[00:00:03]
IT'S JANUARY 12, 2026 AT 6:00 PM.[I. Call to Order]
I NOW CALL THIS REGULAR MEETING TO ORDER.PLEASE, JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
>> SHANE, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
>> BOARD MEMBERS, AUDITOR GRAHAM FORBES IS PRESENT TONIGHT TO PRESENT ON THE AUDIT REPORT.
SO THAT MR. FORREST DOES NOT HAVE TO WAIT A LONG AMOUNT OF TIME BEFORE PRESENTING, I WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO AMEND THE AGENDA BY
[IV. Approval of Agenda]
MOVING ITEM 10F PRESENTATION OF THE JUNE 30TH, 2025 AUDIT REPORT AS THE FIRST ITEM UNDER ITEMS OF PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION, AND/OR ACTION. IS THERE A MOTION?>> WE HAVE FIRST, WE HAVE SECOND AND DISCUSSION BOARD MEMBERS.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF AMENDING THE AGENDA, SAY AYE.
>> AYE. THOSE OPPOSED, SAY NAY.
BOARD MEMBERS, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS AMENDED?
>> ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE AMENDED AGENDA, SAY AYE.
>> ALL THOSE OPPOSED, SAY NAY.
THE AMENDED AGENDA IS APPROVED.
AT THIS TIME, WE WILL NOW SEE THE GOOD NEWS REPORT FROM HUNT ELEMENTARY,
[V.A. Hunt A+ Arts Elementary School]
HUNT A+ ART ELEMENTARY, AND I BELIEVE BOARD MEMBERS, CLICK ON YOUR TV THERE.>> I'M MICHAEL, THE PRINCIPAL AT HUNT A+ ARTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
WE'RE LOOKING AT 2002 NEBRASKA STREET AT HUNT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
OUR MISSION IS SIMPLE, AND POWERFUL.
AT HUNT, WE BELIEVE EVERY CHILD DESERVES TO FEEL SAVED.
OUR SCHOOL THAT BUILT STRONG RELATIONSHIPS, HIGH EXPECTATIONS, AND A DEEP COMMITMENT TO STUDENT SUCCESS.
WE ARE PROUD OF OUR PASSION AND DEDICATED FACULTY WHO WORK TIRELESSLY TO CREATE ENGAGING CLASSROOMS WHERE LEARN INCOMES ALIVE EVERY DAY.
OUR TEACHERS DELIVER HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTION.
WE'LL ALSO RECOGNIZE THEM THAT EVERY STUDENT LEARNS DIFFERENTLY.
THROUGH INDIVIDUALIZED LEARNING AND TARGETED SUPPORT, WE MEET THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF EACH CHILD AND HELP THEM REACH THE FULL POTENTIAL.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS MORE THAN JUST THE SCHOOL, IT'S A COMMUNITY.
WE PROVIDE A DEEP, INCLUSIVE AND WELCOME ENVIRONMENT WHERE STUDENTS FEEL A SENSE OF BELONGING.
OUR CLASSROOMS ARE VIBRANT, ENGAGING SPACES, DESIGNED CURIOSITY, CREATIVITY, AND CONFIDENCE.
HUNT ELEMENTARY IS ALSO PROUD TO BE AN A+ ART SCHOOL.
EACH QUARTER OF STUDENTS EXPERIENCE LEARNING THROUGH DRAMA, DANCE, VISUAL ARTS, AND MUSIC, CONNECTING CREATIVITY WITH ACADEMICS TO BOTH CONFIDENCE, EXPRESSION, AND THE LOVE FOR LEARNING.
THE ARTS AREN'T JUST AN EXTRA AT AUNT.
THEY ARE A PART OF WHO WE ARE.
WITH A CLEAR VISION AND SHARED GOALS FOCUSED ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, WE WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE EVERY LEARNER IS PREPARED FOR SUCCESS, NOT ONLY IN THE CLASSROOM, BUT IN LIFE BEYOND OUR WALLS.
THAT'S HUNT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
WE REACH THEM, WE SUPPORT THEM, AND WE BELIEVE IN THEM.
WELCOME TO HUNT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
>> WHAT MAKES HUNT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL A SPECIAL PLACE IS WE HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR ALL OUR STUDENTS WHO PROVIDE HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTION, AND OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF HAVE GREAT RELATIONSHIPS.
WE HAVE THE BEST STAFF IN TOWN, AND I REALLY ENJOY WORKING HERE AT HUNT. THANK YOU.
>> THAT IS A BEAUTIFUL SCHOOL.
IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET IN THERE.
THEY WERE ABLE TO BRING IN SOME OF THE, WHICH ONE TO CALL THE NAME OF THE OLD BUILDING IN THE MAIN WHAT I WOULD CALL THE COMMONS AREA.
IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET IN THERE, GO SEE IT.
BUT NO, IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE THOSE KIDS RUNNING AROUND.
[VI. Citizen Input ]
AT THIS TIME, CITIZEN INPUT.AT THIS TIME, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS INVITE INDIVIDUALS OR DELEGATION TO COME FORWARD AND SPEAK ON ANY ISSUE RELATED TO SCHOOL DISTRICT OPERATIONS THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED ON TODAY'S MEETING AGENDA.
CITIZEN INPUT ON ACTION AND DISCUSSION ITEMS WILL BE ACCEPTED AT THE TIME OF THE DISCUSSION OF EACH AGENDA ITEM.
DO WE HAVE ANY CITIZEN INPUT TONIGHT?
[00:05:01]
IF SARAH'S NOT HERE, LISA BANKS.
>> YOU WANT TO GO FOR THIS ONE?
>> COME ON DOWN. YOU'VE BEEN CHOSEN.
>> THE FIRST PERSON DIDN'T SHOW UP.
>> SO I'M SPEAKING QUICKLY TODAY TO-
>> CAN WE HAVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
>> JUST BY THE WAY, SHE'S PUT IN HER RETIREMENT PAPER.
>> THAT'S RIGHT. I'M A LITTLE GIDDY.
LISA BANKS, 604TH STREET, I'M SPEAKING FOR SCEA.
WE'RE PRESENTING OUR ISCA EDUCATORS BILL OF RIGHTS, AND THERE ARE 10 ITEMS ON THIS THAT WE FEEL THAT ALL EDUCATORS HAVE A RIGHT TO RECEIVE.
WE WILL BE WORKING TOWARDS THOSE AS A STATE UNIT, AND AS A UNIT FOR SCEA, AND OUR LOBBYIST WILL BE FOCUSING ON THIS WITH THE LEGISLATION.
JUST SO YOU KNOW YOU'LL BE SEEING THESE OUT THERE, AND THIS IS OUR MAIN GOALS. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE THAT.
ANY OTHER SPEAKERS TODAY? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, LISA.
APPRECIATE YOU COMING, AND APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT 30 PLUS, I THINK, 33.
HERE WE GO. CONSENT ACTION ITEMS, THE FOLLOWING.
[VII. Consent Action Item(s) ]
THE BOARD MEETING MINUTES FROM DECEMBER 8TH, 2025, BOARD MEETING MINUTES FROM JANUARY 5TH, 2026, AND FINANCE REPORT PATTY BLANKENSHIP.DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT ACTION ITEMS?
>> ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE?
>> OH, I SAID AYE. I HAD DROWNED OUT.
>> ALL THOSE WITH NOT SAY NAY? THE CONSENT ACTION ITEMS ARE APPROVED.
BOARD COMMITTEE REPORTS. THIS IS SOMETHING NEW.
[VIII. Board Committee Reports]
I BELIEVE, MR. MACKEY MENTIONED THIS, AND I THINK DIRECTOR LEE ALSO MENTIONED AN ITEM WHERE LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE ARE GOING TO OUR COMMITTEES AND GOING IN THERE.DOES ANYONE WISH TO ABOUT THAT? WELL, I WILL.
SINCE I WENT TO THE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, OF COURSE, WE HAD FINANCE AS WELL.
JOHN, DID YOU WANT TO SPEND ANY TIME ON FINANCE?
>> A LOT OF FINANCE YOU'LL SEE WHEN PATTY PRESENTS THE BUDGET REPORT.
OTHER THAN THAT, THE MONTHLY REPORTS WHERE PAYROLL STILL WENT OUT AND STATE AID AND TAXES STILL CAME IN.
LIFE GOING WELL FOR THE MONTH.
PATTY, DID I MISS ANYTHING SIGN COMES UP.
>> IN STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, WE TALKED ABOUT THE UPDATE ISPP UPDATE.
YOU WANT TO TELL EVERYONE WHAT THAT BRIEFLY IS?
>> HELLO. THE STATE OF IOWA, THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, DETERMINED THAT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA, WHICH WE WOULD AGREE THAT TO HAVE A DISTRICT DESIGNATION.
ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS, BASED ON THE IOWA SCHOOL PERFORMANCE PROFILE, HAVE A DESIGNATION.
PRIOR TO THIS YEAR AND PRIOR TO WHEN THEY RELEASED THE IOWA SCHOOL PERFORMANCE PROFILE SCORES FOR ALL OF THE SCHOOLS IN IOWA.
THERE WAS NEVER A DISTRICT DESIGNATION.
WHAT THEY DID IS THEY TOOK THE SAME EXACT FORMULA.
JUST THINK OF SIOUX CITY AS ONE BIG SCHOOL.
THEY JUST FIGURED IT LIKE IT'S ONE BIG SCHOOL.
THAT'S HOW THEY DID IT, AND WE WERE DESIGNATED A COMMENDABLE DISTRICT.
WE WERE DESIGNATED A COMMENDABLE,
[00:10:01]
BUT WE HAVE ONE SUBGROUP, OUR STUDENTS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION WITH IEPS THAT BARELY MISSED THE BENCHMARK.BECAUSE OF THAT, OUR SCORE IS A COMMENDABLE SCORE, BUT WE DID GO DOWN TO AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL BECAUSE OF THAT.
THAT'S THE SAME WHEN WE PRESENTED THE IOWA SCHOOL PERFORMANCE PROFILE ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO TO THE BOARD.
WE EXPLAINED HOW THAT WORKS, BUT IT'S THE SAME FOR THE DISTRICT, AND WE ARE IN THE TOP THREE OF ALL THE UNS FOUR SCORES.
>> REALLY, IN GENERAL, IT FITS INTO OUR BOARD PRIORITIES, WHERE IT SHOWS US WHERE WE'RE AT AND NUMBER 3 IS PRETTY GOOD.
WE ALL GOT TO STRIVE TO BE NUMBER 1.
>> IN OUR BOARD PRIORITIES, IT IS A YEARLY INDICATOR, ONE OF THE INDICATORS THAT WE USE TO MANAGE OUR PROGRESS.
>> WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT GRANICUS, WHICH IS WHAT WE USE UP HERE, LOOKING INTO OPTIONS TO IMPROVE IT, OR SEE WHAT ELSE IS OUT THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF, IF WE GO TO THE CONVENTIONS, WE ALWAYS GET BLASTED WITH PRODUCTS AND STUFF.
THEN, OF COURSE, SOMETHING THAT FUTURISTIC PRESENTED BY MR. MOSER, ABOUT LEARNING SUPPORT TEACHERS, ABOUT HELPING STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT IDENTIFIED AS SPECIAL EDUCATION.
MAYBE JUST A BRIEF SUMMATION OF THAT, OR SHOULD WE WAIT ON THAT?
>> JARED CAN SPEAK TO IT, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT DEPENDING ON WE DO HAVE SOME NEW BUDGET INFORMATION THAT PATTY'S PRESENTING THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE PRIOR.
WE ARE PUTTING IT ON A HOLD JUST BECAUSE OF BUDGET BUDGET PROCESS FIRST.
>> BUT IT'S GOT SOME MERIT TO IT THAT I THINK WILL BE A DECISION AT SOME POINT IN TIME THAT THIS BOARD WILL HAVE TO TAKE UP AND GO FROM THERE.
LAST THING, I WAS INVITED TO THE DISTRICT LEADERSHIP TEAM THIS MORNING.
I PAID MY ENTRY FEE OF DONUTS.
IT WAS GOOD. I GOT TO EXPRESS MY THANKS TO THEM FOR THE JOB THAT THEY HAVE BEEN DOING THE LAST SIX MONTHS.
IT'S BEEN AN UNPRECEDENTED SCHOOL YEAR TO SAY THE LEAST.
IT WAS WITH THEIR LEADERSHIP, THEIR EFFORT, THEIR ENERGY, THEIR PASSION THAT WE HAVE DONE SO WELL.
JUST LOOK AT OUR TEST SCORES, JUST LOOK AT OUR BUILDINGS AND SUCH.
I BELIEVE I JUST THINK GREAT ASSOCIATE SUPERINTENDENT WHO HAS LED THIS TEAM THROUGH THE LAST SIX MONTHS ON DIFFERENT OCCASIONS.
I THINK IF IT WASN'T WITHOUT HER LEADERSHIP, WE MIGHT BE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE RIGHT NOW.
I JUST WANTED TO THANK THE DISTRICT LEADERSHIP, ALL THE MEMBERS OF THAT CABINET, ASSOCIATE SUPERINTENDENT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
IT WAS AN AWESOME MEETING. I GOT TO HEAR THEM JUST TALK, AND I APPRECIATE IT AND STUFF.
I THINK I'M GOING TO MAKE THIS AN ANNUAL PART OF MY BUSINESS TO COME IN AND JUST LISTEN.
I DIDN'T GET TO HEAR THE BUDGET TALK OR EVERYTHING, BUT FOUR OR FIVE TIMES IS WHAT IT NEEDS FOR ME TO HAVE IT SET IN.
>> IT IS A THREE-HOUR MEETING EVERY MONDAY.
>> I JUST COME FOR THE DOUGHNUTS.
LET'S GET SOME APPLE FRITTERS IN THERE BECAUSE I WAS DISAPPOINTED IN CASEY'S THIS MORNING.
THEY DID NOT HAVE APPLE FRITTERS.
ANYONE ELSE WANT TO TALK ABOUT COMMITTEE MEETINGS, IF NOT? I THOUGHT YOU WERE WAVING.
>> I WENT A LITTLE LONGER, BUT THE EXPECTATION IS TO GIVE AT JUST A LITTLE SUMMATION OF WHAT YOU SAW IN PERSONAL OPINION, KEEP IT DOWN TO THREE MINUTES, MR. MACKEY, SO THAT WE CAN KEEP THE BOARD HERE, AND I GOT TO GO.
I ALREADY GOT THE SIGNAL. YOU ALL KNOW.
[IX. Future Meetings]
ITEM 9, BOARD POLICY FACILITY COMMITTEE MEETING AT 3:00 PM.BOARD POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING 3:30 PM.
JANUARY 20TH, 2026, ESC BOARDROOM.
BOARD STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT COMMITTEE MEETINGS, 12:00 PM.
JANUARY 21ST, 2026, ESC BOARDROOM.
EDUCATION LEGISLATIVE FORUM 8:30 AM.
JANUARY 24TH, 2026, ESC BOARDROOM.
I WOULD LOVE FOR EVERYONE SITTING IN THIS ROOM TO COME TO THAT.
AS WE WILL HEAR ABOUT THE BUDGET PROCESS TODAY, AND OUR GUESS OF WHAT SSA IS GOING TO BE.
[00:15:03]
I THINK WE NEED TO HOLD OUR LEGISLATORS ACCOUNTABLE AND LET THEM KNOW WHAT WE'RE THINKING.THAT'S THE 24TH, 8:30 AM AND WE PROVIDE COFFEE FOR SURE.
I'M JUST MAKING SURE IF YOU'RE A COFFEE DRINKER.
BOARD WORK SESSIONS REGARDING FACILITY MATCH PLAN, 04:00 PM JANUARY 26TH, 2026, ESC BOARDROOM.
REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING, 06:00 PM JANUARY 26TH, ESC BOARDROOM, SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING 5:30 OR 5:15.
JANUARY 29TH, 2026, ESC BOARDROOM, BOARD FINANCE AND FACILITY COMMITTEE MEETING 3:00 PM.
FEBRUARY 2ND, 2026 ESC BOARDROOM, BOARD STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT COMMITTEE MEETING 12:00 PM.
FEBRUARY 4TH, 2026, ESC BOARDROOM, AND REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING 6:00 PM.
FEBRUARY 9TH, 2026, ESC BOARDROOM.
ITEMS OF PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION DOWN INTERACTION,
[X.F. Presentation of the June 30, 2025 Audit Report – Patty Blankenship]
PRESENTATION OF THE JUNE 30TH AUDIT REPORT.>> HOWEVER YOU WANT. THEN FROM THERE WE'LL GO.
>> THAT MICROPHONE'S ON FOR YOU. THERE YOU GO.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME. I'M GRAM FORBES WITH WILLIAMS COMPANY.
I MANAGED THE AUDIT THIS YEAR AND FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS HERE.
I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE A LOT ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT.
I DO WANT TO TAKE TIME TO THANK PATTY AND ALL HER STAFF UP IN FINANCE.
A PUTTING TOGETHER THIS 100 AND SOME ODD PAGE AUDIT REPORT, AS WELL AS GETTING US ALL THE INFORMATION WE REQUEST OF THEM TO TEST THESE NUMBERS AND ALL THE COMPLIANCE WORK THAT GOES WITH THAT.
THEY DO A GREAT JOB. THEY'RE PROMPT, DO A TERRIFIC JOB, AND THEY'RE ALWAYS GOOD TO WORK WITH, AND WE THANK THEM FOR THAT.
BUT AGAIN, I'LL KEEP THIS BRIEF.
THERE'S JUST A COUPLE OF ITEMS I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT.
I BELIEVE THE FINANCE COMMITTEE WENT THROUGH THE REPORT ON MONDAY, SO I'M NOT GOING TO DIVE INTO THE NUMBERS.
IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT PATTY OR JOHN OR ANYBODY FROM THE FINANCE COMMITTEE WANT TO POINT OUT, I'D BE HAPPY TO, BUT OTHERWISE, I WON'T JUMP INTO THAT.
BUT I THINK THE BOARD DOES HAVE A COPY OF THE AUDIT REPORT THERE TOO.
JUST THE COUPLE OF ITEMS I WILL QUICKLY POINT OUT ON PAGE 1 OF THE REPORT.
IT'S ABOUT 10 SHEETS OF PAPER IN, BUT PAGE 1 IS WHERE OUR INDEPENDENT AUDITORS REPORT IS, AND THAT BASICALLY IS WHAT YOU PAY US TO DO IS PUT THAT AUDITOR'S OPINION ON THESE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
YOU'LL SEE MIDDLE OF THE PAGE 1 THERE THE BASIS FOR OUR OPINIONS.
THEN RIGHT ABOVE THAT, WHERE WE SAY, IN OUR OPINION, THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ARE FAIRLY PRESENTED IN ALL MATERIAL RESPECTS.
THAT'S IN LAY TERMS, A CLEAN OPINION OR AN UNMODIFIED OPINION, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE AFTER.
WE DID NO ADVERSE OPINIONS, DISCLAIMERS, OR NO MODIFICATIONS NEEDED FOR ANY REASON, THAT'S JUST WHAT YOU'RE AFTER.
NOTHING NEGATIVE TO REPORT THERE WHATSOEVER.
THEN FROM THERE, I THINK I'M GOING TO AGAIN SKIP OVER THE FINANCIALS UNLESS PATTY OR ANY OF THE OTHER FINANCE COMMITTEE HAD ANYTHING I WANT TO POINT OUT.
I'M GOING TO JUMP OVER ALL THAT AND JUMP RIGHT TOWARDS THE BACK OF THE REPORT, PAGE 105 TO BE EXACT.
THAT IS THE SCHEDULE OF EXPENDITURES OF FEDERAL AWARDS, AND THAT SCHEDULE IS JUST LIKE IT SOUNDS.
