Good evening. It is october 13th, 2025 at 6:01 p.m. I now call this regular meeting to order. Will you all please join me in the pledge of Allegiance?
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america, And to the republic for which it stands.
one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
seaniece, will you please call the roll? Mr. Ehmcke. Present
here. Ms. Lee. Mr. Meyers. Here. Mr. Michaelson.
here
second. Board members, any discussion? Director miller, I would like to remove item
7.d out of the consent action items and make its own discussion item.
okay, so we're there is a motion to amend the agenda by moving item d and
an item or item 7.d and move it to consent or to items of
presentation, discussion and or action. President george. Yes, I believe for consent you don't need a motion to
items of presentation discussion and or action. I'm just going to call it ab and we will bring that up at that time.
and if you signed up to speak on that, you'll be able to do that at that time.
okay. So we had a first. We have a second. We had our discussion.
all those approving the agenda as it is now say aye.
aye. All those opposed say nay. The agenda is approved.
good news report, doctor cordova, will you go to it?
yes, sir. Thank you very much. As we've agreed every board meeting, We're going to just highlight a different school.
so this week's this board meetings highlight is unity elementary school.
unity is located in northeast park city at 1901
our beautiful campus is located right in this space and no outside distractions
and in addition to our six grade level classroom settings, We also have our transitional kindergarten class.
we have two preschool classes
and it has an amazing special ed and ell program this team serves approximately 70 students and has two outstanding teachers that work with 122 students,
which is approximately 25% of our student population
the last three years, community has focused on strengthening a positive climate and Culture,
not only in the classroom, but within the building itself our platform that we use is character strong
character strong closely follows the sources, Which we take pride in focusing on denying positive behavior
characteristics
and our counselor also supports each classroom with these characteristics as a monthly Celebration of our focus area
we hold an honoring ceremony and all students attend at assembly
students who have excelled that month in the area are recognized and presented with a Certificate
we conclude the year with a ceremony in which our top students are recognized and go Through a time honored tradition of being united
we are honored to have a community stakeholder who comes in each year dressed in costume And plays the part of the king and guides our students
reflecting on unity's success, I believe it is because we have a dedicated staff, Many I've been here since the door opened
they build strong relationships with students and their families, And they truly care about every student in the corridors
so that is unity high school, excuse me, elementary school. It took me a while to find it. I didn't know where it was. So I finally found it. I do Want to say that it is a beautiful,
beautiful campus. It is very, very attractive campus.
and the teachers are phenomenal in terms of just how they greet people and say hello and Everything else. It's like a hidden gem within the district.
so if you're ever just exploring and want to see a beautiful school and a beautiful site, I recommend you go by unity.
it's a good place. I would have to say that the aa person that works at that school is Tremendous,
tremendous. Because if I didn't say that, I might not get fed tomorrow or tonight [laughter].
no that's awesome. And what was the king's name that knighted everyone?
did they did fengel
awesome, awesome. Maybe I can get knighted someday.
that's kind of cool. That's cool. I really like that. Okay so we are at the. And I think I jumped a spot here.
okay, so we are at citizen input. At this time, The board of directors invites individuals or delegations to come forward,
speak on any issue related to school district operations that are not included on today's Meeting agenda.
citizen input on this action item are on this action and discussion item will be accepted At the time of the discussion of each agenda item.
just remember when you come up your name and your address. Do we have anyone on citizen input? Valerie uconn.
I believe a west high grad, correct? Yes
you have three minutes. I don't know if
1512 south linn street, sioux city, iowa, 51106.
and thank you for your time tonight. What's concerning me and what brings me to here is The expulsions that are
happening within our school district
I questioned some things on how it's being done
I know that there are positions in our school district, Such as student services, to support our
youth and our students that are struggling in our schools however, I also know that since the start of school, There's been a couple missing from their duties and they weren't replaced
with a substitute
and I guess I would say, why don't we replace this individual with a substitute so that These kids may be struggling when they come to school,
have someone to go to
like I said these kids that are coming to school that have some, Some of these issues and need to talk to somebody,
they can't wait three months for someone to come back
I also represent the urban native center, and I feel that if our board or our school District needs to reach out and find people that can
support our youth that are in the schools, they need to start reaching out
we are missing kids and they are falling through the cracks and they're getting in trouble And then they're getting expelled
we have to have a better process. And I know that some of these children, Some of these students may be on
ieps, they may not
and when a youth or a student has an iep, I know that there is a hearing and a meeting
and then there is a recommendation. And I don't think some of these are being followed Through all the way
I'm not saying they're not happening, I'm saying they're happening very quickly
and I know from experience that to get an iep scheduled, It doesn't happen overnight.
so some of these kids have been expelled within 15, 12 days, 12 to 15 days
that hearing, if it took place, happened very quickly.
I also think that we need to look at alternatives.
I've heard some of the students that are suspended or been expelled.
I've heard of this choice charter school I don't know if you all recommend that, but I don't.
I would like to see more information regarding that, If that's what we're turning our kids to
I do have a follow up question. Do you know what school specific schools that that the Missing staff members at?
yes, west and north. West and north okay. So doc, Will you check into that?
the individual at north is back. Okay, okay. Any follow up?
director michaelson. Hi, mike
yep. What do you think of that idea? I don't mean to put you on the
would you like to let me just ask it like this.
yes, I would like to. Honestly, I'd like to sit down with everyone and have a good, Honest discussion on how we can start supporting one another and especially our students
okay. Well I know you and I talked briefly back there.
what are what are some of the things that you could help us out with?
