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

[5:47] On this meeting of the Robin still area school school board to order, today is Monday, June 15,
[5:52] 2026, it is 601 PM, where in the Education Service Center ballroom, welcome everyone.
[5:59] I want to start by reading our land acknowledgement.
[6:03] We acknowledge Robin still area schools is located on the home lands of the Dakota and
[6:07] a Jiveway people. We recognize the painful history of genocide and forced assimilation of
[6:13] the indigenous inhabitants of this land.
[6:15] We honor and respect the many indigenous people who live on and hold sacred these lands.
[6:21] And we stand with members of these nations to fight injustice and all of its forms.
[6:25] We uphold the preservation of Dakota and Ojibwe languages, plan-based education, and tribal sovereignty.
[6:33] All ready? Let's have the clerk call the roll.
[6:36] with pleasure, Director Bassett.
[6:39] Director Bowling marks herself here, Director Britainson.
[6:42] Chair Evans Becker.
[6:44] I'm here.
[6:44] Director Hill and Brandon.
[6:46] Director Long.
[6:48] Director Wuto.
[6:49] And Dr. Stolo.
[6:51] We are all present.
[6:52] Excellent.
[6:52] All right.
[6:53] The next thing up is a approval of our agenda.
[6:55] Do I have a move to approve our agenda for tonight's meeting?
[6:59] So moved.
[7:00] We're by Director Britainson.
[7:01] Seconded by Director Bassett.
[7:04] All in favor of approving the agenda please say aye.
[7:06] I suppose they know we have an agenda and let's go right along to the special report.
[7:12] The special report is the Brooklyn Bridge Alliance for Youth and before I know you
[7:18] are going to introduce Dr. Williams?
[7:19] I sure will.
[7:21] And I would just want to mention that on that committee, yes, our board clerk, Dr. Bowman and
[7:28] Dr. Princeton.
[7:31] Okay.
[7:31] Well, we're delighted tonight to get a reported update and have you with us, so thanks for being that here.
[7:38] I'm going to go ahead and hand it over to Executive Director, Anthony Williams, to give us some context and introductions.
[7:45] All right, good evening, Dr. Stallow.
[7:48] Good evening.
[7:50] Chair, Ms. Becker, members of the Board, Dr. Stallow.
[7:53] So, we're going to talk about this evening in the spirit of theme C, collaboration and partnerships.
[7:58] will be hot in a number of partnerships tonight, but we're going to start in a Brooklyn Bridge
[8:02] Alliance for you and is Executive Director, Becca Gilgain. We'll be presenting some of the
[8:09] work that they've done with us this year. Thanks, Anthony. Can everybody hear me OK? Chair,
[8:15] Evan's Becker, and the school board members, it's lovely to be here today. I wanted to say thank
[8:21] you to Anthony Williams and his team here. We've had an exceptional year, especially as two years
[8:27] with in partnership with the district and I'm really excited to share some of the things that
[8:30] we've been doing together.
[8:32] So thanks for having me tonight.
[8:34] Bebe, I'll call us that.
[8:37] It has been, it was established in 2013 for newer members of the board.
[8:42] We are not a nonprofit.
[8:44] I always like to say that very clearly, we are a joint powers organization.
[8:49] That means we are a publicly formed entity of nine public partners.
[8:53] The four school districts that serve the two cities of Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park,
[8:57] Hennepa County and the two community colleges.
[8:59] These nine entities come together to advance positive youth development.
[9:04] That's their sole purpose for being a partnership together.
[9:07] Our work is shaped by our strategic plan, which we recreate every couple of years.
[9:14] And our mission is to actually be a backbone organization that coordinates efforts to build a system of high-quality opportunities for young people
[9:22] that make sure that kids graduate, find that pathway to college and career and that young people are safe and well.
[9:28] And so these initiatives shift year to year based on the needs of young people, the aspirations of young people, but also the capacity of our partners,
[9:37] and the collaborations that are needed shift over time.
[9:40] We have three primary goals, number one with our strategic plan currently.
[9:45] increase our partners' ability to respond, right, to shift the things that we're doing.
[9:51] Do different, do something new, right, number two, increase young people partnering and
[9:57] leading this work.
[9:58] So currently, right now.
[10:00] With our summer, we should just, our swamp with seasonal hiring, which I know anybody around summer programming is in the
[10:06] think of that. We have about 33 young people on staff right now. With our, we have staff of nine people.
[10:13] So, we have young people embedded as partners in all of our work, and I can't tell you how much this has accelerated and deepened our success.
[10:22] Number three, increase your results in eliminating predictable disparities.
[10:28] in terms of graduation, that's probably most relevant for the school district, but also young
[10:32] people's trajectory to college and career and their safety and well-being.
[10:38] I like to kind of, this is a less attractive slide than all of our youth work slides
[10:44] of the things that we're doing, but it is, I think it's important to articulate that BVA is a strategic
[10:50] partner to the school district. As I mentioned at the beginning, the work that we do shift
[10:54] over time. But it kind of falls in one of these three buckets, coordination, engagement, research
[11:00] and innovation. And so over time things shift and change, and we'll talk about some of those
[11:06] projects today. Some of the things we've done with the district in the past has been a partner
[11:11] on professional development in the community education department in years past. Really, now we're
[11:16] on thinking about like how do you build a high quality youth program, the intentionality that
[11:20] you measure the results of that, how do you resource those high quality programs and really
[11:25] deepen that youth engagement in that out of school time so that the benefits can then come
[11:29] back during school time hours.
[11:33] Yeah, so let's talk about some of the ways we've been engaging youth and adults.
[11:37] At D. Bay we start with not just data but partnering with this is a group of young people,
[11:44] the youth data squad. Every two years at the Alliance, we hire young people, we train them as
[11:50] community researchers. They develop in partnership with us a survey that we give to other
[11:57] young people. This survey is a statistically significant survey, so we've about 411 young people
[12:03] in the city of Supercomciner and Brooklyn Park get surveyed. These are also proportionate,
[12:08] racial lead to the different cultural communities that we have, so that the information that we get back
[12:14] is then used to shape our strategic plan and to shape the direction we go. Some of the things that
[12:20] are the themes we ask young people all the time about their goals and dreams not just the barriers
[12:25] or challenges they face, but what are their aspirations? What do they want to see in place?
[12:31] Topics in the 2024 survey included mental health relationships, safety technology and their interests
[12:37] in life. And as I said, this data is used to shape all of our efforts. And we know that school districts
[12:46] are overwhelmed with data and information. You have plenty of it. And so we try to offer through
[12:53] the youth to survey something a little bit more nuanced and a little bit more shaped by young
[13:00] people's perspective about what's important to them right now. I wanted to highlight for the board
[13:05] in the last survey, the number one goals and dreams, 66% of all the youth participating in this survey said financial stability.
[13:17] And I wanted to share this because I want to ask the board just to reflect at 15, 16, 17 years old was this on your mind.
[13:26] Right? So, I think the reality that a lot of young people are telling us in this and through
[13:33] our work, right, is that they need opportunities for employment, they need opportunities
[13:38] to see that the work that they're doing right now is taking them and their families in a
[13:43] direction towards stability, towards financial stability. So we think about how we are weaving
[13:49] that into all of our work. It is exactly why we have so many young people on staff and we have
[13:55] is that young people are getting paid work experience, not just through our summer programming, but through all of our work.
[14:03] Some other key themes, mental health has been persistent and consistent as an issue.
[14:09] I think we're going to be our youth service, 2026 youth service underway.
[14:14] I was just sharing with Director Bastard that we've just hired our crew for the summer.
[14:18] They're onboarding today right now.
[14:20] we speak. Mental health will likely be another theme that we that young people are talking about.
[14:28] We're also talking about the way that that intersects with other issues such as chemical health
[14:33] and exposure to gun violence and safety in community.
[14:39] I'll kind of leave this question with the board and we'll come back to it at the end.
[14:45] We're getting ready to do this survey. The young people are constructing their questions now.
[14:49] We've had a chance to share the same question with the school board of the two city councils and gather their feedback
[14:57] We'd love to hear from you tonight
[14:58] What do you want?
[15:00] I want to know from young people. So, hold that question as we're kind of going through this and we'll come back to that at the end.
[15:07] Ebibi, we have a couple of major initiatives. The first I'd like to share a little bit about is the reimagined Black Youth Mental Health Initiative.
[15:15] This was begun in 2023 with a federal grant through the Office of Minority Health.
[15:20] It has survived and now transitioned into full being fully funded for the next five years through state funding.
[15:27] This is a tremendous success in the current climate, and what I would say that this work is really around shifting the narrative around how we engage young people around their mental health, strengthening the ecosystem of support, and challenging the conditions that are actually causing unwellness.
[15:45] Rachel Warren, who is a superb coordinator of this body of work and the advisory that leads this work, and just want to get shout out to Tony Patterson here and other staff,
[15:56] who participated in our work,
[15:59] of really connecting students from Cooper
[16:02] and Ravansdale to participate in the reimagined summits
[16:05] and to participate in shaping this work.
[16:07] So the first couple of years,
[16:10] we're really asking Black youth,
[16:12] what is it that you need to protect your mental health
[16:15] and the answer was clear, safety.
[16:19] Safety from violence online,
[16:22] excuse me, from bullying online,
[16:25] digit on harm online, safety from gun violence in community, and safety from racism in schools.
[16:31] None of those things are about a young person, per se.
[16:34] Those are all about the ecosystem around those young people and the conditions around them.
[16:39] So our work is kind of for us, right, around those three issues.
[16:43] And the first iteration of that, the first go was the school board had all our school board
[16:50] partners were looking at the cell phone policy, and so we had young people engaged in
[16:54] cell phone policy, but districts were also asked, not just to create a policy about cell
[16:58] phone use, but also how to address mental well-being, right?
[17:01] So we helped develop in partnership with Minnesota Department of Health, the digital well-being
[17:06] safety online curriculum that we are now packaged in voice to scale up in partnership with
[17:11] the Family Resource Center.
[17:13] So that would be something that would be looking at in this upcoming school year, but essentially
[17:16] it's an eight-week curriculum, youth center to approach, how do we help young people have a
[17:21] positive use relationship to their cell phones,
[17:24] but it doesn't interfere with their sleep,
[17:26] but they understand the pros and cons,
[17:28] how does it make them feel, social media,
[17:30] how it targets them,
[17:32] so that they can have an educated, being educated user,
[17:35] but also understand how do I intervene
[17:37] in those online spaces, right?
[17:40] So then I'm not a by-cender,
[17:42] such that things escalate and then show up
[17:44] in the hallways at school or out in community, right?
[17:47] How do I become an active person online
[17:50] and create safety there.
[17:52] So that was the initial pilot project that came out of year one.
[17:56] In this year we're focusing on safety from gun violence and community.
[18:00] And I'll just pop over here to talk a little bit about, well, let me go here to the
[18:06] reimagined safety summit and I'll come back to the project that we did with Robert
[18:10] Sales last year.
[18:11] We held a summit on May 8th, awesome partnership, Robin's Hill, thanks Gantoney,
[18:16] loaded a whole bus, a young people to come out to the Community Activities Center, but you know the purpose of the summit was a space for young people to share their experiences related to violence
[18:26] In vision that changes that they want to see participate in healing activities and collective support. This is really an important through lying for how we work.
[18:34] Is it when we're engaging young people about these difficult topics that we're fulfilling them up as much as we can with with how to heal, right?
[18:42] So, the afternoon, difficult conversations in the morning,
[18:46] the afternoon was therapy dogs and basketball and candle-neaking and dancing and music and food,
[18:53] ways that they can all connect with each other and be safe and whole, right, and body that.
[18:58] And it's what their bodies move, which is a really critical part to wellness.
[19:02] And as kind of the art from the event, the theme that emerges where safety exists, healing begins,
[19:09] such a powerful message that young people brought in that opportunity in that, in that day.
[19:16] I wanted to go back one step here and just here we had an awesome partnership this last spring.
[19:22] I'll just point out Marquita there in the pink reimagined shirts, she's the new staff,
[19:28] our outreach youth engagements staff who partnered with the district, both Brooklyn Center and Robinsdale through an MDE youth voice and well-being project.
[19:37] So, Marquita partnered with the staff over at Hydeau and started to just engage young people
[19:43] about what was happening in their school, what was impacting their well-being, and the youth
[19:50] identified both issues, but also solutions to improving school engagement at Hydeau and student
[19:55] well-being.
[19:57] They talked about over the course of several months.
[20:00] The importance of culturally responsive programs, relationship building and spaces for empowering youth.
[20:07] Their recommendation was to create an affinity group for girls at that site next year.
[20:14] I mean, this kind of project has two fold outcomes.
[20:18] Immediately, the young people feel things like increased support between each other. Kids who didn't talk about these kinds of issues in class, right?
[20:26] talking about them in a group, improving communication between each other and with other adult
[20:32] staff, developing coping schools, skills, things issues came up, right, and that was actively
[20:38] opportunities to coach through conflict, right, and helping young people address conflict that
[20:43] may be coming up, greater emotional and self-awareness. These were all outcomes that we surveyed,
[20:48] you used that were pre-imposed, pre-imposed tests who participated in the group. These were
[20:52] things that they named where the outcomes for themselves.
[20:55] I will say that in addition to those very important outcomes is we have a follow up meeting
[21:00] scheduled for July to circle back on how we can partner to implement a girl in power group
[21:07] at high view and continue this work.
[21:10] Just really recognizing, obviously, that if young people don't feel that kind of affinity
[21:14] in that connection to school, we know that they're not going to stay connected to school.
[21:19] right so we want to partner with the district on that and continue to do that work.
[21:24] And I also just want to say I think I said this, but thanks to Anthony for writing
[21:28] this little grant and getting this opportunity in place so that we could, and that the funds
[21:32] by the way were used to stipend for young people to participate in the group.
[21:37] So focusing on how to we get young people resources to be a part of the solution building in our work.
[21:43] Another key piece of youth-centered policy is a real central theme to the Reimagined Initiative.
[21:52] We, at this chart, this data here, we have had questions around, with, you know, this notion of mental health.
[21:59] What is the relationship between mental health and chemical use, drug and alcohol and tobacco and other drugs, as well as economic hardship and safety?
[22:08] So we wanted to understand these intersections.
[22:13] And we're looking at commercial tobacco use among students, right?
[22:17] So overall, that green line in the middle is 4.9%.
[22:20] That's like the average commercial tobacco use for students, 4.9.
[22:25] So present, which is 5% that actually feels kind of low, right?
[22:30] I mean, of course we don't want young people with any commercial tobacco.
[22:34] But when you start to look at the intersections of young people who have experienced
[22:37] economic hardship that disparity is stark, striking, right, the stress and that comes from
[22:45] economic hardship, not feeling safe, or those who have experienced gun violence, these young
[22:49] people are at much greater risk for not just, you know, using to commercial tobacco, but
[22:56] obviously a set of leap coping skills, right, to deal with the stress shows in their environment,
[23:00] and this is all tied to mental health. So we're really starting to see how these are all intersecting
[23:06] And our group is working with North Point, Health and Wellness, and Tobacco Free Minnesota,
[23:13] really understanding all of these data issues related to tobacco use, looking at Minnesota.
[23:20] Students survey data policies from other cities about what cities and what are,
[23:25] what the Alliance partners can do about this.
[23:27] School boards have already set in place policies related to, you know, tobacco-free campuses
[23:34] and such, but we know vaping is a virulent issue.
[23:38] Still happening across our school campuses and ways that are impacting students' health
[23:43] and safety, right, throughout buildings.
[23:47] So the user is going to be working over the summer on this project and then preparing recommendations
[23:52] for program policy and process actions to protect young people.
[23:56] So that'll be coming fall of 2026.
[24:00] If anything surfaces related to our school district partners,
[24:03] I'll connect with Anthony and we'll see,
[24:05] you know, see and touch base back on that.
[24:07] But we anticipate, primarily working with
[24:10] our city councils on this.
[24:12] Yeah, so, reimagined.
[24:15] So shifting to our other major initiative right now
[24:19] is a Minnesota Department of Education
[24:21] in a three-year grant.
[24:23] Debate isn't normally operate programs.
[24:26] Youth programs at this scale, our public partners
[24:29] offer lots of youth programming.
[24:32] And when we went, said about just
[24:33] a certain discerning, whether or not to write this grant,
[24:37] kind of the thoughts were one.
[24:39] This is the biggest investment in after-school programming
[24:42] in like over 20 years.
[24:44] And we would be remiss if we didn't try to leverage these funds
[24:48] for our community.
[24:50] So, in partnership with all of our schools, we said they said yes, eBay, write the grant and let's figure out how to kind of serve each of our high schools together.
[24:59] So, we are...
[25:00] At Cooper, Champlain, Burk on Center, and Park Center. So serving four school districts, which is just a lot of fun navigating all those different contexts.
[25:10] You know, it's a lot of similarities with some differences, but the kids are fantastic, and it's been a really good opportunity to really deepen the programming that we're doing in our program part with our partners.
[25:22] So, what are we doing?
[25:24] Number one, this is the first piece was actually response to the 2022 youths use survey.
[25:31] When we asked young people about their experiences related to COVID,
[25:35] like what are they still feeling?
[25:37] They impact?
[25:38] We asked, are you still feeling the impacts of COVID?
[25:40] And they were like academically yes.
[25:43] So, one of our, we didn't operate tutoring programs,
[25:47] but we have spent the last years building and growing
[25:51] culturally responsive tutoring and after school study in homework space, it really reflects
[25:55] both the culture, youth culture, but also the racial and cultural identities of youth participating.
[26:01] We have peer tutors that we hire, student tutors, so we hire to participate in this space
[26:05] as well as lead tutors. This is really a great opportunity and amazing partnership with principal
[26:11] Smith over at Cooper who has really, you know, we came in and had she's made a lot happen in that space
[26:19] and so, and we're excited to see it, they, yeah, okay, I feel good they knew we were excited
[26:26] to work with her at High View too. So that's great. Anyhow, so cultural response of tutoring
[26:32] is growing. Affinity groups, I think this is an area that we also saw related to young
[26:39] young people in the reimagined policy platform around safety and well-being and
[26:43] of nursing racism in schools is ensuring that students of color have safe spaces and that after
[26:49] school and out of school time space to connect with other students that look like them.
[26:54] So we've used our grant funding to support Black student unions, Latino circles,
[26:59] mung clubs, each site that we have, we can support two roughly two affinity groups that need support,
[27:07] right? Some are often running and fully supported and really developed and others need
[27:12] seed funding and resources to help them get up and go.
[27:17] And the third program we operate is use on board.
[27:21] We developed this program back in 2019 with actually replicated it from Northfield community,
[27:28] which launched youth on board for the first time.
[27:30] Essentially we train young people and prepare young people to sit on city commissions and
[27:36] city boards and hiring panels.
[27:38] If any place where young people were decisions are being made about young people, we want young
[27:43] people to be prepared to participate in those spaces.
[27:47] So when we launched this, before we launched this in 2020, the BBA Board expanded from 13
[27:54] directors to 17, we added for youth directors to our board, to embody the thing that we
[28:01] were doing.
[28:03] Our youth council used to come and sit alongside our board, but they needed to have a vote
[28:07] in what was happening at the Alliance.
[28:10] But anyhow, we train young people across the four sites
[28:12] at the different high schools
[28:13] and prepare them for public service.
[28:15] We also work with city commissions and other boards
[28:18] to prepare themselves to receive young people,
[28:21] to understand what their bylaws are and their charter,
[28:24] et cetera, so that when young people do come to the table
[28:27] that there's readiness there for adults.
[28:31] The last piece we've elevated used is the summer program.
[28:34] This is a free six week program.
[28:36] we really asked all of our partners like where's the gap for summer and they're like school
[28:42] aged care is covered you know that's that's one thing jobs and employment for kids over
[28:47] 16 you know once they turn 16 they don't want to be in a program they need a job so we're really
[28:53] targeting that group of students that is you know two old for school aged care and two young for
[28:59] employment, so that 14, 15, some 16-year-olds, and so we start next Monday, and we will
[29:07] be at Robinson-Middle this summer, hopefully about 40 young people, so summer is on its
[29:15] way, or it's here. It's happening. It's definitely happening.
[29:22] As I kind of start to wrap up as
[29:24] important as all of our youth engagement is, is the adult engagement,
[29:30] in some conversations
[29:30] that I've been having with young people, you know, I've been asking them like, you know,
[29:34] what do you really need from adults? And one of the things that has really stood out to me
[29:39] is the simplicity of the answers that I've gotten, which is like, we need adults to show up,
[29:48] come to our stuff, show up to our events. Let us know that you see us and that you appreciate the
[29:56] things that we're doing or just be present to understand what's going on.
[30:00] So, I want to shout out the adults in her governance structure that take the time to come to our reimagined Blackies Mental Health Day at the Capitol, our sneaker ball that we held, Senator pause, come out to our youth on board and had a conversation with Park Center students, and it was a really profound experience of this elected official sharing her own experiences of anxiety.
[30:30] And with students and saying, like, you know, leadership is, you know, can be scary.
[30:35] But you just have to keep doing it in order to get good at it.
[30:40] And one of the students reflects back to her.
[30:42] So me coming to use on board is going to help me get better at dealing with my anxiety.
[30:49] And she's like, yeah.
[30:50] But it's like simple conversations like that that help young people's make that connection
[30:55] between why and after school program can help you turn the corner on an anxiety and an
[31:00] issue and a mental health issue or getting the strategies you need to be successful in
[31:05] school and in life, right? So just really want to shout out. And the numerous partners
[31:09] that we have had both obviously are nine public partners, but also are community-based partners
[31:14] like Kapper and Kappy and Acer and North Point Girl Scouts, Intentions, all other kinds
[31:20] folks that we work closely with over time.
[31:25] Um, engaging youth, a key in our governance structure is our Brooklyn's Youth Council,
[31:29] the Brooklyn's Youth Council is a representative group of about 12 to 15 young people
[31:36] that identify issues that matter to young people.
[31:40] They, they review the youth's youth survey data and they identify things that they want
[31:44] to take action on and we use the BBA budget and funds to help resource their projects and
[31:50] help elevate this particular youth project to our board of directors as well.
[31:57] Okay, so that's it, that's all I got.
[31:59] What's next for being a continue to strengthen our youth leadership and adult capacity building.
[32:04] We are seeing huge results from partnering with young people in the way that we are.
[32:10] Our work is just better.
[32:13] The quality of the work that we're doing is more interesting.
[32:15] and young people are more and more engaged.
[32:18] So we're gonna continue down the pathway that we're on.
[32:21] We are going to continue to aggressively leverage resources
[32:25] from state, philanthropic, and others
[32:27] to benefit our community.
[32:28] I think we're all coming out of this legislative session
[32:31] having an experience, let's leave it there.
[32:34] And the next one's gonna be a doozy, right?
[32:36] And so we're all gearing up to being at that table
[32:39] and preparing young people for the next youth day
[32:41] at the Capitol where they can go and talk to the elected
[32:44] officials about their lived experiences and what's important to them.
[32:49] And then third to affirm our joint powers, our current joint powers, ends at the end of
[32:54] this year.
[32:54] So we'll be bringing that to the school board and all of our nine public partners to reaffirm
[32:59] that joint powers and beautifully kick off a new strategic plan in 2027.
[33:06] So we're really looking forward to reflecting on what has worked, where we need to
[33:10] and what we want to do together.
[33:13] So I'll leave it there and come back to that question
[33:17] if we do have, I mean, I've got a few minutes
[33:19] before the links game.
[33:22] So, but I'd love to receive any questions
[33:24] from the school board if you have them,
[33:26] but I also love to hear any comments
[33:28] you might have related to what you would like to know
[33:31] from young people.
[33:36] Thank you for the presentation.
[33:39] I think the biggest, as I was listening to this,
[33:42] But I love, I think I'm actually not on this committee.
[33:46] I was looking, I'm not on it only, a director moment is.
[33:49] So my question is, what more can we do?
[33:52] Do you want another person on the committee?
[33:54] I'm happy to jump in.
[33:57] What can adults?
[33:58] You mentioned showing up.
[34:00] I got an opportunity to work with some of the students at Cooper
[34:03] since I'm there all the time.
[34:05] So just kind of curious from your perspective.
[34:08] Thank you for that question.
[34:09] I think one, yes, the ways that we can show up to youth events.
[34:15] I think we have a really big opportunity at high view to demonstrate to students that we heard what they said and that we will do something about what they said.
[34:24] And so, you know, we'll see what that is going to look like, but that is definitely going to take some resources.
[34:30] And I'd be happy to share kind of details of what the students went out and surveyed other students at high view.
[34:36] there's data that they're in information from students about some policy changes that they would recommend
[34:40] related to scheduling, that is for the district to digest and some immediate resource thing
[34:46] around creating an affinity group that is some ways that be vacant helpful, but I think that would be a
[34:51] great place to start is to affirm that we heard and heard what young people said and where we can
[34:57] take action to do so. I think would really...
[35:00] Modivate, not only those students, but Modivate students at Hibia.
[35:04] Well, I'm assuming that's information is heading to, I'm seeing the headnotes.
[35:09] So, the information,
[35:13] the information from Hibia will be over here to the superintendent.
[35:18] Thank you. Thank you.
[35:20] Thank you.
[35:24] The auditor table number.
[35:26] It sounds like you. First of all, thank you very much for the presentation.