IT'S A SCHEDULE OF ALL THE FEDERAL DOLLARS THE DISTRICT SPENT DURING THE FISCAL YEAR, WHICH, AS YOU SEE, TOTAL, A LITTLE OVER 27.6 MILLION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30 2025.
SINCE THAT FIGURE IS IN EXCESS OF 750,000, THE DISTRICT IS SUBJECT TO WHAT ARE CALLED SINGLE AUDIT TESTING OR TESTING UNDER WHAT'S NOW CALLED THE UNIFORM GUIDANCE, WHICH MEANS THERE'S SOME ADDITIONAL TESTING WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO TO ENSURE THE DISTRICT SPENT A PORTION OF THEIR FEDERAL DOLLARS CORRECTLY.
THE ADDITIONAL REPORTING AND TESTING THAT GOES ON AS RELATES TO THAT.
THEN THE TWO OPINIONS FOLLOWING ON STARTING ON PAGE 107 AND 109, ARE OPINIONS STATING THAT THE DISTRICT COMPLIED WITH THE GOVERNMENTAL AUDIT STANDARDS ON PAGE 107, AND THEN ON 109, ANY FINDINGS RELATED TO OUR TESTING UNDER THE UNIFORM GUIDANCE, AND THEIR POSITIVE TO REPORT.
THERE WERE NO FINDINGS RELATED TO THE DISTRICT'S USE OF THE FEDERAL DOLLARS DURING FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30 25.
THE LAST ITEM THEN, I'LL QUICKLY POINT OUT IS ON PAGE 112,
[00:20:01]
AND THAT'S WHAT'S CALLED THE SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTION COSTS.AS YOU'LL SEE TOWARDS THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE THERE, WE HAD NO FINDINGS TO REPORT AS RELATED TO GOVERNMENT AUDITING STANDARDS OR TO THE FEDERAL AWARDS.
I THINK THE ONE THING I WANT TO POINT OUT THERE IS, IT'S PRETTY RARE THAT WE HAVE A REPORT GO OUT THAT DOES NOT HAVE A FINDING RELATED TO GOVERNMENT AUDITING STANDARDS BECAUSE THE THRESHOLD FOR INTERNAL CONTROL REPORTING IS VERY HIGH TO THE POINT WHERE IF WE HAVE TO MAKE ONE AUDIT ADJUSTMENT, THEIR STANCE IS THAT IS AN INTERNAL CONTROL FINDING RELATED TO FINANCIAL REPORTING.
WE HAVE VERY FEW AUDIT REPORTS WHERE WE DON'T HAVE AT LEAST ONE MATERIAL AUDIT ADJUSTMENT AND IN THIS INSTANCE, WE DON'T.
THAT'S SOMETHING TO POINT OUT AS THE GOOD WORK THAT PATTY AND HER STAFF DOES, SO SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF THERE.
BUT OTHERWISE, I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE, BUT I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THE BOARD HAS OR FOR PATTY OR ANYBODY ELSE.
>> BOARD, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR GRAHAM?
>> JAN, THIS IS LANCE I HAD ONE QUESTION.
IS THIS AN AUDIT REPORT THAT WE SUBMIT TO THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION?
>> IT'LL GET SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, THE STATE AUDITOR'S OFFICE, AND THEN AS WELL AS THE IT'S CALLED THE DATA COLLECTION FORM, BUT A FEDERAL REPORTING AND A COPY OF THIS REPORT GETS SUBMITTED TO THE FEDERAL AUDIT CLEARING HOUSE AS WELL.
>> THANK YOU, DIRECTOR MK. THANK YOU, GRAHAM. JOHN.
>> I WAS GOING TO ASK ARE THESE ALSO SENT TO THE PLACES WHERE AT LEAST IN MY DAY, WHICH WAS A LONG TIME AGO, WE USED TO HAVE TO SEND AUDITS TO FOUR OR FIVE DIFFERENT PLACES SO THAT PEOPLE THAT HELD OUR BONDS COULD TAKE A LOOK AND SEE IF THERE'S SOME CHATS THAT WILL GET PAID NEXT YEAR.
DO WE STILL DO THAT OR IS THERE A CARING HOUSE NOW THAT DOES THAT?
>> REPORTING REPORT [INAUDIBLE]
>> COULD YOU GRAB THE MICROPHONE THERE? IF WE HAVE THE BIG BROTHER LISTENING.
>> I THINK THAT WE REPORT TO EMA.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT EMA STANDS FOR.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ACRONYM IS, BUT WE REPORT TO THAT'S A A CENTRALIZED REPORTING FOR ENTITIES WITH OUTSTANDING BONDS.
THAT'S WHERE WE REPORT AND IT'S JUST CENTRALIZED REPORTING.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO SEND INDIVIDUAL REPORTS TO ANY OF THE BANKS OR ANYBODY ELSE?
>> THINGS HAVE GOTTEN BETTER OVER THE DECADES.
>> THE DISTRICT HANDLES THAT REPORTING.
PATTY AND HER STAFF TOOK CARE OF THAT.
>> IN FACT, THEY THEY CAN GO OFF OF THE CERTIFIED ANNUAL REPORT AS WELL.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, BOARD MEMBERS? SHANICE, DO YOU HAVE ANY CITIZEN INPUT?
>> THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ACKNOWLEDGES THE JUNE 30, 2025 AUDIT REPORT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, GRAHAM. APPRECIATE IT.
>> PATTY, AS WELL. HUMAN RESOURCE REPORT,
[X.A. Human Resources Report(s) – Barb Caskey]
BARB CASKEY IS PRESENT.IF ANY QUESTIONS. BOARD MEMBERS, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE HUMAN RESOURCE REPORT?
>> I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. YOU WANT THAT IN DISCUSSION OR.
>> FOR THE HUMAN RESOURCES REPORT AFTER WE GET IT.
>> WE HAVE A SECOND. FIRST BY CINDY, SECOND BY JOHN.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? CINDY.
>> THANK YOU. I WANT TO START BY SAYING I ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND THEY'RE NOT GOT YOU QUESTIONS.
THEY ARE QUESTIONS TO HELP ME UNDERSTAND AND HELP ME LEARN.
I WILL PROBABLY SAY THAT FOR THE FIRST SIX OR EIGHT QUESTIONS THAT I ASK. I JUST WANT TO START THERE.
I NOTICED THAT WE LOST 12 SPECIAL ED ASSISTANTS ON THIS REPORT WITH EIGHT OF THEM HAVING LESS THAN ONE YEAR OF SERVICE, AND I LOOKED BACK A FEW REPORTS, AND I SEE WE'VE GOT A HARD TIME RETAINING FOLKS IN THAT AREA.
ARE YOU ABLE TO GET ANY INFORMATION THAT THE BOARD MIGHT NEED THAT COULD HELP WITH RETENTION IN THOSE POSITIONS?
>> WE'VE ACTUALLY DONE A FEW THINGS IN TERMS OF [INAUDIBLE]
>> CAN YOU SPEAK INTO THE MIC ITSELF?
>> WE'VE DONE A FEW THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN TARGETED TOWARDS RETENTION EFFORTS FOR THEM.
ONE, OBVIOUSLY WAS THE SALARY THAT WE WENT THROUGH AS WELL.
WE DID IMPLEMENT ORIENTATION THIS YEAR, WHERE KIM HAS COME AND TALKED TO EVERY SINGLE NEW HIRE ABOUT WHAT TO EXPECT.
IN THE ROOMS, WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT HOW DO WE GET THEM TRAINED IN CPI AT AN EARLIER RATE THAN WHAT WE ARE CURRENTLY DOING. THAT WAY.
[00:25:03]
>> CAN WE [INAUDIBLE] WHAT CPI MEANS?
>> CRISIS PREVENTION INTERVENTION.
THERE ARE CERTAIN SPECIAL ED POSITIONS THAT REQUIRE THAT, AND THE AMOUNT OF TRAINING THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TO FIND MORE WAYS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET THE TRAINING THAT THEY PROPERLY NEED. ANYTHING YOU GOT?
>> YES. WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW TO INCORPORATE A POTENTIAL DAY 2 TRAINING SO THAT WAY THIS POSITION SPECIFICALLY, WILL HAVE MORE OF AN IDEA OF WHAT THEY'RE WALKING INTO ON THEIR FIRST DAY IN THE ROOM VERSUS BEING SURPRISED IF THEY DON'T COME FROM AN EDUCATIONAL SETTING, SO THEY KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT BECAUSE AGAIN, IF YOU THINK PEOPLE WHO COME IN AND TRANSITION INTO THESE POSITIONS, MAYBE MORE SO AGAIN, NOT COMING FROM THAT WORLD AND NOT REALLY SURE WHAT THEY'RE WALKING INTO.
WE KNOW THAT, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING ON.
>> THANK YOU. THANKS. IT'S VERY HELPFUL.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANY CITIZEN INPUT? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
>> SOMETIMES I GO TOO SOON AND THERE'S THAT LEG.
>> I HAD MY EYE ON THE COMPUTER AND I WAS LOOKING AT THE REPORT. I'M SORRY.
>> ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAY, NAY.
FISCAL YEAR 27 SPENDING AUTHORITY DATE AND
[X.B. FY27 Spending Authority Update & General Fund Targeted Expenditures – Patty Blankenship]
GENERAL FUND TARGETED EXPENDITURES, PATTY BLANKENSHIP.>> THIS IS AN UPDATE ON THE SPENDING AUTHORITY PROJECTION.
WE FIRST PRESENTED A FIVE-YEAR PROJECTION IN NOVEMBER. THIS IS AN UPDATE.
WE'VE CHANGED OUR ASSUMPTIONS A LITTLE BIT.
THEN ALSO WE'LL LOOK AT OUR GENERAL FUND TARGETED EXPENDITURES.
THERE'S A LOT OF DETAIL IN THIS REPORT, AND IT'S THIS DETAIL ON THE LINE ITEM BUDGETS IN HERE THAT ARE REALLY THE BASIS FOR THE FY27 BUDGET.
THIS IS REALLY THE STARTING PLACE.
PAGE 2 IS THE BOARD'S GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
THIS IS THE BOARD APPROVED, ADOPTED THESE BUDGET PRINCIPLES THAT WE ADMINISTRATION SHOULD USE WHEN WE'RE PLANNING AND DEVELOPING THE BUDGET, AND WE'LL LOOK A LITTLE BIT CLOSER AT A COUPLE OF THESE LATER IN THE PRESENTATION.
IT WAS ALSO IN THE PRELIMINARY PRESENTATION.
THIS IS JUST BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON SPENDING AUTHORITY.
SAME WITH THIS, THIS IS STATE SUPPLEMENTAL AID, SSA, AND ENROLLMENT.
JUST SOME INFORMATION ON THAT.
OUR CERTIFIED ENROLLMENT DECREASED BY 302 STUDENTS, WHICH IS ABOUT $2.4 MILLION.
THIS IS A FIVE-YEAR AVERAGE OF SSA AND EXPENDITURE GROWTH.
IN THIS PRESENTATION, I'M USING SUPPLEMENTAL STATE AID OF 0.5, AND THEN ALSO A TARGETED EXPENDITURE INCREASE OF 1.5.
IN OUR EARLIER PRESENTATION IN NOVEMBER, WE WERE USING EXAMPLE SSA ASSUMPTIONS OF 1.5%.
THEN WE ALSO SHOWED WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WITH TARGETED EXPENDITURE INCREASE OF 1.5 AND 2.5.
WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION NOW THAN WE DID IN NOVEMBER, AND WE FELT THAT IT WAS APPROPRIATE TO REDUCE THE SSA ASSUMPTION TO 0.5.
WE DID KEEP THE TARGETED EXPENDITURES AT 1% AHEAD OF SSA.
THEN IN YEARS 28 THROUGH 31, I'M KEEPING THEM EQUAL.
SSA AND EXPENDITURE GROWTH ARE EQUAL.
THAT SOMEWHAT NEUTRALIZES THE EFFECT OF A LOW SSA IN '27.
THE FIRST COLUMN THERE SHOWS THE FY25 ENDING UNSPENT AUTHORIZED BUDGET.
THIS IS OUR CARRY OVER RESERVE ON THE SPENDING AUTHORITY SIDE, AND IT'S 99.9 MILLION OR 33%.
THEN THE NEXT COLUMN SHOWS THE FY26 PROJECTED, AND I'M STILL SHOWING THAT WE'LL HAVE UNSPENT AUTHORIZED BUDGET
[00:30:04]
OF 100.2 MILLION AND THAT'S STILL 32%.I HAVE UPDATED THE ANNUAL SPENDING AUTHORITY BASED ON ON A REESTIMATE OF OUR I'VE LOOKED AT ALL OF OUR REVENUE LINE ITEM BUDGETS AND ADJUSTED THE REVENUES TO THOSE LINE ITEM BUDGETS, AND ALSO THE SAME THING ON THE EXPENDITURES.
I'VE RE ESTIMATED OUR FY26 EXPENDITURES BASED ON OUR CURRENT LINE ITEM BUDGETS.
ALONG WITH THAT, OUR EXPENDITURES HAVE INCREASED TO 209 MILLION.
THAT DOES INCLUDE 2.3 MILLION OF OPEN POSITIONS, AND THOSE ARE MOSTLY SPED POSITIONS.
IT'S POSSIBLE THAT WE MIGHT NOT GET UP TO THAT 209, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE THOSE OPEN POSITIONS IN THE BUDGET BECAUSE IF THEY'RE OPEN AND WE'RE ACTIVELY RECRUITING FOR THEM, AT SOME POINT, WE HOPE TO HAVE THOSE FILLED.
BUT WHEN I DO THAT, IF IT'S A SPED EXPENSE THAT'S INCREASING BECAUSE WE'VE ALSO HAD SOME OTHER INCREASES FOR SPED LIKE REMOVED THE DOLLAR 10 FOR TO $3.
THAT'S THAT CSP MOU THAT WAS SIGNED.
THEN THERE WAS ALSO BEEN SOME POSITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ADDED RELATED TO SPED.
WHEN I ADDED THOSE EXPENDITURES, EVEN THOUGH I ALSO ADDED TO THE SPENDING AUTHORITY, WE DON'T GET REVENUE FOR THEM, BUT WE DO GET SPENDING AUTHORITY.
IT HELPS ON THE SPENDING AUTHORITY PROJECTION.
IT DOES NOT HELP ON THE NET DEFICIT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CASH.
>> THEN THE NEXT PAGE PAGE 8 SHOWS THE FIVE YEAR PROJECTION WITH THAT SSA OF 0.5 AND TARGETED EXPENDITURE INCREASE OF 1.5.
IN '27, WE WOULD STILL BE AT 31% OF AN UNSPENT BALANCE.
YOU GET TO FY31 ONE AND YOU'RE AROUND 23%, WHICH IS ABOUT 68.4 MILLION.
A COUPLE OF THINGS TO POINT OUT DOWN THERE AT THE BOTTOM.
THE TARGETED EXPENDITURES ARE OVER OUR ANNUAL SPENDING AUTHORITY, OF ABOUT 4.4 MILLION IN FY27, AND THAT'S USING THAT 1.5 EXPENDITURE INCREASE.
WE'RE STILL UP 4.4 MILLION USING RESERVES IN FY31, WE'D BE USING ABOUT 7.8 MILLION IN RESERVES.
IN FY27, BECAUSE OF THE DECREASE IN ENROLLMENT AND WITH THE SSA AT 0.5, WE DON'T FEEL THE FULL IMPACT OF THAT BECAUSE THE BUDGET ADJUSTMENT KICKS IN.
IT'S ONE YEAR ONLY WHERE THE BOARD IS ALLOWED TO REQUEST A BUDGET ADJUSTMENT, WHICH IS BASICALLY IT MAKES IT SO THAT YOUR DISTRICT REGULAR PROGRAM COST, THEY CALL IT IS 101% OF LAST YEARS.
NOW, BUT IT'S ONLY FOR ONE YEAR.
ALSO HAS TO BE 100% FUNDED BY TAXPAYERS.
IT'S NOT PICKED UP BY STATE AID, THAT IT WOULD BE ABOUT $3 MILLION WOULD BE PASSED ON TO THE TAXPAYERS.
THE OTHER THING TO POINT OUT TOO, THERE AT RED IN THE BOTTOM, WHERE I SAY THAT IT EXCEEDS 3.5% OF THE BALANCE.
IN OUR BUDGET GUIDING PRINCIPLES, THE BOARD SAID THAT YOU SHOULDN'T USE RESERVES MORE THAN 3.5%.
IN THIS SCENARIO, 3.5% OF THE RESERVE IS ABOUT 3.5 MILLION.
IF SSA WAS 0.5 AND OUR EXPENDITURE GROWTH WAS 1.5, WE WOULD BE EXCEEDING THAT BY ABOUT $900,000.
THAT'S ONE THING THAT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT.
DO WE CHANGE THAT GUIDING PRINCIPLE OR IS IT THAT, NO, YOU STILL HAVE TO STICK WITH THE 3.5% RESERVE? THAT'S ONE THING THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR GUIDANCE TONIGHT.
THAT IS THE UPDATE ON SPENDING AUTHORITY.
THE NEXT SECTION TALKS ABOUT CALCULATING THE GENERAL FUND TARGETED EXPENDITURE INCREASE.
THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS THAT I DO TO COME UP WITH THAT.
THE FIRST THING I DO IS REVIEW THE FY25 ACTUAL EXPENDITURES, AND I LOOK AT THE FY26 CERTIFIED BUDGET, WHICH IS WHAT WAS ADOPTED IN APRIL OF 2025.
[00:35:01]
THEN I LOOK AT THE RE ESTIMATED FY26 EXPENDITURES, WHICH ARE BASICALLY OUR LINE ITEM BUDGETS.THEN OF COURSE, YOU CAN'T REALLY LOOK AT IT WITHOUT LOOKING AT SPENDING AUTHORITY.
THAT'S THE PROCESS THAT I GO THROUGH.
WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE IN THE FOLLOWING PAGES IS WE'LL SEE THE FY26 RE-ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES BY FUNCTION AND PROGRAM.
BY BOARD POLICY, WE HAVE TO BUDGET BY FUND, FACILITY, FUNCTION, AND PROGRAM SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE SO MUCH DETAIL HERE.
THEN WE'LL ALSO SEE THE FY26 RE-ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES COMPARED TO THE FY25 EXPENDITURES BY FACILITY, AND THEN WE'LL SEE A CALCULATION OF OUR FY27 TARGETED EXPENDITURES.
THEN IN THE BACK, STARTING ON PAGE 15-44 IS ALL OF THE DETAIL.
THEN IN ADDITION, I PROVIDED ANOTHER SHEET THAT SHOULD JUST BE LOOSE UP ON YOUR TABLES THAT SHOWS THE EXPENDITURES BY OBJECT OR ACCOUNT.
THAT'S FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT IT IS NOT HOW WE BUDGET BY, THAT'S NOT HOW THE STATE REQUIRES US TO BUDGET OR THE BOARD POLICY.
BUT IT DOES GIVE BOARD MEMBERS A FEEL FOR, WHERE DO WE SPEND OUR MONEY? HOW MUCH IS ON SALARIES? HOW MUCH IS ON BENEFITS? HOW MUCH IS ON REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE? THAT IS PROVIDED AS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AS WELL.
THEN THIS NEXT PAGE, PAGE 10 SHOWS OUR FY 26 RE-ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES BY FUNCTION AND PROGRAM.
ALL OF THE DETAIL FOR THIS IS BACK IN THOSE SUPPLEMENTAL SCHEDULES, AND IT ALL FEEDS UP INTO THIS SCHEDULE.
BUT BASICALLY WE'RE LOOKING AT 209 MILLION IS OUR GENERAL FUND ESTIMATED BUDGET FOR '26, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THAT COMPARED TO FY25.
ONE OF THE FUNCTIONS IS INSTRUCTION, ANOTHER FUNCTION IS SUPPORT SERVICES AND OTHER USES.
THOSE ARE THE FUNCTIONS THAT WERE REQUIRED BY LAW TO BUDGET BY.