I mean, we talked briefly and how do we get you more involved in the school?
well, I believe that if we could have some native outreach workers in the school, I believe that those youth,
those students would come and be more open and willing to talk and keep them involved in Our in our youth group and other
cultural events
director miller. Well, how many resources do you have available to you that could be in The schools?
right now we have two
we should have, and I know they're called student service liaisons
elementary, middle school and high school
anyone else? Thank you val, appreciate it. Thank you.
denise? Christy mcmenamy. Christy you know the routine.
three minutes today? Three minutes. So I'm christy mcmenamy, 4505 gray hawk ridge drive, sioux city,
iowa. I'm here in my capacity as a private citizen and a concerned community member who Has raised two children,
who I have said many a times, jan, that I believe they received a great education from the Sioux city community school district.
thank you. I am deeply concerned about the current lack of transparency with certain Members of the sioux city community school board,
and feel as if we are once again down the path of deja vu.
in the consent agenda, which is now, after this motion, Part of the full agenda, there's an item looking for approval to retain an independent
investigator for a personnel matter. As a former journalist who covered the school board Thoroughly and was continued to keep watch on what many considered bad behavior by a
select few on this board, this is unprecedented. I can't remember a time when this has happened in the past and been posted in a consent Agenda,
as it was tonight. Let me also add that this is asking the board to approve retaining Attorney from the lynch dallas law firm of cedar rapids.
ironically, it's the very same law firm that mr. Greenwell, mr. Michaelson and mr. George used to represent them in the lawsuit with our Former superintendent, doctor gausman,
the same lawsuit where the judge ruled in favor of our former superintendent, And that mr.
greenwell no one else needed to pay the court costs and attorney fees for doctor gausman.
let me also remind you of what judge neary said in his iowa district court ruling issued Back on april 19th of last year.
he said, quote, greenwell displays an attitude of arrogance towards being challenged as to His motives.
he goes on to say that he appears to be dominant, If not controlling personality, capable of imposing his opinions on others,
if unchallenged. I'll continue page seven of the court ruling.
quote, more specifically, that greenwell did not act in good faith, But rather acted vindictive in nature by letting his animosity for doctor gausman to cloud
his objectivity. Judge neary says, quote, pay attention to this one.
greenwell saw an opportunity to take an action detrimental to doctor gausman, And he got behind the story and gave it energy.
it might not have otherwise gained, leading to the suggestion of an investigation by the Board into further action.
end quote. Let me read that again. Greenwell saw an opportunity to take action detrimental To doctor gausman and he got behind the story,
gave it energy it might not otherwise have gained, Leading to the suggestion of an investigation by the board into further action.
so does the general public know what this new request for an independent investigator is Focused on?
judging by most recent cabinet members and administrators who have been forced out. There hasn't been a document like this on the agenda.
in fact, most of all of them have just disappeared from their jobs. Or these meetings here with no mention in the human resources report, Not until much later.
and suddenly there's someone new doing their role. And I can only surmise that that means the district is paying not one, But possibly two salaries for the same role.
so who do we think this agenda item is about? Well, I was in the room for your last attempt to go into closed session when the board President made clear that our new superintendent was the current target.
and after a little more than two months on the job. So is this a repeat of previous bad Behavior by our board members?
bad behavior that has cost our district thousands of dollars in legal fees.
any follow up questions? Thank you. I thoroughly expect a statement issued dan, As you have
been in the past at 3 a.m.
consent action item minus item d consent action items are the following.
board meeting minutes from september 22nd, 2025, Doctor juan cordova.
item b board meeting minutes from october 8th, 2025, doctor juan cordova item c, finance report patty blankenship.
board members, is there a motion to approve the consent action item?
so moved. Second. We have a first, we have a second. Board members any discussion? Seaniece any citizen input?
aye. All those opposed say nay. Consent action item is approved.
future meetings. Board finance and facilities committee meeting, 03:00 p.m.
october 20th, 2025 esc board room. Board policy committee meeting 3:30 p.m.
october 21st, 2025 esc board room. Board student achievement committee meeting 12:00 p.m.
october 22nd, 2025 esc board room. Regular school board meeting 6:00 p.m.
october 27th, 2025 esc board room. Board finance facility committee meeting 3:00 p.m.
november 3rd, 2025 esc board room. Board student achievement committee meeting 12:00 p.m.
november 5th, 2025 esc board room. Regular school board meeting 6:00 p.m.
november 10th, 2025 esc board room. And we already had the superintendents report.
items of presentation, discussion and or action. We are going to go with item ab and I'm going to I had my form here that was going to help Me read it out because I was
ready for that one. Item ab is approval to retain independent investigator for personnel Matter.
board members is there a motion to approve, approval to retain independent investigator For personnel matter?
so moved. Second. We have first we have a second. Board members is there any discussion? And I'm going to recognize myself first.
because we do have prospective new board members in the crowd, New candidates and stuff.
I want to talk to everyone. Why we would go into an independent investigation for school Matters?
and there are several reasons why you would go into it. For an impartial and objective. I. Eliminates internal bias or conflicts of interest, Builds trust and fairness and credibility for the
process, legal and policy compliance. Meets requirement under title 9, Title 7 and district policies ensures
investigations following follow sound legal procedures, Transparency and accountability.
this could answer your question, christy, on the first one. Demonstrate a commitment to fairness and openness and reinforce public confidence in District leadership.
and it was at my request that we put that on the agenda today.
integrity and confidentiality, protects sensitive information, Prevents retaliation conduct by conducted by a trained professional experienced in
investigative protocol. Focus on education, fees administers and hr staff to focus on Students and instruction.
keeps the educational mission as the district's top priority. So, you know, basically ships that out to an independent agency.
risk reduction provides defensible documentation, Professional reports, minimizes exposure to legal or reputational harm.
fairness of all parties. Neutral investigator encourages open participation promotes Equitable treatment for staff,
students and families. Specialized expertise. Access to professional skills and misconduct.