[35:29] and the concise, very articulate, appreciate that.
[35:34] And I'm interested in an ongoing flow of information
[35:37] from your organization.
[35:40] And it sounds as though you have larger, smaller surveys.
[35:44] You're always asking questions.
[35:47] And that's really important to be in that circle.
[35:51] And I would be interested in having just a regular amount of information
[35:57] of the surveys that are done, it's always interesting to find out about the partners that
[36:03] you work with in the programming that is happening, do the grants, et cetera, et cetera,
[36:07] but it seems to me like that information you gather on almost a daily basis.
[36:15] I'm actually, I'm actually really grateful, it's not on a daily basis.
[36:20] Let's be clear about that, but I think one thing is that every quarter for board meetings
[36:28] and we can connect on this to we'll elevate data and information that might meet over
[36:35] you can come back and share here or that we can connect on individually any time.
[36:40] I would say to another opportunity is that as we build out our news for TIGIC plan to think
[36:44] about the way that administration, whether it's
[36:48] superintendent, static, and maybe another additional board
[36:51] member, or yourself for sure, participate in our strategic
[36:55] planning process, so that we can chart that course together.
[36:59] When we built the last one, we built it with a group of about
[37:01] 30, 15 young people, and about 15 of our adult partners.
[37:05] And I mean kind of anticipating for this event
[37:08] that that may be a little bit more.
[37:09] And you all know, that's a time commitment.
[37:11] but the deeper the understanding and the deeper we decide the direction we want to go together,
[37:18] I think that and as we build that, we start all of our strategic planning with data and information
[37:25] and the research and the learning that we've done over the course of the year.
[37:30] Yeah. That sounds wonderful because I know in that that's really customary. That's what happens at
[37:35] Yeah, of course.
[37:37] And where there's a little bit of input then, but yeah, learning more from your group is important.
[37:45] Thank you again.
[37:46] Yeah, one last thing I'll mention on that, we are working on a joint session with the two city councils to do a shareback of this year's youth youth survey data, which could be an opportunity to kind of broaden that to maybe all of our governing bodies.
[38:03] But don't want to add beatings to your calendar, but we don't do slide decks with data.
[38:10] We are going to call it, it's a data party, but like, I don't know.
[38:15] Yeah, we need that.
[38:17] Dr. Long and then Director Hill and Ben.
[38:21] Yeah, so haven't been on a part of your group in the past.
[38:26] I was just really impressed on how well prepared students were to come and be in the space.
[38:31] and we had our board meetings with all of us adults,
[38:36] the feedback that they gave us was incredible.
[38:41] And then kind of the way you guys
[38:43] then went about listening to the youth
[38:46] to create the program,
[38:47] I mean that you guys created was really impressive too.
[38:52] So kind of going back to your question
[38:54] and some of the information that you shared here.
[38:56] I'm kind of wondering for our youth in high school, middle school, maybe even elementary.
[39:05] What would that look like feel like and what adult language would they need to hear?
[39:12] For them to feel like adults were addressing the racism that is happening within our educational institutions.
[39:26] Received.
[39:27] Thank you.
[39:27] Hey, how did you learn?
[39:31] My question is, and I, you know, I've been a supporter of Brooklyn vigilance from
[39:38] beginning pretty much, and you know, a staff member was involved on committees, and,
[39:44] and so, you know, this comes from a place of wanting to replicate this.
[39:49] So, you know, very few of our students as a percentage are residents of either of the Brooklyns.
[39:55] And so, my question is, as a school district,
[40:00] How do we, because your charges for the kids who live in, you know, people who live in Brooklyn,
[40:07] park or Brooklyn Center, right? And so how do we take all this great stuff that you're doing
[40:13] to serve those students? And as a district, this is really more a question, probably, for you, Anthony,
[40:22] is that how do we then take the great stuff that we're learning and then build it out for all of
[40:28] students in Robinsdale, which goes for all of the schools, right? There's only one that's actually
[40:34] entirely in Brooklyn. So, and how do we help learn from what I just do, or FBB, or FBB, or FBB?
[40:46] Sure. So, that was actually one of my first charges when I joined the district was to
[40:53] to look at what B-Bays doing and how to sort of expand some of their work throughout
[40:58] components of the district, I think that we're working with Becca and Liz at the leadership
[41:02] team.
[41:03] We have a lot of additional access, so it's not, it's not, you know, the flight of focus is
[41:07] booked when residents are booked listening and booked when park, all the students who are
[41:12] attending Cooper who are participating in the, in the opportunities, they're not all those
[41:15] residents.
[41:16] So we've expanded access there, we've expanded access and I have you, and we've also taken
[41:20] certain things like are you like not are you don't bored but we took the you don't
[41:24] bored model and that is we use that to create the youth council. Brooklyn
[41:28] Virginia Alliance actually came and presented and then we took that while we
[41:31] don't have youth board members yet. We were able to save it to create the youth
[41:35] council was impacts you know multiple schools in the district so we just take
[41:38] little nuggets and then we also look at other partner models as well but that is how
[41:42] we're trying to expand expand the impact in the reach without necessarily
[41:47] changing what BBS.
[41:52] Thank you. I would just like to say thank you for coming and sharing all of this
[41:55] great information and also for hiring all those students this summer. I think that's wonderful
[42:00] Dr. Bassage, Jesus. I agree with you. So thanks for being here. It's really good to see you and you know
[42:08] went from my time and become a bridge alliance. I enjoyed everything. This is good that people said and
[42:18] and I constantly frame, you know, I mean, I've been in a little tension, but as I look at what you have and I look at the numbers of students that you've had that have been from Cooper in other places, I'm very pleased because I see that is growth and change.
[42:33] So your primary audience, I've wondered about three things, and I wanted before I forget to say that I think Commissioner Lundey has been a great friend and champion for all of the work you related work up that way.
[42:45] You know, as I just want to give him some kudos for that, um, but, um, so is it bus, that medical bus still going?
[42:53] Do you remember the bus? I mean, it was maybe a stuff, whatever it was. It was a medical model that went around and helped the students.
[43:00] I don't know if that's still going or not. I did wonder about, um,
[43:04] that's not my makeup on the go. Part of our health on the go?
[43:08] The health on the go. That's it. Yes, the two cities. So during COVID, we helped the city
[43:13] strength in their public health response by designing a mobile public health unit called
[43:18] health undergo and the two cities do continue to operate.
[43:22] But the cities are not doing that any longer so we don't, that's not available.
[43:27] They know they are, they are, that was the question.
[43:29] Yeah, you don't go.
[43:30] I just couldn't remember the name of the group because it's been a little while.
[43:34] The main question kind of really kind of had to do with this affinity group support and
[43:41] like that you already working with director Williams on some of those ideas. And so that's
[43:47] good news to me because my understanding is that our African American affinity group is down
[43:52] right now. Is that accurate? So that's not your area, but it's not the group that we're talking about
[43:58] with Bebe is the student affinity group. I think you're speaking more so to our parent affinity group.
[44:04] Yeah, also so two different groups. And then that will be under the working with the cheap
[44:09] integration and they do a lot of the parents of any of the groups.
[44:13] That's true.
[44:14] My main point is that that group is not active right now, the parent or a student.
[44:19] And so what's such a high percentage and population of students.
[44:23] So that's why I said it's not necessarily a fair question for you, but I think it's a fair
[44:26] question.
[44:27] Let me look into that.
[44:28] I want to confirm our affinity groups at Cooper, because I want to confirm I'm pretty
[44:34] sure it helps support the black student in there this year.
[44:38] I mean, that was telling me my staff, so I mean, that's kind of a question and it's also, you know, an area where it'll be emphasis, it should be, you know, if it's not operational, it should be, you know, and if there is something happen, then I got misinformation because I didn't, I didn't know if somebody told me so.
[44:56] I can circle back and confirm and send that to Anthony, it had worked really well.
[45:00] And get back down that. One of the things in addition to the affinity work funded through the after school program is the affinity work happening through the Black East Mental Health Reimagined Initiative, which all students are invited to participate in our in our districts.
[45:18] They twice a month holds a black youth space, which is a black youth affinity group for all kinds of different schools and folks.
[45:27] as well as the summits that we host,
[45:29] which are for all students in the all students in the district,
[45:32] not just any particular site.
[45:34] No question, all students have always been important and always will be.
[45:38] But I do think that in the current environment that we're in,
[45:41] and to keep tension down, I think that,
[45:43] especially if students are actually talking about racism.
[45:47] Yeah, and then they have no other.
[45:49] So if students are talking about it, instead of other things,
[45:54] I think that maybe that may be an opportunity.
[45:55] and it was not that we needed lean into it better than fights.
[46:02] Well, like I say.
[46:05] Need very else?
[46:09] Thank you very much.
[46:10] Thanks very much.
[46:10] Thanks very much.
[46:11] Rest of your evening.
[46:12] Go, yes.
[46:12] Thank you.
[46:14] Thank you.
[46:18] Ready to talk some more.
[46:20] Yes.
[46:21] Way to stay prepared.
[46:22] All right.
[46:23] Next up, Robocil area redesign update, also with the instructor at the new Williams.
[46:29] And are you in or do you see and I'm on the redesign, the Board of Representatives is direct to
[46:37] Bensit.
[46:39] All right.
[46:40] Well, thank you again.
[46:41] Chairman's record members of the Board, Superintendent Tinnistalo, once again, and then, you
[46:46] know, in the theme of things C, collaboration and partnerships, we thought it was important
[46:51] to highlight two of our critical partners here in the district.
[46:54] You first heard from Brooklyn Bridge Alliance, not even going to hear from a nice smith and
[46:59] I'm going to do a redesigned partnership.
[47:01] All right.
[47:02] Good evening, Chair, board members and superintendents.
[47:05] My name is Nishis Smith and I serve as the coordinator
[47:07] for redesigned areas, schools, family service collaborative.
[47:12] Thank you for your support to share the update on our work.
[47:15] So tonight I'll provide a brief overview of redesigned
[47:18] and highlight key accomplishments, partnerships over the past year
[47:21] that have impacted our students in programming.
[47:24] I'm excited to share about how our collaboration
[47:26] has strengthened this over the last year.
[47:34] Before sharing outcomes, I want to briefly ground our work in the purpose of the collaborative.
[47:40] Revision exists to bring public and private partners together around a shared goal, creating
[47:45] coordinated systems of support for our children and families.
[47:48] Our work is rooted in collaboration, family center decision making, and a strength-based approach.
[47:54] We focus on improving mental health supports, strengthening early intervention efforts, and
[47:58] increasing protective factors that help families remain stable and resilient.
[48:04] We serve children from birth through age 21 as well as their families with a particular focus
[48:09] on those experience in barriers, developmental concerns, disabilities, and adverse childhood experiences.
[48:16] The intent is to move away from working in silos and instead coordinate services across
[48:21] systems so families experience more seamless and effective supports.
[48:25] The
[48:28] issue has truly been a year of rebuilding and re-engagement.
[48:32] We focus on strengthening our governance, re-establishing partner participation, and creating
[48:36] a stronger foundation for future growth.
[48:39] We successfully re-engaged our required governing partners and renewed focus on collaborative
[48:44] decision-making.
[48:46] In addition to strengthening our structure, we begin planning for the future by exploring strategies
[48:51] to increase youth and community voice, including rebuilding our youth and bachelor program,
[48:56] and developing long-term sustainability planning.
[48:59] This work positions redesign to be a stronger and more supportive collaborative moving forward.
[49:06] Our first two priorities focus on mental health, healthy development, and early intervention.
[49:12] Through school linked mental health services, 837 children and youth receive supports this year.
[49:18] Helping address the emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs that can impact learning and school success.
[49:24] Additionally, 113 students receive CTSS supports providing targeted skill-based and intervention
[49:31] supports. We also continue supporting our youngest learners through the helping us grow our
[49:37] hug program, which are 478 children from prenatal through age 2. These early supports are critical
[49:44] and identifying needs, early and helping children enter school ready to learn. To gather these efforts
[49:50] represent a continuum of care for early childhood who adolescents.
[49:57] Our third priority focus is on strengthening protective factors.
[50:00] This is a supporting family stability. Through our partnership with the diaper bank of Minnesota, over 2000 families received diaper assistance, while diapers may seem simple, they are critical, they are critical basic need and can significantly reduce stress for families with young children.
[50:16] We also train 50 participants in youth mental health first aid and provided ACEs and resilience training to over 100 community members.
[50:24] These trainings help adults recognize signs of distress, respond effectively, and better support children and youth experiencing challenges.
[50:32] By building knowledge and awareness within our community, we're strengthening the network of supports surrounding our students and our families.
[50:43] One of our most impactful partnerships continues to be ready to set smile.
[50:47] This year we expanded services from four to seven elementary schools continue serving two middle schools in expanded access to the early learning center.
[50:56] As a result, 571 students received dental services, more than 1,500
[51:01] silenced replace helping to prevent future dental issues and over 300
[51:06] cavities were treated.
[51:08] Importantly, many students who received services may not have otherwise
[51:11] had access to preventative dental care.
[51:14] Early identification and treatment help reduce barriers to
[51:16] attendance, concentration, and overall wellness.
[51:20] This work reflects our commitment to addressing the whole child
[51:23] by supporting them with health and academics.
[51:27] Another important partnership and accomplishment this year
[51:31] was our implementation of wrap around minigrants,
[51:33] which were designed to support community organizations
[51:35] as they responded to increased family need during metro surge.
[51:41] Rather than direct service funding,
[51:42] these dollars were used to strengthen the capacity
[51:45] of trusted community partners,
[51:46] so they could quickly provide housing,
[51:48] utilities support, transportation, food, medication,
[51:51] and other supports needed to families.
[51:55] We awarded funding to nine community organizations
[51:57] allowing our partners to respond rapidly
[51:59] during a time of increase need.
[52:02] The funding strength and strength
[52:03] excuse me, the community partners ability to respond
[52:06] during Metro Surge, ensuring timely support of families
[52:10] and reducing barriers to students
[52:11] attendance, engagement, and well-being.
[52:14] As we look ahead, our focus is on building upon
[52:17] the strong partnership systems.
[52:19] we've strengthened over the past year.
[52:22] We will continue investing in our community partnerships
[52:24] that directly support children and families throughout the Robinson area,
[52:28] whether it's addressing their basic needs,
[52:30] expanding mental health supports,
[52:32] supporting early childhood development,
[52:34] our increase in family engagement.
[52:35] These partnerships allow us to extend our impact beyond
[52:38] what one organization can do.
[52:40] We also remain committed to elevating our youth voice
[52:44] through the real establishment of our youth ambassador role
[52:47] continuing to identify sustainable funding opportunities that support long-term success.
[52:53] Ultimately, our goal is to serve as a connector for solicitation and catalyst for collaboration,
[52:59] ensuring that children, youth and families have access to supports they need to thrive and succeed.
[53:04] Thank you for your continued support of the Robin Zill area redesign family service collaborative.
[53:09] The work highlighted tonight is not only possible because of the strong partnerships amongst
[53:14] our district community organizations and county agencies and our families.
[53:21] Yeah, that's impressive.
[53:23] Before we just go to questions, I do want to highlight and recognize that, you know,
[53:28] I'm nice to really step into take over the design.
[53:31] I really, on tough time, we had a director that you are made with for 30 years.
[53:37] And, you know, our redesign was in the position to really probably dissolve.
[53:40] I think that was one of the recommendations that's important in time.
[53:43] And this is the nicest first year as the coordinator of a design.
[53:48] I would be remiss not to not a chair in the work that she's done this year.
[53:53] So thank you now, I'll pass it back to you.
[53:55] Thank you.
[53:56] Thank you.
[54:03] Dr. Bassett did you have?
[54:05] And I came on just as Director of Vento was leaving and it's really starting January.
[54:13] And I think I told you this in a meeting with our other partners who are there.
[54:16] but I look for a great opportunity to say this publicly
[54:20] because having been around here from many years
[54:26] and the inception of redesign and through the former director
[54:30] and now some transition,
[54:32] I have to say I'm so very grateful for your coming in
[54:36] and taking the helm of that and doing a fine job.
[54:40] And it's not an easy job and just see
[54:43] the regrowth of our former chair, who now is retired from that position, the deliberate rebuilding
[54:50] of partners who are mandated partners to serve on that and to see the level of engagement
[54:56] from those partners and the meetings is.
[55:00] It's really good. So I really appreciate that. I appreciate your hard work. And then I think it's our new chair is Mr. Gray. He's an officer on the
[55:11] Robesdale Police Department, if I understand correctly. And he's a community liaison for Robesill. I'm sorry, pardon. He's a community liaison for
[55:18] Robesill. Yes. Well, thank you for clarifying his actual role, but I know it works for the, you know, Robesdale. And so, and I'm pleased to
[55:27] agreed to serve as a vice chair under the rest, but in any of it, so thank you for your
[55:32] work.
[55:33] Thank you for your service.
[55:34] When I heard that you were going to get the job, I was like, hey, I've seen you work,
[55:37] you're working those community schools, that realm, and you've done a great job, and I appreciate
[55:42] it.
[55:43] Thank you.
[55:46] Any other hands?
[55:49] Great.
[55:49] Well, thank you very much for your work that you're doing for the rest of
[56:02] our consent agenda.
[56:04] The items on the consent agenda are routine in nature and are in activists in the motion unless
[56:08] the board member chooses to remove an item from the consent agenda, in which case will
[56:12] where we will consider it, is there a move to approve our items on our consent agenda tonight
[56:19] are the monthly professional development report, meeting minutes, five monthly disbursements
[56:23] reports for June 16, Business Office Monthly Contracts, Community Education Monthly Contracts,
[56:30] participants for May, monthly budget to actual report, and licensed in non-licensed personnel
[56:36] reports.
[56:37] Do I have a move to approve of the consent agenda?
[56:39] So moved.
[56:40] Move by Dr. Bowman, second by Dr. Printison, not seeing any hands-up.
[56:45] Let's go right to a vote, and it's pretty much sorry.
[56:48] Oh, yes?
[56:49] I'm going to clarify the case.
[56:50] So we got an email about its TA, that's not on this one.
[56:54] Not on here.
[56:57] It's just, I have said I mentioned.
[56:59] Okay.
[57:00] This is a roll call vote. So let's do the roll call vote on the consent agenda.
[57:08] Director Wuto? Yes.
[57:10] Director Long? No.
[57:12] Director Hill and Brand. Yes.
[57:14] Chair Evans Becker. Yes.
[57:16] Director Brennan? Yes.
[57:18] Director Bowman votes. Yes. Director Bassett? Yes.
[57:22] We have a motion for bills.
[57:24] Six to one? Yes.
[57:26] Thank you very much.
[57:27] Motion prevails. All right.
[57:29] That will set us up to unfinished business and item A is reimagine our deal vision 2030 recommendation to the board review and comments to pretend to sound excellent.
[57:39] Thank you very much. Good evening board members.
[57:42] We've been working toward this night in different ways for the last two years. Tonight's conversation is no surprise.
[57:49] We've had this data on the timelines that we've communicated to our community for several months.
[57:55] Ultimately, tonight, we'll be asking the Board to make the first of some important decisions related to a building bond.
[58:02] And the scope of that potential bond required for the review and comment should the Board as a whole decide to put a building bond request for a ballot.
[58:11] As we consider the past two years of complex and challenging work, I want to bring us all back to the compelling why.
[58:18] for needed change. I believe it's some level, school board members who hired me,
[58:25] knew the challenges of the district's current reality, and the urgency to take action
[58:30] and make significant changes on behalf of our students and community.
[58:35] My team and I have accepted those expectations and responsibility
[58:39] for recommendations toward improvement, and we have brought forward recommendations
[58:45] and revisions based on the direction of the board as a whole and community input.
[58:51] We didn't just come up with recommendations.
[58:54] This is not an administrative plan.
[58:58] It is a community-driven board-directed plan.
[59:02] I want to take a few minutes to review the processes that we've designed and implemented
[59:06] to get us here over the past two years.
[59:10] We reviewed academic outcomes and examined root causes to help inform action aligned to ensuring
[59:16] excellence in curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices for student access.
[59:22] We've collected data to help inform the identity of Robin'sdale area schools, aligning
[59:27] the strengths of the district, and the hopes and dreams as we build our future.
[59:32] We completed a demographic study with Rake Piesel Rinehart to ensure that we were planning
[59:39] with the best student enrollment data possible.
[59:43] We completed a comprehensive facility's assessment with
[59:46] Nexus to get accurate data on the condition of all of our
[59:50] buildings so we could determine needs and prioritize the most
[59:53] urgent needs.
[59:55] We engage the community in a robust process together in
[1:00:00] About their desires for our children and the future of Robin Stellerie schools, we ensured broad community input opportunities through a survey, town halls, community engagement meetings, community pop-up events, staff meetings and student meetings, and we convened a 40-member community vision team to review all of that data and bring forward recommendations to the board.
[1:00:23] After eight months of meetings, study, data analysis and discussion, the recommendations from
[1:00:31] the reimagined our Dale Vision 2030 team were presented at the school board on September
[1:00:36] 23rd, 2015.
[1:00:39] We then commissioned Morris Latherman to do a residential survey of the recommendations to
[1:00:45] engage community perceptions of our school district and support of the vision team recommendations.
[1:00:53] We spent several months reviewing data and plans and listening to our community as decisions
[1:00:59] were made regarding building closures and consolidations as well as other budget reductions
[1:01:05] in order to create, seek board approval for, and submit the statutory operating debt plan
[1:01:12] to the Minnesota Department of Education.
[1:01:14] We continue to work through the Reimagined Artile Options over the course of 24 board presentations throughout the past nine months,
[1:01:23] ensuring that we were following the direction of the board as a whole, well-answering individual board member questions.
[1:01:30] More slotherman completed another residential survey in May to see if community perception
[1:01:36] had changed and it has as a result of ongoing communication, education and community engagement.
[1:01:44] The survey also helped inform the board about the scope of a potential referendum given
[1:01:50] the tax tolerance of our community.
[1:01:53] All of this work has been in service to our students and community.
[1:01:59] Our compelling why is to transform our school district into one that reflects what our students
[1:02:06] want need and deserve to be successful now and into their futures.
[1:02:12] We've worked to build trust in our community.
[1:02:15] We've worked to improve our reputation by addressing safety concerns and ensuring stability
[1:02:20] and district leadership through an experienced and competent team.
[1:02:24] We've listened to our community, we've been responsive to the direction and questions from board members in our planning.
[1:02:33] We serve all or parts of seven cities and educate almost 10,000 students in this one school district, this one community.
[1:02:43] And as I've said many times, I was hired to make this school district better.
[1:02:47] I've been fortunate to work with a team that has invested the time, energy and expertise
[1:02:55] to work with the school board on a way to improve our district, from current reality
[1:03:01] in all areas to our desired state that will sustain us into the future.
[1:03:07] And this has been a long road with many twists and turns, but our planning has been intentional,
[1:03:14] inclusive, transparent, centered on the needs of students, thoughtful, and strategic.
[1:03:21] All of this brings us here to tonight.
[1:03:24] We're prepared to provide recommendations based on the directions the board has
[1:03:28] a hole is provided over the course of the last nine months.
[1:03:31] The board has a hole will determine tonight if you're going to go out for a building boundary
[1:03:35] quest.
[1:03:36] If you do, you will see that our recommendations include three questions for the community
[1:03:42] to decide the scope of what that looks like for Robinsdale area schools.
[1:03:48] This has been a collaborative process and I'm grateful to our community, the school board,
[1:03:55] my team and our partners, including Nexas and World for some heavy lifting getting us
[1:04:00] here tonight.
[1:04:02] So thank you for that and with that, I'd like to turn it over to Dr. McDowell.
[1:04:07] Good evening, Jarvin's Beckert and Board, community tonight, in addition to myself, we have
[1:04:13] our partners from Nexus here with us, we also have our partners from PTMA with us, we
[1:04:19] have the whole Heizel here, so we have the team to try and answer questions as best as we
[1:04:26] can as we were through this.
[1:04:28] The presentation that's been shared with you really doesn't contain new information, it
[1:04:36] based on our conversation last week, and so as Superintendent Stalo spoke to, I'm going to
[1:04:44] walk us through three potential questions of which you and the at the end of the night could pick
[1:04:53] none of them, you could pick one of them, you could pick two of them, you could pick three of them.
[1:04:57] In addition to that, there were a couple of...
[1:05:00] Additional questions around clarifying or trying to clarify for people what happens if there is not a voter approved bond.
[1:05:08] And so we've included it under yet another slide in that just to try and help clarify that.
[1:05:13] And then we inserted some slides just specific to the review and comment to try and help work through what can be a confusing piece of just that process.
[1:05:26] because I'll say it will say it a couple different times tonight but the review and comment
[1:05:31] is a document at the end of the day here. If you vote to approve the review and comment you're
[1:05:38] essentially voting to approve nexus to submit the review and comment on our behalf to the
[1:05:44] Minnesota Department of Education that gets reviewed and comments back if they need to be to
[1:05:56] August right on there to actually then decide on bond questions. Referendum ballot questions.
[1:06:05] So again, the review and comment is a step in the process. It's definitely docking.
[1:06:12] So the first slide I'll walk you through again, not new information, but just to walk everyone
[1:06:19] through it, our listeners as well. What we've heard last week is that the majority of the board
[1:06:26] wanted us to put together what question one would look like.
[1:06:30] And this slide is question one.
