>> WELL, GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO THE DECEMBER MEETING OF THE FERNDALE SCHOOL BOARD. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US WHETHER LIVE OR ONLINE. WE ARE A LITTLE BIT BEHIND SCHEDULE. WE HAD OUR JOINT MEETING WITH THE LUMMI NATION EDUCATION BOARD TONIGHT AND HAD SOME GOOD CONVERSATION. APOLOGIZE FOR BEING A LITTLE BIT BEHIND, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT WAS A GOOD TIME AND DEFINITELY BENEFICIAL FOR ALL THAT WERE INVOLVED. AS I FREQUENTLY STATE, THE PURPOSE OF THIS AND EVERY OTHER SCHOOL BOARD MEETING IS TO CONDUCT THE BUSINESS OF THE BOARD. THAT BUSINESS IS TO FACILITATE THE MISSION OF OUR DISTRICT TO PREPARE EACH STUDENT TO THRIVE IN AN EVER CHANGING WORLD BY PROVIDING A RIGOROUS EDUCATION THAT FOSTERS ACADEMIC GROWTH, NURTURES CONFIDENCE, AND ENCOURAGES CRITICAL THINKING. TO FAITHFULLY EXECUTE THAT PURPOSE, THE BOARD NEEDS TO HEAR AND DISCUSS A WIDE ARRAY OF OPINIONS ON EACH ISSUE. THAT PROCESS IS BEST SERVED WHEN ALL INVOLVED FOCUS ON THE ISSUES RATHER THAN THE PERSONALITIES. COUPLE OF HOUSEKEEPING MATTERS. IF THERE IS AN EVENT WHERE WE NEED TO EXIT THE BUILDING, THE EXITS ARE THE SAME DOORS THAT YOU CAME IN, AND IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN HERE BEFORE OR AREN'T AWARE OF IT, THE BATHROOMS ARE OUT THE DOORS AND UP THE HALL, UP THE RAMP. WITH THAT, WE WILL GO AHEAD AND START TONIGHT'S MEETING. DID THE FLAG MOVE? IT'S OUT OF MY SIGHT. THANK YOU, BOBBY. IF EVERYONE WOULD PLEASE JOIN ME IN A SALUTE TO THE FLAG. AND NOW WE'LL HAVE THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT. >> WE THE FERNDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT, ACKNOWLEDGE WE ARE RESIDING ON THE TRADITIONAL ANCESTRAL AND UNCEDED TERRITORY OF THE LUMMI PEOPLE. THE LUMMI PEOPLE ARE THE ORIGINAL INHABITANTS OF WASHINGTON'S NORTHERNMOST COAST AND SOUTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA. THEY LIVED IN VILLAGES THROUGHOUT THIS TERRITORY AND CONTINUE TO HAVE AN ONGOING RELATIONSHIP WITH THESE AREAS. SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL, THEY HAVE CELEBRATED LIFE ON THEIR WATERWAYS AND ON THE TRADITIONAL ANCESTRAL AND UNCEDED LANDS OF THEIR PEOPLE TO PERPETUATE THEIR WAY OF LIFE. WE HONOR THEIR ANCESTORS AS WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE LUMMI PEOPLE AS THE ORIGINAL INHABITANTS OF THIS LAND. >> THANK YOU. NEXT, WE WILL APPROVE THE MINUTES OR WE WILL ACT ON THE MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING. AT THIS POINT, THE FLOOR IS OPEN FOR ANY AMENDMENTS OR CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES OR A MOTION TO APPROVE THEM. >> I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS WRITTEN. >> IT HAS BEEN MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS WRITTEN AND ATTACHED TO TONIGHT'S AGENDA. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. >> AYE. >> ALL THOSE OPPOSED. THE MINUTES HAVE BEEN APPROVED. NEXT, WE WILL ADOPT THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT'S MEETING. AT THIS POINT, THE CHAIR WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE TO START OUT WITH THE DELETION OF ITEM 9.04 FROM TONIGHT'S AGENDA, AS POLICY 4010 WAS INTRODUCED LAST MONTH AND WE WERE SCHEDULED TO ACT ON THIS POLICY TONIGHT AS PART OF MATTERS RESERVED FOR THE BOARD. WAS IT JUST A CLERICAL THAT IT DIDN'T GET DELETED? >> SORRY, KEVIN, WHICH ONE DID YOU SAY? >> ITEM 9.04. IT'S LISTED AS RECEIVING THAT POLICY, BUT WE RECEIVED IT LAST MONTH. SEEING NO OTHER SUGGESTIONS FOR CHANGES TO THE AGENDA, THE CHAIR WILL PROPOSE THAT WE ADOPT THE AGENDA WITH THE DELETION OF ITEM 9.04. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. >> AYE. >> OPPOSED? THE AGENDA HAS BEEN ADOPTED. THANK YOU. THAT TAKES US ON TO ITEM 4.01 WHICH IS PUBLIC COMMENT. PUBLIC COMMENT IS A TIME WHEN THE BOARD CAN HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY, WHAT IS ON THEIR MIND AND IS IMPORTANT TO THEM, PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO WHAT IS HAPPENING WITHIN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. WE APPRECIATE RESPECTFUL, CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM,
AND WELCOME SUGGESTIONS FOR SOLUTIONS. PUBLIC COMMENT IS NOT A TIME FOR DISCUSSION. IT IS A TIME FOR THE BOARD TO LISTEN. BOARD MEMBERS MAY INTERJECT TO ASK CLARIFYING QUESTIONS AND OR MAY DIRECT SOMEONE, MOST OFTEN THE SUPERINTENDENT TO TAKE FUTURE ACTION RELATED TO THE STATEMENTS, BUT AGAIN, IT IS NOT A TIME FOR DISCUSSION. OUR SILENCE IS NOT A SIGNAL OF AGREEMENT OR DISAGREEMENT, BUT IS MEANT TO RESPECTFULLY HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY. PUBLIC COMMENT IS NOT THE ONLY WAY TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE BOARD. THOSE THAT ARE NOT COMFORTABLE SPEAKING IN FRONT OF A GROUP ARE CERTAINLY WELCOME TO CONTACT THE BOARD VIA PHONE OR EMAIL. WE ROUTINELY HEAR FROM A NUMBER OF DISTRICT STAKEHOLDERS EACH MONTH AND ASSIMILATE A WIDE RANGE OF INPUT ON DISTRICT ISSUES. WE APPRECIATE HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY, AND INVITE THEM TO USE WHATEVER MODE OF COMMUNICATION THEY FEEL MOST COMFORTABLE WITH TO DO SO. OUR CONTACT INFORMATION IS READILY AVAILABLE ON THE DISTRICT WEBSITE. THOSE WISHING TO SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMENT ARE ASKED TO SIGN UP ON THE SIGNING SHEET AT THE BACK OF THE ROOM. EACH SPEAKER WILL BE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES AND THEIR TIME WILL BEGIN WHEN THEY STEP TO THE PODIUM AND BEGIN TO ADDRESS THE BOARD. ANY SPEAKER WHOSE COMMENTS EXCEED THE THREE MINUTE LIMIT MAY SUBMIT THEIR ENTIRE OR REMAINING COMMENTS IN WRITING. TO ENSURE THAT THE BOARD HAS ADEQUATE TIME TO ADDRESS ALL THE ITEMS ON OUR AGENDA, PUBLIC COMMENT IS LIMITED TO A TOTAL OF 45 MINUTES. OUR FIRST PUBLIC SPEAKER TONIGHT IS NATALIE CHAVEZ. >> HELLO. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO PUBLIC COMMENTS THIS EVENING. I'M GRATEFUL THAT I WAS ABLE TO GET HERE EARLY ENOUGH TO ATTEND THE JOINT MEETING WITH THE LUMMI NATION. IT WAS NICE TO HEAR AND TO SEE PHOTOS OF NATIVE CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS GOING ON SPECIAL FIELD TRIPS, PARTICIPATING IN ASSEMBLIES, THE CHESS QUEEN CLUB, MORNING GATHERING, LEARNING TO WEAVE CEDAR GRADUATION CAPS, MAKE JAM, AND MUCH MORE. BOBBY WENT THROUGH DIFFERENT DATA AND INFORMATION. I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT SOMETHING THAT HE MENTIONED AND THAT WAS ALSO DEPICTED ON ONE OF THE SLIDES. THAT IS THAT AS OF OCTOBER 2024, 84% OF FERNDALE HIGH SCHOOL'S NATIVE STUDENTS ARE ON TRACK TO GRADUATE. THAT WAS GREAT TO HEAR, AND I HOPE THAT STRONG SUPPORT FOR THOSE 84% OF NATIVE STUDENTS CONTINUES AND IS MAINTAINED AND SUSTAINED. I WANT TO ASK YOU ALL, WHAT ABOUT THE 16% OF NATIVE STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT ON TRACK TO GRADUATE. I'M HOPING THAT YOU'LL ARRANGE FOR A REPRESENTATIVE FROM BTC TO MEET WITH THOSE NATIVE STUDENTS, THEIR FAMILIES, AND SCHOOL REPS, TO INFORM THEM ABOUT THE BTC IMPACT PROGRAM WHICH WILL HELP THOSE STUDENTS PRACTICE AND PREPARE FOR THE GED TEST ONE SUBJECT AT A TIME. THE PROGRAM ALSO OFFERS MORE BENEFITS IN ADDITION TO THAT. IT ONLY REQUIRES ATTENDANCE, I THINK, ABOUT 2-3 TIMES A WEEK FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS IN THE AFTERNOON, IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, THERE IS MORE FLEXIBILITY FOR STUDENTS IN THE IMPACT PROGRAM, MORE THAN IN A TRADITIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SETTING, SO I HOPE THAT YOU WILL LOOK INTO THAT FOR THOSE NATIVE STUDENTS WHO ARE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 16-21-YEARS-OLD WHO ARE CURRENTLY NOT ON TRACK TO GRADUATE. ON A DIFFERENT NOTE, AT THE LAST MEETING, I MENTIONED A FEW COVID RELATED LAWSUITS. ONE WAS THIS ONE, MICHAEL BROCK, B-R-O-C-K ET AL V. CITY OF BELLINGHAM. THE 18 FORMER CITY OF BELLINGHAM EMPLOYEES FILED ON JUNE 13TH, 2024, FOR NOT GETTING AN EXPERIMENTAL COVID-19 VACCINE INJECTED INTO THEIR BODIES. ANYONE IN THE COMMUNITY CAN GOOGLE SEARCH TO FIND AND DOWNLOAD THIS LAWSUIT TO READ AND TO SHARE IT WITH OTHERS. THERE ARE A LOT OF TRUTHS THAT ARE IN THIS 50 PAGE DOCUMENT THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE NOT AND WERE NOT AWARE OF. FOR INSTANCE, ON PAGE 15, NUMBER 77 STATES, ''ALTHOUGH [INAUDIBLE] WAS LICENSED FOR GENERAL COMMERCIAL MARKETING ON AUGUST 23TH, 2021, PFIZER INFORMED THE CDC THAT IT DID NOT, NOR WOULD IT MANUFACTURE ITS LICENSED VERSION, RATHER IT WOULD CONTINUE TO USE ITS INVESTIGATIONAL VERSION UNDER THE FEDERAL CDC PROGRAM.'' BASICALLY, NOBODY IN THIS COMMUNITY, STATE, OR COUNTRY EVER RECEIVED A FDA LICENSED AND APPROVED COVID-19 VACCINE. IT DID NOT HAPPEN. IT DIDN'T HAPPEN BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT AVAILABLE. I'LL CONTINUE AT THE NEXT MEETING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
YOU'LL NEED LIKE A GONG OR A BIG LOUD BELL BECAUSE I NEVER KNOW. THANK YOU. >> NEXT WE HAVE DOM PAM. >> GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS DOM PAM, I IDENTIFY AS FERNDALE RESIDENT ON BAR ROAD. ON DECEMBER 2ND, THE US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SELECT SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, PUBLISHED A FINAL REPORT WHICH IS THE COMBINATION OF AN INVESTIGATION LASTING ALMOST TWO YEARS AND INVOLVING 25 HEARINGS, MORE THAN 30 INTERVIEWS AND DEPOSITIONS, AND OVER ONE MILLION PAGES OF DOCUMENTS. FOLLOWING THE REPORT, DR. SUZANNE BURDICK WROTE AN ARTICLE TITLED, SEVEN TAKEAWAYS FROM 520 PAGE HOUSE REPORT ON COVID PANDEMIC AND GOVERNMENT RESPONSE FOR THE CHILDRENSHEALTHDEFENSE.ORG WEBSITE. I'M GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU SEVERAL HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS ARTICLE. FIRST, CLOSING SCHOOLS AND KEEPING THEM CLOSED LONG TERM WAS UNSUPPORTED BY AVAILABLE SCIENCE AND EVIDENCE. THE REPORT POINTED OUT THAT EARLY DATA FROM WUHAN, CHINA SHOW THAT CHILDREN WERE UNLIKELY TO BECOME SERIOUSLY ILL OR DIE FROM COVID-19. THAT WAS LATER CONFIRMED BY THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, WHICH REPORTED THAT CHILDREN MADE UP LESS THAN 1.01% OF HOSPITALIZATIONS AND 0.0005% OF COVID-19 DEATHS BETWEEN MARCH 1ST, 2020 AND JULY 25TH, 2020. LOCKDOWNS UNNECESSARILY HURT US BUSINESSES AND INDIVIDUAL CITIZENS, ESPECIALLY KIDS. SECOND, MASKING AND SOCIAL DISTANCING RECOMMENDATIONS LACKED CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE SHOWING THEY HELPED CURB THE SPREAD OF COVID-19. FORCIBLY MASKING YOUNG KIDS AGES 2 AND UP, CAUSED MORE HARM THAN GOOD, THE REPORT SAID. THIRD, THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION'S HHS ENGAGED IN A MULTI YEAR CAMPAIGN OF DELAY, CONFUSION, AND NON-RESPONSIVENESS IN AN ATTEMPT TO OBSTRUCT THE SELECT SUBCOMMITTEE'S INVESTIGATION AND HIDE EVIDENCE THAT COULD INCRIMINATE OR EMBARRASS SENIOR PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS. FOURTH, THE REPORT DEVOTED MORE THAN 40 PAGES TO DETAILING HOW DR. DAVID MARON, DR. FAUCI AID, LIKELY DESTROYED EVIDENCE, USED PERSONAL EMAIL TO HIDE FROM ACCOUNTABILITY, AND ACTED UNBECOMINGLY OF A FEDERAL EMPLOYEE. WHAT LESSON CAN BE DRAWN FROM THIS REPORT? THERE ARE MORE THAN ONE, BUT I'M GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT I CONSIDER THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON. IT IS THAT THOSE SO CALLED HIGHLY EDUCATED PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT GUIDED BY A CLEAR CONSCIENCE AND MORAL COMPASS COULD POTENTIALLY BECOME SOME OF THE MOST EVIL MASTERMINDS BEHIND SYSTEMIC SCHEMES OF FRAUD, CORRUPTION, AND EVEN MASS MURDER, AS HISTORY HAS SHOWN IN WORLD WAR II AND DURING THE PANDEMIC. THIS MORAL LESSON IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE AS THE SAYING GOES, THOSE WHO FAIL TO LEARN FROM HISTORY ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT IT. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, DOM. NEXT WE HAVE GREG THAMES. >> GREG THAMES, 3959 GRANDVIEW, AND NO GROUP JUST ME. I JUST WANTED TO COME AND JUST SAY HAPPY HOLIDAYS. HAPPY KWANZAA, HANUKKAH, AND ANY OTHER HOLIDAY THAT YOU'RE CELEBRATING THIS MONTH. I JUST WANTED TO COME IN THERE WITH A LITTLE BIT OF CHEER. AS WE GATHER HERE IN FERNDALE FOR THIS DECEMBER SCHOOL BOARD MEETING, I AM GRATEFUL TO SEE SO MANY PEOPLE SHOWING UP AND TAKING TIME OUT OF THEIR BUSY HOLIDAY SCHEDULE TO FOCUS ON WHAT MATTERS WHICH IS OUR KIDS' EDUCATION. IT'S BEEN SEVERAL MONTHS SINCE LAST AT THIS PODIUM, AND I FELT COMPELLED TO COME HERE TONIGHT FOR A SPECIFIC REASON. IN A WORLD WHERE WE'RE QUICK TO POINT OUT WHAT IS WRONG, I BELIEVE IT'S EQUALLY IMPORTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE PROGRESS WHEN WE SEE IT. OVER THE PAST YEAR, I HAVE OBSERVED A NOTABLE SHIFT IN THIS BOARD AND HOW IT OPERATES. THE IMPROVEMENT IN YOUR COOPERATIVE EFFORTS AND WILLING TO LISTEN TO EACH OTHER HAS BEEN NOTICED, EVEN WHEN YOU DISAGREE. I JUST WANTED TO COME IN HERE AND TELL THAT TO YOU.