harassment and discrimination cases and others. Offers recommendations for improving policy and culture and hiring an outside investigator Helps ensure fairness,
compliance and trust. Protecting them in the district deal.
as a prospective new board member. You could be a part of this process.
and the process also includes confidentiality.
in order confidentiality basically, you want to make sure that everyone has a fair Opportunity to express themselves in a safe manner,
safe environment, without being exposed. Quick reference.
why would you do it? Allegations include legal exposure to the district, To the individual.
ensures compliance and protect liability. Multiple or complex complaints.
identify systematic issue. Limited hr resources. Maintain timeless and quality. High quality. High confidentiality needed.
protect sensitive data. Low employee trust. Rebuild confidence.
complaint involving personnel. Avoid internal process and bias.
so to answer the other question is. How would we choose this one? Our attorneys recommended and this would be our I would call our state attorneys.
how would you refer that? Gave me a recommendation of who they thought would be good, And I chose that one.
and that that's how I did it
director miller. I had no idea that the school district or that some of you had employed That law firm before.
but I do not think that a law firm that's represented some of you is a fair and impartial Firm.
and I was going to ask different questions about, How much is this going to cost the district? Have we already done an investigation on this
employee? And things like that. But I don't know why we would hire a firm that you guys Have already worked with to be impartial.
well
the firm that we're employing now represented the district in a claim on an insurance Claim originally.
the gentleman that served on that insurance claim was appointed by the insurance company.
so that firm was appointed by the insurance company to cover this. The gentleman that worked on the account moved over to ahlers after that insurance claim Was finalized.
he was employed by ahlers for the entirety of the legal proceedings against doctor Gausman.
so let's get the facts straight and let's know what we're talking about because you don't.
and those are the facts. I never realized he worked at that place so I mean that's it's.
and to me it was like, why would I get involved? I'd keep my nose out of that. So again, impartiality.
so the attorney that represented some board members went to ahlers.
we've expanded our work with ahlers, and now ahlers has advised us to go back to the firm That he came from.
I do not think that is impartial. I think that's incestuous and biased.
and I go
in any form by a board member or by another attorney?
I disagree with your assessment that it's impartial. I don't know to be honest, I don't know any lawyer that would be that would be their job If they were not impartial.
I think the professionalism by this this law firm and their integrity, I'm going to stick with it.
I'm going to say it's good. And as for the investigation, Whether it's this employee or not,
I'm not going to make a comment on that. That's part of confidentiality as far as I'm Concerned.
I saw this on the agenda. And so what I quickly did was a google search and said reasons To bring in an outside investigator for personnel
information. And I would ask that each director take a copy of that.
and ms. Heilman would you include this in the official minutes of the meeting, Please?
thank you.
director meyers. On my 40 years in the public sector, I have observed any number of investigations conducted
in any number of ways. Everything from a hr person investigating something to
a elected officials deciding that they were going to investigate something to a an outside Agency
doing the investigation. My experience is that having somebody outside can end up saving Money
in the sense that by being outside, they may be perceived as neutral.
people can talk to them and feel that their concerns are taken seriously.
the next thing is, in the event that, god forbid something were to go to litigation, There's already a defensible
basis for whatever the district has decided to do.
so I think it's a good a good way to deal to deal with some some issues.
and I'm comfortable with it. And I'm just going to talk kind of directly at the candidates So that you guys kind of understand this,
that you because you're going to if you do get elected to the board, You're going to be in a you're going to be in a situation where a lot of times
people are always going to look for that you're doing it for some ill intent.
even though you're doing it right. So you're going to have you're going to have people out There,
you're going to have groups out there who are always going to question whether or not You're you're being honest or whether you're being you're doing
stuff underhanded. That's always going to be out there. And those are the pressures that you guys are going to end up feeling at times if you're Elected to the board,
regardless of who who brings it up. For me, you know, There's not a person out there that wouldn't like to say,
hey, this is what's going on, but you're bound by the law.
to not talk about it. I would love to be able to defend myself.
but the law says, hey, you can't. And so those are the things that I think you really need To look at is when you get up here,
if you're chosen, there are going to be nights where you sit there and you're going to Have people pour their hearts out to you,
blaming you for this or blaming you for that, Or questioning this call or questioning that call.
and that wears on you. That will wear on you. And that's why I've often said in our deal, you guys are going to need to collaborate with Each other.
you're going to have to have an avenue to process the information you get.
and so that that's just from the experience. And I can only give you guys a little bit About that.
the rest is the rest you'll learn as you go. If you're elected I don't.
I try not to look. It's hard sometimes. I try not to look.
the ill part of it. The ill intent. Number one, I gotta be honest with you.
when I met the lawyer that worked with us, he was at ahlers.
no reason for me to know any differently, you know. But that is how it is. I just think this is the best way that gives everyone
protection and a safe environment. And I know you guys want to know all the dirty details,
but that's not going to happen. That protects everyone and that's all I can tell you.
whether you whether you want to accept that or not. That's up to you guys, you know, but prospective board members, You'll be in this position at some point in time.
just so you know it's not it's not always fun. And you don't always get chick fil a for supper like you do when you do a work session Beforehand or pizza at noon if you want to get on the educational committee.
those are things. So that's all I have to say. Any further response? Director ehmcke. Well, You sit here and you say, what did you say?
what should you not say? This apparently continues to be in the news from my personal Perspective.
you know, I've read newspaper articles that say the law is this, The law is that. And that is not what the law is. I've listened to people in the public square saying, Oh,
it's the law. I've got to have this. I've got to have that. And it's not what the law is.
but what I'll say about tonight is this. We on the board don't know about what's being Investigated.
we do not know but the question becomes how do you move forward?