[1:06:33] We included the diagram from last week,
[1:06:36] so you could visually see what was going
[1:06:38] where.
[1:06:39] And then on the far right, you'll see question one
[1:06:42] in this scenario is around the $343 million mark
[1:06:47] or approximately $15 a month.
[1:06:50] And that also includes $116 million in LTFM, the movement of early learning to kneel,
[1:06:59] fair crystal, becoming a four-section elementary school of C's,
[1:07:03] Olson Stating as a three-section.
[1:07:07] Armstrong High School would house Spanish immersion, high-view community,
[1:07:11] had adult academic programming.
[1:07:13] It's limit to middle school stays as a middle school,
[1:07:17] performing arts classrooms and stages like we talked about last week
[1:07:20] at the two middle schools, but we would need to eliminate the pool lobby project.
[1:07:25] And at this point, Lakeview houses ESC and Robynsdale transition center.
[1:07:31] So that that, as I'm using the word loosely, but as a package, is what visually and verbally
[1:07:41] articulates what the essence of a question one would be, the dollar amount it would
[1:07:47] for and the potential impact to the average home tax pay.
[1:07:54] The next slide does the same thing
[1:07:56] but for question two. So question two as you can see on the right hand side of the slide we have
[1:08:04] an increase of $2 a month or approximately $17 a month because question two is contingent
[1:08:13] on the passing of question one. So a resident would see question one, and they would be notified
[1:08:22] that if question one were to pass, would you be willing to approve or not approve a question two,
[1:08:32] which would raise the total amount again to about the $360 million option, which we saw last week,
[1:08:39] Again, everything's laid out for the most part the same in those bullets below that, but essentially it's a 360 million dollar ask, and you'll see that changes happen like Samberg being having their pool converted into the theater.
[1:08:55] So, what we see here is with the additional tax implication, RSI moves to Plymouth, middle school, becomes Sandberg, and the high school at the Armstrong sites.
[1:09:11] We're able to make that move from buildings.
[1:09:18] The third question then is a question about the RMS site.
[1:09:24] So on the bar right you can see as we talked last week this would be an additional $53 million
[1:09:32] ask or approximately an $8 month increase this question would also be contingent on question
[1:09:42] one passing. So questions two and questions three would be contingent on question one passing.
[1:09:52] So there is a scenario where you could, if you did all three questions, questions one and two
[1:09:58] could pass.
[1:09:59] Questions?
[1:10:00] 1 and 3 could pass, or questions 1, 2 and 3 could pass.
[1:10:08] This is the option that puts a new elementary
[1:10:12] school on the RMS site and because it's contingent on the first question getting approved. That
[1:10:21] would mean it's this and all of the things in question 1 would be a part of the package. So if I
[1:10:28] go back to question one, you would have $343 million for the approximately $15 a month,
[1:10:42] and then you would have the $53 million for approximately $8 a month. That's how it would
[1:10:49] work. If question one and three passed. If question one, two and three passed. You would
[1:10:56] question 1 plus question 2 for the 17 million or 17 approximate dollars a month and the approximate
[1:11:06] $8 a month for all three of them.
[1:11:11] So on question 3 on this slide on the far right I kind
[1:11:14] of give you also an idea of what happens. There's a question about what happens to fair crystal.
[1:11:19] And so we can ask more specifics of nexus in terms of how all the different buildings get laid
[1:11:25] out and the choices. But remember what we're trying to figure out how to do is most efficiently
[1:11:31] use the existing sites in a financial way that we can do all the other stuff at the same time.
[1:11:40] It doesn't end up with a perfect result. But what you can see on the mid-right there is if question one
[1:11:47] And question three, where to pass?
[1:11:51] Bear crystal would become the home to ESC and RTC.
[1:11:56] If questions one, two, and three would
[1:11:58] where to pass.
[1:12:00] Bear crystal would, because of how the buildings get laid out,
[1:12:04] ESC, community ed, and adult academic program.
[1:12:07] So a little bit of a difference.
[1:12:09] The other reason I wanted to have this in there
[1:12:11] was just to show you that as something simple changes,
[1:12:14] That can change how things get configured and everything kind of has that domino effect.
[1:12:23] And we can come back to these slides as we move through this.
[1:12:27] But I also wanted to answer the question that came up again about a non-vole,
[1:12:31] what happens if we don't have a voter approved vote.
[1:12:35] And very as simply as we can get it, regardless of a referendum,
[1:12:39] we still haven't anticipated $2 million reduction for next year's planning
[1:12:44] and for the year after planning and really what ends up happening without a building bond
[1:12:50] as you as a board get put in a position if you think about those two filters that we've
[1:12:55] talked about, right? We're trying to balance efficiency and effectiveness in equity,
[1:13:01] is there a little feasibility and sustainability. You really get put into a position as a board
[1:13:07] to make decisions only for efficiency and only for feasibility. Because we're really
[1:13:14] trying to make reductions in the most efficient way possible because all we can do is fix
[1:13:19] like for like at this point.
[1:13:21] So we lose the balance of that.
[1:13:23] That's about the easiest way that I can explain that.
[1:13:26] More specifically, what that would end up meaning is, and we talked about this before, is
[1:13:31] reducing district footprint on the left hand side.
[1:13:35] Most likely, the options would include some type of a reboundary so that we can reconfigure
[1:13:42] high school space to start with, and free up high school space utilizing long-term facility
[1:13:48] maintenance dollars only, freeing up those spaces in the bigger building so that we can put
[1:13:53] other programming. An example would be as the lease comes up for the CLC, what type of that
[1:14:00] programming could we put into a high school? Could be other things, but that's essentially what
[1:14:06] the you could expect the first suggestion from us to be. Additionally, we're going to be looking
[1:14:11] reducing elementary buildings to maximize our occupancy.
[1:14:16] Don't want to say, say, occupancy, not class size.
[1:14:19] To maximize occupancy, only using LTFams.
[1:14:22] We wouldn't be able to expand anything.
[1:14:24] We could fix stuff.
[1:14:25] We could repair it.
[1:14:26] We could make it look nicer like for like, but not make it bigger.
[1:14:30] And then we would be most likely looking to remove sunny hollow building
[1:14:34] from the footprint, which means in this scenario
[1:14:38] without a voter approved bond.
[1:14:40] We would need to reduce RSI, Spanish immersion to 500, so we could figure out where's the best building for that to go in that scenario.
[1:14:49] On the right-hand side, it's a little more focused on programming, and I think this is where a lot of the questions come from.
[1:14:56] What can you anticipate? What happened? What we can anticipate?
[1:15:00] The debate is that our decisions are going to be based on how do we reduce operational costs, right?
[1:15:06] And then also gain instructional spaces. So what that looks like is we be focused on core instruction and special education instruction at all of our elementary schools.
[1:15:18] Everything else would take a second seat to that because not all of our elementary schools are created with the same size, the same layout.
[1:15:26] So, we would have to come from the angle of, where can we put the most classrooms, where can we support with the most special education, that means that we're going to have to start transferring staff to carts.
[1:15:40] To make it all fit, we're going to have to look at how do we share spaces, all of those types of things.
[1:15:46] And then we would be looking at all of the current non-instructional spaces and how do we make those into something that can be used as an instructional space.
[1:15:56] Do we need a library media center in the way that it's being used now?
[1:16:01] Or can we take half of it and make it into a classroom?
[1:16:04] Things like that.
[1:16:05] I mean, that's...
[1:16:07] You asked for what might this look like.
[1:16:09] This is what it might look like.
[1:16:11] We would reduce programming.
[1:16:13] And this is not just instructional,
[1:16:15] but also activities and athletics.
[1:16:17] That requires expert transportation.
[1:16:20] You could expect us coming to you with
[1:16:22] How can we reduce as much transportation as possible?
[1:16:26] It's an expense.
[1:16:28] Then we would be looking at how do we do programming
[1:16:32] that is based solely on student enrollment?
[1:16:37] So what that means is take a high school as an example.
[1:16:41] At a certain point we need to be running a minimum amount of classes every period
[1:16:46] because we have a certain amount of kids that need to be in the class.
[1:16:48] But that's what we would have to start looking at.
[1:16:51] is what's the minimum amount of classes we can run
[1:16:54] in order to be the most efficient
[1:16:58] as we look at making $2 million plus a year and reductions.
[1:17:04] And then at the elementary level,
[1:17:05] we'd be looking at operating classes at maximum levels
[1:17:09] to start with.
[1:17:11] All right, we have things in place to cap it,
[1:17:15] but this is what we'd be looking at.
[1:17:17] So, again, this slide was at the request of the board, what does it potentially look like as we look through all the stuff and the reductions we've made this year, what we know we potentially are looking at for next year and the year after, this is what the next layer of recommendations from a concept looks like, as far as what would we be discussing.
[1:17:43] And to that end, no more, or district administrator wants to be in this position, right?
[1:17:51] However, back to Superintendent Staule's initial statement, enrollment, programming, staffing,
[1:18:00] facilities, decisions have created this career in the Korean circle stance.
[1:18:07] It just is what it is.
[1:18:10] It didn't happen overnight, it's a compounding effect of different decisions at different points in time.
[1:18:17] And I would argue that it's the reason why we have to continue to look at things through those two filters.
[1:18:26] To keep us on a path or not only is it something we want to do, but we have the ability to pull it off and we can sustain it all the time.
[1:18:36] Whether it's a voter-approved bond, the referendum, or not, doing nothing is not an option.
[1:18:43] We have to do something, it's just a matter of what is going to be the constraints put upon us in making those decisions.
[1:18:54] Any decision, any action we do is going to continue to be a process of complex coordinated, multifaceted solutions focused on maximum flexibility.
[1:19:05] Again, it's just constraints, is what it will be.
[1:19:09] Do we have a lot of flexibility to do things, or are we going to be our sandbox going
[1:19:14] to shrink so that we don't have a ton of flexibility, and we're just going to be operating
[1:19:20] in a way that focuses only on efficiency and feasibility.
[1:19:27] So with that, I want to shift a little bit into the review and comment.
[1:19:31] So what are we trying to get to with these one, two, or three questions?
[1:19:34] So the review and comment is made up of the things on the following slides.
[1:19:42] So you as a board, essentially, after this presentation, the next action item is a recommendation
[1:19:48] to provide nexus the ability to, on your behalf, submit a review and comment based on the decisions
[1:19:55] you make with potential questions for a ballot.
[1:20:00] That review and comment includes the starting of this. It's an introduction, a simple introduction. It includes the district address context. It includes all the names of the school board. It includes our financial consultant and the financing process. It includes the program manager. That's next.
[1:20:17] The next part
[1:20:21] includes information like the geographical area and population to be served. So I want to point that one out a little bit.
[1:20:28] It's really basic, it's by geographic and population, it is what are the cities, what is the
[1:20:35] county, what's the population of students, what are the grade levels, how many buildings,
[1:20:41] there's a map, it's the very basic, here is the physical district of Robonstill area schools.
[1:20:51] We have to provide student enrollment past five, so there's a graph that goes in
[1:20:55] of the past five years, there's a graph that goes in to the projections of the next five
[1:21:01] years, list of facilities, so all the information, so I have all of our building square
[1:21:07] footage, original date, one editions went on the acreage of each site, and then what
[1:21:13] are the alternate facilities? So as an example, we have facilities like our bus garage.
[1:21:20] Do we have facilities that are least? Do we have facilities that have been closed recently?
[1:21:24] So they're kind of this assessment of what are the other potential facilities.
[1:21:30] Then we start to get into things that are impacted by board decision.
[1:21:34] So I labeled those in yellow.
[1:21:36] The first is the need for new renovated facilities.
[1:21:40] So this is a part of the review and comment that really talks about the process over the last,
[1:21:45] really since last February, when the initial conditional facility assessment was done.
[1:21:50] So from that, we move through all the deficiencies and the benefits, all the things that you've seen before,
[1:21:57] the work of the reimagined 2030 presentations, all the board meeting presentations,
[1:22:02] and then we get into the description of the actual project.
[1:22:06] So that would be contingent upon tonight.
[1:22:10] After tonight, then the verbiage for what the project actually is,
[1:22:13] and the site plans for that can be put together.
[1:22:18] Next part is the estimate of expenditures, the impact of operating costs and the project
[1:22:23] schedule.
[1:22:24] Again, all contingent upon a decision tonight.
[1:22:27] It all changes if it's one question, if it's two questions.
[1:22:30] If it's all three questions, it all changes.
[1:22:33] Now in the background, we've already been working with Nexus and with PTMA to start to
[1:22:39] have as many different scenarios as we can so that we can expediently get it done.
[1:22:45] But those will all change.
[1:22:49] The last part is the description of the project's plan for privacy features.
[1:22:54] So this is something that we have to put in there.
[1:22:57] We have to note where we're going to be putting in general neutrals, single user restrooms,
[1:23:03] anything with locker rooms, all that kind of stuff.
[1:23:06] That's highlighted in yellow because that simply depends upon if there's a building change.
[1:23:10] If we have a building where we're going to do a locker room, this becomes applicable.
[1:23:13] If we have a building that doesn't, it doesn't become applicable.
[1:23:15] And then the specification of the sources or source of project financing, again, contingent
[1:23:23] upon decisions that make the board makes tonight.
[1:23:27] The very last one is simply compliance documentation.
[1:23:31] It's the assurance that we're going to follow statute and building code and fire code.
[1:23:38] We're going to be working with cities and all the impacts to utilities and traffic and all
[1:23:44] that goes into it.
[1:23:44] So you have to provide an assurance of that.
[1:23:48] All of this is really just a different way to share what goes into the document called
[1:23:53] a Review and Comment, and that is what Nexus would be putting together for us as a
[1:24:00] district and submitting on our behalf.
[1:24:04] All of that gets us right back to what does the Board believe you would like to do moving forward
[1:24:12] with one, two, or three potential questions for a voter approved referendum.
[1:24:20] So I'm happy to go back to any of the slides at this point.
[1:24:23] We have plenty of mics, like I said, we've got both Nexus and PTMA here, and so the
[1:24:29] six of us, five of us, whichever is the most appropriate, be happy to share Evans Becker
[1:24:36] to support your conversation in what you would like to do.
[1:24:40] Thank you. I just will bring them up for just to be ready.
[1:24:45] All right, and we'll start with Dr. Hillin Brown.
[1:24:48] Yeah, my first initial just quick question.
[1:24:50] It concerns the constitutional amendment.
[1:24:53] That's going to be on the ballot as well.
[1:24:56] Having to do a school funding.
[1:24:58] And how that might...
[1:25:10] I don't know that anybody has an answer. I'm just putting that out there because, you know, people will see that. Oh, the land trust is going to be giving more money. And I know that's a very incremental amount, but I don't know that members of the public will understand.
[1:25:25] I'm happy to address that it's going to be a challenge for everyone whether you're going
[1:25:31] out for a bond or not but you're exactly right we're going to have to make sure that
[1:25:37] in any communication we're really clear with what is around the trust what is around Robin's
[1:25:44] Del area schools because I think you're right you know people may vote for the trust and
[1:25:49] I'm helping our schools.
[1:25:52] So it will be very, very important messaging.
[1:25:59] It's a concern that's kind of annoying.
[1:26:00] I'm feeling a
[1:26:03] little bit.
[1:26:03] Thank you.
[1:26:08] OK, I will open it.
[1:26:09] I'm Dr. Bridgeson.
[1:26:12] I'll follow up on that just because I mean,
[1:26:14] the question was asked.
[1:26:16] So I'll ask the question.
[1:26:17] I know the answer to the CFO public here is the land trust
[1:26:22] of a past, it's about 300K, somewhere in that ballpark
[1:26:25] for Robinsdale.
[1:26:29] So, I believe that was responded to previously, I was actually just on a webinar with my respective organization this afternoon and what they were now saying is that it could potentially be 25 to 50 dollars, essentially per person.
[1:26:46] So, if we have 10,000 kids.
[1:26:48] $250,000.
[1:26:50] All right.
[1:26:50] So, I just want...
[1:26:52] It's not a substantial amount.
[1:26:53] Right.
[1:26:54] That's a...
[1:26:54] I just want to make sure that people...
[1:26:55] Yeah.
[1:26:56] I mean, it would be a fantastic...
[1:26:58] Great.
[1:27:00] Winfall should it pass because it does not impact quite honestly anybody.
[1:27:05] But that is just a small revision to that conversation.
[1:27:09] Yep.
[1:27:10] Okay.
[1:27:10] I had other questions.
[1:27:11] I just was falling up if that's okay.
[1:27:13] Okay.
[1:27:14] Just want to make sure.
[1:27:15] All right.
[1:27:15] So let's talk about the money for a hot second because that's pretty important.
[1:27:22] So the question one, the 343 million, the 15 a month in addition to that is LTFM.
[1:27:29] So that rides over at the top of the $15 a month correct?
[1:27:34] I just want to make sure that everyone was superware of that.
[1:27:39] So one of the things I hear a lot about is like about our bond rating, right, BBB minus,
[1:27:46] If we do this now, like it's the worst possible idea to do it right now, I mean, I'd asked before to the CFO, but it sounded like for a district to our size and we're at right now, I'm just looking for confirmation, like for us to wait for our bond rating to get higher, that's like a 10 to 15 year journey, right?
[1:28:09] I'm going to go from BBB minus to A and like three years or something crazy like that.
[1:28:15] It's a fair statement.
[1:28:17] Yeah, maybe I'll introduce myself just for the world.
[1:28:19] Probably good idea.
[1:28:21] Thank you.
[1:28:21] Thank you.
[1:28:21] Thank you.
[1:28:21] Thank you.
[1:28:21] Thank you.
[1:28:22] Thank you.
[1:28:22] Thank you.
[1:28:23] Thank you.
[1:28:23] Thank you.
[1:28:23] Thank you.
[1:28:25] Thank you.
[1:28:27] Yeah, what you say is accurate, where you stand today in order for your bond to the thing that's
[1:28:33] in control of this board that most directly impacts your bond rating is your general fund on
[1:28:38] a
[1:28:40] sign, is it a negative position as we sit today? You will need to improve that, it's show and
[1:28:46] auditive and an actual statement that is certainly in a positive position and headed in a right
[1:28:51] direction and show the path forward to the rating agency. And then they're likely to upgrade you
[1:28:58] one notch at a time, the phrase that they use, they say,
[1:29:02] you ride the elevator down and you take the stairs back up.
[1:29:07] And so it's likely that what's customary in the work
[1:29:10] that we've done with other school districts
[1:29:12] that have been in a similar position is that if you go from
[1:29:15] triple B minus to triple B to triple B plus to A minus to A
[1:29:19] to A plus and each one of those would really be probably
[1:29:22] take you a year to establish.
[1:29:24] So you're talking realistically, even at 15 years,
[1:29:27] but seven to 10 years.
[1:29:27] Seven to 10 years, okay, cool.
[1:29:29] And then, so the follow-up to that,
[1:29:32] I've got five questions to bear with me, Chair.
[1:29:37] So the follow-up to that is,
[1:29:39] so being at the BBB minus,
[1:29:41] like that impacts our lending rate, right?
[1:29:46] But in addition to that,
[1:29:47] we have some protection from the state of Minnesota,
[1:29:50] based on how credit enhancement programs work and stuff like.
[1:29:53] So it's not like it's an 18% loan or something like that.
[1:29:56] We're taking out.
[1:29:57] like the impact is 0.25.
[1:30:02] So that's actually a good estimate. It's about what we use about a quarter of a percent, is the difference between what you pay an interest rate in
[1:30:11] versus a school district that is in a more solid financial position. And the primary reason for that you alluded to is what's called the
[1:30:18] state credit enhancement program. This is a program where the state of Minnesota promises to investors that if for any reason the
[1:30:25] serious, serious schools are cannot make its bond payments.
[1:30:28] The state will step in and make the bond payments.
[1:30:31] This has never been used by any school district in the state.
[1:30:34] We are not building this plan with any expectation that you would want to use it.
[1:30:40] But if I am an investor in the school district, and I am providing you money to make these
[1:30:44] improvements, knowing that the state's taxpayers are behind it, and as a secondary source,
[1:30:50] is a huge advantage and it really narrows the gap.
[1:30:53] Right, and that's how I was trying to get it like they did the different interest rate differences really low
[1:30:58] Right between these ratings
[1:31:00] Yeah, it would be much much larger if that enhancement program did not exist. Okay
[1:31:06] It's in a broad scheme of things it's a there is a difference
[1:31:11] It's right where you but it is not it
[1:31:14] 0.25% yeah, the quarter percent is a is a fair estimate. Okay, so
[1:31:20] Follow up I hear off and then is if we're in this BBB minus why don't we wait
[1:31:24] five to 10 years for it to get better.
[1:31:28] So my question to my friends at Nexus,
[1:31:32] and the increased rate in construction on annual basis
[1:31:36] is what?
[1:31:37] Four, five percent?
[1:31:39] In the last since track of this,
[1:31:41] since early 70s it's been five percent.
[1:31:43] Okay, recently, last few years
[1:31:45] because of various tariffs of sub-next to higher.
[1:31:48] Okay, so waiting five to 10 years for a rate
[1:31:51] that's going to be 0.25 percent better.
[1:31:54] Like is there any scenario in waiting 5 to 10 years for this bond to say, hey, let's wait
[1:31:59] for that better bond ratings.
[1:32:00] We get the better 0.25 percent.
[1:32:02] But at the same time, we've waited 10 years or 5 years and now we're paying 20 percent
[1:32:07] more, 30 percent more.
[1:32:09] A prior question, inflation with far-out strip, the benefit of a quarter of point.
[1:32:14] In the other assumption that you're making with that is that nominal interest rates are
[1:32:18] the same.
[1:32:19] So it's 0.25% higher than today's rate.
[1:32:22] But for example, if today's interest rate is a 4%.
[1:32:26] Then you might borrow at 4.25%.
[1:32:29] But there's nothing that guarantees rates in five years
[1:32:32] might not be 5%.
[1:32:35] And so we don't have any control over that aspect of the market.
[1:32:39] It is not a large enough difference in my opinion
[1:32:41] to make a change in this kind of decision-making process,
[1:32:44] especially in light of inflation.
[1:32:45] And, you know, frankly, I think from what you've heard, the consequences of waiting operationally
[1:32:52] are March.
[1:32:54] Those are my questions for now.
[1:32:56] Some of them.
[1:32:56] Sorry for the time.
[1:32:57] Okay.
[1:33:07] Oh.
[1:33:07] Oh, Dr. Long?
[1:33:09] Yeah.
[1:33:11] Um, so I am just kind of wondering there are a couple of questions that I had asked previously
[1:33:15] and I don't remember getting a response, but maybe I missed that in the email.
[1:33:20] So one of them was last time you were here, I don't know, like a month ago or so.
[1:33:26] We had talked about like a mock-up of what it would look like as one person's property
[1:33:33] value continued to increase in what that would look like each month that I missed that
[1:33:40] emailer.
[1:33:41] Yeah, I think the, I did look at some of that information and I think the challenge with
[1:33:47] that is the assumptions that you make in that can so widely
[1:33:51] vary in the result of that when you've
[1:33:53] carried out many years going forward in the plan
[1:33:56] that we have identified as we share it at that meeting
[1:34:00] in May, we're assuming that the payments
[1:34:02] have an inflationary increase of about 1% per year.
[1:34:06] So you would see that in your tax level each year.
[1:34:09] And so if all of the properties in the school
[1:34:12] district, went up 1% and all went up equally, I guess, it doesn't matter if they go 1% or 5% or 10%
[1:34:21] if they all went up equally, each taxpayer would pay up about 1% more for this part of the
[1:34:26] levy than they did the prior year when you look at it.
[1:34:31] Now in reality, that's, you know, everybody's about property goes up differently, some years,
[1:34:38] Residential properties go up more than commercial properties or vice versa. Some years commercial properties go up more than residential
[1:34:44] And even within that, you know, even on the same street, you can have differences in terms of how much one home versus the next one or one business versus the next business changes.
[1:34:56] It's so estimating that going forward a long way because
[1:35:03] And then I did have another one, too. I asked, next is about, you know, the LTFM dollars and kind of the statement
[1:35:15] that you had made last time about some things we could switch out and you had said, you could
[1:35:20] get that information to us on Tuesday or in a couple of days and a couple of days has come
[1:35:24] and I haven't seen anything. So I was just kind of wondering about that question too.
[1:35:33] Yeah, so I did, I did look into that, read the, went to the Department of Education's website regarding LTFM financing.
[1:35:43] There's a whole guideline, there's a whole great packet out there of what qualifies for what doesn't.
[1:35:49] But it was very clear that you can't use the money for new construction, you can't use the money to change the use of a room.
[1:35:56] But any components of the deferred maintenance, any components in the room or the system serving the room.
[1:36:03] So floors the HVAC to light switches.
[1:36:05] I think you brought up last time to rough whatever if they're worn out or at the end of useful life.
[1:36:12] Those components can be paid for or without hit them.
[1:36:15] So do you happen to know I've had what things right now that we might be replacing as we do.
[1:36:21] some of these re-models that are kind of worn out and would count under that.
[1:36:28] Well, a big component of that is with the Minnesota Condition Assessment.
[1:36:31] We get in the 10-year plan that you have put forth in front of your LTFM plan.