BUT OUR INSTRUCTION FUNCTION IS ABOUT 66.75% OF OUR TOTAL BUDGET.
THE PROGRAMS ON THE SIDE, WHERE YOU SEE LIKE REGULAR ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY ED, THAT'S PROGRAM 100, 200 IS SPECIAL, WHICH IS SPECIAL EDUCATION.
THOSE ARE THE PROGRAMS WITHIN THOSE FUNCTIONS.
THE NEXT PAGE SHOWS THE EXPENDITURES BY FACILITY AND COMPARED TO '25, AND THEY REALLY STAY PRETTY CONSISTENT, 40% OF OUR EXPENDITURES ARE IN ELEMENTARY AND PRESCHOOL, MIDDLE SCHOOL IS ABOUT 17% AND HIGH SCHOOL, ABOUT 23%.
WE DO AS MUCH CODING AS WE CAN BY FACILITY.
THE STATE REQUIRES MANY OF THE EXPENSES ARE REQUIRED TO BE CODED BY FACILITY.
ALL OF THAT WAS THE FY26 RE-ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES.
THAT IS THE STARTING POINT FOR THE FY27 BUDGET.
WE TAKE THE FY26 RE-ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES PLUS OUR BUDGET ADS, WHICH WE'LL PRESENT AT A SUBSEQUENT MEETING AND BUDGET REDUCTIONS, AND THAT BECOMES THE FY27 BUDGET, AND THEN WE BREAK IT DOWN INTO THE LINE ITEMS WHEN WE'RE INTO FY27.
HERE'S THE STARTING POINT, 209 MILLION.
YOU TAKE THAT TIMES 1.5% INCREASE.
BASICALLY WITHOUT CONSIDERING YOUR AA FLOW THROUGH, YOU CAN INCREASE EXPENDITURES BY 3.1.
WHEN WE DO THAT, YOU CAN SEE THERE IN THE YELLOW HIGHLIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PAGE.
THAT MEANS WE'RE EXCEEDING OUR ANNUAL SPENDING AUTHORITY BY 4.4 STILL LEAVES US WITH AN UNSPENT BALANCE OF 31%.
ALL THIS TIES BACK TO THE SPENDING AUTHORITY PROJECTIONS ON THE PREVIOUS PAGES.
BUT THEN YOU SEE THAT BOX IN THE MIDDLE, WHICH IS WHERE WE NEED GUIDANCE WHERE I'M SAYING, WELL, AT 1.5%, WE'RE NOT MEETING ONE OF YOUR BUDGET PRINCIPLES THAT YOU LAID OUT FOR US.
IN THE BACK, YOU CAN SEE THE SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION SHOWS THE EXPENDITURES BY TITLE PROGRAMS, BY SPECIAL EDUCATION, BY AT RISK, BY PRESCHOOL.
YOU CAN SEE THE O&MS BUDGET, THE ADMINISTRATION BY BUILDING,
[00:40:03]
AND ALSO DISTRICT WIDE ADMINISTRATION, ALL OF THAT DETAILS IN THE BACK.I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS NOW OR AT A LATER TIME ON ANY OF THAT SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION.
IT'S REALLY GOOD INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU COMPARE IT TO FY25 AND YOU COMPARE TO FY26.
THEN WHEN I LOOK AT IT, CAN I ANALYZE IT TO MAKE SURE THAT, WELL, DOES THIS MAKE SENSE? HOW GOOD ARE MY FY26 LINE ITEM BUDGETS? I GO BACK AND I LOOK AT OUR '26 BUDGET ADS AND MAKE SURE THAT I'VE GOT THEM ALL IN HERE.
I THINK WE'RE AT A PRETTY GOOD STARTING PLACE.
THEN THE NEXT THING IS JUST THE BUDGET PRESENTATION CALENDAR.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IS WE'LL READ TO BE AT FEBRUARY 9TH.
WE'LL LOOK AT STUDENT ACTIVITY, MANAGEMENT FUND, AND DEBT SERVICE.
THOSE WILL BE PRETTY EASY BUDGETS TO REVIEW AND TO ACKNOWLEDGE.
ALSO ON FEBRUARY 9TH, WE'LL LOOK AT THE GENERAL FUND REVENUES FOR '27, AND WE'LL ALSO LOOK AT THE EXPENDITURES.
WE'LL BRING OUR BUDGET ADS AND OUR BUDGET REDUCTIONS FORWARD.
WE WILL ALSO BE LOOKING AT A PROPERTY TAX RATE DISCUSSION.
AFTER THAT FEBRUARY 9TH MEETING, THOSE TAXPAYER STATEMENTS THAT GO OUT TO CITIZENS WILL GO OUT THAT SHOW THE PROPOSED TAX LEVY.
REALLY, BY FEBRUARY 9TH, A LOT OF THE BUDGET IS REALLY TIED DOWN ALREADY BY THEN.
THE RECOMMENDATION AND IS THAT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ACKNOWLEDGES THE UPDATED INFORMATION PRESENTED REGARDING THE FY27 SPENDING AUTHORITY PROJECTIONS AND THE GENERAL FUND TARGETED EXPENDITURES.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO HEAR ABOUT IS ARE YOU HAPPY WITH OUR ASSUMPTIONS? DO THEY MAKE SENSE, AND HOW DOES THIS FIT INTO THOSE BUDGET GUIDING PRINCIPLES?
>> BOARD MEMBERS, ANY DISCUSSION.
>> PETTY, THANK YOU. THIS IS A LOT OF INFORMATION, BUT IT'S REALLY GOOD INFORMATION, AND I LIKE HOW YOU BREAK IT DOWN FOR THOSE OF US THAT ARE LESS SKILLED THAN YOU ARE.
THE 302 STUDENTS THAT HAVE LEFT THE DISTRICT, HAVE WE FIGURED OUT WHY WHERE THEY'RE GOING AND ARE WE PUTTING ANY PROJECTIONS OUT FOR THE REST OF THE YEARS? IF YOU LOOK AT OTHER STATES THAT HAVE ADOPTED VOUCHER SYSTEMS PRIOR TO IOWA, YOU CAN SEE WHAT IT'S DONE TO THEIR DISTRICTS.
>> WELL, IN THIS BUDGET PRESENTATION IN OUR PROJECTIONS, WE'RE USING A 0% ENROLLMENT INCREASE.
IN YEARS PAST, WE'VE USED A SMALL ENROLLMENT INCREASE.
WE'RE SAYING ZERO JUST BASED ON WHAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING.
I THINK THE LAST THREE YEARS, WE'VE BEEN DOWN SOME.
NOW, I HAVE NOT LOOKED INTO WHERE THOSE STUDENTS HAVE GONE, BUT OTHER PEOPLE MAY HAVE.
ALTHOUGH IT'S STATEWIDE, WHERE WE'RE SEEING THAT.
>> IT'S BEEN SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN EVER SINCE COUNT BEEN DIGGING INTO.
ABOUT 93% OF THE DISTRICTS IN IOWA HAVE HAD A DECREASE IN ENROLLMENT.
THERE WERE ABOUT 80 STUDENTS THIS YEAR, WE LOST TO PRIVATE SCHOOL.
THIS YEAR WE'VE LOST A TOTAL ABOUT THAT, YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THERE'S A LOT OF STUDENTS RECEIVING ESAS THAT NEVER HAVE BEEN OUR STUDENTS, THAT THEY'VE ALWAYS STARTED AT THE PRIVATE SCHOOL.
BUT OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, WE'VE LOST ROUGHLY 550 STUDENTS TO THE PRIVATE SCHOOL, WHICH IT'S ABOUT ALMOST $4 MILLION THAT WE'VE LOST IN REVENUE THAT THOSE KIDS ARE GOING.
THE OTHER 200 STUDENTS, WHERE WE'VE SEEN OUR BIGGEST CHANGE IS OUR NEW STUDENTS TO THE COUNTRY.
I DON'T KNOW, MANDY, IF YOU CAN GIVE ME THE EXACT NUMBERS, BUT WE'RE DOWN MORE THAN 70% OF STUDENTS THAT ARE LEVEL ONE, JUST NEW ENROLLING FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SCHOOL SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER THAN WE HAVE EVER BEEN IN THE PAST.
WHAT WE DO KNOW, THOUGH, IS THOSE THAT HAVE SIGNED UP AT KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION THAT WE EXPECTED TO COME DID COME.
THAT DECREASE IS REALLY IN ESAS, AND IN STUDENTS THAT TYPICALLY, WE USUALLY ALWAYS HAVE STUDENTS THAT WE DON'T KNOW ARE COMING.
[00:45:04]
THAT IS WHERE ONE OF OUR BIGGEST DECREASES IS IN THE STUDENTS, OUR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER STUDENTS THAT ARE NEW, THAT ARE JUST FIRST TIMERS.I KNOW IT'S NOT GOING TO AFFECT OUR BUDGET OR MONEY.
BUT DO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT RE-ENROLL FOR SECOND SEMESTER, SO TO SPEAK, AFTER THE BED COUNTS? BECAUSE I KNOW THE VOUCHER SYSTEM IS DIVIDED BY TWO SEMESTERS, CORRECT?
>> IF THEY RE-ENROLL INTO PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WE DON'T GET THE SECOND HALF. CORRECT?
>> CORRECT. THAT ESA MONEY JUST GOES BACK INTO THE ESA ACCOUNT.
>> THAT'S, I THINK A NUMBER THAT WE CAN THROW OUT TO OUR LEGISLATORS TO SAY, HEY, IF THEY'RE COMING BACK IN, THAT MONEY SHOULD BE RE-ALLOCATED.
>> JUST PUT IT TO EXPLAIN IT REALLY SIMPLY, IF YOU THINK OF A PRIVATE SCHOOL AS LIKE ANOTHER DISTRICT, THAT KIDS OPEN AND ENROLL INTO ANOTHER DISTRICT IN IOWA, REGARDLESS OF WHEN THEY COME AND WHEN THEY GO, WE BILL THEM PER DAY EACH SEMESTER.
AT THE END OF EACH SEMESTER, MY OFFICE BILLS EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT WHERE WE HAVE THEIR KIDS OPEN AND ENROLLED THAT THEY NEED TO PAY US FOR THOSE KIDS.
WE ALSO PAY OUT FOR ALL OF OUR KIDS TWICE A YEAR.
SINCE THAT THE STUDENTS WHO HAVE HAD AN ESA WERE IDENTIFIED ON OCTOBER 1ST IN COUNT AT THEIR BILLINGS FOR ESAS, THAT SECOND SEMESTER MONEY OR FIRST SEMESTER, THERE IS NO BILLING.
WE DO NOT BILL THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS FOR THAT MONEY BACK.
THAT IS ONE OF THE MANY GRIEVANCES ABOUT THE ESAS IS THAT WE REALLY DON'T RETRIEVE THAT MONEY FOR THOSE STUDENTS LIKE WE WOULD WITH ANY OTHER STUDENTS.
WE'RE DOWN 302 STUDENTS FROM WHAT YOU BUDGETED, BUT ONLY 80 HAVE LEFT THE DISTRICT FOR THE VOUCHERS.
SO WE HAD 220 THAT WE ANTICIPATED WOULD ENROLL ELL STUDENTS THAT DIDN'T.
>> WELL, THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY ELL STUDENTS.
THE STUDENTS THAT LEFT US, THE GROUP THAT LEFT US, WE HAD WHAT WE EXPECTED TO COME IN, BUT THAT GROUP WAS GOING TO BE SMALLER THAN THE GROUP THAT LEFT US.
THOSE STUDENTS THAT GRADUATE, THAT INCOMING KINDERGARTEN CLASS IS SMALLER, AND WE ANTICIPATED IT TO BE A LITTLE SMALLER.
>> PATTY, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE WOULD HAVE THIS TREND OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS WHILE WE HAVE THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.
FEWER PEOPLE WILL BE COMING INTO THE US.
THE VOUCHER SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO TAKE STUDENTS OUT OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
WE MIGHT NEED TO LOOK AT THAT.
AS YOU PROJECT OUT, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A DECREASE IN STUDENTS THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT YOU FINANCIALLY PRETTY LARGE.
I MEAN, YOU HAVE A ZERO GROWTH.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A DECREASE, I WOULD ASSUME.
WE'VE HAD IT FOR THREE YEARS, AT LEAST.
>> IS THAT IN FUTURE PROJECTIONS, OR YOU WANT ME TO UPDATE THIS SET? YEAH. I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
>> I HAD A SIMILAR QUESTION, AND I THINK WE KNOW THE TREND ON BIRTH RATES AS WELL.
AS YOU HAD THAT BREAKDOWN, DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY STUDENTS WE HAVE OPEN AND ENROLLING OUT OF OUR DISTRICT TO OTHER PUBLIC SCHOOLS?
>> [OVERLAPPING] I EXACTLY CHANGE FLUCTUATE.
>> NO, BUT I CAN GET IT TO YOU BEFORE THE END OF THE MEETING.
JUST GIVE ME A CHANCE TO LOOK IT UP.
>> PATTY, IF I UNDERSTAND YOU CORRECTLY, YOU WANT TO GIVE YOU SOME DIRECTION ON THAT 3.5, CORRECT?
>> RIGHT. AT 1.5, YOU KNOW, WELL, TWO THINGS.
I WHAT I'VE PROPOSED HERE IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO HOLD EXPENSES AT 1.5, AND THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD BE BRINGING FORWARD WHEN WE BUILD THIS BUDGET.
IF WE THINK WE ARE GOING TO EXCEED THE 1.5 THAT AFFECTS THESE PROJECTIONS.
AND THEN ALSO, IF THE BOARD IS WILLING TO USE MORE THAN 3.5% RESERVE, THEN WE OR IF THEY'RE GOING TO HOLD WITH THAT, THEN WE CAN'T EVEN INCREASE OUR EXPENDITURES BY THE 3 MILLION.
I THINK IT'S ABOUT 3.1 MILLION.
WE WOULD HAVE TO REDUCE THAT BY ABOUT ANOTHER
[00:50:02]
900,000 TO STAY WITHIN THAT BUDGET GUIDING PRINCIPLE.>> THE MYERS. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT, IF THIS BUDGET CAN BE BROUGHT IN WITH A 1.5% INCREASE GIVEN CPI OF WHAT 2.8 TO THREE SOMEWHERE IN THERE.
I THINK MAKING YOU CAN ACHIEVE THAT, THAT WILL BE QUITE AN ACHIEVEMENT AND CERTAINLY SUFFICIENT FOR ME I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD GO ANY MORE.
I'D RATHER DRAW DOWN A BIT MORE ON THESE RESERVES, IF WE HAVE TO THAN THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH TO AN ORGANIZATION YOU CAN DO AT ANY ONE TIME.
ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE THE RESERVES FOR IT.
I THINK WE OUGHT TO BE FLEXIBLE IN THE 3.5.
LIFE IS NOT IDEAL THIS YEAR WITH THE PROBABILITY OF 0.5.
AND OF COURSE, THE SCARY PART IS THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THAT THE FOLLOWING YEAR IS GOING TO BE MUCH HAPPIER.
>> I DO WANT TO JUST TO GIVE SOME GUIDANCE TO WHILE YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THE BUDGET GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND WHEN YOU WANT TO GIVE YOUR RECOMMENDATION ON WHAT WE DO WITH THAT, IF WE CONTINUE WITH THE 1.5% INCREASE IN EXPENDITURES, JUST TO PUT IT IN A WAY TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND, IS THAT JUST TO RUN THE SALARY SCHEDULE FOR JUST THE TEACHERS.
NOT ANY OTHER GROUP, BUT JUST THE TEACHERS.
TO NOT PUT ANY MONEY TOWARDS THE BASE.
IF YOU PUT $0 TOWARDS THE BASE AND RUN IT THROUGH THE SCHEDULE, JUST EVERYBODY GOES UP A YEAR, IT'S OVER $1 MILLION.
IS THAT 1.5% INCREASE REALLY MEANS NO BUDGET ADDS.
THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS IS THAT WE CAN'T REALLY ADD ANYTHING TO OUR BUDGET.
I ALSO WANT TO LAST WEEK, OVER THREE DIFFERENT DAYS, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH ONE OF THE LOBBYISTS FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION, AND DAVE DATEN.
THIS IS, LIKE I SAY, THESE ARE ALWAYS UNOFFICIAL.THESE ARE JUST, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S BEING SAID.
WE NEVER KNOW, BUT TO REALLY REALISTICALLY EXPECT ZERO TO 0.5.
THAT IS WHY THE PRESENTATION WAS CHANGED.
I ALSO MET WAS ABLE TO GO TO THE GOVERNMENT RELATIONS FORUM AT THE CHAMBER AND SPOKE WITH TWO OF THE REPRESENTATIVES AFTERWARDS, SAME.
THEN I ALSO MET WITH ANOTHER REPRESENTATIVE FRIDAY.
ONE ON ONE, AND REALLY WHAT THEY'RE SAYING IS THE SENATE SAYING ZERO, POSSIBLY A 0.5.
THE REALITY IS WE COULD EVEN END UP WITH ZERO SSA.
WHAT WE WITH OUR RESERVES, THAT IS WHY WE HAVE THOSE.
BECAUSE AS A DISTRICT, AND I'M SURE AS A BOARD, THE TWO THINGS WE WANT TO ENSURE IS THAT WE CAN AT LEAST GIVE SOME AN INCREASE TO OUR STAFF IN WAGES, AND THAT NOBODY LOSES THEIR JOB.I JUST WANT WITH THESE BUDGET TIMES, IF YOU LOOK AT THE FIVE YEAR PROJECTIONS, AS EARL WAS PERFECTLY LIKE EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID IS TRUE, ENROLLMENT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO GO DOWN.
BIRTH RATE IN IOWA IS GOING DOWN, ESAS ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO TAKE OUR STUDENTS.
AND IF WE HAVE, AND WE'RE PREDICTING TO BE FLAT.
BUT ALSO OUT THERE IS THAT WE'LL BE IN THE SAME BOAT NEXT YEAR WITH SSAS.
DUE TO THE STATE'S 1.2 BILLION DEFICIT, THEY'RE RUNNING.
THE STATE IS IN THE SIMILAR POSITION AS WE ARE.
THEY HAVE A LOT OF RESERVES, BUT THEIR EXPENDITURES AND THEIR REVENUE IS THERE'S A HUGE GAP.
THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE FIXING THEIRS AS WELL, AND THEY'RE LOOKING AT 350 MILLION IN ESAS AND 400 MILLION NEXT YEAR IN ESAS.
I DON'T AND THE OTHER INFORMATION THAT I'VE GATHERED IS THAT ESAS ARE OFF THE TABLE FOR DISCUSSION FOR ELIMINATING ESAS.
THAT IS THE REALITY OF OUR BUDGET.
>> MAYBE THE HOPE WOULD BE THAT THEY COULD PUT THE FINANCIAL CAP BACK ON ESA,
[00:55:05]
ISN'T THAT KIND OF ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE.>> I THINK IT WOULD DEPEND ON WHO WHAT LEADERSHIP TAKES OVER IF IT CHANGES, I LEADERSHIP CHANGES, I DON'T ANTICIPATE THAT THEY'LL GET RID OF THE ESAS, BUT THEY WOULD PUT LIMITATIONS ON THEM.
THEY WOULD PUT LIKE THE FINANCIAL GUIDELINES FOR FINANCIAL.
THAT IS WHAT IS THE DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW.
BUT I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT LISA PRESENTED THE ISA, WHAT DID YOU CALL THOSE? THE BILL OF RIGHTS.
BUT WHAT PUBLIC EDUCATORS ARE ENTITLED TO, AND WE JUST HAVE TO KEEP, LIKE YOU SAID, TALKING TO OUR LEGISLATORS, EXPLAINING, BUT IN THE END, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH MONEY.