NOT EVERY ONE OF YOUR MEETINGS HAVE BEEN PERFECT. PERFECTION IS VERY RARE. BUT I HAVE SEEN AND I'VE TALKED TO OTHER PEOPLE AND WE HAVE SEEN YOU GUYS WORK TOGETHER. WE DON'T SEE WHAT WE SAW A YEAR AGO. I WANTED TO TAKE YOUR TIME, TAKE A SECOND, JUST TO COME IN AND LET YOU GUYS KNOW. THAT'S IT. >> THANK YOU, GREG. APPRECIATE THAT. THAT'S ALL THE PEOPLE THAT I HAVE LISTED ON TONIGHT'S SIGN IN SHEET. AGAIN, YOU CAN CONTACT THE BOARD VIA OUR CONTACT INFORMATION THAT IS ON THE WEBSITE. AT ANY POINT, WE WELCOME HEARING FROM YOU. THIS POINT, WE WILL GO TO ITEM 5.01, WHICH IS THE SUPERINTENDENT SHARING, AND FOR THAT, I WILL TURN THINGS OVER TO CHRISTY. >> WELCOME. THIS IS A WEEK I WAS TALKING TO OUR STUDENTS. I BELIEVE I HEARD HARLEN SAY IT FEELS A LITTLE BIT LIKE FINALS WEEK, BUT IT'S A CLOSURE OF THE YEAR 2024. I'M REALLY BEHIND. [LAUGHTER] I'M STILL A YEAR BACK. GREG, I WILL GET BACK ON 2024. LET'S LOOK AT THAT. THAT'S HILARIOUS. NO, I'M NOT TIRED. >> THE NEW THING IS PROGRESS OVER PERFECTION. WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE, AND IT'S INTERESTING. IT FOLLOWS TO A T. YOU IMPLEMENT SOMETHING NEW AND EVERYONE'S EXCITED AND THERE'S A LOT OF ENERGY, AND THEN YOU GET TIRED. YOU GET TIRED WITH THE DAY-TO-DAY AND SO YOU SEE A LITTLE BIT OF A DECLINE. IT'S EASY TO GO BACK TO OLD PATTERNS. AS I WAS WORKING WITH THE PRINCIPAL, ESPECIALLY THE HIGH SCHOOL, WE SAW A LITTLE BIT OF THAT. THEN YOU REGROUP AND YOU PULL BACK OUT. BUT WHAT THE BOARD DID ASK WAS, WHAT DO PEOPLE THINK ABOUT THINGS SO FAR? WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS OVERALL A POSITIVE IMPACT, ESPECIALLY STAFF TALKING ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE IT'S MAKING IN THE AMOUNT OF EDUCATIONAL ENGAGEMENT THAT'S HAPPENING. I LOVED READING ABOUT THE STUDENTS. BOARD, I'LL PROVIDE YOU WITH ALL THE DATA. IT'S A LOT, SO I'M NOT GOING TO SPEND THIS EVENING GOING THROUGH EVERY PIECE. BUT WHAT I DID APPRECIATE ABOUT THE STUDENTS WAS THEIR HONESTY. IT'S NOT FUN TO NOT HAVE THEIR CELL PHONES. THEY REALLY DO SOME OF THEM WISH THEY COULD HAVE IT IN PASSING TIME. BUT THEY ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT IT HAS CHANGED THE WAY THAT THEY'VE BEEN INTERACTING AND IT'S A LOT EASIER TO LISTEN WHEN YOU'RE NOT DISTRACTED OR WORRY ABOUT WHAT'S COMING OVER YOUR PHONE. PARENTS MOST POSITIVE. LIKE I SAID, WE WERE NOT GETTING A LOT OF EMAILS FROM PARENTS ABOUT IT. THE DATA CONTINUES TO DECLINE IN TERMS OF HAVING TO CONFISCATE PHONES, PARTICULARLY AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, WORKING AT IT AND THE MIDDLE SCHOOL TOO. THEY HAD HAD A LOT OF THIS IN PLACE ALREADY, SO IT WASN'T AS BIG A SHIFT. THE BIGGER SHIFT WAS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL. I STILL THINK THAT FERNDALE IS A LEAD IN THE STATE, AND I WANT TO THANK THE BOARD FOR THEIR COMMITMENT AROUND THIS. AS I WAS TALKING TO OTHER LEADERS, PEOPLE KEEP TALKING ABOUT WHAT CAN WE DO? TO CHANGE OUTCOMES FOR KIDS. THIS WAS A VERY IT DIDN'T COST US ANYTHING. IT WASN'T SOMETHING WE HAD TO DEDICATE DISTRICT FUNDS TO. WE HAD TO DEDICATE TIME AND COMMITMENT THAT TYPE OF RESOURCE, BUT IT WAS A VERY INEXPENSIVE HIGH OUTCOME STRATEGY. I JUST WANT TO COMMEND THE BOARD FOR THAT AND THEIR DEDICATION. WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT A FUTURE SURVEY, AND SO I WANT TO JUST HIGHLIGHT TO OUR COMMUNITY THAT THERE WILL BE A SURVEY COMING OUT IN THE NEW YEAR. I'VE BEEN GOING AROUND AND LISTENING TO SOME DIFFERENT GROUPS. I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS, FAMILIES, LABOR LEADERS, AND OUR TIME IN SPOKANE TOGETHER, I WAS ABLE TO TALK TO THE BOARD JUST ABOUT SOME OF THE CURIOSITY, REALLY, IT'S A SURVEY TO SEE WHAT OUR COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE US TO FOCUS ON. ONE THING THAT'S COME UP SINCE I ARRIVED IN FERNDALE ARE THE START OF THE SCHOOL TIMES, THE BELL TIMES, THAT'S WHAT THEY CALL IT. DO WE HAVE THOSE THAT WORK WITH SCIENCE? DOES IT MAKE SENSE THAT HIGH SCHOOL STARTS FIRST? I LOVE HEARING FROM ELEMENTARY FAMILIES THAT SAY BY THE TIME THEY TAKE THEIR CHILD TO SCHOOL,
THEY'VE BEEN UP ABOUT FIVE HOURS. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT OUR COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE US TO EXPLORE IS THE START AND END TIMES FOR THE SCHOOL DAY? ONE OF THE LABOR GROUPS IS ASKING, WOULD FAMILIES PREFER INSTEAD OF EARLY RELEASE A LATE START? WE'LL BE ASKING ABOUT THAT. THEN ONE THAT HAS ACTUALLY COME UP FROM BOTH, I HEARD IT FROM INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS, BUT I ALSO HAVE HEARD IT FROM TEACHERS IN PARTICULAR IS OUR CALENDAR. DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO EXPLORE OR LOOK AT MORE OF A YEAR ROUND SCHOOL MODEL? THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE GO TO SCHOOL MORE DAYS, IT JUST MEANS THAT THERE'S PERIODS OF TIME WITH LARGER BREAKS BETWEEN AND WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH SAY? IT'S NOT SAYING THAT WE'RE GOING TO TACKLE ANY OF THOSE, BUT JUST GET SOME INSIGHT INTO WHAT OUR COMMUNITY IS ASKING FOR AND LOOKING AT AND I WILL BRING THAT DATA BACK ONCE WE HAVE IT. I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT SCHOOL FUNDING IS VERY COMPLEX TO UNDERSTAND. I'VE BEEN IN EDUCATION A VERY LONG TIME AND ALL THE TIME. NANCY AND I HAD A GREAT TALK YESTERDAY, THE MORE YOU LEARN, THE MORE YOU DON'T KNOW. ON JANUARY 7TH, THERE IS ACTUALLY A GROUP OF PARENTS WHO ARE THEY'VE BEEN GATHERING AND ARE PLANNING TO HOLD TOWN HALL, JUST ON SCHOOL FUNDING. IT'S REALLY JUST A TIME TO COME AND LEARN. WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT SOME OF OUR LEGISLATORS WILL BE THERE. IT'LL BE A TIME FOR DIFFERENT PEOPLE, STUDENTS, STAFF, BOARD MEMBERS TO SHARE. IT'LL BE AT THE BLAINE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, MORE INFORMATION TO COME, BUT I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT BECAUSE WE ARE GOING OUT ON BREAK AND THEN WE'LL BE GETTING BACK IN. BANG, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THIS TOWN HALL. ESPECIALLY FOR OUR FAMILIES LOOKING IN PARENTS SQUARE FOR MORE INFORMATION TO COME. YOU HEARD TONIGHT. I LOVE THIS WHEN I GET TO GO SPEND TIME WITH OUR NATIVE STUDENTS AND THEY ARE SINGING AND DRUMMING. THEY JUST DON'T WANT TO STOP. THEY JUST LIKE ONE MORE SONG, JUST ONE MORE SONG. IN HONOR OF TREATY DAY, WE WILL ON JANUARY 17TH BE HAVING A JAM OUT. THIS IS OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL CLUB ARE GOING TO BE RUNNING IT, AND IT REALLY IS FOUR HOURS OF SINGING AND DANCING AND DRUMMING. I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT EVENT. WINTER BUILDING HOURS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT IS, HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO USE OUR RESOURCES IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE. ONE OF THEM IS DURING THE DISTRICT OFFICE, WILL BE CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC. BEGINNING DECEMBER 23RD, IT WILL RE OPEN ON JANUARY 6TH. THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT STAFF IS NOT WORKING. IT JUST WON'T BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, WHICH ALLOWS STAFF TO TAKE NECESSARY BREAKS WITHOUT HAVING TO HIRE SUBSTITUTES. BUT WE ARE STILL READING EMAIL. PEOPLE WILL BE ANSWERING PHONE. THE ACTUAL BUILDING JUST WILL NOT BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. NOW I'M GOING TO PASS IT OFF TO OUR STUDENTS. >> THAT WAS LOUDER THAN I EXPECTED. I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH OF THIS I SHARED AT THE LAST MEETING BECAUSE I KNOW WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP IT REAL QUICK. BUT RECENTLY, WELL, SINCE I JOINED THE BOARD, MY BIG PROJECT, THE THING I'VE WANTED TO DO BEFORE I LEAVE AS A SENIOR IS TO INCREASE REPRESENTATION FOR OUR ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOLERS WITHIN THE DISTRICT TO THE BOARD AND TO OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE THROUGH INTERACTION WITH THE STUDENT BOARD REPRESENTATIVES. I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT I HAD AN INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL MEETING WITH HORIZON MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS, WHICH WAS WONDERFUL. WE GOT A LOT OF GREAT FEEDBACK. WE HAVE OPENED THE CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION FOR FURTHER ENGAGEMENT. WE HAD A LOT OF GREAT TALKS ABOUT, ARE YOU AS OPEN AND FRIENDLY WITH OTHERS AS YOU ARE WITH THEIR FRIENDS, WHICH HAS PROMPTED SOMEWHAT OF A NO ONE SITS ALONE LUNCH CAMPAIGN THERE. I THINK THAT'S REALLY COOL. I THINK THE KIDS ARE DOING GREAT THINGS. I THINK THE ADMIN IN HORIZON WAS WONDERFUL TO WORK WITH AND IS REALLY WORKING HARD TO UPLIFT STUDENT VOICE AND LEADERSHIP. WE OFFICIALLY HAVE A MEETING SET IN JANUARY TO MEET WITH OUR FIRST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, CENTRAL ELEMENTARY. THANK YOU TO MR. FRANCI FOR HELPING US ORGANIZE THAT. ALSO, PERSONAL NEWS BECAUSE IT'S STUDENT SHARING.
I RECENTLY GOT ACCEPTED TO MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, WHICH IS ONE OF MY BIG ONES, AND SO COLLEGE APPLICATION SEASON IS COMING TO A CLOSE, BUT COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE SEASON IS COMING UP, AND SO IT'S SCHOLARSHIP CRUNCH TIME. >> THAT IS AWESOME GAB BY THE WAY. I WAS SEEING SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT IN THE CAR, AND SHE WAS LIKE, OH, IF I TELL YOU, YOU GOT TO TELL ME BAMA AND SHE'S LIKE, I'M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU YET. I WAS LOOKING ACROSS FROM HER AND I WAS LIKE, SHE'S WEARING A MICHIGAN SWEATSHIRT. I'M PRETTY SURE SHE PROBABLY GOT ACCEPTED THERE BECAUSE SHE'S TALKING ABOUT IT. >> DON'T BRING UP THE SWEATSHIRT. THIS IS THEIR RIVAL. MOM GOT IT. THIS IS UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN. WE'RE STILL WAITING ON THEM. I GOT TO WEAR WHEN I CAN. >> YOU'RE APPLYING YOUR RIVAL SCHOOLS. >> YIKES. BUT ANYWAYS, LIKE DR. DOMINGUEZ MENTIONED, IT FEELS LIKE FINAL WEEK FOR ME AT LEAST. I HAVE A TEST TOMORROW TOO. BUT I KNOW EVERYBODY IS MAKING IT THROUGH THIS LAST WEEK AND THEN IT'S WINTER BREAK. I FEEL LIKE WINTER BREAK IT'S REALLY SNUCK UP ON US. CHRISTMAS AND ALL THOSE OTHER HOLIDAYS, THEY'RE JUST RIGHT THERE. IT'S COMING TO A CLOSE FAST. BUT WE JUST FINISHED WITH HALL DECORATING LAST WEEK ON FRIDAY. OUR STUDENTS STAYED UNTIL 10 O'CLOCK AFTER SCHOOL TO DECORATE THE HALL. IF ANYBODY COMES TO THE FHS BUILDING AND YOU LOOK UP ON THE SECOND STORE LIKE LANDING AREA, YOU WILL SEE IT IS PURE HOLIDAY JOY AND JUST THE WINTER SEASON IN YOUR FACE. IT IS AWESOME. ALL OF OUR STUDENTS LOVE IT AND EVERYBODY, IT WAS JUST SO MUCH FUN. SPEAKING ABOUT THE WINTER SEASON THIS FRIDAY, OUR WINTER FEST. I KNOW I TALKED ABOUT IT AT OUR LAST MEETING, BUT IT'S REALLY HITTING ME NOW. IT'S JUST A FEW MORE DAYS AWAY. THAT'S GOING TO BE REALLY FUN. THERE'S A BUNCH OF STATIONS AND CRAFTS. I KNOW A LOT OF KIDS ARE GOING TO HAVE SO MUCH FUN, SO I'M VERY EXCITED. BUT ANOTHER THING THAT GABBY AND I HAVE BEEN UP TO, HAS BEEN WE ARE PLANNING A STUDENT SCHOOL BOARD CONFERENCE WITH OUR FELLOW STUDENT SCHOOL BOARD REPS WITH OAK CARVER. THAT'S COMING UP IN MARCH. IT IS A WHILES AWAY, BUT WE ARE IN THE PLANNING PROCESS. WE'VE BEEN ZOOMING WITH THEM SINCE THEY'RE SO FAR AWAY. WE MIGHT MEET WITH THEM DURING WINTER BREAK. BUT IT'S VERY EXCITING. WE JUST WANT TO COME UP WITH A SHARED COLLECTIVE LENS WITH OTHER STUDENT SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS. BECAUSE FOR A LOT OF US, IT FEELS LIKE THERE'S NOT REALLY A DEFINED ROLE. I THINK COMING TOGETHER AND COMING UP WITH SOMETHING THAT MEANS SOMETHING TO US, AND THEN SHARING THAT WITH THE SUPERINTENDENTS OF ALL OF THOSE DISTRICTS. FOR THOSE WHO DON'T EVEN HAVE STUDENT SCHOOL BOARD REPS YET. WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE THEM THAT IT WOULD BE AWESOME FOR YOU GUYS TO ADD SOME. WE ARE ALL PACKING THAT IN TO ONE DAY, THAT'S GOING TO BE VERY EXCITING. SPORTS HAS BEEN GOING PRETTY, PRETTY GOOD. I WENT TO THE BOYS BASKETBALL GAME LAST NIGHT, WHICH IS VERY FUN. I KNOW A LOT OF STUDENTS ARE HAVING A GOOD TIME WITH THAT. FINALS. ONCE WINTER BREAKS OVER, IT'S LIKE ONE WEEK AND THEN IT'S FINALS WEEK. EVERYBODY IS GETTING READY. I ALREADY GOT MY REVIEW PAPERS AND I WAS LIKE, REVIEW PAPERS RIGHT NOW, I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT DURING WINTER BREAK. I HAVE A WEEK LEFT. EVERYBODY IS LOCKING IT IN. >> ANY QUESTIONS FOR KRISTI, GABI HARLEY? >> THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO SOMETHING THAT I KNOW WE'RE ALL ANXIOUS TO HEAR ABOUT. WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR, AND IT'S BEEN IN THE WORKS. JAMIE, THERE'S BIG EXPECTATIONS HERE. BUT I'M SURE THAT YOU CAN DO IT. JAMIE IS HERE TO GIVE US A FACILITIES UPDATE. >> GIVE ME A SECOND TO GET HOOKED UP HERE. I CAN SHARE MY SCREEN. YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FOR A WHILE, APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S PATIENCE. THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO RIGHT NOW. >> WELL, I'VE HEARD IT'S ONLY 2023, SO YOU'RE RIGHT ON THE SCHEDULE. >> YOU ARE ACTUALLY MAYBE EARLY OR REALLY LATE.