[1:36:35] I think that lists it up in pretty great detail, building by building of what major systems
[1:36:41] and components that are planned to be changed out again, when we get into the actual design
[1:36:47] and the district design committee decides to change your room out and you change the use of that room from a
[1:36:55] classroom to a
[1:36:57] Innovation Lab, just making an amusement example
[1:37:02] The new flooring or anything anything specific to innovation lab would not be qualified, but if this case work and there are the flooring was worn out
[1:37:10] Before you do their innovation, you can pay for that component
[1:37:14] I make sense.
[1:37:17] I don't.
[1:37:17] Yes, that does.
[1:37:18] OK, thank you.
[1:37:19] So then I'm kind of wondering, too, can I continue to?
[1:37:22] Then have to use superintendent.
[1:37:25] So then I'm wondering, too, like, when we have been talking in the past
[1:37:28] about the LTFM dollars, it was 90 million.
[1:37:34] But now it's went to one, 16.
[1:37:37] So is that part of the reason for some of the increase,
[1:37:40] or is there another reason I'm not sure about?
[1:37:46] Part of the reason was we were doing less than 2% to the 90 million was in the original plan.
[1:37:51] It was like 425, right? So we were doing a lot more new construction. That was great.
[1:37:56] I was driving that number up and replacing some existing square footage with new.
[1:38:02] And then the survey came back. We had to try to get to a whole dollar amount.
[1:38:06] So we've we've doing more renovation now for there for a more qualifies for LTFM
[1:38:14] okay
[1:38:14] So I'm not new then just renovation and so that since it'll be more of a renovation than that
[1:38:20] Council under the LTFM versus
[1:38:23] versus the brand new new
[1:38:26] Okay
[1:38:26] I just want to make sure that I understand that in the community understand that too because I've gotten a lot of questions around LTFM dollars lately
[1:38:36] I don't know specifically that it came from nexus, but in collaboration with nexus, we did respond on Friday in my memo to the board.
[1:38:51] And I think similarly to what Brent just shared, we said it would be very challenging to represent all of the items that would be or not be addressed in the revised plan.
[1:39:01] For example, as we get into design, it might be that a wall that was included to get final is not going away.
[1:39:08] Another example could be that painting that was going to happen now the entire area has changed.
[1:39:13] So I think that represents what you said is there's just so many what is in the scope of that change.
[1:39:20] But those were just a couple examples that we had given.
[1:39:25] Yeah. So my is just a question on the layout of the review comments. So if we go to the with the
[1:39:36] three questions that we have currently, do we have an flexibility to condense that into two
[1:39:43] data in the future or do we have to stay with the tree?
[1:39:50] So the reason I'm asking that is
[1:39:52] sounds like there are other things that may make it on that balance, right? So then your
[1:39:59] I'm beginning to think.
[1:40:00] I think about a collective effect of all these numbers. So if I'm not well into the conversation happening
[1:40:07] in this room, I could look at all three questions and go, okay, why am I paying $15, $17 and then,
[1:40:15] right, as an effect. So in the future, if we do go with these comments now, can we condense that
[1:40:23] to sit with in one and two become just one question and then question three becomes
[1:40:28] question two and live it a bad thought would we be stuck with making choice three and
[1:40:34] just what I've been told I've never done it but from what I've been told from MDE is
[1:40:39] that you can go down so like if you decided to go with the three questions and you decided
[1:40:45] later to amend the review and comment to go to two questions that would be allowed you just
[1:40:50] could not go live there.
[1:40:52] Thank
[1:40:54] you.
[1:40:55] I would like one kind of follow-in to that.
[1:40:58] I have been part of the process where we
[1:41:00] change that.
[1:41:01] And so in this case, especially combining the first,
[1:41:04] if you chose to combine the first two questions,
[1:41:06] and we were making major changes to the scope,
[1:41:08] that would not be a problem.
[1:41:10] In terms of, I think about these things,
[1:41:12] what's the point of no return as a school board?
[1:41:15] In terms of a November election,
[1:41:16] you are required to call for the election formally,
[1:41:19] which Dr. McDowell alluded to in his presentation by August 11th that you must call for
[1:41:27] that which outlines the ballot language and at that point in time whatever action that
[1:41:32] the board has taken will stick. The reason and maybe this will help provide some context.
[1:41:37] The reason the review and comment is before you today is that you're required that the state
[1:41:43] has 60 days to review that. They respond to you and then you're required to publish an
[1:41:48] notice of the comment that the state gets back to you in your official newspaper and that
[1:41:52] publication needs to happen 48 days prior to the election, which is mid-September.
[1:41:57] So, we get this in really by the end of June so that July and August we get that back.
[1:42:03] The first couple weeks of September we're getting it into your paper and that timeline is
[1:42:07] driven by the fact, and as you go into an election, this is a very important date,
[1:42:16] that
[1:42:16] the September 18th this year, and so the point of this process is that that comment is
[1:42:22] published prior to the point in which folks are in the, you know, in the absentee or early
[1:42:28] voting process.
[1:42:30] Thank you.
[1:42:32] So last time when we were talking, and we were talking about the sale of bonds and construction,
[1:42:38] I think you were mentioning that the bonds are necessarily all going to be sold at the same
[1:42:44] time because you can only do this construction and then you're going to be doing more.
[1:42:49] Didn't you say something about that, where it's not like-
[1:42:52] Yes, that's more PMPMTAs, expertise, but when we've been discussing the review on combat,
[1:42:58] we've been working behind the scenes, it's been alluded to, I think, that district would probably
[1:43:04] issue a multiple tranches.
[1:43:06] Okay, so then my question is, if we're issuing them in multiple theories, in a state of
[1:43:14] sort of thing, does the taxes go up sort of staggered,
[1:43:18] or does the taxes go up just, that's 17 cents?
[1:43:23] Or whatever.
[1:43:24] Yeah, so $1.
[1:43:25] Like for question one,
[1:43:27] if it was laid out, the $343 million,
[1:43:30] the tax impact related to our plan for all of it together,
[1:43:35] all that $343 million is a $15 million.
[1:43:38] Now we, the plan requires us to,
[1:43:43] are the way we have a laid out is to do it in three different parts, okay? So the way
[1:43:48] the timeline is likely to look and this is customary, is that if you pass an election in November,
[1:43:55] most of 2027 is about design, calendar year 2027 is about design and the heavy construction starts,
[1:44:02] mostly in 2028, and then you have so many things going on, this is a project that's going to be a four or five year time period,
[1:44:11] realistically, and so it wouldn't make any sense for us to borrow all 340 million dollars
[1:44:16] and you run a, you know, effectively a bank here for a few years.
[1:44:20] We don't, that's not the purpose of why the school district is here.
[1:44:24] So, the, and the advantage to selling more of the debt later allows us to lower the tax impact
[1:44:32] in the front end, because you have a lot of old bonds that pay off in about five years' time.
[1:44:38] And so that by utilizing the fact that we don't need that a lot of that money for 2, 3, or 4 years we're able to keep the tax impact lower on the front end.
[1:44:48] So to kind of answer your question directly, the $15 is our estimate once we are all done with all of it together.
[1:44:55] Now, we have to build some assumptions into that.
[1:45:00] In order to make that work, because I don't know what interest rate markets will be in 2030 or 2028.
[1:45:06] But we do put a provided cushion in there, and we provide some, you know, what are customary and reasonable expectations for that as we go through the process.
[1:45:18] So the plan will be evolved as we move forward, but the $15 is expected to increase at that 1% a year each year going forward related to this.
[1:45:31] particular component. As your other debt pays off, the voter approved component will rise,
[1:45:39] you know, so when a taxpayer looks at their tax statement from the school district,
[1:45:44] it's typically on two lines. It says voter and other. When they receive their statement from
[1:45:49] ahead of the county. And so as your other debt pays off, that debt is LTFM, debt is it stands right now.
[1:45:56] The voter component will be larger than $15 a month, but it will be offset by the fact that some of those other parts are going away.
[1:46:09] Thank you, Dr. Bowen.
[1:46:12] Thank you.
[1:46:15] One question came to mind and probably for Kristen or Dr. Stallow.
[1:46:20] And as we've talked about this over the last, excuse me, a couple of years, we've talked about the brick and mortar aspect.
[1:46:28] And I'm wondering, what other budget benefits are there from passing this referendum?
[1:46:36] The thing that I think of right off the top of my head is we wouldn't be forced to cut
[1:46:41] an additional $4 million from the budget, is that a correct assumption?
[1:46:49] I would say the way it was stated is an inaccurate assumption.
[1:46:55] We will still be making reductions.
[1:46:57] the reductions will come naturally. There was building attrition. Happens as we start to
[1:47:03] is we continue to shrink our footprint. No different than what was done during the budget
[1:47:07] cycle this year with having to close a few buildings. You had to intentionally take action for that.
[1:47:14] That will be happening in the process. The plan is already laid out. It's going to we're going to
[1:47:20] be making those reductions as we go along. It's just going to feel different because we have the plan
[1:47:24] you're doing construction and there's intentionality like your building towards the future you're
[1:47:29] not reducing to the future but ultimately you're doing the same thing. I mean ultimately our
[1:47:34] expenses will go down as our footprint shrinks and and what that looks like as it changes.
[1:47:41] Our where we are currently at we do we need to continue to work our way out of SOD we will continue
[1:47:48] to operate, we just don't bring in as much as our expenses are going up back to the rate
[1:47:55] of inflation.
[1:47:55] We will continue to make reductions, however, a plan looks in an end, Dr. McDowell presented
[1:48:02] it tonight, having the plan looks very different on how that's done than not having the
[1:48:09] plan.
[1:48:10] Either way you're going to be doing it, it's just how you go about getting there.
[1:48:14] Thank you. So just so that I'm clear. So when it was stated earlier that they would be an additional
[1:48:22] two million dollar cut in four million in the next two years. That will still happen, but it'll
[1:48:31] be part of the plan of reimagining and reorganizing the building structure. Is that correct?
[1:48:38] And I would just like to point out that it's because I'm super sensitive, it is.
[1:48:44] We're projecting and even in the SOD plan that was written, we're projecting slightly more
[1:48:50] than $2 million a year.
[1:48:52] But yes, conceptually speaking, that is there.
[1:48:56] We had had discussions on what that could potentially look like for 27.
[1:49:00] How does that, and then building closures as we move into 28, I mean, it's all board decision,
[1:49:04] But as we move in that direction, if there is construction, then that changes maybe how you go about getting to those numbers as we move forward.
[1:49:13] But yes, that is what you said is very accurate.
[1:49:19] And for me, then what the difference looks like is without a referendum, we're making the cuts and we're just going to live with that.
[1:49:27] And there's, we have what we have, but with a referendum, what we have is really a better
[1:49:36] future forward, because we'll be able to keep the space for Robinsdale, Spanish immersion,
[1:49:42] and we'll be able to keep, and the arts and innovation piece of it as we downsize those
[1:49:51] budget.
[1:49:51] Does that name it?
[1:49:53] I want to make sure that my words are accurate so that when I speak to the public that I,
[1:49:58] because I know this question.
[1:50:00] Well, and arguably you're putting more towards programming costs than indirect costs.
[1:50:05] You know, I go back to the presentation that I've given a handful of time.
[1:50:09] I've been a part of the handful of times now, where it's the three houses versus the one house,
[1:50:14] and how you have triple the expenses of insurance and utilities and those sorts of things.
[1:50:19] That's not going to student programming. That's not going to students and staff.
[1:50:23] That's going to infrastructure and indirect costs.
[1:50:26] That's where back to certainly back to that, where are you spending your dollars?
[1:50:31] So we're realizing savings is kind of a different term, different way to look at it.
[1:50:38] We'll be realizing the savings as a result of consolidating and all of that.
[1:50:42] So it's a savings realization at that point.
[1:50:45] Okay.
[1:50:46] I think, I think, Dr. McDonald's spoke a little bit to this in terms of some flexibility.
[1:50:53] If you just, I think that was, that was helpful, maybe, to this conversation as well.
[1:50:58] Yeah, I think.
[1:50:59] We, regardless, again, back to whether we have a voter approved referendum or not,
[1:51:04] we have to downsize.
[1:51:06] The real question is, do we want control in our downsizing to figure out,
[1:51:10] so if you look at the question one that's happens to be on the screen right now,
[1:51:15] it's a smaller footprint than what we have now.
[1:51:17] But the buildings in that footprint are designed intentionally to hold the programming that we know we will need.
[1:51:26] We know that we will want.
[1:51:28] And the buildings will be designed in a way that, at least at the elementary level as an example,
[1:51:35] they are all about the same size.
[1:51:38] Without the referendum, we have the physical plants that we have now,
[1:51:42] And we're back to what do we put where in it's current state as
[1:51:48] Currently as and we still need to get down with our foot
[1:51:54] Thank you that clarifies appreciated
[1:51:57] Director Long
[1:51:59] Yeah, so I am wondering about these questions. They won't appear on a ballot like this. They're gonna get legalese to them. Yeah
[1:52:09] Okay
[1:52:11] And then can we see a sample of what that might look like to, because I think the public would be interested to and seeing what that legalese wording would be.
[1:52:21] Yeah, and that's kind of what we've heard a little bit about the actual calling of the election.
[1:52:26] And while I think that has to be done by August 11, we'll want to depending on the boards decision this evening.
[1:52:32] We'll want to move that along as quickly as we're able.
[1:52:37] I'm Dr. Bassett.
[1:52:39] And I'm really interested in the, it's not actually written as an option and only as a tag-along contingent upon other questions.
[1:52:51] But there is a potential pathway where we, it could be just that we do an elementary and that's it.
[1:52:59] In the elementary, it's possible to plan for, because we're building it, it's possible to
[1:53:07] plan for it to accommodate some additional programming.
[1:53:12] Just as planned for, as we have been about one high school,
[1:53:20] I'm not going to really talk
[1:53:21] about high schools, because if we don't get a referendum, it's going to be some time before
[1:53:28] we can, based on the census or the enrollment, before it's indicated, that we need to do something
[1:53:35] and although the administration may want to do some things moving in that direction, the fact
[1:53:41] of the matter is that we will have two high schools until we have the resources to go to one.
[1:53:48] So with that scenario, if we have one brand new build elementary and we build it with its capacity
[1:53:57] to be able to house some other things, for example, early learning, which we're proposing to go
[1:54:04] to Neil, that could take Neil off the, who have to reduce, if I'm understanding correctly.
[1:54:11] What we're saying here is that we're going to have to continue to reduce the best way to re,
[1:54:15] the biggest bang for the buck is to close the building, the operational cost.
[1:54:21] I mean, I make it up, it's real at reality.
[1:54:23] And if we have to close two more schools, and early learning is how planned to be housed,
[1:54:31] and that's a construction question about how long to get the bill in up and going.
[1:54:35] How long would that take if it were to pass, and that would be part of the equation, because
[1:54:40] that will tell you how long a window you have that you have to keep paying for what you have to carry.
[1:54:45] So, but if we know what likely might go, such as Neo, and if we put...
[1:55:02] That's when planning for some of these other buildings go, other programs go, it really becomes really important, and I really can't stress that enough, because we've talked about moving of the ESC community ed and adult academic to fair. There's no reason that those programs couldn't go into Neil.
[1:55:26] Is the whole big worry about what we're going to put them if we're going to get if Lake
[1:55:30] views off the table and the construction and all those things required for a fair crystal,
[1:55:39] we don't have to do that and if you're placing all that in meal instead of moving the
[1:55:44] ESC all around which of course I don't want to be laborable back worse but I really think
[1:55:50] that until everything gets settled the ESC can stay right here.
[1:55:54] Why do two moves?
[1:55:54] I mean, that never did make sense to me, but, you know, and we still have it.
[1:56:00] It's not totally moved yet, so let's still could be halted.
[1:56:03] Well, I spend money to move two times, but in any event, and then the other thing that
[1:56:07] we've been talking about is this whole idea about our students moving more than one time.
[1:56:13] If we know, and our parents and families know that, we just mean, we're all dreaming here,
[1:56:19] I'm dreaming to. If we have one new bill elementary school and we build that to also how
[1:56:25] all of our early childhood programming. Then that's a real decision we can make to the extent
[1:56:34] that we need to look at geographically around the district. Is there really a need to have
[1:56:38] some other of those kinds of programs other places? That's a program issue. But the facility itself
[1:56:43] that we build could be built to accommodate some of the things so that you reduce all these other
[1:56:48] facilities that you need to have, because if we're going to be in this position where and then the other thing that I would say is that.
[1:56:59] And this is maybe on the program site that I'll say it right now when I'm thinking about it.
[1:57:03] What we know is that what the data has told us and I don't know if we still know it or not, because we've got a bunch of educators around who can correct me if I'm wrong, we've got at least one.
[1:57:12] And that is, what we get transition of what I'd come to know is that when we lose families
[1:57:18] is from elementary to middle, then we lose them from middle to high school.
[1:57:29] Excuse me, excuse me, I'm just, let me just finish out what I've heard because I have heard
[1:57:34] we lose them at high school.
[1:57:35] I've heard that.
[1:57:36] You know, and so, well, okay, then you can present it exactly the opposite of that.
[1:57:41] Well, let me just finish what I have to say.
[1:57:44] I know we're losing them from elementary to middle school.
[1:57:48] And if you're saying that the trend is,
[1:57:50] I would really be interested in seeing that data
[1:57:52] that tells us to be, you know, if you have it.
[1:57:55] Well, I mean, you know, let's pull it out and look at it.
[1:57:57] You know, I wouldn't be saying it if I had my fingertips.
[1:58:00] So I'm just saying it.
[1:58:01] I mean, I, this is not an argument.
[1:58:03] I'm just sharing my view about this, okay?
[1:58:07] And I've had five different people away and it's all,
[1:58:10] don't do that because I don't want to get annoyed.
[1:58:12] I mean, because this is a friendly, friendly board meeting.
[1:58:17] Everybody's asking the questions they need to ask.
[1:58:20] They're wondering things and getting information.
[1:58:22] That's all I'm doing.
[1:58:24] If it's inaccurate, we've got staff who can share with me at a different time.
[1:58:29] But there is transition and there is departure.
[1:58:32] I feel like I believe that our district should be putting our flag in the sand in the early
[1:58:38] years.
[1:58:39] It's rather than waiting to the back end when we go to high school.
[1:58:42] We're going to have these two high schools for a period of time.
[1:58:46] There will be a period of time before that could come into one high school and come into
[1:58:53] fruition anyway.
[1:58:55] And so whenever that is, there is that window of time is how long are we projecting that
[1:59:00] time when to us?
[1:59:04] Three years.
[1:59:06] I mean, it'll take, it'll take, at least excuse me, as Michael mentioned, we first figure
[1:59:11] would be designed to be three years like a structure. So four years total before Cooper could be expanded to the point where you could control it.
[1:59:18] Okay, so with regard to an elementary school or any school, but an elementary at where's speaking about right now.
[1:59:24] Before if we were to decide that we want to go out with a question for a new bill for an elementary, early childhood elementary school, would that be the same amount of time four years?
[1:59:37] I didn't know we could do a news at elementary school within two years, two and a half years.
[1:59:42] Because of the quicker.
[1:59:43] The only thing I want to caution you on is, it doesn't affect the dollar amount.
[1:59:49] If I'm building a building for just an elementary, it's 50s.
[1:59:53] So I'm going to end up with that included a couple of things.
[1:59:55] If I have to add early childhood there, now it's 70 million.
[2:00:00] The money we can build as big as you want, and put as many programs as you want there. This is
[2:00:05] long as the dollar monster we're doing.
[2:00:07] Oh, absolutely good. But the point I'm making is that if we want to cut down operational costs
[2:00:11] in other sites, that's really kind of where I'm driving. And so if we want to do that, then
[2:00:16] building of facility, the large enough to accommodate the population we need to actually gain
[2:00:21] those savings is what I'm talking about. And so, and be talking about the value of having an elementary
[2:00:27] building that also houses early childhood because our early childhood
[2:00:30] program needs to go somewhere to live on these scenarios. I'm looking at
[2:00:35] you.
[2:00:39] I think he's going to say something sarcastic. I appreciate you bringing
[2:00:43] this up every meeting. However, what have I bring up every meeting?
[2:00:48] These topics. I didn't hear you. I appreciate you continuing to bring up the
[2:00:56] elementary school, the movement of the elementary school, the two high schools.
[2:01:00] However, I just want to remind folks that the task that we were given by the board is a
[2:01:05] whole is what's been recommended and presented to you, particularly in the form of three questions
[2:01:11] that we've put out today, which has, so here's the thing, it's because they are the most,
[2:01:15] like the women finish. Because in our estimation, along with the experts sitting in front of you,
[2:01:21] This is the most efficient way and the most effective way to get us to
[2:01:28] the place we need to be financially and programmatically which starts with the two high-schools.
[2:01:35] Well, that's super, it's assistant superintendent with all do respect.
[2:01:39] That is not my question and I have not brought this up in every meeting because I've just really arrived at
[2:01:46] my thoughts about an elementary, so that is not accurate.
[2:01:48] But I will say this, regardless to what the rest of the board said, each one of us individually
[2:01:55] will vote for whatever we believe in.
[2:01:57] And we have the $53 million as it sits right now, elementary on the table.
[2:02:02] It's fair question for me to ask questions about it.
[2:02:06] And I resent, being talked to in a condescending fashion about my question.
[2:02:12] And that gives me, and I don't want to reclaim my time, as they say, and talk about what
[2:02:16] I want to talk about.
[2:02:17] And what I want to talk about is what I've just said, and I've got the answer I needed,
[2:02:21] which is in two years, we could have an elementary.
[2:02:24] We can build it because we're trying to reduce, that's another approach.
[2:02:28] If you have a one set vision that the one high school is the one answer, everything is just
[2:02:36] like if you have a hammer, everything's a nail.
[2:02:38] If other people have other ideas, and that is okay, because we're all individuals, and this
[2:02:46] is the appropriate place to ask those questions.
[2:02:49] And I will not be condescended, too, because the majority
[2:02:52] doesn't think it's important.
[2:02:54] And you didn't say that, but you might as well have.
[2:02:57] I don't interrupt them, but they're asking their questions.
[2:03:00] I respect the things that they ask.
[2:03:02] And they all think that's the best direction.
[2:03:05] That's OK with me.
[2:03:06] I don't agree.
[2:03:09] And that's OK, too.
[2:03:11] And that's all the one question about the one elementary
[2:03:14] and making it big enough so that it can actually address some of these costs that we have for operations is a legitimate question.
[2:03:21] And I have asked for a scenario that talked about, well, if we have to live with these two high schools, I have talked about that.
[2:03:27] Because we will have to live with them for a while. And so I've asked about that. What does that mean?
[2:03:31] What else could we do or should we do in that instance? That's a question.
[2:03:36] And I'm not sure I know the answer to that yet.
[2:03:38] You know, and so, you know, you don't have to, I don't think you have to dumb down anything for anybody on this board.
[2:03:46] There's smart enough to understand what they've already said that they want to do.
[2:03:49] Getting new information is not going to make anybody panes out.
[2:03:53] We're just going to have the information and we will stop asking the question.
[2:03:58] So, the closest we've gotten to it is this reducing the district footprint.
[2:04:02] If there's no voter reproachers, first of all you see this on a slide like this, the first time.
[2:04:08] So I'm asking my questions related to that.
[2:04:13] So the board must decide on the space and building consolidation plans.
[2:04:17] So that means the board has a role in talking about what this consolidation means.
[2:04:22] Now, having input into that, I would expect would be an appropriate thing for us to do.
[2:04:29] Unless it comes back and we already have a canned presentation.
[2:04:31] We're going to do this, and we're going to do that, and we're going to do the other.
[2:04:35] Now, when I say that, that's not the drugintory.
[2:04:37] I'm just saying that you've done some prep work, and here's what you think is best.
[2:04:42] But as, you know, I mean, potentially, but when we've had meetings before,
[2:04:47] in this room, and talked about some of these scenarios,
[2:04:51] and people have given effort, they've shifted.
[2:04:54] They're not set in stone. They have shifted.
[2:04:58] Maybe not a lot, a lot of the time.
[2:05:00] But they have. So everything that I'm asking is entirely appropriate in its common sense question.
[2:05:11] And so if I'm just to recap, if I understand from Mr. Kenting, you're even nexus, right?
[2:05:18] Hi, Brett. If I'm done to have you, thank you for this letter. Why do I get all this pressure? If I may ask someone, people just go crazy. You know, they make me upset.
[2:05:26] You know, and that's unnecessary. I'm just asking questions. So which backed up my question? So two years.
[2:05:32] You could we could have an elementary and of course the cost might shift if we put additional
[2:05:38] Program in it. And so if we try to replace after those operational costs.
[2:05:45] Then looking at some of what we might put in it makes sense.
[2:05:50] So, my notes, my comments about Neil Elementary makes sense.
[2:05:55] New home learning center closes, Neil learning center can close if those both want to
[2:06:05] a brand new bill.
[2:06:06] If we know three years out that our families know that they will have an elementary that
[2:06:12] their child can go to, that's predictability.
[2:06:16] If we are working on as an organization that includes the board, if we are working on
[2:06:22] discussing rebondering, we will need to rebound a lot of things. Historically, our
[2:06:30] often I have observed that in this district, those kinds of options about what rebondering
[2:06:36] could look like is something that the communities involved with. I'm not going to go
[2:06:41] way down far down that road. But I'm saying these things because we're the ones who live here
[2:06:48] who I've paid the money. And we have experts like PMA who come and tell us the best way
[2:06:54] for us to do it. And we believe that you're trying to do that. You know, so I don't believe
[2:07:00] you do anything other than that. But it's not for others to get mad about. How about not like
[2:07:08] for those of us who have to actually pay for it.