and the issue on the table to vote on is, how do you resolve the business of a
choice by the board that they'd like to see? Or at least I believe a majority of the board That they'd like to see this
proceeded with, with some confidentiality, but yet also with some finality?
all we are voting on today is whether there should be someone not from sioux city, Not from this
board, not from the staff of the school district, Who takes a look at this and gives us their opinion.
and that's what it will be. When I say take a look at it, We first have to take a look at it.
whether there was anything to take a look at in the first place. There may be nothing that Deserves this kind of attention,
but we don't know that today, and we're not going to get to know that today.
but how do we move forward? You as a community will want to have a better answer.
and we are taking this step is being proposed because of the attention that
the situation has that began with the same lack of knowledge across the board about what Was being done and why.
but we need to do some step. And all we're saying today is someone we have we have
a board president, and we have a board vice president who's not able to be with us because She's on a holiday in another city with her family.
there comes a time when you're on a board that you have to say, Okay, I'm going to trust them to go forward.
so we try to do something to resolve the matter.
I'm not saying that anything should be brushed under the rug, And I don't want anyone out there to think that depending on how I vote,
that I know what's going on. I don't. As far as what complaint if there has been one Exists.
any further comments? Yeah just briefly. Director michaelson.
I guess I would have liked to have had the closed session so I would know what we're Talking about here,
and that didn't happen. It was unprecedented
for a closed session, which is simply solely for the gathering of information, As far as I understand.
and I can't comment on anything because I don't know, Because there was no, because and
apparently people didn't want us, me or anybody else who voted yes to hear what was
we might have heard. It was a request by an employee.
and that's what happened that day. That's it.
any others? Okay. Because I think this is important.
but I think we should do a roll call vote. Mr.
meyers. Aye. Mr. Michaelson. Aye. Mr. Miller.
no. Mr. Ehmcke. Abstain. Mr. George. Yes. Mr.
greenwell. Yes. Motion passes 4-1-1.
okay we are on to the next item. Human resource report board members, Is there a motion to approve the human resource report?
so moved. Second. We have a second by mr. Michaelson.
so is there any board members, any discussion?
seaniece any citizen input? All those in favor say aye.
aye. All those opposed, say nay. Nay. Motion passes 5-1.
acceptance of tentative agreement between scespa and sioux city community school district,
barb caskey is here. Is there is there a motion to approve the recommendation by the Administration to accept tentative agreement between the sioux city education support
personnel association, scespa, and the sioux city community school district?
is there a motion? So moved. Second. We have a first, We have a second.
board members any discussion? Yes, director ehmcke
I see that the union representative, brenda zainer, Is here and I have a question, which is I've read the mou.
I see that it has been signed by the union. And would that be a fair statement that this Is not being the union is not being run over by us to decide to adopt
this or what comment would you have? My comment is
please use yeah thank you chad. Thank you brenda. Thank you. My job is to advocate for more money in my members pockets.
while I may not agree with everything in this agreement, The reality is we cannot turn down those dollars for those
people. Does that answer your question? Did they ratify it?
yes. Thank you. Okay that's what I wanted to know.
so your the people you represent said yes, they want?
they did. It was a very close vote, but yes it passed.
director greenwell
so everybody knows it's kind of a mystery right now. Yeah let me see if I can find the executive summary, Because I want to make sure that I get it right.
we're basically I call it the 110 group. An additional money
per hour. Okay
okay basically what it says is pay for it's section k is what we're going over.
what we're adding money to assistant to regular assignments and foundations, Compass academy verbal behavior or in preschool
programs will go from $1.10 additional to $3 additional.
so that's like $1.90 added on to their regular hourly rate. The assistants who do not already receive the an extra $1.10, $3 and who substitute in special education classroom positions where the
pay is higher, will receive the extra. Employees who regularly receive the additional $1.10 $3.
there's a
assistants who hold a substitute authorization license substitute teach will receive the Second step substitute pay rate.
the district will make every reasonable effort to avoid requiring an employee to monitor Classroom for more than 30 minutes without a licensed teacher.
now, that was the executive summary. Bottom line, We have several paraprofessional openings in some of the hardest classrooms
the most challenging students in the district. And the goal is to increase that so that we can get those positions filled.
when I was a behavior disorder teacher, which is now the called compass academy, I had two great paraprofessionals,
sherry whitney and jeanne peterson. And there are, And I want people like them to stay in those positions,
because what tends to happen is you put in if they deal with the more challenging students And they want a different job,
opens up in a different section, is that how I would put it, Or different lane or different position that does not get that $1.10.
they tend to go to it and we want people to stay where we're at. That's basically sums it up in my in my world.
thank you
yes. I think it's important that, you know what the dilemma is.
the dilemma is that on the one hand, we have paraprofessionals, A small group of professionals who have an extraordinarily difficult
job because of the particular ability and or limitations of the students that they're Caring for in our district.
and they have come forward to say look around you're not able to hire people that do this Kind of work and you've got
students that. Foundation program is, is and the compass program, Our students that
have. Potentially make it difficult for a
regular class of students to have the most productive day.
and so we have paras that help us with those particular students.
and the issue presented to us as employers and as a board is that we have other Competitors out in the community.
that's business. Who are paying more for those kind of services.
the rub is that I believe they're paying more because they're not paying into a retirement Program like ipers.
but we are not able to hire people under our union contract that would not be able to get Ipers.
so that's where the the rub comes in being competitive to hire people or whether our Existing employees would
go someplace else because there's more money today, Even though it might be less in the long run.
the issue that I brought forward when this first came forward, Which is that it needed to be done as a negotiation with our teachers union was a
concern of mine because we are looking down the the road toward what our
legislative leaders tell us will be a 1% ssa, It's student supplemental assistance from the
state. And what you really need to know is ssa means the only money you will get to pay Teachers.