>> [BACKGROUND] >> MARK TOLD ME TO GET PREPARED, APPARENTLY, I WAS A LITTLE BEHIND. THIS HAS BEEN A LONG PROCESS TO GET THIS TO YOU. I WANT TO THANK STEVE. I'VE MET WITH HIM ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS AND GOTTEN HIS FEEDBACK ON THIS. THIS HAS GONE A COUPLE DIFFERENT VERSIONS ONCE WE GOT THE ORIGINAL. DID EVERYBODY KNOW THE BACKGROUND ON THIS? WE HAD BACK, AS WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT, HAD ASKED CONSTRUCTION SERVICES GROUP TO HELP US CREATE A FACILITY PLAN MOVING FORWARD SO THAT WOULD HELP WITH BUDGETING AND PLANNING OF THINGS TO KEEP OUR FACILITIES UP TO DATE AND RUNNING AS THEY SHOULD. THE GUY THAT WAS SPEARHEADING IT FROM CSG RETIRED. SLOWED US DOWN A LITTLE BIT, AND THE ORIGINAL PLAN WAS FOR CSG WAS TO ROLL THIS OUT. WE ARE GOING TO BE THE PILOT PLAN FOR THIS. THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE SAME BOAT AS WE ARE, AND THEY WANTED TO PROVIDE THAT SERVICE TO OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS. WE WERE THE PILOT TO PASS THIS OUT. ONCE HE LEFT, IT LOST SOME MOMENTUM WITH CSG. DIKEMAN STEPPED IN AND REALLY HELPED US PUT THIS TOGETHER AND GET US ACROSS THE FINISH LINE. THEN LIKE I SAID, ONCE WE GOT CLOSE, BRINGING STEVE IN, USING HIS EXPERTISE AS WELL WAS REALLY HELPFUL FOR US TO GET TO WHAT IS GOING TO BE A LIVING DOCUMENT AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND A GREAT PLANNING PIECE TO HELP US CONTINUE TO DECIDE WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO AT OUR FACILITIES, PUT AWAY MONEY PLAN FOR THOSE THINGS THAT ARE BEYOND OUR YEARLY BUDGET. YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF THINGS IN HERE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF DOLLARS ASSOCIATED WITH THEM. AND SO WE'VE GOT TO DO A BETTER JOB AT LONG RANGE PLANNING AND SETTING THAT MONEY ASIDE ON A YEARLY BASIS IN OUR BUDGET. ANY QUESTIONS ON THE PROCESS BEFORE WE GET GOING? WE HAD CONSULTANTS COME OUT ROUGHLY 10 DIFFERENT AREAS OF OUR FACILITIES FROM ENVELOPE TO HVAC TO ELECTRICAL TO PLUMBING TO ASSESS ALL OUR FACILITIES. THEY SPENT SOME TIME GOING AROUND TO EACH BUILDING. FROM THAT IS WHERE THIS SPREADSHEET CAME FROM. YOU GUYS ARE ALL GOING TO GET THIS. WE THOUGHT IT'D BE GOOD TO WALK YOU THROUGH BECAUSE IT IS IT TOOK US A COUPLE OF TIMES A LITTLE COMPLICATED. BUT ONCE WE GO THROUGH IT TODAY, WE'LL SEND IT OUT AND THEN GIVE YOU SOME TIME TO REVIEW IT AND MAYBE HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AFTER YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO LOOK AT IT. I'M JUST GOING TO JUMP IN. YOU CAN SEE THIS IS BY YEAR ALL THE WAY TO 2047. >> SOMEBODY ELSE WILL BE SITTING HERE TALKING TO YOU ABOUT THAT BY THEN, JUST SO YOU KNOW. WHAT WE DID, THE FIRST VERSION OF THIS WAS PRETTY OVERWHELMING BECAUSE IT HAD THINGS IN IT THAT YOU WOULD REALLY ONLY BE ABLE TO DO IN A MAJOR REMODEL. AFTER SITTING DOWN AND LOOKING AT SOME OF THESE THINGS, WE SAID, WE NEED TO HAVE TWO CATEGORIES FOR THIS. WE NEED TO HAVE OUR MAINTENANCE THAT WE FEEL REPLACEMENT FOR THINGS THAT WE CAN DO WITHOUT RIPPING OPEN THE CEILINGS AND WALLS, AND THINGS THAT WOULD REQUIRE A MAJOR REMODEL. YOU CAN SEE AT THE TOP IS THE MINOR REMODEL RENOVATION PORTION, AND AT THE BOTTOM HERE THEN IS SOME CATEGORIES FOR PUTTING WHAT MIGHT BE
A BOND OR A CAPITAL PROJECT LEVY THAT WE NEED TO RUN TO DO SOME OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS AT THE SCHOOLS, AND THEY'RE SPREAD OUT OVER THE YEARS. AS WE WENT THROUGH THIS, YOU INDICATED WHICH SCHOOLS WE NEED TO REALLY THINK ABOUT FIRST IN THOSE CATEGORIES, AND YOU CAN SEE CUSTER HAS $4 MILLION OF WORK THAT IS REALLY A MAJOR RENOVATION THAT WOULD BE IT'S PAST USEFUL LIFE IN A LOT OF AREAS. THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO TARGET FIRST. THE UPPER COLUMN THEN, SO THIS IS OUR SUMMARY PAGE, HAS A YEARLY COST OF ITEMS TO GIVE US A RUNNING TOTAL. IF YOU LOOK DOWN HERE AND GO THROUGH 2033, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'RE ABOUT 3.2 MILLION, IF YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM HERE. EIGHT YEARS, THE AVERAGE FOR THOSE EIGHT YEARS WOULD BE ABOUT 3.2 MILLION A YEAR THAT WE WOULD NEED TO DO TO ACCOMPLISH ALL THESE THINGS. WHAT I WILL SAY IS THE OTHER PART OF THIS, IS THERE ARE SOME THINGS IN HERE THAT WE WOULDN'T BE SPENDING MONEY ON. WE THOUGHT WE'D BRING THIS OUT FIRST, LET YOU GUYS LOOK AT IT, AND THEN THERE WILL BE SOME TWEAKS AS WE GO ALONG WITH THIS DOCUMENT, BUT IT STARTS WITH THE PLANNING OF, HERE'S WHAT WE NEED MOVING FORWARD TO LIVE UP TO THIS PLAN. FOR EXAMPLE, AT NORTH BELLINGHAM, IF YOU CLICK ON THIS, YOU CAN LOOK AT, OH, SORRY, I'LL START WITH CUSTER BECAUSE IT'S RIGHT HERE. CUSTER NEXT YEAR, 2026, NOT A LOT. IN 2027, THERE'S THE MAJOR RENOVATION, WHICH INCLUDES SOME BOILERS AND HVAC. BUT YOU CAN CLICK ON THIS CELL. IT GIVES YOU THIS NUMBER UP HERE, AND THEN YOU CAN GO TO THE MORE DETAILED VERSION OF WHAT THAT MEANS AND THE BREAKDOWN. YOU CAN SEE IT'S BROKEN DOWN BY BY ALL THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS. THE YELLOW IS PARTS THAT WE DECIDED WOULD BE PART OF A MAJOR RENOVATION. IF YOU LOOK AT, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS NOT VERY BIG, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT IT, YOU CAN SEE THAT IT HAS ROUGHLY, WHEN WE BELIEVE, APPROXIMATE ORIGINAL INSTALLATION DATE AT THE TOP HERE IS THE ROOFING. IT HAS THE REMAINING USEFUL LIFE LEFT OF THE ROOFING. A LOT OF OUR BUILDINGS FOR DIFFERENT SECTIONS WERE ROOFED AT DIFFERENT TIMES. THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE THE THREE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OR THEY WERE DIFFERENT MATERIAL USED. YOU CAN SEE A ROUGH COST ESTIMATE TO REPLACE THAT. THE REPLACEMENT COST IN 2022, WHEN THAT HAPPENED OR WHEN THIS WAS PUT TOGETHER, AND TO HELP US BUDGET AND PLAN. THESE YEARS THEN WE'LL MATCH UP TO THAT FIRST SLIDE OF WHEN THAT, FOR LACK OF BETTER TERM, COMES DUE ON OUR MAIN SPREADSHEET HERE. YOU GUYS CAN JUMP IN IF YOU WANT SOMETHING TO ADD, MARK. IT GIVES US, LIKE I SAID, A PLAN. IT ISN'T EXACTLY EVEN WE ONLY GO TO 2031 AND THERE'S $7 MILLION OF WORK THAT IS REQUIRED, LIKE I WAS TALKING ABOUT NORTH BELLINGHAM. TALKING TO STEVE, THIS IS BASED ON BOMA, IS WHERE THEY GET THEIR USEFUL LIFE OR REPLACEMENT CYCLE. THERE ARE THINGS IN HERE THAT WE WOULD RUN TO FAILURE OVER JUST REPLACING THEM. IT MAKES MORE SENSE TO RUN TO FAILURE IN 20 YEARS. THEY SAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE REPLACED, BUT WE'RE GOING TO HOLD OFF ON THAT. THOSE ARE SOME OF THE DECISIONS WE NEED TO MAKE AS WE EVALUATE THIS. NORTH BELLINGHAM, FOR EXAMPLE, HAD $500,000 OF FLOORING REPLACEMENT. AS THE FLOORING WAS PUT IN A LONG TIME AGO, IT'S UP FOR PAST USEFUL LIFE. THEY SAY THAT YOU PROBABLY SHOULD REPLACE IT. OBVIOUSLY, THAT'S PROBABLY NOT SOMETHING THAT WE
WOULD DESIGNATE AS SOMETHING THAT WE FEEL IS IMPORTANT TO SPEND OUR MONEY ON. IT'S REALLY A PLANNING TOOL TO HELP US GET SOMEWHERE. IT DOESN'T COVER EVERYTHING, AND IT DOESN'T COVER THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN EMERGENCY LIKE OUR CENTRAL BOILER THAT WENT DOWN. THERE'S STILL THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO COME UP THAT HOPEFULLY WE CAN MANAGE THROUGH OUR YEARLY BUDGET, BUT THIS WILL HELP US PLAN FOR THE BIGGER TICKET ITEMS AND PUTTING AWAY MONEY TO MEET THOSE NEEDS AS WE MOVE FORWARD. THAT'S A QUICK ONE. AGAIN, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THIS, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? >> I WOULD JUST SAY THAT TO JAMIE'S POINT EARLIER, IT'S IMPORTANT TO REALIZE THAT A LOT OF THIS STUFF IS FORECASTED FOR END OF LIFE. THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THE END OF LIFE. IT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH HOW WE MAINTAIN GOING FORWARD. WE CAN EXTEND THE LIFE OF SOME OF THAT EQUIPMENT, HOWEVER, AS HE SAID, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN IT MAKES SENSE TO JUST RUN EQUIPMENT TO FAILURE AND THEN REPLACE IT. IT'S DOLLARS AND CENTS THING. ANYWAY, I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO MENTION THAT I KNOW IT'S A BIG NUMBER, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE FORECASTED TO END OF LIFE, AND THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY END OF LIFE. >> I THINK, LIKE I SAID, THIS IS A LIVING DOCUMENT, AS WE WORK THROUGH THIS OR IN SOME TOUGH FINANCIAL TIMES RIGHT NOW, WE MAY HAVE TO CHOOSE TO NOT DO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE ON THE LIST. I THINK JUST ON A YEARLY BASIS OR FORECASTING THREE OR FIVE YEARS, WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL THESE PROJECTS AND FEELING LIKE THESE ARE THINGS WE REALLY NEED TO DO. THESE ARE THINGS THAT EITHER CAN WAIT OR THEN AGAIN, WE MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING THAT CREEPS IN THAT, IS SOMETHING THAT WAS UNEXPECTED. SO AS YOU LOOK AT THIS, LIKE I SAID, IF YOU START WITH THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PAGE, YOU CAN THEN LOOK AT ANY SCHOOL DOWN HERE BELOW. YOU HAVE A GENERAL PAGE FOR VISTA, FOR EXAMPLE, HERE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE COMING UP IN 2026. I KNOW YOU MIGHT FORGET THIS, SO DON'T HESITATE TO ASK, IF YOU CLICK ON THE CELL, IT GIVES YOU THE NUMBER UP THERE, WHICH THEN ON THE NEXT PAGE, WHICH IS MORE DETAILED, IT WILL TELL YOU WHAT CELL NUMBER THAT IS TO GIVE YOU A BETTER EXPLANATION. THAT WAS F41. IF YOU GO TO 41, IT'S GOING TO TELL YOU EXACTLY THAT WAS GUTTERS AND DOWNSPOUTS FOR $24,000. IT IS A GREAT JOB BY THEM PUTTING THIS TOGETHER. IF YOU CHANGE THE YEARS IN HERE, IT WILL ALSO AFFECT WHERE IT GOES ON THAT, SO WE COULD SMOOTH OUT THAT INSTEAD OF GETTING A REAL BIG YEAR WITH THAT $7 MILLION, WE COULD CHOOSE TO CHANGE THE YEARS AND PUMP IT AND SMOOTH THAT OUT, SO WE GET MORE OF A BETTER AVERAGE RATHER THAN A BIG YEAR WHERE WE'RE HAVING TO FIND $7 MILLION. QUESTIONS? >> FIRST AND FOREMOST, THANK YOU, JAMIE. I'M SURE THERE'S MORE INFORMATION THERE THAN WINTER BREAK IS GOING TO ALLOW US TO ABSORB, BUT THE QUESTION I HAVE AS FAR AS YOU TALK ABOUT END OF LIFE AND RUN IT TILL THE WHEELS FALL OFF TYPE OF PHILOSOPHIES, IS THAT DOCUMENT LIVING ENOUGH THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO TRACK WHAT HAS BEEN DONE, WHAT'S BEEN DELAYED, SO WE CAN USE IT AS A HISTORICAL REFERENCE MOVING FORWARD TO LOOK AT THINGS AS WELL? >> WE'LL KEEP THE ORIGINAL, AND IF WE MAKE ANY CHANGES TO IT, THEN WE CAN KEEP AN UPDATED VERSION THAT WE CAN ALWAYS GO BACK AND LOOK AT, HEY, HERE'S WHAT WE HAD IN THE BEGINNING. WHAT DID WE LEAVE OUT? WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO CATCH UP ON IF WE DECIDE TO DO THAT? >> I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION, BECAUSE AS IT RELATES BACK TO WHEN THEY WERE WORKING WITH THE CONSTRUCTION. I RECALL, THEY PURCHASED SOME MATERIALS IN ADVANCE BECAUSE THEY ANTICIPATED DELIVERY PROBLEMS, BACKLOGS, AND STUFF LIKE THAT. AS A RESULT, THERE WAS A COST SAVINGS. IS THAT BUILT INTO HERE WHERE IF YOU RECOGNIZE THAT YOU
MIGHT GET A DEAL ON SOMETHING THAT'S DOWN THE ROAD AWAYS THAT YOU COULD FACTOR THAT IN? >> I WOULD SAY I GUESS THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING AS YOU GET MORE INTO BREAKING DOWN YEAR BY YEAR. IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING MAYBE NEW CONSTRUCTION, AND WE KNEW THAT WE NEEDED THESE PIECES. YOU COULD PROBABLY DO THAT IN MORE OF A REMODEL SITUATION WHERE YOU'RE REALLY PLANNING, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO RUN A PROJECT BOND TO UPGRADE SOME THINGS AT VISTA, FOR EXAMPLE, AND LOOK AND FORECAST OUT, AND KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO NEED TWO NEW BOILERS, WE'RE GOING TO NEED SOME THINGS IN THE FUTURE THAT YOU CAN PLAN BETTER FOR. YEAR-TO-YEAR, I THINK, WE'RE GOING TO BE IDENTIFYING THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING, AND IT'S A CONDENSED TIME FRAME TO GET THOSE OUT, IF THEY'RE LARGER PROJECTS. IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN'T DO IN HOUSE, THAT MIGHT BE A CONDENSED TIME FRAME TO DO WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. >> THAT BEING SAID, THERE POTENTIALLY COULD BE SOME OPPORTUNITIES. FOR INSTANCE, PSE MAY RUN A LED REPLACEMENT GRANT OR A PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE A LED UPGRADE PLAN TWO YEARS FROM NOW. GRANT IS GOOD FOR THIS YEAR. WE COULD DO A FLOP, AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOME COST SAVINGS. I THINK THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITIES THERE, JUST MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE LIMITED THAN IT WAS ON THE HIGH SCHOOL MAJOR CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM. I THINK YOUR OTHER ELEMENT OF POTENTIAL SAVINGS THERE AS WELL AND THE LED EXAMPLE, THEIR COST ESTIMATES INCLUDE LABOR. ANYTHING THAT JAMIE'S CREW WAS ABLE TO DO IN HOUSE POTENTIALLY DOES THE WORK AT A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS. THERE ARE SOME TWEAKS THAT CAN HAPPEN ALONG THE WAY. >> THERE'S A 900,000, AND THEREFORE, CASCADIA HASN'T BEEN UPGRADED YET TO LED TO ONE OF OUR LAST SCHOOLS THAT WE NEED TO DO. WE WOULD DO THAT IN HOUSE AT A HUGE SAVINGS. WE'VE DONE ALL THE OTHER BUILDINGS IN HOUSE. >> ANOTHER QUESTION I HAD WAS, DOES THIS GIVE YOU A BETTER ESTIMATE OF WHAT OUR ASSETS ARE? I MEAN, DOES THIS HELP TO CLARIFY? AND FOR THINGS LIKE INSURANCE AND STUFF LIKE THAT, WHERE IT'S BASED ON WHAT WE HAVE. I MEAN, I JUST WAS WONDERING IF IT MAKES THINGS MORE EFFICIENT? >> I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE INSURANCE PIECE. WHAT I CAN SAY AS WE STARTED LOOKING AT THIS, AND WE KNOW THAT HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS ASKED FOR US TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING A GOOD JOB TAKING CARE OF OUR FACILITIES AND OUR RESOURCES. WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE STUDIES THAT WERE DONE BEFORE ON THIS, WHAT WAS THE FIRST ONE? IT WAS $100 MILLION OF PROJECTS THAT WE NEEDED TO DO RIGHT NOW? THAT'S JUST NOT REALISTIC. PART OF THIS PROJECT WAS, WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY FEEL LIKE WE CAN MAKE SOME PROGRESS WITH, AND IS REALISTIC BUDGET WISE, SO WE CAN DO SOME UPGRADES TO OUR FACILITIES AND KEEP THEM IN THE SHAPE WE NEED. WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THIS IN THE BEGINNING BEFORE WE HAD THIS TOOL, IT'S LIKE, WHERE DO YOU START EATING THE ELEPHANT? HOW DO YOU PRIORITIZE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN FIRST? THIS REALLY HELPS US PRIORITIZE YEAR-TO-YEAR OF, HEY, HERE'S SOME THINGS THAT ARE UP, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THESE THINGS. IT MAKES IT A LOT MORE MANAGEABLE ON OUR END TO START TAKING SOME OF THOSE THINGS ON. >> ONE MORE QUESTION. SORRY ABOUT THAT. >>THAT'S OKAY. >> YOU GUYS PUT ON A PRESENTATION THAT WAS ABOUT HOW TO SET UP A PROJECT WITH A BOND OVERSIGHT TYPE COMMITTEE. >> I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO FOLLOW THROUGH, SENDING INFORMATION TO SOME OF THE DISTRICTS THAT WERE INTERESTED. WOULD YOU RECOMMEND GETTING A SYSTEM LIKE THIS IN PLACE EVEN BEFORE YOU GET YOUR BOND PROJECT GOING? I MEAN, WE TAKE STOCK OF WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE AND HAVE A SYSTEM SET UP THAT YOU CAN JUST.