[2:07:15] I just want to say a couple of things.
[2:07:19] First of all I want to be really clear with the public.
[2:07:23] This is not a canned presentation.
[2:07:25] This is a presentation based on 23 meetings
[2:07:31] where we have been getting along the way
[2:07:33] direction from the board as a whole.
[2:07:36] So, that has been the prep work that we have had up until tonight.
[2:07:41] The other thing I just want to be sure that we get out there because I want people to be
[2:07:46] really clear, and I heard Director Bassett, you say that somebody could clarify it offline.
[2:07:52] But I think we need to talk about that data.
[2:07:56] If Bob and Kristen, if you know that enrollment data, I think it is important that we get the
[2:08:01] the accurate information out into the public.
[2:08:05] So if you're able to speak to that, that would be great.
[2:08:08] When you were the, where were we game kids or those kids?
[2:08:12] Yep.
[2:08:13] So I just want to be sure we have fast out there.
[2:08:16] Me too.
[2:08:18] Okay.
[2:08:19] While they're looking at
[2:08:24] you,
[2:08:27] okay, can I go ahead?
[2:08:30] Okay.
[2:08:31] All right.
[2:08:33] And then mom.
[2:08:34] All right.
[2:08:34] It'll be a little bit though.
[2:08:36] All right.
[2:08:36] So, I really like question number two and to me that gets us what we really want and what we need.
[2:08:49] And so I would like you to convince me or explain to me why we need to have question one and two just to make it clear.
[2:09:00] Because to me, I would just, if it were me, at this point, I would say, I love question
[2:09:07] two and then question three.
[2:09:10] And so, and it's just $2 more a month than question one, and it seems to me to be less confusing.
[2:09:18] So, if there's a really good reason why I should be supporting one, two and three, I would
[2:09:24] like to be convinced.
[2:09:26] Is that a fair question?
[2:09:30] We're using the data that we got from Peter Leatherman that you were given a report from the survey that the recommendation based on his experience and the survey was that your tax tolerance for the Robin still area schools was sitting at a peak of 15.
[2:09:50] brought approximately $15 a month. And so that was his recommendation as a starting spot. He did
[2:09:57] also say you could try additional...
[2:10:01] But you start getting farther and farther away from that original tax tolerance that was presented to you.
[2:10:11] The reason for doing it as a two-part question is that you start with the tax tolerance level.
[2:10:18] And if that tax tolerance level passes, you then ask, continue to upon that passing, does
[2:10:28] the community also feel the same way you feel, that if we're doing $15 a month, it might
[2:10:34] as well do $17 a month and do the $360 million plan, that's, that is the rationale, that's
[2:10:43] reason for it, it is our attempt to have you as a board give the constituents of the district
[2:10:52] as much opportunity to decide and not automatically be locked into something that's over what
[2:10:59] you were told the tax tolerances.
[2:11:06] So then if they vote, so if you vote yes for this one, then you have an opportunity to vote
[2:11:12] here.
[2:11:13] If you vote no for that one, you don't even get a choice on the next one and so that is sort
[2:11:17] of like a tier thing.
[2:11:18] question one has to pass for anything else to even come into play.
[2:11:22] So they have to say, so they have to vote, yes, and then they have an opportunity to vote for the next two.
[2:11:29] Yeah, if they go, no, then they're done voting on it.
[2:11:33] I'll let CFO hold, Haisel.
[2:11:36] Oh, did you, I'm a thought you wanted to write something?
[2:11:37] No, I'll write something.
[2:11:39] Oh, alright.
[2:11:40] I'll write something.
[2:11:41] Thank you.
[2:11:43] Alright.
[2:11:44] I want, I don't.
[2:11:46] I want to make sure your thought is complete before I go back to the enrollment information.
[2:11:52] I'm good for a while.
[2:11:53] Thank you.
[2:11:53] Go ahead.
[2:11:54] Hit the enrollment information.
[2:11:56] When I am looking at Hazel Ryan Hart's demographic study that she did February removed.
[2:12:05] And I'm just going to take.
[2:12:07] She has the projected survival rates and it goes great level to grade level.
[2:12:11] It's okay to 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3.
[2:12:14] And I'm going to take, I'll take the, I'll be optimistic.
[2:12:18] I'll take the high, which is then the past five years.
[2:12:21] And I'm just going to give you a 1, 0 is all kids
[2:12:25] that we had in the grade before, move forward.
[2:12:28] So anything better than a 1, 0, we gain students.
[2:12:31] Anything less than a 1, 0, we've lost.
[2:12:33] K to 1.985.
[2:12:38] 1 to 2.987.
[2:12:42] 2 to 3.977.
[2:12:46] 3 to 4.992.
[2:12:49] 4 to 5.981.
[2:12:52] 5 to 6.956.
[2:12:56] 6 to 7.1.007.
[2:13:00] 7 to 8, 0.981, 8 to 9, 1, 0.090, 9 to 10, 0.983, 10 to 11, 0.978, 11 to 12, 1, 0.12, 1, 0.12, 1, 2, 8.
[2:13:18] That would indicate in those last four grade levels, you are over 1, 0, twice, and the only other time
[2:13:26] you are over one equal to or more than one,
[2:13:29] oh, it's grade six, two, seven.
[2:13:33] So I understand you're answering that question
[2:13:35] and the way that you are.
[2:13:38] And when we have talked about it in the past,
[2:13:41] we've looked at across trend lines over time.
[2:13:44] I understand that Ms. Ron Hart's study is a study
[2:13:47] and she's looking at that information
[2:13:49] and talking about it in those terms.
[2:13:52] I have had information presented differently over time.
[2:13:55] So that's what I'm sharing and that's what I was talking about.
[2:14:00] So I appreciate that and I'm not disputing her that really doesn't appreciate what I think.
[2:14:06] I mean quite frankly.
[2:14:08] And so but I'm back to Director Evan Speckers question which kind of has to do with the question.
[2:14:17] Is it possible?
[2:14:19] Is it possible?
[2:14:22] It's not your turn.
[2:14:23] I thought you were just responding to you, but it's okay fine, is it?
[2:14:29] Somebody's just heard just before.
[2:14:30] I'll put you back.
[2:14:33] Thank you.
[2:14:35] Fine.
[2:14:36] Director Hill and Brand.
[2:14:39] Yeah.
[2:14:40] So in thinking about these questions, you know,
[2:14:43] I mean, it's obvious that if we don't have some sort of referendum,
[2:14:47] you know, I just think of the orablers the snake that's following its tail.
[2:14:51] And that's what we're going to turn into.
[2:14:52] We're just going to keep devouring ourselves until there's nothing left.
[2:14:56] And so the referendum gives us the opportunity.
[2:15:00] Opportunity to build towards a positive future, just cutting, cutting, cutting, we're just going to destroy ourselves.
[2:15:07] There won't be anything left. People won't want to come here. They won't want to send our kids here.
[2:15:11] And for good reason, right? Because we'll cut everything that makes us viable and vibrant and exciting.
[2:15:20] And a great place for kids to go. And I don't want to see that.
[2:15:24] I definitely agree with asking questions one and two.
[2:15:29] I don't have a public question three in concept,
[2:15:32] but it just seems like too much, although I'm always, you know,
[2:15:36] with error on the side of letting the public decide.
[2:15:39] I just wonder if it'd be overwhelming on the ballot,
[2:15:43] because most people have a hard time.
[2:15:46] Honestly, ballots can be overwhelming to look at.
[2:15:49] And with all the legal use in the question as well,
[2:15:51] It can be hard for people to know what they're really being asked.
[2:15:56] And then I just want to say, you know, apologize for interrupting before.
[2:16:01] But facts matter.
[2:16:02] And it's important that we say in a public forum that the truth is out there,
[2:16:07] and not our feelings, our gut feelings, when there are literal facts at play.
[2:16:12] And it's really important, Caroline.
[2:16:17] But I'll thank you.
[2:16:19] But I'll just wait until you're done.
[2:16:26] taking her head. I don't
[2:16:35] know what game you're playing over there, but I'm
[2:16:37] just going to say that it's important to have a restaurant. That's obvious. That's what I'm playing.
[2:16:42] Okay, I got racist and that's just that's important in a public forum. People should note and
[2:16:47] you acknowledge that yourself. I'm just saying that I apologize for interrupting. That was not
[2:16:51] over yet. Thank you. But the fact being out there is appropriate. So thank you and I apologize for
[2:16:56] interrupting that was wrong. Okay. Just wait. Thank you. Okay. I got you. I haven't
[2:16:59] You're good. Okay. I have Director Brintisent and long than Bassett.
[2:17:05] Have three follow-up questions based on the conversation.
[2:17:10] We'll go fast. Director Bowman made a comment about the $2 million
[2:17:15] than cuts next year. So I just want to be really clear, right?
[2:17:18] Referendum passes or doesn't pass or we don't even put one out.
[2:17:22] There is still cuts happening next year to some form or fashion.
[2:17:27] That is correct.
[2:17:28] Okay, so my question is kind of more of a trajectory question, right?
[2:17:33] So we see what happens if, you know, there is no referendum or it fails.
[2:17:38] We have to kind of keep cutting down if the referendum did pass.
[2:17:42] There would be a point where we're no longer cutting anymore, right?
[2:17:47] Presumably because we would have started saving money through facilities and like,
[2:17:53] When do we start seeing that trend upward, and when do we see to be able to take that
[2:17:59] those savings and put it back into the classrooms?
[2:18:01] Because we have that conversation a lot, right?
[2:18:03] Like we're spending money on facilities, so it's not going to the classroom, so like next
[2:18:07] year we cut 2 million in the plan to talk about the SOD plan to talk about the SOD plan to talk
[2:18:12] to like, man, the transportation was one of the possibilities, and I'm just saying what was
[2:18:16] in the plan, right?
[2:18:18] And then there was something else for a year or two, which I don't remember, at some point
[2:18:21] time that line has to start moving upward that you're three, you're four, like I'm just trying
[2:18:26] to get a sense of that trend line.
[2:18:32] So I want to answer a question and it's going to feel or be perceived
[2:18:37] as biased and it's not intended that way. If you were to solely look at the biggest bang for
[2:18:48] the buck on how to slow the roll in inflationary cost. So if we go up a few million dollars
[2:18:55] every year, the quickest way to get ahead of that is to do more than a few million dollars every
[2:19:01] year, right? Because then you're ahead of the curve and you can reduce your annual reductions.
[2:19:09] The quickest hit to that is a high school. Because that is a presumably a three million dollar
[2:19:15] annual cut, a middle school is a $2 million annual cut in an elementary school is a one year,
[2:19:22] or $1 million annual cut. So the quicker you can knock out big expenses, or duplicative expenses,
[2:19:33] the quicker you get ahead of that, and then you're not doing it year after year after year.
[2:19:39] It's a coined phrase, I apologize for using it in this venue, but you nickel and dime yourself.
[2:19:48] And so, again, it's not a bias.
[2:19:50] It's just that is our most expensive back to what Dr. McDowell was saying,
[2:19:54] you are present. We're trying to present the most
[2:19:57] echo not one thing in
[2:20:00] Economic components of the plan. The high school is the largest economic component.
[2:20:05] Okay, so high school's merge. We save that 3 million that pushes us forward, right? So we're now we're above the line for a while.
[2:20:13] Yeah, I mean, presumably at some point in time, we're going to come back.
[2:20:18] Like we're going to level back out in 10, 15 years because inflation's just going to keep going up and it's not like our buildings are going to keep shrinking or anything.
[2:20:25] Like at some point in time, we're gonna get back to this point,
[2:20:27] but that's a 15-20-year-old kind of thing, then.
[2:20:31] I mean, I'm not at, I guess I shouldn't ask you to predict
[2:20:33] the future that far off, that's unfair.
[2:20:36] But you get what I said.
[2:20:36] Mr. Hurt for that?
[2:20:38] You get what I'm saying though, right?
[2:20:41] Like, without it, we're down, we continue to go down constantly
[2:20:45] with it, we go up, and we get kind of plateau for a while.
[2:20:49] Right, and that if we're looking at a 2030,
[2:20:53] You've made reductions for 26, 27.
[2:20:56] There are a few more years of which we'll have to do things.
[2:21:01] But again, that is and should the board choose to go a different route.
[2:21:07] You can do that.
[2:21:09] It's just the larger the impact as the larger the impact.
[2:21:12] So.
[2:21:15] Well, my first question.
[2:21:16] Sorry.
[2:21:16] I didn't think it was going to take that long.
[2:21:18] I apologize.
[2:21:19] I'll look forward to to what Director Bassett was talking about.
[2:21:24] And I just probably conceptually, the idea that
[2:21:28] if I understand it correctly, don't do the whole meal thing
[2:21:33] as an early learning.
[2:21:34] Why don't we just slap a bunch of more money on question three
[2:21:37] and add early learning at this new elementary?
[2:21:41] I think that's what you're kind of going out in general now.
[2:21:45] Generally.
[2:21:46] I don't want to speak for that.
[2:21:48] So my question, because it's a fascinating,
[2:21:50] what if scenario, that would reduce yet another bill
[2:21:54] right? You go from 11 to 10. Does that get us anything or is the cost of an extra
[2:22:01] $30 million dollars? It's kind of a wash at the end of the day. He or what I'm saying.
[2:22:06] I understand what you're saying. Where I get lost is the reducing another building because
[2:22:11] New Hope Learning Center goes away. I'm saying, okay. Back and back and up. To the
[2:22:18] to the information that has been presented tonight
[2:22:21] and previously, in the event that there was a singular high school
[2:22:26] question, New Hope Learning Center's got anyway.
[2:22:28] That building is gone.
[2:22:29] Right, right.
[2:22:30] So to say, well, if we were to build a new elementary school in
[2:22:34] Louvre, and you were to move New Hope Learning Center,
[2:22:37] you've essentially so far, you've replaced one building for another.
[2:22:41] You haven't reduced your...
[2:22:43] I think I'm not asking the question clear enough.
[2:22:46] So question three's on the ballot.
[2:22:47] Yes, people vote for it. They say we're going to build our mess, right? And we're doing the swapity with Lakeview and the new RMS
[2:22:55] Oh, metric the question is we serve Neil has early learning
[2:23:01] So my point was if you may only has early learning of question one goes away or
[2:23:07] Stays
[2:23:07] Hey, I'm doing this. I'm sorry. I'm interpreting director bass this question as a singular question. I'm just saying I'm saying I'm just trying to do the math in my head right
[2:23:17] Like if question three leave question one and two alone of a exist question three was bigger and you were putting kneel
[2:23:25] That the early learning at that site as well. So you now spend 75, 80 million. I don't know what the number is. It's big
[2:23:32] right
[2:23:33] We have
[2:23:34] Reduced our footprint one more building at that point in time
[2:23:38] Yes, does that map help us though?
[2:23:41] easy or
[2:23:43] because we spent so much money
[2:23:46] making this bigger if we didn't really say anything. Does that make sense?
[2:23:50] Well, it operationally any time you can reduce the billing helps you.
[2:23:54] I mean, that is just as easy as that.
[2:23:57] All right, fair question. All right.
[2:23:59] Last thing, I apologize. I said three.
[2:24:02] I was only two. I just want to be really clear.
[2:24:04] So tonight, when we vote, we're not voting to put the sound of ballots.
[2:24:08] We're not that weird. Just voting as a group to say,
[2:24:11] we would like to see this process continue so that people can comment
[2:24:15] or the stake in comment on it, we can comment on it,
[2:24:17] let the voters continue to do their voting thing.
[2:24:22] So I'll let Ellie weigh in a little bit on that one.
[2:24:24] That is partially the case, but partially not based
[2:24:27] on what Ellie and Mike had talked about earlier
[2:24:29] with your putting a cap and a,
[2:24:32] you're providing a direction of what you think
[2:24:34] you're gonna be doing, what you could back off of,
[2:24:37] but you can't add on to it, right?
[2:24:38] Correct.
[2:24:39] You said it better if you wanna say it,
[2:24:41] but basically I think you have to have a pretty clear direction
[2:24:44] I don't want to mean like I would say don't guess to make it, but if you decide like we talked about before and you went from three to two, you know, downsize something that'd be okay, but I wouldn't say it's got to be relatively close to what you're putting on the ballot.
[2:25:00] But whatever happens tonight, doesn't lock us in. We could push this forward and then come August. Go, well, I guess we don't. Okay. That's all I wanted to make sure.
[2:25:08] Can you, will you just clarify what you're saying? Are you saying we could come to August and the board could say we're not going to go out?
[2:25:16] I mean, theoretically they could.
[2:25:18] I'm going to request some clear direction because I know what it takes to do a referendum campaign.
[2:25:26] And if we are holding a not starting that communication until August, and people can be
[2:25:33] in voting in September, so, well, there's flexibility I believe in terms of questions
[2:25:41] and that, I guess I'm hoping tonight we are very, I guess I should rephrase that I'm not saying
[2:25:47] you would disappear.
[2:25:48] What I'm saying is that the language could change between now and August.
[2:25:52] Thank you for the clarification.
[2:25:53] Yes, I just want to make sure that at the end of the day I've said this before, right?
[2:25:59] Like I think this decision is too big for seven people at the table.
[2:26:04] Like we should be asking the community what they think at the end of the day and we have a
[2:26:09] process to do that.
[2:26:10] It's called an election, so put the three votes out there, what that language is, let's figure it out.
[2:26:17] Okay, done.
[2:26:18] Director Long can pass it.
[2:26:22] And then.
[2:26:27] Okay, so do we have to have each one contingent on the other?
[2:26:32] Can we just put all three questions on there and allow people to vote?
[2:26:37] Yes, and no, to all three questions.
[2:26:44] In theory, you could, you could do it that way.
[2:26:46] Speak up, please.
[2:26:48] In theory, you could do it that way.
[2:26:52] because then we could see maybe, you know, they would go for question three and that question one.
[2:27:00] What?
[2:27:02] I would say with question two, no. Because question two is contingent upon,
[2:27:09] like the change at your middle schools and adding on to the middle school.
[2:27:15] Like that, back to, you need question one to pass to do question two.
[2:27:21] She may not question three, maybe as a standalone, but definitely if you
[2:27:26] put, if you structure it as a three question, you need one to pass for
[2:27:31] two to make sense. You don't, that's not necessarily the case with number three.
[2:27:36] So three could be standalone, but one in two have to be contingent on each other.
[2:27:40] Well, two would have to be contingent on one. Who would have to be contingent on?
[2:27:43] But one could be standalone and three could be standalone.
[2:27:49] That's good. Yeah.
[2:27:50] Okay.
[2:27:51] The one important detail on that, so the reason that two would have to have one pass is that the way the ballot will
[2:27:58] reignite, you don't have that front of you tonight, but if it is, if it is as proposed here,
[2:28:03] question one will say, you know, show ISD281, Barrel 343 million, question two will say 17 million.
[2:28:10] It's the marginal between 343 and 360, though, million.
[2:28:14] It won't say 360 million in a question, too, okay?
[2:28:18] So that's something that's coming to see.
[2:28:21] And then also, when we put the tax impact,
[2:28:23] I want to make this clear that the way that we have it,
[2:28:28] structure and the finance plan,
[2:28:31] is such that question three is happening on top of question one.
[2:28:36] Okay, and so it's the end addition, too.
[2:28:38] And so if you were looking,
[2:28:40] If you told me to help you fund a 50 or 70 or 80 million dollar project on its own, we would probably think about that differently on its own than we would if it is on top of borrowing 343 million or 360 in addition to it.
[2:28:57] So there would be some differences in the financial between the two, which would be, I mean, and that's complex.
[2:29:03] That's right.
[2:29:05] Well, because the first questions are the bond payments change as the old bond payments go away,
[2:29:10] like I was talking about earlier, they get larger as your current debt service or your current
[2:29:15] bond payments go away.
[2:29:17] And we've already utilized that with the first package, and so the marginal increase for the
[2:29:23] third question is different because of that.
[2:29:28] I think you know, sort of, if question three was standalone, you'd really run the risk of
[2:29:32] using voters in that I'm not paying my voter in my paying attention. Look at the
[2:29:36] amount. Well 53 million less than 343. I'm going to take the cheaper option.
[2:29:40] Well all you did is stop one building out for another. You didn't do anything regarding the
[2:29:44] vision. 2030 didn't do anything to make anything more efficient. You just swapped out an old building
[2:29:48] for a new building. Of the same cuts coming forward. Exactly.
[2:29:53] All of the cuts. Okay, I wasn't done yet. Sorry. I apologize.
[2:29:56] Okay, no, I was just letting Greed know.
[2:29:58] Oh, yeah, sorry, sorry.
[2:29:59] Sorry, sorry.
[2:30:03] So, you know, there's a lot of pressure at this table for a sport members. And the pressure doubles months when you're a person of color. And then when you're a person of color and you can't even get your ideas out to your thoughts out without people interrupting you, that becomes a huge problem. And it makes people feel unsafe.
[2:30:27] And I really felt my body really felt unsafe today when director Bassett was starting to be interrupted when she was in the middle of thought.
[2:30:37] And that also interrupts her thought that she is in the middle of telling us board members or telling the other people here at the table so that we can get a good understanding of what she's what point she's trying to get across.
[2:30:50] And then it doesn't help my body start to not feel better from coming from this unsafe
[2:30:56] place in feeling harmed.
[2:30:58] When then we get a sorry but you shouldn't do that.
[2:31:02] So I just need to say that because I am feeling unsafe at this table right now as a person
[2:31:08] of color, I would like us to stop being interrupted.
[2:31:12] I would like the comments of when we bring up facts, if our facts are wrong, be like, well,
[2:31:17] we gave you that information.
[2:31:17] and will then if you gave us that information, give it to me again.
[2:31:21] Nobody hears perfect at this table and don't expect us to be too.
[2:31:28] If we make a mistake and we forget some information, then give it to us again.
[2:31:35] Yes.
[2:31:39] That direct along.
[2:31:41] And I will say that I didn't know you were going to say any of that.
[2:31:44] But I will say this and I was upset when I spoke to this earlier and I talked about
[2:31:52] I was feeling,
[2:31:55] I don't want us to go back into a big green and argumentative place.
[2:32:03] I am tired of people continuing to say, we want correct facts.
[2:32:07] We don't want misinformation.
[2:32:08] We want correct facts after I say something.
[2:32:12] If there's some additional information or some different information, there's a respectful
[2:32:16] way to ask for that.
[2:32:17] And I think before all the course, I actually had said if staff have some different information,
[2:32:23] they can share that.
[2:32:25] I've always felt that way, and I will continue to.
[2:32:28] But I will tell you that it is exhausting to have people try to correct me every time I
[2:32:32] say something or jump in to say something else about it.
[2:32:36] It's annoying, but I have not taken the bait, and I'm not saying people are baiting me.
[2:32:42] But that's this board in the past has fallen down in the places like that because we're selective and who we want to
[2:32:51] a cost, I'll say a cost, because that's what it is happening.
[2:32:55] It does need to stop and there's nothing wrong with questions that I will tell you something else
[2:33:01] that is inappropriate.
[2:33:04] Hearing constantly that the majority of the board decided this or the majority of the board decided
[2:33:08] that, therefore, your question is, you know,
[2:33:13] superfluous, it's not.
[2:33:16] We each hold the same elections certificate,
[2:33:20] and until we vote on something, it's open.
[2:33:25] We all are aware that there's a general support
[2:33:28] for one way or another.
[2:33:30] I have respected that when I've heard about it,
[2:33:32] I haven't pooed it, I haven't done any of those things.
[2:33:37] because it's inappropriate and I respect every time I bring up something I don't appreciate
[2:33:44] hearing what this is the fourth time you brought this up this elementary which is
[2:33:47] was not even true because I haven't even talked about the elementary yet because I've been
[2:33:51] thinking it through you know and so I appreciate direct along you saying what you said I
[2:33:57] appreciate direct to Helen Brand you apologize for interrupting and all these other things
[2:34:03] And I don't need all these hand gestures if they just say, well, Director Bass is somebody else.
[2:34:07] I'll stop.
[2:34:09] You know, I don't need all that to point me out to be some kind of a problematic person.
[2:34:13] I've served for 23 years and not had that problem ever until 2023 things changed.
[2:34:24] And that is the truth and it's on tape.
[2:34:28] So all of a sudden now I'm not going to be painted to be the bad person.
[2:34:32] And I do think in in in in and in difference are kind of in support of what Director
[2:34:37] Long said I was planning to say something perhaps.
[2:34:40] Maybe not as much and to say it when I wasn't already annoyed but there's no I might talk
[2:34:46] over people to get excited and get ready to talk but I never jumper and start questioning
[2:34:51] or changing or correcting somebody in the middle of their conversation and it happens constantly
[2:34:56] by a couple of people here and and I would appreciate it for just this.