okay? So if we're looking at only 1% and you're in the leadership of the union, For example,
you're saying this is going to be a difficult negotiation the six
and we're adding to the platform where we are.
that will make that an even more pointed, because in the end, If we don't have enough money,
everybody, there's a difficulties with every job we have. And I'm not making light of the difficulty of these particular pairs that are getting this Extra money,
but it does have a financial impact, and it has a financial impact on our entire staff and Faculty.
but we have to come back to the fact that we still need to be able to employ individuals With those skills who can provide
that kind of para service in our school. And so you'll see me vote yes for this, Even though it's very difficult,
because I know that's going to make it hard on the entire faculty represented group in our Negotiations going forward.
but today we need to fill positions that are empty and urgently needed.
maybe that helps you understand the dilemma we're faced with with this vote.
and it should be noted that the money for these positions will be coming out, I believe, out of special ed and,
spending authority is that right? Okay. Which means they can only be used in special ed.
if it's coming, [laughter] we gotta hold the news.
we hope. Director greenwell, this is this is a pattern for which the district started Doing back in
2022. Some of you may remember back in 2022, We looked at the market, and we were well below market for
all sioux's
where we were well below the market and we weren't getting substitutes into our district.
and I think that was that was a major change that we increased sub rates.
we've increased sub rates consistently. When we said we think we're below market, We have to compete in the market.
we did some increases with food service when we thought we were below the market.
we did that. When we look at this special education paras as mr.
ehmcke indicated, we are below market and we're we can't say we're making equal pay Because they don't have some of the benefits,
some of the retirement procedures. But we're making a market adjustment here.
so what this board is doing is again, recognizing that we have to compete in the market For folks.
and that's really what we're doing. It's no, It's no more difficult than that.
we're competing in the market and we have to continue to compete in the market. My guess Is we'll be faced with this issue sometime in the future,
whether it's near or intermediate or long term. We'll have to face this issue. We face the same issue every year when we negotiate Contracts,
for example, our teacher contracts, the ssa that the state gives us, We've exceeded the ssa every year
for the last several years. In the last four years, The average ssa percentage increase from the state is 2.5%.
that's the average over the last four years. The average increase to teacher contracts is 3.6%.
so we're 1.10% beyond what the state is giving us.
why did we do that? Because that's the market. And that's what we felt was the market. And we'll continue to react.
at least my belief is we'll continue to react to the market and try to make market Adjustments as we can.
but under the appropriate bargaining units and the the authority, Both the scespa and the scea,
we have to negotiate under those contracts. We can't circumvent those contracts and we Haven't.
so that is sort of a recap summary. It's the market and we're adjusting to the market.
at least that's, this board member's opinion. Okay. Anyone else? Director michaelson. I think that the only
but the one thing that I have not heard and I'd like to fire that out for, For those of you who are having a hard time swallowing this,
the what hasn't been said yet is these are our most vulnerable children and they
need consistency. And this is probably the one of the positions that is most left.
right? People are people are going going somewhere else because it is a really, Really hard job to fill because it's a really,
really hard job. So please keep in mind, like I said, If you're having difficulty swallowing this.
those children need the consistency of paras that are going to be there.
not just maybe for the year, but for follow them to the next year and to the next year and To the next year
so that's it for me. Doctor juan, do you have an opinion on this?
I do, I think it's. We have wonderful students here in our district with a variety of Different needs.
we try our very best in a variety of different ways to serve each group of students by Exactly what they need.
we have some students that require extra special help and extra special assistance for Their benefit.
and therefore, because of the situation, we feel that we should actually encourage and Assist our teachers in the work that they're doing.
if you have any subsequent questions, just ask one of the teachers what their day looks Like,
and that might help. But it's hard work. Very, Very hard work. I've been doing this 34 years. It's hard work.
and so it is what we're trying to do to make sure that our teachers understand that we Understand the work they're doing,
and they're appreciative for the service they send to give our students.
thank you john. Director meyers I'm sorry. Being the, John is fine.
being the finance guy, just very simply, we have a lot of positions that we cannot fill if Those positions are not filled.
there's potential liability either from suits, From parents saying that we're not doing what we said we were going to or from
other employees that get injured because we don't have enough paras to be with the with The students when they need to be there.
so this is we don't have the money for it either, But we might just as well try to get the the number of people that that we can to
at least keep our word on the services that we will provide.
it's just that simple. Anyone else? Okay, let's open it up to citizens report.
okay
my name is ann o'brien. I live at 4000 monroe
my dad, myself, all three of my kids, all district kiddos.
I'm here to represent the classified employees who do not belong to the union
I just, frankly, can't afford it. In my school, We have 35 classified staff.
I believe two of them are union members
because I don't know everyone's story. I will tell you mine, Which I believe is similar to many. I've worked for the district for 15 years actually, my
anniversary date was yesterday
I have performed about every position in the district, From classroom assistant, special needs preschool foundations at the high school level,
title assistant and building assistant and now I am the office manager and register at Registrar at morningside elementary,
they are all challenging
I'm sorry I'm going to cry. However, after 15 years, My wage is $19.17.
if this proposal is approved, do employees in these positions will start at $19.56?
had I known about this, I would have applied for one of these jobs, But they don't seem to be hard to fill at my school there are none
they're all filled. My take home pay is roughly $1,750 a month, Which is impossible to live on.
I am a single woman. I have to work two jobs, 60 hours a week just to cover basic living expenses
I would also like to add that I'm a dedicated employee. I have 145 sick days, Which is the max.
