[This transcript was generated automatically from audio using AI and hasn't been reviewed by a person -- it can contain mistakes, including plausible-sounding sentences that were never actually said. Treat it as a starting point, not a verbatim record.]

[0:03] Where is Julie?
[0:15] Julie Jackson.
[0:23] We're going to start without you.
[0:31] Welcome, everyone. It is August 4,
[0:34] 2026 at 5 p.m. This is our Board of Education meeting. We are going to begin by indicating
[0:40] is here. Clark, will you start? Clark Nelson. Chris Wynn. Connie Burgess. Kim
[0:47] Chandler. Julie Jackson. Todd Auburn. Ben Worsley. Nicole McDermott. Excuse
[0:54] Karen. She is the previous commitment tonight. We will begin by going
[1:00] through our capital construction updates so we're in terms of adjustment.
[1:05] Thank
[1:06] you. Good evening board members and district leadership. I will be quick
[1:11] And we'll go through this if you've got questions, please.
[1:14] Hall or I mean, we'll stop and chat along the way if need be.
[1:20] Our front cover sheet, we're in design at Taylor'sville on security,
[1:24] so that's why that one's in green.
[1:25] Everything else, elementary wise, has been completed, and we're assessing what the state's
[1:31] new mandates are for security, and we'll have to, some areas, we'll have to go back and
[1:36] address, but we are working on a master plan.
[1:39] So this just shows kind of the, we got the elementary's done until last year on the state of the bar, if you will, on security, so we'll revisit this.
[1:50] So is that, sorry, just a quick question on that.
[1:54] With the ones that are in the future, are we kind of on hold as far as that until we have tackled the other security things?
[2:02] Yeah, we superintendent Horsley and Todd and Mitch and I have kind of discussed this a little bit.
[2:09] Should we start looking at the junior highs in the high schools, the secondary schools.
[2:12] We hadn't really, except for the ones like West Lake's been rebuilt, Evergreen, Brock Bank,
[2:19] Valley have all been done, and then the two new high schools obviously.
[2:22] But the other ones that we haven't touched, we haven't gone there yet.
[2:26] We certainly can, we're also looking at when we go back to do the next, to touch the secondary schools.
[2:32] we need to meet the new standard, and if we can do fencing around the parameters in
[2:37] the back that takes care of that, but creating a front vestibule with security hasn't
[2:42] quite, we haven't, we haven't got there yet, so that is probably the next step is to really
[2:46] map out a plan of how to accomplish that for both junior highs and high schools.
[2:52] So I'm just saying that the goalpost moved.
[2:56] It did.
[2:57] So if the goalpost moved we need, you guys are working on a new plan that we will see in the coming months.
[3:05] And what's the quick brief, what would need to additionally happen to our elementaries than what we have already done?
[3:15] So yes, very quickly.
[3:16] When we started this 10 years ago, it was at that time simply a barrier for non-custodial, custodial parent issues.
[3:23] We were having people come in the building, taking a little granddaughter or a grandson or whatever,
[3:27] and this office didn't know if that person had rights to that child.
[3:32] And so the goal was just to create a barrier for that issue.
[3:35] The world evolved in maybe a negative way in that respect.
[3:38] I'm going to interject right here, my apologies.
[3:42] I think some of these questions would be better answered in an executive session.
[3:45] We don't want to discuss security parameters in our schools and their witnesses in a general session.
[3:51] Sounds great.
[3:52] Or I can ask them individually later, maybe.
[3:54] Thank you.
[3:55] But we do have, I want to be clear to our public, we have secure parameters that all of our school locations.
[4:00] It's just some of those projects are a little further along than others.
[4:03] Thanks.
[4:06] I just wondered if we were moving something else in front, so that was, you answered my question.
[4:13] Okay.
[4:13] Hopefully I was good.
[4:18] Okay.
[4:18] Just kind of an update on the last month.
[4:20] And of course, when you see photos in a minute, you'll see what some of this is already outdated,
[4:25] which is good, that we're further along than what our report says when we submitted it.
[4:29] Taylor'sville High School Wing Edition.
[4:31] We're still working through the design with our architects.
[4:36] We have a color study, we need to get back out to our committee there at Taylor'sville.
[4:41] I've been working with, I know Mitch has also talked with Mark, our principal.
[4:45] West Curtains, kind of the same thing we're in design and we're working through the development of the site and the plans.