[2:35:00] Stop, because I don't want to argue with anybody. I'm not in the mood. I don't have a need. And so I'm just back to the matter at hand. And so the matter at hand, I think I've gotten the answer. And so you've answered my question, because what I was really the point I was making was that closing, moral and ministry's will reduce operating cost. That was one of my points. And so I thank you for kind of reiterating that director Vinison and for you, director, who I'll talk about that again, see if I'll
[2:35:29] Because I think it's true and I got your point landed about if we were going to the one high school
[2:35:35] Then we're gonna lose new hope learning center anyway
[2:35:37] So that kind of almost is a wash so I appreciated you're kind of reminded me of that
[2:35:42] But I think there's some other things that we could do now to back to this question about one question
[2:35:47] Or the dependency of the questions
[2:35:50] So the dependency that I understand you then you have to have question in one in order to have question two
[2:35:57] Well, I'm glad we're kind of, you know, that kind of got emphasized again tonight, because
[2:36:03] to tell you the truth I was kind of, I guess I hadn't seen it that way, but I will also
[2:36:09] say, and that's because of these choices that have been made in this configuration.
[2:36:16] It's stepping just for a second to answer something.
[2:36:19] We have to have question two contingent on question one because question two is only like
[2:36:25] $17 million more and so we get the $343 million and then the question to is just for the
[2:36:33] $17 million more and it swaps out the middle school high school thing.
[2:36:38] I know, but here's the other thing too.
[2:36:40] So we end up actually operating three middle schools anyway.
[2:36:43] We just, our trial becomes flimuth and then our aside becomes the old plummet.
[2:36:47] Basically, I mean, I'm just saying, because really, in effect,
[2:36:50] Well, this schematic here for question two, RSI key through five.
[2:36:58] It's just an element.
[2:36:59] Okay.
[2:37:00] All right. Well, it's on that line. So I was looking at that.
[2:37:02] And I've seen in another place as I'm wondering.
[2:37:04] But so we'll end up with the two.
[2:37:07] Well, I still believe that the configurations that have been raised that we will need to come back to.
[2:37:13] I think that if there is latitude for us to come back and look at what goes into where in this
[2:37:19] scenario number two, or a question two, I think that that would be a good thing, because
[2:37:25] if one has to pay us before dependent on two, I'm not necessarily thinking that I'm just
[2:37:36] amusing now, so I'll stop. But that's the reason why they are. But we could have
[2:37:41] but three can't be a standalone question.
[2:37:45] I guess I think that it should be a standalone
[2:37:49] question, if it's not dependent on any of the other two, I think it should be stand alone.
[2:37:54] And then, and I, yeah, I'll leave it at that.
[2:37:58] But I think if it is a stand alone, the stand alone option, I would really appreciate seeing
[2:38:02] in some relatively recent, you know, perhaps in your time.
[2:38:08] What that might look like, because what we're talking about in that question three, is that
[2:38:13] If we build this, I'm assuming that that's the one new elementary, and if it is, then
[2:38:22] if we are also considering building the early learning, I mean, the early learning center
[2:38:27] into it, that might cause some additional costs and what that might look like and how that
[2:38:34] impacts that number.
[2:38:36] So, I see it says, it looks like it's saying under $8, you know, that signal is seared for the $8
[2:38:42] demand. Is that just pure $8 a month more, or what is it? They cost the cost of it.
[2:38:49] Yeah, those lines represent approximately. Is what that means approximately $8 a month.
[2:38:54] I'm alone. Yeah, no, I'm alone. It's extra question.
[2:38:57] Okay, because I didn't know that at one time, but I went and tried it.
[2:39:00] So, like that, I want the information that I just asked you about. That's when I really want.
[2:39:03] Okay, so it's eight dollars a month for this as it stands right now for the cost for that
[2:39:08] But if we add some more to it, then we presumably I'll get the information about that whatever that is and that cost for there
[2:39:15] And we won't have yeah, most won't go crazy and come up with some big old numbers to go in that spot.
[2:39:22] That's a joke
[2:39:26] I do like jokes, you know, I don't get to tell me help here, you know, if you have noticed
[2:39:34] Just to clarify a question that I'd like to turn to Michael Hart again, if, and only because now as where it's, you know, it feels more like a work session.
[2:39:47] If question three becomes a stand alone, how do we represent the tax impact?
[2:39:53] I
[2:39:57] think that the conversation gets complicated.
[2:40:02] And
[2:40:05] I'm thinking on my feet here a little bit here, because this is a new concept for me in processing. But the next item you have in your agenda is really the LTFM plan. Right? And we have kind of the what you're going to approve tonight is a plan that sets you up if this doesn't pass. Right? And so if you only pass question three in the way that I understand it, none of the other buildings are getting improvements.
[2:40:33] And so you probably still stick with this LTFM plan as it's comprised, you know, it certainly
[2:40:41] wasn't thought of that way as we planned it.
[2:40:44] And so there's lots of different, that adds a layer of complexity, there's lots of different
[2:40:49] scenarios in terms of how the tax impact could look because all of these different parts,
[2:40:54] they all work together in conjunction with each other to accomplish, you know, with the end result
[2:41:01] And so I, you know, like any good economists, the answer is really, it's complicated.
[2:41:08] And that would, that would impose a certainly, a strong layer of complexity, although it could certainly
[2:41:14] could be done.
[2:41:15] And I, I'm not sure tonight how we would effectively communicate that to your community.
[2:41:20] Well, I've been, I've followed up to my question, which, that was my question.
[2:41:24] So there's a follow-up to my question is that I think it's important enough to me.
[2:41:30] I do want to do what is best, not just what I want.
[2:41:35] I want to do what's best for the district, I'm understanding it.
[2:41:39] That information is important.
[2:41:41] The tax impact information is important.
[2:41:44] And so, if this is a standalone question,
[2:41:50] that is important to know what that might do.
[2:41:55] I agree.
[2:41:56] And so, I don't expect you to have an answer tonight.
[2:42:00] But that is an answer that I will appreciate.
[2:42:03] coming forward before I vote for anything.
[2:42:13] So, three main points that I want to make right now.
[2:42:17] I know that when we were in a civil,
[2:42:20] you were talking about the financial impact
[2:42:24] of the two high school option.
[2:42:27] I just also want to remind the board and the community that
[2:42:32] while that is a significant part of getting
[2:42:36] to a better financial place. It also on it emerged first from the community vision team. It was
[2:42:45] then tested twice with the Morris Leatherman survey and then we also had our two lead high school
[2:42:52] principles in a presentation to the board speak about that. So I just want to share that piece.
[2:42:59] The second thing I want to share is I still want to think about this flexibility
[2:43:06] with reductions. If we, if the board goes out for a building bond and it passes, there
[2:43:16] is a pathway to vision 2030. There's a pathway to transforming programming. There's a pathway
[2:43:24] to providing more opportunities that our students need. So there's a pathway to that. So
[2:43:31] Some of the decisions that the board might make around reductions
[2:43:37] or the administrators may recommend may be different.
[2:43:42] So I just want to remind us of that if there isn't a bond
[2:43:47] or the bond doesn't pass, there isn't a vision 2030.
[2:43:53] So I just want to share that.
[2:43:55] And then the third thing that I need this evening
[2:43:58] And as the board continues this communication is, well, I respect 100 percent that each elected
[2:44:06] official is an individual, I can only take direction from the board as a whole.
[2:44:13] So I'm going to need very clear direction from the board and so that I can direct the work
[2:44:21] of our team and the work of our partners.
[2:44:25] So, I just want to stick that up.
[2:44:29] I'm next.
[2:44:31] I move that we are, that that's Robinson School Board,
[2:44:36] authorizes Nexus to submit,
[2:44:39] the review and comment to MDE on the
[2:44:43] agreed upon.
[2:44:44] Referendum questions with one,
[2:44:48] with two and three being contingent on the passage of one.
[2:44:54] Second.
[2:44:57] In the middle of my motion?
[2:44:59] No, it was before.
[2:45:00] I have you was while Helen was talking. Yeah, I got you. So it's me and then November and then Wutau and then Long. But just because I made the motion, doesn't mean we can't discuss, but the motion is now on the floor moved by me, seconded by moment. Okay.
[2:45:15] All right. Dr. Hillenbrand?
[2:45:18] Yeah, thank you because I was hoping we would move towards the motion. And I definitely agree that they need to be contingent, especially question three.
[2:45:27] It doesn't benefit the community or students to have a new elementary school when we have plenty of elementary schools in our inventory.
[2:45:36] We're closing elementary schools, and it doesn't help with savings, and by itself, it doesn't help our students, and it doesn't help the district get out of Detroit.
[2:45:48] I'll bring that, like, yes, it'd be nice to have in a school,
[2:45:50] but I don't see how it helps us achieve our goal.
[2:45:54] So I'm with you a hundred percent.
[2:45:56] And so thank you for making the motion.
[2:46:00] Well, thank you.
[2:46:01] And now it's Dr. Ruto, and then after a long.
[2:46:03] I think we were kind of sitting too close to each other,
[2:46:07] thinking like, oh, so I was going to say also,
[2:46:09] I don't think that trying to allow option
[2:46:13] tree to pass by itself if one and two fails
[2:46:16] is going to do the district getting good, right?
[2:46:19] That is the situation we are in right now.
[2:46:21] So just building a new building and moving students
[2:46:25] into it, I don't think in the future is going
[2:46:28] to help us get to the financial goals that we are in and for.
[2:46:32] So.
[2:46:33] To long,
[2:46:38] I will be voting no to a bank advance the building
[2:46:41] referendum language for this November's ballot
[2:46:44] for the following reasons.
[2:46:46] Community engagement has not been robust.
[2:46:48] Community input sessions have had attendance numbers ranging from 10 to 15 community members.
[2:46:54] The individuals I spoke with at those sessions expressed concern and intended to vote
[2:47:01] No for additional building funding.
[2:47:05] The V team was an administrative initiative that lacked formal board support via resolution
[2:47:12] from its inception to board members and I raise critical questions regarding its budget,
[2:47:19] schools, participation, attendance, and scope, and these inquiries were either dismissed
[2:47:24] or only partially answered long after they were posed. Additionally, the Morris Letterman
[2:47:29] Survey presented in November 3rd of 2025 business meeting revealed that 63% of the respondents
[2:47:38] have never even heard of the meeting.
[2:47:40] While the administration has framed this process as something we have to, and we get to,
[2:47:46] community feedback has been consistently critical.
[2:47:50] Residents have expressed the process, feels rushed, confusing, and lacks in vital details.
[2:47:57] These settlements of frustration and disapproval have been clearly communicated through
[2:48:02] the senior hour, petitions, protests, letters to the editor in the Sun post, and direct emails
[2:48:08] to the board.
[2:48:09] Meanwhile, my questions as a director have gone unanswered and have in fact been weaponized.
[2:48:15] The chair of the board has stated that she has no desire to discuss as a governing body,
[2:48:20] the points petitioners have made around closing a well-performing middle school,
[2:48:30] closing
[2:48:31] board financial decision making protocols, deep reductions by administration to critical student
[2:48:37] supporting personnel including teachers, EAs counselors, and other onsite personnel as
[2:48:42] well as leadership's failure to establish clear district goals and performance metrics.
[2:48:49] Furthermore, I am deeply concerned about the significant tax burden that this referendum
[2:48:54] will place on our community.
[2:48:56] Moving forward with a costly referendum when our district is carrying a BBB level bond rating means borrowing costs are higher, resulting in an even heftier financial burden on local taxpayers.
[2:49:10] At a time when families and property owners are already navigating economic pressures, asking them to shoulder an additional financial weight for a process that lacks clarity and broad community's reap support is irresponsible.
[2:49:23] Lastly, my vote tonight is grounded in my 23 years of experience as a public school teacher
[2:49:30] and my background in educational studies.
[2:49:33] My focus and advocacy will always remain on securing smaller class sizes providing robust
[2:49:39] supports for students directly inside our buildings and ensuring our educators and hourly
[2:49:47] workers are fairly compensated and supported.
[2:49:52] I just want to say real quick that I appreciate the three-
[2:50:00] Thank you. I appreciate having the RMS elementary as a separate question.
[2:50:06] Because I think it's important. At the end of the day, I think the key is that moving forward gives us a chance out of SOD.
[2:50:15] And without it, it doesn't. And most importantly, at the end, I said it before. It's too big for the seven of us.
[2:50:24] I just think we should allow the people to vote.
[2:50:27] And if they vote no, they vote no.
[2:50:29] And the district has a direction then.
[2:50:31] And I think that at this point in time, that's the key.
[2:50:33] We need direction from the community.
[2:50:39] This does not feel rushed to me.
[2:50:43] Because we knew, as soon as a CEO of a whole eyes,
[2:50:47] they'll figure it out, we were not where we were supposed to be.
[2:50:52] In 2024, we heard rumlings right away
[2:50:55] then that there's a referendum in our future.
[2:50:58] So we have known for almost two whole years that a referendum was going to be coming.
[2:51:05] And if a person wants smaller class sizes, who doesn't, not having the referendum pass, is
[2:51:15] going to result in way larger class sizes.
[2:51:19] We heard that tonight.
[2:51:20] They are going to be at the maximum because that's what we're going to be able to afford.
[2:51:24] And so, to me, it totally makes sense to 100% support the referendum and also let the people
[2:51:32] decide.
[2:51:33] When we put it out there, we want the referendum.
[2:51:35] The people will decide,
[2:51:41] in the other hands.
[2:51:43] I have one.
[2:51:43] Okay.
[2:51:44] Dr. Bassett.
[2:51:45] Well, I have to echo some of what a director long can say, quite frankly, because I said
[2:51:51] right next to a person who is a long-term resident, I was out somewhere in Sydney, Minneapolis
[2:51:56] at a meeting.
[2:51:56] And I said, I have a lot of happenstances as we can, but anyway by happenstance, I said next
[2:52:03] one.
[2:52:04] And he was here through many of the iterations that we've gone through before, yes, three
[2:52:08] graduates who graduated Armstrong, you know, and has been kind of, he wasn't even aware of
[2:52:14] what's going on.
[2:52:15] He has a high power job, but maybe that's why, but in any case, he didn't even know.
[2:52:20] And that is true that the majority of the community who don't have kids in school,
[2:52:26] don't know what's going on. They're not paying attention. They don't read the post. I'm
[2:52:32] just saying, I don't know what happens to them, but they don't know. There are people
[2:52:35] who are connected, who happen, pushing out information, and those of folks who are
[2:52:40] connected have children at schools. But I think it's, I mean, I think it's, you know,
[2:52:44] I agree with Director Vinison and with others who say that the three questions on the
[2:52:49] ballot allow the public to choose, I think the public should choose. But I do think it's accurate
[2:52:54] that the broader community is not aware. I am concerned about the tax burden of our residents,
[2:53:02] and while I understand and agree more now, and I understand better, really, if the dependency
[2:53:07] on the revised question one in question two, so I appreciate the discussion about that,
[2:53:12] because I wasn't quite clear on it, and I'm more clear now. I understand that, and I understand
[2:53:18] that there's a question about the efficacy of a stand-alone elementary without anything else
[2:53:24] attached to it. It does it really get us where we need to go. I'm hearing that and
[2:53:29] understanding it. Having said all of that, I'm still concerned over all, but I want to acknowledge
[2:53:38] the things that have helped me have a little more clarity about where we are. And this has
[2:53:43] then a fast-paced push. Talking about you're going to need a referendum in your future is one thing.
[2:53:53] Decisions that come that you don't even get to really ponder the options until late September
[2:53:59] right before the holiday season and then you have meeting after meeting where you get an
[2:54:04] information one week and advance to push you through to push you through. That is what happened.
[2:54:10] And so, that can feel the urge to some, maybe not to others,
[2:54:17] but it's a learning institution.
[2:54:19] That's okay.
[2:54:23] That's okay.
[2:54:24] That's okay.
[2:54:25] Whoops.
[2:54:25] Yeah, I'll check it out.
[2:54:28] Yeah, I will be supporting the motion because I really understand for me that this service
[2:54:35] to our children in their future, if we decide that we just want status quo, we've heard
[2:54:41] nothing in this community for years but how terrible this school district is and somehow
[2:54:47] magically we want to continue on the same path we've been on for 15 years but we magically
[2:54:53] want different results and I really believe that the buildings that those students in.
[2:55:01] Effect, those students wanting to be there to learn and want to be excited about learning.
[2:55:09] So I will be supporting it because I believe 100 percent that the Robin's DEL students deserve
[2:55:16] better in their life and this provides better. And that if we support public education, we need
[2:55:26] finally supported in this community and knowing that each one of our houses that we've
[2:55:31] lived in have not paid for advancements in this school district for over 50 years. We've only
[2:55:38] paid for the status quo in this school district on these properties and I firmly believe that
[2:55:44] it's time for us to get beyond what we've always done and do something better for the kids. Thank
[2:55:54] Thank you.
[2:55:55] Clerk, as long as you're still at the microphone.
[2:55:57] Yes.
[2:55:57] Let's take the vote.
[2:55:59] Perfect.
[2:55:59] What we're voting on is authorizing
[2:56:01] Nexus to submit the review and comment
[2:56:03] to MDE on the referendum questions
[2:56:05] with two and three being contingent on question one.
[2:56:08] Thank you very much for restating that.
[2:56:10] I appreciate it.
[2:56:10] Director Long.
[2:56:12] No.
[2:56:13] Director Bassett.
[2:56:15] I have to say.
[2:56:18] Why?
[2:56:19] You have to say why?
[2:56:20] Because I'm still not totally convinced.
[2:56:23] That's the direction I want to go.
[2:56:26] That's more fully to what a few minutes ago.
[2:56:28] I've understood any more things, so I did say that.
[2:56:32] Director Wu Toe.
[2:56:34] Yes.
[2:56:36] Director Brintison.
[2:56:38] Chair Evans Becker.
[2:56:39] Yes.
[2:56:40] Director Hill and Brand.
[2:56:41] Yes.
[2:56:42] And Director Bowman Marks herself as a yes.
[2:56:44] Motion prevails.
[2:56:45] So the motion prevailed five to one.
[2:56:48] Yeah.
[2:56:48] The point of attention.
[2:56:49] Did you want to still say abstaining?
[2:56:51] Did you want to change your vote?
[2:56:52] I don't want to.
[2:56:53] I don't want to.
[2:56:54] Just the board of the future.
[2:56:54] Okay, we can change them.
[2:56:57] Motion carries.
[2:56:58] We're going to move on.
[2:56:59] Thank you.
[2:57:00] All right.
[2:57:01] Let's do a little turn face.
[2:57:06] The action.
[2:57:10] We need action on the 297-28.
[2:57:13] 10-year LTFM plan.
[2:57:16] Dr. CFO Hohaisel.
[2:57:19] Good evening again.
[2:57:20] Switching gears slightly.
[2:57:21] Moving into the 10-year LTFM plan.
[2:57:24] that was presented to the school board last week.
[2:57:28] Again, I have requested that, one of the partners that was trying to escape still remain
[2:57:33] as far as it relates, because they're very integral as far as projects go.
[2:57:38] But that said, there have not been project questions.
[2:57:41] I would like to turn it over again to Michael Hart, just because back to the intricacy of
[2:57:48] the financing of a tenure plan scene, we haven't presumably had questions about the facility
[2:57:53] part of a tenure plan, I'll turn it over to Michael first and we'll see where it goes.
[2:57:58] Well, looking at as far as resolution tonight is approving the tenure plan and ultimately
[2:58:05] the resolution information that is attached embedded within.
[2:58:10] So please, Michael, go ahead and move forward with the financing of anything you would like
[2:58:15] to address.
[2:58:17] Thank you.
[2:58:18] So what's here before you tonight is matches what was presented to you in detail about a month ago, the first week of May, in relation to the LTFM plan,
[2:58:28] just some highlights, the plan funds about $140 million for the projects over the next seven years.
[2:58:35] So about $20 million per year, approximately half of that is paid through bond finance projects and about half of it is paid through the pay as you go tax levy.
[2:58:47] that's purposeful. It helps with the administrative burden, it also helps manage tax
[2:58:51] levies to do the split of that between the two. In addition to these larger
[2:58:56] projects, there is also a provision for the health and safety program within the
[2:59:02] school district, which is things like testing hazardous materials, fire safety, that
[2:59:07] the school district is required to do in order to keep the building safe.
[2:59:12] What you have in front of you tonight is a resolution that approves the fiscal year 28 LTFM plan as the school board does every summer.
[2:59:22] It's really the first step that you take in a process to certify a tax level for taxes payable in 2027.
[2:59:29] And this is really the first formal board action in relation to your budget for fiscal year 28, which doesn't start for more than a year from now where we sit today.
[2:59:39] It approves that plan along those lines, this also authorizes the issuance of $30 million worth of long-term facility maintenance bonds, which is the first part of that $70 million that is bond financed.
[2:59:54] And so that we wouldn't expect if this plan proceeds forward that you would spend that or issue.
[3:00:00] We do that amount of bonds every year. That's going to cover us for the first few years of this plan, would be the concept.
[3:00:07] And then the last piece in terms of the way that it's constructed is that there is some provision approximately two million dollars of year that we have built into the plan for unforeseen projects.
[3:00:19] OK, so there's going to be things that we just don't know about today that will come up things break when your buildings are old and we have that built into the plan.
[3:00:31] The overall tax increase for this particular plan is $16 a month when you look at the two parts together.
[3:00:40] The LTFM, the portion that is related to the bonds, is $7 a month and the portion related
[3:00:47] to the pay goal is about $9 a month compared to where you sit today.
[3:00:52] Tying it back to the prior conversation, the $30 million of LTFM bonds, if you hold an
[3:01:00] election in a pass as we would anticipate you to sell those bonds in any case, it would be
[3:01:05] The first part of the 116 million that was presented in the prior resolution, and in this case would be the first part of the 70 million that's bond funded within this LTFM plan.
[3:01:16] What we would anticipate changing significantly after the election should it pass is a significant reduction in the pay goal portion of this levy, which is just under 10 million dollars.
[3:01:28] And we would reduce that down to the concept is to just pay for the health and safety type items because we're doing significant remodeling across the district and those other projects are covered through the other funding mechanism.
[3:01:45] So, the $16 a month would look different, would look lower, which partially would offset the taxes on the referendum as we go forward.
[3:02:00] The other parts if you look at the resolution, it approves the plan.
[3:02:02] It approves $30 million of borrowing for the projects within the LTFM plan.
[3:02:08] It also authorizes us to be a part of that state credit enhancement program, which I discussed earlier within the bonds.
[3:02:14] It allows us to reimburse for any project cost prior to those bonds being received, and it gives us the authority to publishing notice, which is required by state statute that the district intends to do that.
[3:02:30] It is not, this is what we call an intent resolution for that $30 million of bonds. At this time, we would need to have further action to actually go through the process of selling those bonds.
[3:02:41] Okay, and based upon what I know today, we do not anticipate taking that action prior to a November election.
[3:02:49] Okay, so we would be back in front of you after more information is known to fund this.
[3:02:54] Again, this is to fund the program kind of starting in fiscal year 28.
[3:02:58] You have bond funds that were sold in 2024 that are continuing to fund projects this summer,
[3:03:04] and I know you've had discussions about those in the past as a school board.
[3:03:08] And the plan, if you look at the detailed documents that were in the board packet,
[3:03:13] those include those spending down of those additional bond funds this summer and coming forward.
[3:03:21] So, I think that hits the highlights here of the requested action.
[3:03:27] Again, the information here is really the same information that was presented to you back a month ago for this plan.
[3:03:34] This is a required part of the process that needs to be submitted to NDE or the Department of Education prior to July 31st.
[3:03:43] And so that it, you know, every summer the school board has had this action and some form in front of you, although I want to be, you know, clear transparent.
[3:03:54] This does represent a significant tax increase under community to proceed forward with a plan as it's constructed.
[3:04:01] and it does provide you significant investments in your school facilities, whether or not an election
[3:04:09] passes, although they would look very different.
[3:04:12] You know, we felt that discussion at length here tonight.
[3:04:19] Seeing Dr. Bass about, sorry, Dr. Bowman.
[3:04:23] I was just going to move a approval of the District 211 term facilities made in Slevee
[3:04:28] Plan.
[3:04:28] Okay.
[3:04:29] And wave the rest of the reading.
[3:04:30] The rest of the week.
[3:04:31] Wave it.
[3:04:32] Yes, moved by director Bowman seconded by director Helen Brand were waving the reading of the resolution, and I don't see any hands up, and so let's
[3:04:40] I have director Benson. Yeah, I don't so I did say some questions director
[3:04:46] Highsoil and so you did see those questions? I did and I also shared them with Mr. Hart
[3:04:52] as well, and so yeah, good and so Mr. Hart, would you say that you've addressed all those questions in your presentation and
[3:05:00] And if you have, we can talk, you know, maybe speak a little bit about that.
[3:05:06] I'll ever, I mean, some of the questions have been asked as we've worked through this document.
[3:05:12] But some of them are maybe technical questions that we can talk about.
[3:05:16] I don't know that they are principally changed the direction of what we're doing.
[3:05:21] It quite frankly, I mean, as I've been listening to this presentation.
[3:05:25] For example, there's application, we've talked about the $30 million in incremental sales.
[3:05:34] Correct, yep.
[3:05:35] I mean, I'm just saying we've gone through some of the things I had questions about, we kind of walked through them.
[3:05:40] I tried to weave those.
[3:05:42] Well, yeah.
[3:05:42] That's the only reason I wanted to do that.
[3:05:44] So I don't want to be laborer and go back over them now because I only ask questions if I really think I need the answer.
[3:05:50] So I think you've hit pretty much everything and knowing that the director who has will have them and they were shared.
[3:05:57] One thing that director Bassett that Michael did not address was there is a question,
[3:06:03] and if I could be so bold as to read it, that was not addressed.