I have shown up consistently every year, and I never imagined that after 15 years with This district,
I'm still unable to support myself. My frustration was compounded when I heard the Administration was asked to find a way to fill hard to fill positions and settled on a
bonus that is now nearly $2 an hour on august 11th, when angela bemis noted that the addition of 100 paraprofessionals in two Years makes it a hard to fill job,
and the quote the scope of these positions are having are additional and harder work that Felt like a slap in the face
I guarantee you that if the district had to hire 100 people for any position, It would be hard to fill
farthest lane possible, and now it turns out that there's a lane ahead of mine
when I started, the pay wasn't great, but the benefits were really good
actually, you know, making us we had a decent living well, the way the insurance worked has worked over the last ten years my raise barely Covers the increase in insurance costs
well, this year my insurance is free. The $5,500 deductible makes it largely unusable.
I have to ask, what am I and many like me supposed to do?
which for me is only eight years to retirement? Is this the message district wants to send us? That some people's jobs are worth more than Others?
every person in my building will make more than any other employee.
every new employee will make more than any other employee in my building.
I believe this will cause great unintentional animosity throughout every building in the District,
that's all I got. Any follow up questions board members?
thank you. Any more? Rebecca largent. Hi, rebecca.
you know the routine. Rebecca largent, I live at 2019 ross.
there are so many things I want to say, but I'm going to start with what I printed up First. The decision to grant raises to only a select group of instructional assistants is
deeply unfair and unacceptable. Every instructional assistant in this district plays a Vital role in the success,
safety, and emotional well-being of our students. To recognize only a few while leaving others behind is not only an equitable, It is damaging to morale,
teamwork, and trust. Instructional assistants are the unsung heroes of our schools.
they work one on one with students who need extra support, De-escalate challenging situations,
care for children with medical needs, and step in wherever they are needed, Often without complaint and without the pay that reflects their value.
I want to stick in here. It seems in your comments that you're saying that all special ed Paras are getting this increase.
that is not true at all. There are many special ed paras that are not in compass Foundations or the bbc
program. Many of these paras take home less than a living wage, Yet they show up every day with patience,
dedication and heart. To tell these hard working professionals that their contributions Are worth less is not just discouraging,
it is wrong. It creates division where there should be unity, And it sends a painful message that the district values certain rules over others.
even when every instructional assistants work is essential to the function of our school.
fairness and equity are core values that we teach in our classrooms every day.
those same values must guide the district's decisions. If the goal is to retain quality staff, build a strong support system for students, And maintain a positive culture than every assistant must be treated
with dignity and fairness, not just a few. The board has the opportunity to correct this.
extend the race to all instructional assistants. Show that this district truly values the people who support our students, Our teachers, and our classrooms every day.
our instructional assistants deserve better, And our students deserve the stability and respect that comes from a team that feels seen,
supported, and valued. I'm here tonight as a veteran teacher with 22 years of experience Across three school districts,
and I know that our schools cannot function without our assistance.
I am not just speaking for myself or
I have. I have two kids in this game, two of my adult children who have to live with me Because they don't
make a living wage are on both sides of this issue.
one of them on the side that's going to get the raise, The other one on the side is not going to get the raise.
neither of them think that this is a fair decision, And I can promise that this feeling runs far and wide throughout the entire district.
I fear that pitting one para against another will have a detrimental consequence on all of The stakeholders in our
district. Thank you. Any follow up questions board members?
thank you. Seaniece? That's it
all in favor? Oh, let's let's just do a roll call vote on this one. It's a adjustment to a contract. Mr. Ehmcke. Yes.
mr. George. Yes. Mr. Greenwell. Yes. Mr. Meyers.
aye. Mr. Michaelson. Yes. Mr. Miller. I am going to vote no, Because I think we need to investigate it further,
because I think that we are not treating everybody equitably.
motion
motion passes 5-1. Board authorization to request modified supplemental amount for el Excess
costs, patty blankenship. Is there a motion to authorize the request to sbrc for modified Supplemental amount of
$823,010.68 for el excess costs related to limited english proficient
programs? So moved. Second. Is there any discussion board members? Mr. Greenwell.
yeah just for folks who may not know what this means, The state gives us so much per student for el students,
and if we exceed that cost, which we do every year, They're not giving us adequate funding.
it's one of the things we've been lobbying for for years to give us adequate funding for El.
and the same thing you're going to see on sped. But this is basically the amount of money That we spend in excess of what the state grants us to provide those additional
services. So this is the supplemental request. We do get spending what we call spending authority for it.
we get no cash. The cash has to come from taxpayers. And that's what we do is we levy taxpayers for these additional amounts through a Combination of all of our levies.
so that's that's really what the supplemental amount this is the shortfall that the state Does not fund us for the services that we provide those students.
any other board members? Seaniece any citizen input?
all those in favor say aye. Aye. Those opposed say nay.
motion passes and I have to back up real quick because I skipped over the superintendent's Report.
can I do that? Which you said you already had. Which I confused the unity. Oh, okay. The unity presentation.
so sorry. Concussions, maybe? You know, wrestling
go right go right into it doctor juan. Thank you, Short list but just wanted to mention a couple of things.
I did I did speak eloquently and longly about unity elementary and how beautiful the site Was and and what I experienced there.
so I just wanted to reiterate that I take site visits every week I go to different schools Across the district.
it's a great way to explore the district. It's also a great way to just meet teachers and Staff and just get to know them and hear what they have to say.
it's part of the work that I do, and believe very strongly that it's good work for Superintendent to do.
I'm not going to report every time which ones I went to, But I do go across the district.
highlight of the time since the last board meeting was a group of students made an Appointment with me to come speak to me about their concerns about school.
so there's a couple of levels to that. One is that a group of students feel comfortable Enough to send a send a request for a meeting.
I applaud the students for their, quite frankly, Bravery. I would think it'd be kind of scary. But they took care and they came in with plans and Ideas and suggestions and everything else,
which is a great testament to the excellence of students we have and what we're doing with Our students that they feel very comfortable advocating for themselves.
