001Good evening uh to our school board, Mrs. Velocity and all of our our uh visitors tonight. We are here to proudly uh bring you our first grade positive Panthers. And to lead us off, we have Jack. >> My name is Jack Blacker. My teacher is Mrs. McNeel. Mrs. McNeel said, "I deserve to be celebrated as a positive pamper because of my positive attitude about learning. I always come into school with a big smile on my face. I always make my teachers and my classmates smile as well. My name is Chloe Marine Teda. My teacher is Miss Spectto. Miss Beto say I am a positive panther. I am kind and I always think of concluding others. I am respectful by being a helpful panther too. work with in class. I am responsible by do be doing
002my work and working and staying in class. Miss Beto say, "I do great things. My name is Super Clark. My teacher is Mrs. Benza. I am a positive pencil because I work hard every day. I am responsible when I follow directions. I am respectful when I raise my hand. I am safe when I use classroom tolls. I am kind by helping make our classroom a happy place. Miss Bender says, "My reading has improved so much. I am super fast at facts at math facts and I love learning new things, mostly facts about animals. My name is Maline Ball. My teacher is Mrs. Cow. Mrs. Khaled says that I am respectful of I am a a positive pant. I am respectful because I am kind to everyone. I work I am responsible because I work very
003hard. I am safe because I follow the school rules. I make the classroom a better place. >> My name is Elanor Man Mcno. My teacher is Proface Sparling. Proface Ringling says, "I represent the positive behavior, positive attitudes, and strong work ethic that make me a positive panther." She said, "I am a pleasure to have in class." My name is Eve Johnson. My teacher is Miss Steiner. Miss Steiner said, "I am a role model student and a positive Panther. I follow all the classroom expectations without any reminders. I work well by myself and with others. I am kind to my classmates no matter what the situation. Miss Steiner that I always strive to do my best. Congratulations and to all the families as well. Congratulations Amen. Please, would you do take attendance, please? >> Mr. William
004Brun >> here. >> Mr. Donald Carpenter >> here. >> Mrs. Vivian Demco >> here. >> Mr. Cedric Demar >> here. >> Dr. Laurel Erikson Parsons. >> Mrs. Megan Lmanino >> here. >> Dr. Shamim Paxed. >> I'm present. >> Mr. J. Santos and Dr. J. Christian's tattoo >> here. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Present, one absent. >> Thank you. Yes. And Mr. Santos did give um advanced notice on that. Um I'm going to ask for a motion to approve the agenda. However, note that we are removing one agenda item under education. Dr. Tennor is not able to be with us tonight. So, we will be removing that agenda item and we expect that to be on the next agenda. Do I have a motion to approve the agenda as amended? >> So moved. >> Second. Got
005>> second. >> All in favor? >> I opposed. Motion moves. Um, we had an executive session on February 4th to discuss theu assistant superintendent goals and February 10th tonight to discuss again the super assistant superintendent goals and SVA contractual issue personnel. Um, we didn't get to no and that's it. We will remove student discipline off of the executive session because we did not have any discussion on that. Can I have approval for the minutes um dated January 27th? >> So moved. Lemonino >> Second. Tattoo. >> Thank you. All in favor? >> I >> opposed. Motion passes. We have no recognition and no presentations tonight. Do we have our high school? We do. Thank you. our high school representative. [laughter] And here's where we usually run into technical difficulties, right? >> Okay, perfect. Miles Weber went
006to the PMEA District 10 Jazz Band Festival and on February 5th, EMTT Cook and Tracy Lim went to district band festival after being selected after auditioning. The high school environmental club is collecting slightly used items that can be donated to local thrift stores. Instead of throwing things away, students and their families can drop them off in bins located in the high school pond lobby and the entrances by the bus loop. The environmental club will bring the items to the thrift store to keep things out of the landfill. Seniors have the chance of being showcased for their plans after high school. If you're a senior, take a moment to fill out the Google form shared with your postgraduation plans. Whether you're heading to college, the military, the workforce, a trade pro program, or anything else, there
007is currently a gallery live on the high school website to highlight every senior's accomplishments. The debate team competed this last week at Upper Perky and started their second round of debates with a record of four and four. On January 31st, the Sen Valley wrestling team competed in the District 11 DA Championship Championships. The team won three matches beating Tri Valley 5221 in the finals. This is Saken Valley's seventh district team title. Saken Valley now holds the record of the most doubleA district team titles in District 11 history. This past weekend they went to states to compete. Soccer seniors Stan Gazian and Addy Blair were nominated as Sen Valley soccer scholar athletes. Last week, we had signing day in the high school for seven seniors that plan on continuing their athletic and academic careers in college.
008Nick Albanese is going to Lock Haven University to play baseball. Frankie Deruso is going to Northampton to play baseball. Virginia Crrauss is going to Dartmouth to um for cross country. Briana uh Krueger is going to Cutstown for track and field. Ryan Gaul is going to Eastern University to play softball. Thomas King is going to Elizabeth Town for swimming. and Maddie Ciphere is going to Laqua Lacawana to play softball. Noah Weiss and Marin Bowers have been selected to play in the Lehigh Valley All-Star Classic game on March 22nd, sponsored by St. Luke Sports Medicine at Northampton Community College. Freshman Thomas Cahill got an honorable mention for the Colonial League All League team for boys basketball. Thank you. Any questions? >> Thank you. Thank you. Very impressive. Thank you. >> Have a good night. >> Thank you.
009>> Superintendent report. >> Report for this evening, Mrs. Dunca. >> Okay. Curtis says Florida visitors agenda items only. Seeing none, we'll move on. Uh I'm sorry. Um could I have a motion to pay the bills, please? >> Second. Lemonino. >> All in favor say I. >> I. >> Opposed. Pay those bills. All right. Uh, treasures. Oh, I'm sorry. Capital projects. There's none. Um, treasures report. Anything? Looks like a lot of nuns on there. [laughter] Nothing. All right. >> And we haven't had a finance committee meeting, so >> Okay. Right. uh tomorrow. Um agenda items under education as previously announced um we are moving the MTSS presentation until the next agenda hopefully. Um approve the school calendar. Melacity, did you want to say anything about it at all or I'm sure I can actually call attention
010to a couple of the dates that are significantly changing over the last couple of years. So um we have an August 24th date which is in line with most of the schools in our area. Um in some years we have started on Wednesday which we find is helpful in some transitions but uh most of the schools are landing on this day as a start date and we decided to do the same this year. Also in December uh leading up to our Christmas break we usually have inservice days that uh are usually the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. And this year for the if we approve this calendar um we only have an inservice day on the Wednesday prior to break. So that's important for families because I know many uh plan vacations during that time. And