>> I GUESS I'M NOT TOTALLY UNDERSTANDING YOUR QUESTION. >> SORRY, BUT I THINK IT WILL CERTAINLY HELP. I DON'T. IT'S HARD TO GENERALIZE FOR ALL THE DISTRICTS. BUT I CAN TELL YOU FOR THE TWO PRONGS OF THIS TOOL IS THE ONGOING PLANNING FOR THE YEARLY BUDGET, THE ITEMS THAT WE NEED TO MAINTAIN AND REPLACE SO OUR FACILITIES DON'T FALL INTO DISREPAIR, AND WE NEED FEWER CAPITAL REQUESTS, EITHER CAPITAL PROJECT LEVIES OR BONDS. THE OTHER PART THAT IT DOES, THAT THAT BOTTOM PART OF THESE SPREADSHEETS, IS IT TELLS US WHAT OUR CAPITAL NEEDS ARE. NOW, WE'VE GOT A ROADMAP THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH THE PUBLIC TO SAY, SOMEWHERE IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS IS WHERE OUR CAPITAL ASKS ARE GOING TO BE, AND THIS IS WHAT'S GOING TO BE INCLUDED. WHEN YOU'RE PLANNING A LONG-RANGE CAPITAL FACILITY PLAN AND GOING TO VOTERS, YOU'VE GOT SOME BACKGROUND AND SOME DATA TO BE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE LIKE WE'VE DONE OUR HOMEWORK AND THIS IS WHAT WE NEED AND WHEN WE NEED IT, WHICH I THINK CAN'T HELP BUT BE BENEFICIAL. >> WELL, AND SPEAKING OF GOING TO THE PUBLIC, WHEN I LOOK AT THIS, AND I'M A SPREADSHEET, SO PEOPLE SAY, I HAVE AN ADDICTION AND I NEED A SUPPORT GROUP. BUT I LIKE LOOKING AT THIS AND GOING THAT'S GREAT DATA, AND I CAN'T WAIT TO CLICK ON ALL THE LINKS AND SUCH. BUT IT ALSO REMINDS ME OF THE F195 REPORT. IS THERE A WAY TO SIMPLIFY THIS DOWN SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN LOOK AT IT AND NOT BE, I'M LOOKING AT THOSE NUMBERS AND I CAN SEE PEOPLE GOING [INAUDIBLE], AS YOU SAY, EAT THE ELEPHANT. IS THERE A WAY OR DO THEY HAVE ANYTHING WITH IT THAT WE CAN MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE DIGESTIBLE FOR THE AVERAGE CITIZEN? >> DAMIE AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT AND IS CONVOLUTED AS IT LOOKS AND COMPLEX. THIS IS QUITE DUMMY DOWN FROM WHEN WE FIRST TOOK A LOOK AT THIS, AND WE TRIED TO THINK OF WAYS TO TRY AND MAKE IT DIGESTIBLE FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND. I THINK THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAY THOUGH IS LIKE MARK WAS SAYING IS, I THINK THIS IS A BIG BENEFICIAL FOR THE BUDGETING PEOPLE FOR ONE BECAUSE THEY CAN FORECAST OUT NOW AND HAVE AN IDEA FROM YEAR TO YEAR, HOW THEY CAN PUSH FORWARD THEIR FUNDS OR PULL BACK FUNDS. ALSO, IT GIVES US AN IDEA OF WHERE WE MIGHT HAVE A CAPITAL PROJECT, WHERE WE MIGHT NEED TO RUN A BOND OR A LEVY WHEN WE PUSH FORWARD OR PULL BACK FUNDS. IT'S A TOOL AND IT IS A COMPLEX ONE, BUT IT'S A REAL GOOD START. >> I WOULD DEFINITELY AGREE. I THINK IT'S GREAT FOR TRANSPARENCY IN THE SENSE IF WE KEEP IT LIVE AND UPDATED, WE CAN SHOW, HERE'S OUR 2026 PROJECTS. BOOM, HERE'S CHECK OFF. EVEN IF WE CAN SHOW THE SAVINGS THAT WE GET BY DOING IT IN-HOUSE VERSUS HIRING OUT, JUST TO SHOW HOW WE'RE BEING GOOD STEWARDS, THANK YOU OF THE DISTRICT DOLLARS. >> MAYBE SIMPLIFYING IT IS LOOKING AT A SHORTER TERM. A LITTLE MORE MANAGEABLE FOR SOMEBODY TO LOOK AT FIVE YEARS OF THIS EXCEL SHEET RATHER THAN 2047 OR WHATEVER IT IS. THAT MIGHT BE A WAY THAT WE CAN HELP WITH THAT, AND I'M OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT MIGHT BE MORE PALATABLE OR EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO DIGEST AND GET OUR MESSAGE ACROSS. >> IT'S VERY NEW. IT'S BARELY OUT OF THE WRAPPER. WE HAVEN'T REALLY HAD A CHANCE TO USE IT AND GET FAMILIAR WITH IT YET. LIKE THE F195 EXAMPLE. IT TOOK US SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE WE ROLLED OUT THE CITIZEN BUDGET. AS WE USE IT, AS WE BECOME MORE FAMILIAR AND INTERACT WITH THE TOOL AND PEOPLE AROUND IT, WE MAY BE ABLE TO FIND SOME WAYS TO MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE USER-FRIENDLY. >> THE CITIZENS BUDGET HAS IMPROVED WITH USING AND THAT AS WELL. SAME THING WOULD HAPPEN HERE HOPEFULLY. >> I'M ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT KEVIN IS TALKING ABOUT [LAUGHTER]
THAT THESE ARE NOT IN MY WHEELHOUSE. I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GOING THROUGH IT WITH US AND SHOWING US HOW YOU CAN DRILL DOWN BY LOOKING DOWN BELOW AND SEEING THE NAME OF THE SCHOOL AND THEN HOW TO ACTUALLY USE THIS DOCUMENT TO UNDERSTAND. THANK YOU FOR NOT ONLY SHOWING IT TO US AND WALKING US THROUGH THAT BUT ALL THE TIME THAT WENT INTO CREATING THIS. I'M SURE IT'S A BIG TEAM THAT DID THAT. BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> YOU'RE WELCOME. DON'T HESITATE TO REACH OUT IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS AFTER YOU START DIGGING IN. THANKS TO STEVE. >> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR JAMIE? KUDOS TO YOU AND THOSE THAT HELPED YOU, STEVE, TO YOU AS WELL, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN CONSTANTLY ON THIS BECAUSE IT IS SOMETHING WE'VE ASKED FOR, AND SO IT'S NICE TO SEE IT COME TO FRUITION. I'M SURE WITH TIME AND USE IT WILL CONTINUE TO IMPROVE. IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO START. THANK YOU. WE TALKED ABOUT HOW THIS TOOL MONITORING THE FACILITIES WILL BE HELPFUL WITH BUDGET AND SPEAKING OF BUDGET. IT'S TIME TO HEAR FROM MARK AND HOLLY ABOUT BUDGETING, WHICH FEELS LIKE WE JUST GOT DONE WITH BUDGETING. >> IT DOES. IT'S CRAZY. HERE WE ARE. WE'RE GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT BUDGET DEVELOPMENT FOR THE 2025/26 SCHOOL YEAR, WHICH SEEMS LIKE IT SHOULD BE WAY FOR AWAY. AS WE GO THROUGH THIS, PLEASE, I'M GOING TO ASK PEOPLE AROUND ME TO JUMP IN. MARK, KRISTIE, AS YOU SEE FIT, PLEASE JUMP IN AND IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, FEEL FREE TO STOP ME. THIS WILL BE THE FIRST OF MANY CONVERSATIONS WE'LL HAVE ABOUT THE 25/26 BUDGET. OUR MAIN GOAL HERE TONIGHT IS TO START TALKING TO YOU ABOUT WHAT THE BOARD'S FINANCIAL PRIORITIES ARE. OVERALL, WE WANT TO ALIGN AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR A LONG TIME. OUR GOAL OF ALIGNING OUR BUDGETARY SPENDING WITH OUR STRATEGIC PLAN PRIORITIES. WE NOW HAVE A STRATEGIC PLAN, SO WE'VE ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT ALIGNING THE BUDGET WITH THE PRIORITIES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PUT FORWARD. THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND AS WE WORK THROUGH THIS. OUR FUND BALANCE IS LOWER THAN IT HAS BEEN IN RECENT YEARS, AND I'LL SHOW YOU SOME GRAPHICS ABOUT THAT. THE GAP BETWEEN THE DISTRICT'S ACTUAL EXPENDITURES AND STATE FUNDING CONTINUES TO GROW, AND THERE WILL BE A POTENTIAL REDUCTION OF FEDERAL GRANTS IN COMING YEARS. IT'S UNCERTAIN AT THIS POINT, BUT JUST THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND. WHERE WE ARE IN THE BUDGET TIMELINE. WE STARTED HAVING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET IN NOVEMBER. HR IS CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF ROLLING. THEY DO A PROCESS WHERE THEY ROLL THE CURRENT YEAR BUDGET FORWARD INTO NEXT YEAR. THAT JUST WE USE THAT AS A STARTING POINT. THE ROLL FORWARD, WE USE ANYTHING THAT WE KNOW ABOUT, INCREASES THAT ARE IN COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS, OR INCREASES IN BENEFITS. WE TAKE WHAT WE KNOW AT THIS POINT. WE DO MAKE SOME ESTIMATES WITH OTHER THINGS, BUT WE ROLL FOR THAT FORWARD. THIS YEAR'S BUDGET JUST TO TRY AND GET A REALLY GOOD STARTING POINT. THE MAJORITY OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS BUDGETS ARE SPENT ON STAFFING BECAUSE WE'RE A ORGANIZATION OF PEOPLE. PEOPLE DO THE WORK. PEOPLE EDUCATE THE KIDS. THAT'S THE MAJORITY OF WHERE WE SPEND OUR MONEY. THE LAST THING TO CONSIDER IS WE HAVE FOUR OPEN CONTRACTS THIS YEAR WITH COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. IT WILL BE NEGOTIATED THIS YEAR, SO THAT CREATES SOME UNCERTAINTY. THIS IS THE SPREADSHEET. IT'S A MASSIVE SPREADSHEET. THESE ARE THE TIMELINE THAT WE'VE DEVELOPED, AND THERE'S A LOT OF LINES ON THERE, OF REALLY SMALL PRINT, BUT JUST WANTED TO SHOW YOU WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS. WE'RE AT THE VERY TOP LINE OR THE SECOND ONE PRESENTING IT TO THE BOARD. I JUST PUT THINGS THAT HAPPENED PRIOR TO JANUARY AND THEN I PUT JANUARY ON THERE. I'LL CONTINUE TO SHOW YOU THIS AS WE COME FORWARD AND SHOW YOU WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS. THIS IS A GRAPHIC OF HOW MUCH WE SPEND ON STAFFING, THE PERCENTAGE OF OUR TOTAL BUDGET EACH YEAR, AND YOU CAN SEE IT'S REALLY CONSISTENT. IT'S LIKE 82-85%, AND THIS IS OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS.
WE SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON OUR STAFF. NOW, MOVING TO FUND BALANCE. A DISTRICT'S FUND BALANCE, YOU CAN THINK OF IT LIKE A SAVINGS ACCOUNT, IF YOU'RE THINKING OF A HOUSEHOLD BUDGET. THE BOARD POLICY IS TO HAVE A MINIMUM ON HAND OF FOUR PERCENT OF BUDGETED EXPENDITURES, FOUR PERCENT OF FUND BALANCE EQUALS ABOUT TWO WEEKS OF EXPENDITURES. IF YOU THINK ABOUT A BUSINESS, MOST BUSINESSES WANT TO HAVE MAYBE A COUPLE OF MONTHS WORTH OF EXPENDITURES ON HAND. FOUR PERCENT IS A VERY TIGHT. EIGHT PERCENT WOULD BE A MONTH WORTH OF EXPENDITURES, MEANING WE COULD MAKE PAYROLL, WE'D HAVE ENOUGH ON HAND TO MAKE PAYROLL EACH MONTH. THE DISTRICT DID NOT MEET THE MINIMUM FUND BALANCE REQUIREMENT IN JUNE, SEPTEMBER, AND THEN NOVEMBER. THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT. THIS IS WHERE WE ENDED THE YEAR. IN THE SPRING, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT BUDGET, WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO END THE YEAR AROUND $5 MILLION IN FUND BALANCE. WE ENDED UP I THINK 5.9 MILLION, SO WE WERE A LITTLE ABOVE. YOU CAN SEE ON THIS EXCEPT FOR THE BLUE LINE, THAT WAS THE YEAR OF THE COVID YEAR. IT WAS A LITTLE WONKY, BUT YOU CAN SEE THE TRENDS. YOU CAN SEE OUR COLLECTION POINTS OF THE LEVY IN OCTOBER AND APRIL. YOU SEE THE EVERYTHING SPIKE UP. REALLY, WE FOLLOW A FAIRLY CONSISTENT TREND EVERY YEAR. THIS NEXT SLIDE IS WHERE WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THIS CURRENT YEAR, SO THE GREEN IS AT THE BOTTOM, WHERE WE'RE AT. YOU CAN SEE NOVEMBER, WE WERE AT 3.1 MILLION. NOW, WE'RE GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT STATE FUNDING GAPS. THIS GRAPHICLY, A LOT OF DISTRICTS ARE USING THIS GRAPHIC TO JUST DEMONSTRATE THE BIG THREE AREAS WHERE WE SEE A LOT OF DIFFERENCE IN WHAT DISTRICTS ARE ACTUALLY SPENDING VERSUS WHAT THE STATE IS FUNDING. THE GREEN PORTIONS IS THE FUNDS WE GET FROM THE STATE. THE TEAL IS WHAT WE ACTUALLY SPEND AS A DISTRICT, AND THEN THE THREE DIFFERENT COLUMNS ARE SPECIAL ED. MATERIAL, SUPPLIES, AND OPERATING COSTS OR MSOC AND THEN TRANSPORTATION. THIS SHOWS THE PAST FIVE YEARS, WE WERE 22.79 MILLION SHORT OF WHAT WE SPENT VERSUS WHAT THE STATE-FUNDED. >> HOLLY JUST TO CLARIFY, A LOT OF THAT SPENDING, WE SPEND THAT MUCH BECAUSE OF REQUIREMENTS AND THINGS. IT'S NOT JUST BECAUSE WE WANT TO SPEND X RIDS. >> RIGHT. A LOT OF IT IS UNFUNDED MANDATES. IT'S THINGS WE ARE REQUIRED TO DO. THEN A FEW SLIDES, I HAVE IN HERE FROM A TALK THAT DAN STEEL FROM THIS WEEK IN WASHINGTON PUT TOGETHER. I HAVE THE NEXT FEW SLIDES. >> IF THE FUNDING DOESN'T COME FROM THE STATE, THEN I'M ASSUMING THAT IT COMES FROM LEVY DOLLARS. >> THAT'S CORRECT. YEAH. LOCAL DOLLARS. >> WE'RE PAYING LEVY DOLLARS FOR BASIC EDUCATION? >> CORRECT. >> JUST WANT THAT ON THE RECORD. >> SPECIAL ED. HERE'S A SLIDE FROM THAT, THE DAN STEEL PRESENTATION ABOUT THE UPCOMING LEGISLATIVE SESSION. THIS TALKS ABOUT HOW WE HAVE A LEGAL OBLIGATION TO SERVE ALL STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN WASHINGTON REGARDLESS OF THE COST OF SERVICES. YET WE DON'T HAVE THE NECESSARY RESOURCES TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES. WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO THEM, BUT WE'RE NOT REIMBURSED FOR PROVIDING. THIS IS A SIMILAR THING FROM THAT SLIDE FROM THAT PRESENTATION ABOUT MSOCS AND HOW THE PACE OF INFLATION IS NOT KEEPING UP WITH THE REVENUE THAT WE'RE GETTING. >> FOR CONTEXT ON MSOCS, TOO, REMEMBER OUR CONVERSATION FROM LAST BUDGET CYCLE AROUND INSURANCE. IT'S NOT JUST THE COST OF PAPER AND PENCILS AND THINGS YOU MAY CONSIDER AS SUPPLIES,
BUT THE MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE SPEND ON INSURANCE HAS DOUBLED IN THE LAST THREE YEARS. IT'S MORE THAN. IT'S THE FUEL COSTS, TO RUN THE BUSES AND THE ELECTRICITY TO RUN THE BUILDINGS AND REALLY SUBSTANTIAL EXPENDITURES THAT WE CAN'T REALLY DO WITHOUT. >> IT SOUNDS LIKE INFLATION HAS HIT REALLY HARD BECAUSE THE MONEY WE GET FROM THE STATE HAS NOT BEEN COMMENSURATELY INFLATED LIKE ALL OF OUR EXPENSES HAVE. >> CORRECT? >> THE QUESTION I HAD TOO WAS THE SURROUNDING INSURANCE. COMPARING IT TO LIKE YOUR OWN PERSONAL INSURANCE. I KNOW IT'S NOT QUITE A GOOD COMPARISON, BUT ARE THERE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO GET BETTER RATES? >> NO [LAUGHTER]. >> PART OF IT LARGE COMMERCIAL INSURANCE. THEY'VE GOT SIZABLE CLAIMS, SO THEY PASS THAT ALONG TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS. FOR A LONG TIME, THE TRICK WAS TO UNDERVALUE YOUR FACILITIES. BUT ONCE THEY STARTED HAVING TO PAY CLAIMS ON THAT, THEY SAY, WAIT A MINUTE, YOU NEED TO CATCH UP WITH THE VALUES OF YOUR FACILITIES. IT INCREASED COST A LITTLE BIT. BUT NOW WE'RE PAYING FOR HURRICANES ON THE EAST COAST, WE'RE PAYING FOR NATURAL DISASTERS. THE INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE PAYING OUT HUGE CLAIMS THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH SCHOOLS IN WASHINGTON STATE. BUT INDUSTRY WIDE, THEY'RE RECOUPING. THE COSTS ARE GOING UP AND WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF FRIVOLOUS INSURANCE. >> I THINK I SHARED IT WITH NANCY. I FOUND A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE AND YOU PROBABLY READ ABOUT THE DISTRICT IN OKLAHOMA THAT WAS SUED BECAUSE OF A HAZING INCIDENT AND ENDED UP HAVING TO SETTLE FOR $5 MILLION. NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THE INSURANCE POOL THAT THEY WERE PART OF WAS INSOLVENT, AND THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO FIND NEW INSURANCE. I WAS LIKE, THAT WAS A NIGHTMARE THING TO READ, AND I JUST WONDER, HOW DO YOU AVOID THAT? >> WE COMPLAIN TO THE BROKER AND WRITE THE CHECK. WE STAY IN THE POOL, THE POOL IS ACTUALLY PRETTY SOLID FINANCIALLY. THE STATE BASICALLY HAS TWO INSURANCE POOLS. WE'RE IN THE ONE OUT OF EPHRATA, AND THE LOSS HISTORY IS FAIRLY GOOD. POOL IS SOLID, IT'S WELL FUNDED. FROM THAT STANDPOINT, IT'S GOOD. IT'S JUST THEIR UNDERWRITERS AND THEIR SECONDARY INSURERS. THE RATES ARE GOING UP, SO WE'RE HAVING TO PAY A LOT MORE. BUT SO IS EVERYBODY ELSE. EVERYBODY'S PAYING MORE, WHICH IS KEEPING THE POOL SOLVENT. THEY HAVE A PRETTY GOOD RISK MITIGATION TEAM. THEY COME OUT AND ACTUALLY REVIEW DISTRICTS FOR RISKS TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THE MEMBERS ARE DOING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING TO MINIMIZE THE POTENTIAL DAMAGES. WE'RE NOT PAYING OUT A BUNCH OF SETTLEMENTS. BUT THE FLOOD WE HAD AT THE OLD CTE BUILDING, THAT WAS OVER $1 MILLION A CLAIM JUST FROM ONE INCIDENT FROM FLOOD. BUT IF WE WOULDN'T HAVE HAD THAT, WE WOULD HAVE HAD A UNUSABLE BUILDING FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. >> THIS NEXT SLIDE SHOWS SPENDING IN SCHOOL DISTRICTS VERSUS WHAT THE STATE SPENDS ON EVERYTHING ELSE THAT THE STATE SPENDS MONEY ON, AND AS YOU CAN SEE IT, THE GAP IS WIDENING. THE LITTLE BLIP IN THE MIDDLE IS DURING THE COVID YEARS. THEN THIS IS A GRAPHIC SHOWING THE PERCENTAGE OF MONEY THE STATE SPENDS ON EDUCATION. IN 2019, THEY SPENT 52.4% OF THE STATE'S BUDGET ON K-12 EDUCATION. IN 2020, IT'S DOWN TO 43.1%.
KRISTI ALWAYS LIKES TO SAY THAT THE STATE HAS ONE THING THAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO. THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO FULLY FUND EDUCATION AND THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT IN THEIR CONSTITUTION THEY ARE REQUIRED TO DO. THIS SHOWS INCREASE IN DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO. THE FIRST ONE IS MILK HAS GONE UP 33% SINCE 2018, AVERAGE INCREASE IN DIESEL FUEL OF 39% SINCE 2018, 37% IN ELECTRICITY, 60% IN THE COST OF INSURANCE, WHICH MARK WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT, AND 18% IN TEACHER SALARY. WE ALSO HAD AN ISSUE THAT CAME TO LIGHT THIS FALL. WE HAVE A TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM IN OUR DISTRICT, AND IN OCTOBER 2024, WE FOUND OUT THAT THE STATE DID NOT SET ENOUGH MONEY ASIDE TO FULLY FUND TK FOR THE REST OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. THE STATE WILL RUN OUT OF THE DOLLAR SET ASIDE FOR THIS PROGRAM IN FEBRUARY OF 2025. SPI IS TELLING US THAT THE LEGISLATURE WILL MAKE THIS A PRIORITY AND DEAL WITH IT WHEN THEY COME BACK IN SESSION STARTING JANUARY 13TH. BUT THERE'S SOME UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THAT, AND THAT EQUALS ABOUT A $700 HIT TO US IF THEY AREN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT UP AND PAY US FOR THAT SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR FOR TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN. THE SHORTAGE ON THIS WAS AROUND $20 MILLION STATEWIDE. OUR GOAL OF AGAIN, I SAID THIS EARLIER WAS ALIGNING THE FINANCIAL PRIORITIES TO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN. WE'VE PREPARED A SURVEY THAT WE ARE GOING TO SEND TO THE BOARD, AND IT PRIORITIZES THE FINANCIAL PRIORITIES AND WHERE WE WANT TO SPEND OUR MONEY. ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT ARE ON THE BOARD ARE IMPORTANT, BUT WHERE DO WE WANT TO SPEND OUR MONEY? WE'RE GOING TO BE ASKING YOU TO RANK ORDER SOME THINGS, WANT TO SAY SOMETHING ELSE. >> IT'S THE START OF A CONVERSATION THAT'S GOING TO GO ON FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS. LIKE COLLEAGUE SAID EARLIER, WE'VE GOT A REALLY GOOD STRATEGIC PLAN NOW. BUT WE'RE GOING INTO WHAT WE'RE ANTICIPATING TO BE A REALLY DIFFICULT BUDGET PROCESS. UNLESS SOME OF MIRACLE HAPPENS, WE'RE NOT EXPECTING TO BE ABLE TO FUND EVERYTHING THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO FUND OR EVEN AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO FUND. WE NEED TO START GETTING SOME SENSE OF WHERE YOUR PRIORITIES ARE, WHERE YOU'RE COMPETING THE PRIORITIES OF THE DISTRICT AGAINST THEMSELVES, WHICH IS A LITTLE TOUGH AND IT'S A BIT OF A HARD CONVERSATION, BUT WE NEED TO START IDENTIFYING WHAT THE BOARD'S IDEAS ARE AROUND WHERE WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING RESOURCES. AS WE'RE HAVING THE INTERNAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS PROGRAM VERSUS THAT. THEY'RE BOTH REALLY GOOD. WE NEED TO DO BOTH, BUT WE CAN'T AFFORD BOTH. WHAT ARE SOME GUIDING PRINCIPLES? WE KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO REALLY MAKE ALL THE DECISIONS AT THIS POINT. IT'S THE STARTING POINT. THERE'S NOT A LOT OF DATA THAT IS GOING TO BE ASKED. IT'S A FEW CHOICES. THEY'RE BROAD CONCEPTS. WE CAN GATHER THAT INFORMATION BACK FROM EACH OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY, WHERE YOU'RE AT, WHAT YOU'RE THINKING AND THEN PREPARE MORE INFORMATION, CONSOLIDATE THAT, COME BACK AND ASK FOR SOME MORE INPUT. SHARE WHAT YOU TOLD US, HAVE SOME MORE CONVERSATION AND CONTINUE THAT ON FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. >> ALSO IN THE SURVEY, WE'VE INCLUDED SOME BIG TICKET ONE TIME TYPE ITEMS LIKE THE FACILITIES RENEWAL PROGRAM. THERE'S SOME OTHER THINGS IN THERE, WE'RE JUST ASKING YOU TO PRIORITIZE THOSE ALSO. JUST RECOGNIZING THAT THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY REGULAR ONGOING THINGS ARE [OVERLAPPING] >> WELL, THEY'RE NOT IN THERE. A YEAR IS IN CURRENT.