WE DO NOT WANT TO LOSE STAFF, STAFF LOSE THEIR JOBS, AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO GIVE INCREASES, ESPECIALLY WITH INFLATION RISING.
>> WE HEAR THE MESSAGE THAT WE WANT TO INCREASE THAT 3.5 OR.
>> SINCE I GOT A COMMENT, AND I HAVE A COMMENT AS WELL.
>> BOTTOM LINE, YEAH, I THINK NOW'S THE TIME TO SPEND DOWN RESERVES A LITTLE BIT AS A TAXPAYER MYSELF.
I'LL BE HONEST, IT GIVES ME A LITTLE BIT OF HEARTBURN THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT HAS BEEN COLLECTED OVER AS I LOOK AT THE NUMBERS OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS.
I KNOW IT'S A GOOD THING WE HAVE IT NOW BECAUSE WE DO NEED IT.
THE SECOND THING THAT I WOULD COMMENT ON IS THIS UNDERSCORES THE IMPORTANCE OF AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE BEING AT THAT LEGISLATIVE FORUM ON THE 24TH AND SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT SECOND SEMESTER FUNDING AND WHAT HAPPENS WITH ESA FUNDS AND THAT AS WELL AS, WHICH WE'VE NOT TALKED ABOUT AT ALL, MAKING SURE THAT AUTHORITY FOR THE PROPERTY TAX LEVY REMAINS AT THIS LEVEL AND NOT IN DES MOINES.
I THINK THAT'S THE OTHER THING THAT'S THE BACKDROP TO ALL OF THIS IS THE CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING, WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN NEIGHBORING STATES AS WELL, LEANS TOWARDS THE STATE HAVING AN APPETITE TO TAKE THAT AWAY FROM US, WHICH FURTHER HAMPERS THE ABILITY FOR LOCAL CONTROL TO BE HERE AND WOULD MAKE YOUR JOB ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE?
>> THE STATE CURRENTLY CONTROLS NEARLY ALL OF OUR TAX LEVY.
THEY ALREADY CONTROL NEARLY ALL OF THE LEVY.
SO THERE'S VERY FEW PIECES OF THE TAX LEVY THAT THE BOARD CONTROLS.
>> WITH THAT BEING SAID, CINDY, THAT IS WHAT WAS REITERATED IS THAT THEY ARE LOOKING AT PROPERTY TAX REFORM IS WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO BE FOCUSED ON.
AND THAT THOSE ARE THE KEY ITEMS THAT KEPT BEING REITERATED IN EVERY ONE OF MY CONVERSATIONS.
>> MY PERSPECTIVE TEAM IS THAT IT IS A GUIDING PRINCIPLE.
IT'S NOT A LAW. IT HAS TO BE THIS WAY OR ELSE.
I THINK THAT WE KEEP THE GUIDING PRINCIPLE AS THE GUIDING PRINCIPLE.
LET'S NOT GIVE A BLANKET INCREASE TO 4.5 OR 5.5%.
LET'S REALLY HAVE THAT TARGET, WHERE WE WANTED THAT TARGET TO BE GOING OVER THAT TARGET THIS YEAR.
WE ALL UNDERSTAND WHY AND OKAY.
I THINK THAT WE JUST ACCEPT THAT THAT'S WHAT IT IS, AND WE KNOW IT, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO GIVE A BLANKET.
WE'RE GOING TO KEEP INCREASING EVERY YEAR.
>> TOR MYERS, AS DIFFICULT AS THINGS FEEL RIGHT NOW, I'M FROM DUBUQUE ORIGINALLY.
I SAW TELEGRAPH HERALD STORY RECENTLY, THAT DUBUQUE NEWSPAPER OR WHATEVER IT'S CALLED THESE DAYS, THAT THE DUBUQUE SCHOOL DISTRICT LOST ABOUT 20% OF ITS ENROLLMENT IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? DID YOU GET THE INFORMATION YOU NEEDED? ANY SINS AND INPUT ON THIS.
THE BOARD ACKNOWLEDGES THE UPDATED INFORMATION REGARDING THE DISTRICT FISCAL YEAR 27 SPENDING AUTHORITY PROJECTION AND GENERAL FUND TARGETED EXPENDITURES.
ITEM D, MODIFIED SUPPLEMENTAL AMOUNT FOR AT RISK DROPOUT PREVENTION,
[X.C. Modified Supplemental Amount for At-Risk/ Dropout Prevention – Angela Bemus]
ANGELA, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE YOU PRESENT.IT'S NOT THE PDF, NOT THE PDF.
[01:00:03]
WE STREW RIGHT THERE PRESENTATION.>> NOW, IN YOUR PACKET, I DID INCLUDE A COUPLE OTHER ITEMS THAT I'LL JUST REFERENCE.
I WON'T REVIEW THEM IN DETAIL, BUT IT'S OUR AT RISK PLAN AS WHAT WE PRESENT TO THE STATE AND HOW WE IDENTIFY AT RISK STUDENTS PER IOWA CODE.
I'M JUST GOING TO GO OVER THIS.
THIS IS A PRESENTATION WE DO EVERY YEAR.
WE HAVE TO HAVE BOARD APPROVAL FOR THIS, AND IT'S DUE ON JANUARY 15TH, HAS TO BE PRESENTED AND APPROVED BY THE BOARD BY JANUARY 15TH.
BUT REALLY, THE PURPOSE OF THIS IS TO REQUEST A MODIFIED SUPPLEMENTAL AID FOR AT RISK AND DROP OUT PREVENTION.
WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THAT FUNDING IS IS TO SUPPORT ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS THAT TARGET STUDENTS WHO ARE AT RISK OF DROPPING OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL OR NOT GRADUATING.
THE CRITERIA, LIKE I SAID, IS IN THE PACKET ON HOW WE IDENTIFY KIDS PRESCHOOL THROUGH 12TH GRADE.
>> CURRENTLY, THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE SUPPORTED BY AT RISK.
THERE ARE A COUPLE OTHER ONES THAT I'LL SPEAK TO THAT ARE SUPPLEMENTED A SMALL AMOUNT, BUT STILL USE AT RISK.
BUT OUR ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL, ALTERNATIVE SUPPORT CENTERS AT OUR HIGH SCHOOLS AND AT OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS, TUTORING, JUVENILE COURT LIAISONS, SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS, CHARACTER STRONG, OUR MTSS SPECIALIST, CREDIT RECOVERY, MENTORING, MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS, BACKPACKS AND SCHOOL SUPPLIES.
ALSO INCLUDED AS A PORTION OF SALARIES FOR HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELORS IS PUT ABOUT A 10% EACH SALARY, OF THEIR SALARY IS SUPPLEMENTED WITH THAT.
WE ALSO HAVE WORKERS FROM SANFORD CENTER THAT COME, AND WE GET A PORTION OF THEIR SALARY FROM SANFORD CENTER AND THEN WE DO THE REST, BUT WE PAY ALL THAT THROUGH AT RISK FUNDS.
WHEN I REFERENCE ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL, ALTERNATIVE SUPPORT CENTERS, IT'S EVERYTHING THAT IS INCORPORATED INTO THAT.
IT'S THE INGENUITY THAT YOU'VE HEARD, THE CREDIT RECOVERY SYSTEM WE USE, THE SOFTWARE, THE TEACHERS, ANYTHING WE NEED TO TEACH THAT AND TO HAVE THAT PROGRAM, WE CAN USE AT RISK DOLLARS FOR THAT.
>> IOWA CODE 257.38 REQUIRES THAT ALL DISTRICTS HAVE A PLAN FOR SUPPORTING THE STUDENTS WHO ARE IDENTIFIED AS A STUDENT WHO HAS DROPPED OUT, OR HAS THE POSSIBILITY OF DROPPING OUT, OR IS THAT RISK? LIKE I SAID, OUR DETAILED PLAN IS IN YOUR PACKET, I JUST WON'T BE REVIEWING THE WHOLE THING TODAY.
I'LL JUST BE DOING A LITTLE SUMMARY.
EARLY IDENTIFICATION OF STUDENTS NEEDING ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT OR BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO IMPROVE ATTENDANCE, ACHIEVEMENT, AND GRADUATION OUTCOMES.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT, IF YOU JUST READ THAT, IT'S REALLY ALL ASPECTS.
IT'S NOT JUST GRADES, IT'S NOT JUST I'M BEHIND FROM GRADUATING.
IT MEANS IF YOU'RE CHRONICALLY ABSENT, IF YOU ARE HAVING ANY EMOTIONAL OR MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS.
IF THE CRITERIA COULD ENCOMPASS ABOUT 85 TO 90% OF OUR STUDENTS, THE WAY THAT THE CODE IS LAID OUT.
WE HAVE AN ANNUAL SCREENING COMPLETED BY NOVEMBER 1ST.
THAT MEANS THAT WE IDENTIFY OUR AT RISK STUDENTS BY THAT CRITERIA.
THERE ISN'T JUST ONE SCREENING.
THE COUNSELORS, THE TEACHERS, THE ADMINISTRATORS, TEACHERS ALL HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT CRITERIA, AND THOSE IDENTIFIED CHARACTERISTICS IDENTIFY THE STUDENTS AS AT RISK.
ANY STUDENT WHO IS HOMELESS OR IDENTIFIED THROUGH ACADEMIC, PERSONAL, SOCIAL OR CAREER INDICATORS.
HOMELESS, YOU'RE AUTOMATICALLY CONSIDERED AT RISK.
YOU ONLY NEED TO HAVE ONE OF THE INDICATORS.
IF YOU ARE IDENTIFIED AT RISK THROUGH ACADEMIC, PERSONAL, SOCIAL OR CAREER INDICATORS, YOU HAVE TO HAVE TWO OF THE CRITERIA.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF THERE'S A STUDENT WHO'S FAILING A COURSE, AND IS SEEING A MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL, WHETHER IN SCHOOL OR OUT OF SCHOOL, THAT STUDENT WOULD BE IDENTIFIED AS AT RISK.
AT RISK CHARACTERISTICS TEND TO FLUCTUATE AS WELL.
WE HAVE TO REPORT OUR DROPOUT, AND THOSE ARE STUDENTS THAT ARE AT RISK FOR DROPOUT, BUT WE DON'T REPORT THE ACTUAL STUDENTS WHO ARE AT RISK BECAUSE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT JUST FLUCTUATES QUITE A BIT.
[01:05:01]
POTENTIAL DROPOUT STUDENTS.PK THROUGH THIRD GRADE, IF THEY'RE A POTENTIAL DROPOUT, THAT MEANS THEY WOULD HAVE AN AT ONE OF THOSE AT RISK FACTORS, AND THEY WOULD HAVE ONE ADDITIONAL CATEGORY, MEANING LIKE I STATED THE TWO.
ANY ONE OF THOSE FACTORS AND ANYTHING ELSE, BUT IT COULD BE COME FROM ACADEMIC, SOCIAL, PERSONAL.
GRADES FOUR THROUGH 12 TO OUR MORE INDICATORS AND RETURNING DROPOUTS AUTOMATIC.
WE DO, DESPITE, I THINK WE'VE HEARD ABOUT THIS CHARTER SCHOOL POSSIBLY COMING TO SIOUX CITY NEXT YEAR AND THAT THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE STUDENTS THAT HAD PRIORLY DROPPED OUT.
WE TAKE STUDENTS ALL THE TIME THAT HAVE DROPPED OUT.
WE TAKE THEM BACK, WE CAN TAKE THEM UNTIL THEY'RE 21.
BUT WHEN WE TAKE THEM BACK, THEY'RE AUTOMATICALLY CONSIDERED AT RISK FOR BEING A DROPOUT.
IDENTIFYING THESE KIDS HELPS US TARGET WHAT KIND OF SUPPORTS WE GIVE THEM.
OUR MTSS ALIGNED SUPPORTS ARE SPECIALISTS AT EVERY BUILDING THAT WE CALL THEM MTSS SPECIALISTS NOW, BUT IT'S WHO THEY ARE ASSIGNED THEIR CASELOADS.
THEIR CASE LOADS ARE DIRECTLY RELATED TO THIS CRITERIA.
THEN WITH THAT, WE WANT IMPROVED ATTENDANCE AND GRADUATION RATES.
ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES FOR SUPPORTING AT RISK.
OUR AT RISK DOLLARS DON'T COVER EVERYTHING WE NEED TO DO.
THE TSS, THE TEACHER SUPPLEMENT SALARY, SHARED VISIONS, IS A GRANT THAT WE RECEIVE, IOWA CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION PROGRAM, INDIAN EDUCATION ASSISTANCE TO SCHOOLS, AND EDUCATION FOR HOMELESS CHILDREN AND YOUTH.
THOSE ARE VERY MINIMAL FUNDING SOURCES, BUT I THOUGHT I WOULD ADD THEM JUST SO YOU KNOW THAT THOSE FUNDING SOURCES DO SUPPORT ARE AT RISK.
IN THIS REPORT, I'VE ALWAYS JUST SHARED.
THE WHOLE POINT OF IDENTIFYING THESE STUDENTS IS TO GIVE THEM THE SUPPORT SO THEY DO GRADUATE.
OUR GRADUATION RATE ALWAYS IS IN THE REARS TO THE FOUR AND FIVE YEAR, IT'S ALWAYS TWO AND THREE YEARS BEHIND.
THIS WAS SHARED WITH YOU WHEN WE SHARED THE IOWA SCHOOL PERFORMANCE PROFILE IN NOVEMBER OR EARLY DECEMBER.
BUT IS 86% AND OUR FIVE YEAR GRADUATION RATE IS 88.7.
A FOUR YEAR GRADUATION RATE MEANS THAT THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WHO ARE GRADUATING IN THE FOUR YEARS, THOSE WHO HAVE STAYED ON TRACK AND GRADUATE WITH THEIR COHORT.
THE FIVE YEAR GRADUATION RATE IS JUST WHAT IT WOULD SOUND LIKE.
THEY DIDN'T GRADUATE WITH THEIR COHORT OR THEY CAME BACK TO US, AND THEN THEY GRADUATED.
THE NEXT SLIDE IS THE FUNDING REVIEW.
OUR MODIFIED SUPPLEMENTAL AMOUNT, THAT 75% THAT WE'RE REQUESTING YOUR APPROVAL TO GO IN FRONT OF THE SBRC IS $4,261,704.
WHEN WE REQUEST IT, WE HAVE TO MATCH 25%.
THE TOTAL AT RISK FUNDING IS 5.6 MILLION.
THEN THERE ARE WEIGHTED DOLLARS, ANOTHER THROUGH THE STATE THAT IT'S JUST ANOTHER CATEGORY, IT'S CALLED WEIGHTED AT RISK, AND WE GET ABOUT BETWEEN 750-780,000 WE'RE PREDICTING FOR NEXT YEAR WITH A TOTAL OF $6.4 MILLION IN TOTAL OF AT RISK DOLLARS FOR THE FY 27 SCHOOL YEAR.
I DO HAVE THROUGH FY 22, WHAT WE HAVE REQUESTED AND WHAT OUR TOTALS WERE.
I KNOW THAT'S A LOT OF INFORMATION.
WE ARE ASKING THAT YOU APPROVE THIS PLAN FOR THE 26-27 AND THAT YOU IMPROVE THE REQUEST FOR US TO GO IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL BUDGET REVIEW COMMITTEE FOR THE MODIFIED SUPPLEMENTAL AMOUNT OF 4.261704 FOR THE 26-27 AT RISK DROPOUT PLAN.
>> BOARD MEMBERS, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AT RISK DROPOUT PLAN FOR THE YEAR 2026, 2027 SCHOOL YEAR?
>> BOARD MEMBERS, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? DIRECTOR MILLER.
>> HAVE WE EVER REQUESTED A CERTAIN DOLLAR AMOUNT, AND IT'S NOT BEEN APPROVED?
>> WHY HAVE OUR AT RISK DOLLARS REALLY DECREASED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS?
[01:10:01]
BUT I WILL EXPLAIN IT IN MY WORDS.I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE HEAVY AMOUNT OF CARRYOVER STARTED.
I KNOW FOUR YEARS AGO WHEN I TOOK THIS POSITION, WE HAD OVER A LITTLE OVER ONE MILLION DOLLARS IN CARRYOVER.
WELL, AND IT'S TAKEN UNTIL THIS YEAR TO GET IT SPENT DOWN.
BECAUSE REMEMBER CARRYOVER IS NOT FOR RECURRING COST, SO TO SPEND ONE MILLION DOLLARS DOWN WITH RESTRICTED FUNDS AND MEETING THE CRITERIA, IT HAS TAKEN THREE YEARS UNTIL THIS YEAR FOR US TO SPEND IT DOWN.
BECAUSE OF THAT, WE ARE NOT ABLE TO GET AS MUCH.
IT'S GOING TO BE ANOTHER YEAR.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE PATTY A YEAR IN THE MIDDLE.
RIGHT NOW NEXT YEAR, WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE SHORT.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REALLY SUPPLEMENT FROM GENERAL FUND, AND THEN WE WILL BE ABLE TO GET THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY AGAIN.
PATTY, DID I EXPLAIN THAT CORRECTLY?
>> SCHOOL FINANCE IN IOWA IS VERY COMPLICATED.
IT'S JUST ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE, AND IT'S ALL BASED ON ENROLLMENT AS WELL.
>> ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION BOARD MEMBERS? SHOULD WE SAY CITIZEN INPUT.
I BOUNCED BACK AND FORTH OF WHETHER TO TALK ABOUT THIS DURING THIS OR DURING BOARD PRIORITIES AND LANDED ON THIS AGAIN.
MY CONCERN, I GUESS, IS THAT WE'RE NOT PUTTING ANYTHING IN WRITING ABOUT CLASS SIZES.
I KNOW CLASS SIZES ARE A PRIORITY, BUT SOMETIMES IF THEY'RE NOT IN WRITING, WE FORGET WHEN IT GOES TO FUNDING, WE DON'T LOOK AT THAT FOR A FUNDING SOURCE.
THERE ARE LOTS OF DOCUMENTS OUT THERE AND RESEARCH THAT SHOWS THAT STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND AT RISK AND DROPOUTS BENEFIT FROM CLASS SIZE, AND THAT REDUCES THE DROPOUT IN THE FUTURE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I NOTICED OVER AND OVER WHEN I WAS READING ABOUT THIS IS THAT THEIR SUGGESTION IS PRE K THROUGH THIRD.
PRE K THROUGH KINDERGARTEN SHOULD HAVE 14:15:1 ADULT RATIO AND FIRST GRADE TO THIRD, 18 STUDENTS PER ONE ADULT RATIO.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT OUR CLASS SIZES ARE AT OUR ONE THROUGH THIRD GRADE, BUT I WOULD LIKE THAT TO BE A PRIORITY TO CONSIDER FOR US BECAUSE I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOMS OUT THERE THAT ARE STRUGGLING WITH MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF BEHAVIORAL ISSUES AND ALL KINDS OF LEARNING STYLES AND AT RISK BEHAVIOR.
IF WE COULD KEEP THAT AS A PRIORITY, I THINK THAT WOULD HELP US IN THE LONG RUN WHEN WE GET TO THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL FOR DROPOUTS.
ONE OF THE RESEARCH DOCUMENTS, AGAIN, IF YOU GOOGLE IT, THE SOURCES ARE UNLIMITED, BUT ONE OF THE ONES I LOOKED AT WAS FROM THE HANNER RESEARCH CENTER.
BUT THEY TALKED ABOUT THE ACHIEVEMENT GAINS FROM SMALLER CLASS SIZE, EQUITY IMPACT, AND WE DEFINITELY HAVE DIVERSE POPULATION, AND THEN THE LONG TERM SUCCESS OF STUDENTS FROM SMALL CLASSES FROM K THROUGH THREE ARE MORE LIKELY TO GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL, TAKE HONORS CLASSES, AND PLAN FOR COLLEGE.
THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN EITHER THIS OR IN THE BOARD PRIORITIES.
LIKE I SAID, I BOUNCED BACK AND FORTH ON WHAT I THOUGHT WAS IMPORTANT.