[3:06:07] It says, is there any formal or informal relationship with the bond firm of Coutac Rock, LOP,
[3:06:12] and any senior leader of our district with direct involvement in this contract?
[3:06:16] Please explain.
[3:06:18] So, at least as far my involvement coming in in 2024, which was the last time that that was issued,
[3:06:26] Sophia Licki had worked as she was the bond council that was working with us and she was with Kennedy and Graven.
[3:06:32] And the district had been with Kennedy and Graven for a considerable amount of time prior to 2024.
[3:06:38] Bond Council at Kennedy and Graven, one who is a long-standing member, is now deceased,
[3:06:46] Sophia switched firms to Coutac Rock.
[3:06:48] We followed Sophia because she was the one that had that had been working with the firm
[3:06:53] and our information.
[3:06:54] To my knowledge, there is no, and I'm speaking for myself, but I'm going to presume the rest
[3:06:59] of the team as well, because I don't have knowledge of it.
[3:07:02] There is no relationship indirect or directly involvement with Coutac Rock, other than having
[3:07:08] Sofia do we work in the district previously?
[3:07:11] Well, I see a whole house and I really appreciated you coming back to that question because
[3:07:16] I wrote it because it occurred to me and I know we have questions of that nature that have
[3:07:20] been an out in the community and that these other ones that I had on here will really come
[3:07:25] from my heart.
[3:07:26] And so I really appreciate your coming back and following up on that and making that clear.
[3:07:32] I appreciate that.
[3:07:37] Dr. Bowman, I think we are ready to vote.
[3:07:40] What we're voting on is to approve the resolution, ensuring our participation in the
[3:07:44] LTOFM program, inclusion on the Payable 2027 Tax Leverie.
[3:07:50] And for 3, 7, 28, school year.
[3:07:53] Ready, ready, go.
[3:07:54] Eric, Dr. Wu-Tel.
[3:07:57] Yes.
[3:07:59] Dr. Long, well, I mean, director Long.
[3:08:04] Dr. Long.
[3:08:07] Dr. Long.
[3:08:07] You told me, paid in too.
[3:08:09] Dr. Long.
[3:08:11] Yes.
[3:08:14] Dr. Hillenbrand.
[3:08:15] Yes.
[3:08:16] Chair Evans Becker.
[3:08:17] Yes.
[3:08:18] Director Brunison.
[3:08:19] Director Bowman votes. Yes.
[3:08:21] Director Bassett.
[3:08:23] Yes.
[3:08:24] You thought was unanimous.
[3:08:26] It's up in zero.
[3:08:28] Thank you very much.
[3:08:28] Thank you, Michael.
[3:08:29] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for asking me to ask you my questions.
[3:08:36] All right. Moving on we're already up to new business.
[3:08:41] I'll resolution accepting donations. Thank you. I haven't even told you how much.
[3:08:48] We have 48,000, ninety-four dollars and ninety-nine cents. And this is a roll call of vote. It was moved by director
[3:08:54] You will tell a second if I direct your basket and we'll take the roll call vote when you're ready, direct your bone.
[3:09:00] Dr. Bassett.
[3:09:03] Dr. Bernison.
[3:09:04] Yes.
[3:09:04] Direct your home brand.
[3:09:05] Yes.
[3:09:06] Director Wuto.
[3:09:08] Director Bowman votes. Yes.
[3:09:09] Director Evans Becker.
[3:09:11] Yes.
[3:09:12] Director Long.
[3:09:13] Yes.
[3:09:14] Motion prevails.
[3:09:15] Thank you.
[3:09:16] All right. The other item of your business is resolution establishing the filing period for
[3:09:21] It's a candidacy for the school board.
[3:09:25] We have four physicians on the school board that are
[3:09:29] of a reelection and this filing,
[3:09:33] this filing is actually set by state statute.
[3:09:38] And so it's a two week period.
[3:09:43] I'll tell you what it is.
[3:09:47] It's like July 14 to the 28th, I think.
[3:09:50] That's correct. Okay. So what we need to do is move the resolution.
[3:09:58] Thank you. Move by director.
[3:10:00] Mr. Hillenbrand, seconded by Director Bassett, and with reading.
[3:10:05] Please. Okay. All right.
[3:10:09] Roll call vote. It's a resolution.
[3:10:11] Sounds good. Director Bassett? Yes. Director Bowman votes. Yes. Director Brentonson. Yes.
[3:10:16] Chair Evans Becker. Yes. Director Hillenbrand. Yes. Director Long. Yes. Director Woutel. Yes. Motion prevails.
[3:10:26] Okay, I remember eight policy.
[3:10:29] Dr. Tuto?
[3:10:30] Yeah, we have eight policies that are due for a second read.
[3:10:33] I've received no questions or concerns on any of them.
[3:10:36] So I do want to move for the motion for that approval of these policies.
[3:10:40] Okay, I'll second that.
[3:10:42] And it's a voice policy for me to say.
[3:10:45] Yeah.
[3:10:46] All right. And so all the favor of approving these policies, please say aye.
[3:10:51] I suppose I know policies are approved and we don't have any first
[3:10:56] repolacy, so that moves us to number nine, a
[3:10:58] administrative report, superintendents, all of excellent.
[3:11:00] Thank you very much and good evening again, Chair of Inspector
[3:11:03] School Board Directors, those of you in the room at the ESC and
[3:11:07] the viewing public at Robinsdale Area Schools, our mission is to
[3:11:11] inspire and educate all learners to develop their unique
[3:11:13] potential and to positively contribute to their community.
[3:11:17] Our collective work is focused on that mission and tonight I'd
[3:11:20] to share some of the work in which we've been engaged.
[3:11:23] Although the students are no longer in session,
[3:11:26] last week we experienced a week of learning
[3:11:28] and improving through various events
[3:11:30] that are advancing expectations for improvement
[3:11:34] and excellence across the district.
[3:11:36] On Tuesday, June 9th, we gathered all the district administrators
[3:11:39] from departments and schools for the day
[3:11:42] as we reviewed and reflected on the 2025, 26 school year
[3:11:45] and continued to reimagine improvements in all areas.
[3:11:48] the day was intentionally planned to be meaningful and impactful to our leaders.
[3:11:53] On Thursday June 11, the teaching and learning team and building instructional leadership teams,
[3:11:58] all came together. There were about 125 teachers and administrators to collaborate on the new and improved
[3:12:04] focus of school improvement plans. We kicked off the day, elevating the voices of students with the youth council
[3:12:10] presenting to the group and the rest of the day was spent on reviewing data and a focus on the
[3:12:18] consistency as a system, as it means to enhance student academic outcomes and success.
[3:12:24] I'm pleased to share that Rob and Stale area schools has been recognized by the Minnesota
[3:12:28] Department of Agriculture with bronzeberry honors. As part of the 2026 Minnesota,
[3:12:34] a grown cream of the crop awards. This recognition reflects the outstanding work of our
[3:12:40] child nutrition services team and their commitment to providing students with fresh
[3:12:44] locally source foods while creating meaningful connections to culture, community, and agriculture.
[3:12:50] Throughout the school, your students enjoyed Minnesota growing produce, dairy, grains,
[3:12:54] and other locally sourced ingredients. These efforts extended beyond everyday meals to include
[3:12:59] culturally relevant menu offerings and special celebrations that reflected the diversity of our
[3:13:04] school community. This recognition highlights two important priorities in our strategic
[3:13:09] planet support student engagement and wellness by providing nutritious meals and helping
[3:13:13] students develop positive relationships with food and healthy choices.
[3:13:17] It also demonstrates the power of collaboration and partnerships through the strong relationships
[3:13:22] our child nutrition services team has built with local farmers, food producers, and businesses
[3:13:28] across Minnesota.
[3:13:29] When I congratulate Brianna Smith, our nutrition services team, and all of our partners for making
[3:13:34] this recognition possible.
[3:13:36] In the area of staff, investment, and impact, and proud to recognize one of our outstanding
[3:13:41] educators, Michelle Burshide, who was recently named the recipient of the 2026,
[3:13:47] lowest angstrom leadership award by the Minnesota Association for Family and Early
[3:13:52] Education. This prestigious statewide award recognizes individuals who have made
[3:13:57] significant contributions to parents education, early childhood family education,
[3:14:03] and early learning programs throughout Minnesota. Michelle's career has been defined by
[3:14:07] commitment to support families, strengthening parent child relationships, and building connections
[3:14:12] among parents and caregivers. Through her work in ECFC, Fee, family literacy, home visiting,
[3:14:19] and curriculum development, and higher education, she has helped countless families,
[3:14:23] build the skills, confidence, and support networks they need to help children thrive.
[3:14:27] So, we have the district we want to congratulate Michelle on this very deserving award.
[3:14:32] In the strategic theme of student engagement wellness as the school year ends,
[3:14:36] Our commitment to supporting students and families throughout the summer continues.
[3:14:41] Ravansdil area schools is once again participate in the summer food service program, providing
[3:14:47] free breakfast and lunch opportunities for children and teens ages 1 through 18 at sites across the community.
[3:14:54] For many families, these meals provide important source of nutrition and stability when school is not in session.
[3:15:00] And the program ensures children continue to have access to healthy meals, while also maintaining connections to their schools and communities.
[3:15:07] We encourage families to visit ourdale.org for a complete list of meal, sites, dates, and service times.
[3:15:14] Every child is welcome and meals are provided free of charge.
[3:15:20] If you haven't already, be sure to check your mail box for the spring edition of ourdale report, our district-wide community newsletter.
[3:15:29] This eight-page publication is one of the most important ways that we communicate with our broader
[3:15:35] community.
[3:15:35] Over the years, our residents have consistently told us that mailed information remains a trusted
[3:15:42] and valuable source of district news and updates.
[3:15:45] This issue provides a comprehensive look at, to reimagine, our deal vision 2030, including information
[3:15:51] about the statutory operating debt process.
[3:15:53] The work that's been done to stabilize the district and the conversations that have helped
[3:15:58] are helping to shape our future. Also, highlights many of the outstanding students, staff programs,
[3:16:03] and achievements that make Robin still area school, such a nice special place.
[3:16:07] This supports our commitment of collaboration and partnerships,
[3:16:11] transparency, proactive communication, helps build understanding trust and meaningful
[3:16:16] connections with families, taxpayers, community members, business partners, and others who
[3:16:20] have an interest in our schools. So I encourage everyone who will get that in every resident
[3:16:25] We'll get that in their mailbox and please take a look.
[3:16:29] Finally, in these strategic private priority theme of academic achievement, one of the greatest privileges that we have each year celebrated our graduates.
[3:16:37] In the incredible journeys that have brought them to this moment.
[3:16:40] Last week, we shared a graduation recap news letter highlighting commencement ceremonies across Robin Stillerie's schools, including photo galleries, live stream recordings, graduate accomplishments and student profiles.
[3:16:53] Well, graduation marks the end of one chapter, it also represents the accumulation of years of learning and hard work.
[3:17:01] These infographics tell a story of a graduate class that's prepared for a wide variety of futures across Armstrong Cooper,
[3:17:10] Robinsdale Academy, Highview, and Robinsdale Virtual Academy, we celebrated nearly 900 graduates
[3:17:18] this year.
[3:17:19] What stands out most is there's no single path to success.
[3:17:23] Our graduates are pursuing four year universities, community and technical colleges,
[3:17:29] apprenticeships, military service, employment and other opportunities that aligns with
[3:17:34] their goals and aspirations.
[3:17:35] At Armstrong, more than 80% of surveyed graduates indicated plans to continue their education,
[3:17:42] with students heading to colleges and universities in 23 states, Washington, D.C., Canada,
[3:17:48] and Mexico.
[3:17:49] Cooper's graduates will continue their education and locations across the country and internationally
[3:17:54] while also earning significant academic recognitions.
[3:17:59] At Robyn Sale Academy, high view, we see the power of personalized pathways, many students
[3:18:04] balance employment, work experience, and college course work, well completing high school.
[3:18:09] Their plans after graduation reflect the career focused and technical opportunities that
[3:18:14] prepare students for immediate success in the workforce and beyond.
[3:18:19] And at Robyn Stilverchville Academy graduates demonstrate exceptional academic achievement,
[3:18:23] including students earning academic letters in high school.
[3:18:26] Most importantly, our students remind us that every graduate has a story.
[3:18:30] Students like Sol Pesino, a graduate of our adult academic program whose determination, perseverance, and support from carrying educators helped him reach the smilestone and pursue a career or a future in accounting.
[3:18:43] Whether students heading to university, entering the workforce, earning, industry credential, serving in the military, or continuing their education in another way we are proud of all that they have accomplished.
[3:18:54] And I do want to share this video because the numbers tell part of the story, but the real story is found in the faces and the celebrations of our kids.
[3:19:05] So let's just take a look at graduation season and celebrate the remarkable class of 20 twice.
[3:19:22] They, we gather to celebrate something far greater than a milestone on a timeline.
[3:19:28] We are here to honor courage.
[3:19:31] We are here to honor resilience.
[3:19:34] And most of all, we are here to honor you, our graduates.
[3:19:40] I feel like I've raised my emotions, I'm happy, I'm sad, I'm excited.
[3:19:45] I am feeling nervous, but I'm very excited about it.
[3:19:52] I'm so excited because I worked so hard on my full-time worker and mother, so I'm so happy.
[3:20:00] I'm a first-din, and I'm really doing this for myself and my parents because it came here from Mexico. I just want to make them proud.
[3:20:08] The reason that graduation is so special to me is because I lost my little brother to bring cancer when he was 12 years old.
[3:20:14] I wanted to graduate because he never had that chance to graduate.
[3:20:22] When I look out to this sea of graduates in front of me, I see some of the most thoughtful, kind, creative, funny, and driven people I have ever met.
[3:20:30] Hello, you guys and that maybe the hardest part of the streets.
[3:20:36] For nine months, you spend nearly every day together.
[3:20:39] You live through the ups and downs through your store,
[3:20:42] moments through the miracles of living.
[3:20:45] You become my kids.
[3:20:48] And now I have to say goodbye.
[3:20:53] It's really just like a surreal moment to add in your life
[3:20:56] and do it in my elementary school walk earlier today,
[3:20:59] it's just all the memories started floating back in.
[3:21:01] I feel like I've really grown as a person from since my first day of elementary school
[3:21:05] and how graduating high school.
[3:21:11] Graduation has always been my favorite time.
[3:21:13] My sister graduated here and my brother and my mom.
[3:21:16] The I'm ending the family line at Orbs Road.
[3:21:19] So it's a very big deal.
[3:21:22] I plan on going to Hannipen Tech.
[3:21:24] I really want to work in healthcare.
[3:21:27] I'm going to the University of Arizona.
[3:21:29] I'm studying at HVAC.
[3:21:31] I'm going to be an EMT.
[3:21:31] I'm ready to finish this job for my life.
[3:21:33] move on. I want them to hear the joy and the pride in my voice. I know it's
[3:21:40] a split second and that's all it is with each one of them, but I want it to
[3:21:43] matter and I want them to recognize how proud I am of them and that we see them
[3:21:50] and we will continue to cheer them on.
[3:22:02] Class of 2026 for making me last for your so memorable, you guys are hilarious and amazing and I wish all of you the best of luck after we graduate
[3:22:13] Go
[3:22:18] on!
[3:22:19] I want to make my mom happy.
[3:22:20] Go take pictures after this.
[3:22:21] We all feel good.
[3:22:21] We're going to start right after.
[3:22:39] Graduates, on behalf of all of us here, we are proud of you.
[3:22:44] We believe in you.
[3:22:46] And we cannot wait to see where you go from here.
[3:23:00] Thank you.
[3:23:00] Thank you.
[3:23:01] Thank you.
[3:23:03] Can you get the slides?
[3:23:05] Thank you.
[3:23:09] Thank you.
[3:23:10] We're in the packet.
[3:23:14] Okay.
[3:23:15] Next up on our agenda is the legislative update with CFO Hull High School and Executive
[3:23:21] Director of Community Education Athletics and Activities and the new Williams.
[3:23:26] All right.
[3:23:26] Thank you again.
[3:23:28] And it's hard to follow up.
[3:23:29] That would have led just a little bit.
[3:23:31] Yeah.
[3:23:32] What do you got?
[3:23:33] You know.
[3:23:34] Well, thank you.
[3:23:36] chair and as a member of the board, so I'm going to start a little.
[3:23:40] We are myself in Seattle, Ohio has a little here to present the 2016 Legislative
[3:23:45] Update.
[3:23:46] The purpose of this presentation is to inform the Board of Education and the community about
[3:23:51] the district of the 2016 Legislative platform and the outcomes of the legislative session.
[3:23:56] This year, as you all know, we focus on five main themes on what our platform and
[3:24:06] to the student-centered learning, modernizing the long-term facilities, maintenance, revenue to address aging, infrastructure.
[3:24:13] I'm expanding Safe Schools revenue to modernize it.
[3:24:16] It uses Institute Tax Equalization for Property Owners, and then opposed on funded mandates,
[3:24:23] and then sure I could add a quit implementation for resources.
[3:24:30] Well, a million of our items did see bills in the house of Senate, none of them really made
[3:24:37] the final cut.
[3:24:38] You know, it was a tough legislative session as we knew going into that, you know, this
[3:24:42] wasn't a funding year as a policy year, so we tried to focus on some policy things, but,
[3:24:46] you know, I was the operational surgeon, a number of other things, sort of took over the
[3:24:51] legislative session, and none of our bills made the little bills that are aligned with
[3:24:57] priorities, I'll make the final cut, but
[3:25:00] There are some things that were presented at the legislature that they do impact education, and I'm going to pass it over to see if a whole eyes of the talk about those things.
[3:25:09] Thank you. The things that did make the cut for the state of Minnesota was one time vehicle tab, reduction fees, HCMC, received some dedicated funding.
[3:25:21] and several anti-frod provisions for IT systems and like one-time refunds on property tax
[3:25:30] home-stig credits, rural and critical access to hospitals, and then the Bonnie Bill,
[3:25:34] and the piece of the Bonnie Bill that impacted that had district impact.
[3:25:40] Now, I didn't necessarily say our district impact, I just said district impact was essentially
[3:25:48] about $10 million of, that was carry over from a hold, hold harmless provision for compensatory
[3:25:56] revenue. This is not going to, with the formula, how it is, is not going to have any great impact
[3:26:04] for our district. Again, in the call that I had mentioned early on the board meeting today,
[3:26:08] with my organization. There are some charter schools that won't be in existence next year,
[3:26:14] which puts some money back into the system.
[3:26:17] Again, I don't anticipate anything,
[3:26:20] but they did do something for someone.
[3:26:23] One of another change for all districts
[3:26:27] is what may be used for operating capital.
[3:26:30] We've had this conversation about typically
[3:26:32] it's a useful life of more than a year.
[3:26:34] It's some form of equipment.
[3:26:36] Legislatively, we now could use operating capital
[3:26:39] to apply to our utility service costs, tax replacement aid, seasonal tax base, replacement
[3:26:49] aid provisions.
[3:26:50] We do not as a district have enough recreational property as primary property for this
[3:27:00] to impact us anonymous threat reporting.
[3:27:03] $5 million was put into the system for anonymous threat reporting.
[3:27:08] It is something and this will be in a future slide that the district is going to need to address
[3:27:13] before the end of, I think it's the next fiscal year.
[3:27:18] Health insurance data survey data collection and reporting requirements we are now as a district required
[3:27:24] required to report our health insurance data information on a survey.
[3:27:30] There is belief that we slowly could be making our way, you know,
[3:27:35] to a is there going to be a statewide pool of which we're all participating in, and this is the first step.
[3:27:43] That's, that is the cautious belief with the collection of that data that we are not required to submit.
[3:27:49] And then behavioral health grants, there were two allocations, school-based allocations, 12.25 million for fiscal year 27,
[3:27:56] for the behavior for grant and then 3.8 million in fiscal 27 for a mobile crisis service grant again.
[3:28:05] It is a grant. It would be one time funding and you would have to apply.
[3:28:11] Perven school transfer we had talked about this again earlier in the meeting.
[3:28:15] It will be on the ballot and what it does is it asks for an amendment or for a constitutional amendment to allow an increase to be paid from the permit school tax fund.
[3:28:27] This does not impact our local taxpayers.
[3:28:31] This is a fund that's already set aside.
[3:28:33] It just changes the percent of allocation.
[3:28:36] The way this election will work, it is not a.
[3:28:41] Otters that show up and even if they choose not to vote count as a no vote.
[3:28:47] So the only way it counts as a yes vote, if someone actually physically
[3:28:51] supports it as a yes vote, because if they just ignore the question, it's a no vote.
[3:28:55] So that there's going to be a lot of communication, no different than what was discussed tonight,
[3:29:01] around that this isn't a tax impact to our taxpayers,
[3:29:05] and not only that it would help with all school districts revenue to a degree,
[3:29:09] but you actually have to vote yes.
[3:29:11] You can't avoid the question.
[3:29:15] Moving on to the anonymous threat reporting.
[3:29:19] By this time of next year,
[3:29:21] the school board must adopt a policy on how, what our reporting system is going to be.
[3:29:28] So I would anticipate this moving forward through the course of the next school year,
[3:29:33] and the board making a decision on what option that we're going to use.
[3:29:39] And then we must have that fully implemented by July of 28th.
[3:29:43] So decision on how we're going to do it in June of 27.
[3:29:46] And then we have another year to say we are now fully implemented on what that anonymous threat reporting system looks like so more to come with that.
[3:29:56] And then there were various provisions as it relates to.
[3:30:00] Student and School Safety, grooming prevention and criminal laws, and you can see the various items
[3:30:08] with how that is impacted within the system. That, along with other policy provisions,
[3:30:19] veterans can get high school diplomas if they were in the Korean or Vietnam wars and
[3:30:26] paraprofessional qualifications,
[3:30:30] with LEA's using the competency grid to verify qualification,
[3:30:35] is expected by the beginning of August. Teacher Prep requires supervised early,
[3:30:41] literacy field experience for all candidates, and then foster care priority if we have a
[3:30:47] student for
[3:30:51] community ed to get in, they get a priority. So again, not a robust funding year,
[3:30:57] not a not a robust year for our district per se.
[3:31:01] I was happy to hear that there was one person
[3:31:04] or a group of people that presented earlier tonight
[3:31:07] with a B-bay that was thrilled
[3:31:09] with what happened legislatively.
[3:31:11] And so you never get to hear that.
[3:31:12] So it's actually to meet T-UP
[3:31:14] this legislative session presentation quite well.
[3:31:18] So if the board has any questions,
[3:31:22] director Williams and I are happy to entertain them
[3:31:24] at this time.
[3:31:28] I'm interested in the property tax homestead credit and I can do some research on it, but did you, are we getting
[3:31:36] increased to that credit or are we getting a decrease in do you know any details about that one because that might be important overall.
[3:31:45] Agreed and unfortunately I don't have a significant amount of details with that right now.
[3:31:49] Any idea when that information is going to kind of hit that?
[3:31:53] No, but I'll be on the lookout for it to keep your price because, again, with what happened with the board action tonight, that that it all comes in to play.
[3:32:01] Right. Great. Thank you. Thank you, President.
[3:32:04] Hey, thank you very much. I don't see any of the questions.
[3:32:09] And said, we are finished. And there's some future events that we're supposed to hear about.
[3:32:16] All right. I'll take a motion to have some approval to adjourn.
[3:32:19] Uh, Bowman moved to a journal set by Ruto, all the later please say aye.
[3:32:24] Aye.
[3:32:25] Go say no.
[3:32:26] We are adjourned.
[3:32:29] And we will reconvene on minutes you guys need.
[3:32:35] Let's try, let's try for ten.
[3:32:38] For the study session.
[3:32:40] Put in the closed session.
[3:45:33] We are back. And this is the beginning of our study session. Today is Monday, June 15, 20, 26. It is
[3:45:41] 9, 42 in the evening. And the purpose of this meeting is to talk about our superintendent's
[3:45:49] valuation superintendent's salary. Do the agenda work the document talk? Sure. One of the
[3:46:03] evaluation is part of your duties as school board members. We are abiding by the timeline
[3:46:10] that was laid out from the beginning and tonight you've had two weeks review my materials
[3:46:16] so tonight what I'd like to do is I have a presentation that I'm choosing to publicly share.
[3:46:23] I think it's important that the community also is aware of the scope of my goals and
[3:46:31] evidence of attainment of those goals so we'll start with that when you're ready to.
[3:46:37] Okay, just so that everybody, I think usually in a study session we'll enter just ourselves
[3:46:40] so we'll do that.
[3:46:41] I forgot about that.
[3:46:43] And then after the superintendent makes her presentation the superintendent will leave
[3:46:49] and we will go into closed session with just the board briefly, and then, yes, in this room,
[3:46:55] and then we will come back with our superintendent and our facilitator, as we continue
[3:47:01] with the closed session just so we know. So, I'm Greed Evans Beckerboard Chair.
[3:47:05] I kind of cool it's a nice chair.
[3:47:08] Aviva Hill and Brandon Treasurer.
[3:47:10] Renee Bowlin-Cork.
[3:47:17] Amy O'Hurn, Executive Director of Human Resources.
[3:47:19] DJ press and school board.
[3:47:23] Caroline Long School board.
[3:47:25] Alan Bass is a school board.
[3:47:30] It's bar board from MSBA.