BUT THIS IS THE REALITY. WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS. WHAT DO WE HAVE, WHAT WE DO DIFFERENTLY? WE'VE GOT A BIG ITEM THERE THAT ISN'T, IT'S A STAND MODEL THAT HASN'T BEEN IMPACTED IN. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO AT SOME POINT, NOT NECESSARILY RIGHT THIS SECOND, BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO AT SOME POINT START MAKING SOME DECISIONS. IS THAT MORE IMPORTANT THAN SOMETHING ELSE? >> THOSE THINGS AFFECT STUDENTS. THEY'RE MORE AN INDIRECT EFFECT THAN SAY A CURRICULUM ADOPTION, THE FACILITIES, IT DOES AFFECT STUDENTS OUTCOMES IF YOU'RE NOT, LOOK AT THE NEW HIGH SCHOOL. >> WELL, I THINK THAT ALSO GOES TO THE ADVOCACY IN THE TOWN HALL MEETING, GETTING THE PUBLIC EDUCATED ABOUT THIS BECAUSE IT'S THEIR CHILDREN. WE CAN ADVOCATE ALL WE WANT. BUT WE'RE FIVE VOICES, WE'RE THE DISTRICT, BUT GETTING PEOPLE TO ADVOCATE WITH THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY, WE'VE GOT THE RULES, WE NEED TO DO THESE THINGS, BUT THE STATE HOLDS A LOT OF THE PER STRINGS ON THAT. IF WE'RE ALREADY LOOKING AT BUDGET SHORTFALLS AND THEN MONEY THAT WAS PROMISED TO US, THEY'RE GOING TO FALL $700,000 SHORT ON. YET WE STILL HAVE TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES BECAUSE WE HAVE CONTRACTED WITH THE PEOPLE TO DO IT. >> I DON'T LOOK FORWARD TO MAKING THESE CHOICES AT ALL, AND I'M SURE ALL OF US WHO WILL BE RESPONDING WILL BE THINKING ABOUT WHAT HAS THE MOST POSITIVE IMPACT ON KIDS. EVEN THOUGH BUSES ARE IN THE CLASSROOM, THEY GET THE KIDS THERE. IT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE TO BE IN THIS SITUATION. I REALLY LIKE THE IDEA OF THAT TOWN HALL, AND I REALLY HOPE THAT OUR STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES WILL JOIN US AT THAT. >> THE SURVEY, I'LL SEND OUT RIGHT AFTER THE MEETING. I HAVE THE E-MAIL ALL PREPARED. I ASKED THAT IT BE RETURNED BY JANUARY 10TH SO WE CAN COMPILE THE RESULTS AND THEN PRESENT IT AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING. THEN IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR YOU WANT TO MEET OR WANT ME TO RUN REPORTS OR ANY INFORMATION I CAN PROVIDE. I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO MEET WITH YOU AND TALK IT THROUGH. TO THE E-MAIL, I WILL ATTACH THIS POWERPOINT THAT I PRESENTED TONIGHT, PLUS THE ONE FROM DAN STEEL THAT WAS PRESENTED AT NORTHWEST ESD. THEN ANY INFORMATION I CAN PROVIDE AND ANY HELP I CAN GIVE YOU IN MAKING THE DECISIONS. THE SURVEY IS VERY BROAD. WE'RE TALKING IN BROAD TERMS TO START WITH JUST TO GATHER INFORMATION AND GO FROM THERE. >> I JUST WANT TO THANK HOLLY AND MARK. I WISH PEOPLE COULD SEE BEHIND THE CURTAIN OF HOW MANY HOURS THEY SPEND GOING OVER THIS AND THINKING ABOUT IT AND THE EXEC TEAM EVERY SINGLE TUESDAY WHEN WE MEET AS A TEAM, THIS IS A LARGE PART OF OUR TEAM MEETING. WE'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AND IT'S INTERESTING PEOPLE SAY, WELL, WHY CAN'T YOU CUT THIS OR WHY CAN'T YOU CUT THAT? EVERY DECISION WE MAKE AFFECTS A STUDENT. WE HAVE TO BE VERY THOUGHTFUL AND LIKE YOU SAID, THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT WE CAN'T SAY NO TO. THEY'RE THE LAW. I SAW SOMETHING TODAY THAT BECAUSE OF INFLATION, THE STATE JUST HAS NOT KEPT UP WITH IT. WE'RE ACTUALLY COMPARED TO WHERE YOU WERE POINTING OUT 2018 OR 2020, WE'RE GETTING $1,000. IF YOU WORK INFLATION AND WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING $1,000 LESS PER STUDENT TODAY WITH THE INFLATION COST THAN WE WERE IN 2020. I THINK IT'S SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND. THAT PORTION OF THE STATE BUDGET, IT MATTERS. IT'S MAKING A DIFFERENCE. LIKE HOLLY SAID, IT IS THE ONLY THING IN THE STATE CONSTITUTION THAT SAYS THEY HAVE TO FULLY FUND IT, AND THEY HAVEN'T BEEN DOING IT FOR I CAN'T REMEMBER A TIME. >> WELL, I THINK WITH THAT, IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE. WE'VE HEARD PUBLIC SPEAKERS IN THE PAST TALK ABOUT, WELL, PUBLIC SCHOOLS, IT COSTS A LOT MORE TO EDUCATE THE STUDENTS IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS. BUT IF YOU COMPARE APPLES TO APPLES, MOST PRIVATE SCHOOLS DON'T TAKE IN SPECIAL NEEDS IN, AND THAT'S ONE OF
THE BIG AREAS THAT'S NOT BEING FULLY FUNDED THAT WE'RE REQUIRED BY LAW TO TAKE CARE OF. >> WELL, COULD PART OF THE ADVOCACY BE PUSHING BACK AGAINST SOME OF THE MANDATES THAT THEY PUT ON US THAT REALLY MAYBE SHOULDN'T BE THE SCHOOL'S RESPONSIBILITY? >> I'M ACTUALLY WORKING RIGHT NOW. I JUST SENT AN E-MAIL OUT TODAY ASKING FOR A COMPLETED LIST OF ALL THE UNFUNDED MANDATES? SOME OF THEM DO HAVE LAWS WITH THEM. BUT I THINK WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE SURVEYS, WHICH ONES ARE WE WILLING TO STAND UP AND SAY, WE APPRECIATE THE LAW, WE JUST CAN'T DO THAT ONE. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT IEPS OR 504S. I'M TALKING ABOUT, YOU HAVE TO TEACH THIS, YOU HAVE TO TEACH THAT. WHICH ONES OF THOSE CAN WE JUST COLLECTIVELY, WILL THE BOARD SAY, NO, WE WON'T DO THAT BECAUSE IT DOESN'T COME WITH FUNDING. I'M TRYING TO GET THAT LIST. IT'S ACTUALLY COMPLEX TO GET THAT LIST. NOBODY REALLY SEEMS TO HAVE IT. ANYWAY, I'VE GOT A NICE LITTLE START. >> MAYBE IT'S A CHATGPT TASK. >> OKAY, PEGGY, I HAVEN'T TRIED IT YET, BUT I HAVE THOUGHT OF THAT. ANYWAY, I'M DETERMINED DURING THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S ALSO IMPORTANT FOR US TO SAY, DO YOU REALIZE THIS IS HOW MANY THINGS? BECAUSE EVERY YEAR, IF THEY ADD DIFFERENT PIECES AND NO ONE'S KEEPING TRACK OF IT, IT'S EASY TO KEEP ADDING. >> ONE MORE ITEM DOESN'T SEEM THAT BAD, BUT THERE'S THAT PROVERBIAL STRAW THAT BROKE THE CAMEL'S BACK. WITH THAT, HOLLY JOLLY REPORT FROM THE BUDGET COMMITTEE, MERRY CHRISTMAS. [LAUGHTER] >> SHE'S WEARING GREEN LIKE THE GRINCH. >> SHOOT THE MESSAGE, NOT THE MESSENGER. WITH THAT, WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR LEGISLATIVE REPORT AND LEGISLATIVE UPDATE FROM NANCY. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. HOLLY AND MARK, YOU PROVIDED ME THE PERFECT SEGUE. THANK YOU. INTO THE BIG THREE ANCHOR WASDA 2025 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES. THEY MATCH EXACTLY WITH WHAT THEY HAD JUST MENTIONED. THE WASDA BOARD ADOPTED THE ASSOCIATION'S LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES FROM THE FEEDBACK FROM ALL WASDA MEMBERS, ALL OF THEIR SCHOOL BOARD DIRECTORS THROUGHOUT WASHINGTON STATE, AND WE PARTICIPATED IN THAT AND SENT IN OUR TOP PRIORITIES, AND THE BIG THREE ARE SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING, MATERIALS, SUPPLIES, AND OPERATING COSTS FUNDING. THAT'S THE MSOC, AND TRANSPORTATION FOR STUDENTS. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU GUYS SAID. I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW, LET'S SEE, SHOULD I SAY MY SHIFT IN THINKING ABOUT THIS BECAUSE I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT WE HAVE PLENTY OF MONEY FOR OUR KIDS. YOU LOOK AT THE THINGS THAT YOU SEE ONLINE AND LISTEN TO PEOPLE, AND THERE'S SUPPOSEDLY $19,000 PER STUDENT THAT IS IN PUBLIC EDUCATION. YOU WOULD THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE PLENTY TO BE ABLE TO EDUCATE A CHILD WITHIN A SYSTEM. WELL, THIS SYSTEM IS HUGE AND THERE ARE SO MANY EXPENSES THAT NOT EVERYBODY KNOWS ABOUT OR UNDERSTANDS, SUCH AS THE COST OF INSURANCE GOING UP 40% IN JUST ONE YEAR, AND THE FACT THAT EVERY SINGLE SPECIAL ED CHILD GETS A CERTAIN DOLLAR AMOUNT NO MATTER WHAT THEIR DISABILITY IS AND THE AMOUNT OF CARE THAT THEY NEED. AS PART OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE, MY EYES HAVE BEEN OPENED TO SOME OF THE ABSOLUTELY SHOCKING AMOUNTS OF MONEY THAT WE SPEND ON INDIVIDUAL CHILDREN BECAUSE OF THEIR IEPS AND WE HAVE TO, AND WE DON'T GET THE MONEY FOR THAT. WE KEEP DIGGING THIS HOLE WHERE WE ARE GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO SOME OF THESE SCHOOLS WHICH ARE NOT DOING SO WELL AND WE WANT TO AVOID THAT. TOWARDS THAT, I'VE BEEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING TO THE BOARD A RESOLUTION AND A RESOLUTION TO OUR STATE LEGISLATURE.
THIS ISN'T ANY A LEGALLY BINDING THING. IT'S JUST A STATEMENT OF WHAT OUR BOARD POSITION IS. THIS ONE WAS DRAFTED BY THE BELLINGHAM SCHOOL DISTRICT OF ALL DISTRICTS FOR ME TO EMULATE. [LAUGHTER] IT HAS A BUNCH OF WHEREASES AND THEREFORES. BASICALLY, THE WHOLE THING IS, WE WANT THE STATE TO FULLY FUND PUBLIC EDUCATION BECAUSE I HAVE LEARNED THAT THEY'RE NOT. I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO TAKE A STAND ON THAT. THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT ON HERE. IT'S JUST SOMETHING I'M BRINGING AS SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE TO EACH OF YOU TO LOOK AT, SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT NEXT MONTH. I'LL JUST READ A LITTLE TINY BIT OF IT. WHEREAS WASHINGTON STATE CONSTITUTION STATES THAT IT IS THE PARAMOUNT DUTY OF THE STATE TO MAKE AMPLE PROVISION FOR THE EDUCATION OF ALL CHILDREN, AND WHEREAS FERNDALE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, I WILL SUBSTITUTE OUR NAME, PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS FACING SIGNIFICANT FUNDING CHALLENGES AS WE PLAN FOR THE '25-'26 SCHOOL YEAR, AND DESPITE HAVING IMPLEMENTED REDUCTIONS IN THE PREVIOUS SCHOOL YEAR, AND WHEREAS THE PERCENTAGE OF K-12 FUNDING BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF WHEREASES OF ALL THESE REASONS WHY WE NEED THE STATE TO FULFILL THEIR OBLIGATION FOR FULLY FUNDING EDUCATION. THEN BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FORMALLY URGES THE LEGISLATURE TO FULLY FUND PUBLIC EDUCATION WITH AMPLE PROVISIONS FOR STUDENTS AT FERNDALE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT CONSISTENT WITH OUR STATE CONSTITUTION. THAT'S THE NICKEL VERSION, THE 25% VERSION I WILL GET TO YOU. I JUST WANT TO BRING THAT UP AND YOU CAN HAVE THE NEXT MONTH TO READ IT AND DETERMINE WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT IT, AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT NEXT MONTH. THEN ANOTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO MENTION IS OVER THIS PAST FIRST YEAR OF BEING A SCHOOL BOARD DIRECTOR, I'VE PARTICIPATED IN WASDA. THEY HAVE MONTHLY NEW DIRECTOR ZOOM MEETINGS AS WELL AS LEGISLATIVE REP MEETINGS. IN TODAY'S MEETING FOR NEW DIRECTORS, IT WAS MY LAST ONE BECAUSE IT'S MY FINAL YEAR HERE AS NEW. [LAUGHTER] I'M NO LONGER NEW. HAVING A FULL YEAR UNDER MY BELT NOW. THE LEADER ASKED A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS. I JUST WANT TO BRING UP THESE QUESTIONS BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE DOING A GOOD JOB OVERALL. IT SAYS, QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR BOARD. WHO ON THE BOARD HAS FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT EXPERTISE? WELL, I CAN TELL YOU THAT BOTH PEGGY AND I DO NOT HAVE FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT EXPERTISE, BUT WE'RE DOING OUR DARNEDEST TO PROVIDE SOME AUDITING OVERSIGHT, AND WE WOULD WELCOME HELP FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE BETTER SKILLS THAN US. BUT AT LEAST WE'VE MADE A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION BY HAVING AN AUDITING COMMITTEE. I THINK THAT THAT'S A GOOD STEP. WHO IS TAKING UP ADVOCACY EFFORTS? I THINK THAT WITH KNOWING WHERE WE ARE WITH OUR BUDGETING, THAT ALL OF US WILL PROBABLY BE A LITTLE MORE INCLINED TO STEP UP AND PARTICIPATE IN THE ADVOCACY PROCESS, AND I AM VERY HAPPY TO SPEARHEAD THAT, AND I REALLY WANT TO GET GABI AND HARLEEN INVOLVED IN THAT TOO. I KNOW GABI, YOU ARE TOTALLY INTO THAT. YOU HAVE THAT STRAT ACADEMY THING AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE OUR GIRL ON THAT, SO THAT WOULD BE GREAT. THEN THEY ASKED, WHERE IS YOUR BOARD ON SELF-ASSESSMENTS? NOT EVERY BOARD CAN SAY THAT WE DO A SELF-ASSESSMENT AT EVERY MEETING, SO THAT'S A GOOD THING. I AM CURIOUS, WHEN IS THE ONE THAT WE DO WITH WASDA, THE ANNUAL ONE? I'M NOT SURE WHEN THAT IS. >> TYPICALLY, YOU DO THAT AROUND MAY, JUNE. >> THANK YOU. LET'S SEE. HOW ARE STUDENTS ENGAGED AND LEARNED FROM? HAVING GABI AND HARLEEN ON OUR BOARD, WE'RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES ALREADY ON OUR BOARD. NOT EVERY BOARD HAS THAT. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR DEVELOPING MORE OUTREACH. GABI, I'M DELIGHTED TO HEAR THAT YOU WENT TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL,
AND I HOPE THAT YOU GUYS WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE THAT. I'M WONDERING ABOUT THE WHOLE CREDIT THING. DID THAT HAPPEN? ARE YOU GETTING A CREDIT FOR BEING ON THE BOARD? >> YES. >> GOOD. >> YES, WE'RE GETTING CREDITS NOW AND IT'S ACTUALLY GONE SO FAR THAT I'M ABLE TO HAVE A SPECIAL PROJECTS PERIOD NEXT SEMESTER IN ORDER TO WORK ON ENGAGING THE YOUNGER STUDENTS FOR ADVOCACY AND WORKING WITH THE OAK HARBOR STUDENTS. THAT WORK PERIOD IS GOING TO BE REALLY USEFUL FOR BEING ABLE TO FULFILL MY ROLE AS A STUDENT REP. >> AWESOME. IS THAT OPPORTUNITY EXTENDED TO YOU AS WELL OR IS THAT A SENIOR YEAR THING? >> I DO ALSO GET CREDIT FOR THIS, ALTHOUGH UNLIKE GABI, IT DOES NOT FIT MY SCHEDULE TO HAVE A WORK PERIOD FOR THIS. IT'S JUST ANOTHER THING THAT I'M JUST DOING OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL ON MY OWN TIME, BUT I'M MAKING IT WORK. >> THANK YOU BOTH. THEN WHERE ARE WE ON OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AND SUPERINTENDENT EVALUATION PROCESS IS ANOTHER QUESTION, AND WE CAN VERY PROUDLY SAY THAT WE FINALLY HAVE A STRATEGIC PLAN AND THAT WE ARE TYING IN OUR SUPERINTENDENT EVALUATION TO THAT AND THE MONITORING REPORTS. WHAT TRAININGS HAVE WE GONE TO AS A BOARD? WELL, WE JUST WENT THROUGH WASDA. WHAT SKILLS OR KNOWLEDGE WOULD WE LIKE TO DEVELOP? ANYWAY, THAT WAS JUST FROM A MEETING TODAY AND I JUST FELT REALLY GOOD ABOUT WHERE WE ARE AS A BOARD AND WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND THE DIRECTION WE'RE HEADING. WE DON'T HAVE EVERYTHING DONE THAT WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH AND PROBABLY NEVER WILL, BUT I REALLY AM HIGHLY ENCOURAGED ABOUT THIS DISTRICT WORKING FOR THE BENEFIT OF STUDENTS, SO THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, NANCY. NEXT, THE AUDIT COMMITTEE. >> THE LEGISLATIVE REP THING IS A HARD ACT TO FOLLOW BECAUSE I HAVE NOTHING TO REALLY PRONOUNCE OTHER THAN WE DID GO UP AND WE LOOKED THROUGH THE RECEIPTS AND EVERYTHING LOOKED FINE. ALL QUESTIONS THAT WE HAD WERE ANSWERED BY HOLLY AND KELLY. AS ALWAYS, EVERY TIME WE GO UP THERE, WE LEARN SOMETHING NEW ABOUT THE WAY THAT THE DISTRICT OPERATES. I THINK SOMEDAY, IT WOULD BE NICE TO JUST CONDENSE THIS ALL SO THAT PEOPLE COULD UNDERSTAND REALLY HOW MANY GEARS AND LEVERS AND WHATNOT THERE ARE IN THIS MACHINE. FOR EXAMPLE, THIS LAST ONE, THERE WAS A CHECK WRITTEN FROM ASB TO THE GENERAL FUND TO REIMBURSE COSTS FOR DIFFERENT THINGS, AND IT WAS THREE SEPARATE PURCHASE ORDERS. I HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT SOME TRAVEL EXPENSES FOR THE BAND. HOLLY WENT AND FOUND IT ALL, SHOWED ME WHERE THE ACCOUNTING WAS FOR KEEPING TRACK OF THESE THINGS, HOW THEY CALCULATED THE MILEAGE, HOW THEY CALCULATED THE PAY FOR THE PEOPLE WHO DROVE BEING ON A WEEKEND TIME AND A HALF, HOW THIS WAS ACCOUNTED FOR HERE. THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER, BUT IT'S GOOD TO KNOW THESE THINGS. I WISH EVERYBODY COULD GO AND DO THIS AND SEE. ANOTHER PLACE WHERE THEY'RE DEPOSITING THE FUNDING FOR A GRANT. STUFF WAS PAID FOR OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND. THEN THEY CHANGED THE RULES AND SAID THIS HAS TO COME OUT OF THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND. THERE WAS SOME SHUFFLING, BUT THERE WAS A PAPER TRAIL TO FOLLOW TO SEE WHERE THINGS WERE ACCOUNTED FOR. IT'S GOOD TO KNOW THAT THEY HAVE THE DOCUMENTATION, IT'S THERE. IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, YOU CAN ASK AND YOU'LL GET AN ANSWER PRETTY MUCH IMMEDIATELY AND IF NOT, THEN THEY'LL FIND SOMEBODY WHO CAN. THAT'S BEEN MY EXPERIENCE WITH IT SO FAR. THAT'S GOING TO RECOMMEND YES, APPROVE THAT ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. THAT'S IT. >> THANK YOU, PEGGY. THAT TAKES US ON TO ITEM 7 OF OUR AGENDA MATTERS RESERVED FOR THE BOARD. THE FIRST ITEM, 7.01, IS TO ACT ON THE FERNDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT ACTION PLAN. JAMIE, WE'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU AND IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, I THINK EVERYBODY HAS HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THIS REPORT. IT'S THERE ON BOARD DOCS, AND I'M NOT SURE JAMIE, IF YOU HAVE A SUMMARY THAT YOU WANT TO GIVE US OR IF THERE'S QUESTIONS. >> I CAN GIVE YOU A QUICK SUMMARY.