BUT IT'S A SERIOUS TOPIC, AND I THINK THAT WE CAN'T IGNORE WHAT WAS ON THE SPOT LAST MEETING.
>> LISA. CLARITY. THERE'S LOTS OF WAY TO DO OUR MATH, BUT I THOUGHT CLASS SIZES WERE STRICTLY STUDENT TO TEACHER RATIO.
WHAT I HEARD YOU SAY WAS STUDENT TO ADULT RATIO.
>> RIGHT. WHEN YOU'RE IN THE CLASSROOM, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE STUDENT RATIO WITH THE CLASS WITH EITHER THE TEACHER, IT COULD BE A PARA AND A TEACHER, BUT THE ADULT RATIO IN THE CLASSROOM WITH THE STUDENTS.
>> BUT IF YOU HAVE A PARA THAT'S FOCUSED ON A COUPLE OF KIDS,
[01:15:05]
YOU CAN'T REALLY ACCOUNT FOR THEM IN YOUR TOTAL POPULATION ON CLASS SIZE.>> IT'S HELPFUL. IT'S BETTER IF YOU HAVE A CLASS OF 22 AND ONE TEACHER TO HAVE A PARA TO HELP WITH THAT CLASS SIZE THAN NOT.
FOURTEEN TO A TEACHER IS BETTER, BUT IF YOU'RE GOING TO GO UP HIGHER THAN THAT, IT'S BETTER TO HAVE ANOTHER ADULT IN THERE FULL TIME.
>> YES. DIRECTOR MILLER, WERE YOU THINKING THAT WE DON'T WANT TO MOVE IN THE DIRECTION, SAYING THERE ARE TWO PEOPLE IN THAT ROOM, SO WE CAN HAVE 20 STUDENTS IN THERE?
I WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT IS OUR REAL MATH? NOT THE COACHES THAT POP IN AND OUT, BUT WHAT IS THE REAL MATH AND HOW MANY STUDENTS DO WE HAVE IN A ROOM WITH A TEACHER?
>> EVEN OUR TITLE AND ALL OF THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT.
BUT ANYTIME WITH A PULLOUT OR ANYTHING, AND I'M TALKING ACTUAL CLASS LIST WITH THAT ACTUAL TEACHER.
>> WE DO KEEP A WEEKLY UPDATED LIST OF EVERY CLASS SIZE IN ELEMENTARY.
I CAN GIVE YOU THAT I'M LOOKING AT IT RIGHT NOW.
I JUST HAD JERRY PULL IT UP FOR ME.
WE ALSO DO HAVE IN OUR TRANSFER POLICY.
IT'S SPELLED OUT GUIDELINES FOR CLASS SIZE OF WHEN WE WILL ACCEPT OPEN ENROLLED STUDENTS.
WHEN WE BRING ANY DENIAL OF OPEN ENROLLMENT, IT IS BECAUSE OUR CLASS SIZES ARE TOO GREAT.
THAT'S LAID OUT IN THE TRANSFER POLICY IN THE AR 501.8.
>> HYPOTHETICALLY, IF I HAVE A CO TEACHER.
DOES THAT MEAN THERE'S TWO ADULTS IN THAT ROOM SO THE 28 BECOMES 14 OR?
>> WE STAFF CLASSES BY ONE TEACHER.
WE DON'T CONSIDER A CO TEACHER OR A TITLE TEACHER OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF A SUPPORT AS THE CLASSROOM TEACHER.
WE STAFF OUR CLASS SIZES BASED ON THE CLASSROOM TEACHER.
>> ARE ALL OF THOSE AT THE ELEMENTARY, LIKE MS. BEAMS JUST SAID, IT WOULD JUST BE FOR ONE CLASSROOM TEACHER? IT'S NOT COUNTING THE TITLE ELL SPECIALIZED ON THAT?
>> WE DON'T EVER EVEN IN THE SECONDARY, WE SEPARATE THAT.
IF YOU WERE TO LOOK WHEN WE PULL UP THE CLASS SIZE REPORT, JIM CAN PULL UP THE REPORT, AND IT'S JUST IDENTIFIED PER ONE TEACHER.
IT WILL SAY THEY HAVE A CO TEACHER, BUT THAT ISN'T HOW WE STAFF THE COURSE.
THE COURSE CAN ONLY TAKE SO MANY STUDENTS, WHATEVER THAT CAP IS, AND THAT ONLY CONSIDERS ONE TEACHER BECAUSE ELL SPECIAL ED TITLE ARE ALL THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE SUPPLEMENTAL, NOT SUPPLANTED.
>> I FINALLY GET TO USE THIS ANALOGY IN MY PREVIOUS REINCARNATION THAT JOHN HAS OFTEN SAID.
I REMEMBER YEARS AGO HAVING MAYBE A CONVERSATION WITH MR. VANDALU WHEN I WAS STILL TEACHING.
I THINK OUR DISTRICT ONE OF THE SELLING POINTS WAS WHERE WE HAD 15-1 OR 25-1 OR WHATEVER IT WAS.
I ASKED MR. VANDALU IF I COULD HAVE THAT ROOM.
BECAUSE I WAS AT 30 PLUS STUDENTS. I KNOW I FIGURE.
>> WE NO LONGER CONSIDER WE DO NOT GIVE OUR CLASS SIZE BY A TEACHER TO STUDENT RATIO.
WE GO BY ACTUAL HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE IN THE CLASS.
I WILL SAY OUR GUIDELINES ARE 25 STUDENTS, K235 IS 28.
BUT THOSE ARE OUR GUIDELINES FOR K TWO AND 35.
NOW, THAT'S NOT TO SAY IF THERE ARE 29 STUDENTS THAT END UP IN A FOURTH GRADE, WE DON'T NECESSARILY JUST ADD ANOTHER TEACHER.
WE BALANCE WE LOOK AT OUR CLASS SIZES AFTER LABOR DAY IS WHEN WE REALLY LOOK AT BALANCING AND THEN AT THE SEMESTER.
>> WE USE DATA DRIVEN INFORMATION TO DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS AT A CLASS AND HOW MANY AND WHAT CLASSES GET OFFERED, AND I'M TALKING MORE SECONDARY AND STUFF LIKE THAT, IS THAT CORRECT?
>> ALL OF OUR COURSES ARE BASED ON ENROLLMENT.
MR. LEMAY AND MISSES BANKS ARE HERE.
THEY COULD VOUCH FOR THIS. THEY'VE SEEN IT.
THERE MIGHT BE SO MANY SECTIONS OF ONE CLASS ONE YEAR, BUT THERE'S NOT ENOUGH KIDS TO FILL ANOTHER CLASS, SO YOU HAVE LESS SECTIONS.
A TEACHER MIGHT HAVE TO SWITCH WHAT THEY'RE TEACHING.
THEY MAY HAVE HAD THIS MANY SECTIONS OF ENGLISH TWO.
[01:20:02]
NOW THEY'RE DOING THIS MANY OF ENGLISH TWO AND IN ENGLISH ONE.WE DON'T NECESSARILY GET RID OF THE TEACHER, BUT WE ADJUST IT BY ENROLLMENT.
I WILL SAY THAT OLDER THEY GET, THE BIGGER THE CLASS SIZE.
>> I DO THINK THERE'S SOME CONFUSION.
SOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS PUT OUT STUDENT TO TEACHER RATIOS AND NOT CLASS SIZE IS.
WHEN IN OUR CO TAUGHT ROOMS IN THE SECONDARY BUILDING, ONE OF EVERY THREE ROOMS ARE CO TAUGHT.
THAT MEANS THERE'S TWO TEACHERS IN THE ROOM.
AGAIN, WE DON'T STAFF THEM ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS.
AGAIN, SMALLER SCHOOL DISTRICTS LIKE TO SAY OUR TEACHER TO STUDENT RATIO IS THIS, WHICH WOULD BE MUCH SMALLER BECAUSE YOU HAD ALL THE SPECIAL ED TEACHERS, AND EL TEACHERS AND SO ON IN THERE.
BUT OUR CLASSES ARE STAFFED ACCORDING TO SECTIONS, ONE TEACHER.
WE DON'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT IF THERE'S TWO TEACHERS IN THE ROOM OR MAYBE EVEN THREE TEACHERS IN THE ROOM.
IT'S JUST A SECTION AS A CLASS SIZE.
>> THANK YOU. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, BOARD? AN CITIZEN? NO.
>> SORRY, I DO HAVE. HE PUT AND THIS MAY BE A REPORT THAT COMES LATER IN THE YEAR, BUT I'M ASSUMING THAT YOU TRACK PROGRESS THAT THESE AVERAGE STUDENTS ARE MAKING BASED UPON THE SERVICES RECEIVED.
>> YES. ABSOLUTELY. DEPENDING ON THE SERVICE THEY RECEIVE, THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS TO MONITOR THEIR PROGRESS.
THEN IT'S REPORTED, IT'S REVIEWED.
I DO WANT TO STATE THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, THAT EVERY BUILDING HAS TO HAVE AN MTSS TEAM THAT MEETS WEEKLY OR BY EVERY OTHER.
>> IT'S EVERY OTHER WEEK. THAT THEY MEET EVERY OTHER WEEK AND THEY HAVE TO LOOK AT THE DATA THAT'S IDENTIFIED FOR THE STUDENTS ON THEIR CASE LOADS, AND THEY HAVE TO REVIEW IT WITH THEIR ADMINISTRATOR AND WITH THE ENTIRE TEAM, THAT WOULD ENCOMPASS SCHOOL COUNSELOR, AEA ANY MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT THAT ARE IN THAT BUILDING, AND THEN THEY MAKE MODIFICATIONS AS THEY GO. YES.
>> THANK YOU. IT SAYS HERE, SHANICE, WE SHOULD DO A ROLL CALL.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE REQUEST TO THE SCHOOL BUDGET REVIEW COMMITTEE, SB RC, FOR MODIFIED SUPPLEMENTAL AMOUNT, MSA IN THE AMOUNT OF 4 MILLION, $261,704 FOR THE 26 27 AT RISK DROPOUT PLAN.
DO YOU DIDN'T GET MY YES ON THAT?
>> YES. MISS LEE IS NOT IN ATTENDANCE.
>> WE HAVE A FIRST. WE HAVE A SECOND.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION OR DID WE GET A SECOND? CAN WE JUST VOTE? JUST TWO DIFFERENT TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
YES, YOU HAVE A SECOND. YES, WE HAVE A SECOND.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ANY CITIZEN INPUT?
>> WE WILL NEED A ROLL CALL VOTE ON THIS ONE AS WELL.
WE ARE NOW ON ITEM E DISTRICT DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAMMING DISCUSSION.
[X.D. District Dual Language Programming Discussion – Angela Bemus]
MISS MIMS IS GOING TO PRESENT.>> IT DOES HAVE MY NAME ON IT, BUT ARTEM IS PRESENTING.
THE DOCTOR BRADFORD'S GOING TO TAKE IT FROM THERE.
THEN WE'LL BE UP HERE FOR QUESTIONS.
BUT I DO WANT TO STATE THAT WE BROUGHT THIS FORWARD DURING BOARD LEADERSHIP ON MONDAY A WEEK AGO TODAY.
DIRECTOR LEE AND PRESIDENT GEORGE ASKED US TO BRING THIS INFORMATION FORWARD TO HELP WITH UNDERSTANDING THE SCOPE AND THE EXPECTATION OF HOW WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD ON OUR WORK AND LET THE BOARD TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION ABOUT EXPANDING OUR DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAM ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
LIKE I SAID, WE WERE ASKED TO BRING THIS FORWARD.
ONE OF THE SPECIFIC THINGS WE WE REALLY NEED TO GET GUIDANCE ON HOW WHAT THE SCOPE OF AN EXPECTATION IS IN REGARD TO EXPANDING OUR DUAL LANGUAGE.
THAT IS AS WAS STATED BY DIRECTOR MK, THAT REALLY WANTING TO INCREASE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGLISH SPEAKING STUDENTS TO BECOME BILINGUAL.
THAT IS REALLY THE GOAL AND PURPOSE OF EXPANDING THIS PROGRAM.
[01:25:02]
DOCTOR BRADFORD IS GOING TO TALK.>> MRS BEMIS HAS TALKED ABOUT THE PURPOSE IS TO DISCUSS THE FINANCIAL COSTS OF THE DISTRICT DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAMMING EXPANSION FOR CITY SCHOOLS.
THE PROPOSED EXPANSION FOR S CITY DUAL LANGUAGE SCHOOLS REPRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PHASE IN DUAL LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION AT 11 ADDITIONAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
CURRENTLY, WE HAVE ONE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT HAS DUAL LANGUAGE THAT'S IRVING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT THE PLAN OF PHASING IN DUAL LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION AT THREE OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS, AND YOU'LL SEE A PHASE IN PLAN AT ONE. OUR THREE MIDDLE SCHOOLS?
>> THREE MIDDLE SCHOOLS ONE SUBJECT AREA, THREE MIDDLE SCHOOLS FOUR SUBJECT AREAS.
INCREASING EQUITABLE ACCESS TO DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAMMING, ADVANCING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, PROMOTING LONG TERM WORKFORCE READINESS, REDUCING GEOGRAPHIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC BARRIERS THAT CURRENTLY LIMIT PARTICIPATION, EXCUSE ME, MY VOICE IS GOING OUT, AND STRENGTHEN CONTINUITY OF INSTRUCTION.
WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THE COMPLEXITY OF PUTTING THIS INSTRUCTION MODEL IN PLACE, AND SO WE NEED THE BOARD TO CONSIDER THESE FOLLOWING THINGS.
STAFFING, PROFESSIONAL LEARNING, CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT, RESOURCE ALLOCATION, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY INPUT, ONGOING EVALUATION, PROGRAM READINESS, IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE, AND A MATRIX FOR SUCCESS.
WE'RE GOING TO TAKE YOU THROUGH SOME OF THE COSTS THAT WE WORKED THROUGH AS A TEAM AND LOOKED AT THE DIFFERENT AREAS.
IF YOU'LL SEE ON HERE, YOU LOOK ELEMENTARY, ONE GRADE LEVEL AT A TIME.
IF WE STARTED IN ELEMENTARY, EACH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WOULD START IN KINDERGARTEN, ADDING ONE TEACHER, A SPANISH SPEAKING TEACHER.
>> WHAT? DO YOU WANT ME TO TAKE OVER? IS YOUR VOICE OKAY? GO AHEAD, PROBABLY.
>> WE CONSIDERED $100,000 PER TEACHER.
AT 11 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, IF YOU LOOK ACROSS, YEAR BY YEAR, WE WOULD ADD ANOTHER SECTION, WHICH MEANS ANOTHER SPANISH SPEAKING TEACHER, AND FULL IMPLEMENTATION WOULD BE KINDERGARTEN THROUGH FIFTH GRADE.
THEN WE LOOKED AT A MIDDLE SCHOOL, ONE SUBJECT AREA OF READING.
THEN WE LOOKED AT A MIDDLE SCHOOL WITH FOUR SUBJECT AREAS.
>> I DO THE NEXT. I CAN DO THE NEXT ONE IF YOU NEED.
I DON'T WANT HER TO BE DYING WITH THROAT.
REALLY, THAT WAS THE STAFFING.
NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
LIKE WE SAID, IT WOULD BE ONE GRADE YOU WOULD IMPLEMENT ONE GRADE AT A TIME.
YOU IMPLEMENT WITH KINDERGARTEN, THEN YOU ADD THE NEXT GRADE.
OVER SIX YEARS, BUT IT WOULD BE $9,500 ANNUALLY, 104,500 OVER THE SIX YEARS.
SAME THING WITH MIDDLE SCHOOL OVER THREE YEARS, ONLY FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND THAT WOULD BE 28,500 TOTAL.
THEN IF WE DID MIDDLE SCHOOL FOUR SUBJECTS, THAT WOULD BE THE 85,000.
TOTAL ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL ONE SUBJECT, IF WE JUST DID ONE SUBJECT IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHICH ARE THE REASON WE HAVE THAT IS OUR PLAN TO BRING THAT WE HAD PRIOR TO IMPLEMENT DUAL LANGUAGE IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL WAS TO BRING IT BACK IN READING.
THAT IS WHY WE HAVE THE ONE SUBJECT, BUT THEN THERE'S ALSO THE MODEL WHERE IT WOULD BE FOR ALL CORE COURSES.
THE COST IS THERE FOR THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. CAN YOU NOW.
>> THIS IS A CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT RESOURCES.
AGAIN, IT'S BROKEN DOWN BY ADDING ONE SECTION PER YEAR FOR SIX YEARS IN THE ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE SCHOOL, ONE SUBJECT AREA OF READING AND MIDDLE SCHOOL FOUR SUBJECTS AND READING MATH SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES.
THE TOTAL COST FOR AN ELEMENT 11 ELEMENTARIES AND THREE MIDDLE SCHOOLS, ONE SUBJECT IS 570,894.
THEN WE LOOKED AT THE TOTAL COST FOR ELEMENTARY 11 ELEMENTARIES.
THREE MIDDLE SCHOOLS WITH FOUR SUBJECT AREAS, AND THAT WOULD BE TOTAL COST OF 654,687.
>> I CAN DO IT. THE SIGNAGE THEN.
ONE OF THE THINGS, THERE ARE LOTS OF LOGISTICS, AND I DO WANT TO SAY THESE ARE ALL COSTS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO JUST TAKE FROM CURRENT PRICES AND AN ESTIMATE.
[01:30:01]
WE HAVE NOT WE WERE ASKED TO DO THIS ON MONDAY, SO WE DID NOT GET ACTUAL QUOTES FOR THESE.THIS IS JUST BASED ON COST, BUT THIS SIGNAGE, THE COMMUNICATION RESOURCES.
IN A DUAL LANGUAGE SCHOOL, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT EVERY EVERYTHING IN THE BUILDING IS IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH.
YOU HAVE LIKE YOUR LIBRARY, YOUR CLASSROOMS. ALL OF THAT, ALL OF YOUR SIGNAGE WITHIN YOUR BUILDING IS IN BOTH LANGUAGES.
WE HAVE THE COST FOR WHETHER IT'S AT ONE SUBJECT OR FOUR SUBJECTS, OF COURSE, IS THE SAME.
BUT WE'RE ESTIMATING ABOUT 90,000 FOR ELEARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL, 91,000.
>> OVERALL, TOTAL PROJECTED COSTS ARE HERE.
AT THE BOTTOM, WE'RE INCLUDING AGAIN, THE STAFFING, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT RESOURCES AND SIGNAGE AND COMMUNICATION.
AT THE BOTTOM TOTAL FOR 11 ELEMENTARIES.
THREE MIDDLE SCHOOLS ONE SUBJECT WOULD BE ABOUT $8.3 MILLION FOR FULL IMPLEMENTATION, AND TOTAL FOR 11 ELEMENTARY, THREE MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND FOUR SUBJECTS WOULD BE ABOUT $11.1 MILLION FULL IMPLEMENTATION.
THE RECOMMENDATION IS THAT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ACKNOWLEDGES THE SIOUX CITY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAMMING PRESENTATION.
>> BOARD MEMBERS, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? DIRECTOR HANSEN?
>> YES. I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT WENT INTO THIS.
I THOUGHT IT WAS A VERY WELL PUT TOGETHER PRESENTATION THAT GIVES A PRETTY GOOD COMPREHENSIVE IDEA OF ALL THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE CONSIDERED.
AS YOU DID THIS, DID YOU ALSO LOOK AT OTHER MOD AND I KNOW YOU SAID YOU DIDN'T HAVE MUCH TIME.
BUT AS YOU'VE LOOKED AT WAYS TO EXPAND DUAL LANGUAGE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE DISTRICT, HAVE YOU CONSIDERED THAT IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN SCALING IT ACROSS ALL THE SCHOOLS THAT WE COULD HAVE MAGNET SCHOOLS AND WHAT THAT COMPARISON MIGHT LOOK LIKE BECAUSE IT WOULD REQUIRE SOME TRANSPORTATION RESOURCES. SURE.