011March we have an inservice day added to the end of our uh April spring break or March spring break. My apologies. Um and that is it. >> All right. Do I have a motion to approve the calendar? >> Second. Any discussion? >> So the graduation day and I know it's uh this this is based on this calendar would be on a >> Thursday or Friday the 3rd or the fourth >> on this calendar. Well, we don't usually decide that in normally it will fall on a Friday with a rain date on Saturday. So with this calendar it would remain the same unless we feel like it needs to change to the Thursday. But in regardless of what the calendar is, we usually try to keep it on the Friday. Yep. Any other questions? Okay. All
012in favor say I. >> I. >> Opposed. Motion carries. Um we have a PSLA um conference, Pennsylvania School Librarians Association. Do I have a motion to approve this item? Second. >> Second. >> All in favor say I. >> I. I. >> Opposed. >> Motion carries. We have some spring athletic coaches. Oh, sorry. I'm sorry. >> I just wanted to I just wanted to comment on that. >> Oh, I I apologize for not offering that. >> Just I think it's it seems like money well invested. I'm glad that um there's so much going on with libraries today that I feel like it's important that our you know our librarians are keeping up with what's happening in other districts. Um there's a lot of very difficult you know territory to navigate right now and I and I
013think that it's to me it seems like really money very well invested in our own district and I'm I'm grateful for the teacher you know taking time to do that to you. >> Thank you. Thank you for your comment. Uh we'll move on to spring athletic coaches. We have girls lacrosse and girls track, both volunteer coaches. >> Do I have a motion to approve these volunteer coaches? >> Second. >> All in favor say I. >> Just say say something quick that is that >> I apologize. I keep >> That's okay. I I see other uh girls lacrosse. Uh, Maddie Lazlo, just wanted to note that uh, she was a student here up until last year. Uh, and it's so good to see her uh, back to uh, give back to the team that she cares
014about a lot. Um, and thank you to Maddie, Erica, and all of the other volunteer coaches for what they do. >> Yeah, I'd sorry, I'd like to uh, second that. And um I mean I think there I know that there are several of us up here who have volunteered um as coaches in various uh you know and and it's really um it's it's a really big you know thing to give and it takes a lot of time and you know God knows you don't you know you don't get a whole lot of thanks sometimes you know and you get the opposite of it often too you know so I really appreciate um um I saw Erica Shorb I I um I don't I don't know mass and lazo but um um you know thank you
015very much for the volunteers. Sorry I was just checking where we were. All in favor say I. >> I opposed. >> Motion carries. Number four. Um we have a approved the following the Hershey PA for the future business leaders of America the state competition. Miss Schultz is taking looks like 16 students there. Do I have a motion to approve this? >> So move Dmar second. >> Any discussion? >> So uh just one quick question. 16 uh students $3,000 for the meals. Uh I'm just sort of like doing the the dividing things and the number is like pretty uh pretty steep. So uh I I I don't know if Miss Velocity or Mr. Bonnenburgger can tell us uh why is it that uh meals are I don't $91 for two two days I think. >> Just
016to clarify the attendees are 16 with the two chaperon so it's 14 students. So, it's $218 for the meals, which is the breakfast in the first day, and then it's the meals for when they're there for it's three days that they're there. >> So, it's seven meals. >> It is also the meal. It is also the meal plan, correct? That they had purchased through the FBLA competition. So, it's not that it's just, you know, they're going to Chipotle or the Waffle House. It's uh through the lodge. >> There is one of each. uh next to the convention center in Hershey, so >> I just named them off. I I haven't been there [laughter] for a while. So, >> they would cost about 10 bucks uh instead of >> Yes, sir. >> They're 50. Any other
017discussion? All in favor say I. >> I. >> Opposed? Motion carries. Um, we're going to retroactively approve the trip to Johntown, PA for the wrestling competition. Congratulations to our team for getting there and representing Saka Valley there. Um, do I have a motion to approve um, retroactively the attendance at their wrestling state competition. >> So move Demar >> second. Tattoo. >> Any discussion? All those in favor say I. I >> opposed. >> Motion carries. >> Personnel, we have um dedicated building substitute. Um do I have a motion for the building dedicated building substitute for the remainder of this school year, I'm assuming? >> So moved. Carpenter >> second. Lemonino. >> Any discussion? >> All in favor say I. >> Opposed? Motion carries. day-to-day substitute teachers. We have um four listed here. Yes. Do we have
018a motion to approve the >> so moved? Lemonino. >> Any discussion? Just like to say thank you for those um teachers, substitute teachers volunteering for this. I'm not volunteering, [laughter] working for our school. Um, all in favor say I. >> I >> opposed. Motion carries. Uh, we have some bus drivers, part-time bus drivers. Um, we have two listed. Do I have a motion to approve the part-time bus drivers? >> So moved. Blingino. >> Any discussion? >> All those in favor say I. >> I. I >> opposed. Motion carries. We have uh approved co-curricular positions for the 2526 school year. This is a class 3 volunteer club. We have two teachers volunteering for this club. Uh Club America. Do we have a motion to approve this these positions? >> So moved. >> Second. Slow. >> Any
019discussion? >> Can somebody tell me what Club America is? I I I think it's uh Oh, sorry. I'll let the official >> last address. >> Oh, okay. Thank you. >> Hey, this is from the presentation that the students who wanted to form this club gave myself and uh Mr. Johnston. So, Club America will promote freedomloving American values. These values specifically include the importance of limited government, relatively free markets, and freedom for all. Student members have the opportunity to become activists in their communities and promote these values. The club will share these values and beliefs through grassroots activism and through organizing events in our school community in our school and in our community. Club America believes in the ideal of freedom for all people, no matter their differences. Club America believes in the ideal of capitalism,
020idea of capitalism and relatively free markets and pushes back against socialistic and communistic markets, limited government and believes in the constitutions with uh limits believes in the constitution's limits of power. So this group uh they do have a website club America. It's a national website. Uh most of the things in their presentation were taken from this website. Uh I think it's just clubame.com if you want to go and uh get more information about it. Go ahead. >> Um, as far as I know, it is um Club America is a um is like the high school chapter version of um Turning Point, you know, with the uh and um I mean, I'm a really strong believer in pluralism in our clubs and I I I value the volunteers. Um, you know, I know one of them
021admire one of the volunteers who's helping with the club who isn't necessarily like, you know, if you're asked to advise a club, you're not necessarily There was a big article about this like a few months ago that was pretty amazing. I mean, it doesn't necessarily mean that you're endorsing the club. It means that students need help, you know, and they need um but I really um I you know I admire the the volunteers and um um I you know it's not the club I would join exactly, but I think it's great that we have a plurality of um different um perspectives and you know that's all I have to say. Yeah, >> in this particular case, I'm not sure if uh uh your uh uh attempt to separate them from the club is necessarily justified.