I know we'll continue building that capacity in our students.
I don't think I mentioned this last time, but I wanted to mention it again and the Experience that I had. I visited sioux city museum.
there was an art exhibit about local artists. It's amazing the amount of talent we have in our district.
just beautiful, beautiful talent. It wasn't just kids, It was adults and all sorts of genres and all sorts of different types of things.
I highly encourage you to stop by to take a look at it. It says a lot about our city. It says a lot about our school district because there are Many student exhibits,
and it's just a nice thing to see. To promote that and to encourage them.
besides that while I have much to say. I will just stop there and thank you all again for The opportunity to just share with you what,
what a couple of weeks look like, and I'll be back the next time.
you didn't
connection conference going on in des moines, I believe. Right? Yes, it is and
I do regret not mentioning it. I was so excited about my report that I forgot to write That one down.
but we are always looking to if you will move forward, Sioux city.
and so any opportunity that we have to share what we do and what we do well is an Opportunity that's taken,
I will tell you that I missed the individuals that are not here during this time, But they're doing a phenomenal job in des moines with the with the conference.
and they will be back soon. They're the first. They're not the first or the last of our group that will be presenting that statewide and Eventually nationally,
I would imagine. I would think so more specifically, it's on our utilization of technology and our 1 to 1
all the way through the district. So I think our district is being recognized statewide That our technology utilization in the classroom is one of the better ones in
the state. And they ask us to come down and present on that. So that's where numerous of our academy members are right now.
they had multiple breakout sessions by each one of them, I think 5 or 6 breakout sessions where they were giving specific examples of how how we
did it as a, as a district and what worked and what didn't work.
so very specifically, we were well recognized throughout the state.
we've made the investment in technology in the classroom. Mr. Fengel has been a big part of that. And you know, Something to be, something to be proud of.
okay thank you. Anyone else? Okay. Kind of did a little things a little bit out of order There,
but we'll get there. Okay requests for allowable growth and supplemental aid for negative Special education balance.
patty blankenship and kim neal are here to field any questions. Is there a motion to authorize a request for allowable growth and supplemental aid for Negative special education balance in the amount of
$4,832,585.30. So moved. Second. Board members, Is there any discussion?
director greenwell. Just for for everybody's interest.
last year it was about $2.8 million when we looked at our special ed programs that we Needed to enhance,
we added additional special ed teachers and special ed paras for that program.
so we increased our, you know, services to special ed, Which the state does not reimburse us for.
and that's why the balance is $4.8 million. It was about $2.8 million last year.
this will be an ongoing and probably growing expenditure as we continue to support the Increasing number of sped,
sped students and the services they require. Again, It's spending authority.
it's not cash. We have to get this cash from taxpayers via levies.
anyone else? Seaniece any citizen input? All those in favor say aye.
aye. All those opposed, say nay. Motion passes.
item e, main overlook mou between the city of sioux city and the sioux city community School district.
mr. Vanderloo is not here, but I'm sure. Mr. Okay.
mr. Kilburn can talk to it if questions are needed.
is there a motion to approve the mou between the city of sioux city and the sioux city Community school district.
so moved. Second. We have
briefly mr. Kilburn, can you kind of give us a quick rundown as to what this is all about?
yeah. So we are we formulated an agreement between us and the city of sioux city to for Our construction trades program,
which is junior senior pathway to build eight houses over the course of the next four Years,
with one being due may 30th and two being due per year for the next four years.
and the funding for that has been secured by the city? So so we're going to fund the house and they're going to purchase it from us at our cost.
so with with what's in the mou as the agreement. So we have to get two bids. They have to be built in america by america, Which we've already reached out to the local contractors and make sure that's doable and
so yep. Okay. Any follow up questions? Okay seaniece any citizen input?
thank you, mr. Kilburn appreciate that. All those in favor say aye. Aye. All those opposed, say nay. Motion passes 6-0.
mou between the sioux city community school district and the siouxland habitat for Humanity.
is there a motion to approve the mou between the sioux city community school district and Siouxland habitat for humanity?
so moved. Second. Board members, any discussion?
mr. Kilburn, is that you as well? Yes, sir. Why don't you speak to that one?
yeah so this agreement's a little bit different. We're just formalizing the collaboration, the handshake agreement that we've had in place With habitat for humanity for the past two years.
this one's quite a bit easier for the city of sioux city or the sioux city school District,
because habitat essentially hands us over the credit card and we purchase all the Material.
we build the house for them. They take care of all of the financials, All of the burden of moving everything.
so we just build the house for them and our kids gain the skills. It's awesome I appreciate that. Director greenwell.
one of the things we also learned at the finance committee was not only are we building Houses,
we're going to build sheds. So any of these small sheds, You know, eight by ten, you know,
ten by twelves, we're going to build those in addition to the houses. So our students are going to get, I call it light construction light construction Experience as well.
can I add a little bit to that? So. You betcha [laughter]. Intro to construction sophomore Class.
we call it the
so our new teacher, daniel cooper, has instructed them to build these sheds.
we actually have three that are about 90% complete and they are for sale.
right excellent
I believe that that's up to the board because it has to be a bid process because they are Public funds.
that is my understanding of it. I will be abstaining and waiting [laughter]. More than
in it for material for about $1,000. Fair enough. And it's just one style, I would assume or? Correct, Because this was we used a lot of leftover materials from the house that we the previous
project house that we built. We, we just had they're pretty standard six by eight.
but however, if somebody were to preorder, we'd get some new skills for the sophomores.
we could build to specifications. Thank you. Any other input, Doctor juan?
sorry about that
out of there. What do you call that? Barn? I call it an airplane hangar, Because
so I got a call saying that the house is going to be in progress, Right? It's going to be moved. And so I drove out there and I waited and waited and waited and I Thought,
house. But it's not a house it's a very, very long house.
very technical to get it out of there in such a way that nothing gets broken along the Way.
kids were very excited about it. But it's an amazing thought that from nothing to that is What our students did,
and someone's going to be living in it right away. So it's a great deal about the program And the leadership of the program.
we have some great instructors down there, I'll tell you that right there.