>> WE DID LOOK AT ONE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
JUST ONE MORE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BESIDES IRVING, AND THAT WOULD BE FULL IMPLEMENTATION AROUND $960,000.
AND WE LOOKED AT EACH FEEDER SYSTEM, TOTAL OF THREE, AND FULL IMPLEMENTATION WOULD BE ABOUT 2.9 MILLION.
>> THAT WOULD BE ONE ADDITIONAL SCHOOL IN EACH FEEDER SYSTEM OR JUST ADDING ONE MORE SCHOOL.
THAT'S WHAT THOSE TWO NUMBERS ARE.
WE ALSO WE DO WANT TO STATE THAT IRVING IRVING IS IN A EAST AND WEST.
BOUNDARY. REALLY IN OUR WE KIND OF WHEN WE SAID FOR EACH FEEDER, WE DIDN'T INCLUDE IRVING.
WE JUST SAID THAT WOULD BE ADDING AN ADDITIONAL.
IRVING DOES OUR SYSTEM IS THAT DUAL LANGUAGE IS A MAGNET SCHOOL.
WE DO HAVE A POLICY THAT WE WILL APPROVE ALL TRANSFERS.
THAT'S FOR ALL OF OUR SPECIALTY SCHOOLS.
CURRENTLY, WE HAVE 22 NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKING STUDENTS OPENLY TRANSFERRED FROM OTHER SCHOOLS IN S CITY TO IRVING.
THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE TO DIG IN A LITTLE DEEPER, WHY ONLY 22, BUT WE DO BELIEVE A LOT OF IT IS BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION.
PEOPLE WANT THEIR KIDS TO GO TO THEIR HOME SCHOOL.
THAT IS ONE OF THE OTHER RATIONALES FOR WHY WE PUT IT AT EVERY SCHOOL BECAUSE WE'VE HAD DUAL LANGUAGE FOR, I THINK, 13 OR 14 YEARS, AND THAT HAS BEEN ALWAYS THE BIGGEST BARRIER IS THAT PEOPLE DON'T WANT THEIR KIDS TO BE BUSSED ACROSS TOWN TO GO TO THEIR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
>> NO, I THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION, AND IT GIVES US A PERSPECTIVE OF WHERE COSTS COULD GO.
I THINK THAT FROM A BOARD PRIORITY PERSPECTIVE, HAVING A PHASED IN APPROACH, WHICH DOESN'T MEAN ALL 11 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AT ONCE, MAYBE IT'S ONE IN EACH ONE AND EAST, ONE AND NORTH AND ONE IN WEST AND TAKE A DIFFERENT APPROACH.
I THINK THAT AS MUCH AS I AM NOT HAPPY WITH OUR ADMINISTRATION WHEN IT COMES TO EDUCATION AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL, IOWA DID JUST RECEIVE AN $8 MILLION GRANT FOR DUAL LANGUAGE.
IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO, AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT'S COMING, AND I THINK IT IS ONE OF THE GOOD THINGS THAT HIGHER LEVEL ADMINISTRATION AT THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL LEVELS ARE DOING THAT IS A POSITIVE MOVE.
I DON'T WANT US TO GET CAUGHT BEHIND.
I DON'T THINK THAT WE CAN ROLL IT OUT AT ONCE. IT'S A BIG THING.
>> I WANT TO THANK THE STAFF AND OUR CABINET FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
[01:35:03]
I VIEWED IT WHEN I READ IT AS BEING, THIS IS A SUMMARY OF HOW MUCH IT COULD COST ON THE PLAN THAT STATED THAT WE WOULD HAVE 11 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AT A TRACK AT THREE.THE VIEW THAT I BELIEVE DIRECTOR HANSON WAS COMMENTING ABOUT, THAT ALSO YOU CAN PROGRESS A STEP AT A TIME.
THERE IS MAGNET SCHOOLS AS A POSSIBILITY.
I ALSO KNOW THAT WHAT SUPERINTENDENT OR ASSOCIATE SUPERINTENDENT BEMUS SAID IS TRUE, THAT PEOPLE LIKE TO HAVE THEIR STUDENTS NEAR THEIR IMMEDIATE AREA IN SIOUX CITY AND THAT OUR GOAL WOULD BE, AND I WANT TO STRESS THAT I HEARD THE STAFF SAY THAT THIS IS A GOAL, AND THIS IS A LODABLE GOAL.
BUT IT SHOULDN'T BE VIEWED BECAUSE WE CAN'T EAT THE WHOLE CAKE AT ONCE, THAT WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS PROGRAM AND MOVE IT FORWARD.
I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST AND I KNOW THAT THIS HASN'T HAD A LOT OF TIME FOR THE STUDY OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED.
WE APPRECIATE THE EFFORT THAT'S MADE.
I THINK ACKNOWLEDGING THIS IS A VERY GOOD IDEA.
THAT WE SEE WHAT WE CAN DO GOING FORWARD.
I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE ALSO CONSIDER WHAT WOULD BE POTENTIAL REDUCTIONS IN COSTS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS, THE ELL PROGRAM.
BECAUSE IF A STUDENT IS GOING TO A SCHOOL WITH DUAL LANGUAGE AS A PART OF IT, THEY ARE PROBABLY NOT LIKELY GOING TO NEED ALL OF THE ELL SUPPORT THAT WE NOW PROVIDE BECAUSE THE STUDENT IS GOING TO A SCHOOL WHERE SPANISH IS NOT TAUGHT IN A DUAL LANGUAGE SETTING.
THERE'S POSSIBLY SOME POTENTIAL THERE BOARD I DON'T WANT TO CALL IT SAVING, BUT FOR TRANSITION OF THE ALLOCATION.
I DON'T WANT TO REDUCTION OR TALK DOWN ANY OF OUR ELL PROGRAM NOW, BUT IT JUST MAKES SENSE THAT IF YOU'RE GOING TO A DUAL LANGUAGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THAT YOU PROBABLY ARE NOT GOING TO NEED THE SAME LEVEL OF ELL HELP FOR ALL OF THOSE STUDENTS.
I ALSO APPRECIATE DIRECTOR MILLER, NOTING WHAT I HAVE SEEN, THE UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF EDUCATION WAS IN DENNISON, IOWA WITH THE GOVERNOR HERE, I THINK IT WAS LAST WEEK OR THE WEEK BEFORE, TOUTING THE PROGRAM IN DENNISON AS A MODEL, BUT AT THE SAME TIME ANNOUNCING THE BLOCK GRANT FUND FOR THIS VERY SPECIFIC EDUCATION AND DUAL LANGUAGE.
I THINK IF I WAS TO ENCOURAGE, NOT DIRECT, BUT ENCOURAGE STAFF AND US AS A BOARD IS THAT ONE OF THE THINGS WE SHOULD PROBABLY DO SOONER THAN LATER IS PUT OURSELVES IN A POSITION TO BE ON THE FRONT END OF THOSE REQUESTING THE BLOCK GRANT FUNDING THAT IS, IN FACT, COMING TO IOWA FOR THIS VERY SPECIFIC DUAL LANGUAGE PURPOSE.
THAT'S MY COMMENT. I WANT TO THANK THE CABINET STAFF AND EVERYONE WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THIS REPORT.
IT'S DEFINITELY USEFUL TO SEE, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU.
>> JUST TO CLARIFY, IF A STUDENT HAVE AN ELL IDENTIFICATION, THEY HAVE TO BE SERVED UNDER THE ELO PROGRAMMING WITH AN ELL TEACHER IN THE STATE OF IOWA.
IRVING HAS, I CAN'T REMEMBER IF IT'S SEVEN OR EIGHT ELL TEACHERS THAT SERVE IN THAT BUILDING.
THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY I MEAN, HOPEFULLY WE WOULD HOPE THAT THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT WOULD OUTWEIGH THAT AND KIDS WOULD GRADUATE FROM THE ELL PROGRAM MORE QUICKLY, FOR SURE.
>> I HAVE ONE QUICK QUESTION. SORRY.
YOU SAID THAT THERE'S 22 KIDS THAT ARE COMING INTO THE BUILDING PURPOSELY BECAUSE OF THE DUAL LANGUAGE.
HOW MANY KIDS WHO WOULD NORMALLY GO TO IRVING ARE GOING SOMEWHERE ELSE?
>> CURRENTLY WE HAVE AROUND 180 THIS CHANGES BECAUSE OF KIDS THAT ARE TRANSFERRED IN AND OUT, AROUND 189 KIDS THAT ARE TRANSFERRED IN WITH AROUND 22 OF THOSE BEING ENGLISH SPEAKERS? WE HAVE AROUND 150 TRANSFERRED OUT, AND WITH THE 77 OF THOSE BEING ENGLISH SPEAKERS.
>> YES. THE REASON BEING IS THAT IRVING DOESN'T HAVE A MONOLINGUAL SECTION.
IF YOU ARE SPEAK ENGLISH FIRST LANGUAGE STUDENT AND YOU COME AFTER SECOND GRADE AND YOU DO NOT HAVE ANY BACKGROUND IN SPANISH, OR THE PARENTS DO NOT WANT THE DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAM,
[01:40:04]
THEN THEY GET BUS.WE HAVE TWO BUSES, ONE THAT GOES TO UNITY, ONE THAT GOES TO LIBERTY.
EVERY MORNING THEY PICK THE STUDENTS UP AT IRVING, AND THEN THEY TAKE THEM TO LIBERTY AND UNITY.
THAT STARTED THREE OR FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO.
>> HOW DOES THAT WORK ON CLASS SIZE, THOSE TWO SCHOOLS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO THEN? DOES THAT CAUSE ISSUES THERE?
>> OUR CLASS SIZES, WE STAFF BY CLASS SIZE.
AGAIN, WE DON'T EVERY YEAR, IF THOSE STUDENTS ARE ENROLLED THERE, THEN WE STAFF THE CLASS SIZE.
WE WOULD HAVE CLASS SIZES REALLY WOULDN'T CHANGE, BUT THE AMOUNT OF TEACHERS THERE WOULD CHANGE IS WHAT WOULD CHANGE?
>> IF I UNDERSTAND WHAT I JUST HEARD RIGHT, IF I MOVE INTO THE IRVING DISTRICT AND I HAVE A THIRD GRADER AND I LIVE BY IRVING, I'M GOING SOMEWHERE ELSE TO SCHOOL.
>> IF YOU DON'T WANT TO A LANGUAGE, AND YOUR SPANISH IS YOUR FIRST LANGUAGE, OR IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE WITH SPANISH, EVEN THOUGH ENGLISH IS YOUR FIRST LANGUAGE.
ANOTHER THING THIS JUST GOES ALONG WITH THE PRESENTATION BEFORE WITH THE BUDGET THAT WE CAN WORK ON THIS.
WE NEED GUIDANCE FROM THE BOARD.
WE WOULD NOT RECOMMEND FISCALLY TO TAKE A MILLION DOLLARS RIGHT NOW AND ADD TO OUR BUDGET WHEN WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT 0.5%.
BUT LIKE I SAID, WE COULD BEGIN THE WORK ON WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE, AND TO REALLY IMPLEMENT A GOOD DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAM AT ONE SCHOOL OR 11 SCHOOLS, WE HAVE TO DO THE THERE'S WORK TO BE DONE.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT COULD BE DONE FROM NOW UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR? WE'D WANT TO DO IT RIGHT AND DO THE PLANNING.
IT'S ALSO FINDING THE STAFFING.
WE DON'T WANT TO NOT DO IT BECAUSE WE'RE SAYING THAT IT'S HARD TO FIND STAFFING, BUT WE WOULD WANT TO SECURE STAFFING BEFORE WE STARTED INVESTING BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO INVEST AND THEN HAVE TO ABANDON AFTER A COUPLE OF YEARS.
WE WANT TO BE ENSURE THAT WE CAN SUSTAIN IT UP THROUGH THIS FIFTH GRADE.
>> THE FOLLOW UP QUESTION A LITTLE BIT TO THAT CAPACITY ISSUE.
WHAT'S THE PHYSICAL CAPACITY AT IRVING? DO YOU HAVE ROOM TO GROW IF WE FOUND A WAY TO ATTRACT MORE STUDENTS TO THEM?
>> CURRENTLY AT IRVING, WE DON'T HAVE AN OPEN CLASSROOM. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING? YEAH, I TRIED TO FIT A PRE SCHOOL THERE THIS YEAR BECAUSE SERIOUSLY, WE REALLY NEED ONE THERE AND WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE SPACE RIGHT NOW.
>> THE BOARD ACKNOWLEDGES THE SIOUX CITY'S COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICTS DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAMMING PRESENTATION.
BOARD MEMBERS, DO YOU NEED? MIND HAVING A BREAK BEFORE WE GO, OR ARE YOU GUYS READY TO GO INTO IT?
>> I CAN GO. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE JUST A COUPLE MINUTE BREAK.
[01:47:56]
>> I WAS ASKING IF WE HAVE ANY KIDS WITH FIVE OH FOUR.
ARE WE READY TO GO? THEY WOULD NEED TO STRETCH OUT SO THEY DON'T PULL A HAMSTRING OR ANYTHING? I THOUGHT I'D ASK.
WE ARE TALKING ITEM F BOARD PRIORITIES.
[X.E. Board Priorities – District Leadership Team ]
OUR DLT IS UP THERE.I'M JUST GOING TO ALLOW ANGELA TO START AND SEE WHERE IT GOES.
>> WE ARE JUST BRINGING OUR BOARD PRIORITIES DOCUMENT.
DAN MOORE CAN EXPLAIN WHY WE'RE BRINGING IT BACK.
THEN, DAN, YOU CAN TELL ME IF I DID THIS PROPERLY.
WHEN THE BOARD PRIORITIES WERE AMENDED AT THE MEETING AT OUR LAST MEETING, THE UPLOADED PRIORITIES WAS DIFFERENT THAN THE DOCUMENT I PRESENTED.
IT WAS AN ACCIDENT THAT DIDN'T HAD A FEW THINGS THAT WERE MISSING FROM IT.
THEN THERE WAS THE AMENDMENT TO THE BOARD PRIORITIES.
DAN HAD STATED, CONTACTED CHENESE AND SAID, WE NEED TO BRING THEM BACK WITH THE DOCUMENT THAT IS AMENDED AND HAS THE ADDITIONS THAT IS THE DOCUMENT THAT I PRESENTED LAST TIME WITH THE AMENDMENTS ON IT AND THAT YOU ACKNOWLEDGE IT.
THE THE TWO AREAS THAT WERE ADDED, I'M GOING TO SCROLL DOWN HERE.
WE HAVE TO USE THE EXACT LANGUAGE AS WHAT WAS AMENDED.
WHAT I HAVE ADDED TO THE BOARD PRIORITY DOCUMENT, ARE THE AMENDMENTS OF AND IF YOU LOOK ON PAGE 3, RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PAGE, THE LAST TWO BULLETS RIGHT ABOVE PROGRESS TOWARD THE BOARD PRIORITIES WILL BE MEASURED BY.
THERE'S IMPLEMENTED KINDERGARTEN THROUGH
[01:50:02]
EIGHTH GRADE DUAL LANGUAGE SCHOOL EDUCATION OPTION, AND THEN IMPLEMENT KINDERGARTEN THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE MUSIC EDUCATION WITH THE SAME EMPHASIS AS CORE COURSES.THAT IS WHAT THE AMENDMENT WAS.
I DO WANT TO STATE IN LANCE, YOU CAN CHIME IN HERE THAT AFTER FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH DIRECTOR MK, THAT WHAT THE INTENTION OF THAT, BECAUSE MUSIC IS NOT A CORE COURSE.
WE DO STAFF MUSIC, THOUGH, WE DO STAFF CORE COURSES.
BUT WE DO NOT OFFER IT IN THE SAME WAY, EVERY STUDENT GETS THE CORE EVERY DAY.
EVERY STUDENT DOES NOT GET MUSIC EVERY DAY.
AS THEY GO AFTER ELEMENTARY, SOME STUDENTS DON'T HAVE ANY MUSIC EDUCATION AT CERTAIN PARTS OF THEIR EDUCATIONAL CAREER, OR THEY COULD HAVE IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH ITS OPTIONS.
WHAT DIRECTOR MK EMPHASIZED IS THAT IN THE VOCAL MUSIC IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHAT THE INTENT WAS IS THAT WE WOULD HAVE TWO FULL TIME TEACHERS IN EVERY VOCAL MUSIC CLASSROOM IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
DIRECTOR MK, DID I SUMMARIZE THAT?
>> I THINK WHAT I SAID THOUGH IS IT WAS THAT WE HAVE TWO VOCAL MUSIC TEACHERS IN EACH OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND THAT WOULD THEN BE UP TO THE PRINCIPALS THERE WHO ARE DOING THE SCHEDULING TO SEE HOW THE CLASSES COME TOGETHER.
I HAD TO HAVE TWO IN EVERY SINGLE CLASS.
BUT AS I DESCRIBED WHEN WE MET, IT'S THE TWO MEN IN A BUSINESS FOR MOVING THINGS, YOU WOULDN'T SEND ONE MAN IN A TRUCK TO MOVE COUCHES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THE REALITY WHEN YOU HAVE VOCAL MUSIC AND YOU HAVE MIDDLE SCHOOL IS YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY AT THE PIANO AND SOMEBODY DIRECTING.
IF YOU HAVE DIRECTING WITH NO PIANO, YOU'RE NOT LEARNING MUCH, AND YOU'RE BEHIND THE PIANO, YOU CAN'T CONTROL THE STUDENTS AS MUCH AND YOU REMEMBER WE'RE DEALING WITH MIDDLE SCHOOLERS.
ONE OF THE POINTS THAT I HAD IN OUR DISCUSSION THAT WE NEED TWO VOCAL MUSIC TEACHERS IN THOSE CHOIRS.
I THINK THE PRINCIPALS AT THE SCHOOLS ARE WELL CAPABLE OF WORKING OUT THE CLASSROOM SCHEDULE.
BUT THE POINT OF THE AMENDMENT WAS TO MAKE SURE WE HAD AT LEAST TWO VOCAL MUSIC INSTRUCTORS IN EACH ONE OF THOSE MIDDLE SCHOOLS.
SUMMARIZED IT WELL, I'M GLAD WE HAD OUR MEETING.
>> WE DID TOO. WE JUST WANT TO THAT'S FOR YOU TO DISCUSS? LOOKING AT THE LANGUAGE HERE, LOOKING AT WHAT THE INTENT, ALSO WITH THE STAFFING, THAT WE STAFF ACCORDING TO ENROLLMENT.
SOMETIMES WE MIGHT NEED MORE THAN TWO, SOMETIMES WE MIGHT NOT NEED TWO ACCORDING TO OUR WAY WE STAFF.
THAT WE WILL DO WHATEVER, WE JUST NEED THAT GUIDANCE OF IF THIS IS APPROVED, WHICH IT'S ALREADY BEEN APPROVED BECAUSE YOU'RE JUST ACKNOWLEDGING IT.
IS THERE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THAT IS? IS THERE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS THAT HAVE OTHER THOUGHTS OR IDEAS IN REGARDS TO MUSIC EDUCATION K EIGHT THAT WASN'T CAPTURED IN OUR DISCUSSION WITH DIRECTOR MK, BUT THAT MAYBE IS YOUR THOUGHT OR YOUR THOUGHTS?
>> THE AMENDMENT CHANGE ANYTHING.
DOES IT CHANGE ANYTHING THAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING?
>> CURRENTLY, WE HAVE TWO VOCAL TEACHERS AT EVERY MIDDLE SCHOOL.
BUT THAT'S BECAUSE OF STAFFING.
THAT'S BECAUSE WE NEED. NO. WE DON'T AT EVERY MIDDLE SCHOOL RIGHT NOW.
WE ONLY HAVE ONE AT WEST MIDDLE.
>> THE PARTIAL ONE AT NORTH MIDDLE.
>> WHY DON'T WE JUST OPEN THIS UP TO DISCUSSION OF THE BOARD.
BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION? MR. MICHAELSON, ARE WE ASKED THE ONE? MR. VAN, YOU WANT TO ADDRESS THAT.
>> IT COMES BACK TO WHAT MISS BEAMUS SAID ABOUT STAFFING.
IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE NUMBERS.
THERE ARE SOME YEARS WE NEED TWO FULL TIME VOCAL MUSIC TEACHERS AT ONE OF OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND THEN THERE ARE TIMES WE NEED LESS THAN ONE.
I JUST IS THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT ARE REGISTERING IN SIXTH SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE AND HOW MANY SECTIONS, WE DETERMINE SECTIONS BY STUDENTS, AND THEN WE DETERMINE STAFFING AFTER THOSE SECTIONS HAVE BEEN DETERMINED.
WE DON'T TALK ABOUT OUR STAFFING UNTIL THE SECTIONS HAVE BEEN DETERMINED.
STUDENTS HAVE CHOICE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, SOME STUDENTS, SOME YEARS.
THERE MIGHT BE A GRADE LEVEL AT ONE OF OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS STORES
[01:55:01]
A WHOLE BUNCH OF THEM TAKE VOCAL MUSIC.THEN THE NEXT YEAR, MAYBE THEY DON'T TAKE AS MUCH VOCAL MUSIC.
WE PLAY WITH THAT NUMBER EVERY YEAR, YEAR AND YEAR OUT.
>> THERE'S JUST NOT AN ALLOCATED NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO ARE REGISTERING.
FOR INSTANCE, IF THE NUMBERS ARE REALLY HEAVY, WE PUT TWO PEOPLE THERE.
LIKE EAST MIDDLE HAS HAD SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS THE LAST FEW YEARS.
WE TAKE ONE OF OUR ELEMENTARY PEOPLE AND WE PUT THEM AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.
AT OUR OTHER TWO HIGH SCHOOLS, WE'LL TAKE A HIGH SCHOOL PERSON AND TAKE THEM DOWN TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND BE THERE FOR A PERIOD OF A DAY OR TWO PERIODS, DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS.
WE HAVE AN ALLOCATION OF STAFFING AND WE MOVE THOSE AROUND ACCORDINGLY AS REGISTRATION HAPPENS YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT.
TO SPECIFICALLY SAY THERE ARE TWO FULL TIME OR ONE FULL TIME PERSON AT ANY ONE SCHOOL, THAT NUMBER FLUCTUATES YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT.
>> BUT IF I UNDERSTAND DIRECTOR MKS ANALOGY, IT TAKES TWO PEOPLE TO MOVE A COUCH.
ARE THESE TWO TEACHERS IN THE SAME CLASSROOM AT THE SAME TIME?
SOMETIMES THEY ARE, SOMETIMES THEY'RE NOT.
IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE NUMBERS.
THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THERE ARE TWO TEACHERS IN THE ROOM, AND THERE'S TIME THERE'S ONLY ONE TEACHER IN THE ROOM.
>> BUT IF I UNDERSTAND THE AMENDMENT, THIS IS SAYING HE WANTS TWO TEACHERS REGARDLESS AT EACH BUILDING, CORRECT?
>> I WASN'T AT THAT MEETING, BUT I BELIEVE THAT IS THE CASE, YES.
>> LANCE, IS THAT WHAT YOU MEAN? YOU WANT TWO NO MATTER WHAT, YOU WANT TWO TEACHERS IN EVERY ROOM ALL THE TIME?
>> I THINK HE SAID TWO AT ONE.
>> YEAH. THIS IS THIS BUSINESS ABOUT IN EVERY CLASSROOM.
NO. IT'S NOT EVERY CLASSROOM, BUT WHEN YOU GET READY TO HAVE A CLASS THAT IS A GROUP LIKE A CHOIR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT IF YOU HAVE LESS THAN TWO THERE, THEN YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH STUDENTS FOR CONTROL AND, YOU HAVE PLENTY OF STUDENTS.
WE HAD A SITUATION IN THIS DISTRICT WHERE WE HAD 500 ELEMENTARY STUDENTS AND WE THOUGHT THAT ONE COULD HANDLE THE WHOLE THING FOR 500 STUDENTS AND THAT DREW A WHOLE LOT OF ATTENTION FROM PARENTS AND THE LIKE.
BUT YOUR QUESTION IS, IS EVERY CLASS? NO. BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME SMALL ENOUGH CLASSES FOR MUSIC EDUCATION.
BUT IF YOU'RE DOING A CHOIR AND YOU'VE GOT MIDDLE SCHOOLERS, IT'S TWO MEN IN A TRUCK.
IT'S THE SAME STORY. YOU NEED TWO TEACHERS FOR A CHOIR.
>> I WATCH IT DIFFERENTLY EVERY DAY.
I'M JUST SAYING I TRY TO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I WATCH THAT DIFFERENTLY EVERY DAY.
I WATCH ONE TEACHER TEACH A ROOMFUL OF KIDS. JUST SAYING.
>> IN OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL, THE ONLY VOCAL MUSIC COURSES WE HAVE AT OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL ARE CHOIRS.
BUT WHEN YOU GO TO THE HIGH SCHOOL, WE HAVE WE HAVE OTHER MUSIC COURSES THAT ARE NOT CHOIRS.
HARMONY AND SO ON AND SO FORTH, WE HAVE DIFFERENT COURSES THAT INVOLVE A SINGULAR TEACHER.
BUT IN OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL, ALL THREE OF THEM, SIXTH SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE, THEY ARE ALL CHOIRS.
>> DIRECTOR MILLER. I'M CONFUSED BECAUSE I THINK THAT WE SPENT HUNDREDS OF HOURS COMBINED TALKING ABOUT HOW MANY CHOIR TEACHERS WE NEEDED IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND THE HIGH SCHOOLS, AND WE HAD ONE, WE HAD 1.5, WE HAD MATH THAT COULDN'T ADD UP TO 3.5, AND THEN WE HAD TWO.
TO SAY THAT WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TEACHERS WE'RE BUDGETING FOR OR UNTIL THEY DO THE ENROLLMENT, I THINK AND I COULD BE WRONG.
MY FACTS MIGHT NOT BE THERE, BUT I THINK IT WAS OVER 500 STUDENTS AT EAST MIDDLE THAT WANTED TO TAKE CHOIR, AND WE WERE TRYING TO JUGGLE WHERE THE CHOIR TEACHERS WERE COMING FROM, AND IT WAS A BUDGET ISSUE, NOT A CLASSROOM SIZE ISSUE.
WHAT I'M HEARING FROM DIRECTOR MK WEEKS AGO, AND FOR THE LAST YEAR IS WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS ISN'T THE PROGRAM THAT GETS SACRIFICED EVERY TIME WE CUT A BUDGET MEMBER.
WE'LL LET YOU GUYS ENROLL AND MANAGE YOUR CLASSROOMS THE WAY THEY NEED TO BE MANAGED, BUT THIS ISN'T THE PLACE THAT YOU CUT EVERY TIME.
I THINK THAT'S THE TRUE INTENT IS IT'S A PRIORITY.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAVE THE CHOIR PROGRAMS THAT ANY OF THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS HAVE AND THAT WE CAN GO TOE TO TOE WITH THEM WHEN WE NEED TO.
THAT'S NOT THE REASON WHY KIDS ARE LEAVING OUR SCHOOLS TO GO DO CHOIR AT SCHOOL.
>> THE CHANGE, IF I MAY JUST ADD TO THAT.
THAT'S A FAIR ASSESSMENT OF WHAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THE LAST TIME.
AFTER THAT CONVERSATION, AND, YES, IT WAS MULTIPLE BOARD MEETINGS IN A ROW AND A LOT OF GOOD INPUT FROM A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
WHAT WE DID DIFFERENTLY IS EACH ONE OF OUR FEEDER PROGRAMS, LIKE EAST MIDDLE AND EAST HIGH, WHO HAD THE MOST VOCAL STUDENTS.
THE PRINCIPALS BROUGHT THEIR VOCAL STAFF TOGETHER AND SAID, "HOW DO YOU WANT TO DO? HOW DO YOU WANT TO DIVIDE UP THESE SECTIONS? HOW DO YOU WANT TO STAFF THESE SECTIONS? HOW DO YOU WANT TO TEACH SINGULARLY OR TOGETHER? ", AND WE LET OUR TEACHERS HAVE A VOICE IN HOW THOSE WERE RUN, AND SINCE THAT TIME, HUGE SUCCESS.
I THINK OUR TEACHERS ARE MUCH HAPPIER, I THINK OUR STUDENTS ARE MUCH HAPPIER AND I THINK OUR PRODUCT IS BETTER.
[02:00:03]
WE LET OUR TEACHERS HAVE A HUGE VOICE IN HOW THEY WANTED TO DO THAT.WE WERE TAKING AN ASSISTANT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AND RUNNING THEM DOWN TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
SOME SCHOOLS CHOSE TO TAKE THEIR HEAD IN THEIR ASSISTANT AND BOTH GO DOWN TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.
WE HAD AN ELEMENTARY PERSON COMING UP.
WE LET OUR TEACHERS HAVE A HUGE VOICE SINCE THAT EVENT MULTIPLE YEARS AGO.
SINCE THAT TIME, I HOPE YOU'VE HEARD NOTHING BUT POSITIVE FROM OUR VOCAL TEACHERS AFTER THAT CHANGE IN THE WAY WE DO BUSINESS.
WE ARE STAFFING IT BY ENROLLMENT, BUT ONE THING THAT WE DON'T LAY OFF TEACHERS, SO WE DO WHEN WE SAY SOMETIMES WE DO HAVE TWO TEACHERS IN A ROOM BECAUSE MAYBE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SECTIONS FOR A FULL TEACHER.
WE JUST KEEP THE TEACHER AND WE HAVE THEM SUPPORT OTHER AREAS OF MUSIC OR ANOTHER TEACHER.
WHERE WE ADD IS WHEN AFTER WE'VE EXHAUSTED ALL OF OUR MUSIC STAFF, AND WE STILL CAN'T MAKE IT WORK, THEN THAT'S WHEN WE ADD.
>> I GUESS WHAT I'M HEARING AND IT'S MY OPINION.
I'M HEARING THAT WHAT THIS PRIORITY IS RECOMMENDING IS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE TO STAFF THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT, TWO AND EVERY BUILDING, NOT IN EVERY BUILDING, TWO AND EVERY MIDDLE SCHOOL CURRENTLY.
IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN ART'S GOING TO DO IT NEXT.
OTHER CLASSES ARE GOING TO DO IT.
THEY'RE GOING TO DEMAND TO HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF TEACHERS THERE.
I WATCHED PE. THERE'S 70 KIDS IN A CLASSROOM, SO WE COULD PROBABLY PUT THREE ADDITIONAL TEACHERS THERE.
>> THERE'S NOT REALLY 70 KIDS.
THE STAFF, THOUGH THERE IS ALMOST 40.
FOR A TEACHER, BUT ALL THREE TEACHERS ARE ALL TOGETHER AND THEY GET-.
>> A TEACHER AND A HALF RIGHT THERE.
I'M STAFFING ONE SECTION WITH 70 STUDENTS.
>> I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT THIS SETS A PRECEDENT THAT OTHER SUBJECTS, OTHER CLASSES.
DISCIPLINES ARE GOING TO SAY, "WHAT ABOUT US? WE WANT GUARANTEES TO".
>> IN COMPLETE FAIRNESS, OUR VOCAL MUSIC WE'VE DONE THE SAME THING WITH.
WE'VE ALLOWED OUR TEACHERS AND OUR PRINCIPALS TO SIT DOWN AND FIGURE OUT HOW BEST TO STAFF OUR SIX THROUGH 12 INSTRUMENTAL AND VOCAL MUSIC PROGRAMS SINCE THAT EVENT MULTIPLE YEARS AGO.
I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD HEAR FROM OUR TEACHERS THAT IT'S BEEN A HUGE SUCCESS BECAUSE THEY HAVE A VOICE IN WHETHER THERE'S TWO TEACHERS IN THE ROOM OR THREE TEACHERS IN THE ROOM OR ONE TEACHER IN THE ROOM, DEPENDING ON TALENT LEVEL AND GRADE LEVEL OF SECTION.
>> SO THERE'S NOTHING REALLY TO SORRY.
>> SO THERE'S NOTHING REALLY TO CHANGE OR THE MUSIC IS CONCERNED. WOULD THAT BE CORRECT?
>> THAT THAT'S FOR THE BOARD TO DECIDE.
WE ARE SAYING THAT THIS IS HOW WE STAFF IT.
[OVERLAPPING] YOU'RE ASKING, DO WE NEED TO CHANGE IT OR THAT'S REALLY?
>> OKAY. LET ME RESPOND TO THAT.
I THINK WHAT'S HAPPENED IS BECAUSE I USED A PRACTICAL EXAMPLE AS AN ILLUSTRATION OF A FACT, AND OF COURSE, YOU CAN HAVE OTHER CLASSES WHERE THEY ARE ESSENTIALLY A GROUP CLASS, THEY'RE ALL IN THE CHAIRS AND THE LIKE, AND THEY HAVE A NUMBER, AND THIS IS WHY WE HAVE PRINCIPALS AT THE SCHOOLS THAT CAN HELP FIGURE OUT THE STAFFING THAT YOU NEED, BUT YOU PUT ONE AND I THINK MR. VANDER WAS SUMMARIZING WELL THAT I THINK WE ALL CAME TO LEARN THAT WHAT HAPPENED THAT TIME THAT MADE SO MANY PARENTS UPSET AND MET WITH WAS 500 STUDENTS AND ONE TEACHER WAS JUST AS DIRECTOR MILLER POINTED, WAS THE PLACE THAT THE SACRIFICE WAS APPLIED, AND WE HAD OTHER SITUATIONS GOING ON THEN SUCH AS TEACHER SHORTAGES IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT CATEGORIES, BUT THAT WAS PITTED AS CORE VERSUS MUSIC.
YET MUSIC FOR K THROUGH EIGHT IS, IN FACT, A REQUIREMENT THAT THE STATE OF IOWA HAS.
YOUR QUESTION, MR. MICHAELSON, IS NOW YOU'RE GETTING INTO NUMBERS.
THAT'S BECAUSE I USED AN ILLUSTRATION.
THE LANGUAGE SAYS THAT IMPLEMENT KINDERGARTEN THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE MUSIC EDUCATION WITH THE SAME EMPHASIS AS CORE COURSES.
WE'RE SAYING IS THAT DIRECTOR MILLER SAID IT, IS THAT MUSIC ISN'T AUTOMATICALLY THE SACRIFICE EVERY TIME THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME SHORTAGE ALONG THE WAY.
NOBODY'S TALKED ABOUT NUMBERS IN THE BULLETS.
LET'S PAY ATTENTION TO THE LANGUAGE THAT'S IN THE PRIORITIES AND STAY WITH WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN VOTED IN.
[02:05:01]
>> MAYBE WHAT I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING IS THIS, "ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THE WAY THAT THESE GUYS ARE DOING THIS RIGHT NOW?" THAT'S MY QUESTION.
>> YOU'VE BEEN HAPPY WITH IT FOR A NUMBER OF FOR TWO OR THREE YEARS NOW, IS THAT CORRECT?
>> TWO? YOU'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD FOR TWO.
>> IS THAT THE ISSUE THAT YOU THINK IT'S WHETHER I'M HAPPY WITH OR NOT?
LANCE, I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND YOU.
I CAN I GET THE LANGUAGE. I SEE THE WORDS.
>> WHY IS THIS A BOARD PRIORITY IF WE'RE ALREADY DOING IT? THAT'S THE PART THAT IS WHY ARE WE MAKING THIS PART OF A SUPERINTENDENT'S GOALS IF THIS IS ALREADY BEING DONE? THAT'S CONFUSING TO ME.
>> WAIT. I APPRECIATE I JUST HEARD SOMETHING.
WHEN YOU SAY A SUPERINTENDENT'S GOALS AND I APPRECIATE WE GOT INTO THIS IDEA THAT THE PRIORITY STATEMENT, WHICH IS A VISION STATEMENT IS AUTOMATICALLY A SUPERINTENDENT'S GOALS, GENERALLY, I WOULD SAY THAT'S TRUE, BUT WHETHER YOU CAN DO THEN THE NEXT THING THAT GOES INTO IT, WHICH I THINK HAS BEEN JOHN MYERS CONCERN ALL ALONG IS YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER BUDGET.
BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS THE MUSIC PROGRAM HAS GENERALLY BEEN EXCELLENT IN THIS DISTRICT.
THERE HAVE BEEN SOME TIMES WHEN IT FALLS DOWN AND WHEN THOSE TIMES HAPPEN IS WHEN IT SEEMS TO BE THE ONE THING THAT CAN BE SACRIFICED IF THERE'S PRESSURE SOMEWHERE ELSE, AND WE'RE SAYING THAT OUGHT TO BE GIVEN EQUAL ATTENTION TO BEING SOLVED, AND I THINK MR. VANDER'S TALKED ABOUT HOW ATTENTION HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THAT.
IF YOU'RE ASKING, DO I THINK THE CURRICULUM NEEDS TO BE CHANGED FOR MUSIC IN SECONDARY MIDDLE SCHOOL, THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS SAYS.
IT JUST SAYS THAT MUSIC SHOULD BE GIVEN THE SAME EMPHASIS AS CORE COURSES IN K THROUGH EIGHT.
>> I THINK THIS GOES BACK AGAIN TO SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT I MADE THE LAST TIME WE VISITED BOARD PRIORITIES IS AND I WAS NOT INVOLVED WHEN THIS WAS DRAFTED.
BUT AS I LOOK AT IT FROM MY EXPERIENCE, BOTH IN THE BUSINESS WORLD AND IN HIGHER EDUCATION, I THINK WE HAVE A DOCUMENT THAT IS PROVIDING BOTH HIGH LEVEL VISION AND ASPIRATIONAL GOALS, PROVIDING SOME DIRECTION FOR WHERE WE WANT TO BE IN THE FUTURE.
MUDDLED IN THE MIX OF THAT ARE DEFINITELY SOME OPERATIONAL THINGS, AS YOU MENTIONED, DIRECTOR MICHAELSON.
AS I LOOK AT THIS, TO SAY WE SHOULDN'T HAVE ANYTHING IN HERE THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CURRENTLY DO.
DO YOU NOT CURRENTLY EVALUATE CURRICULUM AND RESOURCES IN AN ONGOING MATTER TO ENSURE ALIGNMENT WITH RESEARCH AND EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICES? A LOT OF THESE THINGS ARE THINGS THAT YOU'RE CURRENTLY DOING.
I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE CONFUSION THAT YOU'RE EXPERIENCING, AND I THINK PART OF THE CONFUSION AND DISAGREEMENT AMONGST THE BOARD HERE IS THAT WE'VE GOT A DOCUMENT THAT INCLUDES BOTH ASPIRATIONAL THINGS AS WELL AS OPERATIONAL THINGS.
WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST IS NEXT YEAR WHEN WE GET TO THIS, THIS BOARD REALLY NEEDS TO DECIDE WHAT IS THIS DOCUMENT? IS THIS SETTING A VISION? IS IT SETTING ASPIRATIONAL GOALS THAT WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH IN THREE TO FIVE YEARS, WHICH IS PERSONALLY WHAT I THINK A STRATEGIC PLAN DOES, OR ARE WE SETTING A DOCUMENT IN FRONT OF YOU THAT BECOMES A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION DOCUMENT? THAT'S NOT AT ALL WHAT I WOULD EVER CONSIDER THIS.
AS I LISTEN TO THIS CONVERSATION, THAT'S WHAT THIS HAS TURNED INTO.