022I mean, they may not uh you know, that's right like that. So, >> yeah, that's that's right. Exactly. Yeah, you're right. Yeah, >> Lee. Yes. >> So, in my short amount of research that I was able to do last night on this, um I do understand that it's part of Turning Point. Um, and I do understand that school boards in general, um, essentially you have to approve it. You can't deny it. And the club must remain nonpartisan and must not support any political candidate. So that would be my expectation for this club. And if we're to hear otherwise, then that would be criteria to say this club cannot anymore. >> Uh, yes. I I mean ultimately if we see it deviating from how it was petitioned for to the administration in any way that that
023there would have to be a process to revisit whether the club should have continued standing within within the our our procedures but ultimately it procedurally adheres to the uh application process. Uh we are a generally a viewpoint neutral board and uh and and that's why it's been presented this evening. Just just to reinforce reinforce what uh Dr. Eriken Parson mentioned this the prohibition of uh clubs or other school affiliated uh entities from uh entering partisan politics and and and elections is not something that is limited to this club or the student clubs. It's a much broader thing. I hope uh all of the entities that are affiliated with our school would uh would honor that. Um and yeah just to clarify I I absolutely would not suggest that uh you know the the a faculty
024member who's uh volunteering to help is neither it doesn't necessarily mean they either are not supporting it or they are supporting organization but but they are supporting our students and that's that's I do care about you know and that's they are doing something big to help you know and who knows maybe a DSA chapter will spring up, you know, um, in a couple weeks and, uh, and the and and somebody one of our teachers will will come forward and and volunteer to help them out and we'll be having the same discussion and I would I would presume we would have the same discussion exactly even though it'd be very politically different, you know. >> Any other comments? All right. Um, all all in favor, please say I. >> I. I. >> I. >> Opposed. Motion
025passes. Number five, we have spring athletic uniform and laundry worker, Mason Stewart. Um, do I have a motion to approve? >> So move. Demar >> second. Langino. >> Any discussion? All in favor say I. >> I. >> Opposed. The motion passes. Um our next thing on facilities is a recommendation for approval. Um and thisou facility use agreement is just for our district um to be a polling location in the election. Um we've done this a couple of times. I mean a long time and we've moved it away from students. Right. Um so go ahead. Sorry. >> Yeah. Just to clarify for anyone who's new, um we have been doing this. So this comes up usually yearly and we uh had originated originally had it held here and we moved it into district office to make
026sure that it was removed from the day-to-day because of uh accessing facilities and just for safety overall for our faculty and staff. So it is in the district office and has been there for quite some time now. >> Thank you. So there's just one polling station or is it two like u a couple of times I think we had two polling station here at the at the school district >> just the one yes okay >> yes I think they moved the other one down to Grismill right yeah they separated the two different groups um do I have a motion to approve this >> so moved >> second do you know >> uh Any additional discussion? Okay. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Opposed. Motion carries. Um finance. We have our budget coming
027up and um we actually have a meeting tomorrow of finance where we're going to discuss it and maybe a little bit of introduction of the state budget. preliminary, very preliminary, not approved state budget at our finance meeting at um following the facilities meeting tomorrow. Do you have anything else to add, Dave? >> Not particular. >> Just wanted to be sure. All right, we'll move on. Um we have the second and final reading of the policies. We had done these policies on our first reading. um and most were revolving around um the legalities that had changed um and financial things that had changed. Do I have a motion to approve the second and final reading of these policies? Uh does anybody want any pulled out separately? Okay. Um so could I have a motion to approve
028all the policies listed? >> So moved. Tattoo >> second. Carpenter, >> any discussion? >> Just a quick question if uh there has been any changes uh in any of the policies compared with the first reading. If uh Mr. Bonenburgger, >> yeah, there has been no changes since the first. >> Thank you. >> Anything else? All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Opposed. All right. Um our final thing under finance is the use of funds agreement and approve the IDA um budget agreement with the Colonial Intermediate IU. U when we were going over the agenda, Jamie said this comes up typically around this time. Do I have a motion to approve the budget agreement? >> So move Dmar. >> Any uh discussion? All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Opposed. Motion passes.
029Community updates. Helertown Lower Saken Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Santos wasn't able to be with us tonight. Foundation for Education. Laurel. Anything? Okay. Northampton Community College. Susan, I can see you. >> There's not really much to report. I just came up to answer Shamine's question from I think last month regarding enrollment and the enrollment figures were based on uh total credit hours which is the right way to calculate something. So that's that's what I was referring to from last month. And this past Thursday we had a retreat. So we don't didn't have any action items. We just basically discussed planning and um challenges and opportunities and it was a good discussion. And does anybody have any questions? >> Um I I just wanted to say that um it's come to my attention that uh you're doing
030a fantastic job um on the board of the of the um the community college and uh that your your work there is highly valued. Um, I just wanted to acknowledge that. >> Thanks. I really enjoy it. It's it's a it's a good group up there and it's um it's it's been a pleasure to work up there. But thanks. >> Thank you for your service. >> Thanks. >> May I ask a question? So, I'll ask it in public. Um, we did get an indication from the president of your group, I'm sorry, I just don't know the exact name, indicating that you would be interested in running again. We're going to that's going to be on the next schoolboard agenda. So I I wanted a verbal confirmation from you because it it wasn't from you. So I
031don't want to put words in your mouth. >> I definitely would be interested in my service if if you're of interest interested in having me. So >> Okay. Yes. All right. Next meeting also I think Dave Ruth is doing a presentation. I'll be gone on a vacation so I won't be there. >> Okay. >> But we'll note that you're interested in it. Yes. Thank you. >> Thanks. >> All right. Thanks for coming out. Um, Bethlehem Mary Votech. >> I don't really have anything to report. >> Um, I just um was able to attend Oh my gosh, it's gonna I'm gonna lose it. What was the um >> Oh, USA. >> Thank you. Yes. And happy to report that um Saka Valley High School had two first places. Those students will be moving on to states
032and we had four second places. So congratulations. It is um always interesting to go up there and and see the skills um of all the students attending. So very nice showing for Silicon Valley. Um Dr. Pakad, do you have an any update on Colonial? >> Yeah, we had a uh meeting uh last Wednesday. One of the main topics was the was the IU budget. uh just so that everybody knows there is a uh there there's a budget that is the IU budget and all of the school districts have to approve it and uh basically pay that amount that's a very small uh portion of their budget compared with the total and the reason is because this is the one that uh uh that is uh encompassing of the uh administrative staff and uh basically the
033stuff that happens in the IU main building not all of the classrooms and teachers and services that they provide outside of that. All of those are contracted services. So the budget for that would be would be separate. So uh this portion of the budget uh had uh a very small amount I think two or 3% uh increase that is going to be transferred to each of the districts. Our share was uh uh I'm going to use the word that I have learned here dimminimus. uh a few hundred is the is the is the change of uh the amount that Sakum Valley will uh will will pay and uh Dr. Wolf will be available to come to our board meeting uh in the near future. Uh you know I think they are uh uh coordinating that
034with Miss Velocity to present that budget and answer any other questions that uh any board members may have. >> Okay. >> Thank you. One other thing that I thought was interesting, I'll I'll say it that uh uh they are uh thinking about uh hiring one or maybe two uh uh psychiatrists uh for the uh partial hospitalization programs that they have and the the uh the services that they provide. And this is uh something that uh would uh the salary of each of these cycers is like the highest salary of uh any IU employee including the executive director. Uh but uh the services that would be able to to be provided on the other side of it are invaluable to the districts. we have had the the need for uh kids to be sort of like
035in those programs and uh uh I'm I'm hoping that uh that effort would be successful. uh uh but but it was it was kind of like eye opening to me that uh there is a person who is uh uh past retirement age uh a psychiatrist that they're working with right now is uh working on contracts and is working 80 hours a day a week. Uh so and has been working 80 hours a week for the past many many years and uh and she's she's retiring. She she doesn't want to do this anymore. She's 80 some years old. So, uh they have to hire two people to replace her. >> Wow. >> All right. Thank you, PSBA. >> Uh yes. Uh couple of uh updates and uh information. Um there is a Keystone education report webinar
036that will be on February 18th to go over sort of the state of Keystone education. There is a uh spring legal roundup webinar on March 20th. Um those are usually pretty nice actually. So if you want to go onto your PSBA account, you can register. And uh I know I mentioned it several times in January, but there is a school safety summit in uh Mar on March 26th about school safety. Those will be updates. >> Thank you. Um I do have one question that was posed to me. If somebody wanted to attend a conference and there's a cost to it, is is that covered? I I just don't know. I don't know the history of whether that was ever covered or >> asked this question when I first was elected and the answer is no.