I appreciate that. So any sense and input? Okay.
all those in favor say aye. Aye. All those opposed say nay.
motion passes. Thank you, mr. Kilburn. Item g, Mr.
holland's opus foundation. Have you ever seen the movie? That was pretty cool. Jarod mozer, who does anyone going to be able to speak to that?
okay, if you need answers or questions regarding mr.
holland's opus, email mr. Mozer. He'll be able to help you out.
is there a motion to approve the pursuant of a grant funding through mr.
holland's opus foundation for the purchase of eastman instruments for irving elementary?
the potential grant, if awarded, would be roughly $80,000.
so moved. Second. Is there any discussion board members?
seaniece any citizen input? All those in favor say aye.
aye. All those opposed? Nay. No, I don't mean say nay.
motion passes 6-0. Item h memorandum of understanding between the sioux city community School district and unitypoint health
saint luke's child advocacy center. Doctor dora jung is here to answer any questions if Needed.
is there a motion to approve the memorandum of understanding between sioux city community Schools and the unitypoint health saint luke's child advocacy center for licensed
clinicians to provide therapy support for 2025-2026 school year?
so moved. Second. We have first, we have second. Board members is there any discussion? Seaniece, Any citizen input?
motion passes 6-0. Item I, fiscal year 26 ipad lifecycle purchase.
chad fengel is here to answer any questions if needed. Is there a motion to approve the purchase of 500 apple ipads at $324 each, Headphone jack adapters at $9 each,
for a total of $166,500. To support elementary students as a part of the district's Lifecycle replacement plan?
so moved. Second. We have a first. We have a second. Board members any discussion? Seaniece any citizen input?
no those opposed say nay. Motion passes 6-0. Luxedo court projection system.
jim vanderloo, bj koch. Neither one are here.
is there a motion to approve the purchase of the pioneer program court projection system From luxedo for the price of $32,500,
with one show created by luxedo? Am I saying that right?
luxedo. Luxedo? Luxedo. Luxedo
so moved. Second. Board members, any discussion?
director miller. What are the educational opportunities that this provides?
and why is this a higher priority than lights in the gym and things like that?
this was the school's individual choice. We had the same question at finance committee.
why are you using these funds? What are you what are you using these funds? And the school itself said this is from our activities fund, And they chose to do this was their top choice.
I believe that you can speak to it. That was the top choice that they chose. And that was it is that that's what we understood a combination of things
I'm brian, I work at east high and I want to grab the microphone there so every online people, All 17 of them.
yeah brian drents I teach, I teach and coach at east high and then also at the career Academy.
so it's being funded with student activities. We also have a fundraising group. There's a group that approach us that's paying for half Of the expense.
so it's not $32,000 out of our pocket. It's just a portion of that.
I forget what the question was. Why did we choose to do this? Really student engagement And connections with our youth program.
it really turns our basketball court into a into a screen that we can use.
yes. For basketball, volleyball. We also look at dance.
student assemblies. There's a ton of things that we can do to just create some Connections.
and honestly, we're just chasing student experiences like we need our kids to stay in Sioux city schools.
we need our kids to stay at east high, where I'm coaching, And we just view this as a great opportunity to create some really special memories.
we attempted to do something like this about ten years ago with a one projector, And I was there at the gym,
and it was an amazing experience. And I remember from ten years ago, And we want to provide the same opportunities for our students now.
and we're getting in. We're the first school in the state. That's why we're getting a 30% discount on it.
and this fundraising group that's with us, that's going to help us pay for it. Is was also part of the last one 10 years ago.
and they're motivated to help us out because we think it's a great thing to have our Students experience that.
I also think that in our committee meeting, this system was offered to all the high Schools at the same price.
that's correct. Yeah, they approached us. We went through it. Chad was in on those meetings and we had a we had a price for all three schools, And we were the only one that took advantage of it.
I know the district leadership, that was one of the questions on their deal was, Would you offer that to the other two high schools?
and they said they would. And different choices for their first choice
and I think I don't know about west if they've got. Some interest, but not at this time
okay. Any other questions board members? Okay.
seaniece any citizen input? No
aye. Those opposed say nay. Nay. 5-1. Item k contracts for board approval.
mr. Vanderloo, mr. Mozer. Is there a motion to approve and execute the contract to support Student learning and activities?
so moved. Second. Board members any discussion?
seaniece any citizen input? All those in favor say aye.
aye. Those opposed say nay. Motion passes 6-0.
item l facility rental agreement, mr. Vanderloo. Mr. Mozer, is there a motion to approve and execute facility rental agreement?
so moved. Second. We have a first we have a second.
board members, any discussion? Seaniece is there any citizen input?
no aye. All those opposed, say nay. Motion passes 6-0.
item m, second and final reading on board policies. Doctor cordova is here to answer any questions.
we have 505.18 student education records. 505.19 student directory information.
506.4 student library circulation records. 709.3 student transportation for Extracurricular activities.
and policy 800.1 expenditures for public purpose.
is there a motion to approve the list for the board policies for second and final reading?
so moved. Second. We have a
seaniece any citizen input? All those in favor say aye.
aye. Those opposed say nay. Motion passes 6-0.
it's that time. Is there a motion for adjournment? So moved
all those in favor say aye. Aye. All those opposed say nay. This meeting is adjourned.