BACK IN 2021, THERE'S A WHACK THAT ALL WATER THAT COULD BE USED BY KIDS BE TESTED AT EVERY SCHOOL IN THE STATE. YOU HAVE THE CHOICE OF THE STATE COMING AND DOING IT OR YOU CAN HIRE SOMEONE YOURSELF, THE STATE WILL COME AND DO IT FOR FREE. THAT IS THE SCHOOLS THAT YOU SEE ON THE ACTION PLAN WERE TESTED IN OCTOBER. PREVIOUSLY, THEY HAD COME IN 2019, AND ASKED VOLUNTARILY IF WE WOULD HAVE THE REST OF OUR SCHOOLS TESTED, WHICH IS WHY THEY WEREN'T TESTED THIS TIME. IN 2019, THEY CAME AND TESTED THE SCHOOLS THAT WEREN'T ON THE LIST. WE GOT THOSE RESULTS AND MADE SIMILAR REACTIONS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE ON THE ACTION PLAN TO ANY THAT WOULD HAVE TESTED ELEVATED BACK THEN. THEN I ALSO WILL SAY THAT BEFORE MY TIME HERE, THEY STARTED A TESTING PROGRAM IN 2016, THAT EVERY TWO YEARS, WE WOULD GO AROUND AND SPOT CHECK EVERY BUILDING, TRY TO PULL SAMPLES FROM EACH AREA OF THE BUILDING TO GET AN IDEA OF WHERE WE WERE AT AND BASED ON THOSE RESULTS, WE ALSO WOULD DO SOME MITIGATION IF WE HAD ANY ELEVATED TEST RESULTS. WHAT YOU'RE SEEING LARGELY ON THAT ACTION PLAN IS A LOT OF SCIENCE ROOMS, WHICH ARE NOT ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE STATE TESTING PLAN. >> WHAT HAPPENED WAS IF YOU GO INTO OUR HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE ROOMS, YOU'LL SEE NON-POTABLE WATER SIGNS AT EACH FIXTURE. WE DON'T HAVE THOSE IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL. WE WILL BE ADDING THOSE, NOT A GREAT IDEA TO BE DRINKING WATER OUT OF THE TAPS IN A SCIENCE ROOM WITH WHATEVER ELSE MIGHT BE GOING ON IN THERE. YOU ALSO SAW A PRETTY BIG DISCREPANCY IN FIXTURES IN THE SAME ROOM WITH THE TEST RESULTS AND WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS FIXTURES THAT SIT THAT DON'T EVER GET USED, TESTED ELEVATED. EVEN THOUGH A LARGE PORTION OF THEM ARE LEAD FREE, FIXTURES THEY'RE NOT 100% LEAD FREE. THERE COULD BE SOME SOLDER USED THAT WASN'T LEAD FREE AT THE TIME THAT THEY WERE PUT IN SO IT CAN TEND TO PROVIDE ELEVATED RESULTS. THE TEST IS DONE AT FIRST DRAW IN THE MORNING. THE BUILDING IS THEY CAME BY STARTED AT 6:00 IN THE MORNING SO YOU CAN'T USE ANY WATER AT THE BUILDING TILL EVERY FIXTURE THAT COULD BE USED BY A STUDENT OR A CHILD IS TESTED. THAT'S HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS. THEN IF YOU RECEIVE SOME ELEVATED RESULTS, WHICH YOU CAN SEE ON THE ACTION PLAN, DEPENDING ON THE LEVEL, THEN WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO SOME MITIGATION PROCEDURES, ONE BEING IF THEY TEST AT A CERTAIN LEVEL, SHUTTING THAT FIXTURE DOWN UNTIL IT IS REPLACED OR A PERMANENT MITIGATION FEATURE IS BROUGHT IN LIKE MAKING A PERMANENT HAND WASHING ONLY OR A NON-POTABLE WATER SIGN AT THOSE LOCATIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, 31 OF THE 43 FIXTURES THAT TESTED ELEVATED AT VISTA, WHICH WAS OUR SCHOOL THAT HAD THE MOST, OUT OF THOSE FIVE WERE SCIENCE ROOMS. THERE'S PLENTY OF DRINKING WATER. ALL OUR BOTTLE FILL STATIONS TESTED AT BASICALLY NON-DETECT SO THERE ARE STILL PLENTY OF DRINKING WATER OPTIONS. BUT WE ARE REQUIRED ONCE WE HAVE THE TESTING DONE AND HAVE RESULTS ABOVE FIVE PARTS PER BILLION TO CREATE AN ACTION PLAN THAT HAS A CHANCE TO BE PUBLICLY COMMENTED ON, AND THEN WE WILL RELEASE TO EACH SCHOOL WITH THE ACTION PLAN AND THE TEST RESULTS. THAT'S A RUNDOWN. >> CAN I ASK A QUESTION? >> SURE. >> I THINK STEVE POINTED OUT LAST MEETING THAT, WAS THE TESTING DONE PROPERLY LIKE YOU SAID, IF IT'S BEEN SITTING THERE FOR A WHILE. CAN YOU CHALLENGE AND HAVE THEM RUN THE TEST AGAIN, IN CASE THEY DIDN'T FOLLOW THE TESTING PROCEDURE? >> THEY'RE FOLLOWING THEIR PROTOCOLS, WHICH IS, LIKE I SAID, IT HAS TO BE SITTING FOR A MINIMUM OF EIGHT HOURS. HOW? MAYBE ONE, WE WEREN'T ANTICIPATING SCIENCE ROOMS GETTING TESTED.
HOWEVER, I THINK THE REASON THEY DID WAS SOMEWHAT VALID BECAUSE SOME OF THE SCIENCE ROOMS HAVE A SINK AND A BUBBLER SO LITTLE DRINKING FOUNTAIN. LIKE AT VISTA, YOU HAVE SIX DIFFERENT STATIONS AND ONE OF THEM MIGHT HAVE THAT BUBBLER. THE TESTER CAME IN AND ACTUALLY CALLED SOMEBODY ABOVE HER BECAUSE IT WAS A SCIENCE ROOM, SHE WASN'T SUPPOSED TO TEST IT, BUT THEN WE HAVE A DRINKING FOUNTAIN THAT A STUDENT COULD DRINK OUT OF. THEN THEY DECIDED THAT THEY WERE GOING TO TEST ALL THOSE FIXTURES. IT'S A TOUGH ONE BECAUSE IF THAT FIXTURE NEVER GETS USED AND SOMEBODY TAKES A DRINK OUT OF IT, YOU'RE GETTING PROBABLY A MORE ACCURATE TEST RESULT. IF WE TELL THEM, YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THESE FIXTURES GET USED, THEN THOSE TEST RESULTS ARE GOING TO PROBABLY BE PRETTY DIFFERENT. WE'RE PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT IT IS IN FIXTURES THAT AREN'T USED. YOU CAN SEE IN SCIENCE ROOMS, WE HAD LIKE I SAID, A BIG DISCREPANCY BETWEEN I WENT IN AND ASKED THE TEACHER. THIS ONE TESTED AT TWO AND THIS ONE TESTED ABOVE ELEVATED AND THEY WOULD SAY, WELL, THAT SINK NEVER GETS USED. WE'RE CONFIDENT THAT IT ISN'T IN OUR SUPPLY LINES THAT IT'S ACTUALLY IN THE FIXTURE. ALSO HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE CITY OF FERNDALE. THEY HAD JUST FINISHED THEIR LEAD TESTING THAT THEY HAVE TO DO FOR THE CITY WATER SUPPLY, AND AGAIN, FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THEY TESTED GREAT SO THE WATER GETTING TO OUR BUILDING DOES NOT HAVE ANY ISSUES. WE REALLY BELIEVE BY SWAPPING OUT THESE FIXTURES, WE'RE GOING TO GET BETTER TEST RESULTS. THEY WILL COME BACK AND RETEST ON ANY FIXTURE THAT WE REPLACE. WE'RE ALSO GOING ABOVE WHAT IS REQUIRED BY THE STATE. WE'RE REPLACING ANY FIXTURE, I SHOULD SAY, THAT'S NOT IN A SCIENCE ROOM OVER FIVE PARTS PER BILLION. YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT BY THE STATE REQUIREMENTS. IT'S ANYTHING OVER 15. WE'RE GOING ABOVE WHAT THEIR REQUIREMENT IS AS FAR AS WHAT WE'RE PLANNING TO DO. >> THIS IS PROBABLY A SILLY QUESTION BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH IT COST TO REPLACE FIXTURES, BUT WOULD JUST A REGULAR FLUSHING SCHEDULE BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE? >> ONCE YOU TEST ELEVATED, YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW THEIR PROTOCOL. IT'S NOT CHEAP. COMMERCIAL FIXTURE IS BETWEEN 4 AND $500. WHEN WE'RE TALKING 43 AT VISTA, THAT IS A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY. BY DOING THIS, THERE IS SOME GRANT MONEY OUT THERE THAT ONCE WE HAVE OUR ACTION PLAN APPROVED BY THE BOARD THAT WE CAN SUBMIT FOR SOME HELP FROM OSPI AND A GRANT TO REPLACE THOSE FIXTURES THAT WERE ELEVATED. THE QUESTION IS, IS IF THERE'S STILL MONEY THERE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO GRAB, BUT WE WILL APPLY FOR THAT TO GET SOME HELP. >> JAMIE, DO WE HAVE ANY FILTRATION SYSTEM COMING INTO THE SCHOOL FROM THE CITY? >> NO. >> IT'S DIRECT FROM THE CITY TO OUR FIXTURES. >> YEAH. WE KNOW FERNDALE WATER ISN'T GREAT, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE LEAD. [LAUGHTER] WE HAVE OTHER ISSUES, BUT WE DON'T HAVE LEAD. >> HAVE WE ASKED THEM IF THERE IS A FILTER THAT WILL FILTER OUT LEAD OUT OF THE WATER? >> THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IF FIXTURE REPLACEMENT DOESN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM, THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER STEP THAT WE LOOK AT. >> JUST THE THOUGHT, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MAYBE, RATHER THAN REPLACING A FIXTURE, PUTTING A FILTER ON IT. >> WELL, THE PROBLEM IS WE DON'T FEEL LIKE IT'S IN THE SUPPLY LINES. WE SEE THAT, LIKE I SAID, IN THE VARIANCE OF EVEN IN ONE ROOM, WHICH IS GETTING SUPPLIED BY THE SAME SUPPLY LINE. QUITE A DIFFERENCE IN FIXTURES. SOME OF THAT TEST COMPLETELY FINE AND BELOW OR NON-DETECT, AND THEN SOME OF THAT ARE ELEVATED, WHICH INDICATES THAT THE WATER'S JUST BEEN SITTING IN THERE AND HAS JUST ENOUGH TO GET IT OVER THAT THRESHOLD. AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FIVE PARTS PER BILLION.
>> ARE ALL OUR FEED LINES TO THOSE FIXTURES COPPER PIPE? OR ARE WE USING ANY PEX OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? >> ACTUALLY, I DON'T THINK WE USE PEX IN THE NEW SCHOOL. WE STILL USE COPPER. MOST OF IT IS COPPER. >> COPPER SWEATED JOINTS, BUT IT WOULD BE NON-LEAD SALT. >> RIGHT. >> WELL, YOU WOULD THINK IF IT WAS A SUPPLY PROBLEM, YOU WOULD BE HAVING IT UNIVERSAL? >> YEAH. THAT'S WHY WE ARE PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT IT'S JUST IF WE REPLACE THE FIXTURES AND THEN YOU CONDITION THEM, THERE'S A STEPS YOU HAVE TO TAKE AND THEN THEY WILL COME OUT AND TEST UP TO TWO MORE TIMES TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE BELOW THAT FIVE PARTS PER BILLION. >> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR JAMIE? >> NO QUESTIONS FOR JAMIE, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATED THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAD THAT YOU EMAILED TO KRISTI OR MAYBE TO JAMIE. I DON'T KNOW. ANYWAY, THAT THOSE QUESTIONS WERE THEN FORWARDED TO THE REST OF THE BOARD BECAUSE I HAD THE SAME QUESTIONS, AND I REALLY APPRECIATED GETTING THAT INFORMATION AS FOR FYI. >> NO PROBLEM. >> IT WAS GREAT GETTING THOSE ANSWERS AND GIVING JAMIE THE HEADS UP SO WE DIDN'T HAVE TO ANSWER THEM COLD TURKEY. >> I APPRECIATE THAT. >> WELL, THEN IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS, THE CHAIR WILL PROPOSE THAT WE ADOPT THE FERNDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT WATER ACTION PLAN THAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED. WE'LL START WITH THE STUDENT ADVISORY VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. >> AYE. >> ALL THOSE OPPOSED? ADVISORY VOTE IS IN THE AFFIRMATIVE AND MOVING ON TO THE ELECTED BOARD MEMBERS. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. >> AYE. >> ALL OPPOSED? WE HAVE ADOPTED THE FSD WATER ACTION PLAN. THANK YOU, JAMIE. >> THANK YOU. IT WILL CONTINUE TO GET UPDATED AS WE DO THE REMEDIATION FIXTURE REPLACEMENT, ALL THAT. IT IS ALSO A LIVING DOCUMENT. >> THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THAT. THAT THEN TAKES US ON TO 7.02, WHICH IS TO ADOPT NEW POLICY 4010 RECORDS MANAGEMENT. THIS WAS THE RECORDS MANAGEMENT POLICY THAT WE RECEIVED LAST MONTH AND HAD TIME TO READ AND REVIEW. AGAIN, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY? >> THANK YOU. I DID HAVE A FEW EXTRA PIECES OF HELPFUL INFORMATION JUST FOR THE SCOPE OF THIS POLICY PROPOSAL. A BIG PART OF THIS RECORDS MANAGEMENT POLICY IS ADDRESSING OUR EMAIL STORAGE. I HAD QUERIED JOHN SILVER IN OUR TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT. HE OFTEN IS PULLING EMAIL QUERIES FOR ME WHEN I'M HANDLING PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS. ALL I HAD TO RESPOND TO HIM WAS WOW, BECAUSE CURRENTLY WE HAVE EIGHT TERABYTES WORTH OF EMAIL STORAGE SAVED IN THE DISTRICT, AND WITHOUT A POLICY, AND THEREFORE, ALSO A PROCEDURE, WE WILL BE CONTINUING TO HAVE AN INCREASE OF NOT JUST EMAILS, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF RECORDS WE JUST NEED TO HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE TO MANAGE THAT EVER INCREASING AMOUNT OF RECORDS. ANOTHER FACTOID I WANTED TO SHARE WAS I ASKED WHAT WOULD BE A GENERAL AMOUNT OF EMAILS IN A DAY IN THE DISTRICT, AND FROM NOVEMBER 8TH TO DECEMBER 8TH, ONE OF THE PEAK DAYS IN THE DISTRICT. DISTRICT STAFF SENT ABOUT 4,200 EMAILS ACROSS THE DISTRICT AND OVER 33,000 WERE RECEIVED. THAT WAS A PEAK HIGH VOLUME DAY. JUST TO GIVE SOME SMALL FACTS ABOUT THE BIG PICTURE OF WHAT'S BEHIND MY SENSE OF URGENCY WITH HAVING SOMETHING LIKE THIS ADOPTED, SO WE CAN THEN START GETTING INTO THE NITTY GRITTY OF HAVING A PROCEDURE TO START ADDRESSING THE INCREASE OF RECORDS THAT NEED TO BE MANAGED IN THE DISTRICT. I ALSO BROUGHT THIS LOVELY VISUAL. THERE'S TWO RECORD RETENTION SCHEDULES THAT ARE LISTED IN THE POLICY PROPOSAL. ONE IS THE CORE SCHEDULE AND ONE IS THE K THROUGH 12 SCHEDULE. INSTEAD OF JUST PRINTING IT ALL OUT,