037>> No. Okay. >> And it hasn't ever happened before, right? Or something like that. So, >> well, the it's not covered by who? >> District. >> The district can cover it. Yeah, >> I I I I'm I'm not in favor of that, but the district can cover uh uh conferences for uh board members also >> or is it PSBA has uh yeah some of the fees? So, they would apply and get that on the agenda. Is that what how the process would >> as uh as as Mr. Carpenter said, I don't think it has precedent in our district. Uh one time I think the board, Miss Baxter may know this uh institutional memory here. I think the board went on a uh uh what was it? Uh yeah, the the what? >> Yes, I I
038understand that. That's not what we're talking about. >> Yeah. Yeah, I know. And and since then uh no money has been spent on any board members. That's what I wanted to say. [laughter] >> I believe um Susan has attended I remember being an audience member where you have attended certain things and paid on your own, but you ran it through the board for permission. Yes. Or am I miss Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's what came to mind when the person asked me today. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Um may I >> please Yes. >> comment on this. Um or uh Well, thank you for the report, Don. Um were a board member to to go to one of these and they it was funded. Um would could we expect that they would give some kind of
039report when they returned like back to the board so that the the investment is um it's it's it's not just about the personal edification of one board member but really the enrichment of the entire district. you know, >> you're asking me. >> Um, I'm c certainly I'm sure you could condition the funds that way. You could pass a motion as part of the approval to to require a report. I mean, I don't think we have specific policy on it. You could you could also uh you could create board policy that that requires such actions. Um, but I'm just just speaking of my own opinion here, but I'm sure maybe Mark has Certainly the board can put a condition on on any of that. >> Well, I just mean informally, not not necessarily just, you know,
040I just mean I guess to put it in writing as possible. I wasn't thinking about something in in writing. I I would, you know, but I guess I trust people would be willing to share what they learned, you know, just out of the goodness of their hearts. But I maybe maybe they need to be compelled by language. Anyway, I think it's a great idea. I I I you know, I have to look at the date myself, but I'm I you know, I think it's really good to to to do these kind kinds of conferences to see what else is happening, you know. >> All right. Any further discussion? No. All right. New business. Um and this is was brought by three board members um proposed committee changes and um the proposal one that I spoke
041about sorry I tried my best they weren't buying that [laughter] um but my proposal two had the support of three people and this was business me business meetings remain as currently scheduled uh the committee meetings would re remain the same Um they except they would move up to here and they would be streamed and recorded um trying a more informal setup of the room. Um and the meetings would run in the typical informal manner. Um and work sessions um Bill had brought this up about potential for doing some work sessions and the executive sessions would remain as as listed. Um, do I have a motion to approve the committee changes? >> The motion is then discuss discuss it. Correct. >> After Yeah. After a second. Yes. >> So moved. Lemonino. >> Second. >> Okay. Discussion.
042>> Would Would you like You made the motion. Would you like to go first? >> Make it. Oh, I was just asking. Sorry, I like froze for a minute. I wanted to make sure there would be discussion after if I did it. I didn't know if anybody else wanted to make comments on it. >> Yeah. Yeah. No, I was just offering if you wanted to have the >> No, not yet. No, I'm good. Um, I just wanted to comment that um I'm I'm operating under the assumption that the that the goal of this proposal is to increase transparency about committee meetings. Um uh my issue with the proposal as it is is that I'm I'm not sure that it achieves that goal. Um I actually think it it might be the opposite. when when I
043was discussing this um you know there's there's a desire for the what happens in the committee meeting to be better uh discussed in the board meetings in terms of either committee reports or or summaries. um recording the long committee meetings and having that be the layer of transparency that we're offering the community um kind of takes the the the like energy barrier of being informed to an average citizen quite high. You know, if you want to see everything this board is doing, you have to come to two, I don't know, two to four hour meetings a month or watch them on YouTube on replay. And if you if we're going to just use a recording as our transparency, we're now offering an additional three or more one to four hour meetings of videos uh out.
044And I'm not sure that that's like the most effective way of doing this. And that that that that could be upwards of 20 hours of videos a month as a way of increasing transparency. And I think that's just too high an energy barrier to to do. Um so I just I'm I'm struggling to understand how this achieves the goal that I'm completely in support of, right? In support of transparency. I just not sure that this is going to be effective at doing that. I think it's asking a lot. Uh and I think that we should strive for succinct uh delivery of information to the constituents. Um, I'm also quite concerned about the idea of taking committee meetings from the from the district room, moving them here and recording them and having that meeting be informal
045where the community is jumping in at the times that they sometimes can and not having the solicitor there. So that seems to me to be putting us in a situation where there's now a recording where we don't have someone helping us ensure that we're following the rules and all the things that we need to be doing. So I'm quite concerned about doing something like that without the solicitor. So I'm not sure I can support the motion as it is. >> Anyone else? >> Yeah. Um, I I I agree with a lot of what Don is saying. Um, I I guess I just want to recognize all the the the work and thinking that has gone into trying to make things work better. I guess the thing that I've for me, you know, exploring this has
046been helpful and hearing these different proposals has helped me um appreciate in some ways more more better appreciate what we're what we do now. um in a way I I would not have had we not honestly um teased out some different possibilities and um I really uh I mean I just think it's terrific that um we have some have have seriously considered some alternatives to try to make a better board. I I I I do think that it wouldn't be a bad idea to um uh the one the one thing I I I would take from all this that I I do think is a good idea is to move the tables um up here during our regular meetings because I this is just weird, you know. It's really it's a it's a lot of
047board members. It's very lateral, you know, and um it's very it just seems really strange to me um to have such a lateral geometry to um our our you know our our a board meeting. We're a board, you know, we're not like a you know, this is like a a collection of of brick on a shelf or something. everybody's far away and um I can't see it's hard to see people's facial expressions and body language which to me the body language is really important you know so uh I want to see what people are saying I want to see the expressions in their faces and you know um this isn't Congress you know I mean this is a this is a local small school board for a small school district a relatively so I I
048like the idea of the tables being changed but um the rest of it you I I I would respectfully um pass on >> any other discussion. >> Um I'll go. I hear what Director Carpenter is saying and I appreciate what he's saying in terms of the solicitor and potentially exposing more people and having that wide catalog of video time and filming time and things like that. For me, I think I appreciate it because when there are times that I can't arrange child care to be at an AMP meeting, like for me as a board member, I would even appreciate going back and just getting a recap if there was something I didn't know that was to better understand it. But I can appreciate also what you're saying of trusting the board members that are on
049it. But sometimes it is nice to get that so you're not giving a recap at a meeting as well um where other people are asking more questions about it too. So I think that could be a benefit of it. But I appreciate the other comments that you made as well. >> Mark, what are your thoughts on Don's comments about you not being there and having the public comment? And then a subset to that is if we're recording it and streaming it, we letting the public on make public make comments during that meeting or no it's similar to this meeting where you have to be in person to make comment if you're >> I think we'd have to um get a sense of what the structure would look like in these meetings. Um typically solicitors don't
050attend committee meetings. Um and and the generally the the stakes aren't as high in committee meetings. we're not taking we're not going to bind to a be bound to a contract or we're not making personnel action items, you know, official. So, I I'm less concerned about that side of it in terms of how the public interacts at committee meetings is also a a different analysis than this this meeting here. Uh, under the technical rules of the Sunshine Act, there's not a requirement to have the the public interact. But we can set those rules in in a way that I think allows the board to do what it's supposed to do at committee meetings and that is kind of work through uh future voting items. Um but I don't think because the stakes aren't as high
051that that that my presence may not necessarily be needed. But I'd like to know more about what we see those committee meetings doing. >> Well, if you have uh if you have if you have time, you can watch them under that circumstance. I'm sure you're not going to do that, but >> I could. >> Give me the the best of and I'll and I'll certainly the the best of what is actually Don's uh suggestion about what what to do, right? As in Oh, best on as as in recorded and send you the best of Yeah. >> Oh, yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. You you're making more work last five years. Yeah. >> Summaries. >> Yeah. I mean, I I Yeah. I mean, I I I talked about this before, which is that, you know, I think
052that finding a way to distill, you know, a three-hour committee meeting where you're hashing through a bunch of details into something digestible that we then do present here at this meeting so that it is, you know, more transparent. I'm like highly in favor of this, right? I I I just I worry that this is taking it I mean I in in fairness like we're not going to do a 30inut executive summary discussion in a business meeting if we're doing the meetings up here and recording them and going through all that process. It's just like naturally won't happen, right? It's just like it's it'll feel for all of us like like we're regurgitating the same thing. We're all here in this meeting and it's recorded. And so I I think it would be I think that
053our goal, whatever we choose to do, should be to succinctly summarize the information that we're talking about and deliver that to the public here. That's what I that's what I think. And I don't know how exactly we do that, but I'm not sure this accomplishes that. That's why I'm hesitant about it. >> Go ahead, Bill. >> Yes. I had a question. I'm not sure if this would be for Mark or but does there need to be um does the board need to approve a changing of the table layout? Um because I I don't >> I wouldn't think so. I remember we changed it slightly because it used to be even more you know this has already changed once and I don't remember the board >> between zero and 30 between zero and 30 degrees doesn't
054need board approval right >> I'm joking >> yeah no that's funny >> I I will give you a little anecdote to answer that question so one of my colleagues at reorg meeting earlier this or in December was approached by a board member and said I don't want to sit next to this board member and my colleague said that's a you problem not a me problem. Uh so there is really no legal issue here. If the board wants to to do it and it's the and it's whether it's done by the direction of the board president or the admin facilitates it. It can be it's it's really a kind of a organic thing. >> Yeah. >> Miss. >> Yes. >> Yeah. Uh so uh I just just wanted to uh um clarify that uh the arrangement
055of the tables here is for the committee meetings not for the board meeting just uh that two two different things. >> I understand you kind of went off >> this was to uh to to Mr. Brun. Um and uh I think the problem with the with with the with the arrangement here is I think the cameras and so forth. I you know once that is sort of like figured out I think u I I agree with almost everything that you not I mean everything that you said about the uh the working of this I I have always liked u having uh the the cameras uh record things and uh keep them uh available for people. So this is when uh when we started here there was I think few months uh or maybe like it
056was a year of uh sunsetting. What was the time where uh Mr. Bonenburgger would uh pull things off of uh YouTube after sort of like a certain amount of time and uh we we we we passed a motion to sort of keep them there in perpetuity uh for uh for for public to have access to it uh forever. So I I I I don't mind that uh that that at all. The concerns that uh uh Mr. Carpenter mentioned I think is um is valid. I mean I if if you have the cameras and uh recording and streaming and so forth I think the participation by the public would be would be less um we will have to talk to the microphone and uh then people can't sort of like speak from where they are sitting.