[4:54] This note also talks about the abatement demolition.
[4:57] I got an update this morning.
[4:59] The abatement of the spestus is done.
[5:03] They didn't kind of a phase. They started on the west side and worked their way east, so the west side of the building is
[5:09] Done and they've already started tearing the building down
[5:11] So the demolition contractors falling right behind the abatement contractor, and so we already have
[5:16] Fenced up in areas that are demolished on that very west side of the campus while the abatement is finishing up on the east side
[5:24] And then they'll fall right behind
[5:26] Just a huge shout out to that community for working with us
[5:29] So again, to temporarily relocate, this is going to help advance the project tremendously and we're already seeing the benefits of that.
[5:37] We will have opportunities for people to come in and get their collector brick from West Kerns if they were ever part of that building.
[5:45] Correct, I spoke with Luke, he's going to update some photos tomorrow, and we'll get a little something out about that.
[5:50] Thank you.
[5:50] Do
[5:53] you think West Kerns will take one year to build?
[5:57] No, it would be nice, but no, it's probably more like 18 months and so that's why right now it's not scheduled to be occupied until the winter break of 28 and when the kids come back in the January 29 we would have a new building.
[6:14] If by chance we get all the breaks and all the subcontactors in the world working on this, then it'd be great to move over in the summer, but I'm afraid right now and the plan is
[6:23] It's over the Christmas, over that winter break, Christmas break.
[6:28] Cudmond High Florian Project is complete, there is some punch list items, I have to go back and touch up and fix some areas.
[6:34] But the project was complete, I spoke with Justin last week, he was concerned, the principal there about the contractor being done that they did get done.
[6:44] So that was a great, a great win.
[6:46] Now we just got to get it all the little odds and ends cleaned up and fixed and so we're excited about that.
[6:52] I just chime in.
[6:53] One of the cool things we saw today there is in a prominent hallway just off of the main
[6:59] office there used to be these banks of lockers that stood free in the space and they used
[7:05] lockers too much in high schools anymore so they've removed those.
[7:09] And boy, what a pretty place that is now all opened up to brand new flooring.
[7:14] It's great.
[7:15] Thank you.
[7:16] Good point.
[7:17] I didn't get a picture of those of that new space without the lockers, but it is a new space
[7:20] which is exciting.
[7:24] As Superintendent said, I put an item on here to mention that a lot of work
[7:28] had happened at moving west currents over to Oprah Hills and their temporary location for the next
[7:33] couple of years. We brought in Steve Hogan's group, brought in three brand new relocatable classrooms
[7:39] and then five additional our best slightly used relocatable classrooms and working hard to get
[7:47] those up and state fire was there on Monday, got them passed off so the teachers could move their
[7:51] stuff in Monday, mid-morning, so that was exciting news.
[7:59] Also a shout out to our
[8:01] warehouse folks, Jared Reynolds groups from Roosevelt, State Schools, Yes,
[8:07] SCAP, were all moved over to Westbrook over this last month and are getting
[8:14] themselves situated in their new building at the Westbrook campus.
[8:18] Yes.
[8:19] Did we allow, did we let the community know that that is there now?
[8:25] That's a good question.
[8:29] I don't know if Chair is group.
[8:32] Sorry, I was questioning and I was answering a test from another boardroom.
[8:39] The question was did we let Westbrook community know that Chair and Reynolds groups have
[8:43] been?
[8:45] There's been some changes or adjustments to that program.
[8:47] We should do some notification formally as we start to move in this fall.
[8:52] So Luke, why don't we get together with Jared and put something together?
[8:56] Just so they're aware, just so they know, hey, we do have someone, you know, it's not vacant anymore.
[9:02] During and during specials.
[9:03] It's not appropriate for you to be on campus.
[9:06] Yeah, give them the magnets where they can call people after hours and if there's some issue on campus.
[9:11] So yeah, we'll get on top of that.
[9:13] Thank you.
[9:17] Bridge your elementary children replacements complete, move quickly your walker in the South
[9:21] Kerns commission and continues.
[9:23] Magnus Dem Academy, the photo of the take system is complete.
[9:27] One of my guys rich without today and actually met with the vendor and it is pretty cool
[9:32] to see a dashboard of all the technology or of all the energy that's being brought into
[9:37] the building.
[9:37] So we're going to get that onto a display so it can be seen for people in the front of
[9:42] the school or front office.
[9:45] We received a small rebate for the $9,000 they put on there just for the HVAC control
[9:52] upgrade and boiler upgrade of back as so that was exciting to get a little rebate money
[9:57] there. Detection and carbon monoxide fire alarm replacement is all in progress of
[10:02] bridger elementary here at the GTI and in the annex. The State Fire Marshal approved some drawings
[10:08] so that was good to get those things going and we can get the parts ordered. It's a long
[10:11] long lead on some of those parts, so getting that box checked helps us get material coming.
[10:18] Security on the second round of fencing, we have exciting, we've got 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 schools
[10:26] that are on that next stage that went to our contractor, you the board approved that purchase
[10:31] last month, and so now we can just say here's the next set of drawings to this, it's American
[10:38] conferencing they can take those drawings and we have a unit cost for
[10:42] fencing concrete gates all the different components that we need now we can just
[10:47] say here's what you need order this and get going which is exciting so we're
[10:51] moving now very quickly and excited to get that going again the first seven
[10:58] were done right before school ended or right at school's ending and there was a
[11:02] little delay but now we're back going again which is exciting so good news
[11:06] there.
[11:08] And then Westlake Parking lot was torn out and replaced over the summer. If any of you
[11:12] have driven by a brand new asphalt there. And we also did the playground in the back, which is
[11:17] exciting. It hadn't been done for many years. And so they have new game lines and maps and all the
[11:22] fun stuff on the brand new black asphalt.
[11:27] Before you tonight, the Westlake gym high school bleep
[11:31] the Westlake junior high gymnasium bleachers. That was to increase the number of seats from
[11:38] from about 140, 152, 371 I think was the number
[11:43] that working with Sarah and Superintendent Horrisley
[11:45] that we will upgrade that to.
[11:48] That came up as a question, just for the rest of the board
[11:51] say the initial plan just had an insufficient amount
[11:55] of bleachers, frankly.
[11:57] And so as the school year started,
[11:59] it became a very clear problem
[12:01] and now we're trying to fix that.
[12:06] Correct.
[12:09] And then also the carpentry,
[12:10] before you also will be the Carp and Monoxide Detection Fire
[12:12] Alarm replacement Taylor School High School.
[12:14] We'll run that as a separate project
[12:17] with a separate contractor
[12:18] than the Taylor School High School remodel,
[12:20] but we'll use the same funding
[12:21] or we'll use that pot of money.
[12:23] So we'll just jump in ahead and get in a contractor
[12:27] if you approve that so they can get going
[12:29] on that Fire Alarm replacement project.
[12:32] Cypress High School, just a lot of the small warranty items,
[12:36] items, punch list items is finishing up, commissioning, our list is down to 85 items left on
[12:44] that list and we're at 94.6% complete. We had the administer kick off there in the auditorium
[12:52] and I think it went really well and a lot of people I think were pleased with how it looks
[12:56] and how it works. The air was going so that was exciting and no change orders for the board
[13:03] on that. Skyline, I'm just going to jump to the pictures. There's so much going on, but
[13:09] if you've been up there in the last couple of days, these photos don't even do it. Justice,
[13:15] we were just talking before the meeting, Dr. Nerden and I about the progress in the site
[13:18] up there and it's pretty incredible. Everywhere you see brown is now green and that's exciting
[13:24] or in the picture to the right, it's black because there's asphalt down there. So the asphalt
[13:29] It falls down, the striping for parking is down, the ADA parking stalls are lined out and the red curve for the fire.
[13:37] Everything is people parking in this morning when I was there and so the front drop off looks great.
[13:43] Coming down, turning off of Virginia Drive and then heading down the hill to the west, it's awesome to see the front of the school.
[13:54] It's a different set up than Cyprus. I wish she came up to you and Skyline you're kind of coming down to but they're both very
[14:01] It's it's very very nice drive coming down look in the building especially at night when those lights come on
[14:06] It'll be really nice for the first time in seven years. I think people dropping off their kids at Skyline
[14:12] Don't have to plan for 45 minutes to do a five minute drop off
[14:16] Yeah, there's technically there's two
[14:19] Besides the bus drop there's technically two
[14:22] parent drop or pick up spots where they could easily do that so I hope we've
[14:27] remedy the problem over there. So where the traffic is concerned are we now at
[14:36] like what it is is what it's going to be forever we don't have any. So now if
[14:44] people are like hey this isn't working or that isn't working. It's not temporary
[14:48] We've got to deal with it, but okay.
[14:50] Yeah, Hughes is basically out of there.
[14:52] The whole west parking lot is clean now, and, and,
[14:55] there are no construction vehicles on the site.
[14:58] No, that's not true.
[15:00] No trailers. There's no trailers on this side. It doesn't help the city decided to do some work on the front of the road. Right. But I did learn from Dr. Gatti today that they will be done. Hopefully, that in this week, before kids arrive next week, so that at least we can turn off a Virginia, come down to the student drop in the student parking lot. So it's, it's fabulous. If you're not been up there, please go up there. I know there's a ribbon cutting, a rolling, what are we calling a rolling ribbon cutting next Thursday that
[15:28] the 13th, I think that's the 13th, Luke.
[15:33] Well, we're gonna show off the performing arts wing
[15:36] and the new auditorium, so that's super exciting.
[15:41] Here's some photos of the stage and the auditorium,
[15:44] the music room, the courtroom, the bathroom,
[15:49] and no change orders.
[15:51] That's what I have for tonight, there ain't any questions.
[15:52] I'm gonna apologize ahead of time.
[15:54] That's my back to school night,
[15:55] but I would love to be there, Julie,
[15:56] I really so apologize to your community for me.
[15:59] I really want to come up some other time and further.
[16:01] Erin and I go see his new space or Adam.
[16:08] I'll skip back to schooling.
[16:11] Okay.
[16:12] Are there any other questions or anything?
[16:15] Okay.
[16:16] Thanks, Justin.
[16:17] Thank you.
[16:22] Okay, next up on our agenda, we have a Title I update.
[16:24] We're going to invite Dr. Bramble up to share with us about Title I.
[16:46] I'm going to be sharing with you an update regarding Title I and some of the changes that
[16:52] were made this year in terms of the schools that we will be serving with Title I funds.
[16:58] So I wanted to just back up a little bit and give you some background in how that funding began.
[17:05] It really was, way back in 1965 with Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty, evolved through
[17:13] major reforms if you remember back to no child well behind, and then it continues today
[17:18] under the Every Student Success Act. It's still the largest federal funding grant
[17:25] program for Kate Hall Public Schools that support low-income students.
[17:30] So, the statutory purpose of Title I is to provide all children significant opportunity
[17:36] to receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education and to close educational achievement
[17:42] gaps.
[17:43] So, we're really trying to mitigate those impacts of poverty.
[17:47] Utah was awarded $100 million last year in Title I party funds to high-private schools in
[17:55] in Utah in order to meet the needs of economically
[17:58] and educationally disadvantaged students.
[18:00] And with all of these funds come specific areas,
[18:04] we have to spend those in.
[18:05] So these are helping students achieve growth
[18:10] and proficiency, closing those achievement gaps,
[18:12] building teacher capacity, engaging parents and family,
[18:16] and providing a well-rounded education for all students.
[18:20] So, as those funds are allocated from the federal government to the states, it's based
[18:28] on the U.S. census data from each state, then every state allocates those funds to districts
[18:35] and that's based on the number of students in poverty and the district.
[18:39] So interestingly, we receive the majority of those Taiwan funds in granite district.
[18:46] We received 15% of all the Title I funding statewide.
[18:52] Even though we have roughly 10% of Utah students.
[18:58] So I'll told in the school year 26, we were allocated $15.3 million of that $100 million from that the state received.
[19:11] So when we get those funds, we have to determine at the LEA how those funds are going to be
[19:17] allocated. There are required
[19:19] set-asides that we have to fund and
[19:23] then there's some optional
[19:24] set-asides. The majority of that
[19:26] funding does go towards our school
[19:28] allocations. Some of those required
[19:31] set-asides are parent and family
[19:33] engagement. We have equitable services
[19:36] for private school schools and we
[19:40] also support homelessness so those
[19:42] are the required components and then
[19:45] there's some optional set-asides that
[19:46] that we have in granite district.
[19:48] And those are listed there.
[19:50] Pre-school is 8.5% as we've looked at their budget.
[19:54] We increased that a little bit looking at,
[19:56] for the next year, looking at some of the needs
[19:59] that they have to be able to fund preschools.
[20:02] Foster Care is in their teacher professional learning.
[20:05] Instructional coaches are funded out of a set aside.
[20:08] Principal coaching, our CSI supports for schools
[20:12] that are in needs improvement, that are Title I,
[20:15] and then indirect costs.
[20:20] So after those set-asides are taken off,
[20:24] we have decisions to make about how the school allocations
[20:28] are determined.
[20:30] So this gives you an idea in a flow chart form
[20:33] of how that works.
[20:35] So the first question we asked is whether the school has
[20:39] over 40% poverty.
[20:42] If it doesn't, then they cannot be designated as Title I.
[20:46] if the school does have over 40% poverty,
[20:50] they can be designated as Title I.
[20:53] Now, because our demographic includes a lot of poverty,
[20:58] if we looked just at that 40%,
[21:00] we would be serving about 40 of our schools.
[21:03] And so we don't have to serve all of them,
[21:07] but we have to serve,
[21:08] we then decide on of that number,
[21:11] how we're going to determine which schools
[21:14] will be allocated by me.
[21:16] So following that question, we asked whether the school has over 75% poverty, and if that's
[21:23] the case, they must be served as a Title I school.
[21:26] If they don't have over that 75% threshold, they may be served.
[21:31] And so every year we take a look at our schools and rank them according to a poverty level
[21:36] and establish a threshold.
[21:39] so as we look at that we're looking at their free percent lunch in order to
[21:45] determine that rank order. There's a careful balance that has to be made here
[21:50] too as we look at how many schools we're going to designate because we have
[21:56] to make sure that our schools are receiving enough money to do something
[22:00] effectively with those funds at their school. So once we decide that cut-off
[22:05] line, if a school falls above that, they are designated as Title I, if they fall below
[22:13] that they are not designated as Title I. So Title I school is basically a school that
[22:17] receives Title I funds. After that, we can influence the allocation by
[22:25] stratifying that band, so we do look at providing a larger per pupil allocation to
[22:32] to our schools that are most heavily impacted by poverty.
[22:37] Do you have any questions right now about this?
[22:39] So just to, because I think this is something
[22:41] that not everybody, obviously, people don't understand
[22:44] in general, but I think even we sometimes forget.
[22:48] So it could be designated as, if they have 40% poverty,
[22:54] it could be designated as a title one school
[22:55] but doesn't necessarily mean that.
[22:57] But that means we have schools in our district
[22:59] that are at qualifies title one
[23:02] and because there's at least 40% poverty there,
[23:05] but are not designated that way.
[23:07] But in other districts, there's maybe,
[23:10] there's some districts that have very few
[23:12] that qualify for that 40%.
[23:14] They still receive funding for the kids, correct?
[23:18] They just don't have a designated school,
[23:20] or they only have one or two designated schools,
[23:22] is that correct?
[23:23] Am I understanding that correctly?
[23:25] That is correct.
[23:27] Yeah.
[23:27] So at that point then, the district,
[23:28] which the LEA would take that money
[23:30] and supplement where they see needs,
[23:34] those needs are for those kids, correct?
[23:37] Because they don't spend it necessarily just specifically
[23:39] on a school, but they would like,
[23:41] okay, we're gonna supplement this school
[23:43] with a Title 1A or, you know, how would they,
[23:47] like, how do you spend the district money?
[23:49] How does the LEA, if it's not a Title 1 school,
[23:52] how do you spend that in a not Title 1 school?
[23:56] Does that make sense, what I'm saying?
[23:57] I don't know, I'm not sure, I understand.
[24:00] So can you go back to, I think it's the slide before.
[24:03] The previous slide mean this optional set of sites.
[24:06] Yes, the set of sites.
[24:07] So administrative, pre-school, the teach professional learning,
[24:12] any of those things, optional set of sites,
[24:14] can you spend that in a school that is not designated
[24:18] as Title I, if there's need because of kids
[24:23] that are Title I, kids that are in poverty, does that make sense?
[24:28] So, could we spend it in one of those schools that's not a Title I school if there's a need?
[24:36] On parity, so the optional set of sites go toward district costs that support homelessness
[24:43] in our district and so it, but you could support a homeless kid at Skyline with the Title I money.
[24:53] Because it's helping to support the efforts that we have in our district to support students who are homeless.
[25:00] Okay, because it's even though they're not, it's not a title one school.
[25:04] It doesn't matter what school they go to as long as they're, we're supporting them in that whatever it is.
[25:09] We could be supporting them, yes, in another way like that.
[25:11] Okay, that's what I guess, sorry.
[25:12] Yeah, I think I'm not setting up that.
[25:14] To be really clear, because I don't want people to go, hey, I have these really impoverished kids and I need some title one money.
[25:20] We can't give Title I money to schools that are not designated as Title I by our allocation.
[25:27] We do have programs like homelessness program that is in every single school, any kid.
[25:33] But that is a very unique circumstance.
[25:36] These district efforts, pre-school, those kinds of things, they go to Title I schools.
[25:45] That's where we serve them.
[25:46] That I'm just going to follow up so just so I'm clear so if there's a preschool at a school at one of our schools
[25:53] It's because it's a title one school or do we designate certain schools with preschools with title one funds
[26:00] But then we also have preschools that are not with title one funds. So we have both correct
[26:03] So we have we have preschools in in many of our schools right not all of them are supported with title one fund
[26:10] And so, if you are in school as a Title I school and they have a preschool, then the cost to attend that preschool is less because it is supported through our Title I set aside.
[26:24] Okay,
[26:27] but the optional set aside for granted school district can be spent to help kids no matter what school they're in.
[26:38] No, we have to make sure that they are used to support students who are in our title in just title as well.
[26:45] Okay, thank you.
[26:47] If we were to do, if we were to do what you're asking, it would be considered supplanting.
[26:54] Because if we're doing something for all kids, then district money needs to do that.
[27:00] Title one money is to do something more.
[27:04] For schools that you identify as having greatest need in your district.
[27:08] Okay, I just don't know if it would be an individual like the kids who qualify that are homeless or whatever, but that's not, we can't do that.
[27:16] No, I think, yeah, the example I'm giving is a pretty rare example where you are having homelessness supported outside of, but in general it has to go to those schools.
[27:29] that you've designated our year's high-to-one school
[27:31] is based on what you have decided will be your procedure
[27:34] over identifying them.
[27:36] I just wanted to clarify that because I think that's
[27:38] a confusing thing to a lot of people.
[27:40] I will say that there are situations
[27:43] like at a charter school that has maybe five percent.
[27:47] They get Title I money, and it kind of functions
[27:49] a little bit the way you're describing.
[27:51] It's more of a targeted assist, but that's not
[27:56] the rules under which we operate.
[27:57] All right, she's going to talk a little bit about a target assist, which again every bit of this is convoluted.
[28:03] But our general program is a school-wide program.
[28:09] You got to have 40% or more.
[28:10] We designate them in rank quarter and then that's it.
[28:13] We can't serve outside of that school.
[28:21] All right, so every year we revisit these rankings because the poverty levels in the community are dynamic and so that changes over time.
[28:30] So every year we take a look at those rank ordered lists and we determine a cutoff for the schools that we're going to serve.
[28:40] Sometimes the school's poverty rate declines so it falls below the cutoff point and the school may have in the past then identified as a title one school.
[28:49] So, if they do fall out of that rank order, we have a specific process that we have to follow.
[28:56] So, we would, we can either declassify the school as a Title I school.
[29:03] We could extend the number of schools that are, that were designating as Title I.
[29:08] Or, what we've done in our district is, allow the school to have an additional year of Title I status
[29:14] that we call a bubble school, right?
[29:16] So they have bubbled out of the ranking so they'll be served for another year and they're sort of put on warning
[29:22] They're told hey if you in two consecutive years fall out of that ranking you no longer will be a title one school
[29:31] Same goes for if they fall into that ranking
[29:35] We have followed this process of bubbling in and saying if for two consecutive years you bubble into the rank ordered list
[29:43] Then you will become a title one school
[29:45] So, I think as we look at what happened this past year in this rank-ordered list, we had
[29:55] silver hills.
[29:56] they were school that had bubbled out.
[30:00] Two years ago, so we base this list off from the fall poverty ranking that we get through USBE. And they bubbled out two years ago and they were, they were told you need to take a look at maybe how many for your reduced lunch applications, you are getting your patrons to complete. That is really what's going to determine whether or not a school or where a school falls in the ranking.
[30:29] we have to face that on whether or not those families have filled out free
[30:35] reduced lunch applications and then whether or not they qualify determines this
[30:38] free lunch status. So when Silver Hills bubbled out again in the fall of 2026, they
[30:46] were told that they would no longer be a Title I school for this coming school
[30:53] earlier. They were 31st in this ranking. So as we looked at how the rest of the ranking
[31:01] fell out, you can see that South Curns has been a Title I school. And as we looked at
[31:11] the schools that fell in the ranking ahead of South Curns, we had Fremont, Hillside, Whittier,
[31:17] and Valley Junior, where their free percent status put them in that rank ordered list.
[31:26] A decision was made at that point where we have additional title and money that we could
[31:32] be providing for school allocations because there was a district initiative that allowed
[31:39] out for .5 coach to be provided in schools.
[31:44] So as Dr. Nerton said, when you have Title I monies,
[31:49] it can't supplant what's already happening for all schools.
[31:53] So because all of our schools were working towards providing
[31:57] them with a .5 coach, and in the past,
[32:01] our Title I schools have been funded with a full coach
[32:04] out of the set aside.
[32:05] That allowed for additional monies that we could no longer use out of Title I, but we're
[32:13] funding an additional 0.5, so they'll still have a full coach, but 0.5 with that is coming
[32:19] out of Title I funds, which ended up freeing up additional monies for school allocations.
[32:25] With that decision was made that we would increase the numbers of schools that we would serve.
[32:33] We've got a lot of schools that sit in this bubble, right?
[32:37] You can see where it's a very small percentage that separates a school that gets Title
[32:44] One funds and a school that does not.
[32:46] So as we looked at expanding that and how that would impact the school's allocations as
[32:54] they've been used to receiving, it wasn't going to impact it in an enormous way, so we felt
[33:02] like it was worth it at this point to expand that list.
[33:05] So we have four schools that are in blue here.
[33:10] They are newly designated and a newly designated Title I school in the first year has to be
[33:16] a Title I assist school.
[33:19] So they're not a school-wide Title I school.
[33:22] They're a Title I assist school, which means that we have a little bit of a more oversight
[33:30] By helping them to determine how their money is best spent, we look at identifying students
[33:37] that have the greatest academic need in those schools, and we target those monies towards
[33:42] those students with greatest academic need.
[33:45] So for example, we are funding a, or they are funding out of their Title I school allocation,
[33:53] a literacy interventionist to work with their K-3 students.
[33:56] they're funding some para educators to be able to provide some additional supports for
[34:01] their students who are reading below grade level.
[34:07] And they will also get a coach that will
[34:09] help support their teachers in knowing how to differentiate and help best support those
[34:14] students who are reading below grade level.
[34:21] No, I am so grateful you'll just never know how
[34:29] So, grateful I am for the expansion of Title I funds.
[34:34] Years ago, it was dead set, 12, 15, that's it, it was not going to grow.
[34:42] And to be able to see the money go to more schools that are in need, thank you, thank
[34:50] you so very much, I know it's perhaps reduces the money that they get.
[34:56] But to be able to help more, I am truly grateful just things.
[35:05] Dr. Nurdin, I don't have our list of boot schools like memorized.
[35:12] I'm wondering how they correlate with this list.
[35:17] Are boot schools?
[35:18] Yeah, I mean, I know these are different issues, but I just wonder where they have the same one.
[35:23] We have two of, let me see,
[35:27] are boot schools?
[35:28] I
[35:32] know we have three elementaries that are boost and Title I so I guess really
[35:39] as we looked at this our school's were identified based on the low performance
[35:43] yeah I understand there's a different thing about about the fact that not all
[35:49] of our boost schools are Title I schools is our Title I schools in in general are
[35:55] spending their money in really great ways to get a return on investment and
[35:59] and help support and mitigate those issues of poverty
[36:02] by making sure that students are performing
[36:05] at high levels in them.
[36:06] So, not all of our boot schools are Title I schools.
[36:12] That's really awesome.
[36:13] I'm excited to hear that.
[36:14] It's actually, it's frustrating that we have boot schools
[36:19] that aren't in this list because the tie is so tight
[36:21] between poverty and having said that,
[36:25] But we also showed this year like a little bit of extra support can really boost the school and it's happening.
[36:33] We have two junior highs, one is title one and one is not, and the one high school, we don't have high schools that are title one.
[36:46] Any other questions?
[36:49] Right?
[36:50] Thank you so much.
[36:54] I really want to just recognize Jones efforts.
[37:00] We kind of say data, and if you look in the Encyclopedia of Granite, when we talk about data and helping schools, Jones picture pops up, and everybody just thinks, oh, well, which need to call Jones? Well, Jones doesn't do that only any more.
[37:14] She's over all of Title I and all of TSA and all of land trust and her job is
[37:21] enormous and she deserves all of our applause and appreciation. She's doing a
[37:27] fantastic job. Thank you, Joan. I actually did just
[37:31] have one more. Remember that we went when we did have that debate about should we
[37:36] have high schools in Title I or not and we remember when our high school
[37:41] was that funding was pulled from that high school. I remember very specifically the services
[37:47] that were removed from that. And I just wonder if there's been there hasn't been any discussion
[37:53] around that or I'm kind of trying to check in like is that still the right decision for
[38:02] us or are we still happy with that decision. So if you guys heard anything or well I'm
[38:09] I'm sure we'll have something to say about this too,
[38:12] but we know that early intervention is best.
[38:16] And so as we look at why that decision was made,
[38:20] it was made based on some solid research
[38:23] about catching kids early to help with getting them
[38:27] ahead with schooling and making sure
[38:30] that they have all the supports they need,
[38:32] which is why we also increase that preschool amount
[38:36] because we do want our students to have some really great experience early on.
[38:43] The other thing to note is that our elementary and junior highs don't have access to as many
[38:52] funds.
[38:54] And that's a big piece, I think, that makes a difference in terms of how we're going
[39:00] to look at allocating Title I funds.
[39:03] It's such a tough question, Julie, because those two schools seen a decline, yeah, they
[39:11] lost a ton of money.
[39:13] But the way Title I laws written, their end size is so large, they would probably be taking
[39:20] 10 to 15, maybe even 20% of the total allocation in two schools that are, like she said, on
[39:28] in the tail end of education, and we really do believe wholeheartedly that the earlier we can intervene the better.
[39:35] But for sure there's been an impact.
[39:39] And I was thinking about it, I mean, the top three elementaries on that list,
[39:45] I'll feed into the third junior high, this number three on that list, which feeds into the school that was had that funding removed.
[39:56] And I don't know that there's any way to, like, be able to track and say, well, do we see that early investment benefiting this high school?
[40:05] But I think that what we concluded and what the research seemed to show to us was that investing in the same kid at the early year rather than the later year was going to be a big benefit.
[40:18] And so I mean, I remember that's why we voted on that as you said.
[40:22] but I think it's good a few years later to check in on the voting that you did
[40:27] and see if you think that it was the right decision so I appreciate you taking
[40:31] a minute on that. I think the other nice thing to think about when we look at Title
[40:37] 1 funds is really intended to look at can we do some can we look at practices
[40:41] that might be really effective in schools and then can we generalize some of
[40:46] practices later to more district-wide and coaching is a great example of that.
[40:53] Coaching really started in our Title I schools as an effective practice because we have
[40:59] to use effective practices in our Title I schools with those monies, but we definitely
[41:04] saw that that was making a big difference for schools that have effective coaches and
[41:09] that moved into a more generalized strategy and approach that's used throughout the district
[41:15] to look at improving outcomes.
[41:19] So that's, I think, an important thing to look at
[41:21] when you're looking at our Title I Funds II
[41:23] and return on investment that we are tracking
[41:26] with those, finding that most of these schools,
[41:29] I know at one point we looked at,
[41:30] what are our most successful schools
[41:32] spend their money on?
[41:33] Because I think that's a worthwhile question to ask, too.
[41:36] And we found, for the most part,
[41:40] largest majority of our school allocations goes
[41:43] toward people.
[41:44] It's personnel that they're spending money on and it's there's not a magic bullet, but there are some
[41:51] Ways that you can spend that in very effective ways as you look at how you staff and use that resource in your school to provide
[42:00] Great supports and effective practices for your students
[42:06] And I know one of the biggest hesitations that we had as we were looking at that making that debate was that
[42:11] but had we kept those two high schools on there
[42:14] that would have taken off 10 of our elementary's
[42:17] and that's a huge impact on those kiddos.
[42:20] So that's a big deal.
[42:22] So anyway, yeah, thank you so much.
[42:25] All right, we're gonna go ahead and take a break
[42:29] for dinner and we will meet back here at seven o'clock.
[42:33] So no,
[42:38] I know there was executive session on our agenda,
[42:41] but that was just, we don't know.
[42:45] If you want to, if you want to, if you want to...