IT AMOUNTS TO 311 PAGES OF DETAILS OF THE RECORD RETENTION SCHEDULES THAT WE OPTED HERE TO. THIS IS A 500 PAGE STACK AND I HIGHLIGHTED IN GREEN HOW THICK THE RETENTION SCHEDULES ARE. THEY'RE VERY HIGHLY DETAILED. THERE'S A LOT BEHIND IT. THE POLICY IS QUITE SHORT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THE SCOPE THAT I AM THINKING IN MY SEAT AS THE PUBLIC RECORDS OFFICER, JUST HOW BIG THAT WORK IS THAT. OFTEN WE DON'T THINK ABOUT IN THE DAY TO DAY WHEN WE HAVE STUDENTS IN CLASS AND THAT'S OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. THERE'S A LOT OF RECORDS BEING PRODUCED. >> [INAUDIBLE] [LAUGHTER] >> I DIDN'T LOOK THAT UP, THOUGH. >> I'M THINKING THIS IS QUITE THE EXCITING MEETING. JAMIE'S GIVING US A SPREADSHEET THAT'S GOT ALL TABS. EVELYN'S GIVING US THIS POTENTIAL DOCUMENT OF 311 PAGES, I'M SURE IS JUST CAPTIVATING READING. ANY QUESTIONS SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THE POLICY? KUDOS TO YOU FOR PUTTING SOMETHING PROACTIVE TOGETHER. THANK YOU. >> WHEN I READ THAT POLICY, I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH WHAT YOU WROTE HERE, AND I WAS REALLY SURPRISED THAT WSSDA DOES NOT HAVE A POLICY ON THIS. IT SEEMS LIKE WITH ALL THE PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS THAT WE GET IN OUR DISTRICT, THAT ALL DISTRICTS WOULD BE INTERESTED IN HAVING A POLICY LIKE THIS. KUDOS TO YOU FOR BRINGING IT FORWARD. THANK YOU. >> WHILE WE'RE GIVING KUDOS, IF I MAY, WHILE SHE'S HERE. I THINK I SHARED THIS BEFORE, BUT EVELYN HAS COMPLETED ALL OF HER HOURS AND TRAININGS TO BECOME OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED AS A PUBLIC RECORDS OFFICER IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON. >> WITH THAT, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT 7.02, ADOPTING POLICY 4010 RECORDS MANAGEMENT. IT HAS BEEN MOVED TO ADOPT THE NEW POLICY 4010 RECORDS MANAGEMENT. WE'LL START AGAIN WITH AN ADVISORY VOTE FROM THE STUDENTS. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. >> AYE. >> ALL THOSE OPPOSED? THE ADVISORY VOTE IS IN THE AFFIRMATIVE TO ADOPT THIS POLICY. TO THE ELECTED BOARD, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ADOPTING THE NEW POLICY 4010 RECORDS MANAGEMENT, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. >> AYE. >> ALL OPPOSED? POLICY 4010 IS NOW PART OF OUR OFFICIAL POLICIES. >> CAN I SAY SOMETHING? EVELYN, YOU KNOW THAT I EMAILED YOU ABOUT, SINCE THIS IS NOT A WSSDA POLICY. I WOULD THINK IT'D BE A REALLY GOOD IDEA FOR US TO PRESENT IT TO WSSDA TO SEE WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT THAT. WHEN IT COMES AROUND TIME FOR POLICY ADOPTION, I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THIS BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE A PROCEDURE THAT THE BOARD DOES. WE COULD DEFINITELY GIVE YOU CREDIT FOR HAVING WRITTEN IT. BUT I THINK THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT OTHER DISTRICTS MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN ADOPTING FOR THEMSELVES. >> ABSOLUTELY. I THINK IT'S DEFINITELY NEEDED. >> THANK YOU. >> DEFINITELY, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK. THE PUBLIC RECORDS DEPARTMENT IS A THANKLESS LARGE JOB SO WE APPRECIATE YOU KEEPING US WITHIN THE CONFINES OF WHERE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE. THANK YOU. >> THAT TAKES US TO 7.03, THE REORGANIZATION OF POLICIES AND MONITORING REPORTS. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT. OFF AND ON, BOBBY'S BEEN WORKING TO CONSOLIDATE, TWEAK AND MAKE MUCH MORE MANAGEABLE OUR POLICIES AND OUR MONITORING REPORTS. I WILL TURN IT OVER TO HIM AND KRISTI TO LEAD US ONWARD. >> JUST LIKE EVELYN, BOBBY HAS BEEN TAKING THE INITIATIVE LISTENING TO THE FEEDBACK HE AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON TRYING TO MAKE THE POLICIES MAKE SENSE AND STILL HAVE ENOUGH STRUCTURE AND MEAT IN THEM SO THAT THEY'RE PROVIDING THE GUIDANCE THAT WE NEED AS A DISTRICT TO BE ABLE TO KNOW WHAT OUR STRENGTHS ARE AND WHAT OUR NEXT STEPS. WHEN WE WERE IN SPOKANE,
I SHARED WITH YOU OR BOBBY DID A LOVELY LITTLE ZOOM FOR YOU TO WATCH. HE HAS A PROPOSAL FOR YOU TO VOTE ON TONIGHT ON HOW YOU WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD AND THEN I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO HIM. WHILE YOU'VE BEEN DIGESTING THIS A LOT, HE'S GOING TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF OVERVIEW SO THE PUBLIC ALSO HAS CAUGHT UP. >> THANK YOU, KRISTI. I THINK IN YOUR PACKETS, KRISTI PRINTED A COUPLE OF THESE THINGS OUT FOR YOU AS WELL. BUT THIS IS JUST GENERALLY WHAT I HAD PRESENTED TO YOU RESHUFFLING OF OUR OE POLICIES DOWN FROM THE EXISTING 12-6, AND THEN OUR RESULTS POLICIES REDUCED DOWN FROM 6-4. THE VISUAL THAT'S UP ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW JUST SHOWS WHICH EXISTING POLICIES WOULD BE MERGED INTO THE NEW POLICIES. THEN LOOKING AT THIS, I JUST WANTED TO DIVE INTO JUST ONE OF THEM TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF THE BACK AND FORTH PROCESS THAT WOULD HAPPEN IN THE MONTHS MOVING FORWARD, IF WE GO THIS WAY, WHICH WOULD BE LOOKING AT OE-2 COMMUNICATION AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT. THIS IS BLENDING THE CURRENT OE-3 AND OE-8 POLICIES. THE PROCESS WOULD WORK THAT FIRST, IT WOULD BE PRESENTED THAT THERE WOULD BE A POLICY THAT WOULD BE REWRITTEN OR MERGED TOGETHER THAT WOULD BE VOTED ON BY THE BOARD. ONCE IT IS APPROVED, THEN NEXT, SUPERINTENDENT WOULD PREPARE AN INTERPRETATION AND AS WELL AS MONITORING INDICATORS, WHICH WOULD BE LIKE MEASURABLE INDICATORS OR ACTION STEPS, THINGS TO MEASURE OUR SUCCESS. THAT WOULD THEN GET PRESENTED TO THE BOARD AND THEN GET APPROVED BEFORE IT'S ALL COLLECTED TOGETHER, AND THEN ACTED ON ON THE MONTH THAT WE HAVE DECIDED THAT WE'RE REPORTING ON IT. THIS IS JUST LIKE DRAFT LANGUAGE. THE IDEA WOULD BE THAT THEN YOU COULD TWEAK IT AS NEEDED, MAKE ADJUSTMENTS, ADD THINGS, REMOVE THINGS, AND LET US KNOW. I'VE GOT THE LITTLE ZOOM. I'M NOT ABLE TO SEE MY STRATUS. THIS IS A DOCUMENT THAT YOU ALSO HAVE. THIS WAS JUST SHOWING THE TWO DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR THE APPROVAL PROCESS, AND THIS IS I BELIEVE WHAT WE WANTED YOUR INPUT ON TONIGHT. THERE ARE TWO OPTIONS, OPTION A AND OPTION B. OPTION A IS LOOKING AT ONE POLICY AT A TIME AND IT'S DOING THAT BACK AND FORTH WITH YOU EACH MONTH. IT'S LIKES A THREE MONTH PROCESS TO GET THINGS APPROVED. THEN THIS IS THE BIG SCHEDULE SHOWING HOW THAT WOULD ALL WORK OUT OVER THE NEXT YEAR. THEN OPTION B WAS TO SCHEDULE TWO SPECIAL SESSIONS THAT WOULD GO OVER ALL OF THE RESULTS POLICIES AT ONCE, AND THEN ALL OF THE OPERATIONAL EXPECTATIONS POLICIES ALL AT ONCE AND GET YOUR FEEDBACK. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE ON ANYTHING I'VE PRESENTED. >> JUST TO CLARIFY. WE WOULD BE GOING OVER WHAT WE'RE MONITORING AND THE STANDARDS FOR THAT AT THOSE MEETINGS. IT WOULDN'T BE THAT'S WHEN WE'RE RECEIVING AND ASSESSING THE REPORTS? BECAUSE TO ME, THE TWO LARGE MEETINGS MAKE SENSE, THAT MIGHT BE AN UNPOPULAR OPINION. BUT I THINK THE TWO BIG MEETINGS MAKE SENSE AS LONG AS IT'S SETTING THE STANDARD FOR WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IN THE FUTURE. BUT I DO LIKE THE WAY THAT WE GET THEM INCREMENTALLY AT BOARD MEETINGS SO THAT WE CAN SEE STUDENT PROGRESS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. >> YEAH. THE REPORTING WOULD STILL HAPPEN MONTHLY. LIKE EVERY MARCH IS THIS REPORT AND EVERY FEBRUARY IS THIS REPORT. >> THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT, THANK YOU. >> I'M SORRY. THAT LEFT ME MORE CONFUSED. THE WAY I READ OPTION A IS YOU RECEIVE IT, AND THEN YOU PROPOSE ANY SHIFTS, AND THEN THREE MONTHS,
YOU GET IT, YOU LOOK AT IT AND TALK ABOUT IT AND THEN YOU MAKE DECISIONS ON IT, AND YOU GET ONE EACH MONTH EXCEPT IN DECEMBER, THEN OPTION B, YOU WOULDN'T DO THAT. YOU JUST GET EVERYTHING ALL AT ONCE IN TWO DIFFERENT GIANT LONG SESSIONS. >> THE ONES WE GET RIGHT NOW, THE EXISTING REPORTS WHERE WE GET THE REPORT, WE RECEIVE IT, THEN WE TALK ABOUT IT AND ACT ON IT THE NEXT MONTH. THAT'S THE EXISTING. THIS IS PROPOSAL OF HAVING AS PART OF THAT, ALSO, WE'VE GOT THE MONITORING REPORT WE GET, BUT WE'RE ALSO HAVING THE POLICY WHERE WE WOULD GET THE POLICY, GET IT AT ONE MEETING, DISCUSS IT AT THE NEXT, ADOPT THE NEW POLICY SO THAT THAT CAN BE USED. IF THE WAY I'M UNDERSTANDING IT LIKE IN JANUARY OF 2025, WE WOULD GET OE, THE COMMUNICATIONS ONE TO SEE THE POLICY SHIFTS, BASICALLY THE PROPOSAL THAT WE'VE GOTTEN TONIGHT. WE'D HAVE FEEDBACK ABOUT IT, THE FEBRUARY MEETING, THE MARCH OF MEETING, WE'D APPROVE IT, AND THEN WE'D COME BACK AND ACTUALLY GET A REPORT ON IT PRESENTED TO THE BOARD IN JUNE OF 2025. IF I CAN THROW OUT OPTION C, JUST TO MAKE THINGS. I'M WONDERING WE'VE GOT A STUDY SESSION SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY, AND I'M WONDERING IF WE USE THAT JANUARY 1 AS OUR STARTING POINT WITH OE-2 TO GET THE PROCESS DOWN, SEE HOW IT GOES, AT LEAST PART OF THAT STUDY SESSION, NOT NECESSARILY THE WHOLE THING, BUT UTILIZE THAT TO LOOK AT, HOW SMOOTH IS THIS GOING TO BE? IS IT BETTER TO HAVE THESE IN STUDY SESSIONS OR AS PART OF THE MEETING? BECAUSE IF WE CAN HAVE IT AS PART OF THE MEETING AND STREAMLINE IT, GREAT. BUT IF THERE'S A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH DISCUSSION, THEN IT'D BE BETTER TO DO IT I THINK AT A SEPARATE STUDY SESSION JUST BECAUSE IF IT'S LONG, THESE MEETINGS AS THESE MEETINGS GET STRETCHED OUT, PEOPLE START TO DISENGAGE AND BE LESS PRODUCTIVE. >> I HONESTLY THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT THE STUDY SESSIONS THAT KRIS WAS SETTING UP WERE FOR LIKE THIS OTHER PLAN ONLY IT SPREAD OUT OVER THREE SESSIONS RATHER THAN. >> WE HAVE IT SET UP WITH THE INTENT THAT THIS COULD BE WHAT HAPPENS, BUT IF THE BOARD WANTED TO GO A DIFFERENT ROUTE, WE'D USE THAT STUDY SESSION FOR SOMETHING ELSE. WE COULDN'T MAKE THAT DECISION WITHOUT HAVING THE CONVERSATION HERE. WE'RE JUST PREPARING. WE NEEDED A STUDY SESSION, BUT IT COULD BE DEDICATED OR AT LEAST PART OF IT FOR THIS. >> IN MY MIND, ON THE HYBRID, EVEN IF WE WERE LOOKING AT OE-2 AND OE-6 TO START OUT WITH FOR THE FIRST STUDY SESSION AGAIN TO SEE HOW THOSE GO BECAUSE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WANTING TO HAVE SOME COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, SOME LINKAGES, BRINGING IN OTHER GROUPS, TALKING ABOUT OTHER THINGS IN SOME OF THOSE STUDY SESSIONS AS WELL. BUT IF WE FIND HAMMERING OUT OE-2 AND OE-6 IS TAKING QUITE SOME TIME, OR THE PROCESS ISN'T AS SMOOTH AS WE THOUGHT, THEN WE COULD DESIGNATE THOSE FEBRUARY, MARCH AND/OR SUBSEQUENT STUDY SESSIONS THAT WAY. I GUESS MY THOUGHT IS REHASHING THIS, I DON'T KNOW HOW QUICKLY IT'S GOING TO GO. I THINK THAT DEFINITELY HAVING BEEN THROUGH THE ORIGINAL PROCESS OF MAKING THE POLICIES, BOBBY MAKES IT MUCH SMOOTHER. NO OFFENSE TO THOSE PEOPLE THAT WROTE THE BOOK AND DID ALL THOSE THINGS ABOUT IT, BUT BOBBY'S IS MORE STRAIGHTFORWARD AND COMES FROM AN IN-DISTRICT ANALYTICAL VIEW. I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE MORE STRAIGHTFORWARD THAN THAT ORIGINAL PROCESS WAS. OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. >> I THINK I WOULD LOOK SERIOUSLY AT OPTION B MYSELF. I THINK YOU NEED TO SEPARATE THE TWO BECAUSE YOU'RE CHANGING FOCUS IN THE MIDDLE OF A MEETING WHERE YOU'RE BEING SUBJECTIVE TOWARDS EVALUATING A PROCESS, AND THEN ALSO YOU'RE ALSO CHANGING DIRECTIONS, AND I THINK IT ADDS TO THE CONFUSION. I THINK YOU NEED TO HAVE A FOCUS AND STAY WITH THE SPECIAL SESSION. THAT'S MY OPINION. >> SURE. >> SIMILARLY, WHAT STEVE WAS SAYING. I KNOW THAT OUR MEETINGS HAVE A TENDENCY WHEN WE'RE HAVING REALLY GOOD DISCUSSIONS TO RUN A LITTLE BIT ON LONGER SIDE. I THINK SPLITTING THIS INTO SEPARATE STUDY SESSIONS FROM THE MEETING WOULD PREVENT US FROM RUNNING OUT OF
TIME TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO ABOUT THE MONITORING POLICIES, AND IT WOULD ALSO GIVE US MORE TIME IN MEETINGS FOR OTHER RELEVANT ISSUES THAT AREN'T THE MONITORING POLICY. I THINK SEPARATING THEM IS A GOOD IDEA AND NOT JUST BECAUSE, WELL, WE'RE DECIDING WHAT WE SHOULD DO ABOUT THIS PROCESS AND EVALUATING USING THE PROCESS WE CURRENTLY HAVE. >> I AGREE. IT'S JUST THE FOCUS. I JUST THE LACK OF FOCUS. IT WOULD BE MUCH BETTER IF WE HAVE A DEDICATED SESSION. >> I HATE TO SOUND SO IGNORANT, BUT WE WOULD BE GETTING FOUR OF THEM ON ONE STUDY SESSION AND SIX OF THEM ON ANOTHER STUDY SESSION. OE-1S WOULD ALL BE IN THE SESSION TWO AND RESULTS WOULD ALL BE IN SESSION ONE. WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THEM EVERY MONTH? I'M SORRY. MY BRAIN ISN'T WORKING. >> I THINK WHAT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT IS THE MONITORING REPORTS. THIS IS JUST POLICY WORK. WE HAVEN'T BEEN DOING IT. >> THANK YOU. >> YOUR QUESTION WAS THE QUESTION I HAD IN DIFFERENT WORDS. WE'RE STILL GETTING IT EACH MONTH, BUT THIS IS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE'RE GETTING. >> THIS IS GOING BACK TO WE'VE SAID WITH A LOT OF THE REPORTS. THESE MONITOR OR THESE INDICATORS DON'T MAKE A WHOLE LOT OF SENSE. WE DON'T HAVE DATA FOR THEM. THIS IS GOING STREAMLINING THE POLICIES, STREAMLINING THE INDICATORS, TO FIND THINGS THAT WE ACTUALLY CAN PRODUCE DATA FOR SO WE CAN HAVE ANSWERS SO WE CAN ACTUALLY GO, IS THIS MAKING PROGRESS? IS THIS NOT MAKING PROGRESS? >> PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT. YOU GO THROUGH ONE, YOU'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH A LOT IN A HURRY. YEAH. >> YEAH I THINK AND THAT'S WHAT WE SAW IN THE PAST IS THE FIRST FEW WAS TEETH PULLING, THEN IT GOT BETTER. BECAUSE YOU GOT IN THE RHYTHM. >> WELL, I THINK WHAT BOBBY SHARED WAS, JUST LIKE WE DID WITH THE MISSION STATEMENT, WE'VE BEEN HEARING AND LISTENING TO WHAT WE'VE BEEN TAKING NOTES ON DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF WHAT YOU LIKE AND HAVEN'T LIKED ABOUT THE DIFFERENT POLICIES. WE WOULD BRING FORWARD A VERY ROUGH DRAFT A SENTENCE FRAME FOR YOU TO START WITH. I THINK WHEN THE BOARD ORIGINALLY DID THESE, THEY STARTED FROM SCRATCH. YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO WORK WITH. >> DID YOU START FROM SCRATCH OR WAS SOMETHING PROVIDED? WASN'T THERE A TEMPLATE THAT WAS PROVIDED BY ASPEN GROUP? >> THERE WAS THE ASPEN'S GROUP TEMPLATE FOR THE POLICIES, BUT A LOT OF THE REST OF IT, THEY WERE STILL A FAIRLY BLANK SHEET OF PAPER COMPARED TO THIS. >> YOU'LL BE STARTING WITH SOMETHING THIS TIME. >> YEAH. >> BUT THEN WE'LL BRING IT AND THEN YOU'LL SAY, OH, WE DON'T LIKE THIS PART, WE WANT TO ADD THIS PART. >> WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT THERE IS MORE OF A LEANING TOWARDS GOING WITH OPTION B AND DEALING WITH MULTIPLE ONES. MY SUGGESTION THEN WOULD I GUESS I SHOULD ASK, BECAUSE JANUARY IS NOT THAT FAR AWAY, PARTICULARLY WITH BREAK COMING IN. IS JANUARY DOABLE? >> YES. >> THAT IS ON 15TH, 16TH? NO. THE 16TH IS THE STATE OF THE. IT'S ON THE 15TH. JANUARY 15TH, 5:30-7:30 IS WHAT WE'VE GOT. >> THAT WOULD BE JUST THE FIRST SESSION, RIGHT? >> THAT'D BE THE FIRST SESSION, AND WE'LL SEE HOW IT GOES FROM THERE. I'M ASSUMING IT WOULD BE HERE, 05:30-7:30 IS WHAT IS. >> WE'LL SET UP ANOTHER REMINDER. I'LL PUT IT IN THE SMORE THIS WEEK. >> GOOD DEAL. THEN AS FAR AS, GET ME BACK TO MY, THAT'S WHAT I WAS.