[3:47:33] Thank you.
[3:47:33] Terry Jones.
[3:47:34] All right.
[3:47:35] So when you are ready for Vincent,
[3:47:37] Chen and Stano, let's begin.
[3:47:39] All right.
[3:47:40] I just want to be sure that the presentation gets up.
[3:47:47] I'm some magical place.
[3:47:49] Thanks, Ray.
[3:47:51] Good evening again.
[3:47:53] Board members, I know that you
[3:47:54] well aware of this information. However, I believe it is important as I stated to publicly
[3:47:59] share an overview of my goals and evidence of attainment of these goals. Just over two
[3:48:05] years ago, I interviewed and was offered the position of leading Robinsdale Area School,
[3:48:09] in the office of the superintendent. Through my interview, board members and community members
[3:48:14] heard about my work, my values and beliefs, and both what, and how I would lead Robinsdale
[3:48:19] to a better place. I knew some of the challenges facing the district at the time and embraced
[3:48:24] those challenges and the opportunity to lead here.
[3:48:26] In the first year, you witnessed my leadership,
[3:48:30] focused on listening, learning, leveraging talent
[3:48:33] as the foundation of how I best could lead.
[3:48:36] I was intentional in a process and an immediate timeline
[3:48:40] to assess the scope and severity of the needs
[3:48:43] in academic support services, district identity
[3:48:46] and reputation enrollment facility needs and finances.
[3:48:49] I was also intentional in engaging the community in what they wanted to see as the future
[3:48:56] of our school district.
[3:48:57] My first year ended with not only a team and a goal set, but also were engaged in a comprehensive
[3:49:02] path forward to continue to improve all aspects of Robinson's.
[3:49:07] As I began the second year, I utilized the feedback from board members as well as the priority
[3:49:22] In my previous superintendent career, I had never not had my recommended goals accepted by the board.
[3:49:28] However, there was not board agreement on my goals, so I brought back revisions on August 29th and more revisions again on September 4th for the final review of my goals.
[3:49:43] The process and the evidence of a performance area in which are aligned to the standards and elements of the Minnesota State Minnesota School Board Association Superintendent process on January 20th school board members received a
[3:49:58] Make your progress free.
[3:50:00] We report on the goals and two weeks ago, you received materials aligned to the goal attainment.
[3:50:07] Well, this end of the year evaluation is certainly about the superintendent goals that have been approved by me and the Board in collaboration.
[3:50:17] It also represents the work that my entire team does on behalf of our students.
[3:50:24] So, the work aligns to my goals, I'm voting.
[3:50:28] The work aligns my goals and all the other work in which I'm engaged each day is centered
[3:50:31] on my purpose, my why and why I've dedicated my career to service and educator and leader
[3:50:38] in public education.
[3:50:39] Again, board members, I know you've heard this, but I'm going to share it again.
[3:50:43] I lead to inspire and empower and develop others to thrive so we can create life chances,
[3:50:48] equitable outcomes in a sense of belonging for all learners through trust, service, authenticity,
[3:50:54] and love. And I never forget our collective purpose and promise to our students, families.
[3:51:02] And that's why at the beginning of every meeting at convene, I ground the group with our mission,
[3:51:07] our purpose and the reason we get up. I want to make sure that every single one of our
[3:51:11] 1,600 staff members understands the importance of the work that they do to support students
[3:51:19] in achieving this mission.
[3:51:21] Shared leadership and shared accountability is the, um, you're going to have to remind me
[3:51:27] to forward the slides because I'm not going to remember the, uh, shared leadership
[3:51:32] and shared accountability is the culture, um, I'm working to create.
[3:51:36] I said, yes, two years ago, it's a district to anyone and while the challenges are greater
[3:51:41] than I could have ever imagined, and we have a long way to go to improve the student outcomes
[3:51:46] and all facets of the school district. I'm ending my second year, really proud of the amazing
[3:51:52] people who have come together for our students around the shared goal of improving Robinsdale
[3:51:57] area of schools now and into the future. And I'm really proud of how I've continued to lead and
[3:52:03] navigate in credible challenges and change. For the rest of the presentation, I'm going to share
[3:52:08] My goals, some of the evaluation elements
[3:52:11] agreed upon by the board, there's four overarching goals
[3:52:15] and each piece has a sub goal to it.
[3:52:20] So the first goal was establishes the means
[3:52:22] to continue the work established during the Reimagined
[3:52:25] R Delvision 2030, the robust community engagement process
[3:52:29] that was implemented and we knew that that work
[3:52:32] was going to be continued based on school board
[3:52:36] and stakeholder input.
[3:52:37] And the goal states to successfully implement
[3:52:40] school board direction on the future of prop and steel area schools based on school board study
[3:52:44] and stakeholder input including recommendations of the Reimagined Hardell Vision 2030 team.
[3:52:53] The first focus area to achieve goal 1 states the superintendent will provide a plan of action
[3:52:59] outline the development and improvement of systems as the beginning stages of the vision of
[3:53:04] academics teaching and learning and the student experience improve Robinsdale area schools
[3:53:09] what has become very clear in my second year of the superintendent's see.
[3:53:15] Is the critical need to develop basic systems that one would expect to be in place in a school district
[3:53:22] but here they simply are not in place yet.
[3:53:25] The reimagined our deal vision 20 recommendation provided a pathway to achieving a district identity with an arts and innovation focus.
[3:53:33] However, with new and excellent leadership in the Department of Teaching and Learning, many
[3:53:38] needs were uncovered that prioritized building a strong foundation of a guaranteed and
[3:53:43] viable curriculum and academics as part of the most critical academic foundation needs.
[3:53:48] We established excellent processes for implementing a new elementary HLA curriculum and
[3:53:54] a math cycle review.
[3:53:56] We also completed the work of a Portrait of a Graduate, which provided a unifying opportunity
[3:54:00] for our community to articulate and help design a foundational document that paints a picture
[3:54:06] of what we want for our students beyond excellence in academics. This was a collaborative process
[3:54:10] with the initial data received from staff, students, families, and community members.
[3:54:15] The remote control draft that were also shared with stakeholders in the final draft
[3:54:18] approved by the board was shared with department or the district curriculum advisory council
[3:54:23] students and staff in every building. Additionally, even with the changes this year, we were able
[3:54:29] to work toward that arts and innovation identity
[3:54:32] and ensure our middle school students all have access
[3:54:35] to similar arts programming through an extension
[3:54:38] of our partnership with stages theater.
[3:54:41] Finally, incredible work has been done this year
[3:54:43] to provide consistency and courses in programming
[3:54:46] across the district.
[3:54:47] To study scheduling and instructional minutes,
[3:54:50] to study expectations and building systems
[3:54:52] for a curriculum work and collaborating
[3:54:54] with teachers to create better systems
[3:54:56] and empower them to share their expertise.
[3:54:58] the vision
[3:55:00] An expectation of academics at a foundational level is that all students have access to grade-level standards and engaging curriculum that is relevant to their lives, and that they are taught by quality teachers using best practice instructional strategies in every classroom.
[3:55:16] The second focus area in goal 2 was for the superintendent, we'll lead the process design and implementation of school closures and consolidations to include school attendance boundaries, adjustments,
[3:55:29] and staffing changes and provide documentation of the process and the outcome.
[3:55:34] So over the course of the past year, I continue your process that it started with a 24-25
[3:55:40] to create a vision and path forward.
[3:55:42] We'll also make significant budget reductions in implementing a statutory operating debt plan.
[3:55:47] The work associated with school closures and consolidations all aligned work was in progress.
[3:55:53] However, the continued data review and decision making for school closures were a focal point
[3:55:58] for me and my team as well as for the school board immediately following the re-imagined
[3:56:02] hard-tailed vision 2030 recommendations on September 30th.
[3:56:06] As we work toward the SOD timeline, a board approval in January.
[3:56:11] With final decisions and the approval of the SOD plan, we prioritize making the work associated
[3:56:17] with school closures and consolidation, school attendance boundary adjustments and staffing
[3:56:22] changes as detailed, clear, and supportive as possible for all involved.
[3:56:27] Evidence and go of this includes presentations and board meetings, opportunities to hear
[3:56:31] from school district community members as part of the input and decision making process.
[3:56:36] As you all know, it's unprecedented to make such huge changes in one year and it's important
[3:56:41] to acknowledge the additional work that's been done throughout the year to make difficult decisions
[3:56:45] and support students, families, and staff in these transitions.
[3:56:48] Additionally, the sheer logistical details that needed to be communicated and implemented took a collaborative effort and strong leadership.
[3:56:57] As we prepare this week to move buildings, noble is being moved, I think, tomorrow.
[3:57:04] We are able to do so on a schedule because the work of our staff and our leaders.
[3:57:10] We also had two because of the school closures and consolidations, established in modern
[3:57:16] student enrollment, established new processes for staffing, some of the pre-pull work
[3:57:20] on going monitoring and staffing allocations, timelines, efficiencies and interviews,
[3:57:26] and during all the decision making and design and implementation, we insured clear and
[3:57:31] consistent communication along the way.
[3:57:36] Third focus area of goal one, if directed by the board, the superintendent will lead the process
[3:57:41] to establish a bond referendum for future facility improvements and provide documentation
[3:57:47] of the process in timeline.
[3:57:50] The information provided, above, has that goal of payment evidence demonstrates a different
[3:57:54] kind of leadership challenge than managing the school closure process.
[3:57:59] It shows the sustained patients' rigorous preparation and discipline to inform without deciding.
[3:58:05] My role in this work has been to lead my team to equip the school board with everything they
[3:58:10] need to know to make a consequential community facing decision, whether to place a school building
[3:58:15] bond on the November ballot.
[3:58:18] The impact of this year's effort will ultimately be better measured, not by my choices,
[3:58:23] but by the board's decision, and should the board decide to move forward with the referendum
[3:58:26] request it will be ultimately made by a community.
[3:58:30] Again, that requires a different way of leading, one of the thrill and thus transparency
[3:58:34] and trust building, rather than directive leadership.
[3:58:38] Evidence of success in the communication and outreach of this work was seen in the changes from the Morris Leatherland Survey from last October to June in terms of gaining shared understanding and more people aware of the needs of our district and the changing some of those perceptions.
[3:58:54] So as we look at the impact of goal one, again I've provided evidence to you, much more than what I just shared now, to show that I've met and exceeded the goals.
[3:59:04] I know that only through strong leadership and academics and a relentless focus on collaborative
[3:59:10] work will improve outcomes happen for our students.
[3:59:14] After the vision team presented, the school board began a series of discussions requesting
[3:59:19] information and directing the development of a plan that could potentially lead to a
[3:59:23] boundary quest.
[3:59:25] The scope of information over the course of the year reflects a commitment to intentional
[3:59:29] responsive and strategic planning and leadership through those multiple meetings that we
[3:59:34] I'll add in y'all added extra along the way to make sure we'd have enough time to discuss.
[3:59:40] We work to be responsive to your request answering your questions.
[3:59:44] Each presentation was built on the last and we made sure that there was opportunities for
[3:59:49] financial modeling and ultimately a summary of Board of Proaches to this decision.
[3:59:57] Back we're mapping of every Board meeting happened.
[4:00:00] And touch points to make sure that our timelines were on task.
[4:00:04] I think the depth of the analysis is incredibly notable, rather than presenting a single facility's
[4:00:09] proposal, the work exam and the full scope of a comprehensive improvement effort.
[4:00:14] All facilities were studied. We looked at critical questions about the programming vision.
[4:00:19] What is our future? Focus on arts and innovation look like.
[4:00:23] How to see tea pathways and academic shaped the facilities? The district will need.
[4:00:27] These aren't just budget questions.
[4:00:30] They're questions about what kind of school district
[4:00:32] Robins' deal wants to be for the next generation of students
[4:00:35] and the board has been invited to think at that level throughout the process.
[4:00:42] Perhaps most significantly in this process
[4:00:45] that it has not been conducted behind closed doors.
[4:00:48] Staffed every building, students, and community members
[4:00:50] have all had access to the same information
[4:00:53] outlining the district's current reality
[4:00:55] on its explanations of how we got here
[4:00:58] and overview of what has been discussed and what's being considered and the explanation of why a building
[4:01:03] bond is being considered and what if that information should not be supported. Consistent messaging
[4:01:10] mattered.
[4:01:17] I think one more piece on this, I just want to say that at the same time that we were
[4:01:24] making these decisions, we were really intentional, not just short-term solutions, really looking
[4:01:30] at the long-term health of the district.
[4:01:36] Second goal was providing leadership
[4:01:38] to create an implement and approve the statutory operating
[4:01:42] debt plan.
[4:01:44] First, focus to achieve goal-tube was a statutory operating
[4:01:48] debt plan will be created, documented,
[4:01:51] and submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education
[4:01:53] by January 31, 2021.
[4:01:57] All of the work to plan and create the final statutory operating plan,
[4:02:01] including presentations at multiple school board meetings,
[4:02:03] Listening sessions community meeting school closures and consolidations was completed on time
[4:02:09] as dictated by the goal. As part of these meetings, data was presented to provide information
[4:02:14] to the board as they were making decisions on building closures and consolidations. The SOD plan
[4:02:19] called for a reduction of $8 million in order to secure a balanced budget. Several board decisions were made
[4:02:26] along the way to approve the SOD plan and meetings were added including an additional study session
[4:02:31] January 12, to ensure that the board had it, not all the information they needed to ultimately
[4:02:36] approve the plan in January. Upon board approval, the SOD plan was submitted to the Minnesota
[4:02:41] Department of Education, per the January deadline, and we received a word from MDE of their approval
[4:02:47] in late. The second focus area in gold, two stated the superintendent, will support and provide
[4:02:55] leadership for the implementation of the statutory operating plan. So again, the statutory
[4:03:00] operating plan required additional $8 million of reductions after we made almost $16 million
[4:03:07] of the year before reductions in staff programming and buildings as part of the SOD plan
[4:03:12] demanded leadership, detailed planning and a culture of care and collaboration to implement
[4:03:18] the plan throughout the year and to prepare for the impacts to the 2016-27 year.
[4:03:24] Reductions resulted in adjustments to transportation, program and implementation and discontinuation.
[4:03:31] Schedule and staff efficiencies, non-instructional staff reliance and the restructuring of positions to reduction targets.
[4:03:40] The SOD plan, while a five-year plan, will continue to be reviewed annually, and as part of our work, will continue to look at the next decisions in terms of future reductions.
[4:03:52] In
[4:03:56] fact, of goal too, obviously the closure of three schools, the elimination of a programming at the fourth school and closing the district educational services were significant and difficult decisions that directly embedded enabled the district to meet its statutory obligation and achieve financial stabilization.
[4:04:15] These actions, though deeply felt by students families and staff were essential components of the reductions required to bring the district into fiscal balance.
[4:04:24] with SOD plan was completed and submitted, as I said, and the breath of community engagement
[4:04:29] undertaken through this process, including board meetings, expanding the length of listening
[4:04:33] sessions and additional study session, reflects the district's commitment to inclusive decision-making.
[4:04:40] Leading this work demanded operational precision along with the genuine culture of care throughout
[4:04:45] the process, I really remain to present and accessible to members of the community. By providing space
[4:04:50] staff members and inviting questions to seek shared understanding, meeting with and listening
[4:04:55] to families, students, and staff who are grieving, the closure of their neighborhood schools and supporting.
[4:05:00] Building principles who are carrying the weights of these changes alongside their own communities. The emotional
[4:05:05] labor of this work was immense and ongoing. At the same time, the technical demands of the implementation
[4:05:10] never paused. But the timelines had to be met. Staffing plans had to be finalized and communications
[4:05:15] had to be clear, timely and compassionate. Without the support and leadership of an excellent
[4:05:20] administrative team, this work would have been even more difficult to end overwhelming and grateful
[4:05:26] to my team for their work with us.
[4:05:30] Goal 3. Talks about providing leadership
[4:05:32] to implement the district system of continuous improvement.
[4:05:38] The first area of the focus on goal 3 is a superintendent will lead
[4:05:42] and collaborate with her team to provide progress
[4:05:44] and monitoring reports at school board meetings,
[4:05:47] inclusive of district priority work, school improvement plans,
[4:05:50] the district score cards, student achievement data, and student engagement data.
[4:05:55] Obviously, Establishina's system and culture for continuous improvement has been an ongoing
[4:05:59] process for the last two years.
[4:06:01] Last year, I led the development of the framework of the district system of continuous improvement
[4:06:06] in the beginning development of a district scorecard to measure progress and impact with
[4:06:11] the addition of excellent new leaders in the teaching and learning area and data analytics.
[4:06:16] The work progressed forward in the scorecard is completed.
[4:06:19] The work accomplished by each of the strategic theme, the charter teams was shared throughout
[4:06:24] the year as part of the school board's operational oversight monitoring responsibilities.
[4:06:29] And because workforce and customer service data matters, we administered surveys to caregivers
[4:06:33] and staff for the first time this year in addition to the student surveys which we have been doing for a number of years.
[4:06:42] The impact of goal 3 is just building and sustaining that culture of continuous improvement,
[4:06:47] which is one of the most complex and important challenges that I face, especially in a
[4:06:53] district navigating significant financial hardships, leadership transitions, and community
[4:06:58] uncertainty.
[4:06:59] I'm very proud that our work was not only maintained on the district's continuous improvement
[4:07:06] framework but meaningfully advanced, bringing greater coherence accountability and depth to the
[4:07:11] work across all levels of the organization.
[4:07:17] Final goal was investing in improving a culture
[4:07:19] climate and trust with staff families and community members. Given the amount of change that was
[4:07:24] happening throughout the year, this needed to be and was a huge focus area for me.
[4:07:32] The first goal
[4:07:33] area of this states a superintendent will engage with internal external stakeholders to ensure
[4:07:39] district communication, resources, and information regarding the reimagined our deal vision
[4:07:44] 2030 plans are well-known and input and perspectives are gathered to help inform decision-making.
[4:07:49] Evidence will include at least three engagement opportunities for input and feedback to inform final decisions.
[4:07:57] So robust community engagement and opportunities to hear multiple perspectives has been a trademark of the reimagined our
[4:08:03] vision 2030 process since the beginning stages in the fall of 2024.
[4:08:09] In recognition that a community created vision is essential to supporting the transformation
[4:08:13] of Robinsdale area schools in a way that meets the needs of our students.
[4:08:16] Families in community, the design of the original process, was intentional.
[4:08:21] Not only were there multiple opportunities for community voice to be heard through surveys,
[4:08:26] communities, staff, and students, meetings, but we also provided many other opportunities with
[4:08:33] pop-up events along the way as well. So you can see that in this, the three areas that I
[4:08:40] outlined in terms of decision-making was with the SOD and the school closures, the portrait of
[4:08:46] our learner and the multiple ways that that whole process gave us the initial input for that,
[4:08:53] and then feedback on multiple drafts and then ultimately operationalizing vision 2030.
[4:09:05] Ingle 4 evidence of the performance area number 2, the superintendent will deliver to the board of document that outlines
[4:09:12] involvement at community and school district events including visits to schools classrooms and school activities.
[4:09:19] The board received evidence of the dates and engagements I attended facilitated or convene multiple visits
[4:09:25] and meetings throughout the year. Those included community related engagements such as city
[4:09:30] celebrations, meeting with city council members, city managers, police chiefs, legislators,
[4:09:35] district 21 partner meetings. District in school related engagements included multiple visits,
[4:09:41] visits at each school for school events, classroom visits or meetings with staff.
[4:09:45] It also included meeting with affinity groups, guest teaching and district emergency management
[4:09:50] meetings, staff meetings, including both meetings with our leadership teams such as system
[4:09:56] leaders, learning leaders, principal meetings, senior leadership meetings, one-
[4:10:00] On one, meetings with my team members, professional development that we all engaged in, department visits, and have staff meetings at each school.
[4:10:09] And while I love all of that, my time with students is the best, so I attended concerts, musicals and plays, sporting events, meetings with student groups.
[4:10:18] I also started the superintendent's student advisory council, which provided regular communication and access to student voice.
[4:10:25] As a superintendent, I deeply value the importance of being present and engaged in the community,
[4:10:32] events, school, and classroom visits and student activities and athletics.
[4:10:36] It's assigned a student staff and families that I'm accessible and invested not just administratively,
[4:10:42] but personally in the school district.
[4:10:44] As a superintendent, I believe each time I walk the halls of a school visit a classroom or attend a student performance
[4:10:50] or athletic event, it builds trust at every level.
[4:10:52] teachers feel seen and supported students understand that their daily experience matters
[4:10:58] to the district leadership families gain confidence that decisions are being made by someone who
[4:11:03] witnesses firsthand the realities of what's happening in the schools.
[4:11:12] So it's been a quite a year through the routine and the consistent flow of the school year
[4:11:17] and through the changes of what the past year has brought all of us, leadership has mattered.
[4:11:22] The work in which we're engaged, the work in which we must be engaged is a heavy left, and I expect that what matters when work matters, it is a heavy left.
[4:11:33] Most of you have heard it, but I just want to share this again.
[4:11:36] When I came from my interview, I walked into the ESC and I noticed two things.
[4:11:41] I noticed that pieces of walls of these buildings literally were falling all over the patio, and there was turf around the loading dock.
[4:11:52] And I've used this story multiple times to talk about how I feel like the small things reveal a culture.
[4:12:00] When I saw the fake grass, I wondered, is this a culture of good enough?
[4:12:06] Is there the care? Is there the pride?
[4:12:10] And I question, as I wrote up the elevator,
[4:12:13] whether this would be a place that align with my values or not, because I am not about good enough.
[4:12:19] I am not about status quo and I am not about let's just get by.
[4:12:25] I have high expectations and I am seeking excellence every day.
[4:12:31] And what I found out is that there are a whole lot of other people around me the same way.
[4:12:38] Without being asked the facilities and operation department took themselves on and began to plan
[4:12:43] for a better tomorrow. So they took the fake grass, the turf and we had a little fun
[4:12:49] with a mini golf, but then the turf was gone.
[4:12:54] Black grass, black dirt came.
[4:12:57] All of the black paper to get rid of weeds was laid down.
[4:13:02] And then pretty soon the wood chips came.
[4:13:05] And then boulders came.
[4:13:08] And then pretty soon plants,
[4:13:11] grasses were planted.
[4:13:15] And about a week or two ago,
[4:13:19] I was pulled up to the ESC and Sylvester, who's one of our custodians, was raking the lawn.
[4:13:28] And so I just talked to him and I said, oh my gosh, unbelievable.
[4:13:32] And I told him the story about when I came and he just said, it's about pride, about investment.
[4:13:41] And I thank him for what he did and I think this just continues to be an amazing story of transformation.
[4:13:50] You can see as I was leaving, he's bent over pulling weeds by hand.
[4:13:55] Make sure that they don't come back, right?
[4:13:59] So it has taken a while for the landscaping at the front of the ESC.
[4:14:04] take shape. But it started because there were some people who weren't asked to do it. They just
[4:14:11] had a lot of pride. And they invested time and energy to moving us from fake grass into something
[4:14:19] that represents the potential of this district and ultimately the transformation that can occur.
[4:14:26] So that was a theme this year, right? That I shared with all staff at my kickoff. And as I've said
[4:14:32] before none of us could have predicted, you know,
[4:14:34] and got to what would happen between closing
[4:14:37] for schools in the ESC, reducing $10 million
[4:14:40] developing a NSOD plan, Metro's surge,
[4:14:45] transitioning people and things,
[4:14:48] direction and planning for the future.
[4:14:49] It was quite a year, and we are certainly going
[4:14:52] to all have to continue to take ourselves on.
[4:14:56] And well, it was a challenge, Jane and Joyce here.
[4:15:00] It's obvious that Robin Zillerius's future is something we build together. Tonight, for me, is a celebration
[4:15:09] of the collective work of our staff, our leaders, our students in our community. I am very proud
[4:15:16] of our work, and while these goals only represent a small portion of my work, I'm proud of the
[4:15:27] rain leadership. And I'm proud of an extremely grateful for an amazing team of senior
[4:15:33] leaders. I was able to hire some key positions this year to bring on to our team, and
[4:15:38] I continue to benefit from strong leaders who are serving when I arrived and continue to
[4:15:44] invest their talents and loyalty in our district. This new team has come together, that's
[4:15:50] come together, I believe, is unstoppable. And depending on what the board and community
[4:15:55] want. We have everything needed to transform the school district. So I want to thank you for the opportunity to serve
[4:16:02] Robin'sdale area schools and for you.
[4:16:08] Thank you. Thank you very much. At this time, at this time,
[4:16:15] we will go into a closed session pursuant to Minnesota statutes 13D.0.5 subdivision 3A for superintendent
[4:16:21] and end of the year of evaluation.
[4:16:23] I will entertain a motion to recess to the close session.
[4:16:27] Move by brintisans, seconded by woots, director Huto, all of favor say aye.
[4:16:33] All right.
[4:16:34] Oh, say no.
[4:16:35] Okay, it is 10, 12, that we are going into the closed session.
[4:16:39] Motion carried.
[4:16:41] The closed session, 10, 12, we'll come and get you as soon as your part will be happening.
[4:16:49] Okay.
[4:16:49] So for this card, it's just the board members.
[5:49:14] Okay, our closed session is over. We are going to finish off our study session now. It is 1146. And it is still Monday, June 15th, 2026. And we are finished. Thank you, everybody.