[0:06] Okay, we'll call this meeting to order, and we'll start out with the Pledge of
[0:09] Allegiance.
[0:12] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic
[0:17] for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice
[0:23] for all.
[0:28] Thank you for joining us tonight at the regular Board of Education meeting for
[0:32] September 21st, 2026. I'll start out with introducing those on the stage from
[0:38] my right, our SRO, Officer LeVot,
[0:43] Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, Dr.
[0:46] Delgado, Assistant Superintendent for Strategic Initiatives, Mr.
[0:51] Moussa Hamka, Trustee Sean Cotton, Trustee Laura Hull.
[0:57] I'm the Board President, Clint Arent. Our Superintendent, Dr. Roy Bishop.
[1:02] Our CFO, Ms. Andrea Grusa. Trustee Colleen Worden,
[1:08] Trustee Tim Klepp, and Trustee Ginny Jeup.
[1:13] First item up for business is approval of the meeting agenda for September 21st,
[1:17] 2026. Do I have a motion?
[1:21] Motion to approve the agenda for September 21st, 2026.
[1:25] Supported.
[1:27] Okay, moved by Trustee Worden, supported by Trustee Klepp. Is there any discussion?
[1:33] Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye.
[1:36] Aye.
[1:36] Any opposed? Passes seven to zero.
[1:40] Next, item number three, superintendent and stakeholder engagement reports.
[1:45] Turn it over to Dr. Bishop.
[1:46] Thank you so much. I appreciate it.
[1:48] And we have several things to be discussed today during our superintendent's
[1:51] report, but the first thing we have is we actually have the North student
[1:54] representative here tonight. We have Eliana Orlando, who is here.
[1:58] So we would love to have her come up.
[2:00] Once again, this goes right along our strategic plan, especially in the area of our
[2:03] culture domain, where we're trying to create supportive learning environments, and
[2:08] we cannot do that without hearing from our students.
[2:10] So we are very proud to be able to have Ms. Orlando here.
[2:13] We look forward to hearing everything she has to say.
[2:16] We also have Principal Shumnel, who is here to record and also be a support system
[2:21] for her. So go right ahead, Ms. Orlando.
[2:24] Good evening, and thank you for having me here tonight.
[2:27] My name is Eliana Orlando, and I will be your North student representative this
[2:31] school year. This is my 13th year in the Grosse Pointe Public School system.
[2:35] I started as a Monteith Tiger, then a Parcells Panther, and now a proud Norseman.
[2:41] Last year, our principal, Mr. Shumnel, introduced a new motto that has quickly
[2:45] become a part of who we are, proud, tough, together.
[2:52] And we are continuing this mantra throughout this year as well.
[2:55] Proud, tough, together embodies the Norseman spirit, not only in each of us as
[2:59] students and staff, but in all of us as one Norseman family.
[3:03] Each month, I will be sharing some events that are going on within the Norse family
[3:08] that makes us proud, tough, and together.
[3:11] First of all, the Norsemen have been showing a tremendous amount of pride at our
[3:15] sporting events this fall. Two highlights are both the girls varsity volley
[3:20] fall and the boys varsity soccer game against Grosse Pointe South.
[3:25] Led by the Norsemen Tide, a group of students who lead the student section at
[3:29] games, students showed up with pride and enthusiasm.
[3:33] In particular, the varsity soccer team is now 10 and 0, with their leading scorer
[3:38] being senior Matthew Eshman, who is playing on the team for the first time this
[3:42] year.
[3:44] In August, the girls varsity North swim and dive team won the Royal Oak Ravens
[3:49] Relay Swim Meet and brought home a trophy.
[3:52] Out of six other teams, the North girls won six out of 12 events and had very
[3:57] strong swims in the other six events.
[4:01] One tough thing that we had to face was our new school-wide lunch policy.
[4:05] For our open campus lunch, we can now only enter and exit through one door, and we
[4:10] are required to scan our student ID. Mr.
[4:13] Shumnel decided to implement this as an important safety measure for us students.
[4:18] On the first and second day of school, it was very tough as we were trying to
[4:23] figure out this new system together.
[4:25] People were late going to lunch, late coming back to class, and hungry crowds of
[4:29] teenagers were forming. Even though the adjustment was frustrating at first, we
[4:34] worked through it together. Norsemen are persistent and determined as we got
[4:39] through these tough couple days, and now our new lunch system is smooth, quick, and
[4:43] safe.
[4:45] Throughout the first couple weeks of school, Norsemen showed an immense amount of
[4:49] togetherness. Before the year even started, Link Crew leaders, a group of
[4:53] upperclassmen students
[4:57] dedicated to helping freshmen feel comfortable, placed lawn signs at freshmen's
[5:01] houses. On top of that, freshman orientation was filled with Link Crew leaders
[5:06] welcoming freshmen by giving tours and playing various games.
[5:11] Prior to school starting, all of the new freshmen already felt as if they were
[5:16] together with the upperclassmen as well as the school.
[5:19] On the first day of school, several students were seen helping with finding classes
[5:23] and opening lockers.
[5:25] That same spirit of togetherness is continuing as we look ahead to homecoming.
[5:30] The student association is working together to plan an unforgettable dance.
[5:34] The overall homecoming theme this school year is Worldwide Cities.
[5:38] The seniors are representing Las Vegas, juniors are Athens, sophomores are Cairo,
[5:44] and the freshmen are London. Thank you again for giving me the opportunity to speak
[5:48] tonight, and I look forward to sharing more about how our Norseman family is proud,
[5:53] tough, together next month.
[6:02] Questions, comments from the board? Trustee Klepp.
[6:05] Eliana, just a comment. Thank you.
[6:09] You did an excellent job, and I look forward to hearing updates throughout the rest
[6:12] of the year from you.
[6:13] Thank you.
[6:15] Trustee Hull.
[6:17] Eliana, beautiful job weaving together the motto of proud, tough, together.
[6:20] I love how you did that in your speech and,
[6:24] like tied it to all the things that students are doing. So great job.
[6:27] Thank you so much.
[6:29] Yes, Trustee Worden.
[6:29] Eliana, thank you so much for that beautiful presentation.
[6:32] I just have a question about the homecoming float. Is it going well?
[6:36] Yes, the seniors first day for float build was today, and I know the first day for
[6:41] the juniors was also today, and sophomores and freshmen started over the weekend.
[6:47] Thank you.
[6:50] Thank you.
[6:51] Great job.
[6:51] Hold on, come back. Sorry, I have a couple questions.
[6:55] I was trying to wait for all the trustees to get done, and now I have a couple
[6:57] questions. Eliana, did you come here by yourself this evening?
[7:01] I came here with Mr. Shumnel and my mom and my sister.
[7:04] Awesome. Good. Are they in the back somewhere?
[7:06] Yeah.
[7:06] Can you please raise your hand? Awesome.
[7:07] Let's give her a round of applause as well.
[7:12] Thank you.
[7:12] We are very proud to be able to have you here.
[7:14] We look forward for you to continue to be able to carry your voice, but also lift
[7:17] the voice of others at North High School.
[7:20] And of course, you can stay for the rest of the meeting if you would like to, but
[7:24] you're also more than welcome to be able to leave at this time.
[7:27] But we look forward to seeing you in several weeks.
[7:29] And feel free to continue to bring us that feedback, that way we can make sure that
[7:32] we're creating a school system that is fitting your needs.
[7:36] So thank you so much for your time this evening.
[7:37] Thank you so much. Have a nice night.
[7:39] Thank you. You as well.
[7:43] All right, next up, we're going to do a little bit of celebrating.
[7:45] We're actually going to celebrate two people, and I see one that is here, but maybe
[7:49] the other one is also here. We're going to celebrate this evening, Ms.
[7:53] Sarah Neely, who is our Michigan History Teacher of the Year.
[7:57] I don't know if she is here or not, but we want to make sure that she feels the
[8:01] love. So if she is not, we will celebrate her when she does have a chance to be
[8:04] able to come. But we also have an audience. I see him in the back.
[8:08] We have Coach Hodell. He is our MHSCA State
[8:14] Swimming and Diving Coach of the Year.
[8:17] And in the article which was published about him, it says, "The selection of Coach
[8:21] Hodell reflects the high standard in excellence maintained by Grosse Pointe South
[8:26] and the broader community," and his excellence as a coach is noted throughout the
[8:31] article. So we are very excited to be able to have him in audience.
[8:35] I'm going to have him come up and say a few words, of course.
[8:38] I don't know if he expected us to do this to him tonight, but we are, so feel free
[8:42] to come on up. But when we talk about our strategic plan as far as our personnel,
[8:46] especially when we talk about attracting the best and retaining the best, we
[8:50] definitely can say that Coach Hodell is one of the best, and we are happy to have
[8:53] him here. So Coach Hodell, if you wouldn't mind coming up and accepting your
[8:57] praise.
[9:03] And Coach, I hear you have several nicknames, but if you want to give us some of
[9:07] those nicknames you're called too, because people might not know your actual last
[9:10] name. Um, I didn't by what your swimmers and divers call you, but, um, we're
[9:16] excited to have you here. You might have to raise that mic up just a little bit.
[9:19] Yeah, a little bit.
[9:21] And we didn't make that mic stand for you, but we'll make it work tonight.
[9:26] No. I am John Waddell. Uh, everyone calls me Pho. So that's my nickname.
[9:30] Um, kind of goes throughout the state, uh, with it.
[9:34] Um, didn't really have much planned.
[9:37] I think, uh, the swim community in this area is a, uh, big, like,
[9:43] welcoming community. I mean, I think you even, uh, saw Norah Swimmer, and I was
[9:48] super excited to see her and how she's presenting, so that was really cool.
[9:53] You got Greg Wolfe there, one of the legends of swimming in the community.
[9:57] I mean, but I get to-- He assistant coaches me during the boys.
[10:01] Uh, I have great assistant coaches even during the girls.
[10:04] So, and Bill Thompson, I know he just retired, but, uh, he's unbelievable.
[10:09] So, it also just kind of stems from being part of this community for so long and
[10:14] loving what you do, so, um, I just live on a pool deck too.
[10:18] So it's a little bit of commitment and, uh, consistency, but, uh, we have a great
[10:23] community. I mean, that's what it does, and, uh, we try to produce excellence
[10:29] through swimming and, uh, we needed two points, so we're still coming, so-
[10:35] ... we keep plugging away. So it's an excellent thing to have. So thank you, guys.
[10:43] Any comments or questions from board members?
[10:48] Thank you, guys.
[10:49] Absolutely. Thank you.
[10:55] And while her photo's on the screen, Ms. Neely couldn't be here tonight.
[10:59] Um, I did want to send an echo of Dr. Bishop's statements, but also two of my
[11:04] children had Mrs. Neely for second grade at Mayer.
[11:08] And her love of teaching and love of the community just pours out of her
[11:14] classroom, so I thank her for that.
[11:15] And she's also spearheading the 90th anniversary celebration for Mayer next month,
[11:21] so if anybody has ties to the Mayer School, certainly look out for that, I believe
[11:27] the second week of October. We'll try to publish the date specifically.
[11:31] I don't want to misspeak, but she's right in the middle of all of that as well.
[11:34] So thank you to Mrs. Neely.
[11:39] Thank you. Next up, we have Monteith Elementary School. So we have Dr.
[11:44] Keegan, who is here. She's going to be talking about PBIS, um, how it is taking
[11:48] place in her school, what it looks like, what it feels like, what it sounds like.
[11:52] Um, and we are very excited to have her. Um, thank you so much.
[11:56] Oh, you might have to lower the mic this time. Yeah.
[11:59] Coach Pho did not lower the mic for you. He just raised it.
[12:04] He raises the bar for excellence.
[12:05] He did. He raises the bar.
[12:08] Thank you so much for having me. I am presenting for Monteith, but our
[12:14] PBIS station rotations involves our entire school, and it is
[12:20] something that we've done for the past six years.
[12:24] And it started with, we were talking about PBIS and how to
[12:30] teach the students expectations.
[12:32] And we started with in the classrooms, the classroom teachers, and then we
[12:38] moved towards it actually being in the common places.
[12:42] So if we're talking about the lunchroom, we're going to teach in the lunchroom.
[12:45] If it's in the hallways, we'll teach there.
[12:48] And so we really wanted students to have that kinesthetic movement as we
[12:54] were teaching the expectations. Um, so we talk about with the kids at the
[13:00] beginning of the year: Why do we do this every year?
[13:02] Why do we do a refresher in January?
[13:06] And the big thing is we want students to feel successful.
[13:10] We want them to understand the why, why we put these in place.
[13:15] And what I always tell the kids in the station that I lead is, "My number one job
[13:20] is to keep you safe." And I can't do that without my team of teachers,
[13:25] paraprofessionals, engineers, our support staff, because we truly are a
[13:30] team that is looking out for the best interests of the kids, not only academically,
[13:36] but also within their safety. And we changed this.
[13:41] We've moved it up every year, and this year we did it on the second day of school.
[13:46] And we talked about this as our school community.
[13:50] We wanted them to start on the right foot.
[13:52] We didn't want to assume kids knew where to go or what to do.
[13:57] We wanted to provide them with that information.
[14:01] And it's really helped giving them the clear and concise expectations right from
[14:06] the beginning. Um, and as we go through the
[14:11] expectations, you start seeing that teachers and parapros and everyone,
[14:17] instead of correcting kids, they're catching kids doing the right thing.
[14:22] Mm.
[14:22] And so if you look for the good, you find the good.
[14:25] And one of my favorite quotes from Maya Angelou was, um, "Do the best you can until
[14:31] you know better." So we want them to know better at the beginning, and then when
[14:35] you do, you do it. Um, yep, go right ahead, Rebecca.
[14:40] So we have seven stations that we have set up, and each year we've adapted it a
[14:45] little bit. Um, but we have different support staff that lead the stations.
[14:49] The teachers stay with their classrooms, and they rotate through those seven
[14:55] stations. Um, one of our reading specialists is amazing at scheduling, so she's
[15:00] able to figure out exactly where people are going and when.
[15:04] Um, but these are the areas that when we look at data, um, from our
[15:10] parent portal, when we're looking at MiStar, these are areas where kids might not
[15:15] exactly know what the expectations are, so we want to make sure they're clear.
[15:20] So main office, this was the opportunity for our secretary and clerk to introduce
[15:26] themselves and kind of explain to the kids why you would be in the office.
[15:30] Like, if you got hurt, you would come in.
[15:33] If you forgot your lunch, if you d- and so they go through all of that, and they
[15:37] get to actually ask questions with the clerk and the secretary.
[15:42] And our clerk and secretary do an awesome job of welcoming everyone in.
[15:48] They're the first face that you see.
[15:50] And so it's important for the kids to be familiar with them as well.
[15:54] Lunchroom, we run a very smooth lunchroom.
[15:58] We have 250 kids in each lunch, but it's actually manageable, um,
[16:04] because we have those expectations.
[16:07] And then hallway and stairs, just talking to the kids about safety.
[16:10] Bathroom, got to give all those expectations, too.
[16:14] And then our safety drills, playground, and arrival and dismissal.
[16:20] So in two days, 19 classrooms, 444 students, and
[16:26] 66 staff members all heard the exact same expectations
[16:32] for those common areas, and we're all on the same page.
[16:35] So there isn't teachers giving different directions.
[16:38] There isn't staff members giving directions.
[16:40] The kids are hearing the same thing from all of the adults in the building.
[16:46] So, and it's really important for that because when they are doing the right thing,
[16:50] and you'll see later, they get their Monteith money for that.
[16:53] It's like a smile like, "Oh, someone noticed me.
[16:56] I'm doing the right thing." And so it's a good feeling to be able to give that to
[17:01] them.
[17:02] So this is our schedule, um, that Julie Mayo, who is one of
[17:08] our literacy coaches, she put together so that every class is able to go through
[17:13] each of the stations. And Rebecca, if you keep going, it just shows we did
[17:18] Wednesday morning, Wednesday afternoon, and then, um, Thursday morning.
[17:23] And we split up the kindergarten, so they do a little bit in one afternoon, a
[17:27] little bit in the morning, so it's not too long for them.
[17:31] Um, and it's just a nice way to start the year with everyone on the same page.
[17:36] So this is some pictures of the station rotations in action, and our
[17:42] students are very proud to be showing what they learned.
[17:47] Um, and it's just nice to have that opportunity to let them shine.
[17:52] I know I do
[17:54] the safety drills every year, and by the time they get to second, third, and
[17:59] fourth, I say, "This is just a review.
[18:01] I want you guys to teach me what to do." And, like, they can tell me how many fire
[18:06] drills we do, how many tornado, how many evacuation, how many lockdown drills.
[18:12] And it becomes not as
[18:15] ... scary or, something that's overwhelming for them, because as we talk about, you
[18:20] practice, so if there is ever an emergency, you know what to do.
[18:26] And it's just a way to get kids to feel they understand why we're doing it and why
[18:31] it's important.
[18:35] One of the best parts about this is it starts our learning community off in a very
[18:41] positive way. So after our PBIS station rotations are
[18:46] completed, staff are starting to hand out the Monteith money and looking for
[18:51] students doing the right thing. And I can't emphasize that enough.
[18:56] There's so many times people are correcting kids or correcting each other.
[19:01] When you start looking for the good, you find that.
[19:04] And it can be so powerful for kids to hear like, "Oh, I'm so proud. Nice job.
[19:09] Look at those walking feet." And you start to see them strutting a little bit more
[19:13] in the hallways because they're proud of what they're doing.
[19:17] And each year we recreate the Monteith money, and this year we have four fourth
[19:23] grade classes. So we picked a winner from each of those classes with their
[19:28] designs. So at our, yep, we're right ahead.
[19:33] So at our all-school assembly, which was the first Friday, we
[19:39] announced the four winners, and they each had very different designs in their
[19:43] Monteith money. Of course, Monteith the tiger is always included.
[19:48] But it's exciting for them when we're passing out the money and they're like, "Oh,
[19:53] that's the one I designed. That's the one I designed." One of them, Lily today, she
[19:56] was a cleaning cadet, and she's like, "Can I have one of my own that I made?" I was
[20:01] like, "Of course, Lily." But they're very proud, and all year long it's their
[20:05] design that is awarding kids, which is a great experience.
[20:10] And then, yep,
[20:12] we did, because I like to celebrate things and people work really hard in our
[20:18] schools, and so at the end of the week, instead of just going through, "These are
[20:24] the teachers that teach first grade.
[20:26] These are the teachers that teach second grade," we brought all the students down,
[20:32] to have an assembly, and that's how we went over our assembly expectations.
[20:36] I had all the staff go in the hallway, and they were a little worried that I'm
[20:42] like, "I got them all. We're good." And then we called out each of the staff
[20:47] members, and the pride and joy of the kids as their teachers,
[20:53] parapros, our nighttime custodian walked through.
[20:57] They were cheering, they were clapping, and it was just nice for the teachers and
[21:03] staff that put all this work in to get this ready to have that opportunity to be
[21:08] celebrated. Because we love to celebrate the kids, we also love to celebrate the
[21:13] people that are making sure that our kids are learning and safe every single day.
[21:20] So,
[21:22] today we got to put some of those expectations, to
[21:27] practice, and we did our all-school evacuation drill,
[21:33] and we got a wonderful compliment, from
[21:38] Dennis Root, who is the director of security at the University of Liggett, because
[21:42] we coordinate with them. That's where we go on our evacuation drill.
[21:46] And I asked him before I put it up here, but he said, "Every year I'm so impressed
[21:51] with the organization, respectfulness, and attention to detail during your
[21:55] evacuation drill. I have completely redone Liggett's drills to meet the
[22:00] standards you have set." And by you, he means the Grosse Pointe School System,
[22:05] because we all work very hard at each of our schools to make sure our students are
[22:09] safe. And just seeing 444 kids sitting in the gym
[22:15] quietly, he was like, "I cannot believe there's that many kids in this gym." But
[22:19] they understand how important it is to learn these skills, so if there was an
[22:23] emergency, they're calm and they know what to do.
[22:27] So very, very proud of my entire school for the work that they put into this at the
[22:32] beginning of the year, and just giving students such a fresh start and a great way
[22:38] to start the year. So a lot of pride in my staff and students at Monteith.
[22:44] So thank you.
[22:48] Yes.
[22:49] Mrs. Keelen, thank you so much for that presentation.
[22:52] I really want to thank you for providing the detail that you gave to us, because I
[22:56] feel like a lot of times the positive part of PBIS is not
[23:01] discussed. And I think that positive reinforcement, and I like what you said about
[23:06] look for the good and you'll find the good, because I think a lot of parents or
[23:10] even community members seem to think that it's just a disciplinary way to punish
[23:15] people for bad behavior. But I'm glad that you highlighted the positive aspects of
[23:19] it.
[23:20] And it's very positive. I know when I moved from being a teacher to
[23:26] an administrator, one of the things was I was like, "Oh, I don't always want to be
[23:31] the person that they're scared to come see.
[23:34] I want them to come to me for positive things, too." And some of the rewards that
[23:39] we do for students is like, they can come to me and we build LEGOs at lunch, or we
[23:44] make bracelets. Another teacher does movie and pizza.
[23:48] So there's all sorts of different positive things that we don't have to buy
[23:53] anything. It's they want that experience or that opportunity to talk with one of
[23:59] the adults and have that time. So it's how you look at things, and finding the good
[24:04] is important for our kids.
[24:07] Any questions, comments?
[24:11] Thank you so much. Appreciate it.
[24:12] All right. Thank you, guys.
[24:19] All right. Next up, we have our GP PAC representative, Dr. Worm.
[24:25] And whilst she's on the way up, too, I also want to make sure that I just piggyback
[24:28] on Dr. Keelen's report. When that goes along with goal two as far as our culture
[24:32] and climate, it really talks about how to be proactive. So I appreciate Dr.
[24:36] Keelen, her staff, her team doing this, and a lot of our elementary schools and
[24:40] middle schools are also proactively going over behavior expectations, so that way
[24:44] we can continue to focus on our rigorous academic components so that all students
[24:49] have all high expectations when it comes to behavior and academic presented to them
[24:53] within the first couple weeks of school. So congratulations to Dr.
[24:56] Keelen, her team, and all of our elementary schools and middle schools and high
[24:59] schools who are also proactively going over the PBIS expectations. Dr.
[25:03] Worm, take it away.
[25:05] Hi. Thank you so much for having us back.
[25:07] For people who haven't seen us before, I'm Dr. Jill Worm.
[25:10] I'm the president of the Grosse Pointe Parent Advisory Committee for Special
[25:13] Education, and with me tonight is Dima Hauser, our vice president.
[25:17] And for the board, I feel like we're saying a lot of the same things to you, so
[25:21] we're really here for the audience, and we're here for the people who are watching
[25:23] online. But we do want to sort of recap to tell people that we're a completely
[25:27] parent-led group that supports the families, which is roughly around 14% of the
[25:32] district of people who are receiving special education in the district.
[25:35] So what we're trying to really do is build a strong community where people can come
[25:38] to our meetings, they can lean on other parents, but then we're also bringing in
[25:41] learning resources. We're going to bring in our new student services team for our
[25:44] first meeting to really talk about how things are working now and how, and it's
[25:48] just a good way to just share in the experience.
[25:51] Because one thing that we've always said as we talked about this before is a lot of
[25:54] times when you are dealing with special education, it can feel very isolating.
[25:58] So it's really nice to know there's other people out there that are going
[26:00] throughout some of the things that you are.
[26:02] So this is our first full year, which is kind of exciting because we didn't really
[26:06] launch last year until March 2026. But since then, we've had three public meetings.
[26:12] And we did a little recap at the end of the year last year, but we had a lot of
[26:14] really, we had really good turnout the first meeting in particular.
[26:16] We had a lot of people. We built a lot of relationships with families.
[26:19] We're getting a lot of email. We're getting a lot of comments on Facebook right
[26:22] now, too, and people ask questions, and we're referring them out to people across
[26:25] the district. We have over 130 families following us online, which I think is
[26:30] actually more today because more people are joining us and nobody has unfollowed
[26:33] us, which is always very important, too.
[26:36] We did our first full election cycle last May, and then we did a lot of updating of
[26:40] our bylaws because we're very new and we kind of didn't know who we were going to
[26:43] be at the beginning versus who we were at the end.
[26:45] And we welcomed a couple building liaisons.
[26:47] We have someone from Monteith and we have someone from, where is she?
[26:51] I forget the other school.
[26:52] Richard.
[26:53] At Richard. Okay. And we're always looking for more building liaisons, too, and
[26:56] that's just somebody who can take some of the issues back from the school to the
[27:00] PAC so we can talk about those and maybe bring those topics up at meetings, too.
[27:03] The other important thing is we partnered with a lot of organizations.
[27:06] We met people and have started relationships with Full Circle, Kids On The Go,
[27:10] Michigan Alliance for Families, The Arc, and SPARK, and we're putting families
[27:14] directly in touch with some of these resources and advocates to help them navigate
[27:17] a lot of the special education process.
[27:21] I'm going to turn it over to you to talk about the rest because I feel like I'm
[27:23] running long.
[27:26] Let's see. What do we have coming up?
[27:28] Oh, and the point to all this is, the things that guide us in everything we do is
[27:34] every family who reaches out to us gets a response.
[27:36] Our meetings are designed to build community.
[27:39] In fact, this year we structured them so there's time at the beginning to mingle
[27:43] and chat before the formal presentation activity actually starts.
[27:47] We speak up clearly for what students with disabilities need, even when it's
[27:50] uncomfortable. The advocacy piece
[27:53] has been a big part of it.
[27:58] And learning. We ask families, staff, and each other, "What do you know?" So
[28:04] much of what we know about the different things that our children need, that
[28:10] information comes through just talking to other parents, and it's so important.
[28:14] That's a big part of what our group is.
[28:17] So what we have coming up, we have on October 14th is our kickoff meeting for the
[28:23] school year. Student services will be joining us and discussing the new structure
[28:27] and all the new things happening. We've really been enjoying working with them this
[28:32] year so far. It's been
[28:37] lovely. It's been a
[28:39] great way to
[28:43] actually-- They've been lovely to...
[28:48] Let me start over.
[28:50] It's been working really well, is what she's trying to say.
[28:51] Thank you. So much for speaking off the cuff.
[28:57] On November 11th, we've got a parent-only meeting, and then on December 9th, we've
[29:01] got a follow-up session there.
[29:04] We are coming up with the different topics as we go along, but we've got a few in
[29:09] mind. But October 14th, for anyone who wants to join us.
[29:15] You don't have to join the board to be part of the PAC, but we'd love more members
[29:19] if you're interested. Come to a meeting, bring a question, bring concern, bring
[29:22] nothing at all, and just listen. We want to build a community where families don't
[29:26] have to navigate this alone, where you can lean on someone who's been through it
[29:30] and offer that same support to the next family walking in.
[29:32] So if you know someone who could use that, bring them with you. Thank you.
[29:37] Any questions?
[29:39] Dr. Bishop.
[29:40] Yeah, and I just want to say thank you.
[29:42] I know we talked about this I think over a year ago now as far as
[29:48] our intent of having more community engagement and making sure that we're being
[29:51] proactive with our communication.
[29:53] But even when those hard topics or hard conversations come up, us having that
[29:57] partnership to be able to make sure that we are not only providing answers, but
[30:00] we're bringing the temperature down.
[30:02] So I appreciate you and your group, especially what you've been able to do in
[30:06] partnering with our student services team, and Mrs. Shulman.
[30:11] It goes right along our strategic plan as far as goal four, as far as community
[30:13] engagement. So we appreciate all the work that you do because we know it's not
[30:16] easy.
[30:17] Thank you for having us.
[30:18] Trustee Hall.
[30:19] I just want to thank you again for the work that you're doing.
[30:21] I think it's very important for our district and for the families that you're
[30:25] helping to service. Thank you, because it's a need that you're filling.
[30:31] So very important work.
[30:33] Thank you.
[30:34] Anybody else have questions, comments? Thank you guys very much.
[30:38] We'll see you again soon.
[30:39] Thank you.
[30:41] All right, next up, we're going to be hitting on goal five of our strategic plan,
[30:44] which talks about our operations. So I'm going to have Mr.
[30:47] Mattson come on up, as he's going to kick off our bond update.
[30:52] He also has several gentlemen with him that are from Plante Moran and also The
[30:57] Collaborative. So I'm going to have him introduce them as well as just talk a
[31:01] little bit more about our operation and bond initiatives. Take it away, Mr.
[31:05] Mattson.
[31:06] Thank you, Dr. Bishop. Tonight, I'm going to introduce a portion of the team that
[31:11] I've been working with to get us through the schematic design phase of the bond.
[31:16] Behind me, I have Gary Kent from Plante Moran, whom you're all familiar with, and
[31:22] also Trey Meyer from The Collaborative.
[31:25] Tonight, we're going to go over a very high-level overview of where we're at in the
[31:29] bond planning phase, with a more detailed
[31:34] discussion coming at Facilities Committee on Monday.
[31:37] So, without further ado, I'm going to turn it over to Gary to kick us off.
[31:44] Thank you, Ben. Gary Kent with Plante Moran Real Point.
[31:47] So we're going to be talking about a few different things tonight.
[31:49] We're going to hit capital program schedules.
[31:51] We'll go over typical capital program rhythm and timing.
[31:54] We'll just talk about when projects are being planned, when they're going to be
[31:57] designed, when they're going to be bid out, and then when they're going to occur.
[32:00] We'll talk about bond and sinking fund reporting rhythms when we'll be back in
[32:03] front of the Facilities Committee and then the board.
[32:05] And then we'll get into a design update for the six projects that are going to be
[32:09] occurring next summer. If you go to the next slide, it'll get us into the capital
[32:14] program schedule.
[32:16] So this schedule right here, if you look from the left to the right, you'll see on
[32:19] the far left the year that it occurs, and then to the right of that, the season,
[32:23] and then series by series. So in the winter, we're procuring and planning.
[32:27] So this past winter, we procured an architect and a construction manager to start
[32:31] off the design. We then kicked off design in the spring and in the summer.
[32:35] And then in the fall, we're going to be designing and bidding out, and then in the
[32:38] winter, awarding those projects.
[32:40] So in the spring, we'll be expediting materials if there's any with long lead
[32:44] times. And then the summer construction will occur.
[32:47] And then in the fall, we'll be doing punch lists and close out of the projects, and
[32:51] then reporting back to the board. If you look to the column to the right of that,
[32:54] you can see that a lot of the different activities occur at the same time.
[32:57] So while we're bidding and awarding, we'll be back in front of the board with other
[33:00] vendors that may need to be procured, and then working on the plan for the
[33:04] following summer's construction.
[33:06] The next slide, you'll see that that process repeats throughout all the years of
[33:10] the bond, all the way through 2031, when we'll do our final report to the board and
[33:13] close out the bond program.
[33:17] This slide is showing us when we'll be back in front of the Facilities Committee
[33:20] and then the Board of Education, whether it's award recommendations for the
[33:23] projects that are going to be occurring that summer, confirming scope for the
[33:27] following year so that allows our architect to start the design process.
[33:31] And in April and May, we'll be giving an update on the construction schedules.
[33:34] We'll work along with Mr. Matheson on all the activities that occur throughout the
[33:38] district, which will allow the administration to then take that schedule and issue
[33:41] it out to the schools that are affected for that summer.
[33:44] And then in the summer, we'll be doing construction, so we won't be in front of the
[33:46] board as much, but we welcome the opportunity for the board or the Facilities
[33:49] Committee to come out and tour the project sites and see the activities that are
[33:53] occurring out there. And then in October, November, we'll be presenting a
[33:59] design update and design development.
[34:01] So tonight we'll be going over schematic design. It's a little bit more high level.
[34:05] In October, we'll actually come back with a design development update, which is a
[34:08] little bit deeper look. You'll see finish selections, things of that nature, more
[34:12] towards the end product of what we'll actually be constructing out in the field.
[34:16] And then we'll provide a close out update for the summer activities that happened
[34:21] the previous summer. We'll return contingencies back to the district and give a
[34:25] close out on warranties and everything of that nature.
[34:28] And again, this process repeats throughout the years.
[34:31] The only thing that changes from the first year to the second year is that there is
[34:33] a dashboard update, which we give an update of the whole bond.
[34:37] What dollars have been committed, which ones have been spent, and then which ones
[34:40] are remaining. We'll actually start doing that twice a year in the spring and in
[34:44] the fall to give a better snapshot throughout the bond program.
[34:48] So if you go to the next two slides, you'll see that this process also repeats all
[34:51] the way through 2031, when we'll do our final dashboard update and close out on the
[34:55] summer projects.
[34:57] And I'll turn it over to Mr. Trey Meyer, which I'm sure is a little bit more
[35:00] exciting than reporting.
[35:03] Thank you all for having us today to give you a little bit of an update.
[35:07] Trey Meyer, I'm an architect and project manager with The Collaborative.
[35:10] It's been a great opportunity to work through the summer.
[35:13] A handful of the faces are familiar.
[35:15] I'm looking forward to developing the relationship further as we continue the work
[35:18] on the bond. So I'll be hitting on the six projects that are part of the 2027 Bond
[35:24] Series One that Gary just went over schedule-wise.
[35:27] We have the tennis courts, we have the South High School main principal office
[35:30] relocation, the South High School media center reimagining, the North High School
[35:35] auditorium renovation, Parcells Middle School STEM/STEAM commons, and then the
[35:41] Trombly building renovations as well.
[35:43] So we're going to start with the Elworthy tennis courts.
[35:47] I'm going to be presenting in the format of a presentation plan.
[35:50] So these are going to give us an idea of where we're working in the building and
[35:53] the scope, what we're touching, what we're not.
[35:56] As Gary mentioned, we'll follow the Facilities Committee process to develop and
[36:00] show the development of the 3D renderings and the finishes as the process moves
[36:05] forward. But again, this is intended to give you an update of the scope of the
[36:09] project and where we stand. So the Elworthy tennis courts, what's colored on the
[36:13] plan is what's being touched. It's really a one-for-one replacement of the tennis
[36:17] courts. So we're updating from a slab-on-grade system to a post-tension
[36:23] system, so it's going to have a higher level of finish Should give a lot of value
[36:28] as far as the return on the quality.
[36:30] These tennis courts will all be lit, so new lighting is intended, a new sports
[36:35] surface. And if we continue along, we're going to go to the South High School main
[36:40] office, principal office renovation. We're going to start with a bigger view.
[36:44] I've included key plans in the bottom right that start to show where in the
[36:48] building we're at. I know you're all familiar with your buildings, but for the
[36:50] community as well.
[36:53] If I start on the left, the existing vestibule was completed as part of the last
[36:58] bond project. So there is the secure vestibule.
[37:01] This main office, principal's office relocation, will be extension of that project
[37:05] that's been complete.
[37:07] As we turn the corner, the 45 degree, we start to get into the counselor suite.
[37:11] There will be a separation between counselors and the principal's office, but we
[37:16] blur the lines of what's being touched from a renovation standpoint.
[37:19] And as we go to the next slide, we'll zoom in a little closer on the principal's
[37:23] office,
[37:25] where you start to see connection to the secure vestibule.
[37:28] You have two assistant principals office, a financial officer office, two
[37:33] secretaries to serve the assistant principals and the principal, the larger
[37:37] principal's office, and then as you turn the corner, you have a small kitchenette
[37:40] for the suite, a private toilet room for the occupants of the suite, and then a
[37:45] conference room that would serve the principal's office.
[37:48] As you start to turn the 45, there's a door separating
[37:52] what's labeled the psych and social work office with the counselor suite.
[37:56] Again, the idea is this will be secure.
[37:58] So as we've talked through all these projects, safety and security is something
[38:01] that's been top of mind as we've gone through the planning effort.
[38:06] If we continue on to the South Media Center.
[38:08] So South Media is really an update and reimagining of what this space could be.
[38:15] We have met with the South High School principal, Ms.
[38:17] Pavano, and the librarian as well.
[38:21] For the media center itself, we're looking at a reimagining of space based off the
[38:25] needs we've been hearing they need.
[38:28] So an enclosed classroom, an open lab that would help serve and support Michigan
[38:33] Virtual, but then also a bookstore to house some of the book
[38:39] storage for the classrooms. That's enclosed. Right now, it's all in the open.
[38:44] And then the more exciting part will be as you wrap around to the right, the
[38:46] flexible seating, huddle rooms. There'll be new finishes, new marker boards,
[38:52] monitors, really a flexible seating to allow for project-based learning and
[38:56] collaboration, being somewhere exciting for these students to come work together
[39:01] and learn. As we round the octagon back towards the entrance on the left, the
[39:07] librarian was requesting a creative center, so a flexible space, again, trying to
[39:12] merge the needs of the library and the school, and trying to make a new exciting
[39:16] space for the students.
[39:18] If we continue on, we'll get to North High School.
[39:22] The new auditorium, which is really the intent and scope of this project, is finish
[39:26] upgrades. So primarily, the focus of our project has been to the stage in North,
[39:31] but we are looking at some renovation scope in the band and choir rooms as well.
[39:37] So we're talking about ceilings and lightings and finishes.
[39:40] So this will be a new refresh, updated space.
[39:44] Something we've been investigating this are on the first-floor plan on the left, in
[39:47] the top left of the plan. We're looking at introducing and addressing some
[39:52] accessibility concerns, and also addressing security items as well.
[39:57] So currently, the accessible toilet room is through the science building.
[40:01] By introducing the potential for having an accessible toilet room increases
[40:05] accessibility, your path that travels less.
[40:07] It also allows for opportunities to secure this portion of the building in an
[40:11] after-hours use. But again, this is mostly a finish upgrade project by
[40:16] addressing other things as we can.
[40:19] As we continue on, we'll get into the Parcells STEM/STEAM Commons.
[40:25] We've had a handful of community input meetings, which I think have been well
[40:29] attended and well received, that have helped us get to the plans that we're showing
[40:33] on screen now. So this is in the existing pool space.
[40:37] We're on the existing pool level. One of the aspects of our design that we're
[40:41] proposing is actually include an additional mezzanine level.
[40:45] So we're getting found square footage, and that just adds benefit to the school and
[40:49] the district by allowing us to include four new classrooms, so STEM-focused, and
[40:55] based off community input is including art, so STEAM.
[40:59] So science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics in this new space.
[41:05] So we have two STEM classrooms on the bottom floor with open seating collaboration
[41:10] and huddle rooms. So again, trying to make a new exciting space where students can
[41:14] come and learn, collaborate, and do project-based teamwork, project learning.
[41:20] And the idea is these individual STEM classrooms can be melded in with this
[41:25] flexible seating, again, creating flexibility in how the space could be used.
[41:30] When we go up to the floor above, which would be the primary entrance to the
[41:35] existing pool level, we have two more classrooms, one of them being an art
[41:39] classroom with a kiln and a small maker space.
[41:42] And again, the idea, we have an open to below, so we have a two-story space to try
[41:47] to create a new dynamic space that kids are going to be excited, and teachers and
[41:51] community members, to come and experience and learn in.
[41:56] And as we continue on, as we round out the six projects, we have the Trombly
[42:00] building, and we're going to start on the first floor.
[42:03] So we're looking at introducing eight pre-K classrooms on the ground floor of the
[42:08] Trombly building.
[42:10] We're introducing a new secure vestibule, which is on the bottom left of the plan,
[42:15] labeled entry. We have a blow-up of what that starts to look like.
[42:19] And the indoor play area, which is really the existing gym, is resulting from
[42:25] requirements from licensing for Early Childhood Center.
[42:28] The idea is all the spaces that are in a color on the plan are getting AC, so
[42:34] there's going to be upgrades to that manner for the ground floor.
[42:37] And as we go up to the second floor,
[42:40] we have two primary spaces that we're looking at.
[42:43] The existing library, we're looking at reimagining into a community room, so
[42:47] offering flexibility of how that existing space could be used, having air
[42:51] conditioning, having flexibility, having large and small community meetings up in
[42:55] that space. And then also on the left, the CTE training classroom.
[42:59] The idea is on the second floor, there's not going to be dedicated preschool
[43:03] classrooms, so trying to take advantage of some of that space in the form of
[43:07] benefits to the district, in this case, the CTE training.
[43:10] As we continue on, I have a blow-up back on the first floor, the secure vestibule.
[43:15] As I mentioned a little bit on the past project, security is always top of mind as
[43:18] we're working through the projects.
[43:20] The existing building does not have a secure vestibule, so we're looking at taking
[43:24] over that bottom left classroom along Beaconsfield, introducing secure vestibule,
[43:30] locating the principal and an attendance office in the space with the idea of a
[43:34] parent could drop off without having access to the rest of the building.
[43:37] A parent could come and meet with staff members within the space without having
[43:41] access to the rest of the building.
[43:44] And this is in line with how Barnes is currently operating.
[43:46] So we're looking to build consistency across the Grosse Pointe schools.
[43:51] And then we go to the last slide, we have a quick image of the site plan.
[43:54] So with being an early childhood learning center, the intent is for playground
[44:00] enhancements in the top right of the image, but also looking at drop-off and how
[44:05] that could start to function. One of the reasons the secure vestibule is located
[44:10] where it is, we thought it offered flexibility for a drop-off along Beaconsfield
[44:14] while also using the existing parking lot to give you flexibility on how the school
[44:19] can start to function from an operations standpoint.
[44:24] And again, that was high level. I tried to fit in as much as I could, but we've
[44:29] been excited to work through the process this summer, and again, we look forward to
[44:33] continue sharing updates.
[44:37] Questions or comments from trustees first? Yes, Trustee Klick.
[44:42] For the first one, it may be best to you, Dr. Bishop.
[44:45] I was just curious on Elworthy. Has there been any involvement from the city at
[44:50] this point, or is it purely just work that we're doing?
[44:55] What's being talked about right now is what we decided to do throughout the bond
[44:58] work. We have had several conversations with the city, based upon things that have
[45:02] come to us as far as community interests, and we're still working through those.
[45:06] But as of right now, we're moving forward.
[45:08] We're talking about our bond, but there is some discussion going on with the city.
[45:11] Yes.
[45:12] Okay.
[45:12] Yes.
[45:13] Okay.
[45:15] That was one of three. So two is,
[45:19] for South Media, you referenced engaging with principal and librarian.
[45:23] Is there any public input or any student input as to what the design of the-
[45:30] We have not had any specific student or public input beyond
[45:37] having representation with the principal and the librarian.
[45:40] But that's been the extent of our meetings so far.
[45:42] Okay. And
[45:44] is that it? Are you intending it, or is it at this point you're just working with
[45:48] that input?
[45:49] Yeah. I would say generally, we're open to feedback on what's appropriate for this
[45:55] district. I will say Principal Pavan has been very open and very
[46:00] available and a good representation-
[46:02] Sure
[46:02] ... of her staff and community, but we're open-
[46:05] Okay
[46:06] ... to what's appropriate.
[46:07] Okay. And the last one, just on the performing arts center at North,
[46:14] you probably already said it, but is the seating in the auditorium is being
[46:18] addressed?
[46:19] Yeah, I did not specifically say that, so I'm glad you asked.
[46:21] Okay.
[46:21] The intent is to replace the seating.
[46:23] Okay.
[46:24] The intent is to add additional aisle ways.
[46:27] So we did meet with the theater director, and some of the feedback we had was the
[46:31] aisle ways, they're approaching 40 seats long, so it's hard to get through.
[46:35] Right. Exactly.
[46:37] So we're introducing additional aisle ways, increased accessibility, so the number
[46:41] of accessible seats will be increased as well, and then the seats themselves will
[46:44] be new.
[46:45] Okay. Thanks.
[46:46] Sure.
[46:47] Yes, Trustee Worden.
[46:48] I just have one question. For the secure vestibule at Trombly, can you use the same
[46:53] one for the CTE classroom as the preschool classrooms on the first floor?
[46:58] Yeah. So right now the way they're set up is that is the intent, and again, that's
[47:02] matching how Barnes is currently operating.
[47:05] So that's how it's designed up to this point, and again, we're in schematic design,
[47:11] so open to input if needed.
[47:14] Thank you.
[47:16] Any questions, comments? I want to say that I was able to take
[47:22] part in the community and the committee that we put together for the Parcells steam
[47:28] design process. I wanted to commend the collaborative for facilitating that
[47:32] conversation. Community conversations and feedback sessions are
[47:38] a heavy lift in our community and very necessary, and I think you guys did it very
[47:41] well in terms of integrating feedback from one meeting to the next, in the series
[47:47] of four meetings that we had on that.
[47:49] And, I like, obviously, the plan that came out of that, the 2D plan that you guys
[47:55] showed. But really, the community will have to see the three-dimensional
[48:01] rendering to really appreciate the mezzanine level and the view that you get of the
[48:06] multi-level availability on top of the function.
[48:09] So again, kudos to you guys on that process and on the output.
[48:14] And, thank you to Mr. Madison, Mr. Kent, as well as the collaborative, again, for
[48:19] being available to answer questions quickly and present to the board and to be
[48:24] transparent and available throughout the committee meeting process.
[48:28] And I know we're about to start really ramping up, and we'll see you guys next week
[48:32] at the facilities committee.
[48:34] President Anderson.
[48:35] Yes, absolutely. Go ahead.
[48:36] Especially on that second floor of the Trombly building, we saw that CTE portion.
[48:39] One thing that we are exploring is just for our Grosse Pointe students, is for a
[48:45] CTE pathway for education and training career cluster that will provide future
[48:50] educator programming through MBE.
[48:53] So that is one thing that we're really excited about.
[48:55] So when you see that one CTE classroom that's up there, we're looking for that to
[48:58] be just our Grosse Pointe students and have the opportunity to potentially become a
[49:02] teacher because we feel like, number one, we need more teachers, and we want to
[49:06] make sure our students have an opportunity to go into education far beyond their
[49:10] time here in Grosse Pointe Public School system.
[49:14] Okay.
[49:16] Great. Thank you guys very much. Appreciate it.
[49:27] All right. Next up, we have our CFO, Andrea Gruszka, and she's going to touch on a
[49:33] couple of different buckets within our strategic plan.
[49:36] I believe talk a little bit about personnel as it relates to contracts and also on
[49:41] the operations side as far as some of our bond and some of our capital project
[49:46] funds. I want to kick it over to CFO Gruszka.
[49:49] Thank you.
[49:52] So first, I'd like to start with a quick update on our annual audit.
[49:57] We are still in the midst of audit testing, so final year-end numbers are not yet
[50:01] available. Plante Moran's tentative goal is to present at the second board meeting
[50:06] in October, and they expect to confirm that timing over the next couple of weeks.
[50:10] As a reminder, the audit is much more than a review of our financial statements.
[50:14] It includes testing of internal controls, transactions, federal programs, our debt,
[50:18] capital projects, and various compliance requirements.
[50:25] So with that, since so much of that work happens behind the scenes, I also wanted
[50:29] to take a moment to recognize our finance team.
[50:34] So I will start with Claire Kidder, our executive assistant.
[50:38] She supports food service operations, bids, purchasing, and led much of the work to
[50:43] transition facility rentals to FMX this summer.
[50:48] Paul, our food service director, works closely with Taher on both the financial
[50:53] contracted through Taher, working both on the financial and operational side of
[50:57] food service. He worked really hard over the summer to get ready for the start of
[51:01] school, and we also welcomed Chef Ryan to the team this summer.
[51:06] Beth, our accounting supervisor, oversees much of our day-to-day accounting
[51:10] activity, leads our annual audit work, and has played a significant role in
[51:14] strengthening our payroll processes over the past year.
[51:18] Adam moved into payroll, as the payroll coordinator this past January and has done
[51:24] a tremendous amount of work learning that position while he and Beth have continued
[51:28] to share grant accounting responsibilities.
[51:31] That leads me to our grant accountant position.
[51:35] We did take some time to evaluate Adam's former position, and we now plan to post
[51:41] it as a senior accountant, so that position can provide both grant accounting and
[51:46] some broader accounting support across our department.
[51:50] And then we have Brad handles accounts receivable, revenue recording, credit card
[51:54] reconciliations, and supports our monthly bank reconciliation process.
[51:58] And Liz, last but not least, handles accounts payable, including all invoices,
[52:04] payments, ACH processing, and supports our schools and departments.
[52:09] So what I'm most proud of is the professionalism of this team and how willing they
[52:13] are to support one another. There's been a great deal of change, not only this
[52:18] year, but for the last several years, and they continue to learn, adapt, and look
[52:22] for ways to improve our processes.
[52:25] So as we move into the new year, our focus is to monitor, measure, and make it
[52:30] better. That really hits in my department because we have been working to
[52:34] strengthen our processes and improve how we serve the district.
[52:37] So, we will continue that work in the new year.
[52:43] So turning over to our financial report.
[52:46] The August financial report, this is our first report of the new fiscal year.
[52:50] And we are only two months into the year, so expenditures primarily reflect summer
[52:56] activity. You'll see summer maintenance and construction spending in the general
[53:00] fund and our capital project funds, as well as camp fund and some summer
[53:04] programming being spent out of community services fund.
[53:09] Beginning in September, expenditures will more fully reflect a normal school year
[53:14] operations as the new contract year begins for our 10-month staff.
[53:19] And on the revenue side, not a whole lot yet.
[53:22] Our first state aid payment will arrive at the end of October.
[53:25] Property tax collections start rolling in in January, and grants will start
[53:30] trickling in late fall as they get approved and awarded.
[53:35] So,
[53:37] the projections in our budget are still based on the original '26, '27 budget that
[53:43] was adopted in June. So we will begin updating those budgets once the fiscal year
[53:48] is closed, as soon as the audit is complete.
[53:52] So because of that,
[53:55] I just wanted to include this slide again that shows the cost of the settled TAs
[54:01] for the '26, '27. The agreement showed here at approximately 255,000 in cost
[54:07] above what was included in our original budget, and we also added a column to show
[54:12] the cumulative impact over the four years.
[54:17] This does not yet include additional cost of the teacher contract, and that will
[54:20] also be incorporated into our next budget amendment once finalized.
[54:28] Since we are at the beginning of the fiscal year, I just wanted to provide a quick
[54:32] recap of all of our other funds.
[54:36] This slide summarizes all of our special revenue funds, which are used to account
[54:39] for revenues that are designated for a specific purpose.
[54:43] So we have the Special Ed Fund, which accounts for all of our Act 18 funded
[54:47] programs. We have our Community Services Fund, which accounts for the community
[54:52] swim, kids club, preschool, safety town, and camp fund.
[54:57] Our food service fund accounts for all the food service operations,
[55:02] and the student activities fund accounts for all the custodial accounts held on
[55:06] behalf of all of our student groups at the schools.
[55:11] Then we have our debt fund. This accounts for the repayment of the district's
[55:17] bonded debt. For '26, '27, we are levying 3.14
[55:23] mills to make the principal and interest payments due on our outstanding bonds.
[55:28] Those debt payments are made twice each year, November 1st and May 1st, and this
[55:33] slide summarizes all the outstanding debt.
[55:39] And finally, our capital project funds.
[55:43] So we have our 2019 sinking fund and 2021 building and site funds.
[55:49] We are anticipating those will both be spent by the end of the '26, '27
[55:54] fiscal year, and that will leave us with the 2024 sinking fund and the 2025
[56:00] building and site funds, which will be updated as PMR, Plante Moran,
[56:06] updates their projections as we move through the projects.
[56:11] And again, all of the projected columns on the financial report are the original
[56:17] budget that was adopted in June. So we will start making those adjustments once we
[56:21] can finally close '25, '26, which I really want to do.
[56:29] And that's all I have.
[56:31] Thank you.
[56:31] Questions?
[56:34] Any questions, comments from trustees?
[56:40] Trustee Klepp, you took a breath in like you're ready. Yes.
[56:43] No.
[56:44] She addressed a lot of things that
[56:48] I had.
[56:51] When we go to... Okay, so I'm just going to say it.
[56:53] Mm-hmm.
[56:54] You just said it, but I'm just-
[56:55] That's okay
[56:55] ... going to say it again. When we get to later in the meeting, when we go through
[56:59] the operating fund,
[57:02] the general fund rather, the projections in there for expenditures
[57:08] do still do not reflect these settled contracts that you just covered two pages
[57:12] ago?
[57:12] Correct.
[57:13] So it's still-
[57:14] Definitely
[57:15] ... as if we were back in June in terms of your projected projections for
[57:17] expenditures.
[57:18] Yes. That projected column does match our original budget.
[57:22] And the same would be for any revenue, like any-
[57:24] Mm-hmm. Yeah. The entire projection column, both revenue and expenditures, is the
[57:28] original budget.
[57:29] I think everything else you addressed in terms of debt.
[57:33] Yes.
[57:34] And we're going to exhaust sinking fund from 2019.
[57:37] We're going to exhaust the previous debt.
[57:40] That's all going to be used up over the course of next year, and we'll just be on
[57:43] to-
[57:43] Correct
[57:43] ... new sinking, new debt for that.
[57:45] Correct.
[57:48] Any other questions, comments? I just want to say that I appreciate, number one,
[57:53] highlighting your team. Those are names that I have not been able to see before.
[57:58] Certainly, some folks that I've met just being at Morningside, but just by
[58:03] happenstance, so I'm glad to see some new names, and I look forward to trying to
[58:07] meet them in person and say thank you myself.
[58:09] I know-
[58:10] Yeah. Thank you
[58:10] ... your commentary is very well-placed there.
[58:13] They've been very resilient and stayed steady and professional through a
[58:19] lot of turnover around them, and above them, and next to them.
[58:23] So, certainly appreciate their consistency and perseverance.
[58:30] I want to extend my thanks to you also, CFO Grusa.
[58:33] I think having this conversation spreads out what is a lot of work over the whole
[58:39] fiscal year. And spreading it out into more bite-sized pieces like this is
[58:45] certainly helpful for us as a board, in my estimation.
[58:48] So, I know that that is more work spread out over the time for you, but I think it
[58:53] helps us process and digest it a little bit over time.
[58:57] And I also believe it will help us find smaller problems in the future and make
[59:02] corrections quicker where we need to, instead of waiting until they are large
[59:07] variances later that we're trying to figure out what happened.
[59:10] So I appreciate you being proactive there as well. Thank you very much.
[59:16] Klepp.
[59:17] Yes, Trustee Klepp, go ahead.
[59:19] Could you go back to the debt page? Yeah, that one.
[59:28] Okay. So I just wanted to clarify for myself.
[59:31] So 2019,
[59:34] the $3.7 million, that's the remaining outstanding principal on the-
[59:38] For the 2019, the outstanding principal is $57 million.
[59:43] We will make this year's payment. The principal and interest payments due this year
[59:47] is $6.4 million.
[59:49] Yeah. Okay.
[59:55] Any other questions, comments? Okay, thank you again.
[59:59] Anything else on the superintendent's report?
[1:00:02] No, that's it. Thank you.
[1:00:03] Great. All right. That takes us to item number four, public comments on agenda
[1:00:08] action items for tonight, September 21st.
[1:00:11] Before I invite the speakers up, I will say comments are limited to three minutes
[1:00:16] per speaker. Please state your first and last name, community of residence, and any
[1:00:20] organization that you represent when you begin.
[1:00:23] Comments must be orderly and respectful, and comments about a specific employee,
[1:00:27] staff member, or student are not appropriate in this forum.
[1:00:30] Personal attacks will also be ruled out of order by the chair.
[1:00:34] The board and administration are not expected to respond to statements and/or
[1:00:38] questions during the public comment period.
[1:00:41] And there are two public comment periods.
[1:00:43] These guidelines are for both agenda action items and non-agenda action items.
[1:00:49] Tonight, our first speaker is Terry Collins, item 5.2, followed by Kevin
[1:00:55] Nugent, item 5.1, and Richard Schroeder, item 5.2.
[1:01:10] Good evening. Terrence Collins, Grosse Pointe Park.
[1:01:13] I wanted to talk about the human resources report.
[1:01:21] My first comment is that your human resources report for last month, which was on
[1:01:26] your agenda but didn't have the link, so I don't know how the public could see it
[1:01:31] because the link wasn't there to see what was on the human resources report.
[1:01:34] And there were some pretty big-name hirings last month. It'd be nice to have them.
[1:01:39] This month, there are 17 or 18 parapro
[1:01:44] resignations. Now, I don't know if that's normal or not normal.
[1:01:47] I think it's probably fairly normal for the beginning of a year, but what I don't
[1:01:52] understand from a public standpoint is the existential crisis that supposedly
[1:01:57] happened in 2023 and 2024 when you lost the same or less
[1:02:02] parapros and teachers. You lost another
[1:02:06] high school assistant principal in this report.
[1:02:09] Again, people make decisions based on what's best for their career, but I'm just
[1:02:14] shocked that we don't have people up here whinging about how we've lost so many
[1:02:19] people, and how do we survive as a district, and what's going on.
[1:02:22] I mean, 16 or 18 people in the parapro is a lot of people, and I know that they're
[1:02:28] in various different departments of parapros.
[1:02:32] And it looks like you've replaced at least half of them on your report, but should
[1:02:36] we be concerned?
[1:02:39] It seems like a lot of people. Hopefully, you've got a plan to replace them.
[1:02:43] And again, I'm just flabbergasted that whatever the existential crisis
[1:02:49] that didn't exist three or four years ago doesn't seem to be an issue this year.
[1:02:53] Thank you.
[1:02:57] Next speaker is Kevin Nugent, followed by Richard
[1:03:00] Schroeder.
[1:03:07] Kevin Nugent, Pointers for Academic Excellence.
[1:03:10] The proposed September 14th Board of Education minutes state that Trustee Worden
[1:03:15] shared the emails and timeline of her involvement regarding the security camera
[1:03:21] MOU. It would be more accurate to say that Trustee Worden shared her own account of
[1:03:26] emails she had around a timeline of events surrounding her involvement with the
[1:03:31] City of Grosse Pointe Woods and the security camera MOU.
[1:03:34] Her account described multiple communications by email and phone regarding working
[1:03:39] directly on the MOU, something she had previously denied and even went so far to
[1:03:43] question why a trustee would even be involved with negotiating.
[1:03:48] Worden also referenced an earlier email with former superintendent Dr. Tuttle.
[1:03:52] According to Worden, Tuttle had emailed her saying that she did not want to speak
[1:03:56] with police and that perhaps Worden should.
[1:03:59] Trustee Jeup asked to see it, saying, "I'd love to see a copy of that." After,
[1:04:03] Worden responded publicly, "I'm certainly happy to give you one." Trustee Worden
[1:04:08] can absolutely reference an email. She can also say that she has the email.
[1:04:13] She can even say she's happy to provide the email.
[1:04:16] But producing the email is really the most important part of sharing the email.
[1:04:22] The proposed minutes say Trustee Worden shared the emails. She did not.
[1:04:26] The minutes also omit another significant part of the public discussion, Worden's
[1:04:30] statement that President DeArdoer gave her permission to communicate with Chief
[1:04:34] Csanky regarding his concerns with the MOU.
[1:04:38] These are facts that were disclosed publicly at the board table.
[1:04:41] They should be accurately reflected in the public record.
[1:04:44] The September 14th minutes should state that Trustee Worden presented her account
[1:04:48] and timeline of her involvement, stated that President DeArdoer authorized her to
[1:04:52] speak with Chief Csanky, referenced an earlier email from Dr.
[1:04:56] Tuttle, and agreed to provide that email after Trustee Jupe requested it.
[1:05:01] That result would better represent the events of the discussion at last board
[1:05:04] meeting and should be reflected accurately in the minutes. Thank you.
[1:05:12] Next speaker is Richard Schroeder.
[1:05:26] Richard Schroeder, Grosse Pointe Park.
[1:05:29] I watched the
[1:05:32] meeting last week where
[1:05:36] I got so confused about what was being honestly portrayed and what wasn't honestly
[1:05:41] being portrayed. And as far as going over the minutes again, I still don't know
[1:05:45] what-- We had people saying, "No, I didn't do stuff," and then there were people
[1:05:50] saying, "Well, but then I did do stuff." And I don't know why there was
[1:05:56] the lies that went on.
[1:06:00] This should've been something you'd be proud of,
[1:06:03] getting this done. But instead, it was all sorts of lying.
[1:06:08] And I remember, I just went to this little Catholic school in Detroit.
[1:06:13] We were taught by a bunch of nuns, and I don't think any of them were certified
[1:06:16] teachers. But I remember
[1:06:18] one of the nuns quoting Mark Twain, and he said, "When in doubt,
[1:06:25] try telling the truth." If I could recommend to you guys,
[1:06:30] maybe you could listen to Mark Twain instead of what occurred last week.
[1:06:35] Thank you.
[1:06:38] Okay, that brings us to Section Five, Agenda Action Items for September 21st, 2026.
[1:06:44] Item 5.1 is approval of the regular meeting minutes for September 14th, 2026.
[1:06:48] Do I have a motion?
[1:06:51] I'll move to approve the meeting minutes.
[1:06:53] Support.
[1:06:54] It's moved by Trustee Klepp, supported by Trustee Warden. Any discussion?
[1:06:59] I-
[1:07:00] Yes, Trustee Jupe?
[1:07:01] Yes, I'd like to discuss the inaccuracies on
[1:07:06] number three, superintendent stakeholder engagement report, clarifications on
[1:07:12] language in the agreement were provided, and the question from the BOE.
[1:07:16] Trustee Worden shared the emails and the timeline of her involvement at the
[1:07:20] beginning of the discussion in January of 2026 with the City of Grosse Pointe
[1:07:23] Woods.
[1:07:26] Trustee Worden said she was going to provide the email, and she did
[1:07:32] not. She actually emailed me last night at 10:06 PM.
[1:07:36] So, just if you can take one, pass it down, so everyone has the same information in
[1:07:42] front of them.
[1:07:53] I'd like to make a point of order, President DeArdoer.
[1:07:56] The question before the board right now is whether or not we're approving the
[1:08:01] minutes.
[1:08:02] And this is the evidence-
[1:08:03] Excuse me, I have the floor right now.
[1:08:05] Didn't I? I thought I did.
[1:08:05] So why is passing out an email that I sent to her last night at 10:30 have anything
[1:08:10] to do with the accuracy of the minutes?
[1:08:16] I don't understand exactly what the body of the email has to do with the correction
[1:08:22] to the minutes. So, Trustee Jupe, I'm asking what amendment you would like to make
[1:08:26] to that section of the minutes to make it accurate.
[1:08:30] Yes, and here's the evidence for the correction of the minutes, and I never gave up
[1:08:34] the floor. I was just passing it down and being polite, making sure-
[1:08:37] Well, I need a-- Excuse me, I need a point-
[1:08:38] You're interrupting me. I was making sure that everybody had the same information
[1:08:41] in front of them.
[1:08:42] There-
[1:08:42] And then the email says, "As for the email, I'm not comfortable forwarding district
[1:08:45] communications outside the normal process."
[1:08:47] But President DeArdoer, there's a point of order on the floor right now.
[1:08:50] I'm challenging-
[1:08:51] Constant
[1:08:52] ... whether or not this trustee is allowed to include this as part of a
[1:08:56] clarification in saying whether or... She can't just keep continuing to talk.
[1:09:00] There's a point of order here.
[1:09:03] I've barely said anything yet. I have a lot to say.
[1:09:05] So, ramrodding through what she wants to get in is not appropriate in a point of
[1:09:10] order.
[1:09:10] I mean, President DeArdoer, you did ask Trustee Jupe why she should include
[1:09:16] this, so I think she was trying to answer that to resolve this point of order
[1:09:21] before she was interrupted by Trustee Worden.
[1:09:23] I understand. So, the points of order that you made, Trustee Worden, is about the
[1:09:28] relevance of the email to the correction of the minutes.
[1:09:32] I agree that that's what's on the table right now is approving the minutes.
[1:09:36] So, Trustee Jupe, if you have a clarification in the minutes.
[1:09:39] Correct, and here's the evidence to correct the minutes.
[1:09:43] In this email-
[1:09:45] Trustee President DeArdoer-
[1:09:46] ... that was last night-
[1:09:47] Excuse me. That's not what a point of order-
[1:09:49] I'm getting interrupted over and over.
[1:09:50] Trustee Worden, you have-
[1:09:50] I don't even get to say what-- You have no idea what I'm about to say out of my
[1:09:53] mouth.
[1:09:54] Well-
[1:09:54] And you're already interrupting it. It's just constant with you.
[1:09:57] You never allow anyone to speak from this board table, and that's the biggest
[1:10:02] problem on this board.
[1:10:04] Well, my problem with-
[1:10:06] You were the one that said that the board-
[1:10:07] Excuse me.
[1:10:07] No, I'm still-
[1:10:08] There's a-
[1:10:09] I was the one-
[1:10:10] I would like you to give a ruling on the point of order.
[1:10:12] I asked a question about the pertinence of the email about the point of order,
[1:10:18] and we haven't gotten to the end of that question.
[1:10:22] Right.
[1:10:22] So-
[1:10:23] During the meetings, you're in-
[1:10:24] However-
[1:10:25] Reading the email is not clarifying it.
[1:10:27] I understand. Thank you. Trustee Jupe, just reading verbatim from the email
[1:10:33] is not... You can answer the question about why it's germane to the change in the
[1:10:39] minutes without reading it aloud.
[1:10:44] It's a public document.
[1:10:46] This is a public meeting.
[1:10:48] But please answer the question that's on the table.
[1:10:50] I could certainly-- Yes, and here's the evidence to correct the minutes.
[1:10:55] A trustee said that she was going to turn over the email that she so
[1:11:02] said was true. And here we are, and it is absolutely,
[1:11:08] she never turned over the email. It says it in the meeting minutes that she was
[1:11:11] going to do that. She did not do that. So, she sent me an email.
[1:11:16] All week long, we were supposed to have that email, and there was communication
[1:11:20] back and forth-
[1:11:21] Okay
[1:11:21] ... with Dr. Bishop, and then here we are.
[1:11:23] So-
[1:11:23] And she did not
[1:11:26] turn it in, so I want to correct the minutes that said that she did.
[1:11:29] Trustee Jupe, I'm asking you to provide the language that should go into the
[1:11:33] minutes to make it correct. It says, "Trustee Worden shared the emails." Those five
[1:11:38] words should change to what five words?
[1:11:41] "Trustee Worden-"
[1:11:42] Okay.
[1:11:42] "... discussed the emails and timeline?" Does that make it more accurate?
[1:11:48] I don't think it does. I don't know if I could change this right here. Let's see.
[1:11:54] Anyone have any suggestions to change it?
[1:11:56] I don't think that's an accurate suggestion either.
[1:11:59] She-
[1:12:00] Just write the sentence entirely.
[1:12:02] Well, then that doesn't make it accurate of what actually happened, right?
[1:12:06] Because Trustee Worden did say she would hand over this email to the public, and
[1:12:11] then in turn, she did not, for who knows what reason.
[1:12:15] Trustee DeArdoer, I'm going to raise my point of order again.
[1:12:16] But she did not go visit on the 15th.
[1:12:17] Trustee DeArdoer.
[1:12:18] Yes.
[1:12:18] There's a point of order on the floor.
[1:12:20] According to Robert's Rules of Order, there's to be a ruling on that.
[1:12:24] And her continuing to put forth these things that
[1:12:30] she thinks are important to the clarification of the meeting minutes are not being
[1:12:35] done.
[1:12:36] There's obviously a big secret here.
[1:12:38] So, Trustee Jupe, I'm asking you to tell me how you want the minutes
[1:12:44] amended so that we can reflect that accurately, and then we can continue with the
[1:12:49] vote to approve the minutes.
[1:12:51] Okay. Then it should say, let's see.
[1:12:58] "Attorney Cava provided an overview of the security camera MOU up for approval.
[1:13:04] Clarifications on language in the agreement were provided and the questions from
[1:13:08] the BOE. Trustee Worden shared the emails and timeline of her involvement at the
[1:13:13] beginning of the discussion with the City of Grosse Pointe Woods."
[1:13:16] Correct.
[1:13:17] That needs to be changed to
[1:13:21] I don't know. Do you have any suggestions to make this accurate, or should we table
[1:13:26] this and work on it in another meeting?
[1:13:29] My suggestion was to change the word "shared the emails" to the word "discussed the
[1:13:33] emails."
[1:13:34] I have a motion to table-
[1:13:35] That's inaccurate because she said-
[1:13:37] Motion to change the word from "share" to "discuss."
[1:13:42] Support.
[1:13:43] Bring downtown the truth!
[1:13:45] There's a motion on the table-
[1:13:46] That's an easy thing that could happen
[1:13:47] ... to adjust the minutes from saying that Trustee Warden shared the emails to
[1:13:53] Trustee Warden discussed the emails. It's been supported.
[1:13:56] So now we are discussing this amendment, this change.
[1:14:00] Is there discussion about this change?
[1:14:03] Well, I just remember her giving an update of the timeline.
[1:14:08] Discussing the emails, I don't remember any emails being read at the board.
[1:14:13] Okay.
[1:14:16] Thank you, Trustee Cotton. I recall discussion of the emails.
[1:14:22] I don't recall it being read aloud either, but that's not what we said.
[1:14:26] We said that-
[1:14:28] I have a comment.
[1:14:29] One second, please. The motion on the table for adjustment is to change the word
[1:14:34] "shared" to "discussed," and the emails were discussed.
[1:14:38] So I agree with you that no email was read aloud, but that
[1:14:44] Trustee Warden did discuss the emails and timeline.
[1:14:47] So I still think that it is accurate in my opinion. Trustee Warden?
[1:14:52] Yes. Thank you.
[1:14:56] I support this motion, and I am honestly aghast that we're spending even
[1:15:01] five minutes talking about this. These complete gotcha moments to try to make board
[1:15:07] members look bad is just appalling.
[1:15:12] There was a security camera resolution to fix something that had not been done in
[1:15:17] the last nine months. Thank you, Dr. Bishop, for taking care of that.
[1:15:20] We passed the resolution 7-0. Excuse me.
[1:15:23] Point of order, Point of order, President Derenger.
[1:15:26] Yes.
[1:15:26] I don't understand why you're allowing her to go on, on this rambling diatribe.
[1:15:31] President Derenger, I don't appreciate the personal attacks.
[1:15:33] I think that we have a vote in front of us. I don't see how that has to do.
[1:15:37] She's just rambling about what she talked about at the last meeting, and I think we
[1:15:41] should go forward with the vote.
[1:15:43] I'm discussing why I support the language.
[1:15:46] Okay. Trustee Warden, please be as brief as necessary-
[1:15:49] Thank you
[1:15:49] ... and justify why it is more accurate to reflect "discuss the emails" as opposed
[1:15:54] to "share the emails."
[1:15:55] I understand that, but the constant attacks are something that...
[1:16:00] The real thing that we need to focus on is what's best for the students, and this
[1:16:03] entire discussion is not what's best.
[1:16:05] Point of order.
[1:16:05] This is not good for our students.
[1:16:06] Point of order. She's going back to this.
[1:16:09] I think that she's trying to relitigate this and call other trustees out.
[1:16:13] There's no relitigation. It passed 7-0.
[1:16:15] And I think that we should vote on the minutes.
[1:16:19] Well, I think that's what we were trying to do when-
[1:16:21] I think it's outrageous that she continues to try and say that people are having
[1:16:24] gotcha moments.
[1:16:27] It was a gotcha moment. The trust-
[1:16:29] Trustee Warden, please recognize your-
[1:16:31] I understand that, but the reason why I support this is because this is just an
[1:16:37] attempt to make me look bad when the resolution passed 7-0.
[1:16:42] So I absolutely support this so we can move on and talk about the things that are
[1:16:46] important to our district, like our students.
[1:16:49] Okay. Yes, if we can just talk about whatever.
[1:16:52] If this was such a gotcha moment, then why was there discussion throughout the
[1:16:57] entire week, I will clearly
[1:17:00] share this-
[1:17:01] Trustee Jeup
[1:17:01] ... about releasing this email, and then, I'm just following what you allowed
[1:17:08] Trustee Warden to do.
[1:17:10] Trustee Jeup.
[1:17:10] And then there was a clear
[1:17:15] 10:30 last, or 10:06 last night, that all of a sudden it's not going to be
[1:17:20] released. It was an email she referred to over and over.
[1:17:24] So it's very important that we are accurate at this board table, that we're
[1:17:28] truthful, and that we're transparent.
[1:17:31] And all of those things lead up to
[1:17:34] an email at 10:06 PM, so I have every right to be talking about these things at the
[1:17:39] board table. That's the point of being here.
[1:17:42] Thank you.
[1:17:43] So.
[1:17:43] Are there any other discussions about the amendment changing the word "shared" to
[1:17:48] "discussed" in the minutes?
[1:17:52] Seeing none. All those in favor, please say aye.
[1:17:54] Aye.
[1:17:55] Any opposed?
[1:17:57] Opposed.
[1:17:58] That passes five to one. So now the minutes as
[1:18:04] amended are back on the table.
[1:18:08] Is there any other discussion about approving the minutes as amended?
[1:18:14] Seeing none. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye.
[1:18:17] Aye.
[1:18:18] Any opposed?
[1:18:19] Opposed.
[1:18:20] That passes five to one.
[1:18:23] Item number 5.2 is approval of the human resources report. Do I have a motion?
[1:18:29] I'll move to approve the human resources report.
[1:18:32] Support.
[1:18:33] Moved by Trustee Klepp and supported by Trustee Warden. Any discussion?
[1:18:39] Me too.
[1:18:39] Yes, Trustee Hall.
[1:18:41] I would just like to make note of some noteworthy retirements that I saw when I
[1:18:46] went through the list. Ms. Christine Cool, North's school psychologist, is
[1:18:51] retiring, and I think that she will leave some very big shoes to fill.
[1:18:55] Her contributions to our community, to our district, to our students, and
[1:19:00] families will be greatly missed, and thank you very much for your service.
[1:19:04] And also, Mr. Heenan, elementary art teacher, who my own daughters were students in
[1:19:10] his classroom and made a huge impact on them.
[1:19:12] They still talk about him to this day.
[1:19:14] So thank you so much for your service as well, and you will be greatly missed.
[1:19:20] Thank you. Yes, Trustee Warden.
[1:19:23] I would also like to recognize Katie Parent, who's been a fixture at South High
[1:19:28] School for a long time. I think it's going to be a real loss that she's leaving the
[1:19:33] district. I've heard that she's found an amazing dream, and I think she's told
[1:19:38] people that it's the dream of a dream job.
[1:19:42] But nevertheless, I know that the community, the entire district, and South will
[1:19:46] miss her tremendously, so I want to thank her for her service.
[1:19:50] Any other comments? Yes, Trustee Klepp.
[1:19:53] Just maybe to Dr. Bishop. When I was reading this, I was struck by the number of
[1:19:57] additions and hires. Did I misunderstand it?
[1:20:01] I was reading the paras as all being additions to staff. Is that correct?
[1:20:07] I believe so, but I'm going to turn to Mrs. Pilgrim, if you're in the back, or Mrs.
[1:20:11] Shelson, if you have any comments to add to Trustee Klepp's question
[1:20:25] as it relates to the paraprofessionals and ones that we've hired.
[1:20:52] That's a long walk.
[1:20:54] Sorry about that. We decided to come together to answer the questions because we
[1:20:58] did all the hiring together. Can you repeat specifically what you're looking for?
[1:21:02] Well, I was looking at the meeting earlier that I counted up 26 total adds, of
[1:21:08] which 18 were paras. Did I get that right?
[1:21:11] I guess was my question off of this report.
[1:21:14] We did do a significant amount of hiring.
[1:21:16] I think that board report, this HR report is from-
[1:21:19] Yeah.
[1:21:21] ... over a month of hiring. So Ricky can give more information, but we have, and
[1:21:25] her team has done a significant amount of paraprofessional hiring.
[1:21:30] Okay. It was more just clarification, but that's fine.
[1:21:33] I just don't have the HR report in front of me, but we did do a lot of-
[1:21:36] That's fine.
[1:21:37] Yeah.
[1:21:38] Okay. And then I also just wanted to congratulate Ms. Parent on her, and Mr.
[1:21:44] Heenan on his retirement.
[1:21:46] Thank you.
[1:21:48] First, so we misheard that there was mention that 18 paras had
[1:21:53] left, and in reality, the report that we have is that we're adding 18 paras in this
[1:21:58] report. So that, I think is the clarification point, correct?
[1:22:01] Yeah.
[1:22:01] Yes. So this is 18 new paras, and there is one para that is leaving.
[1:22:06] So that is plus 18 and minus one on this particular report.
[1:22:10] My question was related if we know whether the influx of paras
[1:22:16] here was related to the job fair that was held specifically for paras, if you
[1:22:20] wanted to speak to that for a second.
[1:22:23] Ms. Stovall?
[1:22:24] Yep. The majority of the paras that we brought on were through our joint efforts
[1:22:30] for the paraprofessional job fair back earlier in August.
[1:22:33] Okay. All right, great. So I think that is a celebration.
[1:22:37] It's good to see the results of that effort from the team over the summer.
[1:22:42] Certainly, adding 18 paras is hugely valuable to the experience of our kids in the
[1:22:47] classroom. So thank you guys both for that and-
[1:22:50] I was going to say, I think it's worth noting that we have a pipeline of
[1:22:52] individuals who came in who weren't necessarily qualified the day they came in
[1:22:57] based off of state requirements and our collective bargaining agreement.
[1:23:00] We have five people that we're assisting get scheduled for the ETS exam or complete
[1:23:05] additional courses. So we have a strong pipeline in the event we need additional
[1:23:10] support for students.
[1:23:12] Great. All right. I appreciate the clarification and again, celebrating the work of
[1:23:17] the team over the summer and seeing the results come right here at the beginning of
[1:23:22] the school year is great. So thank you, guys.
[1:23:25] Are there any other comments or questions about the human resources report before
[1:23:29] voting? Yes, Trustee Jeup.
[1:23:31] I just have a comment.
[1:23:33] Well, Katie Parent is leaving, but there are also eight other employees that are
[1:23:39] leaving us with over 10 years' experience, and if you're out there listening, I
[1:23:43] know some of these names, whether it's Christine Kool or Andrea Ward,
[1:23:51] your service was well.
[1:23:54] We loved having you, and we're sad to see you all go. So thank you.
[1:23:58] Thank you. Any additional comments or questions?
[1:24:02] All those in favor of approving the HR report, please say aye.
[1:24:05] Aye.
[1:24:06] Any opposed? That passes six to zero.
[1:24:10] It takes us to item number six, agenda action items for October 5th, 2026.
[1:24:17] Item 6.1 will be approval of the regular meeting minutes for tonight, September
[1:24:21] 21st. Item 6.2 is approval of 21F virtual learning
[1:24:27] days, and I would ask Dr. Bishop to add some context here, please.
[1:24:31] Absolutely. I'm going to try to add some, and then Dr.
[1:24:32] Delgado, if I miss anything, feel free to chime in.
[1:24:35] But we will have a resolution that's actually on the table right now for a first
[1:24:39] read, and we're looking to have it voted on at the next meeting.
[1:24:41] It relates to the 21F of virtual instructional days for 12th grade students.
[1:24:46] As our community knows, we need to have 180 instructional days, and that is 1,089
[1:24:52] minutes that we have, as far as our hours that we need for our instruction.
[1:24:57] And so the reason why this is on the board table and it hasn't been here before is
[1:25:00] because we were actually going through an audit process, and we have a new auditor
[1:25:04] and of course, they're asking us new things when it comes to the process.
[1:25:08] So they're asking us to make sure we get these days approved, in the event that we
[1:25:13] need them. We will need them for both of our high schools because we have PSAT
[1:25:17] testing. Our seniors are not present, so we're asking for two days for Grosse
[1:25:21] Pointe North, which is October 6 and April 6, and then we have for Grosse Pointe
[1:25:26] South, October 13 and April 14. A little bit of background and history.
[1:25:32] Circa 2025, at that point in time in legislation, there was a 15-day provision that
[1:25:38] you could take as far as if there was emergency closings or if there's mandatory
[1:25:42] testing, and that kind of went away. So minimal effect.
[1:25:45] And then now this school year, for '26, '27, legislation has restored a much more
[1:25:51] limited version of 21F, in which there are six days in which you can utilize,
[1:25:56] especially when it comes for testing.
[1:25:58] So this is not an attempt for us to go to virtual learning more than we have to,
[1:26:03] but we do want to honor the fact that our seniors will not be here on those days.
[1:26:07] So for us to properly account for those days through our people accounting process,
[1:26:12] we need for us to approve the 21F days that we have.
[1:26:17] And during that time when they were off, that we're looking for some two-way
[1:26:20] communication from our teachers and those students so those days count.
[1:26:24] So I know Dr. Delgado was working with our counselors at both of our high schools
[1:26:28] to determine what that vehicle or that mode of communication is to be able to
[1:26:33] communicate with our students virtually on those days that I mentioned earlier. Dr.
[1:26:37] Delgado, did I miss anything or anything you want to add to that?
[1:26:47] Okay. Is there any questions or comments for the administration? Trustee Cotton.
[1:26:51] I just didn't follow, so I'm going to ask, how did we handle these days last year?
[1:26:57] I got very creative with the MDE. Let's just say that.
[1:27:01] That also doesn't help.
[1:27:03] I will be more clear. So as you know, on our PSAT testing days, one of our high
[1:27:09] schools is in attendance for testing and the other is not testing.
[1:27:13] We share devices amongst our high schools, and we have two different PSAT and SAT
[1:27:18] testing days in the fall and two different days in the spring. So when Dr.
[1:27:21] Bishop was mentioning a new auditor, in the past years, prior to even 2025, we had
[1:27:26] reported that as a senior attendance day because the reality is half of our seniors
[1:27:31] are in attendance and half of them are not.
[1:27:33] Our previous auditor, who we worked with through WRESA, allowed that to pass
[1:27:38] through as an attendance day for our students.
[1:27:40] The auditor that we began working with last year did not.
[1:27:43] And so this 21F is in place so that when students are in attendance, two-way
[1:27:48] communication would be as simple as logging into Schoology and completing a very
[1:27:51] quick assignment. A lot of like districts do something like having them log into
[1:27:54] Naviance and do a quick survey about career exploration activities or college
[1:27:59] exploration activities. Our counselors already have a couple ideas should we need
[1:28:03] this. So the other piece is you have to approve them prior to the days happening.
[1:28:07] PSAT occurs on October 6th. And so we didn't want to go through the audit, have
[1:28:12] them come back and say, "No, the way that you do it isn't appropriate for 180 days
[1:28:17] for seniors, and we need these virtual learning days to happen." So we just wanted
[1:28:20] the approval to be there preemptively.
[1:28:23] Okay. So just
[1:28:25] for practical purposes last year-
[1:28:28] Last year, you may have noticed that at the end of the year, I apologize.
[1:28:32] No, no.
[1:28:32] Trustee Cotton.
[1:28:33] No, I'm just-
[1:28:34] That's how you do this.
[1:28:35] No, no. So for practical purposes last year, if North was testing, the seniors had
[1:28:40] a day off, essentially.
[1:28:42] Correct.
[1:28:42] Effectively. This year, we are going to have them do something virtually.
[1:28:49] There's not going to be seven hours worth of classes-
[1:28:52] Oh, no
[1:28:52] ... but they'll do something virtual, and we're intending that that will count as a
[1:28:56] day in class for those seniors.
[1:28:58] Correct.
[1:28:59] Okay. That's good enough. Thanks.
[1:29:02] Thank you. Any other questions or comments from the board?
[1:29:09] Okay.
[1:29:11] Next is section seven, future meetings.
[1:29:13] Item 7.1 is the Facilities Committee meeting a week from today, September 28th,
[1:29:19] 5:30 PM at the North Library, followed immediately by item 7.2, the Policy
[1:29:24] Committee meeting also at the North Library at 6:30 PM.
[1:29:28] 7.3 is our next regular board meeting on Monday, October 5th, here at Brownell
[1:29:34] starting at 7:00 PM. Item 7.4 is the second board
[1:29:40] regular meeting in October, and that's October 19th here at Brownell MPR.
[1:29:46] And one more superintendent listening session, item 7.5, 8:30 AM coffee
[1:29:52] with Dr. Bishop on September 29th next week at Pierce.
[1:29:59] That brings us to
[1:30:01] section eight, public comments on non-action items.
[1:30:06] Our first speaker is Pam Albrecht, followed by Anna
[1:30:12] Campbell and Kevin Nugent.
[1:30:20] Good evening. My name is Pam Albrecht. I'm a resident of Grosse Pointe Farms.
[1:30:24] I'm a mom of four Grosse Pointe Public School system graduates.
[1:30:29] I'm a second-grade teacher at Monteith.
[1:30:32] I'm the magnet program coordinator for the district, and I've been a teacher for
[1:30:36] over three decades. I am also the vice president of negotiations for the GPEA.
[1:30:44] I am here again, and as you see, many of my colleagues are not
[1:30:49] here.
[1:30:51] Please do not mistake that for disinterest.
[1:30:55] My colleagues are all very, very interested.
[1:30:59] They're interested as to why their paychecks are stagnant, and for many employees,
[1:31:05] including myself, even less than last year because we didn't earn a step and our
[1:31:11] increased healthcare costs have cost us, and they're wondering when that will
[1:31:15] change. They are not less passionate. They are very passionate.
[1:31:21] That passion likely has them at home grading papers, or for most of us elementary
[1:31:26] teachers, likely looking over the next math lesson that we need to teach since we
[1:31:31] got the new math curriculum a week before school started and we have to learn it
[1:31:35] the night before teaching it
[1:31:38] That's what I was sitting here doing while you were meeting, and I know one of my
[1:31:41] colleagues over there sat and entered her reading data for her kids.
[1:31:47] They're not less concerned. They are very concerned.
[1:31:51] Concerned about their future in this district.
[1:31:54] They're concerned about when they will have a fair and equitable contract that
[1:31:59] honors and respects all teachers, new as well as veterans.
[1:32:04] So I will ask you the same: when is it going to happen?
[1:32:09] Colleen Worden, when are you going to support the teachers?
[1:32:12] I'm waiting for your actions to mirror the verbal support you always give at the
[1:32:16] table. It's time to provide the teachers with a proposal that reflects their
[1:32:22] interest, their passion, and their concern.
[1:32:26] A fair and equitable contract for all teachers.
[1:32:30] Grosse Pointe teachers deserve better. Thank you.
[1:32:36] Next is Anna Campbell, followed by Kevin Nugent and Terry Collins.
[1:32:51] Good evening, Superintendent, Dr. Bishop and members of the board.
[1:32:55] My name is Anna Campbell, and I'm a preventionist at CARE of Southeastern Michigan.
[1:32:59] Thank you for getting Anna. Very rarely people do.
[1:33:02] I wanted to highlight the resilience building kindergarten through 12 prevention
[1:33:06] education programs that CARE of Southeastern Michigan offers at no cost to your
[1:33:10] guys' schools. One program is LifeSkills.
[1:33:14] It's a research-validated prevention program proven to reduce the risks of
[1:33:17] substance use, violence, and other risky behaviors by addressing the social and
[1:33:21] psychological factors that can influence students' choices.
[1:33:26] We facilitate the program in third through 12th grade classrooms, helping students
[1:33:29] build confidence, resist peer pressure, manage stress and anxiety, and develop
[1:33:33] healthy decision-making and coping skills.
[1:33:36] We have adolescent anger management, which helps elementary to high school students
[1:33:39] build nonviolent conflict resolution skills, practice forgiveness,
[1:33:44] and take responsibility for their choices and behavior.
[1:33:47] This program can be facilitated within a group or classroom setting.
[1:33:51] Lastly, we do have vape use prevention education and marijuana use prevention
[1:33:54] education, which provides students with a judgment-free environment to understand
[1:33:58] the risks associated with these substances, how problems can develop, and how they
[1:34:02] can be prevented. Students learn practical coping strategies and explore healthier
[1:34:07] lifestyle choices. These programs can be offered as an alternate to suspension or a
[1:34:13] citation as well.
[1:34:15] Our programs do not take up much time.
[1:34:17] It will just be multiple sessions of up to 30 minutes.
[1:34:20] This can be during a gym class, a study hall, free period, elective class, however
[1:34:25] the schools organize their time.
[1:34:29] We can also do resource lunch tables.
[1:34:32] So, during lunch, we can provide a table, and they can be themed to different
[1:34:37] problems that can occur. So in February, you could have a table with us about
[1:34:42] healthy relationships and what that looks like.
[1:34:49] In review, my colleague finished one of these programs at one of your schools this
[1:34:52] past summer. But there are no scheduled programs for the rest of this year.
[1:34:58] So that's one of the reasons why I'm here.
[1:34:59] I did provide
[1:35:02] some letters describing elementary programs as well as middle and high school
[1:35:05] programs to one of your workers, and she said that she would distribute that to
[1:35:10] them after the meeting. If you're interested in these programs for your district,
[1:35:14] please contact us at CARE Southeastern Michigan or me, Anna Campbell.
[1:35:18] We're committed to being a strong prevention partner for your district and
[1:35:21] supporting the health and success of your students.
[1:35:23] Thank you so much for your time.
[1:35:26] Thank you.
[1:35:28] Next is Kevin Nugent, followed by Terry Collins and Karen Cole.
[1:35:44] Kevin Nugent, Pointers for Academic Excellence.
[1:35:46] First and foremost, I've been a teacher for 28 years.
[1:35:50] Around every election, we are inundated with political rhetoric around supporting
[1:35:53] our teachers. It all sounds so validating.
[1:35:57] But in reality, talking about supporting teachers is much easier than delivering
[1:36:01] for teachers. I've heard several trustees say that you hope the district and the
[1:36:05] teachers can reach an agreement. Statements like that obscure the process that
[1:36:09] governs negotiations. You are the board of education.
[1:36:13] The people negotiating for our district operate within parameters established by
[1:36:17] you. You're not spectators waiting for two other parties to work something out.
[1:36:22] If you want an agreement, you have the authority to change the parameters under
[1:36:25] which the district negotiates. You have had opportunities to resolve this contract,
[1:36:30] but the decisions you made with the other bargaining units affected the position
[1:36:34] you are negotiating from today. You established a pattern when you announced
[1:36:38] four-year agreements with three other bargaining units.
[1:36:40] Did none of you consider what that would mean when it came time to settle with our
[1:36:43] teachers? Had those been two-year agreements, you could have established a
[1:36:47] reasonable two-year structure across our bargaining units, but the talks continue.
[1:36:52] And the longer these negotiations or clarifying conversations, as you might call
[1:36:56] them, continue, the greater the risk that we deepen the divide with our teachers.
[1:37:01] As impactful, why would teachers settle for less while they are watching months of
[1:37:06] legal bills come through our check registers, payment after payment for attorneys?
[1:37:11] In just three registers we reviewed, Collins and Bolha received payments of
[1:37:14] approximately 50,000, 40,000, and 50,000.
[1:37:18] Another register includes a nearly $100,000 payment to Clark Hill covering board
[1:37:23] matters, labor, board policies, and other legal work.
[1:37:27] We understand that a school district needs attorneys, but when our check registers
[1:37:30] contain amount of legal payments while our largest employee group remains without
[1:37:34] an agreement, what is this board prioritizing?
[1:37:38] You were coming off a two-year agreement, one that included the removal of the
[1:37:41] formula, and you were sitting on a rebuilt fund equity.
[1:37:44] You entered these negotiations with the ability to put together an agreement that
[1:37:48] addressed the needs of both our teachers and our district, yet we still do not have
[1:37:52] one. There comes a point when you have to own the decisions that belong to you.
[1:37:56] You are the board. You establish the parameters. Trustees Worden, St.
[1:38:00] John, Klepp, and Hall, your four votes constitute a majority of the board.
[1:38:05] You have used that majority to move other matters at this table.
[1:38:08] Why have you not used that same majority to get this done?
[1:38:12] So please don't tell us that you hope an agreement can be reached.
[1:38:15] Tell us what you are prepared to do to reach one. Thank you.
[1:38:20] Next speaker is Terry Collins, followed by Karen Cole.
[1:38:32] Hello again.
[1:38:34] Yeah, Mr. Nugent says it very clear, but you have to go back and figure out where
[1:38:38] your problem started, and your problem started
[1:38:41] when you were preparing your budget for this year.
[1:38:44] And despite multiple people telling you that your plan was bad and even Mr.
[1:38:48] Klepp questioning it at the very last minute, you decided to create a budget that
[1:38:52] had zero in it for teacher contracts and all your other four bargaining unit
[1:38:58] contracts. You allocated $0 for those.
[1:39:02] And I hope you were paying attention tonight.
[1:39:04] I hope you're going to actually put a link in to what CFO Agrusa put up on the
[1:39:09] screen. If not, we can screen capture it. It's not a problem.
[1:39:13] But you acknowledge what I've told you from two or three days after that meeting
[1:39:17] when you first published that last slide is that a couple hundred thousand dollars
[1:39:22] of those first four bargaining unit contracts in the first year have now ballooned
[1:39:26] to $4 million when you show the cumulative effect.
[1:39:29] And what you need to understand is the cumulative effect of those four contracts
[1:39:33] only represents 10 or maybe 20% of your total outlay of union dollars that you're
[1:39:39] paying in contracts. So the other 80%, you haven't bargained yet.
[1:39:43] So let's just say you're bargaining those other four similarly to the last one,
[1:39:48] similar to how you bargained the first four. So if that's 20%, right?
[1:39:54] So there's 80% left. That 80% is four times four million.
[1:39:59] That's 16 million. 16 million plus formula is $20 million.
[1:40:03] You have to come up with $20 million in the next four years in your budget, which
[1:40:07] is exactly what I sent you a few days after the meeting where the first slide was
[1:40:12] showed. This isn't rocket science. I'm not some super genius with numbers.
[1:40:16] I can just add, and I can plan and understand that you're going to have to pay
[1:40:20] these dollars out. So now when you have your budget update finally after the budget
[1:40:25] audit comes out, the audited budget comes out at the end of October, your number
[1:40:30] for the end of the year is probably not going to change that much, but your
[1:40:32] projection for your GAA number one is going to change significantly should you have
[1:40:37] that fifth contract in place. If not, you're going to go on kicking the can down
[1:40:41] the road not knowing what the hell you're doing.
[1:40:44] But you're going to have to come up with $3 million this year, or next June you're
[1:40:48] going to show a $3 million budget deficit from what you planned. That's clear.
[1:40:52] That's just based on the fact that you put up on the screen tonight.
[1:40:55] How are you going to do that?
[1:40:58] The teachers need to understand that the reason you're in the situation that you're
[1:41:02] in now is because you finally realized, after the first four contracts were done,
[1:41:06] is, "Oh my God, we've got a fourth contract.
[1:41:08] There's no way we can afford this." Of course you can't afford it, because you
[1:41:12] didn't cut anything this year. And as much as cuts hurt, they prepare you for the
[1:41:16] next year, then year after that, and the year after that.
[1:41:19] But
[1:41:20] you just continue to make mistakes.
[1:41:22] And we don't have to have gotcha moments, Trustee Warden.
[1:41:26] We just have to show what you said one week compared to what you show the next
[1:41:30] week. That's gotcha enough. Thank you.
[1:41:39] Section nine is the monthly financials and check register healthcare report.
[1:41:43] Is there any discussion? Oh, I'm sorry, Ms. Cole. I apologize.
[1:41:47] No problem.
[1:41:48] Go ahead.
[1:41:51] Good evening.
[1:41:54] I am a former student of the Grosse Pointe Public Schools.
[1:41:58] Over 40 years ago, my parents moved to the area so that my sister and I could be a
[1:42:03] part of the Grosse Pointe Public Schools.
[1:42:05] Our three older brothers, we lived in Detroit at the time, and our three older
[1:42:09] brothers went to private school. That was my parents' hope, to send us to private
[1:42:14] school, but they wanted us to have a safe environment to grow up in.
[1:42:20] They moved to the area and said, "Well, what better thing than to send their
[1:42:24] children to Grosse Pointe Public Schools?"
[1:42:28] And I am grateful to them for doing that.
[1:42:34] So I was a student here. My sister moved to the area when she got married.
[1:42:39] Her three kids were very successful going to Ferry, Parcells, North,
[1:42:45] not only successful in their academics, but in playing sports.
[1:42:52] They were successful because of all the teachers behind them from the time they
[1:42:56] started at Ferry to the time they left at North.
[1:43:00] And that will ride on their backs for the rest of their lives.
[1:43:03] They will be successful. But I'm here tonight because I'm a teacher in the
[1:43:08] district. I've been teaching here for 29 years.
[1:43:13] I've been teaching for 31 years, all in kindergarten except for one.
[1:43:19] I have a master's in early childhood, and I need to speak up for Mason.
[1:43:24] I've been at Mason the whole time,
[1:43:27] and we need a contract. We don't need a contract just at Mason.
[1:43:31] We need a contract for all our teachers who work so hard in this district.
[1:43:37] We say students first, but every year our class sizes are going up.
[1:43:42] Our class sizes are going up at Mason, but our classroom is small.
[1:43:48] I used to be the kindergarten teacher that had a large classroom before
[1:43:52] construction put a wall up in my classroom, and now we have, I don't know the size
[1:43:57] of it, we'll say 12 by 12. But we have a very small classroom when you keep
[1:44:03] adding more and more students.
[1:44:07] We're not looking for a realistic number of 12.
[1:44:11] We're looking for a realistic number, 18 to 20.
[1:44:15] We say equality, equity, it's not the same.
[1:44:19] Mason's different than some of the other buildings in the area.
[1:44:23] We need different parameters. We've been told this, but it doesn't happen.
[1:44:29] We're a Title I building. We want what's best for our students.
[1:44:34] I know all the teachers across the district want what's best for their students.
[1:44:46] I want you to retain our colleagues.
[1:44:48] You say that it's important to--
[1:44:53] Thank you.
[1:44:57] Thank you, Ms. Cole. Again, I personally apologize for moving your form over before
[1:45:01] I called your name. Sorry about that.
[1:45:06] Okay, section nine now is the monthly financials, the check register, and the
[1:45:10] healthcare report. Is there any discussion?
[1:45:17] Just one more. We already talked about it, but just to reiterate, the projections
[1:45:21] in here don't include-- They really are just from the budget, essentially.
[1:45:26] So none of the settled contracts or anything are reflected here.
[1:45:31] Yeah, so that's worth noting on both.
[1:45:37] Okay. Any other discussion? Trustee Cotton?
[1:45:41] Yes, I move to go add
[1:45:45] a section n after the check register to go back into closed session and discuss
[1:45:49] bargaining.
[1:45:58] Support.
[1:45:58] Okay, there's a motion on the table. Trustee Cotton, can you repeat that, please?
[1:46:04] To add a section right after this check register right now where we could vote on
[1:46:09] going back into closed session to discuss bargaining.
[1:46:20] Give me one second.
[1:46:24] To amend the agenda at this point would, again, require us to suspend the rules,
[1:46:32] and I'm not sure that we've met the requirement for posting the notice
[1:46:37] necessary to hold a closed session.
[1:46:41] So unless-
[1:46:42] We're in a meeting right now.
[1:46:46] Yes, I'm aware.
[1:46:50] I'm not sure. Let me check and see what the rules are before
[1:46:56] even putting the question forward for discussion.
[1:47:01] Let me find out if it is even possible, Trustee
[1:48:57] Cotton.
[1:49:07] Give me a
[1:49:07] second.
[1:49:18] Okay, so the posting notice is for the meeting, the regular meeting, as you said,
[1:49:23] Trustee Cotton. That's correct. So this is within a regularly posted
[1:49:28] regular meeting, so it's already been properly noticed.
[1:49:31] Then the motion on the table is to go into closed session
[1:49:38] under exemption 8.1c of the Open Meetings Act, and it's been supported
[1:49:45] It's a roll call vote to go into closed session, and because this
[1:49:50] particular request is related to collective bargaining with the GPEA, I have
[1:49:56] recused myself from these discussions, so I will not be voting.
[1:50:01] Just before that happens, I want everybody to understand. Trustee Cotton?
[1:50:07] Yes.
[1:50:08] Do we get to have discussion?
[1:50:10] I
[1:50:12] apologize. Yes. So go ahead. Trustee Cotton, do you want to start since
[1:50:18] you made the motion?
[1:50:22] Yes, I think we owe it to our district to go back into closed session for
[1:50:26] collective bargaining.
[1:50:29] Okay. Trustee Worden. Yeah.
[1:50:31] I just have a question or a point of clarification.
[1:50:33] Are we allowed to do this pursuant to the Open Meetings Act?
[1:50:36] Although we did meet earlier, we ended the session, our attorney left.
[1:50:41] Are we allowed to do this pursuant to the Open Meetings Act?
[1:50:45] Yes. The previous meeting was a special meeting.
[1:50:52] We entered and exited closed session twice in our earlier meeting, but the special
[1:50:56] meeting was properly noticed. This being a properly noticed regular meeting,
[1:51:02] it is also allowed under the exemption to Open Meetings Act.
[1:51:08] I asked Dr. Bishop to call Attorney Cava to make sure, and he confirmed that, yes,
[1:51:14] this is possible.
[1:51:16] So is it like an extension of our earlier meeting?
[1:51:19] It is not. It's the board asking or deciding right now whether they
[1:51:24] should go into closed session as part of this meeting, as part of the regular
[1:51:28] meeting, using the same exemption as we used before in our special meeting.
[1:51:33] No, my question was about the notice requirement.
[1:51:36] Correct. This meeting, the regular meeting, has been properly noticed, so it is
[1:51:40] allowed to have that same exemption to enter into closed session.
[1:51:43] Okay.
[1:51:45] Thank you.
[1:51:45] The notice requirement is still 18 hours, but this meeting that we are in has been
[1:51:51] properly noticed.
[1:51:54] Okay. Any other discussion? Yes, Trustee Hall.
[1:51:58] I'm not opposed to talking about negotiations at any point.
[1:52:01] I just don't understand the urgency at this point.
[1:52:04] Has there been any new information that we weren't able to discuss in the previous
[1:52:08] meeting, or has something come to light that we didn't know at that time?
[1:52:13] We did have the financial update.
[1:52:20] So is that urgent to be discussed this evening, or could we do that at another
[1:52:25] time?
[1:52:26] I think it's pretty urgent. We're sitting here today without a contract.
[1:52:30] The next meeting is when?
[1:52:33] October 5th.
[1:52:40] I see an urgency. I don't know if I can convince you of one.
[1:52:45] I would agree that doing everything we can to settle a contract is important.
[1:52:52] Okay. Any other discussion?
[1:52:56] Okay. A roll call vote is in order. Trustee Cotton?
[1:53:00] Yes.
[1:53:01] Trustee Hall?
[1:53:02] Yes.
[1:53:03] Trustee Worden?
[1:53:04] Yes.
[1:53:05] Trustee Klepp?
[1:53:06] Yes.
[1:53:06] Trustee Jeup?
[1:53:07] Yes.
[1:53:08] That passes five to zero.
[1:53:11] We're now in closed session.
[1:54:10] We moved back into open session at the end of the closed session discussion.
[1:54:16] Is there any action to be taken coming out of the closed session?
[1:54:21] No.
[1:54:21] No. Okay. So moving to
[1:54:24] section 10, board member and superintendent comments.
[1:54:28] I will start to my right tonight. Dr. Delgado?
[1:54:31] No comment.
[1:54:33] Mr. Honka?
[1:54:35] I want to wish my wife a very happy birthday.
[1:54:39] She saved me a slice of cake.
[1:54:42] Trustee Cotton?
[1:54:44] No further comment.
[1:54:46] Trustee Hall?
[1:54:47] No further comment.
[1:54:48] Trustee Jeup?
[1:54:49] No further comment.
[1:54:51] Trustee Klepp?
[1:54:53] I would like to wish Mr. Honka's wife a happy birthday, but that's
[1:54:58] it.
[1:55:00] Trustee Worden?
[1:55:01] I just want to say that I want to focus on what Principal Kelemen
[1:55:07] said, "Look for the good, so you find the good." There's so much to be happy and
[1:55:11] proud about in our district, and I wish that we would stick to the things that are
[1:55:15] important to the district and what's best for the students,
[1:55:20] instead of some of the gotcha things that went on tonight.
[1:55:23] I do appreciate that we went back into closed session to try to work this out, and
[1:55:28] I want to thank the teachers for coming to the meeting tonight. Good night.
[1:55:33] Thank you. CFO Groza?
[1:55:36] No comment.
[1:55:37] Dr. Bishop?
[1:55:38] I also want to wish Shadia happy birthday. Happy birthday to her.
[1:55:42] I also want to thank CFO Groza, said it very well earlier about her business team.
[1:55:49] I do want to give them a shout-out as well.
[1:55:51] They've done some really heavy lifting, and I appreciate all the leadership that
[1:55:56] Andrea's given to her team. So we appreciate them, we appreciate you, and just to
[1:56:01] be clear, the position that she said that she has to hire for is not a new
[1:56:06] position. It's one that she has continued to go vacant in her department, so that
[1:56:12] makes her team even extra special. Have a wonderful night.
[1:56:16] Thank you. I'd like to give a shout-out to our audio and visual team
[1:56:22] still here and back online, especially Mr.
[1:56:26] Geresy, who I enjoyed talking with Mrs.
[1:56:29] Fannon back there while you guys were in closed session. Appreciate that.
[1:56:34] I would encourage everybody who is watching this at a later date to
[1:56:40] take your kids, your community members, your neighbors, and get out and see the
[1:56:46] different athletic events or concerts or any performances that you can see in the
[1:56:51] fall. The enthusiasm coming out of our schools and the buildings is really
[1:56:56] what makes our communities and our neighborhoods so wonderful to live in.
[1:57:01] So if you get a chance to take in the homecoming parade with some family
[1:57:07] members or neighbors or cousins that don't live around here but want to come hang
[1:57:12] out at your house for the day, please take the opportunity to do that.
[1:57:16] This is when our schools and our staff and our kids really shine the
[1:57:22] most. Fall is my favorite time of the year, and these type of events are really the
[1:57:27] reason why. So hope to see everybody out there.
[1:57:31] I will move that we close the meeting.
[1:57:34] President Ahmed Ismail.
[1:57:34] Yes.
[1:57:34] Could you also announce the League of Women Voters forum tomorrow night?
[1:57:38] I forgot to do that. Please.
[1:57:40] Yes. The League of Women Voters
[1:57:44] candidate forum for the upcoming November election will be here at Brownell in the
[1:57:49] multipurpose room. Is that a 7:00 start?
[1:57:52] Yes, 7:00 start, and also will be available streaming and later
[1:57:58] online. I think the League of Women Voters typically post that on their YouTube
[1:58:03] page.
[1:58:06] Okay.
[1:58:08] Nothing else, I move that we adjourn the meeting.
[1:58:11] Support.
[1:58:13] All those in favor, please say aye.
[1:58:15] Aye.
[1:58:15] Any opposed? Have a good night.