WE NEED A MOTION IS WHERE I WAS TRYING TO GET BACK TO. >> I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE GO WITH OPTION B. >> IT HAS BEEN MOVED THAT WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE REORGANIZATION OF OUR POLICIES AND MONITORING REPORT INDICATORS, FOLLOWING OPTION B THAT WAS PRESENTED, STARTING WITH THE STUDENT ADVISORY VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. >> AYE. >> ALL OPPOSED. THEN MOVING ON TO THE BOARD. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. >> AYE. >> ALL OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES AND WE WILL START THE DISCUSSION AT OUR JANUARY 15 STUDY SESSION. >> I JUST WANT TO THANK, BOBBY. AGAIN, I FEEL LIKE TONIGHT'S LIKE THE NIGHT WHERE WE GET TO HIGHLIGHT THE EXCELLENCE OF OUR STAFF FROM OUR NATIVE AMERICAN LIAISONS AND TEACHERS, EVELYN'S WORK, JAMIE'S WORK, BOBBY'S WORK, COLLIE'S WORK, MARK'S WORK, JUST THE DAY TO DAY THINGS THAT HAPPEN THAT OUR STAFF HAS BEEN ABLE TO BRING FORWARD TO YOU TONIGHT, I JUST GREATLY APPRECIATE IT. >> THAT THEN BRINGS US TO ITEMS 8.0 AND 9.0, THE CONSENT AGENDAS. THE CONSENT AGENDA, AS I'VE SAID MANY TIMES, ARE A GROUP OF ITEMS THAT THE BOARD HAS ACCESS TO TO REVIEW AND TO LOOK AT THEIR ROUTINE ITEMS, AND THE BOARD IS ABLE TO ACT ON THOSE IN A SINGLE MOTION AS OPPOSED TO ACTING ON EACH ONE INDIVIDUALLY. IT'S ALSO WHERE WE RECEIVE POLICIES AND MONITORING REPORTS FOR DISCUSSION THE FOLLOWING MEETING. WITH THAT, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA AND/OR A MOTION? >> I DIDN'T KNOW IF THIS WAS THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO ASK A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT POLICY 4300 OR SAVE IT FOR NEXT TIME. >> YOU'RE JUST RECEIVING IT TONIGHT. THERE'S NOTHING TO >> OKAY, SO NOTHING TO GO AWAY AND THINK ABOUT IF WE HAVE A DISCUSSION [OVERLAPPING] >> IF YOU WANT TO MEET WITH ME, YOU CAN ASK. I THINK IT WILL BE UP FOR DISCUSSION NEXT MONTH SO YOU CAN LOOK AT IT THEN. TO TALK ABOUT. USUALLY, THE NIGHT YOU RECEIVE IT, MOST PEOPLE HAVEN'T READ IT. YOU'RE JUST GETTING IT, AND THEN YOU HAVE A MONTH TO [OVERLAPPING]. >> REVIEW IT PROACTIVELY AND READ STUFF. >> WITH IT, THE OTHER THING, JUST TO CLARIFY AS FAR AS WE GET IT THIS MONTH, WE DISCUSS IT NEXT MONTH. TECHNICALLY, A LOT OF TIMES WE VOTED ON IT, BUT WE CAN KICK IT OUT IF A DISCUSSION BRINGS FORTH QUESTIONS OR ITEMS THAT WE DON'T HAVE A RESOLUTION TO, WE CAN ALWAYS >> YES. IT'S JUST A MODEL POLICY. AFTER YOU READ IT AND YOU COME BACK AND DISCUSS IT, YOU MAY SAY, THIS PART, YES. HEY, WE HAVE QUESTIONS ON THIS PART. IF THERE ARE STILL QUESTIONS, ESPECIALLY SOME POLICIES, THEN WE WRITE DOWN YOUR QUESTIONS, WE TAKE THEM TO SAM. HE REVIEWS THEM, WE BRING HIM BACK, ANYONE WHO'S INVOLVED IN IT. THIS WOULD BE ONE THAT WE WOULD ASK DIFFERENT COMMUNITY PARTNERS ABOUT. IT'S NOT A ONE-AND-DONE. YOU'RE JUST GETTING IT. THINK ABOUT IT. IF THERE ARE THINGS YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT AND YOU WANT ME TO BRING THE ANSWERS TO NEXT MONTH. LET ME KNOW, I CAN WORK ON THAT. >> OKAY. >> I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION ABOUT ONE OF THE ITEMS ON THE SUPERINTENDENT'S AGENDA. THAT'S THE CONTRACT FOR THE ADA-COMPLIANT PLAYGROUND, WHICH I THINK IS A WONDERFUL THING. I'M DELIGHTED TO RECEIVE THAT FROM THE COUNTY. THEN THEY'RE PAYING FOR IT. I JUST HAD A QUESTION ON PAGE FOUR, IT SAYS, PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE, AND IT SAYS THIS CONTRACT AGREEMENT STARTS ON NOVEMBER 7, 2024, AND COMPLETES THE PROGRAM NO LATER THAN JUNE 30, 2036. THE FIRST TIME I READ THAT I THOUGHT, HOW ON EARTH IS IT GOING TO TAKE THAT LONG TO BUILD A PLAYGROUND? BUT WHAT I THEN CONTINUED TO READ IS THAT THEY EXPECT THE PLAYGROUND TO BE DONE WITHIN TWO YEARS. BUT THEN THEY'RE GOING TO KEEP MONITORING. IT SAYS THE MONITORING PHASE BEGINS WITH THE END OF THE CAPITAL PHASE AND CONTINUES FOR TEN YEARS. I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, THE MONITORING PHASE. WHAT HAPPENS WITH THAT? >> I'M GOING TO DEFER TO TRINA ON THIS WHO'S BEEN KNEE-DEEP IN THIS WORK.
>> TRACY IS HERE TOO, SO TRACY, IF I SAY ANYTHING INACCURATE, JUMP IN AND CORRECT ME. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE MONITORING. THERE ARE SOME QR CODES AND DIFFERENT WAYS FOR COMMUNITY AND STAFF TO GIVE FEEDBACK ON WHAT THEY LIKE ABOUT THE PLAYGROUND, AND WHAT FEATURES THEY WISH THEY HAD. THERE'S A BUILT-IN ASPECT FROM GAME TIME, THE CONTRACTOR GETS FEEDBACK THAT WE CAN THEN USE TOWARDS FUTURE PLAYGROUND BUILDS, AND SO THAT'S PART OF THE MONITORING PIECE. THE OTHER IS THE LENGTH OF THE TIME FOR BUILDING. WE DON'T ANTICIPATE THAT IT WILL TAKE TWO YEARS FROM THE TIME, BUT THE CONTRACT BUILDS IT IN WITH THAT CUSHION, AND THANKS TO TRACY'S WORK AND ADVOCACY TO GET THIS CONTRACT GRANDFATHERED IN WHEN THE TIMELINE FOR THE GRANT WAS ADJUSTED AT THE COUNTY. WE'RE JUST REALLY FORTUNATE THAT WE WERE LOCKED INTO THIS YEAR'S COST TO ALLOW US TO ADJUST THE TIMELINE AND STILL BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE DESIGN PIECES NOW FOR POTENTIALLY EVEN A SPRING PROJECT. >> ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? >> WITH THAT, I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ACCEPT THE SUPERINTENDENT CONSENT AGENDA, AS WELL AS THE BOARD CONSENT AGENDA AS WRITTEN. >> IT HAS BEEN MOVED TO APPROVE BOTH THE SUPERINTENDENT AND BOARD CONSENT AGENDAS AS ATTACHED HERE AND MADE PART OF THE MINUTES. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. >> AYE [OVERLAPPING]. >> ALL OPPOSED. THE CONSENT AGENDAS HAVE BEEN ADOPTED. THAT TAKES US ON THEN TO ITEM TEN, WHICH IS THE BOARD SHARING, AND I'LL START. PEGGY. [LAUGHTER] >> I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING TO SHARE. I HAVEN'T REALLY BEEN THINKING ABOUT IT, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. SO MUCH OTHER STUFF GOING ON. >> THAT'S GREAT. I THINK YOU SHARED OVER IN THE DESSERT CATEGORY. >> OKAY. >> THAT WORKS. >> I'LL TAKE THAT. >> WE'LL TAKE IT TOO. [LAUGHTER] NANCY. >> IT'S 8:46 AND I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE TOO LONG, SO I'M JUST GOING TO SAY, I WILL PASS MY SHARING ON TO KEVIN. GO AHEAD. >> I ALSO WILL BE BRIEF, I'M EXCITED THAT WE'RE GOING INTO THE HOLIDAY SEASON AND I'LL HAVE ALL MY KIDS HOME FOR CHRISTMAS, SO THAT'S GOING TO BE COOL. >> I'LL TAKE SOME OF YOUR TIME. [LAUGHTER] I'LL BE BRIEF THOUGH. I DO GET VERY EXCITED. WHEN WE GET E-MAILS AS A BOARD UNIT. I GET REALLY HAPPY, I MEAN EXCITED AND HAPPY WHEN WE HEAR FROM STUDENTS TELLING US THEIR CONCERNS OR WHAT THEY THINK AND WHAT THEY SEE BECAUSE THEY ARE WHO WE ARE SERVING, SO I GET REALLY HAPPY WHEN I SEE THAT. ALSO, WE GET E-MAILS FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND SOME EMAILS ARE NICER THAN OTHERS, OF COURSE, AS A BOARD, WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE WHEN PEOPLE ARE RESPECTFUL. BUT IN THIS CASE, I JUST WANT TO SHARE SOMETHING, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE, BUT I'M TOLD THAT THIS IS RECORDED AND A LOT OF PEOPLE SEE IT. BUT MY MESSAGE IS FOR THE YOUTH, FOR THOSE THAT WANT TO REACH OUT TO A BOARD, AND WE GAIN IN ADVOCACY, AND THIS IS SOMETHING I DO FOR A LIVING, IS WHEN WE REACH OUT AND ADVOCATE FOR OURSELVES, IT HAS TO BE RESPECTFUL BECAUSE THAT WAY WE GAIN CREDIBILITY. IN THIS CASE, THERE'S A PATTERN THAT I JUST FOLLOW, USUALLY WHAT I DO IS ESTABLISH THE SITUATION. ONCE I HAVE ESTABLISHED IT, THEN I COME WITH MY ASK. IT HAS TO BE VERY CLEAR. THEN I PROPOSE AN ACTION OR IDEAS OR STEPS BECAUSE I'M NOT JUST GOING TO BE CRITICAL OF SOMETHING. I WANT TO BE CONSTRUCTIVE, AND AT THE END, I TRY TO FORESEE OR LET THE PERSON SEE WHAT THE BENEFITS OF THAT ASK ARE GOING TO BE FOR THIS SPECIFIC THING THAT I'M ADVOCATING FOR.
IN THIS CASE, WHILE I GET VERY EXCITED ABOUT STUDENTS AND YOUTH IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT REACHING OUT TO US, I REALLY HOPE THAT WE GO THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS, AND WHEN WE DO THAT AS A BOARD, WE USUALLY ARE VERY RECEPTIVE TO THAT AND IT MAKES ME VERY HAPPY WHEN WE GET THAT FEEDBACK FROM STUDENTS BECAUSE THEY ARE WHO WE'RE SERVING. I DO HAVE THREE KIDS IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT I LISTEN TO AND I TRY TO REALLY PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT THEY'RE SAYING. BUT OF COURSE, THE THREE ARE CUT OUT OF THE SAME ADDRESS, AND I THINK THAT WE WANT VARIETY OF THOUGHT AND WE WANT RICHNESS AND CULTURE TOO. I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT. >> THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE IT IS THE STUDENTS THAT WE SERVE. STEVE. >> MY TURN. >> YOUR TURN. >> I DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT TO SHARE, BUT I DO FEEL AN OBLIGATION TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE WADA EXPERIENCE. I WAS ON THE DISTRICT'S DIME AND I FEEL LIKE I NEED TO BRING SOMETHING BACK TO SHARE FROM THAT EXPERIENCE TO PAY BACK. IT ALLOWED TIME FOR THE BOARD TO DO SOME BONDING, WHICH I THINK IS SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T GET A VERY OFTEN CHANCE TO DO, AND LEARN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EACH OTHER FOR CONTINUITY AND COLLABORATION, VERY WELL WORTH THE EXPERIENCE, AS WELL AS THE CLASSES WE WERE ABLE TO ATTEND, WE GOT TO CHOOSE. EVERYBODY WENT THEIR SEPARATE WAYS WITH THEIR DIFFERENT INTERESTS, AND I THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF VALUE IN THAT. THEN WE COULD COME TOGETHER AND SHARE OUR EXPERIENCES WITH THE DIFFERENT CLASSES. IT WAS A REALLY GOOD LEARNING EXPERIENCE, AND I JUST WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT IT WASN'T WASTED DOLLARS. IT WAS MONEY WELL SPENT ON THE BOARD TO COME TOGETHER AND BE MORE EFFECTIVE, SO THAT WAS GREAT. MY LITTLE SIDE NOTE IS I MIGHT SURPRISE YOU SOMEDAY WITH A SCHOOL BOARD SONG. [LAUGHTER] AND THESE GUYS KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, MAYBE SOMEDAY YOU WILL. >> STEVE IS COMMITTING TO SING THE SONG. [NOISE] COMPOSE THE SONG FIRST VIA AI, BUT HE'S GOING TO SING IT. WE'RE GOING TO HOLD HIM TO IT, OKAY? >> YES, STEVE AND I WENT [OVERLAPPING]. >> VIDEO EVIDENCE. [LAUGHTER]. >> NOW IT'S RECORDED FOR POSTERITY. YES, STEVE, FOR THOSE WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND THE UNDERLYING JOKE, HE AND I WENT TO A BEGINNING AI CHAT GPT SESSION. STEVE JUST KEPT WORKING ON THE SONG THAT HE WAS CREATING AND KEPT ADDING MORE AND MORE DETAILS AND IT WAS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER. WE WILL LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAY THAT HE SINGS IT FOR US. [LAUGHTER] WITH THAT, WE MOVE INTO THE HOME STRETCH AND MOVE ON TO ITEM 11, WHICH IS THE REORGANIZATION OF THE BOARD. PER POLICY 1210 TONIGHT IS WHEN THE BOARD ELECTS OUR PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT TO SERVE THE COMING YEAR. WE WILL START BY ELECTING OUR 2025 BOARD PRESIDENT AND THEN VICE PRESIDENT. PER OUR POLICY, THE CURRENT PRESIDENT WILL CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR PRESIDENT. THE BOARD WILL THEN ELECT A PRESIDENT VIA ROLL CALL VOTE. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE VOTE, THE NEWLY ELECTED PRESIDENT WILL CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR VICE PRESIDENT, AND THE BOARD WILL ELECT A VICE PRESIDENT VIA VOICE VOTE AS WELL. ANY QUESTIONS?OKAY. SEE NO QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR NOMINATIONS FOR PRESIDENT. >> IF I MAY, I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE KEVIN ERICKSON FOR BOARD PRESIDENT. >> I WOULD ALSO I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE PEGGY UPPIANO FOR BOARD PRESIDENT. >> LATE QUESTIONERS, ARE STUDENTS ALLOWED TO SECOND A MOTION? AARNE. [LAUGHTER] >> OKAY. ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS? SEE NO OTHER NOMINATIONS. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START THE WHOLE CALL. STEVE. WHO WOULD YOU VOTE FOR? KEVIN OR PEGGY?
>> KEVIN. >> ANTONIO? >> KEVIN. >> PEGGY? >> KEVIN. >> NANCY? >> KEVIN. >> I GUESS I WILL VOTE FOR MYSELF AS WELL. I WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE AS YOUR PRESIDENT. I THANK YOU FOR THE VOTE OF CONFIDENCE, AND WITH THAT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU. >> MAY I SAY SOMETHING? >> YOU CERTAINLY CAN. >> KEVIN, WE JUST WANTED TO SHOW THAT THE PROCESS WORKS. THIS YEAR, IT WAS DONE PERFECTLY. >> COOL, AND I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD IN REGARDS TO DOING THAT AND GETTING BACK TO THE POLICY, SO THAT WAS GOOD ALL THE WAY AROUND. >> YES. IT'S NICE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SYSTEM HAS INTEGRITY PROCESS MATTERS. >> YES. IT REALLY DOES, AS WE HEARD IN PUBLIC COMMENT TONIGHT FROM GREG HE'S LEFT, BUT WE KEEP WORKING BETTER TOGETHER. I THINK AS STEVE SAID THE TIME IT WAS TO JUST HAVE SOME CONVERSATION, HELPED US TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER BETTER, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO 2025. [BACKGROUND] [LAUGHTER] WE'LL BRING KRISTI ALONG. IT'S OKAY. >> GET HER A TIME MACHINE. [LAUGHTER] >> THAT'S IT. NOW I WILL OPEN THE FLOOR FOR NOMINATIONS FOR VICE PRESIDENT. >> I NOMINATE PEGGY UPPIANO. >> ARE THERE OTHER NOMINATIONS? OKAY. SO SEE NO OTHER NOMINATIONS, WE'LL CLOSE AND WE WILL VOTE ON THE ROLE OF VICE PRESIDENT. STEVE. >> PEGGY UPPIANO [LAUGHTER] [BACKGROUND]. >> OVER THERE. THAT GIRL THERE. >> ANTONIO. >> PEGGY. >> AND PEGGY? [BACKGROUND] [LAUGHTER] NANCY. >> PEGGY. >> AND I WILL ALSO GIVE MY ENDORSEMENT TO PEGGY. I APPRECIATED HER FILLING IN FOR ME WHEN I'VE BEEN ABSENT, SO WE WILL CONTINUE THE TREND. CONGRATULATIONS, PEGGY. WE HAVE TO CHANGE HER NAME. OKAY, SO THAT BRINGS US TO THE MEETING EVALUATION, AND STEVE, YOU'RE ON DECK. >> OKAY. [BACKGROUND] I'LL READ DOWN THROUGH THESE, RATED ONE THROUGH FOUR, AND I'VE SAID BEFORE THAT IT'S PRETTY RARE, I'LL EVER GIVE A FOUR. NOTHING'S PERFECT. [LAUGHTER] THE AGENDA WAS WELL PLANNED, AND IT MEETS STANDARDS. BOARD MEMBERS DID NOT INTERRUPT. I THOUGHT IT WENT REALLY WELL THAT WAY, SO THAT MEETS THE STANDARD. THE BOARD MEMBERS DID NOT ENGAGE IN SIDE CONVERSATIONS. I THINK THE FOCUS OF THE BOARD WAS VERY GOOD TONIGHT. BOARD MEMBERS DID NOT PLAY THE AUDIENCE. I THINK THAT'S A STANDARD. I THINK WE ALL RESPECT THAT POLICY. THE BOARD MEMBERS SUPPORTED THE PRESIDENT'S EFFORTS TO FACILITATE THE ORDERLY WELL, OUR NEWLY ELECTED PRESIDENT. OUR OLD PRESIDENT. >> YES. >> YES, I THINK WE DID. BOARD MEMBERS COMMUNICATED OPENLY AND ACTIVELY IN DISCUSSION, AND I THINK EVERYBODY ADDED TO THE CONVERSATION, WHICH WAS GOOD. ALL BOARD MEMBERS CONTRIBUTED TO THE MEETING, YES. BOARD MEMBERS PRACTICE RESPECTFUL BODY LANGUAGE. NOBODY FELL ASLEEP. [LAUGHTER] GOOD JOB EVERYONE. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, STEVE. BEFORE I ADJOURN, I'D LIKE TO JUST CLARIFY THAT THE BOARD WILL NOT BE MEETING ON DECEMBER 24TH, AS WAS REPORTED A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO IN THE RECORD JOURNAL, NOR WILL WE BE MEETING ON THE LAST TUESDAY OF THIS MONTH AND YEAR, DECEMBER 31ST. OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE A STUDY SESSION ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15TH AT 5:30, AND THEN OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED BOARD MEETING ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 28TH. MERRY CHRISTMAS, AND HAPPY NEW YEAR, AND THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED.