Um and then the art fair. I've been doing that for a lot of years going and seeing that and just always uh it always amazes me at how how good the arts are here, you know, I'm

136a big fan of that kind of stuff and you I used to take my daughter when she was at EIS over there so she could see it and be a part of it and now she's getting to participate in it. So shout out to all those folks that made that possible with her because that was such a a great event. If you're not doing anything tomorrow night, John Arnold's got his spring jazz concert. Um I went to it last year. Unbelievably talented uh career put individuals up on the stage. So just wanted to remind everybody that that's going on. And then something that hit close to home with me at my house is my daughter got an opportunity to go on the DC trip. And uh I tell you, you know, the just the passion

137that she had around that just seeing all the pictures that she was sending back and just all those kids and smiling and how happy they were and uh and you know, Bob Hawkins, you know, I think the world of that guy and and those kids, they love him to death. um you there's pictures they have with the kids and me just super engaged with them and uh and honestly he's really made an impact on my daughter and probably a lot of other kids around here. So very appreciative that he does that and I sure hope when he retires that there is um somebody else that will step in and take that on cuz that's just a pretty incredible uh pretty incredible thing. Now we talked about how good graduation was and it truly really was.

138I I was very impressed at how well it turned out. got a lot of unsolicited compliments from people that were there about how good it was. And uh you just want to congratulate the class of 2026 one more time and um this will be the last time we talk before the end of school. Just hope everybody has a safe summer and uh look forward to seeing everybody come back in the fall. Um, I spoke with Lindsay White and she shared with me some things that were going on in our um, special ed department. And I think sometimes students that receive special services don't get the accolades that, you know, our students do. But one of the days she one of the things she bragged on was the all champions day where the DECA group uh,

139partnered up with our students uh, that have multiple disabilities for their annual all champions day and she talked about how C. During the celebration, the classes gathered at the stadium and they got to join like face painting and carnival games, crafts, and other interactive experiences with their buddies. They had a buddy assigned to them. And uh she said it was just good to see the kids interact and just it was a genuine just a genuiness that they were interacting with one another and accepting and the compassion that the kids showed. So, um that was that was just that warmed my heart. And then we want to shout out to Presley West. Um she is a second grader and she received an outstanding uh the out the RA for an outstanding student achievement. Um this award

140recognizes one exemplary uh student from each SST region whose achievements reflect resilience and that is a big we need to teach our kids um excellence and the belief that every student deserves respect opportunity. Uh she was able to uh go over spring break. I believe they went with them and they went to a special long lunchon and now she's been invited to go to Columbus and um be up there to be recognized. So I think that was just great. And then um Mrs. This is why I wanted to make sure we had a shout out to Samantha Rich who is one of our occupational therapists and she was chosen as a finalist for the Southwest Ohio exceptional educator of the year award with the states 1413 and uh this is just she exceptional educator honorable

141awards that educator and the team of educators who've made outstanding contributions by improving access student and progress within the general curriculum for students with disability. So, anytime that we can celebrate that and let these kids engage, I think that's awesome. So, that's all I got. Go ahead, Mr. Paul. >> Um, I wanted to share that the voucher hearing was last Tuesday. So, uh, hopefully you had a chance to stay up to date. That process will continue. will probably move up into the court system on the voucher program as last Tuesday on the 12th. There's still being uh some appeals and whatnot lower courts, but they did not give an updated timeline on when they may move on. But along with that, there was a number of levies uh that were up on surrounding schools. So,

142just always share that everybody stay up on those and our surrounding neighbors and who's going to continue to hopefully have to figure stuff out. physical emergency and hopefully we can do our best to stay out of that for as long as possible. So, uh the other thing I want to share is that all these activities going on, it's been a gauntlet at the end of school here for the last few weeks, but uh the other thing I want to mention was uh senior awards night. Not only was our valadictorian a saludiatorum, but all the group of seniors at that awards night for their academic and athletic and extracurricular and scholarships, man, the money um that is available out there. And um I'm I'm very proud of that whole class for how they've um adapted and

143how hard they work to not just do well here but hopefully do well moving in the future and whatever their endeavor is going to be from workplacement to school to military trade schools etc. So, uh, it was really exciting to be a part of that. And then it was a highlight of mine as everybody's always told me, it's exciting to hand out diplomas and it was definitely an experience in itself. Uh, but I get also got a lot of unsolicited compliments on how well the event went and I know hopefully uh enrollment may dictate that we can't do that at some point in the future, but while we can, I think it is a nice environment to do so in. Um, and the speaker did very well coming back and circling back around to honor

144some of our long beloved teachers and and whatnot and Ryan do well with that. But it was really fun to have that opportunity to get out. So, thank you. >> Anything else? You got to give your son. >> That was very cool. >> All right. Um let's see. So next we will look for a motion to go into executive session to consider the appointment, employment, dismissal, discipline, promotion, demotion or compensation of a public employee or official or the investigation of charges or complaints against a public employee or official. Um is there a motion for executive session? So move. >> Mr. Merson, is there a second? >> Second. Mrs. Bar Mrs. Bar, please. >> Mr. Markman, >> yes. >> Mrs. Barnes, yes. Mrs. Amy Ashkra, >> yes. >> Mr. Kevin, >> yes. >> Question 40. It

145is 8:10 p.m. >> All right, we're back in regular session. 9:43. >> Is there a motion to approve the administrative and exempt benefit compensation schedule as presented? So, >> Mr. Fall, is there a second? Second, >> Mr. Measure Schmidt. Mrs. Bowers, we call the roll, please. >> Mr. Kevin Paul, >> yes. >> Mr. Mark Measure Schmidt. Yes. >> Mrs. Amy Ashcraft. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Lorie Barnes. >> Yes. >> Motion carries 40. >> Is there a motion to approve the 26 through 28 supplemental salary schedule as presented? >> Yes. >> Mr. Murman, is there a second? Second, >> Mr. Fall. >> Mrs. Bowers, will you call the RO, please? >> Mr. Mark Measure Schmidt. >> Yes. >> Mr. Kevin F. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Anthony Ashcraft. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Cory Flores. >> Yes. Motion

146carries. 40. >> Is there a motion to approve the job description for director of business operations and coordinator of technology as presented? >> So, is there a second? So, Mrs. Barnes. Mrs. B. Call, please. >> Mr. Mark Measure Schmidt. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Lorie Barnes. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Ky Nashcraft. >> Yes. >> Mr. Kevin F. >> Yes. >> Motion carries 4 Z. Is there a motion to approve the supplement middle nomination of Chris Barnes as president? >> We did. >> I'm sorry. Is there a motion to approve the personnel nominations? That's kind of the important one. >> At presented, Mr. Master, there second. >> Second, >> Mr. Mark Measure. >> Yes. >> Mr. Kevin F. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Amy Nashcraft. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Lorie Barnes. >> Yes. >> Motion carries 4 Z.

147>> Now, is there a motion to approve the supplemental nomination of Chris Barnes as presented? >> Mr. Fall, is there a second? Second, >> Mr. Mr. Smith. Mrs. Bowers, will you call the role? >> Mr. Mr. Kevin F. >> Yes. >> Mr. Mark Meers. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Amy Nashcraft. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Lorie Barnes. Abstain. Motion carries. >> Is there a motion to approve the supplemental nomination of Vicky Fall as presented? >> So move. >> Mr. Merson is our second. >> Second. >> Mrs. Barnes. >> Mrs. Bowers. Call please. >> Mr. Mark Meers. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Lorie Barnes. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Amy Ashkra. >> Yes. >> Mr. Kelly. Is there a res a motion to approve the resolution to >> yeah block the retire rehire procedures initiate those proceedings on G through

148I >> move >> Mr. Meridith is there a second >> Mr. F Mrs. Bull >> Mr. Markid >> yes >> Mr. Kevin F >> Mrs. Ash. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Barnes. >> Yes. >> Motion carries. 4 Z. >> All right. And at this time, we'll look for a motion to adjurnn. >> Mr. Wall. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Mrs. Barnes. Mrs. Bowers. May call. >> Mr. Kevin P. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Lorie Barnes. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Amy Ashcott. >> Yes. >> Mr. Mark Measure. >> Yes. >> Motion carries 4. is 9:47