057they have to go to the podium and uh it's not going to be the same flow of conversations. I have a I have a suggestion and this is sort of like to to see whether it actually helps anything and the reason I'm saying it is that there are two presidents here in addition to Mrs. Demco. One of them is the president of the PTO, one of them is MC SVMC. So why why not uh why not your your your organizations do that. uh there is no legal requirement for anything you know transparency or sunshine law or anything uh like that and uh see whether that actually kind of like improves uh participation in your meetings or or not because that is sort of like a question in my mind that is uh that is not
058uh really I'm not really clear. So my my my worry is that the few people who come if you provide a Zoom option they won't come right uh it's going to end up being you know two people sitting in a room and then everybody else uh uh o over zoom but uh I don't know maybe uh maybe >> does that change our current number of people that certainly didn't change our current number of people who sit in the room that well yeah here we have uh uh we have that so we don't know what the alternative would uh in uh in other board like IU board uh there are always good number of people who are there in attendance and they don't uh they don't stream. So I don't know whether it's because of that
059or because of other reasons but uh anyway I'm I I would like people to be at the meetings and get up and talk. So whatever sort of like encourages that I think that's uh what I what I would like us to do. >> Anyone else before I speak? Go ahead. [laughter] um thinking similarly hearing what you're saying. I don't know that it will improve or necessarily take away from it. I think it would be advantageous for parents who have said that it's hard for them to get there at 5:00 p.m. to have a recap of it. I don't think it's outlandish to think that so many more parents are going to be viewing it unless it is a hot button issue or something that is suddenly spoken about on Facebook. I think in a lot
060of regards there are going to be the usual people who try to tune in and learn more and understand better. Um I will say as somebody who two years ago did not attend committee meetings because I didn't understand their value or what they meant. I think maybe it's advantageous for us to encourage other people that when they have questions about things that you know this is where those things get discussed more freely. This is where there's conversation with different administrators because I don't think everybody understands and that is something that I did learn this year that a lot of people don't understand what those meetings are for for. So that could be helpful if we make sure that we're letting people know as well. I don't think it will increase the attendance. I'm not going
061to say that's going to change it drastically. Um, but I think a lot of people don't understand what's happening in committee meetings that those are the things that are then decided that this is something that should be discussed in a board meeting. Um, so I think this idea is to make it more accessible for families who can't get there at 5:00 p.m. But I'm not disillusioned to think it's going to dramatically change it, if that makes sense. I'd be Yeah, I did. Thank Thank you everyone. Um, excuse me. I'm really suffering from a cold and I teach all day so I'm not sure how much of my voice is left at this hour. Um, [clears throat] but I had I suppose a both a question and a comment um for both my uh colleagues who
062have been on the board longer than my than I have and possibly for Mr. Fitzgerald as well. Um, I've always been a little curious why we don't have committee reports as part of our business meeting agendas. Um, typically as I understand it, um, usually uh, agendas such as ours would have right after the approval of the minutes uh, reports from the various committees. So, as someone like Mrs. Langino who um in really only very recently like within the last year came to understand um how much work actually takes place in the committees um as a member of the public I I I I found that to be a little bit um little bit of a barrier to me understanding the work that the the board was doing. And so I wonder if um having a
063brief but formal committee report as part of the board agenda would address some of the concerns that we've all talked about. I mean I could just speak from experience. A lot of a lot of boards have what you've described. They have a report of the committee that occurs essentially as part of old business where they report on what has occurred at the previous session, the previous committee's session. Uh it's either a a a submitted written report that they just say, you know, please review the report or they they speak to some highlights of of what occurred ultimately. I think I think for for purposes of Sen Valley, you guys have kind of dipped your toes into that. to have, I believe, the meeting minutes of of those or summaries of those of those meetings, but
064I think it dates back to the fact that there was a time where there were no committees here. So, I I I don't think there's been a history of having those reports, but yes, a lot of districts do do those reports. >> And if and if I may, I'm sorry, I don't want to um take up too much time. Um but it just as by way of an illustration of the value of what I'm talking about um we recently uh at a recent meeting a business meeting approved the new high school program of studies. Um the public is probably not aware that there were hours of really robust discussion that went into uh to that. And when it came to the board meeting it was sort of I mean for lack of a better way
065to describe it anticlimactic. it would appear to the public that there were no issues that were needed to be hashed out. Um they wouldn't be aware of the of all the work that Dr. Casy and his colleagues did to address the board's concerns. Um all the public heard was there's a new program of studies and we had the vote >> without any details really available to the public. Go ahead. >> Just uh two two things. I'll start with um director Tattoo, which is I mean I did propose this and I believe it was in the first reading that we approved. So I think it's coming up for second reading. Committee reports is in there. >> Yes, it is. And and we decided to wait until this was settled before we did the second. >> I
066got you. Right. >> Uh the the >> Thank you for that. >> Yeah. And the uh the other point I wanted to say to uh uh director Langino that you know you you kind of said that you you're not really sure that doing recording your PTO meetings would really change participation. talking about our meetings, not the >> our meetings, sorry, committee meetings would change participation uh in any way, but it absolutely will change how the meetings are, right? Like putting them in here and recording them and requiring the microphones and all this other stuff will change. It will change. So, um, that could be good or bad, but it it will be a significant change. And and right now the public has a kind of a lot of access to the committee meetings in terms
067of like coming and chiming in and that would be reduced a lot. It would be like it is now where they're going to sit there and and it would take like a kind of a formal act to pull someone up to the microphone, right? Um, and so that's just a, you know, just something to think about. >> So I am okay with video recording the meetings. I've been on facility and finance for many years now and I think the only visitor we had in that entire time was one of my children when they had to come with me for the committee meeting. So I don't think videoing is going to change, you know, who comes, who doesn't come because no one's coming anyway right now. So, it may be helpful for people to watch them.
068Um, I don't think they're the most exciting robust topics that everyone needs to be breaking out the door to watch the facility and finance committee meetings, but they would be there. Um, I'm okay with committee reports, presenting committee reports. I think all that's fine. My question is because I do understand what you're saying about this being a big room and it's more formal and so is there a way for us to um if we would like to is to video record in the executive conference room in that smaller more intimate setting where it feels more um informal. >> I don't have the answer to that the capabilities of that room >> but then the setup to have a Zoom meeting I would yes >> because it does Mr. Hansen is in the back and he
069could come out and say whether or not I am guessing that there is a way to do it um to video in that small room if we if we needed to. >> Hi Mr. Hansen, thank you for joining us. >> You couldn't and you couldn't hear [laughter] back. >> Did you have your speaker turned up back there to hear the question? >> I did. I What was the exact question? and you video using the current setup that's in the uh district office conference room for committees >> be not exactly the same because that system down there is made for like a conference room when this is really made for just like a live stream up here. So it would be doable. We would be able to make it work but it wouldn't be the same
070as it would be down there. There would be issues of microphones needed for every person who's talking to be able to be heard. So down there, those pod mic pods that cover the room, they're made for a smaller space. So, you know, we would have to have ability or a mic to have if people from the public wanted to talk to be able to be heard by the by the recordings. So, it would be >> up here, >> Right downstairs in the district office conference room. Is there an ability to video and stream it? >> There are microphone pods there, but they're not going to pick up. >> Can record, >> right? But they don't like that system down there doesn't have any support for live streaming. >> Right. >> If we wanted to live
071stream from down there, we would have to add >> something to it. It would be it would be possible, but not with that unit that's down there. So, >> put it on. >> It could it could be recorded and then posted later. So, >> I I just I just remember reading a um article a couple years ago about how much transparency is enough transparency is trans is there ever too much transparency. >> Thanks, Mike. And and I I mean I do have to to kind of um um I don't want to put words in Don's mouth, but you know, kind of piggybacking off of what he said, you know, um there's a certain point where kind of information overload becomes starts to seem more like a tactical effort to not create organizational structures for the
072public, you know, that help them understand what we're doing. like record like having somebody, you know, just take down notes of what happened at the meeting and do a report on it. You know, it's like just throwing tons of video at the public like that doesn't necessarily mean it makes it more transparent to me. To me, it it it it's it becomes like kind of the the signal to noise ratio becomes like out of whack, you know, and I I I feel concerned about that. I do you know >> Mr. Demco >> yes >> this is a a question I have and this is genuine question I I understand miss langino that uh there are some people who want to attend and at some times they can't do it for various reasons but uh uh
073Dr. Eric Parson just mentioned about uh facilities and finance committees. It's sort of like hard for me to believe that uh there are ton of people who really would want to go and every time you know at 5:00 on Wednesdays, you know, they just can't because uh it's so prohibitive. It uh kind of like it's it's a measure of interest from my perspective as in like people are kind of like not interested, right? Uh now if you uh force feed them, you know, maybe they will sort of like, you know, turn the YouTube thing on and uh let it be, you know, on the background to sort of like uh you know, do do what it does. But uh I I think if we want to increase the participation uh of the public in what
074we do, I don't think that's the problem, right? I think I think problem I I acknowledge that there is some disconnect, right? And it's one of those things that uh you know I think I don't know maybe like a lot of people don't go to the uh water uh authority meetings either right and the reason is because you know you go there and you turn the faucet and water comes and it's kind of like good then you don't right and the one time that you do and it's not good water then you go right so uh it's it it sort of like feels to me like uh that is the source of it now again I mean I I I I think if it's completely free for us. And by free, I don't mean monetary
075free. I mean, it's completely free. There is no sort of like downside to uh to any of the stuff. You say, "Okay, do it." You know, that's fine. Uh if there is any cost to it, I think I would want to kind of like see what the what the cost is and whether it's sort of like worth it to sort of like produce these things that sort of like mean nothing, right? Uh again if it hampers the conversation you know in any shape or form if it uh you know makes the participation of either the board members or the administration or uh the the few members of the public who do come to some of these meetings because uh I I agree with you that in finance and facilities there have been uh very few
076uh Dr. part but uh in in in academics and personnel uh we've had people come to the meetings and uh uh you know depending on the topic and uh you know uh so so so I'm I'm not I'm not sure if it's completely sort of like without a cost from that perspective just uh >> any anybody else want to add anything >> okay um I'm just going to speak before >> if I I just want I just want chime in real quick I the points the points I think have been covered pretty comprehensively. I I just want to say that uh I I really agree with um what several people have mentioned that Don started with is that we would be well served to have a um a summary of what goes on in the
077meetings when when they're real substantive um so that uh board members who aren't there as well as everybody else who's interested can can really have a better feel uh for what what what has happened. Uh, other than that, I I think that for, you know, a number of reasons that we've all talked about and I've talked about before, um, I I think that what we do right now, I think, serves us well, and that's what I'm in favor of continuing with the, uh, with the with more comprehensive meeting summaries. Thanks. >> Okay. Um, I think you all know what my opinion is on this. I've said it before. Um, I believe in um I don't want to make a judgment for the community whether they would watch or not. That's not my purview to decide.
078Um, they may, they may not. Um, last board meeting there were 13 people on watching and subsequently we had over a hundred um people who watched the video. I believe that um we should have be open and those meetings should be open and they are open but I don't I don't think that we can judge what the community would do with this information. I don't think it's my responsibility to say oh that's too much you would too much effort for you to watch it. Um some of our budget has been I mean I don't know what community members not interested in our budget. They certainly are out there talking about it. Um, and some of those discussions, for example, coming up tomorrow are going to be very important and they should be out there. That's
079my opinion. Um, I would like I'd like to ask our attorney here, um, so running our meetings as long as we're not recording them informally is okay, but if we've recorded them, we have to be formal. >> You know what I'm saying? you you keep the information. Could you just define what informal is for Mark? Could you explain like what you mean by >> what what the committee works like now? We all kind of sit in the room. We have an agenda. But um anybody at as far as anybody attending, they are as free to speak. Me as if I'm not on the committee, I'm free to speak. um anybody attending is free to speak and join in the conversation without waiting until um they're called upon for public comment. >> Yeah, I I don't
080think the the idea of recording it shouldn't change how you handle these meetings. If there's an informality or a more informal process that has been your custom, I think you should continue that if that if that is the desire of the board. I don't think you should formalize committee meetings just because it's recorded. Now, if you feel that for people who may be uh watching at home that it's easier for them to understand what's going on, well then that's your decision to formalize it. But you don't have to and maybe those individuals need to come to the meeting to actually see the kind of how the sausage is made in in the committee meeting. >> Right. Jump in for a second. >> What's that? Yeah, >> jump in for a second. Um, it does change
081it by what we are doing from a logistical standpoint though, >> right? So, I just want to make sure that we're clear because >> the logist Yes, it's going to be a it's going to be harder to follow if it's you're going to stay informal and watch a recording, but it is, you know, >> thank you for jumping in, but that's not what I was going to say. Okay. >> Um, it is coming down to audio and visual. So, the video right now we're situated this way not because of us seeing each other. It's because they at home, the community gets to see all of us facing. So if we turn tables and do that, that will change the visual part of it for the community. The audio part of it is will change the
082formality of it because right now in the district conference room, the pods that Mike was talking about picks up all conversation. So that informality that's existing right now in that room can't exist here because we won't have the pods. Everybody has to be miked and you will the community will not hear it on recording unless you're to a mic. So all of that dialogue that occurs around the table, you're not going to pick that up on the the audio. So just by that alone, it will change the what is going out to community just from a logistical standpoint. M >> Miss Demco, may I just a quick uh kind of like comment suggestion? Yeah. Yes. Oh, yeah. I'm sorry. I'm just documenting who is speaking when so that everybody gets turn I I I I
083like I like what you have here for the work sessions. Let me just say I I think we didn't we didn't we didn't cover that and I uh just felt that it's uh it's important to say there are topics where we uh we we want to do it even if it comes at the cost of formality and the like budget sessions are one of them. the one one of them the like program study may be another one as you uh as as you have here and uh and and and and potentially others I actually wouldn't say data presentation I think data presentation one version of that should happen here uh uh which is like shorter one and without uh interruption by people who are sitting on this side of the uh the the the room
084and uh and I I would still like to have that opportunity to uh uh ask a lot of questions uh uh in the committee meeting and that one you know may not sort of like uh need to be sort of like recorded and broadcast and so forth. So uh my my suggestion was uh are you amenable to uh to to saying that uh that certain uh committee meetings would become work sessions and then we would bring up here and uh do the way that uh that that that you were you were suggesting and uh and those sort of like can you know stay here. They're like as again budget conversation can can uh live there for uh for months and it would be still relevant and uh uh and people want to kind of like
085look at it you know four months down the road because uh we are only starting the conversation today but uh by the time it gets uh approved it's uh it's many months uh down the road. So uh so so that's my suggestion if you are amenable to that to sort of like say that uh we would keep that option of uh bringing a committee meeting to this room and uh run it you know the way that uh we we were talking about for special topics uh and for other ones we just sort of like keep it as the informal one down there again that's just a a suggestion and I'm I'm I don't know whether I need to sort of like make a motion to amend it or anything. I just wanted to see whether
086that satisfies your uh your concern or not. >> Attorney Fitzgerald, would we we wouldn't need to vote on that. We could call a meeting like that at any time. Is that accurate as long as we make it public >> to change the location of the committee meeting? >> In other words, if we decide to have a work session, we would just need to publicize it. >> I would view it as I I think I described to you earlier a special work session. So, it would have to be advertised and Yeah. So on a case- by case basis, you could say, you know what, our next uh finance committee meeting will be a special work session. It'll be held here at the audon and then it'll be advertised as >> we don't have to vote on
087it or anything. >> No. >> Okay. If if there's no more anything, well, I'm going to call the question. Um all those in favor say I. >> I opposed. >> I >> Okay. Motion fails to carry. Um so the committee meetings will be as they've been held unless we decide to call a special works session which we can do at any time. Um director Carpenter um so those um I think it's time to bring those back up for a second. Is that accurate the committee? Yeah, I I was actually just today thinking when was the sec day for the second. >> We had >> Yeah, >> sorry. I know we had said about um waiting until this was decided before in case there were any changes. >> Do you have the language or you want
088me to go back and figure out the language and the discussion we the changes we proposed and made? >> This was the first reading of >> uh Yeah, you could go back. >> Okay, >> if you need my help, I'll help you. They made those changes. >> They They made changes. >> Oh, you made the changes. >> Made all the changes. Okay. They made the changes. >> Thank you then. Sure. I'll do it. [laughter] >> All right. Um >> I have I have a couple of items that I would like to share during the new uh business if I may. >> Oh, I'm sorry. Yes, please go ahead. Uh one is uh about uh the colonial IU and IU board. Uh I have been serving on that board for for about four years now and
089uh I have enjoyed u every minute of it to the extent that uh going to a uh board meeting is enjoyable. Uh uh it's it's a great experience. Uh it is something that uh would uh allow uh any board member uh from any school district to sort of like uh see a few things and experience them and learn more about them. One of them is uh special education and uh the services that the students are uh needing and they are provided. you go there and there are a lot of information that are shared uh about what the IU does and that is just not our district but sort of like these are practices that are happening across the uh IU's 13 districts and uh uh and the districts we are we are the southernmost district
090in that uh in that intermediate unit. covers a lot of uh grounds and uh uh there are uh uh other board members from all these other districts who are uh sitting there. Uh knowing them is uh is is a great uh opportunity. Uh there are often conversations that uh happen between the uh between the board members and you kind of like see what uh others do in like circumstances that you are dealing with and uh uh and and uh and that it's a it's it's been a great experience for uh for me. I uh sent an email to Miss Demco uh two three weeks ago and I uh mentioned to her that I I'm I'm intending to just uh step down so that someone else can uh can can can do that. And I think
091that's a it's it's time now. Uh I uh uh uh I'm I'm I'm I'm going to probably have to uh go to the IU board and uh let them know that I'm uh stepping down and uh then they will inform our board that uh there is a vacancy from Saken Valley on the board of IU and then uh this board can uh uh can choose uh a replacement someone to uh to to go. But uh I I wanted to let you know about that and uh uh put the sort of like uh thought in your head to sort of like think about if you are interested if anyone has any questions about uh uh about what what that entails uh I'm more than happy to talk with them and uh and let them know. So
092uh that is one thing I wanted to mention. The second is that um uh I I heard from uh one of my uh friends who is a teacher here in the elementary school and also from one of the parents that uh uh the PTO is buying rugs for the elementary school teachers and classrooms and that was uh very good and uh uh but then there was another part of it which was not good and that was that uh the uh the rugs are only purchased for the regular education teachers, K24, and in particular that uh the special education teachers and classrooms would not have them, at least not this year. And uh uh music and uh um uh and and arts teachers would also not have them in the the encore in the elementary school.