I THINK THE FRUSTRATION FOR EVERYONE HERE IS THAT THIS DOCUMENT IS NEBULOUS.
NOBODY REALLY KNOWS WHAT IT IS OR WHY WE HAVE IT OR WHAT IT'S TO BE USED FOR.
>> WHAT I UNDERSTAND IT TO BE USED FOR IS THE BOARD PRIORITIES ARE WHAT THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS TO SUCCEED AT.
>> I WOULD AGREE WITH DR. HANSON AND NOT WITH THAT VIEW THAT THIS IS A REPORT CARD.
THIS IS A STATEMENT OF VISION.
>> I WAS GOING TO READ THE EXACT SAME EXAMPLE THAT DR. HANSON DID.
>> I COULD HAVE PICKED SEVEN OTHERS.
>> THIS IS A DIRECTIONAL DOCUMENT, AND THERE ARE ITEMS IN HERE THAT WE SHOULD BE EVALUATING OUR DISTRICT ON, AND OUR SUPERINTENDENT IS WHERE THAT BUCK STOPS.
YES, SOME OF THIS WOULD GO TO A PERFORMANCE REVIEW, BUT NOT EVERY LINE ITEM ON THIS IS IN A PERFORMANCE REVIEW.
I THINK IT'S ASININE THAT WE CAN'T GET PAST THOSE TWO ELEMENTS BECAUSE LANCE SUGGESTED THEM, I THINK IS THE ONLY THING THAT'S HOLDING US UP RIGHT NOW AND WE WANT THEM TO BE PRIORITIES.
WE VOTED FOR THEM TO BE PRIORITIES, AND SO I DON'T THINK IT'S UP FOR REVOTE TONIGHT.
IT IS UP FOR ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT WE HAVE A NEW DOCUMENT IN FRONT OF US.
[02:10:04]
>> I'M GLAD YOU SAID THAT. HERE'S REASONS FOR RECONSIDERATION OF THE BOARD PRIORITIES, AND THESE ARE MINE.
MISALIGNMENT WITH THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
THE AMENDING PRIORITIES CONFLICT WITH THE DISTRICT ESTABLISHED GUIDELINE GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR BUDGET DEVELOPMENT, WHICH ARE DESIGNED TO ENSURE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, SUSTAINABILITY AND ALIGNMENT WITH DISTRICT GOALS.
THE AMENDMENTS WERE INTRODUCED AFTER GUIDANCE HAD BEEN GIVEN.
ALREADY HAD BEEN PROVIDED FOLLOWING THE MOST RECENT WORK SESSION.
THE TIMING DEVIATED FROM THE AGREED UPON PROCESS AND LIMITED THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THOUGHTFUL DISCUSSION AND COLLABORATION.
INSUFFICIENT REVIEW BY DISTRICT LEADERSHIP.
DISTRICT LEADERSHIP WAS NOT AFFORDED ADEQUATE TIME TO THOROUGHLY REVIEW, ANALYZE, AND VET THE PROPOSED PRIORITIES TO DETERMINE FEASIBILITY, RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS, AND POTENTIAL IMPACT ON EXISTING OPERATIONS.
CONFLICT WITH CURRENT STAFFING GUIDELINES.
PROPOSED CRITERIA RUNS COUNTER TO THE DISTRICT CURRENT STAFFING MODEL, WHICH RELIES ON ENROLLMENT DATA TO DETERMINE CLASS SECTIONS STAFFING LEVELS.
THE MODEL DIRECTLY INFORMS BUDGET DEVELOPMENT, ENSURES EQUITABLE AND EFFICIENT ALLOCATION RESOURCES.
HERE'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE CONCERNS.
IT IS MY BELIEF THE ADDITION OF THESE PRIORITIES APPEAR TO BE DRIVEN MORE BY CURRENT COMPOSITION OF THE BOARD THAN BY COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION, WHAT IS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE DISTRICT.
EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE REQUIRES DECISION TO BE GROUNDED IN STUDENT NEEDS, OPERATION CAPACITY, AND FISCAL REALITIES RATHER THAN BOARD DYNAMICS.
THE ONLY WAY FOR THIS TO HAPPEN IS FOR ONE OF THE FOUR WHO VOTED FOR THE AMENDMENTS TO REOPEN DISCUSSION AND VOTE AGAIN FOR THE PRIORITIES AS YOU ORIGINALLY PRESENTED ON DECEMBER 8TH.
WILL ONE OF YOU MAKE THAT MOTION?
>> I'M A NO. I FEEL BLINDSIDED USING YOUR WORDS AS YOU E MAILED US ALL AFTER WE HAD THAT VOTE ON PRIORITIES.
A PRIORITY DOCUMENT IS A DOCUMENT THAT SAYS, WE WANT YOU TO CONSIDER THESE THINGS IN YOUR DAILY WORK.
THERE IS NOTHING THAT WAS PRESENTED THAT SAID, YOU HAVE TO DO THIS AND IT WILL COST THIS MUCH AND YOU HAVE TO DO IT BY THIS DATE.
THIS IS A DOCUMENT THAT GIVES GUIDANCE, AND I WOULD DISAGREE THAT WE HAVEN'T GIVEN GOOD GUIDANCE ON THESE PRIORITIES BECAUSE WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW DOES THE CABINET GET GUIDANCE? WHERE DID THEY GET IT FROM? THEY SAW THE VIDEO.
THIS NOW IS A DOCUMENT THAT WE VOTED ON, WHETHER YOU VOTED FOR OR AGAINST THE PRIORITIES.
>> I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE WITH DIRECTOR MILLER.
>> LET ME ASK YOU THIS. DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THE WAY THIS DOCUMENT IS SET RIGHT NOW, THE WAY IT'S BEEN PRESENTED OVER THE COURSE OF TIME IS WHEN YOU HAVE A BOARD PRIORITY, THAT BECOMES WHAT THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS TO ACCOMPLISH.
WHEN YOU ADD IN THE LAST WEEK WHEN WE ADDED IN THE DUAL LANGUAGE STUFF? CLEARLY, WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING WITH THAT.
WE HAVE ZERO IDEA WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING WITH THAT, AND THEN IT'S AN IMPOSSIBILITY FOR OUR SUPERINTENDENT TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THIS.
IF I'M A SUPERINTENDENT OR I'M A CANDIDATE FOR SUPERINTENDENT, AND I'M LOOKING AT OUR DISTRICT.
I'VE GOT TO GO. THIS IS AN IMPOSSIBLE GOAL.
THIS IS NOT SUSTAINABLE IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM.
IT'S A HOPE. IT'S AN ASPIRATION.
EVERYBODY HAS SAID THAT. THAT'S GREAT.
THAT IT'S A WISH AND A HOPE AND AN ASPIRATION, BUT WE CAN'T SADDLE WHOEVER IS NEXT IN THAT CHAIR WITH HOPES AND ASPIRATIONS.
BUT IF I'M A SUPERINTENDENT CANDIDATE COMING IN, I'M GOING TO BALK AT, WHAT ARE MY GOALS? THIS IS ON THERE, IT MAKES LITTLE OR NO SENSE TO ME.
WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING OUR BOARD GOALS IN MARCH.
>> WE CAN TABLE THIS FOR NOW AND WE CAN COME BACK TO IT IN 60 DAYS.
[02:15:04]
BUT TO SAY THIS IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO IT, THAT IS SPOOKY TO ME.IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO ME.
WE LISTEN TO PATTY TONIGHT, AND HER PRESENTATION, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT OUR SSA IS GOING TO BE.
WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW WE CAN'T GUESS AT THIS.
>> SINCE WE DON'T HAVE THE ANSWERS, WHY DON'T WE JUST SHUT DOWN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT AND LET THE STATE RUN IT?
>> YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING OUTSIDE THE BOX.
>> BECAUSE I'VE ATTENDED MANY OF THESE MEETINGS WHERE WE'VE SHARED THAT WE ARE ALL LIFELONG LEARNERS.
I WOULD SHARE WITH YOU SOME INFORMATION THAT'S WIDELY ACCESSIBLE THROUGH A BASIC GOOGLE SEARCH, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STRATEGIC AND OPERATIONAL ASPIRATIONAL VERSUS OPERATIONAL AND OPERATIONAL ACTION PLANS.
AGAIN, I'M GOING TO STATE, THE BOARD PRIORITY IN THIS DOCUMENT IS STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, CONTINUOUS ACADEMIC IMPROVEMENT FOR ALL STUDENTS.
IT'S THIS PART IN THE BOX AT THE TOP.
EVERYTHING BELOW THAT, IS SUPPORT FOR IT.
THIS DOCUMENT SAYS PROGRESS TOWARDS THESE PRIORITIES WILL BE MEASURED USING THE FOLLOWING KPIS.
NONE OF THE MEASUREMENT CHANGED.
THE BOARD PRIORITY THAT WE ARE FOCUSED ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, CONTINUOUS ACADEMIC IMPROVEMENT FOR ALL STUDENTS DIDN'T CHANGE.
WHAT CHANGED IS FOUR MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD, A SIMPLE MAJORITY SAID, WE CONSIDER PART OF THAT TO BE HAVING MULTILINGUAL INSTRUCTION AND MUSIC INSTRUCTION TO BE PRIORITIES.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THERE'S AN EXPECTATION FOR IT TO BE DELIVERED.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK AT STRATEGIC PLANS FOR OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICT.
A STRATEGIC PLAN YOU CAN ASK ANYONE WHO HAS TAUGHT ANY BUSINESS PLANNING, OPERATIONAL PLANNING, A STRATEGIC PLAN IS NOT A ONE YEAR DOCUMENT.
IT'S NOT A ONE YEAR MEASUREMENT TOOL.
IT IS A VISION CASTING ASPIRATIONAL DOCUMENT.
THE FACT THAT WE ARE STUCK IN THIS MIRE OF ARGUING, DO WE HAVE TO ACHIEVE THIS TODAY? DO WE HAVE THE BUDGET TO ACHIEVE IT TODAY? I DON'T THINK ANYONE WHO VOTED FOR THIS EXPECTED THIS TO BE ACHIEVED TODAY, AND THERE'S NOTHING IN THIS DOCUMENT THAT SAYS THAT IS THE EXPECTATION THAT THIS IS ACHIEVED BY THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
THAT IS A PERCEPTION THAT THE DISSENTING MEMBERS HAVE BROUGHT TO THIS CONVERSATION.
THAT'S NOTHING THAT WAS IN AN EMOTION, THAT'S NOTHING THAT'S IN THIS DOCUMENT.
I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S HARD TO GET PAST THAT STRATEGIC IS VISION CASTING, IT'S LONG-TERM FOCUS.
OPERATIONAL ACTION PLANNING IS A SEPARATE PROCESS.
SUPERINTENDENT PERFORMANCE EVALUATION IS A SEPARATE PROCESS.
SHOULD THEY BE ALIGNED? ABSOLUTELY. ARE THEY THE SAME? DEFINITELY NOT.
SOMEBODY TELL ME THAT THIS IS NOT HOW WE DO OUR PRIORITIES FOR OUR SUPERINTENDENT.
>> I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE DIDN'T DO IT FOR THE LAST SUPERINTENDENT BECAUSE HE HAD AUTOMATIC INCREASES BUILT IN.
WE DID NOT USE EVERY ONE OF THESE BULLET ITEMS TO MEASURE PERFORMANCE ON ANYBODY SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD.
>> BUT DID WE GO OVER IT AT THE TIME? WAS THIS THE LIST THAT WE USED?
>> SURE. THERE WAS A STACK OF PAPER THAT WAS PASSED OUT AND DIDN'T SAY HOW WE MET EVERY ONE OF THOSE BULLETS?
>> THIS IS EXACTLY [OVERLAPPING]
>> BE RESPECTFUL, BOTH OF YOU, PLEASE.
ACTION STEPS ARE THE STEPS THAT YOU'RE JUDGED BY.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
PRIORITIES ARE WHAT WE FOCUS AND SIGNAL WHERE YOU WANT THE SCHOOL TO GO TO.
GOALS ARE MEASURABLE OUTCOMES.
BUT LET'S SAY WE GET A PERSON THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW WHAT? IN MY MIND, I'M GOING TO PICK 1, 2, AND 3.
IMPLEMENTING KINDERGARTEN THROUGH EIGHTH AND IMPLEMENT DUAL LANGUAGE MUSIC AND STUFF K THROUGH EIGHT ISN'T ONE OF MINE.
ALL OF A SUDDEN, DIRECTOR MILLER SAYS, HEY, YOU FAILED ON THOSE TWO POINTS.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
THAT WHEN WE SET THE PRIORITIES, THE PRIORITIES WOULD DRIVE THE SUPERINTENDENTS GOALS.
TO ME, WE'VE DONE AN INJUSTICE BECAUSE IT'S
[02:20:04]
LIKE WE HAVEN'T GOT OUR BUDGET FIGURED OUT YET.LET'S SAY WE DO THIS. LET'S SAY THAT BECOMES ONE OF THE THINGS.
SUPERINTENDENT COMES IN AND SAYS, I'M GOING TO DO THE DUAL LANGUAGE.
BUT WE'RE GOING TO CUT SOMEWHERE ELSE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T RAISE OUR BUDGET.
TELL ME RIGHT NOW, DIRECTOR MILLER, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO CUT?
>> I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE HAVE TO CUT, DIRECTOR GEORGE, BUT WE JUST HEARD THAT WE ARE DOWN 302 STUDENTS.
THAT WOULD TELL ME THAT WE HAVE I DON'T KNOW, 15 STUDENTS PER CLASSROOM, THAT MEANS WE HAVE HOW MANY EXTRA TEACHERS CURRENTLY.
WE DON'T GET RID OF TEACHERS, WE KEEP THEM, WE MOVE THEM, WE SHUFFLE THEM.
WE DIDN'T SAY CUT THE BUDGET BY X NUMBER OF TEACHERS.
WE SAID, YOUR BUDGET IS YOUR BUDGET.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU PUT THAT BUDGET TOGETHER WITH AN ASSUMPTION.
OCTOBER 1ST, WE LEARNED THAT THAT ASSUMPTION WASN'T TRUE, AND WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.
THAT'S WHAT ADULTS DO AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS IN THE BUSINESS WORLD, AND THE SCHOOL IS A BUSINESS.
THERE'S A PROFIT AND A LOSS TO EVERYTHING WE DO WITH A RETURN ON INVESTMENT.
WHAT WE JUST SAID ABOUT DUAL LANGUAGE WAS, THERE'S AN $8 MILLION GRANT COMING TO IOWA FOR THAT SPECIFIC ITEM.
IT DOES NOT GET MIRED IN YOUR PAST AND STAY THERE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU DID 30 YEARS AGO.
>> I THINK AGAIN, IT'S THE WHOLE POINT AND VERY WELL STATED BY DIRECTOR HANSON, THAT WHILE IN THE PAST SEVERAL FEW YEARS HERE, THAT THIS STRATEGIC PLAN HAS BEEN USED AS SOME CATEGORY REPORT CARD OR REASON WHY SOMEONE EITHER WAS DOING WELL ENOUGH OR NOT, THAT THAT IS NOT THE WAY IT IS DONE ANYWHERE ELSE, AND THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT REPORT CARD IS A DIFFERENT THING THAN THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS ABOUT VISION AND THE DIRECTION YOU HOPE TO GO.
>> WE DO, IT'S A STRATEGIC PLAN. THAT'S WHAT WE CALL IT.
>> CAN I SUGGEST A COMPROMISE?
>> FOR THESE TWO ITEMS, WOULD THOSE THAT TAKE AT LEAST ONE OF THE FOUR, SAY IN THE LONGER TERM DATA DATA DATA.
AS A PRACTICAL MATTER, THIS IS FOR THE 25-26 SCHOOL YEAR.
IN TWO MONTHS, WE START LOOKING AT 26-27, AND THAT'S WHEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE STRUCTURE AND WHAT FITS WHERE AND THAT TYPE OF THING.
I'M JUST TRYING TO GET PAST TODAY, QUITE FRANKLY.
>> I APPRECIATE THAT YOU POINTED OUT THIS IS A 25-26 DOCUMENT.
IT SEEMS THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN THAT A SUPERINTENDENT IS GOING TO BE JUDGED BY THIS DOCUMENT.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU ALL REMEMBER, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ONE, AND WE ARE NOT LIKELY TO HAVE ONE BY THE END OF THE 25-26 SCHOOL YEAR.
ASKING TO ADD ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE IS GOING TO IMPACT NO ONE.
THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN VOTED ON.
THAT'S THE POINT OF PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE IS THAT WHEN A VOTE IS TAKEN, THAT IS THE DECISION, AND YOU MOVE FORWARD.
YES, I'D LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD TOO.
I THINK WE HAVE BY TAKING THE VOTE AND THE VOTE COMING OUT AS IT DID.
>> I JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU I DID IT RESPECTFULLY, BY THE WAY, DR. HANSON.
I DID REQUEST A RECONSIDERATION.
>> YES, YOU DID. I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.
THANK YOU. SORRY, DIRECTOR GEORGE I'M JUST NOT APPLIED THAT WAY.
>> IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE WE'RE GOING TO GET ANYWHERE.
I'M STILL CONCERNED ABOUT THE GUARANTEE OF STAFFING IN CERTAIN SUBJECT MATTERS. I'M SURE WE'LL HAVE.
YOU AND I WILL DISAGREE ON THAT, DR. HANSON. WITH THAT BEING SAID.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ACKNOWLEDGED THE BOARD PRIORITIES FOR THE 25-26 SCHOOL YEAR.
WE'LL BE BACK IN MARCH DOING IT AGAIN.
ITEM G FACILITY RENTAL AGREEMENTS.
[X.G. Facility Rental Agreements – Jarod Mozer/ Jim Vanderloo]
MR. MOSER, MR. VAN, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE AND EXECUTE THE FACILITY RENTAL CONTRACTS?>> WE HAVE A FIRST, WE HAVE A SECOND.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? SEANIECE, IS THERE A CITIZEN INPUT? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
>> ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAY NAY, MOTION PASSES 6/0.
FIRST READING OF BOARD POLICIES,
[X.H. First Reading of Board Policies]
105 ASSISTANT ANIMALS, 400.1 CODE OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT,[02:25:06]
ETHICS AND CODE OF RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES, 503.5 TITLE 1 PARENT AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT, 505.14, CLOSED CAMPUS 521.3, INTERVIEW BY OR ON BEHALF OF EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES, 602.9 MULTICULTURAL AND GENDER FAIR APPROACHES TO THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM.605.4 GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS, 606.3 ANIMALS IN THE CLASSROOM, 691.1 SCHOOL CALENDAR 904.0 UNMANNED AIRCRAFT AND AIRBORNE DEVICES DRONES.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE LISTED BOARD POLICIES FOR FIRST READING?
>> WE HAVE FIRST, WE HAVE A SECOND.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? DR. HANSON.
>> I JUST HAVE A POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
THE PROPOSED CHANGE TO POLICY 105 REGARDING ASSISTANCE ANIMALS, APPEARS AS THOUGH IT'S STRIKING REFERENCE TO ASSISTIVE ANIMALS.
IF THAT'S THE INTENT, I JUST WANT TO MENTION THAT ASSISTIVE ANIMALS AS MENTIONED LATER IN THIS POLICY AND ALSO IN POLICY 606.3.
IF WE'RE GOING TO STRIKE THEM, WE MIGHT WANT TO STRIKE THEM AT ALL OF THEM. THANK YOU.
>> THAT DOESN'T AFFECT THE FIRST READING, RIGHT? WE'RE STILL GOOD ON THAT.
WE JUST GOT TO MAKE IT. ANY CITIZEN INPUT?
>> ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
>> ALL THOSE OPPOSED, SAY NAY.
IS THERE A MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT?
>> WE HAVE FIRST, WE HAVE A SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY.
>> ALL THOSE OPPOSE, SAY NAY, WE ARE ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.