093There are a couple of problems that I have with with this. I mean one of them is that uh there is a sort of like uh differentiation and the differentiation actually happens in this case to be sort of like based on kids uh uh you know needs and I think that's uh just not not good. uh uh the the first person who mentioned this to me was uh was a parent. So I thought maybe they are not sort of like they didn't get it right but then uh uh the teacher who uh reached out and uh and and talked to me about it. I kind of like then at that point knew that that is how how it is. So, I wanted to ask uh Miss Velocity or uh because this is elementary school maybe
094um uh Miss Braxmire if uh if uh if if you know how uh what what's what's going on and can kind of like let us know, let the community know. I think this is kind of like one of those things that I care about and I was just talking to you about the IU and IU boards, right? The fact that the special education teacher classes are not uh a part of this was in particular kind of like troubling to me. May I ask if you ask the people reaching out to you? It seems like a a big reach to reach out to the board. Did they contact the PTO or the principles or anything like that? I'm not sure how this rose to our level at this point. >> That's a Yeah. Yeah. No, I
095mean that's a uh that's a fair question. This was uh in both cases they were conversation a giant. So uh uh I was there to uh pick up a a bag of milk and people reached out and said, "Hey, you know what? By the way, this is happening." And that's uh they didn't like it. And I I I I I hear a lot of those. I almost never uh uh raised the question. Uh this one was uh as I said, this sort of like smelled a little discrimination. So I thought uh it should uh >> it it should be raised at least if there is a if there is a good explanation, we should let the public know. So that >> can I answer? Am I allowed to answer? The school board member and the
096PTO president. [laughter] >> Um >> I know the answer. Sure, please. >> Wait, go ahead, Jamie. >> No, I mean I'm I this is the first I'm hearing about it, but if Mrs. Braxmeer wants to speak to it since she's [laughter] she deals specifically with the PTO. >> You want to wait until since we um Do you have a position in the PTO, Megan? I'm sure I'm not sure. >> I I can answer that. It's not >> Oh, yeah. Please don't go away, Amy, though, in case we need you. >> Thank you. Go ahead. >> Um the PTO has not declined paying for carpets for any other classroom. We are on a rolling basis of spending our money and purchasing them one at a time. That conversation has been had with Mr. Halisac between a
097board member and that way um we have not declined purchasing rugs or anything for anybody. The conversation has always been since last school year that we were going to do our best to purchase the rugs and if we could get a bulk discount to buy 50 rugs at $400 each, which would total close to $15,000, that if we could get a bulk discount that we would do it that way. But if not, our credit card minimizes when we can make those purchases and how those things go. And our fundraising efforts also do that. So, our goal is to purchase them, and this has been the conversation all along, uh, to purchase them this school year. The priority has been to start purchasing them so students can start using them, including our fourth grade students who
098have fundraised the last several years before they go to the middle school. So, we purchased those carpets. Um, our goal continues to be that we plan to purchase the music rugs, the art rugs. I have files and copies of every single rug. I have price points for every single rug. So that information is not correct. Uh it is just happens to be that everything is on a timeline to spend the money that we have and our goal is to get them done before the end of the year. But also as school policy is we all of our fundraisers have been put in so we cannot add more to it. So if carpets cost more, we have been working actively with uh Mr. Hellac and Miss Braxmeer and the teachers to make sure all of those
099carpets fit within the budget and that one teacher is not getting a $300 carpet and another teacher is getting a $500 carpet. And that conversation has actively been had in the past week with Mr. Hellac especially. So, um I think we all are aware of how some conversations go where some parts of information get brought over and becomes the game of telephone. So, I'm not saying any of the information that the individual heard is incorrect. I'm just saying that we're on a rolling timeline as we have our money making sure that we have all the funds for all of those things. Um that that's the way that is going. Is that an appropriate answer? Yeah, at the beginning of the year, we had reached out to the PTO because um we know that uh one
100of the big asks has been for rugs for the elementary school and we were um very grateful to the PTO for considering the offer. Um, I worked hard with the teachers this past year to kind of get everybody to um come to a consensus at least gradewise um on getting what uh rug would kind of uh solidify. Um and then um Mrs. Paredes uh I was in an early intervention meeting already uh with Miss uh Broadhead and Miss Pedes and Mr. palis act did meet um I believe what was said from miss lmenino um K through four would be one the first wave of who was going to be getting due to your budgetary uh constraints and then the elelll the special ed the specialists um the encore would be part of that wave too
101um I I thought it was next year I could be wrong but due to the the funding and then they that was that was shared out with the teachers >> we we do still have some fun fundraisers that need to happen this year. So, if we don't have those funds, then we need to make sure that it is all appropriated that we keep the required amount in the bylaws um as currently written. Um but otherwise, I don't think it's any form of discrimination. I don't I think we've been very open with each other that >> what the expectation is and what we're able to do. >> Yeah. Um, >> and it was shared out that they would be given in their wave two of the the purchasing. >> And uh, another parent at the PTO
102meeting, just for reference, asks, you know, why is this something the PTO is paying for? And it is in my understanding common that a lot of teachers would be purchasing rugs if they wanted that because it would be considered an enhancement that not every teacher would have to be forcing their kids to sit at a desk or forcing somebody to sit at a carpet. It would be considered an enhancement. It's not included in the general budget of >> Well, we've always done rug squares or we've always uh paid for things like rug squares and told them that they could get those. >> It's not a requirement for the class to have that. So it would be considered an enhancement. So that's why the PTO is looking to contribute in that way. We don't want to
103>> have a teacher feel that they have to provide for that or any other way. >> Yeah. I just point this is like I I mean this is gone sort of like more than I I I just wanted to make sure that we are not going to sort of like end up in a situation where uh the regular ed classes have them and then the special ed classes don't have them uh this year right I mean like if it if you say that the waves are one of them are like delivery this Friday and the other ones are delivery next Friday that's one thing if it's that some of them are delivery this Friday and the other ones pending fundraising, you know, it may happen 2027, right? I'm saying that that's not a good look,
104right? So, let's just like not go there. If that is the case, if you have to sort of like, you know, provide them in in waves, let's sort of like make sure that the waves are not discriminating between the students based on their uh uh needs uh for for that. That's uh that that's all. And again, I mean, this is not a school thing. This is more of a uh I guess I mean, it is a school thing because at the end of the day, nobody's going to care about sort of like who paid for it, right? At the end of the day, I'm sure you know the way that this was sort of like already received the uh there is a little bit of a resentment that is uh created uh on the side
105of it. Again, I don't have kids in that thing and this was sort of like for me completely happen stand that uh you know uh that that I heard. But ba based on the the thing I I just thought uh I would bring it up to you to make sure that uh >> and I did not hear back from any teachers that have complained or anything like that at this point to me. So we did not hear back any complaints. So >> So can I just since this is being brought up and I'm when what is the what what is the timeline of the waves? So is it this year and then next year or is it all >> the stack and I could be wrong. I had heard from him that wave two would
106be next year but I could be completely wrong. >> It's all dependent on the fundraising that we do this year that if we don't have certain funding by the end of the school year, we wouldn't be able to purchase them. But if we have a fundraiser that does well in the spring and that we know we can purchase that because we have to have a certain amount at the end of our um fiscal year to carry the way our bylaws are currently written. We have to have a certain amount for that. Um that that more so we're just making sure that we have that amount before we purchase the next wave. But we could further discuss that if we need to. >> And I heard your concern was fourth grade. You wanted fourth grade to
107have it by the end of the year. Is that >> Yeah, that had been a that had been an ongoing >> that has been an ongoing conversation that families of fourth grade students have done the fundraising for the last several years and we have been not needed to spend money since the district now pays for field trips. Um so we haven't needed to spend money. So we want to make sure that families that are have been fundraising and doing those things also have access to those things as well. So that's how we try to prioritize and we are very grateful for the rugs that they are we are very grateful for the rugs. Thank you. >> Director Br. >> Oh I'm sorry. Go ahead. Um, yeah. It seems um am I am I misjudging this?
108But I don't understand why we're talking about this. Like it doesn't seem like a schoolboard thing. Like it seems like this isn't our business. Why are we talking about this? I Why Why is this before the school board? Like why >> I understand why we would be discussing it. It feels weird to me. It doesn't I mean I I I can explain. So this is a uh we have had for uh years decades you know this uh notion that Sen Valley doesn't do well for a special education that is something that I have heard over and over and over right we uh prefer other kids to uh kids who have a special needs and uh it just doesn't look good right it is a matter of because at the end of the day nobody's going
109to sort of like go there and say well the funds came from this fundraiser by this group or whatever they're going to say uh the special education kids didn't get the thing that regular ed kids got. That's the reason that it's it's very important for for us. You know, you have been talking about the reputation of the district and so forth. These are sort of like little things that uh uh that uh that that make a make a lasting impression uh in people and it's not going to go sort of like in the direction that you want. It's going to be sort of like at our feet at the end of the day. >> Something feels off about it to me. So, I I don't It seems very strange to be talking about what seems
110to be PTO business on the school board. I don't I don't understand that. I've never seen that before. And I'm well PTO or any anyone else. They're going to put those drugs in the the in the classrooms of this school. It's not that PTO people are doing it at their home, right? They're buying these things. They're going to go there. they're going to put them in the classes where there are regular ed students and there is a special ed kid who never uh is in that class because they are uh uh they are excluded uh because of their uh IEP from many of the uh sort of like occasions that are there and they don't have it in the room. That's the >> Okay, the question was brought up and I think we have our
111answer for the public. Um do you have any other new business? >> No, I don't. Thanks. >> Anyone else have any other new business? Okay, I see no old business, citizens, inquiry and comments. Would anyone like to speak? Seeing none. Um, announcements, future meeting, February 24th, 7 p.m.